1 Likeable Social Media: Bonus Guide
2 Likeable Social Media: Bonus Guide
Thank you for purchasing a copy of Likeable Social Media: How to Delight Your Customers, Create an Irresistible Brand, and Be Generally Amazing on Facebook and other social networks by Dave Kerpen. As a bonus to your likeable purchase, here is a collection of articles, blogs, and presentations from Dave and the entire Likeable Media team that will assist you in your social media endeavors. Since you are a valuable fan and customer, please note that you can reach out Dave and/or the Likeable Team at the following locations any time for assistance, questions, and comments:
Twitter.com/LikeableMedia
Facebook.com/LikeableMedia
Twitter.com/DaveKerpen
Once again, thank you so much for your purchase and have fun getting likeable!
Contents
Articles……………………………………………….3
Likeable Blogs……………………………………..17
Slideshares………………………………………....51
Webinars…………………………………………….52
3 Likeable Social Media: Bonus Guide
8 Brands That Have Found Success on Facebook & What We Can Learn
By Dave Kerpen
Any brand worth their social media salt has a presence on Facebook. But just because a brand is online, doesnʼt necessarily mean that it is doing a good job.
While itʼs possible to suggest some tips and best practices, thereʼs no greater teacher than learning from example.
Below, find eight brands that have found success on Facebook, including some takeaways on what they did right and how you can emulate their success.
1. The Pampered Chef
The Pampered Chef launched their Facebook page at a national conference in front of thousands of enthusiastic consultants. The page earned 10,000 likes in its first 24 hours and now has over 260,000 likes.
Lesson: Ask your staff, customers, vendors, and partners — who already know you and like you — to “Like” your Facebook page first.
2. Restaurant.com
Restaurant.com combines exclusive Facebook offers with lots of engaging questions. This drives higher results in usersʼ newsfeeds because of Facebookʼs EdgeRank formula. Last week for instance, they asked, “When the weather is nice, do you prefer to dine on the restaurantʼs outdoor patio or stay indoors?” and “Which American Idol finalist would you like to dine with — Haley, Lauren, or Scotty?”
Lesson: Ask a lot of questions. Youʼll get valuable feedback, plus youʼll be more likely to appear in your fansʼ newsfeeds.
3. Oreo
Oreo is a global brand with over 19 million fans, and yet they still manage to make things personal for their fans. They consistently run fun content, creative pictures and links. They also have a “Worldʼs Fan of the Week” that showcases one Oreo fan in their profile picture based on uploaded fan photos.
Lesson: Share lots of photos, and ask your fans to share photos. Facebookʼs Photos remain the most viral feature of its platform.
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4. Vitamin Water
Vitamin Water has been trailblazing on Facebook for years, including crowdsourcing an entirely new flavor back in 2009. Today, they have over 2.3 million fans with frequent posts featuring pictures, videos, events and links. Most importantly, they are responsive to fan questions and inquiries, breeding loyalty even when their answers arenʼt exactly what customers want to hear.
Lesson: Find the resources to respond to your fans questions and inquiries.
5. Boloco
Boloco is a Boston restaurant which has set up their Fan Page as a “Place” Page, allowing people to check-in. In addition to using the Reviews app to solicit and showcase reviews, Boloco is engaging and has fun with their audience. Most importantly, as a Place Page, they can leverage one of Facebookʼs newest features, Deals, offering customers specific and local specials.
Lesson: If you have a physical location, use Place Pages and Deals to drive traffic through your doors.
6. LOFT
Last June, LOFT upset its fans after they posted a series of photos of super-thin models wearing their clothing. So the very next day, they apologized and shared photos of their own staff, of various shapes and sizes, wearing the line. Fans responded enthusiastically, and since then LOFTʼs Fan Page has grown from 50,000 fans to 250,000 fans. They also post a lot on weekends, when their audience is online and thereʼs less competition from other brands.
Lesson: Know your audience well, and when you make a mistake, quickly own up, do right by your audience and fix the problem.
7. 1-800-Flowers.com
1-800-Flowers.com was one of the first brands to establish buying opportunities inside Facebook, and now leverages in-stream sales. But the most important thing theyʼve done is to deeply integrate Facebook onto their website, putting the Like button on all products. Imagine visiting an ecommerce website and seeing what products the person youʼre buying a gift for “Liked” — it would make choosing the right gift a lot easier, wouldnʼt it?
5 Likeable Social Media: Bonus Guide
Lesson: Integrate Facebook outside of your Fan Page, on your website, in as many places as you can. Create more compelling opportunities for people to buy your product based on their friendsʼ Likes.
8. Brooklyn Museum
This local non-profit has used pictures and an art app called Wall Paper to attract more than 37,000 fans. One thing they do particularly well is engage other entities. A look at their Wall shows lots of artist pages and other organizationʼs pages interacting with the Museumʼs page — not just the fans.
Lesson: Find synergy with other organizations and entities, and then work together to promote each otherʼs Facebook pages so that everyone benefits.
These eight brands all demonstrate worthwhile lessons in Facebook marketing. What are your favorite brands doing on Facebook? And what other lessons have you learned?
Disclosure: The Pampered Chef, Restaurant.com and 1-800-Flowers.com are clients of Likeable.
http://mashable.com/2011/05/24/successful-brands-facebook/
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10 Proven Strategies for Greater Likeability on Facebook
By Dave Kerpen
We all intuitively know what likeability means. We have friends who are easygoing, good listeners and there when we need them. But what does it mean for a brand to be likeable online? Now more than ever, when a “Like” is arguably more important than a “link,” brands must demonstrate core values of responsiveness, transparency and likeability across Facebook and other social networks.
Listen to your customers and prospects. Deliver value, excitement and surprise. And most importantly, truly engage your customers and help them spread the word. Here are 10 universal laws for brand likeability in social media.
1. Never Stop Listening
The number one benefit of a brandʼs involvement in social media is the ability to listen to conversation about its brand, competitors and target audienceʼs wants and needs. Listening is 50% of communication. Just as nobody wants to be out on a date with someone who isnʼt a good listener, consumer donʼt want to feel ignored by brands on social networks.
For a good case study on how listening in social media has impacted millions of dollars worth of sales, check out IBMʼs Listening for Leads program.
2. Leverage Facebookʼs EdgeRank Formula
EdgeRank, Facebookʼs algorithm for determining what appears at the top of peopleʼs News Feeds, might be the single most important online innovation of our time. EdgeRank uses multiple factors to determine whatʼs relevant and appealing to users. So unlike email, through which we receive a constant barrage of pushed messages all day, every day, Facebook updates surface to the top of our feeds based on how likeable and relevant the updates are.
At any given time, as a brand, youʼre competing with all of your fansʼ friends and other brand pages for attention. This is a great thing for consumers because it means theyʼre not spammed with irrelevant, sales-heavy messaging. But itʼs also a challenge to marketers. Youʼll want to use photos and videos, keep the text short and drive as many Likes and comments as possible.
3. Improvise Your Engagement
7 Likeable Social Media: Bonus Guide
There is a difference between talking at people and engaging with them. I often use the analogy of a Broadway show versus an improv show. TV advertising is like a Broadway show — a one-way communication in which a huge production and great creative can make a strong impact. Social media marketing is more like improv comedy — a back- and-forth between performers and audience, different every time yet totally effective at a fraction of the cost, when done right.
One brand that does an excellent job of engaging in social media is Zappos. Zappos goes back and forth with customers on Twitter and Facebook, discussing its product — shoes — or anything else customers want to talk about
4. Respond Quickly to Negative Comments
Customers have taken to social networks to share their frustrations. Unlike 10 years ago, when you could get away with putting people on hold for an hour or responding to letters on your own schedule, negative sentiment can spread lightning-fast on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. The faster you can respond, the better.
The best practice is to respond publicly, indicating that youʼre addressing the issue through a private message. The customer will feel that he or she is heard, and most important to your brand, the public sees that you care and are responsive. “Iʼm sorry” are the two most powerful words for brands in social media.
5. Respond to Positive Comments, Too
Many brands are not yet leveraging this opportunity, but your positive comments on Facebook and Twitter are likely from your biggest brand advocates, capable of spreading your messages far and wide and defending you against naysayers at no cost. If you owned a retail store and a customer walked up to you and said, “I just love all your products and have been shopping here for years,” would you ignore them? Donʼt ignore them on Facebook either. “Thank you” are the other two most powerful words for brands in social media.
6. Be Authentic and Transparent
Take a guess at what actor has the most likes on Facebook. Is it the most famous, most talented or best-looking actor?
With more than 21 million fans, Vin Diesel is the most-liked actor on Facebook, probably because heʼs the most authentic. He shares pictures of his family, videos and inner thoughts. Brands can learn from Vin: Share insights from real people, behind-the- scenes footage, and your brandʼs personality.
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7. Provide Value (for Free!)
Brands that provide real value to consumers will see long-term dividends, build trust and credibility, and grow contagious excitement. While 10% off is not value (itʼs marketing), 50% off is value. Free is value. Business-to-business brands can give away white papers, share articles or do free webinars. Business-to-consumer brands can give away products or deep-discounts, hold contests and share entertaining content.
Extra Gum gave away a pack to every fan on Facebook — now thatʼs value.
8. Share and Inspire Stories
Stories bring brands to life in a way that nothing else can. Stories can be about the founding of the company, an employee who has overcome struggle, or a customer experience with your product. In order for brands to tell a story at scale, they used to have to buy a 30-second TV commercial. Today, you can tell a story through tweets, photos and Facebook groups.
Check out this Facebook group, inspired by a local McDonaldʼs employee in Chandler, Arizona. More than 1,000 people sing Maryʼs praises and organically spread the word about McDonaldʼs.
9. Consistently Deliver Surprise and Delight
This is a marketing principle more than a social media principle. When brands surprise and delight on social networks, itʼs public and part of an ecosystem where things can spread very quickly. When Cumberland Farmsʼ Chill Zone Facebook Page had 30,000 fans, they announced that if the page topped 75,000 fans, theyʼd give away a free Chill Zone to everyone on the Page. A few weeks later, without any advertising, the page was at 100,000 fans.
10. Donʼt Sell
Just make it easy and compelling for customers to buy. While itʼs essential for brands to create likeable, engaging communities on social networks, every CMO needs to move the sales needle. But thereʼs a huge difference between using social networks to aggressively sell versus making it easy for consumers to buy.
Flash sales provide urgency and excitement on social networks. One way to make it easy is in-Facebook commerce.
Ultimately, the most important rule for brands to remember is the Golden Rule: Take off your marketing cap and put on your consumer cap — would you click Like or RT?
9 Likeable Social Media: Bonus Guide http://mashable.com/2011/05/10/facebook-marketing-strategies/
10 Likeable Social Media: Bonus Guide
5 Minutes with Dave Kerpen, CEO, Likeable Media
Pat McCarthy
In Likeable Mediaʼs Mission Statement, you state that WOM and social media go beyond marketing. What changes will they bring to business in general?
Social media is nothing short of transformational in changing the way organizations are run, not just businesses, but also nonprofits and govʼt agencies. Marketing is just the beginning. There is no longer a line between marketing and customer service. Customer service, internal operations, hiring & HR, sales, PR, marketing; these are all areas affected by WOM and social media. And they will continue to revolutionize the way companies do business.
Many companies need social savvy staff, but a lot of them donʼt know what to look for. What do you look for when hiring for your team?
They have to be my Facebook friends. There are probably not a lot of companies that require Facebook friendship, but I really want in my team, and frankly in our clients, a sense that weʼre helping people who embrace openness, transparency and responsiveness - Three core values that, I believe, not only Likeable has, but the entire internet and global business should embrace.
Iʼd rather hire somebody who shares pictures of themselves getting drunk on Facebook than somebody with a closed profile.
What are the changes that you have seen since Facebook went from Fan to Like?
People are more comfortable Like-ing things than Fan-ing them. So it helped a lot of our clients and other organizations get more people connected to them. People are comfortable being fans of sports teams, but they arenʼt necessarily comfortable being fans of restaurants, clothing stores or skin care products. They feel more comfortable liking those.
What do you keep top-of-mind when designing Facebook pages and how have you seen that benefit your clientsʼ communities?
When we build Facebook pages and strategies for clients, we really try to think about their most passionate customers and meeting the needs of those people, not necessarily showcasing the brand.
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One client Iʼm particularly proud of is our stride rite Community because itʼs moms talking about their kids and babies, posting pictures. Itʼs not about stride rite the shoe. Itʼs about moms of young kids connecting with each other.
Thatʼs an example of whatʼs possible using Facebook and Social Media. Itʼs really empowering your customers and target audience instead of marketing to them.
Another example would be Our Jewish Community, where we live stream religious services each Friday on Facebook. While to some that would seem blasphamous, to many thousands of people all over the world, theyʼve been able to be connected to a religion or belief through Facebook. I think thatʼs something thatʼs pretty incredible.
So whatʼs the next big thing that everyone is going to be talking about in six months?
Location is going to continue to grow. Itʼs the hottest trend right now, but it will continue to grow to the point where it will be ubiquitous in 6 months. Once Facebook roles out its location product, everyone will be checking it and sharing their location. Youʼll remember fondly those quaint early days of Foursquare where that was the only game in town.
Any closing thoughts?
The space is still confusing to many, so I would urge any WOMMA Word readers to inquire about joining WOMMA. Obviously weʼre a member, but Iʼm not being paid to suggest you investigate joining WOMMA. Itʼs a terrific organization.
Thanks Dave. Youʼre the best :) http://womma.org/word/2010/07/29/5-minutes-with-dave-kerpen-ceo-likeable- media/
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4 Reasons Social Media is a Must for Your Business, & 5 Places to Start
By Dave Kerpen
Unless youʼve been living under a rock, youʼve heard of social media, youʼve seen “Follow us on Twitter” everywhere and youʼve probably joined Facebook yourself. Just in case youʼre not convinced of the seismic shift in marketing and communications currently underway, take a few minutes to watch this video, from Socialnomics author Erik Qualman, and then come back to join me, please: Social Media Revolution
By the way, the video, only a few months old, as great as it is, already has some outdated stats. If Facebook were a country, for instance, it would now be the 3rd largest in the world, not the 4th as the video suggests. So now, you know how big social media is, but what can social media do for your business? Does it really matter to your bottom line that so many people are using social networks to connect and share? Here are 4 reasons it does matter:
1) Your customers and prospects are there already, waiting to talk to you. You can either join the conversation, or let them talk about you and your competitors, the good, bad and ugly, without responding. If you donʼt believe me, go to http://search.twitter.com and search your name, your companyʼs name, and your competitorʼs names. Or search for keywords describing what you do. Youʼll be surprised at what you find.
2) Itʼs low-cost marketing. No, not free, as some mistakenly believe, but low-cost – compared to traditional vehicles such as tv, radio, print, direct mail, and outdoor advertising. Most of what you pay for is time- your staffʼs time or a company such as our firmʼs time. But the time and money you invest now can directly correlate to future success – as long as you use social media to engage people, not spam them.
3) Itʼs way more than just marketing. Social media can help virtually all aspects of your company – obviously marketing and pr, but also sales and business development, customer service, operations and human resources.
4) Done well, social media marketing is word of mouth, on steroids. Word of mouth is the oldest and purest form of marketing. I like to joke that itʼs been in fashion since Eve said to Adam, “Youʼve got to try this apple.” Surely your business has grown thanks to referrals and positive word of mouth. Now imagine your happiest client sharing how much they loved working with you with 100 Facebook friends, Twitter followers or LinkedIn connections.
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Once you make the decision to invest your time and your companyʼs time and money in social media, it can still be a daunting process. With thousands of social networking sites and tools available to businesses and people, where do you start? Here are my 5 recommendations and why:
1) Facebook: The worldʼs largest social media site boasts 350 million+ users and a growth rate of nearly 1 million users per day. More important, its users are your customers and prospects. Donʼt believe me? There are over 6 million people in the United States alone on Facebook – that are age 60+. Facebook features individual profiles, groups and fan pages. Youʼll want to set up a Fan Page for your business and/or customers. Then, share engaging content on a daily basis. Here are a few more tips for your Fan Page. You may want to consider Facebook ads to help populate your page. Because Facebook has data on 350 million people, the targeting options render the Facebook ads system as the best ad targeting mechanism in history. For example, a business attorney can target accountants in Great Neck, or an architect can target real estate developers in the Hamptons. Last Valentineʼs Day, I took out a Facebook ad targeting 33 year old married employees of theKbuzz in New York. The ad copy read, “I love you Carrie” and the ad was seen by only my wife.
2) Twitter: The worldʼs fastest growing social media site may only have 50 million users, but your ability to tap into what your customers and prospects are saying right now on Twitter is unparalleled. Once you begin, youʼll want to follow thought leaders in your industry and people tweeting about you or what you do. As with Facebook, and really all social networks, youʼll want to share lots of great content – not necessarily your own, but articles and links your customers would want to read and would find helpful. Twitter will take a lot of time, but most of our clients on Twitter not only find it to be rewarding for their business, but actually personally rewarding as well.
3) LinkedIn: The worldʼs largest professional social network has 55 million users and is still seen as the safer choice by some professionals and high level executives. As an individual, you should make sure your profile is complete and use LI to network, learn and share. As a company, you should make sure you have a dynamic company profile, and use LinkedIn to showcase great content and find new employees and partners.
4) YouTube: The worldʼs largest video-sharing site and 2nd largest search engine, YouTube should be the host of any video content you can create, or better yet, have customers create. Iʼm NOT talking about slick tv spots – a flip cam is usually enough to film a 60 second How-To video, or an interview with an executive, customer or partner.
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Donʼt expect to produce the next “viral video sensation” – as long as you create and share great content, it will find an audience.
5) Blog: While most corporate blogs are unread, if you can use a blog to consistently create and share valuable content, it can search as the lynchpin to your social media strategy. You donʼt have to give away the farm – but do create enough value to showcase yourself as the expert – and make people want to share your content. Great blogging software options include Wordpress, Posterous, and Tumblr.
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Donʼt Sell Anything on Facebook – Guest Post by Dave Kerpen, theKbuzz
April 29, 2010 by Jennifer Fong
From Jennifer: Today is a first…the first time Iʼve asked someone outside of the direct selling industry to write a guest column for this blog. But you know what? Sometimes we need to look outside our industry to see how others are using social media with success, and then translate that into what works within our unique culture. I actually spend a lot of my time doing that, which helps me bring the most current information to you, in a way that you can actually use.
In that spirit, I reached out to Dave Kerpen, Chief Buzz Officer at theKbuzz, a Social Media & Word of Mouth Marketing Firm, and asked him to share his expertise on Facebook engagement. Daveʼs company helps companies put into place dynamic and engaging Facebook Pages. You may have seen his work if youʼve “Liked” 1800Flowers, Stride Rite, or Unoʼs Chicago Grill. Dave knows a LOT about what makes a fan page that people want to interact with. And today, heʼs sharing some of that knowledge with you. Enjoy!
Donʼt Sell Anything on Facebook
By Dave Kerpen
I was thinking of titling this post, “5 Better Ways to Engage on Facebook” because thatʼs the content I plan on delivering to you. But the truth is, I wanted to get your attention.
If youʼre a reader of this blog, youʼre likely involved in the direct sales industry. And there are 450 million+ people on Facebook, including you and just about everyone you know (My 90 year old grandma joined this week.) The average Facebook user has 130 friends, and many of you have way more friends (or “people who like you”, if you have a Fan Page). So the temptation to sell to all of these people is powerful.
The problem, of course, if that this does not work. The moment someone tries to sell to me on Facebook, for instance, unless Iʼve really grown over time to know, like, and trust that person, Iʼll immediately de-friend. Do YOU like to be sold to, or engaged?
Too many direct sellers and direct selling companies are making their updates all about them and their products. If you want to win on Facebook, itʼs more about creating “likeable content.” The content shouldnʼt be arbitrary, of course. It should be relevant to your category or target audience. For example, if youʼre selling:
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• Cooking products, think recipes
• Health & beauty products, think celebrity beauty tips
• Gardening items, link to articles about gardening
You may consider content about entrepreneurs and business success too.
Over the course of time, likeable, engaging content will build trust with your audience, and they will become excited buyers who come to you, instead of you trying (and failing) to sell to them on Facebook. Here are my 5 most engaging types of updates:
1. Post photos. A picture is worth a thousand words. Instead of using words, post pictures. By posting interesting pictures, you will get people talking.
2. Post videos. If a picture is worth a thousand words, a video is worth a thousand pictures. Create a short form content video between 30 seconds and two minutes and share it with your friend or fans. A great feature about posting a video on Facebook is if someone is watching the video, they can click on the top left of the video to “like” the page if they havenʼt already!
3. Share links to interesting articles and resources with your friends or fans. Links are a great way to bring relevant content to your page that may not be your own.
4. Ask questions. If people are not commenting on your updates, it is often because you are not asking them to. If you ask people what they think of something or what they are doing, they will answer these questions on your page.
5. For the more advanced users, utilize interactive apps including polls, quizzes, and virtual gifts.These are some ways to engage your friends and fans on a more advanced level. http://www.jenfongspeaks.com/dont-sell-anything-on-facebook-guest-post-by-dave- kerpen-thekbuzz/
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Why Most Small Businesses Are Failing with Social Media & 5 Tips For Better Success
By Dave Kerpen
Over 600 million people in the world are on Facebook, including over 150 million Americans, or 1 in 2 adults. Twitter just topped 300 million accounts. Small business owners in droves are trying to capitalize on the trends, but few are reaping the benefits. For most local business owners, the temptation is to use social networks to promote their businesses and to broadcast their messages.
But if you take off your marketing cap, and put on your customer cap, youʼll realize that consumers are already pummeled by marketing and advertising messages all day long. The secret, then, to social media for small business owners – is being human – being the sort of person at a cocktail party who listens attentively, tells great stories, shows interest in others, and is authentic and honest. The secret is to simply be likeable.
Here are 5 specific tips for small business owners to enjoy more success at social media:
1) Listen before you talk. Before your first tweet, search Twitter for people talking about your business, and for people talking about your competitors. Search using words that your prospective customers would say, too. For example, if youʼre an accountant, use Twitter to search for people tweeting the words “need an accountant” in your town. Youʼll be surprised how many people are already looking for you.
2) Donʼt tell your customers to like you and follow you, tell them why and how. Everywhere you turn, you see “Like us on Facebook” and “Follow us on Twitter.” Huh? Why? How? Give your customers a reason to connect with you on social networks (whatʼs in it for them?) and then make it easy. Note the difference between these two calls to action:
“Like my bookʼs page on Facebook” and
“Get answers to all your social media questions at Facebook.com/LikeableBook.”
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3) Ask questions. Wondering why nobodyʼs responding to your posts on Facebook? Itʼs probably because youʼre not asking questions. Social media is about engagement and having a conversation, not about promoting. If a pizza place posts on Facebook, “Come on by, 2 pizzas for just $12,” nobody will comment, and nobody will show up. If that pizza place posts, “Whatʼs your favorite topping?” people will comment online– and then be more likely to show up.
4) Share pictures and videos. People love photos. The biggest reason Facebook has gone from 0 to 600 million users in 6 years is photos. Photos and videos tell stories about you in ways that text alone cannot. You donʼt need a production budget, either. Use your smartphone to take pictures and short videos of customers, staff, and cool things at your business, and then upload them directly to Facebook and Twitter. A picture really is worth a thousand words. A video is worth even more.
5) Spend at least 30 minutes a day on social media. If you bought a newspaper ad or radio ad, you wouldnʼt spend 5 minutes on it or relegate it to interns. Plus, thereʼs a lot to learn, and every week, new tools and opportunities across social networks emerge. Spend real time each day reading and learning, listening and responding, and truly joining the conversation. The more time you put in to social media, the more benefits your business will receive.
Above all else, keep that customer cap on, and follow the golden rule: Would you yourself click the “Like” button, the Follow button, or Retweet button if you saw your business on Facebook & Twitter? Would YOU want to be friends with your business at a cocktail party? How likeable is your business?
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What Is Your Twitter Personality?
By Dean Opriasa
People watching on Twitter
If youʼre reading this, you're most likely into tweeting, blogging, Facebook-ing, and all things social media. Safe bet that you probably have several profiles across a number of networking sites. The question is, how are you defining your online personality? Whether you do it for your personal brand or business, the common factor in all these online profiles is your personality.
Your social media personality often manifests itself in your communication “style” so-to- speak. Simply put how you ask and answer questions, how you comment on posts, how you listen and empathize with others, as well as how you mediate and share links and content to your followers.
Keep in mind that your personality is only one component. After all, your fans or followers canʼt look into your eyes and see if you look up or to the right; they canʼt see if you shift in your seat when you answer a question. When interacting online, itʼs often difficult for people to understand the true meaning of your words, especially if you are limited to 140 characters, as is the case with Twitter. Ultimately, all they can go by is what you “say” or how you say it.
If you spend as much time on Twitter as, well, I do, you canʼt help but notice the different types of Tweeple. Itʼs like people-watching, in the comfort of your own home or office.
The Diva
These are the people who donʼt listen to anyone. They canʼt listen and they wonʼt. They talk about the most important thing to them, themselves. A little bragging is alright but remember that thereʼs a fine line between confident & arrogant, much worse, annoying.
The Whiner
Everyone knows at least one! Thereʼs the Whiner that complains about everything in the world and just drag you down. You donʼt want to be the constant complainer who only uses social media to vent about lifeʼs frustrations.
The Entertainer
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These folks are just plain enjoyable! The Entertainer tweets the most random things but the value that they bring is fun and laughter! @IamSuperBrad is a great example of this! A part of my morning ritual is reading his Tweets! Faux personalities also fall under the Entertainer title. @DarthVader & @Lord_Voldemort7 are two of my faves!
The Sharer
The Sharer can be your friend. They RT and share your posts and links to everyone and their mothers! Sharers can be too much at times when you read what they are doing at every second. I think people will agree with me when I say, I donʼt need to know what youʼre having for breakfast! Much more, I donʼt need to see a photo of it.
The Salesman
You canʼt miss them! They flood your stream with promotions about their blog on how to gain a bazillion followers or the never-ending offers, deals, and promotions.
These are just some of the Tweeps I notice. There are certainly much more types of personalities out there. Regardless of which one you are the bottom line is you should OWN IT!
Be Yourself.
Just as in real life, you donʼt have to appeal to everyone, just to the people that matter to you.
Itʼs totally okay to talk about your frustrations, fears, dreams, or hopes. After all, social media is about being social and showing people that you are a real person. If youʼre really into yourself, so be it! You wonʼt care what other people think anyway. If you canʼt help but complain and whine; rub some dirt on it! If youʼre a genuinely nice person who likes to start conversations and share your thoughts and expertise, then youʼre more likely to gain followers and offer real value to them.
What types of other Tweeps do you notice when you people watch on Twitter?
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Blogging 101: 5 Major Mistakes to Avoid
By: Alana Brooks
It seems like everyone at Likeable is jumping on the blogging train, and I couldn't be more excited. Blogs are the perfect vessel for self expression, updates and sharing. That being said, not all of the millions of bloggers do it well. In addition to having truly stellar blog content, bloggers need to consider the look and feel of their blog. While I could show you blogs that really "get it", I think it will be more productive (and more fun!) to share with you 5 major mistakes that need to be avoided...at all costs.
Here we go:
1. Don't add your own soundtrack- blogs (and Websites!) with music that plays at launch are truly the worst for a few reasons. First and foremost, people often forget to turn off the sound on their computers. Imagine you are minding your own business, catching up on your Google Reader while waiting in the airport, and Britney Spears/Justin Bieber/Ricky Martin starts BLASTING from your computer. How embarrassing! Additionally, few people have the exact same music taste. By forcing your readers to listen to your own music, it interrupts the music they're probably already listening to.
2. Keep your background neutral- Sure, you may be a fan of all things bright and sparkly, but that doesn't mean a hot pink background is the right decision for your blog on Politics, or any blog, for that matter. Always keep in mind: a dark or overly bright background is often daunting. Keep it neutral, simple and light so your content stands out.
3. Text needs to be readable- yes, CurlzMT was a super fun font...in 4th grade! When choosing fonts for your blog, it's important to remember to stick to just 2 or 3. Choose a font for the titles of your post and a different font for your content. Feel free to bold and italicize text for emphasis, but don't start using a new font halfway through a post simply because you feel like it.
4. Paragraphs should NEVER be centered- this drives me absolutely batty! For a while, I couldn't figure out why. My response when questioned: it just looks...bad. I was thrilled when my intro to web design teacher at BU listed it as a no-no. I'm no designer, but that was definitely the validation I needed.
5. Clutter is never the answer- ...especially when it's flashy. Sparkly animated .gifs, flash ads and an overwhelming amount of buttons and awards are a total turn off. As I've said previously, simplicity is always best. If you have a ton of awards or buttons you want to display, why not include them on a separate page, or in a drop-down? Always
22 Likeable Social Media: Bonus Guide remember, your content is the most important part of your blog, so it shouldn't be hard to find!
As Internet Savvy readers, I know you've come across blog design atrocities. What blogging mistakes drive you crazy?
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5 Ways You Should Be Using Twitter, But Probably Aren't
By Frank Emanuele
Iʼve been on Twitter for almost three years now. When I joined, I tweeted for a few weeks, but didnʼt really see the point at first. I all but abandoned it for several months. But when I returned, I became a complete addict! I found a core group of interesting, engaging people to follow who shared a number of common interests with me. Once I began to attach personalities to those user names and avatars, I started to see the value that Twitter could have for me personally. And yet, people still ask me, “How do you tweet so much? Donʼt you ever run out of things to talk about?!” It actually is a valid question: what exactly do we use Twitter for when weʼre not just sharing the mundane details of our everyday lives? Let's take a look at some really fun and interesting uses for Twitter that you may not have thought of!
Chat with Like-minded people
For lots of people, Twitter is just a place to push out a steady stream of their thoughts. But one of the most amazing things about Twitter is how easy it is to find people who share your interests. Say youʼre a fan of Scotty McCreery on American Idol. You could just tweet about how awesome he is, and how many times you voted for him this week. Or you could do a Twitter search for his name and find other Scotty fans and strike up a great conversation! Joining a fan community like this can be incredibly rewarding. By discussing your favorite shows, movies, books, and hobbies with others, youʼll encounter ideas and new ways of thinking that never would have occurred to you otherwise. And you just might make some new friends!
Find New Places
If youʼre anything like me, you and your friends have some go-to places you like to hang out. When all else fails and youʼre bored on a Saturday night, you end up at one of your usual hangouts. While itʼs fun being a regular at a local bar, sometimes you just need to spice it up and try something new. If you need a change of venue, why not put the question out there for your followers to answer? Maybe someone can recommend a great sports bar, a food truck with awesome tacos, or a great Indian place no oneʼs ever heard of. I live just outside New York City, and was recently in Manhattan with a cousin who was visiting from out of town. He wanted to see the sights and really get the most out of his time in New York, and when it was time for dinner, he had just one request: that we eat a real New York diner. I didnʼt know of a diner in the area where we were hanging out, so I called on my followers to recommend one. Within 5 minutes, we were heading toward the Skylight Diner on 34th St & 9th Ave at the recommendation of a fellow New Yorker. We had a great meal and Iʼve been back there several times since. Donʼt underestimate the power of your social sphere!
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Win Cool Stuff
One of the most shameless ways that brands and even individuals try to amass followers is by simply giving away iPads, tickets to sporting events, gift cards, and all sorts of cool swag in return for follows and retweets. Sure, it may seem annoying to see your Twitter stream filled with tweets about the latest giveaway, but itʼs definitely a great way to get ahold of some really cool stuff for the best price possible: free! When the iPad first launched last spring, website building service Webs.com celebrated by giving away an iPad every few hours all weekend long. They came up with some really creative ways of choosing the winners and they documented the live drawings on their YouTube channel. Was it a publicity stunt? No question. But did a bunch of people get free iPads? Absolutely! And for those of us who didnʼt win, it was still entertaining and memorable.
Answer ANY Question
Where do you usually go when youʼre looking for answers online? My guess is Google. Itʼs become second nature, right? Just Google it. But which would you prefer: a search algorithm that provides general information relevant to the key words you feed it, or a living, breathing human being who shares similar experiences with you and has some meaningful input? When youʼre deciding which movie to see this weekend, would you rather read what the critics had to say, or would you rather engage with an Average Joe who already saw this weekʼs blockbuster and ask him what he thinks? Using popular hashtags can make your questions visible to a highly relevant crowd and will often return incredibly useful results. The benefits of social search are becoming clearer every day, and as it gets easier to rely on crowd sourcing, Google looks increasingly like theyʼre in big trouble.
Killer Deals
Knowing who to follow is a big part of mastering Twitter. There are plenty of accounts out there dedicated solely to finding and sharing amazing deals that will save you a bundle. For instance, take a look at Amazon. Their @AmazonDeals and @AmazonMP3 accounts tweet out daily sales that will shock and amaze you. Theyʼve got everything from $12 seasons of your favorite TV shows to $5 albums by awesome artists. Finding this kind of value right in your Twitter stream makes it easier by leaps and bounds to save cash on just about everything. You donʼt need to actively seek out savings, just get them delivered to you by Twitter and enjoy!
There are so many fascinating uses for this fast-growing social network, many of which havenʼt been thought of yet. I really hope youʼll reconsider what Twitter means to you and try to use it to its full potential. Experiment and make the most of it! I think weʼre seeing the beginning of something truly amazing taking shape before our very eyes, 140 characters at a time. Letʼs all be an active part of it!
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The WOW Factor
By: Dan Bergeron
Last evening I was sitting at home with a friend, not feeling inclined to prepare a meal, yet my stomach was less than satisfied with my current state of hunger. My friend suggested ordering pizza as they had a brochure they had received in their mailbox from a place called Naked Pizza and it looked intriguing. Before I got off the couch, I looked on foursquare to see if there were any local tips for the pizza joint. As it turned out, there was a 50% off your entire take-out purchase with a foursquare check-in. To me that seemed to be a pretty great hook, but it almost seemed too good to be true. When we walked into NAKED PIZZA the first thing that stood out was the bright green walls and the cleanliness.
Before we ordered a few pies I asked the counter attendant about the foursquare special. He took a look at my Blackberry, read the special right off my foursquare app and was intrigued. The man kindly said he was not aware of the special but agreed 50% was a great deal. A few moments later he got the manager on duty to come up to the front, and proceeded to ask her about the special. Turns out, it was not too good to be true, the foursquare special was indeed valid. As we started ordering a few pies, the counter attendant began to explain more about the organic ingredients, gave us a detailed description of how the dough is actually made and where the ingredients come from. Then he advised us to have a seat and test out the iPads on the far table, while we waited for our pizza. I took this opportunity to check out their website, find them on twitter and then proceeded to tweet about the great experience I had before even tasting the pizza.
When I got home I took a few moments to think about the experience I just had at Naked Pizza. As I was enjoying the organic ʻchemical freeʼ pizza on the comfort of my couch I looked down at the box and noticed right on the box they had ʻFollow us! Twitter.com/NakedPizzaʼ. After this whole experience it really made appreciate the steps Naked Pizza is taking to WOW their customers. As someone who fits right into their target market, a healthy, active, 20-something who eats, breaths and sleeps social media, Naked Pizza really hit one out of the park on this one. No matter what the brand or business, it is always important to WOW the customers. Ideally, you want the customer leaving a place of business talking about how great their experience was, and that the brand went over the top. When a brand delivers beyond your expectations, when they add a great customer experience, it will create a buzz, people will talk, and that brand over time will build a strong rapport with their customers.
How does your company create the WOW Factor?
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Taking Social Innovation To The Next Level
By Mandy Cudahy
A few months back I wrote a post showcasing how companies are FINALLY starting to incorporate social into their overall marketing mix and use traditional advertising to flaunt their social media efforts. Since then I am happy to report that a number of brands have surpassed my advice and are taking it to the next level. Not only are companies advertising their social media efforts at every consumer touch point they now are now investing billions of dollars making their products and services themselves social!
Who are these brands that are paving the way in social innovation??
Pepsi
This brand has put a lot of emphasis on climbing to the top of the social ladder and they have finally gone and done it! Pepsi has just introduced the first ever social vending machine that allows you to send a beverage gift to your friends. This creation allows consumers to pick out of a hundred different flavors and send them as a gift to a friend by entering his or her name, contact number, and personalized text message or video. Once that is done, the gift is delivered to their friend along with instructions on how to redeem the gift at other such vending machines. You can even send a gift to a random stranger! Thatʼs not all, the machine also encourages users to connect with their Pepsi Refresh Project and in turn will reward a user with exclusive product info and a coupon off their next purchase!
Why this is great for Pepsi?
• Consumers are always looking for unique gift ideas and fun, interactive toys. Together this machine offers both which will encourage trial, sharing, and purchase of products. • Pepsi provides its users with a simple way to receive a free coupon while they are engaged with the brand so that they can collect valuable information and keep communicating with the consumer even after purchase. • They are connecting with consumers at the point of excitement!
Starbucks
Earlier in the year, this social leader decided to go national with a Starbucks Card mobile app that lets consumers use their smartphones to pay for that morning latte. After discovering that their customer base was devoted to Starbucksʼ material card system they thought why not make it even more effortless and require consumers to have nothing but their phones on them. The brand now offers the nation's largest mobile
27 Likeable Social Media: Bonus Guide payment network , has implemented this system into 6,800 stores, and revealed that more than 3 million people have paid using the app. Starbucks has mentioned that in the near future they plan on leveraging their digital and social properties in the world of consumer packaged goods and loyalty programs.
Why this is great for Starbucks?
• The idea required a relatively low investment in hardware and little modification of existing consumer habits which made the adoption much quicker. • The application is unique which encourages increased trail and thus purchases. • The application allows them to collect valuable data about their consumer and the consumers buying habits to better improve the overall experience.
Vail Resorts
More than just snow coats the mountains and lifts at Vail Resorts these days. For the 2010-2011 ski and snowboard season this Colorado based company unveiled a new social gaming app that allows visitors to track their activities and share them with their friends and family — all done through radio frequency (RF)-enabled chips embedded in their season passes and lift tickets. The app, called EpicMix, is a cross between a program that allows you to track your physical activities, and a location based network like Foursquare, which rewards users for exploring new areas. Vail Resorts reported that this app was used by almost 100,000 guests who racked up 55 billion vertical feet of skiing and snowboarding at the companyʼs five resorts. This season the company sold 667,000 of its app-eligible Epic season passes and almost 40,000 Vail Resorts skiers downloaded the EpicMix mobile app. The company encouraged some 275,000 posts on Facebook and Twitter reaching approximately 35 million more social media users, based on Facebookʼs estimate of 130 friends per user.
Why this is great for Vail?
• The application in nature gives consumers an amazing user experience which will encourage repeat visits. • The sharing features are proven to drive some serious engagement and hype around the brand. • Having such a unique and cutting edge product encourages users to want to test it out which in turn drives traffic and sales. • Positions the brand as a knowledgeable industry leader.
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Why Facebook Questions is a Potential Gamechanger for Marketers by Dave Kerpen
Yesterday, Facebook rolled out a new product, Questions. The product is being tested on 1 million or so users in beta before it goes, likely in the next few weeks, to Facebookʼs entire 500 million+ user base. Essentially, the product mirrors several existing ones, such as Quora, Yahoo Answers and LinkedIn Answers. Anyone can ask a question about anything and get instant answers from friends, connections, and strangers – and answers are rated by whether theyʼre helpful or not, so ideally, the best content rises to the top, and spam becomes inconsequential. The beta version is a little buggy, but eventually, youʼll likely be able to seamlessly search questions and answers by topic, follow questions and topics, and even integrate the Q&A into the News Feed. Those Q&A services above range from good to excellent. But Facebook Questions has 2 things that none of those products have:
1) 500 million+ users
2) A profound understanding of each userʼs social graph – that is – his/her friends, friends of friends, likes, and organizations connected to.
First, letʼs look at the product from the userʼs perspective, and then from the marketerʼs perspective. Fundamentally, search, which up until now has been basically powered by Google, seek to answer peopleʼs questions. We may not often put an actual question into the Google search bar, but if I Google “best sushi in New York”, Iʼm essentially asking, “Whatʼs the best sushi in NY?”
Now, I can ask that question on Facebook, and get the answer from my friends, my friendʼs friends, sushi experts, NY experts, and anyone who wants to answer my question. With so many potential users answering, the best content will get rated up to the top, and I will be able to get a trustworthy answer to my question, instead of being given the sushi restaurant which has spent the most on paid search or SEO. A big win for the user. As I played around with Questions last night, I found myself getting great answers to questions – not from my friends, but from my friendʼs friends, and thinking, “She must be smart. Sheʼs friends with x.”
Marshall Kirkpatrick of RWW has a really bullish view of how powerful this may be, not just for users, but for the world, collaborating and interacting with one another.
From the marketerʼs perspective, Facebook Questions is also HUGE. Facebook is allowing Fan Pages to ask and answer questions as well as individuals. Now, surely there will be spammy, push marketers who see this as an opportunity to answer
29 Likeable Social Media: Bonus Guide questions promoting themselves or their clients (“My sushi is the best! Come visit us now!”) but the beauty of the rating system is that those marketers will lose, and the ones who will win are the ones who answer questions by truly bringing value to the question- asker and ecosystem. (“Here is the list of the top 10 Zagat- reviewed sushi restaurants in New York with links to their websites. Ours is ranked 14th but is a little less pricey than most on the list. Let us know where you end up going!”)
Companies can spend lots of money on advertising, but the way to win here to spend lots of time asking questions to gather insight and data, and answering questions to establish value and credibility. This will surely be a win for savvy marketers and small businesses who go about it right. Will it scale for big businesses? Frankly, Iʼm not sure – but Iʼm excited to try to find out. And the next time I want to find a great new sushi spot, I wonʼt be Googling it.
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5 Tips to Avoid Social Media Fatigue
By Mallorie Rosenbluth
It seems like every time you turn around thereʼs another social network thatʼs up and coming, ready to eat up our time and swallow our productivity. Not everyone is fortunate enough to have a job that requires them to spend their day on Facebook and Twitter, research and try out the latest networks and features, and reward them for increasing their Klout score and Twitter followers.
For the rest of the people out there, I thought it might be beneficial to compile a handy how-to guide to ensure the social media landscape doesn't completely devour your day. Here are 5 tips to fight social media fatigue:
1) Trust the News Feed. Canʼt keep up with your Facebook feed? Find it impossible to read through everyoneʼs updates? Getting overwhelmed with all the posts from those random “friends”? Switch your default setting to Top News instead of Recent News (and yes, one of the latest updates to the Facebook iPhone app now lets you filter this way, too!). Facebookʼs Top News algorithm feeds you the most popular content that you want to be reading. Start utilizing this to make sure youʼre getting the best of the best and not getting overwhelmed with Farmville updates. Not sure how the algorithm works? Well you can learn all about it here.
2) Utilize Twitter lists. Unfortunately, Twitter doesnʼt have an algorithm like Facebook does. So when you open your Twitter stream, youʼre seeing everything thatʼs getting tweeted by the folks you follow in real time. Not terribly overwhelming if you only follow a handful of people. But when your numbers start getting into the hundreds and thousands, itʼs hard to keep up with the constant stream of information. So whatʼs the best way to make use of Twitter? Start categorizing the people you follow and place them in lists. If youʼre in the mood for a laugh, you can steal my LOLʼers list title. If your best friends are on Twitter, place them in a list. Newsworthy accounts get a separate one. Have your Twitter favorites? Make a VIP list. This way you can be sure youʼre getting the information you want. Take control of your Twitter stream with lists!
3) Make your check-ins count. Itʼs no secret Iʼm a Foursquare enthusiast. But even I forget to check-in or get overwhelmed with having to check-in every time I leave the office for a cup of coffee or my lunch break. I make sure I follow the brands I love, know what my favorite businesses are offering for check-ins, and if youʼre addicted to unlocking badges like I am, know what badges are active and how to unlock them. Then you can focus on having the most valuable use of Foursquare for you. Decide what drives you on the site (it might be stealing the mayorship of your apartment building) and make each check-in count.
4) Find your passions. Do you love TV? Then GetGlue is probably the social network for you. Love sharing details of delicious meals? Try Foodspotting. Photo-
31 Likeable Social Media: Bonus Guide fanatic? Go for Instagram (my favorite photo app!). If youʼre not passionate about the network or app, donʼt feel obligated to take part in it because all the social media blogs are telling you to. Identify your passions and find the social media network that allows you to highlight that passion.
5) Donʼt feel forced to stay connected online. Itʼs ok to put your phone down, step away from the computer and start meeting and talking with people in real life! Want to be social media savvy in your real life interactions? Hit Meet Up and find great places to meet people who love the things you love. Whether itʼs going for bike rides on the weekends, talking with community managers, or finding a book club; Meet Up can both feed your social media addiction and also help you avoid overload and fatigue.
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Attention Marketers! Here's a Lesson in #Social #Psychology
By Amy Kattan
As marketing and social media professionals, we understand the importance of using social networking sites to connect with consumers. We understand that we need to produce likeable content that engages as well as informs. But what makes our content likeable? How do we know what appeals to our audience? What tools can we use to ensure that weʼre reaching our target audience in the most effective way? Thank you UAlbany, I can finally put my psychology minor to good use! The more I learn about the social media industry, the more I realize that understanding what drives people to act the way that they do can help us build stronger, more effective marketing strategies. Itʼs not just about what the statistics say: We need to understand why people are influenced by social media and why trends in social occur the way that they do. Social media – BEWARE! Youʼre about to be psycho-analyzed!
Trends in Social Media
In December, Facebookʼs data analysis team analyzed 1 million status updates and came up with some interesting information about its user base:
• Peopleʼs status updates are more positive in the morning. Negative emotions in status updates increase after 10pm. • Status updates featuring negative emotions usually receive more comments. • References to time peak in the morning (e.g. being late for class, being up late, mentioning how early it is, etc.). • Older users tend to compose longer status updates, focusing mainly on religion, social processes, and family. • In their status updates, kids often skip articles and prepositions. Younger users are also more likely to express anger, curse, and use the word “I.”
*Takeaways for Marketers: Know your audience! An understanding how your audience behaves on social networks plays a crucial role in creating an effective marketing strategy. For example, if your current marketing strategy includes engaging with middle-aged parents, it might be a good idea to ask your audience about their families.
Why are we addicted to social media?
As social media professionals, we are well aware of social mediaʼs addictive nature. But why is social media so addictive? What keeps users coming back for more?
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• People have a natural desire to compare themselves to others and social media is the perfect tool to help them fulfill their need. Through social networking sites, people can compare physical appearances, favorite products, families, personal lives, and much more. • Humans have a natural sense of curiosity and a “need to know” mentality. Social media allows users indulge their curiosity. • Since our generation is so fast-paced, people need to be constantly entertained and engaged. Through games, applications, viewing friendsʼ profiles, searching Twitter, and more, social media helps cure boredom and keeps users engaged. • Social media cures loneliness by allowing users to comment on status updates and photos, chat with their friends, @mention others on Twitter, retweet interesting information, join a Facebook or LinkedIn group, and much more. Using social networks, even the most reserved person can have a voice. • Social media fulfills the desire to be loved and accepted. For those of us that need a little reassurance once in a while (and most of us do), social media is the perfect solution.
*Takeaways for marketers: Long story short, social media fulfills unmet needs. When creating your marketing strategy, think about WHY people use social media. If users are on Facebook because theyʼre bored and looking for entertainment, theyʼre not going to think twice about your brand if your content doesnʼt grab their attention. Think about what your audienceʼs needs are and try to fulfill them!
Does Facebook activity represent who we really are?
The short answer: YES! Psychologist Sam Gosling analyzed the Facebook profiles of 236 college-aged people, who were also asked to fill out personality questionnaires. During this study, Gosling and his colleagues measured trends in openness, agreeableness, conscientiousness, extraversion and neuroticism. In the end, Gosling discovered that contrary to popular belief, people on Facebook are not portraying idealized versions of themselves. Instead, their depictions are accurate: people present themselves on social networks as they are in real life!
*Takeaways for marketers: Your audience is being real, so you should too! Transparency is an important part of any marketing strategy. Your brand might be great, but your audience knows youʼre not perfect. Donʼt pretend to be something youʼre not: own up to your mistakes and let your consumers know who you really are. Theyʼll love you even more for it!
Why is the “Like” button so likeable?
Here at Likeable, weʼre obviously HUGE fans of the “Like” button. Turns out, weʼre not alone! Hereʼs why social media users are inclined to click “like:”
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• Humans naturally like to praise others: thatʼs why we clap hands after a good performance, give tips for great service, write recommendations for great workers, etc. If someone does a great job, we like to show our support. Clicking “like” is the least we can do! • The “Like” button is social. If your friend “likes” a site, you are more likely to pay attention to it. In this case, users know that hitting “like” is an easy way to make recommendations to their friends. • The “Like” button is easy. Sometimes users enjoy content without having the time, energy or right words to formulate a response. The “Like” button is a simple way for users to express themselves. • The “Like” button is safe. Users can voice their opinion and give recommendations to friends without having to give any personal information, money, or commitment. • Humans have a natural need to fit in and the “Like” button gives users a sense of belonging: If enough of their friends like something, thereʼs a good chance that he/she will like it, too.
*Takeaways for Marketers: Users are highly motivated to hit the “Like” button, so why not incorporate the “Like” button as often as you can? Include it on your fan page, your website, your featured products, etc. You can even use a “like this” call to action on your status updates! Encouraging users to “like” your content is one of the easiest ways to promote engagement with your brand.
What inspires your users to engage with your brand? How will you use this information to your advantage? How important is it for marketers to understand what inspires their consumers?
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Can You Define the ROI of Social?
By Jenna Lebel
Last week, I attended the first-ever Radian6 user conference in Boston with 3 of my colleagues. Appropriately named Social 2011, the two-day event was packed with industry experts, multiple breakout sessions and panels, training opportunities and exciting announcements (Salesforce acquisition just one of many). Overall, the conference, filled with like-minded, social media savvy individuals, was a tremendous success for a company organizing their first user conference.
At a conference heavily focused on monitoring, listening and analytics the panel discussion titled “Can You Define the ROI of Social?” was something I was instantly interested in attending. The panelists included Joe Thornley of Thornley Fallis, Marshall Sponder of WCG, Ken Burbary of Digitas and Katie Paine of KD Paine and Partners. In a lively session that shouldʼve been dubbed “Social Media SmackDown,” I took more away from the dynamics of the panel itself and questions asked by the audience than the actual content shared by the panelists. They each had different opinions and perspectives on the ROI of social and could only really agree on one point: that there really is no one way to define the ROI of social. The three talking points for the panel were defining ROI, business objectives versus ROI and establishing metrics. Though they tried their best to stick to those areas of focus, the conversation steered away very quickly as a result of several disagreements among panelists. My biggest learning from the panel was that these so-called experts have no real definition for social media ROI, but find it fun to debate regardless. Despite often uncomfortable arguments among the panelists, the session was NOT a wash. It was entertaining (one attendee even said it was more entertaining than Wrestlemania!) and even valuable. Although social media ROI was not fully defined or demystified in this panel, through audience questions and interactions between panelists, I did gain some insight and knowledge.
Here are 6 key takeaways from the “Can You Define the ROI of Social?” panel at Social 2011.
Itʼs All About Storytelling
A great point made by Ken Burbary was that as social media analysts we are storytellers. Itʼs not just about presenting the data and sharing numbers, itʼs about making stories out of it. A good analyst should be able to identify the relevant data points, account for them and shift strategy accordingly.
Improving Instead of Justifying
One of the more passionate, albeit aggressive, panelists, Katie Paine, advised attendees that money shouldnʼt be spent justifying your business and reason for existing, but should instead be allocated to making the business better. This came in
36 Likeable Social Media: Bonus Guide response to an attendee asking a question and explaining that he has executives who are constantly seeking proof of value.
Itʼs Not Just About Sales Earnings
The panelists did agree on one more thing: ROI should not be looked at just in terms of sales earnings. In fact, be suspicious of a single number in general. Even more of a mistake is thinking that one tool or one data set is going to give you your ROI. Itʼs just not that simple.
Social Media is Long Term
This point is obvious, but still worth sharing. Social Media is long term. To measure it in the short term is really missing the entire point and doing a disservice to your brand and your overall strategy in the space.
The Value of a Fan/Follower
This nugget of information came as a result of an audience question: “What is the value of a fan?” Each panelist weighed in on the topic with various theories and industry catchphrases and buzzwords. But among that was this gem: to determine the real value of a fan you need to look at whom they are, what they consume and how often.
The ROI of Social Media is Contextual
Perhaps one of the reasons the panel struggled so much to come up with a definitive answer to the session titleʼs question, “Can You Define the ROI of Social?” is because itʼs completely contextual. They should have prefaced the session with this important piece of information. Instead, it came out during the Q&A section at the end. Hard data points and metrics vary based on the business objectives and frankly, the business itself. Further, essentially everything can be measured which is probably the cause of a lot of frustration around identifying ROI. Navigating the various metrics can be painstaking so itʼs important to know the numbers that matter to key players in your business.
So can you define the ROI of social? Ultimately, the panelists could not. But thatʼs not to say they didnʼt have some key pieces of advice and information to share in their attempt to answer. And thatʼs not to say that we arenʼt closer than we were to formulating an agreed upon answer to the question.
What do you think is important in defining and ultimately measuring the ROI of social media? Will we ever uncover a definition or just spin our wheels trying?
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The Ten Commandments For Managing A Successful Facebook Page
By Cara Friedman
Quite a few centuries ago, Moses was given the Ten Commandments. We were taught not to lie, or steal, but nowhere in there does it outline how we are supposed to manage our Facebook pages. Maybe if Moses received the Ten Commandments in the 21st century, we would have been given some guidance in the social media department. In the spirit of Passover, I began to wonder- what would the commandments of social media look like? I figured it was about time someone established some rules! Here are the Ten Commandments for managing a successful Facebook page:
1. Thou shall not delete
As a page owner, sometimes you may be tempted to delete a comment. Whether the comment is negative, positive, or nonsensical, you should never delete a post from your page! Deleting a post is like telling your fan that you not only don't care about what they have to say, but they are also not important. The backlash from a deleted post can be far worst than the original comment. Acknowledge ever post and don't delete anything.
2. Thou shall respond to every post
Every fan that writes on your page has taken time out of their day to engage with you. As a page owner, you owe them the same courtesy. Answer all questions, address all issues, and thank all compliments. Do not be afraid to engage in a back and forth conversation with your fans.
3. Thou shall say "Thank You" & "I'm Sorry"
The four most important words in social media are "Thank You" and "I'm Sorry." All negative comments must be addressed and can normally be fixed with a simple "I'm Sorry." Some page owners may think that the "I'm Sorrys" are more important, however that is not the case. Fans that have positive things to say deserve the same amount of attention and are owed a "Thank You."
4. Thou shall not promote
Your Facebook page is not a place to sell or promote yourself. This may sound shocking because many of you probably made a Facebook page for that exact reason. HOWEVER, people will not like or engage on your page if that is your ultimate goal. Your goal should be to create a community of people with similar interests to your product or service. A Facebook page that provides interesting content will be more successful than a Facebook page created just to promote your product or business.
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5. Thou shall provide valuable content
Users will like your page, and continue to visit it if you provide them with valuable content. Valuable content comes in many forms, but the best way to engage with your fans is through links, videos, pictures, questions, and call-to-actions. These five things elicit the most responses from fans. Post interesting links and articles, create fun and creative videos, post relevant pictures, ask engaging questions and lastly, don't be afraid to ask for things. Asking fans to "like this post if..." is a simple way your fans can engage on your page.
6. Thou shall include their fans
Your fan page should not just be all about you. It is a fan page after all... Come up with creative ways to include your fans into your page. Have a fan of the day, or a fan of the week! Include the fan of the week in your profile picture to make them feel special. Ask your fans to engage on your wall. All of these things will guarantee a successful page.
7. Thou shall update once a day
This rule is quite simple... Don't update once a week. Don't update 5 times a day. Update your page once per day. Pages that do not update regularly will never have engagement. Posting once per day will open up the forum to your fans. If you post too many times a day, you will be sure to lose fans. You don't want to crowd the news feed of all your fans and cause them to "hide" or "unlike" you. There are exceptions to every rule and there are of course instances in which it is appropriate to post more than once a day. However, the general rule is this and you should stick to it as closely as you can.
8. Thou shall integrate
It is likely that Facebook isn't the only social network your business is using. Your company may be using others such as Twitter, Foursquare, LinkedIn, Tumblr, etc. In order to effectively market yourself on social spaces, it is important that you integrate all these sites. On your Facebook page, you should have links or apps that lead to your other social networks. This is a way of inviting your fans to engage with your business further.
9. Thou shall utilize apps
There are many great third-party applications you can add to your Facebook page. Just because you are not a web developer and don't know HTML, doesn't mean you can't use these. There are a bunch of simple apps such as Polls, and Quizzes that can add flare to your Facebook page. For those of you who are graphic designers, you can use iFrame to make gorgeous landing tabs, and welcome tabs that will take your page to the next level.
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10. Thou shall optimize the news feed
Many are confused by the news feed. You wonder "How will my post go to the top?" or "Why isn't my post showing up?" The algorithm, although complex, is manageable. The three things you must take into consideration are (1) how long ago was it posted, (2) does this user interact with you often, and (3) how interactive are the engagements with the post. All of these things play into whether or not your post will go to the top of the news feed. Keep these factors in mind when formulating status updates. The more often your information is displayed on the news feed, the more likely you will have interactive fans.
Although I have not seen a burning bush lately, I do believe these are pretty good guidelines for managing your Facebook page. The next time you formulate a post or respond to a fan, remember the Ten Commandments of managing your Facebook page.
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Should You Respond To Every Comment On Your Facebook Fan Page?
By Dave Kerpen
How do you feel when you get put on hold by a customer service department for a company you're calling? How do you feel when you get disconnected from that company because your phone signal dies or someone accidentally hits the wrong button?
Today, the vast majority of comments on Facebook Pages go unresponded to. If companies are choosing to respond at all, they're probably only responding to complaints or questions. I've heard, "We don't have the resources to respond to every comment" a lot, along with "Why respond when they're not asking you anything?"
I maintain that it's not only possible to respond to each and every comment about you and to you on Facebook and Twitter, but it's advisable. And scalable.
We manage Facebook Pages with hundreds of thousands of fans, and are able to still respond to each and every question and comment within hours. It's scalable.
What might you say? "Thank you" and "I'm sorry" are the 4 most important words in social media. They go a long way, and can be said in an infinite number of different ways. What would you say on the phone to someone that called to comment, or (if you're old enough to even remember this) what would you write back to someone who filled out a comment card about your store? Good, bad or indifferent comments, great companies of the past responded to every comment card, and great companies of the present and future will respond to every Facebook and Twitter comment.
Whether your business has 5 fans, 500 fans, 5,000 fans, or 500,000 fans, aren't they all valuable enough to you to respond to?
If you're still not convinced, consider again: how do you feel on a phone call to your utility company when you're put on hold -- or hung up on -- or responded to quickly and efficiently?
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What is Social Mediaʼs Role in Marketing and Customer Service?
By Dean Opriasa
Customers turn to social media for customer service
When customers are dissatisfied with a product or service, where do they go? To those who are responsible of course! Social media has allowed businesses and brands to easily communicate with their consumers. With millions of potential customers available at the click of a button, social media has changed customer service from being a support function to being an extension of marketing. Social media and customer service are both inarguably about engagement. With networks such as Facebook and Twitter, brands and organizations can get feedback from consumers and make changes to their brand, product, or service. Companies utilize Facebook and Twitter to go beyond traditional customer service to respond and engage with customers.
Facebook and Twitter are two of the biggest social networks around. Facebook is the largest and most popular social network, with currently over 600 million members, which equates to 600 million potential customers. Companies have been able to create a page dedicated to its brand within Facebook to promote its products and services. A brandʼs Facebook page is one way to deal with customer service issues, as a lot of fans voice their complaints and questions on the brandʼs Facebook wall. Posting an issue online could very well result in a faster and more satisfying result. Itʼs more than service; itʼs actually PR and marketing.
The use of social media is no longer a choice. It has become fundamental to the increasing need of customers for fast and efficient interaction with brands in which products and services they use.
The benefit of social media is that you can adjust your approach until you figure out whatʼs right for you. Social media is not just a fad or hype. Effectively utilized, it can provide valuable customer data. The most effective use of social media consists of engagement, collaboration and listening. Listen to what customers are saying about you or your products and respond to all comments, regardless of it being positive or negative. Customer service is no longer private; with social media, it is public and everlasting. With dedicated involvement companies and brands can develop high-value customers.
Always watch where your brand is present. Aggressive searching for information about your company, questions, or inquiries about the brand is important. Find where people are talking about you, jump in on the conversation quickly, and most importantly be open. Remember, a Likeable brand is transparent. Companies who practice this are likely to be rewarded with a better reputation, credibility, and a more engaged customer.
How does your organization deal with customer service in social media?
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9 Social Networks Your Business Should Be Using
By Cara Friedman
Earlier this week we blogged about why your business needs a social media strategy. Part of putting together your social media strategy is choosing which social networking platform works best for you. You may assume that Facebook is the end all of social networks, but there may be better opportunities for your business with different platforms. Here are 9 different social networks and how your company can benefit from each:
1. Facebook. You will be hard pressed to find any company or business that wouldnʼt benefit from Facebook. Easily the largest social network, your organization will be able to reach the largest amount of fans. Facebook ads targeting feature is interest specified which means you can connect with the exact people who would be interested in your product. Facebook Insights also allows you to measure your page activity so you can track your progression.
2. Twitter. Twitter is the second most popular social networking site. Use Twitter to humanize your brand, provide excellent customer service, and engage with your fans. It is also great for seeking out new fans by searching people who are talking about your brand, product, or field of interest. The one thing businesses need to remember is not to tweet as a brand. Remind your followers that there is a real live person on the other end of cyberspace.
3. Foursquare. Businesses can benefit from Foursquare in a number of ways. Offering deals for check-ins or mayorships are a fun, competitive way to get your customers coming back for more. For bigger brands and promotions, you can even have your own badge. Although they are a huge investment, the badge will live on forever, even if it is only accessible for one day!
4. LinkedIn. To be the best, you have to have the best employees. Instead of waiting until the perfect fit comes and finds you, you can go out and seek them. LinkedIn has not only become the number one professional social network, but also one of the top places for recruitment. You can create a company profile and allow others to follow your organization. Also, LinkedIn ads now has the same targeting features as Facebook. Use this to advertise your company or find great employees.
5. YouTube. Using YouTube is another great way to give a human face to your brand. Posting videos of behind the scenes interactions will give your fans an inside look into your organization. Also, having videos of the CEO, or other top executive, will bring your fans even closer to your company. A video only takes about a minute to make, so grab a FlipCam and start engaging your followers!
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6. Quora. If you are a company with a special expertise, then Quora can be very beneficial for you. Not only can you follow similar thought leaders, and ask questions about your industry, but you can also reach out to those in need and answer questions. Spread the work about your company by answering questions and becoming an expert in that field. This is an even ore direct way to connect with fans that have similar interests to your business.
7. Flickr. Flickr can be especially beneficial for companies that are visual. Whether you are showcasing products or homes, you can use Flickr to have easily searchable photos. The tagging features on Flickr make it effortless for your fans to find exactly what they are looking for. They are also a great place for you to hold photos when having contests and giveaways. When using Flickr, it is important that you integrate it well into your other social media platforms.
8. Tumblr. Corporate blogging is the new frontier. Having a company blog will create a real conversation about your brand. Many organizations have corporate blogs, and not just social media companies. These blogs will help you showcase your expertise, attract customers and future employees. For examples of excellent corporate blogs, click here.
9. Meetup. Meetup is all about bringing your social relationships into a real-life setting. Whether it is once a month or once a year, schedule a meetup where your fans and followers can get together and interact in real life. Make a special event out of it! Have a fan-appreciation meetup or maybe just a meetup for other thought leaders to gather and network. Social media may be enhancing communication from companies to fans, but nothing beats face-to-face communication.
No matter what your business, there is a social network for you. Do you need them all? Probably not. Specify what your social media strategy is, what your goals are, and from there decide which social network will help you best accomplish that.
Which of these social networks does your business use?
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Keep it Strategic, Stupid: 5 Simple Steps to Get Your Social Media Strategy Right
By Mallorie Rosenbluth
So itʼs 2011. Youʼve undoubtedly made the decision to get your company the ubiquitous Facebook page. Youʼve dabbled into a Twitter account. You dared to start a Foursquare profile for your brick and mortar location. But now what? Many companies, feeling the pressure, jumped on the social media bandwagon to avoid getting run over by it. Now that the dust has settled and the free iPad they gave away has been shipped, theyʼre probably thinking, “Ok. Now what?” And thatʼs because so many companies approach social media without a strategy. Like any other marketing campaign, having a clearly defined strategy is key to ensuring longevity, connectivity to your community and overall success of a great social media presence. Here are five simple steps to make sure youʼre keeping it strategic, stupid:
1. Define Your Goals – Brace yourself for this: Just because youʼre the marketing person and your boss told you to do it isnʼt a reason to start a Facebook page! I know, I know. Itʼs shocking. Iʼll give you a moment to recover… All right, letʼs talk through this. You have to have goals defined before you publish a Facebook page, agonize over your first 140 characters or do anything else on a social media site. Do you want to have 100,000 “likes”? Do you want to drive traffic to your website? Increase foot traffic to your store? Improve customer service? Those are all great reasons to be in social media, but they have to be your companyʼs reasons. Your goals should be defined in terms of where you are and where you want to be – and you should give yourself a rough timeline for reaching those goals.
2. Measure Your Progress – Social media is still in its infancy. And just like the marks on the wall measuring how much your kids have grown year-to-year, you need to closely measure the progress your strategy is having. Are you meeting those goals you defined in step 1? Are you sticking to the timeline? Once you hit publish, start sharing amazing content and implementing great ideas; itʼs time to make sure itʼs all working. Utilize Facebook Insights to see whatʼs going on on the back end of your page. Sign up for a listening platform and use trackable links. When youʼre defining your goals, you should define the metrics youʼll use to measure them and continue to do so along the way.
3. Listen to Your Community – Youʼve sat around a boardroom table coming up with the best contests, the best content and what your higher ups think is the best social media presence possible for your brand. Then you go to launch and itʼs crickets. No one is responding to your status updates or entering your contest or engaging with your brand. First, take a deep breath. Second, realize this happens. Then go back to the drawing board and come up with something else. Social media is all about trial and
45 Likeable Social Media: Bonus Guide error, fixing whatʼs broken and moving fast. Listen to what your community is – or isnʼt – saying, and adapt your strategy to meet their needs.
4. Re-Strategize - The plan you made in November for the following year isnʼt going to be relevant for 12 months. It just isnʼt. 12 months is 5 years in social media time. Facebook announces huge updates and changes to the layout and structure of pages, Twitter launches a new ad platform, Foursquare adds photos, Tumblr takes over the blogging world. You have to embrace these network evolutions and make it part of your ever-changing strategy.
5. Stick With It – Rome wasnʼt built in a day, and neither was a killer social media presence. If you donʼt hit 100,000 fans in three months, donʼt give up. If you donʼt hit 100,000 fans in six months, donʼt give up. Stick with it. Itʼs that simple, stupid.
Hopefully these tips set you on the right direction to looking at your social media presence differently. How did you develop your strategy?
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Update Overload! Stay Afloat in a Facebook Flood
By Frank Emanuale
Itʼs Super Bowl Sunday! Are you excited for it? No? Me neither, really. Call me crazy, but aside from the always-entertaining commercials and the sometimes-scandalous halftime show, itʼs not really my thing. Since Hulu began posting the highly-anticipated ads immediately after they air on TV (which they plan to do again this year) I find myself with fewer reasons to watch the whole game anymore. But one thing Iʼve noticed since I became active in social media is that each year, the amount of Super Bowl-related status updates filling my timeline increases exponentially. And itʼs not just the Super Bowl! The same thing happens whenever thereʼs an election, an awards show, or a major conference. So what is a guy to do? I love Twitter, but I donʼt need 50 people to update me on who won the Oscar for Best Assistant Script Supervisor! And it must be especially annoying for the rest of the world to see their American friends monopolizing Twitter, Facebook, and other social networks whenever these events happen. How do you avoid “event fatigue” without sacrificing your social media addiction?
Filters One way to attack the problem is to simply filter out the people and updates that are clogging up your timeline.For Twitter users, there is a simple solution! The popular desktop application TweetDeck will allow you to create Global Filters that weed out specific tweets and people from your timeline. You can choose to do this by entering the usernames of people who are tweeting actively about the event in question, or you can simply type in a few key terms that you want removed from your timeline. Then sit back and enjoy tweeting as usual! On Facebook, you can opt to remove individual friends from your News Feed without them even knowing about it. Just let your mouse hover over an update from a friend, and an “X” will appear in the top right corner of their status. Click it, and then youʼll have an option to stop seeing posts from that person. Easy! And when youʼre ready to start seeing their posts again, you can just go to your News Feed Settings and reverse it.
Lists OK, so filters are great and all, but what if you know that you just want to see updates from a select group of friends? Thatʼs where lists come in. Over a year ago, Twitterʼs website introduced a Lists feature. Itʼs as simple as finding the “Lists” tab on your home page and following the “Create a list” link. After that, just add the names of a few Non- Baseball fans so you can focus on reading their tweets until the World Series is over and order has been restored to the Twitterverse.
Facebook also offers Lists that can make it quick and easy to sort out the signal from the noise. On your “Friends” page, click “Create a List” and choose the friends whose status updates you want to see. Once thatʼs done, go back to your News Feed and click “Most Recent.” After youʼve done that, youʼll notice a little arrow will pop up next to the
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“Most Recent” link. Click it to reveal a drop-down menu and choose the List you just created. Now your News Feed only shows the people youʼve handpicked!
You shouldnʼt have to give up social networking just because the rest of the world is quoting the State of the Union or tweeting a World Cup play-by-play. There are plenty of great ways to temporarily funnel out those unwanted tweets and statuses without unfollowing or unfriending half of your social sphere.
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4 Common Mistakes Brands Make on Facebook
By Amy Slife
To get the most out of the Facebook venture your brand is undertaking, weʼre highlighting four common, and easily rightable, mistakes that your brand should watch out for on Facebook.
Not Responding
If your brand has set up a Facebook page, itʼs in your best interest to correspond with the fans who are communicating with you. Whether the comments on your wall are good or bad, they are important feedback from your fanbase that provides an opportunity for two-way, open communication. Positive comments often allude to your most passionate and loyal customers, so why not keep them around with a thank you or another response in return? In terms of the bad comments specifically, weʼre all aware that social media is a platform conducive for voicing grievances. Complaints on your Facebook wall provide an opportunity to right a wrong with a disgruntled customer, AND show all of the other fans that you listen, are responsive and have their best interests in mind when it comes to your business.
Talking At Fans
Another mistake that brands sometimes make on Facebook is to talk AT their fans instead of talking WITH them. Constantly posting status messages to your fans that donʼt provide them with any want or desire for interaction might as well just be push messaging. We can also consider corporate-speak and industry jargon in this category; if the average consumer does not fully understand what you are posting, there is little to no chance they will interact with your brandʼs page. The best and most productive way to engage your fans is to talk WITH them. Talk on a friendly level, void of industry slang and abbreviations. Ask for their input, feedback and participation with a call to action in your status updates. When approached with friendly, engaging and relevant content that asks them to take action, fans are more apt to “Like” or comment on a post or on your wall.
A Lack of Customization
Facebook provides brands with many opportunities to engage with fans beyond the Facebook wall. From custom built applications, to sweepstakes and contests, the options are almost endless. One of the most straightforward ways to take advantage and to make your brandʼs Facebook page its own is to add an optimized profile image and a welcome tab. An optimized profile image might typically include not only your brandʼs logo in a size that reflects the associated post thumbnail, but also little more info that describes your brand, such as a URL or a tagline, and often an image. In terms of a welcome tab, when set as the default landing space for new fans coming to your
49 Likeable Social Media: Bonus Guide page, this is the ideal place to provide your fans with some insight on what they can expect to see and hear on your page. Whether itʼs to be the first to know about new products through your wall, or to grab a discount or coupon just for “Liking” your page, incentivizing your fans with a hint as to what they can expect is often the first step in getting them to “Like” your page and engage with your brand on Facebook.
Being Overly Promotional
Sometimes the issue of talking AT your fans instead of talking WITH your fans is related to the fact that your brand is being overly promotional on Facebook. If we havenʼt said it before, Facebook and so many of the other social media platforms offer brands the ability to do so much more than push their messaging. This isnʼt a TV or radio spot, your Facebook wall is more or less a public forum for your fans. Only pushing your next product, company announcement or telling them to try your newest menu item will eventually get obnoxious, even for your most passionate brand loyalists. Nothing screams hide me from your newsfeed more than a continuous onslaught of overly promotional status updates. Thatʼs not saying promotional messages are null and void on Facebook, but more so that there needs to be a balance. Fans love to hear about new products, and even more so if your Facebook fans are the first to know about them, but there should also be a mix of fun engagement messaging that covers topics relatable to your brand and the interests of your fans.
Have you seen any other easily correctable mistakes brands have made on Facebook?
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All About Klout! 5 Ways to Raise your Klout Score
By Allie Herzog
We here at Likeable are very competitive in nature. Who has the most Twitter followers? Friends on Facebook? Who's the mayor of our office? Now, thanks to a little friendly competition, our latest focus is on raising our Klout scores. Like the secret Google algorithms and Facebook newsfeed formulas no one really knows the specifics on raising your Klout score but here are 5 hints to get started (thanks to another Likeable favorite, Quora for some great info!).
1) Generate action: Anytime you drive someone else to take an action, such as a click from a link, a comment on a Facebook post, a RT or an @reply on Twitter, you are enhancing your influence and Klout score. The more you share, the more chance you have to drive an action!
2) Interaction with social influencers: The more people you interact with the more influence you have across social platforms. It's not enough to just have followers or friends, you need to actually interact with them through engaging and relevant conversations and far reaching topics.
3) Twitter Hashtags: Hashtags are your friends, use them. Tag all your relevant tweets with trending or popular hashtags. Jump into conversations when you see people tweeting with a common hashtag and don't forget to tag your @replies and RTs.
4) Twitter Lists: Are you being added to lists and are those lists being followed by a large number of people? Being added to lists that are frequently followed and added to is a great way to improve reach.
5) Facebook posts: Don't forget about your Facebook status updates and how they affect your Klout score. Getting lots of comments and likes on your status updates will influence your Klout score so remember to post frequent engaging questions and content to get your friends involved!
And finally, if you think you can game the system by following and being followed by spam or fake Twitter accounts you're wrong! Klout has a way of determining spam or inactive accounts and automatically removes those when calculating your influence so play nice kids! Bottom line, improve your score by offering frequent and engaging content and by communicating with other influencers.
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Likeable Slideshares and Webinars available for Download
Top 40 Facebook Fan Pages http://www.slideshare.net/likeable/top-40-facebook-fan-pages
Using Facebook to Delight Customers and Create an Irresistible Brand: From School of Wom Summit 2011 http://www.slideshare.net/likeable/using-facebook-to-delight-customers-and-create-an- irresistible-brand
Crisis Communications in Social Media: From School of WOM summit 2010 http://www.slideshare.net/likeable/crisis-communications-in-social-media-from-school- of-wom-summit
Two Ears and One Mouth: Using Social Media to Profitably Listen to Customers: From Brooklyn Business Expo April 2011 http://www.slideshare.net/likeable/two-ears-and-one-mouth-using-social-media-to- profitably-listen-to-customers-from-brooklyn-business-expo-april-2011-8128689
Why Itʼs So Important to Be Likeable on Facebook and How to Do It: From AMA Webinar November 2010 http://www.slideshare.net/likeable/ama-webinar-october-2010-dave-kerpen-likeable
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Small Businesses, Huge Opportunities with Fan Pages on Facebook (Download for Mac or Windows)
Twitter Top 60 Businesses: How to Use Twitter for Your Business (Windows Version) (Mac Version)
Twitter for Business: Why & How to Build Your Business of 1, 100 or 1,000 Employees Using Twitter (Windows Version) (Mac Version)
Building Better Communities on Facebook: Use Ads to Target, Hypertarget, & Nanotarget (Windows Version) (Mac Version)
Facebook Best Practices, in conjunction with WOMMA (Slideshare w/ Audio)