Carol Stephen, Author at

How to Best Work with a Social Media Manager

June 22, 2017 By Carol Stephen 4 Comments

How to Best Work with a Social Media Manager

Maximize Your Time

How can you maximize your time so I can do my best work and get you the best return on your social media investment? Here are some ideas for you.

Know Your Audience

Is your audience young? Do they like sports? Are they in the manufacturing sector? Having a very narrow idea of who your audience is will speed up my work. And please don’t tell me that everyone is your audience! Unless you sell air or water, and even then, what kind of air or water do you sell? And here’s Rebranding for Startups, in case you missed it!

Speak to Your Audience

So if you have a forty-something mom who likes to drink too much coffee, I can taylor posts so that we’re talking to her. And the more specific you can be about who that person is, the better the social engagement will be. I can write blog posts or headlines for social posts. Chris Lema suggests that you understand not just who your audience is, but what their journey is.

Photo by felipe.cabrera

Tell Me Your Audience’s Journey

Not everyone will buy from you when they first meet you. Some people will leave, come back, drive you crazy with questions, and so on. Bigger purchases usually require more questions, more visits to your website or social media, and more touch points.

Photo by garryknight

Engage, Engage, Engage

It’s never simply about posting and going, or scheduling. Getting onto your social accounts every day is important. And guess what? You’re running your company! So while you’re busy running your company, I can be busy running your accounts for you. By the way, here’s an entire series I wrote on engagement. Take a look!

Scheduling

I can schedule ahead of time for you, and if you have your own scheduler, I can use it so you can see what’s coming down the pipeline. Would you like that? Some business owners don’t want anything to do with their social, just a monthly report.

What Does Your Business Stand for?

You may have hobbies or charities that work with your business. For instance, my friend Beth Staub’s business, Adventure Auto Glass, donates to animal organizations when you do business with them. Or you may be a manufacturer who believes that Made in the USA is the way to go.

What Do You Look For?

What traits do you look for in a social media manager? Leave me a comment and thank you!

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: audience, Engagement, time management, what a social media manager does

Convertech, Inc.

June 15, 2017 By Carol Stephen Leave a Comment

“Our social media was something that we never had to worry about because we knew that Carol was taking care of it. She did a great job maintaining our social media accounts and finding excellent manufacturing articles to keep our followers interested. We would recommend Your Social Media Works to anyone who wants to have a consistent social media feed that will attract new and entertain existing followers.”

Taylor Furman, Convertech

Filed Under: Testimonial

WordCamp Orange County: Top Ten Reasons You Need to Go

June 15, 2017 By Carol Stephen 2 Comments

WordCamp Orange County: Top Ten Reasons You Need to Go

The Pre-Party AKA K2 Racing

Racing with other WordPress fans? Such a fun time!

https://twitter.com/CarrieForde/status/873323651617112065

The Swag

Here are just a few of the lovely items, including the third place for racing with the other tortoises. Overheard: “I wouldn’t want to pass anyone. Someone might get hurt!” And a heartfelt thank you to host Dreamhost for sponsoring WomenWhoWP and this event.

WordCamp Swag

The Friendly Faces

Bridget Willard and I went to our first WordCamp Orange County in 2013! It’s become a ritual for us. You might have a WordCamp buddy, too! If you’d like to read about past Orange County WordCamps, here you go:

Sitting in the media row with my BFF, @Carol_Stephen, at our fifth #WCOC together. pic.twitter.com/5s2n2iRysI

— Bridget Willard (@BridgetMWillard) June 10, 2017

The Volunteers

There were way more volunteers than shown in the picture, but here are a few! There were people helping everywhere, with parking, with snacks, with coffee, etc.

https://twitter.com/theisaac/status/873676764735655936

Greetings from @ocwordcamp! Stop by our booth to chat with these friendly faces, grab sweet swag, and enter our giveaways! #WCOC pic.twitter.com/fmnUGRBj52

— DreamHost (@DreamHost) June 10, 2017

More Swag

This year, the swag was beautiful. In particular, I truly appreciated the gorgeous notebooks from Dreamhost!

The Generosity of Chris Lema

Chris Lema gave away his structure for how he blogs. How incredibly generous is that? Go follow him on Twitter and check out his blog!

My slides from my 2-hour workshop on blogging this past weekend are here: https://t.co/Hpxlqlha7n

— Chris Lema (@chrislema) June 12, 2017

https://twitter.com/devturtle2015/status/873967717166047232

Reconnecting with Friends

So fun to reconnect with Verious B. Smith III, Yvonne Conway, and so many others!

Standing room only for Board Member @MistressPrime's #Security talk at #WCOC. pic.twitter.com/VyLUiU3AX1

— WomenWhoWP (@WomenWhoWP) June 10, 2017

The Learning

Speaking of which, Yvonne Conway gave us a wonderful session on Cybersecurity, Russian hackers, and you!

The Selfies

Selfie with Bridget Willard and Amy Hall

Capturing the Selfie

Jason Tucker caught us! Pretty funny!

https://twitter.com/jasontucker/status/873275431889190912

What Were Your Highlights?

What was your top reason for going?

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: blogging, WordCamp, WordCamp Orange County, Wordpress

Eleven Amazing Ways An Editor Can Make You Fascinating

June 8, 2017 By Carol Stephen 4 Comments

Eleven Amazing Ways An Editor Can Make You Fascinating

Why use an editor at all? Many of you might ask this question every day. After all, there are about a million apps and plug-ins that help you to write. Some of them can even help you dumb down your writing to the 6th grade level so that 12-year-olds can comprehend your words. But is that really your audience? Twelve-year-olds?

Editors Are Old-School, But Then Again, No

After all, isn’t having an editor a bit old-fashioned? Like using an old-school typewriter? Well, no, not really. You see, an editor can make your work flow, especially a great editor who can do a structural edit. A structural edit looks at the big picture–see Robert Doran’s article So What Is a Structural Edit Exactly?

Get in the Flow

Speaking of flow, a good editor can help the sentences flow from one paragraph to the next. If the style changes, if the verbs and nouns disagree or even fight each other (a terrible sight!), an editor can help.

They Know More Words Than You

Not only that, but they know what parts of speech those words belong in. Sheesh, does that even make sense? I might have to stop and ask an editor!

They Are Not Afeared of Semicolons

Or colons. And when to use an ellipses (…). And what an em dash is! Who the heck knows what an em dash is?! Seriously. Who does? By the way, here’s a snazzy article about punctuation, from the Living Oxford Dictionary. (I particularly like their explanation of the Oxford comma.)

Contrary to Popular Belief, They’re Not Meanies

Now, some people are clearly too sensitive to work with an editor. And I remember back in the day when my words were me. Do you know what I mean? But now they’re just words–doing their own thing. It’s the thoughts behind the words that really matter.

They Are Actually Nice

We all know that mean people suck (a bumpersticker that no editor would ever put on her Honda Civic, by the way), but editors are not people who suck. They are kind 97% of the time. The other 3% of the editors are suffering from psychological damage.

They Help Your Writing Soar

If you’re a perfectionist, then you are ripe for an editor. Because an editor can make your writing soar. And not in a Red Bull gives you wings kind of way, either.

Photo by luca.sartoni

They Can Remove All the Weird Bits

Everyone has a few things they always do. We all kinda sorta make mistakes that can make our writing less than good. But with the digital equivalent of the red pen, an editor can get rid of those. In other words, a good editor won’t let you embarrass yourself.

Make Your Writing More Concise, Editors Can

If you have the tendency to write like Yoda speaks, as do I sometimes, an editor help you can. By the way, if you don’t have the skill of writing like Yoda, you can use the Yoda Translator. And you write yourself into a grammatical corner if also assist you an editor can. Did you see what I did there?

Photo by luca.sartoni

Your Writing Might Not Be As Good As You Think It is

Or maybe it is! But only an editor will tell you the truth. By the way, here’s an article about how to write a headline that people will want to click.

Editors Need Love, Too

If you don’t own a mug that says Have You Hugged An Editor Today?, then you might want to think about getting one.

Photo by -closed- look 4 /MyVisualPoetry

Do You Love Editors?

Tell me about your love in the comments! And thank you!

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: editing, editorial, editors, how to make yourself fascinating, words, writing

How to Work Your Wonderful Strengths, Forget Your Weaknesses

June 1, 2017 By Carol Stephen 2 Comments

How to Work Your Wonderful Strengths, Forget Your Weaknesses

Strengthfinders

By now, everyone has heard of Strengthfinders, and most people have done the test. But are you really using the advice from strengthfinders every day? I have to review mine every once in a while. (Achiever and Connectedness). Which of the 34 Strengthfinder strengths do you have?

Achievers and Achievement

As an Achiever, I feel as though every day starts at zero, and need to achieve every day. Even on Memorial Day, as I write these words, I need to get things done before heading off to the baseball game. To work this strength, I can partner with other hard workers. I could also take pictures for this very blog post!

The Gamification of Hard Work

Now that more and more of our everyday life is becoming gamified, how about gamifying your own achievements? Receive points for finishing projects, reaching milestones, and more. By the way, you might like this article: Gamification of Social Media. And, in fact, many brands use gamification to reach more people on their Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter accounts. “Join our contest!” they say, and then add, “tag a friend, and you’ll be entered twice!”

Connectedness

Being connected to something larger is one of my own strengths, and maybe yours, too. Humility and gratitude come along with Connectedness because without them, there can be no Connectedness. So listening to others, and seeing deeper connections help me to focus on this strength.

Photo by tec_estromberg

Forget “Us” and “Them”

However, convincing others of the deeper connections in life would not help my connectedness, so I’d avoid that. Also, I’d avoid anyone who thinks along the lines of “us” and “them.” Oh, boy. Sounds a lot like the current political climate, doesn’t it?

Focus on Strengths Energizes

As Susan Peppercorn mentions in her article The Benefits of Using Your Strengths at Work,

“Strengths also energize us. Did you ever notice yourself involved in something where you lost track of time because you were so engaged? That’s an indication that you were using one or more of your strengths.” ~ Susan Peppercorn

You wouldn’t expect a pitcher to be able to hit like Buster Posey of the San Francisco Giants. Even ball players focus on what their strengths are, although during the SF Giants – Nationals Game on Memorial Day, there was more fighting than runs.

https://twitter.com/MattJ_Sports/status/869321770251108352

Bryce Harper and Hunter Strickland maybe should stick to baseball. What do you think? Leave me a message in the comments! And thank you!

Photo by www.twin-loc.fr

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: baseball, connection, gamification, SF Giants, strengthfinders, strengths, weaknesses

How to: Best Upgrades You Need When You Work from Home

May 25, 2017 By Carol Stephen 10 Comments

How to: Ten Best Upgrades You Need When You Work from Home

How to: Best Upgrades You Need When You Work from Home

Who Works from Home?

Everybody works from home sometimes. The better question might be: Who doesn’t work from home?

This post was inspired by Patricia Phillips (The Aspen Stand’s) post To Work From Home or Not to Work From Home?

Lighting

At first, I was going to write about my own home office, which is in a loft. And, I must admit that after looking at Patricia’s office, I became a teensy bit jealous. I mean, look at her office, in the link above. Check out the lighting. And that orange wall! More on that wall later.

Here’s where the picture of my office would be.

That is, if I could take a picture. But, you see, there isn’t enough light to take a picture! Because my office sucks. It’s as dark as a night on The Walking Dead. That is, in one of the earlier, scarier episodes where Glenn is still alive and Carl isn’t so annoying.

A small task light would help in a dark office like mine. And for computer work, well-distributed diffuse light, as recommended by OSHA, would help to prevent eye fatigue and headaches. If you suffer a dip in energy as well as a rise in depression during the darker months, a light therapy box, as recommended by the Mayo Clinic could be very helpful.

Rage, Rage Against the Dying of the Light

But in my dark, dark office, you just have to hold a flashlight with your mouth while you try to type, because that’s how it is.

Wall of Color

Back to that beautiful orange wall. In this post, the one that you are reading right now, you are not going to get a wall of color. Instead, you’re getting a wall of text, and I hope you’re okay with that.

Back to the Future

Later, maybe after there is some light that doesn’t come from a flashlight, maybe I will add a wall o’ color. Or, heck, maybe a map. Or a photo!

Desk

My desk has always been my favorite thing of the office. If you have a furry officemate (see below) who likes to step all over your keyboard just for spite, then a pull-out drawer is a must-have. When I see that little furball coming, I can push in the keyboard tray. She still likes to slap the monitor for fun, but I’ve never sent an email composed of “^%$#$%%%%%%” since getting the keyboard tray!

Do You Have a Standing Desk?

Of course now standing desks are all the rage. Do you like those? Me, too. I don’t have one, though.

Chairs

I have a chair, and I’d take a picture of it, but this office is too dark!

Who Owns Your Office?

Officemates

If, like me, you have a furry person who shares your office with you, then you fully realize that you don’t own anything in your office. You probably have three blankets and two pillows just for your furry friend, am I right? The only “pets” you have are the dust bunnies behind the printer.

Blogjacking

Originally, I was going to write about all the swell things you could have if you upgraded your office. But then, the blog post got hijacked by the suckiness (suckitude?) of my own office. My next post will have some actual upgrades!

That’s it

It’s dark, and I’m tired. Leave me a comment if you can see well enough!

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: color of office, my office sucks, office lighting, task lighting, work from home

Why Online Friends Make the Most Delightful Friends

May 18, 2017 By Carol Stephen 14 Comments

Why Online Friends Make the Most Delightful Friends

By now, many of us have met people in real life whom we first got to know on Facebook or Twitter or Instagram. We’ve had coffee with them, or seen them at meet-ups, or recognized them from their online profiles. Online friends really are the best friends, as Lynn Morrison outlines in this Huffington Post article: 6 Reasons Why Online Friends Are the Best!

There’s That Guy!

Heck, sometimes I even recognize people walking around my neighborhood from their online profile. “There’s that guy from Facebook who always posts about his dog!” I might say. Or “there’s that guy who’s always ranting!” someone says as we avert our gazes and pretend to be checking our phones for something important.

Some People Are Far Away

We’ll never meet some of those online friends, as they are too far away, or meeting would be too inconvenient, or schedules never seem to mesh. It’s funny how some people will make space for you in their lives, and others always seem too busy. Some we promise to meet during a trip overseas, like Kittie Walker or Larry Mount (follow them on Twitter!), both in England.

Sometimes It’s Awkward

Some people seem awkward even online, so the idea of meeting in person isn’t so compelling. And others are super easy to talk to online, but then meeting in person is awkward. In the world of extroverts and introverts, that sometimes happens. I’m not including any examples here, as I’m sure you have plenty yourself! There are ways to deal with those awkward conversations, by the way.

Some People Aren’t Funny

That would be me. I’m way funnier online, where I can edit jokes and make them much funnier. In person? Not so funny. Oh, well. Others who aren’t funny at all online are hilarious in person. If you’re an introvert, the unfunny factor might come into play more often than if you’re an extrovert. And you might like: Six Facts About Introverts and Social Media That Will Impress Your Friends.

Others seem so interested in real-life meetings, that they’ll bend over backwards to so that you can meet in real life. My besties Bridget Willard (go follow her blog, by the way!) and Amy Donohue (follow her on Twitter!) both fall into that category. Others like Justine Pretorious I haven’t met, and yet she is already a good friend.

Many Become Best Friends for Life

When you meet someone online, you can talk about what’s really going on before you ever meet them in real life. You can choose how you appear to them in order to deepen the conversation. And that leads to better friendships, in my opinion.

Distance Becomes Irrelevant

When you’re online friends with someone, you can check in with them whenever you like. You don’t have to have an appointment. Just show up, and start tweeting, commenting, etc. And you can continue to keep in touch through the magic of social media! My friends Beth Staub and Pam Ann Aungst, though they live in different states, are that way.

Tell Me About Someone You’ve Met Online

Have you driven conversations into the real world? Or is there someone you’d like to meet? Tell me about it in the comments! I’d love that.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: awkwardness online, introverts, online friends, social media bridges the distance

How to Get out of a Dismal Social Media Rut

May 11, 2017 By Carol Stephen 2 Comments

How to Get Out of a Dismal Social Media Rut

How to Get out of a Dismal Social Media Rut

Admit You Have a Problem

It does sound like a self-help program, doesn’t it? Admitting you have a problem is the basis for delivering yourself out of social media ruts. And it could be a relief to admit it to yourself. Now you can work on your escape plan!

Baby Steps to the Answer

Could you spend 30 minutes brainstorming some answers? How about if you paid someone for half an hour of their time to help you brainstorm? Then you’d use that 30 minutes for sure! Now write down all the ways you could escape your rut.

Focus on Passion

Tiny Buddha has a nifty article for Getting Out of a Rut and Working on a Passion. I really like the focus on a passion as a means of getting out of a rut.

Create a Road Map

A road map doesn’t have to be a complex chart with 28 different colors and circles and arrows going all over the place. It could be three steps, or maybe eight steps that lead you to your goal. Simplicity can be elegant, as long as you know what you need to do to reach your goal. Did you know that you could do social media in as little as 60 minutes a day?

Three Examples of Road Maps

If you’ve never seen a social media marketing plan, here are three examples:

HootSuite’s road map includes S.M.A.R.T. Goals: How To Create A Social Media Marketing Plan In 6 Steps and I particularly like the audit.
Search Engine Journal’s article includes goals and purpose: Creating Your Social Media Marketing Road Map
Social Media Examiner has a 3-step process, which is pretty thorough. And, although it’s from 2012, it’s still relevant today: 3 Steps to an Effective Social Media Strategy

Refocus

Once you have a direction or a road map, if you will, that sense of burnout will diminish. With everyone on the team working together, a clear destination will appear. And if the team is just you, then find a friend (or a pro!) to help you. Ahem! I might know of someone.

Implement

Implement your new strategy by writing down the everyday tasks you’d need to complete. Some of the tasks might be once or twice a week, and others might be daily.

Get a Notebook

If you like to write things down, old-school style, get a notebook that you’ll enjoy. Here’s How to Buy a Paper Notebook That Will Bring You Joy! Personally, I like a stitched binding with ruled lines for daily tasks. What’s nice about notebooks is they’re always charged, and if you’re a tactile learner, they’re more satisfying than creating something online.

How’d You Climb out of Your Rut?

If you’ve ever been in a social media rut, or experienced burnout, how did you respond? Let me know in the comments. And thank you!

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: brainstorming, focus, get notebook, road map, social media rut

How Tired Business Owners Save Time: 10 Terrific Ways

May 4, 2017 By Carol Stephen 4 Comments

How Tired Business Owners Save Time: 10 Terrific Ways

We all have the same amount of time in every day, yet we all want to save time, too. Isn’t that the universal problem? Maybe the question is what do we do with the time we save?

Plan the Day Ahead of Time

When you know what you have to do, doing those chores goes a lot faster. Then checking everything off your list is satisfying, and almost like a game that you can play. Like the Gamification of Social Media, the gamification of your to-do list can move things in the right direction.

So spending 10 minutes to plan doesn’t have to be a big deal. For those times that your iPhone timer isn’t enough, here are some other timers you might like. I love that there are specific ones for coffee and grilling (that’s what you can do with all the time you save!).

Sharpen the Ax

As Abraham Lincoln didn’t say, “If you have six hours to chop down a tree, spend four hours sharpening the axe.” But it’s still a great statement anyway. What whomever said this probably meant was to prepare for whatever task you’re going to do and have all the right tools. Don’t have a tiny, dull knife and try to cut up a tree. Have a seriously sharp axe!

Tell the Truth About Limitations

This one seems so simple. Keep your commitments. If you say you’re going to do something, do it. This includes not overcommitting to be on a task force, or committee. Know how much energy you have to commit to new tasks. Here’s an article I enjoyed from The Wall Street Journal: Are You Too Busy? How to Know Your Limits. The takeaway? Don’t wait until you have a stomachache, or worse, to realize you’re doing too much!

Eat the Frog

This is one I don’t necessarily agree with. Eating the frog means doing the hardest thing first. But why? Why not do the easiest thing first so you have a sense of momentum? Forget about eating that frog first! Drink your coffee, finish something easy, then eat the frog! And why does it even have to be a frog? How about if we reframe it as something just a little more appetizing?

Work at Your Strength

Even without the CliftonStrengths assessment (formerly Strengthfinders), doesn’t it make sense to focus on what you’re good at every day? And if you’ve never read the book, I highly recommend it!

Delegate Everything That’s Not Your Strength

As a business owner, this one is the hardest for me. I have to realize that others aren’t as interested in my business as I am. They won’t do as good a job (maybe), so I have to settle for maybe 80% getting done and forget about the rest.

Photo by lorenkerns

Shut the Door at 5:00

If you work for yourself, this is a tough one. Client meetings often leak over into the evening hours, and that’s not always a good thing for your work-life balance. By the way, here’s why Work-Life Balance is the Unicorn of the Working World.

Photo by Dirk Förster

Learn to Make Decisions Quickly

This one has come about naturally for me. One of my friends who owns his own business can hang up on a caller within two seconds. “Not interested!” he barks, and hangs up. Are you turning into that person, too?

Photo by jurvetson

Stop Multitasking

We all know by now that there is no multitasking. We can’t drive and text any more than we can listen to YouTube and pay attention during a meeting! Tell me you’re not doing that right now!

Photo by Ruth and Dave

Take Breaks and Get Outside

Getting outside into nature is what is going to make your brain work the best, after all. That may seem counterintuitive, but it does work.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: Business, delegation, focus on strength, planning, preparation, time management

Quick, Easy, and Free Ways to a Fantastic Twitter Avatar

April 27, 2017 By Carol Stephen 2 Comments

Quick, Easy, and Free Ways to a Fantastic Twitter Avatar

A few days ago, I got into my Wayback Machine and traveled to 2012. Back, back, back to my first blog post about how to create a Twitter Avatar. Kind of amazing how quickly five years flies by, isn’t it? And while researching for this post, I found this great article about the people behind the Wayback Machine (an Internet archive). But I digress. Ahem! This post is about how you can get a quick, easy, and free Twitter avatar.

Pick Ten Avatars You Like

Get on Twitter and start looking around. Search on something similar to your business, to begin with. Say you’re in a particular area, such as Santa Cruz. You could search on the hashtag #SantaCruz. Or just the words Santa Cruz.

Narrow the Field

Of the ten avatars you find, choose the three you like the most. For example, here are three accounts in the Santa Cruz area that I admire. Follow them and check out their tweets (but come right back! I’ll wait here.).

Bookshop Santa Cruz Avatar (@BookshopSC)

Santa Cruz Hilltromper Avatar (@HilltromperSC)

Sempervirens Fund Avatar (@SempervirensFnd)

Ask Yourself Some Questions

Notice how all three images easily identify the organization. Now, ask yourself a few questions. For instance:

Why do you like the avatars?
What specifically do you like about the images?
Do you prefer a photo or a drawing?
Would you use similar colors in your own avatar?
What traits identify you or your brand?

Brand Identity

This post is not about brand identity. However, if you have no idea what brand identity means, read this thorough article by Clement Lim: Creating a Kick-Ass Brand Identity.

List the Traits of Your Top Three Favorite Avatars

My top three have a few things in common. Namely:

They’re all images, not photos.
They’re clutter-free.
Each one tells a story.
Each one is monochromatic (black, green, and brown).

Incorporate Those Traits Into Your Avatar

If I were redoing my avatar, I could start with a photo and convert it to a drawing. I take a lot of photos (don’t we all since the invention of smart phones?). Then I could clean up all the extraneous lines, unnecessary stuff until it was more like a line drawing. I’d want to make sure that the image told a story about my business.

Color is Critical

Next, I’d choose a favorite color. Here’s a good article about What Your Logo’s Color Says About Your Business from Fast Company. For instance, did you know the following:

almost 85% of consumers cite color as the primary reason they buy a particular product, and 80% of people believe color increases brand recognition.

Create Three Draft Avatars

After that, you could create a few mockups of avatars, with slight or not-so-slight variations. Okay, maybe three. Or two! You could have just two, to keep it really simple.

Photo by Das Fotoimaginarium

Ask Your Friends

The really fun part is having a little branding-your-Twitter-avatar party. Have snacks and bubbly drinks and have your friends give their opinions. They’ll surprise you with some of what they say.

How Did You Figure out What Your Twitter Avatar Would Be?

What would you tell someone else who needed an avatar? I’d really like to know! And thank you.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: Avatar, color, design, drawing, image, Twitter avatar