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Insomnia: A Social Media Manager’s Battle

December 17, 2015 By Carol Stephen 2 Comments

Insomnia: A Social Media Manager’s Battle

Social media managers often get insomnia. I read about it one time on Mashable. I was sleepy, but I think that’s where it was. We worry about getting online traffic, clicks, and a whole host of other ridiculous things, such as the following.

The Ridonculous Headline

We worry about silly things like headlines. You’ve all heard that the headline is the most important part of writing an article or blog post. It needs to be catchy, but not linkbait. You want people to click on that link and then dive into the blog post. You might want to read about why headline writing is such a pain in the asterisk.

Forgetting

With social media, there’s always more to do. One more tweet to write, one more person to talk to, one more half-baked task to implement. So while you’re trying to sleep, there’s always a little voice saying “what did you forget to do?”

The Stupid Call to Action

As if writing a decent Facebook post isn’t hard enough, there’s always that stupid call to action. Sometimes it’s implied, but usually not. It can be a question, such as “tell me what you would do,” “do you agree?” “Tell us! Yes or No.” Sometimes it’s a button to subscribe or sign up for a newsletter. Hubspot has some terrific call to action examples, by the way.

The Ludicrous Return on Investment

If you track everything carefully and use your analytics, you can figure out where you’re getting the most return on investment (ROI). But with social media, it’s more like your audience gets warmed up before making a sale. Could you track where every single customer comes from?

The Image

The Compelling Image

Is the image captivating enough? Does it tell a story? Is it boring? Again, without sliding over into linkbait, the image has to ride that fine edge between captivating and linkbait. Will your audience lean in to see what’s happening in the image? Line, color, and texture all need to work together.

Timing

Timing is another preposterous thing to consider. If you post too early, no one will be awake (except the other insomniacs who haven’t been to bed yet. Post too late and only the zombies and creatures of the night will see it. Then again, you don’t want to do what everyone else does! That late night post just might get picked up and go viral! It could happen!

What if No One Shows up to the Twitter Chat?

What If There’s a Chat and No One Shows Up?

Akin to “if a tree falls in the forest and no one’s there…”. You tweet out carefully crafted questions and nobody answers. Tick-tock, Tick-tock, Tick-tock. Crickets. Getting those first few people to join your chat can take forever. Meantime, you have to keep plugging away, and whistling a happy tune.

Scheduling Versus Being Online Live

Do you wait around for someone to respond to your tweet? Or do you post, go away, and come back three days later? That’s the dilemma right there. Of course, the more you’re online, the better your chances are of making a good contact. And as my buddy, Bridget Willard says, “Relationships are long-term investments.”

What Dopey Things Keep You Up At Night?

Leave me a ridiculous comment!

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: call to action, headlines, images, Social Media, Social Media Managers, Twitter, Twitter Chat

Social Media: Icebreakers, Openings, and the Approach

December 10, 2015 By Carol Stephen 6 Comments

Social Media: Icebreakers, Openings, and “the Approach”

Now that you’ve got all your social media set up and you’re tweeting, posting, and pinning your heart out, what do you do next? Brands can learn a lot from interactions with potential customers, as this article from AdWeek, What Brands Can Learn from Social Conversations explains. Here’s a short primer on where to begin.

If You Say Hello, People Usually Say Hello Back!

Say Hello

Yes, it might sound overly simplistic, but it does work. Say hello. You could also say how are you, what’s up? how’s the weather? or any other number of things. Think about what you’d say to the checker at the grocery store.

Ask a Random Question

If you want to get people going, you could ask a random or “stupid” question. People may even respond so that they can correct you! The point is to get the ball rolling.

Make Personal Comments

Personal Comments

How personal would you want to be with comments you share? Sometimes you’ll find that you have a hobby in common with your new friend. Asking about their yoga class or favorite dog could make an ordinary relationship a little more special.

Holiday Posts

If you celebrate certain holidays (or even if you don’t), how about sharing pictures? If you’re an introvert like I am, you might even talk about how you don’t like to share. Surely someone else can relate to that! Here’s my Six Facts About Introverts and Social Media, by the way.

A9 A tip we heard: Comment on some piece of their content to start a conversation. Compliment or question. #digiblogchat @ToscaSac

— BusinessCoach.com (@CoachGaryHenson) December 8, 2015

Comment on Their Content

You could ask for clarification or ask a question, as @CoachGaryHenson suggests, above. And in person, the “What do you want to be when you grow up?” question works for @ToscaSac.

Ask About Their Website or Blog

If your new friend is in business, this one is a surefire winner! You can ask a million billion gazillion questions about their blog, how long they’ve been blogging, who their best customers are, but be prepared to listen. Most people in business can talk about this stuff for a looo (breath) ooooooong time!

Facebook or Twitter?

Give people an either or question that’s simple and they’re sure to answer!

Ask Where a Photo Was Taken

This could apply to a Twitter header, Facebook post, anything online. Even better if it’s a picture of them, and you can give a compliment.

Timing is Everything

Timing

Timing is one of the most important things in a conversation. For instance, don’t follow someone and immediately send a DM on Twitter! Take some time to get to know them. Here are a bunch of social media worst practices, by the way.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: conversation starters, Facebook, icebreakers, Social Media, Twitter

The Legend of Black Friday

December 3, 2015 By Carol Stephen Leave a Comment

The Legend of Black Friday

The Fear of Missing Out

Once upon a time, in a mall not so far away, there lived a monster known as Black Friday. Each year, the people did as the beast demanded, sacrificing precious time with their families and experiencing the Fear of Missing Out.

Initial Recon: First Infantry

The Fleeting Mutant

As elusive as Sasquatch, the beast could only be spotted once a year. To make matters more intriguing, everyone in every village across all the land knew the power of the mutant.

Outrunning the Beast

Opt To Be Outside

People across the great nation followed the monster, thinking that the monster would lead them to a treasure trove. How were they to know that #OptOutside was trending, and they should be outdoors to improve their productivity? Outdoors away from the mall, that is.

The Early Martyrs

The early martyrs, unaware of the coming forces, would be unable to deter what would eventually overwhelm the country. They would stand in line for hours, braving the elements, sometimes in tents, cots, and sleeping bags.

The Monster Enchanted Its Unwary Victims

Striking on Thanksgiving Eve at 6 pm, the monster would enchant its unwary victims. The luckiest of the victims would barely make it to their cars to get to the mall–while still holding a forkful of pumpkin pie.

Mesmerized by “Sale” Signs

In other villages, the beast would not appear until midnight or sometimes 5 am the following morning. Shoppers would find themselves in the crosshairs of the behemoth, not even able to take their eyes off the “Special Sale” signs.

In any event, many were abandoned by their families that day.

Thanksgiving Holiday Online Shopping, via Graphiq.

People Began to Wake Up

Gradually, people began to realize that they would rather surf online in their bathrobes than camp outside in the cold. Retailers were happy that they could still sell their wares online.

The End of the Beast?

The beast turned out to be an adorable labrador retriever. He was adopted by a childless couple from Poughkeepsie, and spoiled rotten. And they all lived happily ever after.

The End.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: black Friday, Christmas, Cyber Monday, mutant, Thanksgiving

Social Media Emergency: Ten Questions

November 19, 2015 By Carol Stephen 8 Comments

Social Media Emergency: Ten Questions

During the last few days, there has been a terrible attack on Paris. Many people stopped what they were doing to share their sympathy and outrage. As a social media manager, what do you do when such an attack occurs? How do you handle an emergency? Here are some questions to ask yourself.

What Constitutes an Emergency?

An emergency is a dire situation that makes you stop and take notice. You may have to take immediate action to prevent loss of life. However, on social media we are all more connected than ever before. The world seems smaller at times. A tweet from the United States can reach France in a millisecond. Because of our emotional connection, we often react as though the event occurred to us.

San Francisco City Hall flies the French flag in the wake of the Paris attacks, and its colors are displayed in lights. Photo: @SantiagoMejia, Special To The Chronicle

Local, Regional, National, and International Emergencies

An emergency could involve just a few people around you. A local school might have a water main break. A regional emergency might involve an issue with air quality due to a factory explosion. An international emergency, such as the recent shootings in France, while not physically involving those in other countries, involve everyone because of the emotional aspect.

How Many People Are Involved?

If only a person or two is involved in the emergency, we might choose to ignore it on our social media. For instance, a local hero might have been in a car accident. Although very sad, something like that might not stop us in our tracks. The people at Mass Shooting Tracker track shootings when four or more people are shot. Without being callous, sometimes the number of people involved in a shooting determines our response.

What is Your Social Media Strategy for Emergencies?

What is Your Social Media Strategy for Dealing with Emergencies?

Strategy for emergencies has gotten trickier and more complex. Five years ago, school shootings did not seem commonplace. Now they are occurring all the time. We seem emotionally tired from all the violence in the news. By the way, if you want to read my post about Social Media in 60 Minutes a Day, here you go!

Do You Post During an Emergency?

When an Emergency Occurs, Do You Post?

Often people do not have phone service during disasters, but they may have access to Twitter or Facebook. Many want to stay out of the way when there is a chaotic situation, as misinformation can rapidly spread. Scientific American discusses ways that social media has changed disaster response in their excellent article.

Do You Go Dark?

If you go dark on your account, how long do you wait before you post again? What is a reasonable amount of time? An hour? A day? A weekend? I often find that talking to others helps me to determine how long to wait before posting.

Do You Continue Selling Your Product or Service?

Whether you continue selling is an important consideration. If one of your brand attributes is compassion, not selling is a good strategy. On the other hand, if you provide rescue animals during emergencies, then an offer of help would be appreciated. If you sell diamond rings, however, then you are likely to face a serious backlash if you continue to sell during a school shooting.

How Do You Handle An Outburst On Your Page?

How Will You Handle An Emotional Outburst on Your Account During an Event?

When there’s an emergency, people often get very emotional. They may vent on your page. How will you handle this? Will you respond at all?

Is There a One-Size-Fits-All Response?

Unfortunately, there is no one best response to an emergency. Most people prefer to go black, regroup, then decide what the best response is. Some go dark for a day or two and resume posting. Others never stop posting.

Which Agencies to Check in an Emergency?

Which Agencies to Check?

Who needs to handle this? Here are a few places to check:

One of the best places to check during an emergency is with a government agency on Twitter. For instance, if you feel an earthquake, a quick look at Twitter will let you know where it is, how large, and what to do (if anything).

Talk to Me

Do you have a social media strategy for emergencies, or do you prefer to “wing it”? Leave me a comment!

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: emergency, Facebook, Paris attack, Social Media, Twitter

Seven Myths About Procrastination

November 12, 2015 By Carol Stephen 8 Comments

Seven Myths About Procrastination

When faced with a deadline, how often have you said to yourself, “there’s always tomorrow!” and then put it off? If that sounds like you, you’re not alone. And we’re often told that procrastination is negative. But is it really true that people who procrastinate have no friends, overspend, and are unsanitary? I’ll tell you tomorrow.

Let Someone Else Decide

Issues May Resolve Without You

If you’ve ever decided something quickly, as we’ve all heard we should, how often could the issue be resolved by someone else? Emergencies often resolve themselves if you take no action. When people scream that it’s an emergency, often putting off the decision will force the person who created the issue to handle it themselves.

Decisions at the Last Possible Moment

In his book, Wait: The Art and Science of Delay, Frank Partnoy claims that when faced with a decision, we should assess how long we have to make it, and then wait until the last possible moment to do so. The Romans and Greeks embraced their own procrastination like the big party-goers they were. But then the Puritans came along with a bunch of malarkey that people would embroider onto cushions about “a stitch in time saves nine.” But important decisions need slow cooking, in more of a crock-pot approach than a wok approach.

Reframing the Stigma

What if, instead of procrastination we called it managed delay? Something about the word procrastination makes us seem not in control of our own destinies. But managed delay? That makes us seem to be the managers of time and not vice-versa. And if your time needs better management, here’s Time Management for Busy Entrepreneurs.

Fast and Efficient

Putting off tasks until the last minute might seem inefficient, but when it’s the 11th hour and you have to finish that report sitting on your desk, it’s more likely to get done. Maybe not perfectly done, but done. As long as you’ve left that 11th hour free, that is.

The Art of Procrastination

John Perry, in the Art of Procrastination, “generously acknowledges that he has stood on the shoulders of giants, in particular Robert Benchley, the Algonquin Round Table member. In 1930, Benchley revealed how he mustered the willpower to pore through scientific magazines and build a bookshelf when an article was due.”

Anyone Can Do Any Amount of Work

“The secret of my incredible energy and efficiency in getting work done is a simple one,” Perry wrote. “The psychological principle is this: anyone can do any amount of work, provided it isn’t the work he is supposed to be doing at that moment.” (from a New York Times article)

Productivity Under Pressure

Not everyone can sit down at their desk and produce a masterpiece at an appointed hour. Some are early birds and work best at dawn. Others need to delay until conditions are just so. If you can give your laser focus, but are a late starter, will you be any worse off? Here’s my post on about social media in 60 minutes a day, by the way.

Do You Procrastinate?

Let me know right now! Or later. Whatever.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: delay, efficiency, procrastination

Is There Pie in the Cloud?

November 5, 2015 By Carol Stephen 4 Comments

Is There Pie in the Cloud?

It’s so wonderful that Pinterest has free tech talks. The most recent engineering talk that I attended was about about cloud engineering. I always meet interesting people at these tech talks, enjoy the speakers, and the icing on the cake is the free food.

Irony alert: this time there was no cake. Or pie! Which to all God-fearing clowns is dessert. By the way, if you need to hear more about clowns, here’s an article any pie-loving clown would like: Secrets of the Social Media Circus.

So no cake, no pie, and no dessert of any kind? Well, I’ll just have to make do!*

Easy as pie?

First up for her tech talk was Nori Heikkinen , a Google engineer, who spoke briefly about the history of search and Site Reliability Engineering (SRE) and a stint at Healthcare.gov. She did not make her time with Healthcare.gov sound as easy as pie. And speaking of pie, my favorite kind is blackberry. But since it’s November, there is mostly pumpkin and apple pie.

Since I wasn’t allowed to take pictures, here’s an image of some blackbirds instead. This picture is not meant to resemble any living cloud engineers.

Four and Twenty Blackbirds

Another Highlight was Jeremy Carroll who reassured us that the pins we pinners pin are copied in triplicate so we can rest assured that they won’t disappear like hot pies left on the windowsill spotted by famished blackbirds (not his exact words). And did you ever stop to think about how many things have to happen after a pin is pinned? Someone has to make the list of other things you might like related to that first pin. Whew. Thinking about it might make you need a piece of pie. By the way, this Four and Twenty Blackbirds Pie Book sounds heavenly, doesn’t it? But I digress.

Pie Before E, Except After C

Pie before E Except After C

Raj Patel, head of cloud engineering at Pinterest, made one of the best points of all in his talk: A Pin Lives Forever. He discussed the half life of other social media posts, emphasizing that pins live on and on and can be rediscovered days, weeks, or months after they’re pinned.

You can’t spell Pinterest without PIE

Not to rub it in, but Pinterest without the PIE would just be ntrst! Which doesn’t sound very delicious. If you’d like to read about another Pinterest tech talk, here’s my Discover Pinterest: Behind the Scenes.

*I am in no way intending to malign Pinterest: just thought I’d offer them some pie for thought.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: cloud engineering, dessert, Jeremy Carroll, Nori Heikkinen, pie, Pinterest, Raj Patel

Eight Scary Halloween Characters You Might See on Twitter

October 29, 2015 By Carol Stephen 11 Comments

Eight Scary Halloween Characters You Might See on Twitter

You may have been wandering around some scary parts of Twitter lately, down some dark, lonely hallways late at night. Here’s what you might find during your travels.

Time to let go, Casper

The Ghost

Is this person really on Twitter? There were a couple of tweets in the beginning, but there hasn’t been a tweet since last October. This person’s account has passed away, but is still occupying space in the Twittersphere. Time to let go, Casper.

It is possible to kill a vampire

The Vampire

This is a character who feeds on the life force of others, stealing content, following everyone you follow, and making you feel like you’ve got a kid brother all over again. They insert themselves into all your conversations and tend to steal your energy. The good news? It is possible to kill one of these guys!

The Zombie

The zombie retweets your material and you never know why. They follow you, but they are really pretty slow. They may retweet stuff from 2 weeks ago, a lifetime on the internet. They are animated, yet they are still corpses. Do not trust them to babysit your children. When they do speak, they talk about “the Zombie Apocalypse” a lot.

The Werewolf tweets very late at night during the full moon

The Werewolf

This guy only tweets very late at night during the full moon, when they’re very active. Nothing ever happens during the day for the werewolf. And just when you think they’re completely extinct, one of them wakes up during the day and lets out a grumpy tweet. They may want blood or they may want espresso. It’s difficult to say.

Avoid the Bad Witch or Warlock

The Bad Witch or Warlock

This character is just plain mean. He or she pokes fun at other people, and never has anything nice to say. They take everything the wrong way. It’s all about the opposite of the law of attraction with the mean witch. It’s best to stay away from mean witches.

The Mummy

All wrapped up in themselves and only ever broadcasting, everything has to revolve around the mummy. It’s as though they have cotton in their ears because they never seem to listen to anyone else. The Mummy could use some ideas on how to be social.

The Troll loves to cause trouble

The Troll

The only way to stop trolls is to stop caring about them. They feed on your energy, whether positive or negative. Once they are exposed, they may stop their insults. And on Twitter, you can block or mute them (or report them!).

The Skeleton

The skeleton has no substance. You may see bones, but nothing has been fleshed out. No treats for you, Mr. Skeleton! By the way, here’s a fab article about what the skeletons of famous cartoon characters would look like (no cartoon characters were hurt in the making of the article).

And the scariest of all, and they need no introduction….

The Evil Clown (is there any other kind?!

The Evil Clown!

He’s got the red nose and gets all up in your business. He won’t take no for an answer! Booo! Now evil clowns could really use some clues on how to be social!

Seen any strange characters around Twitter? Let me know in the comments!

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: bad witch, evil clown, ghosts, Halloween, mummy, trolls, Twitter, werewolf, zombies

Why a Zombie Apocalypse Would be Better Than Having an Old School Social Media Manager

October 23, 2015 By Carol Stephen 7 Comments

Why a Zombie Apocalypse Would be Better Than Having an Old School Social Media Manager

We’ve all heard about why it’s a fabulous idea to have an old-school social media manager. But who ever talks about the downside? Nobody, that’s who! And who compares it to a Zombie Apocalypse? Nobody again!

Every Post is So Appropriate

Not only do old-schoolers research posts, but they also make sure each post matches the tone and is perfect for the audience. Again, there is no time for this kind of malarkey during an apocalypse. Staying alive is all that matters. Here’s a terrific article about U.S. States Most and Least Likely to Survive the Zombie Apocalypse.

Mature Content

If you hire an old-school Social Media Manager (“SMM”), they’re probably going to go on about how things were better in “the good old days.” Maybe they were. Because there was no Internet. But rather than you having to listen patiently to that kind of baloney, wouldn’t you rather be honing your basic survival skills? Of course you would.

Lacking in Emojis

Will your Facebook page have enough emoticons on it if you hire an old-school SMM? Probably not. A zombie apocalypse would be full of emoticons, if only because writing with a stick in the sand is already difficult enough. Emoticons are easier. Hence another win for zombie apocalypse!

Those Old-Schoolers Are So Darn Polite!

They Are So Darn Polite!

Why, an old-school SMM would probably say thank you as well as please and also “the pleasure is all mine.” Not only that, they might not cuss at all! Whereas a zombie apocalypse is *&^%ing full of cussing! Zombie Apocalypse: 4. Old-schoolers: 0.

Too Much Research!

Before old-school SMMs post something, they have to read it. But during a zombie apocalypse there is NO TIME. So up it goes! This is a huge time saver. By the way, here’s an article about how to do social media in 60 minutes day.

Old-School SMMs Never Get Drunk and Post

How much fun is that? They don’t have to delete a bunch of posts the day after a binge, either. During an apocalypse, though? Nobody cares! Do the drunken math!

Old-School SMMs Are So Politically Correct

Old-School SMMs Don’t Make Off-Color Jokes

They’ve seen what can happen if you bully or taunt people, and they won’t do that. Those are the best kind of jokes, right? But during an apocalypse nothing is off-limits!

They’re Over Experienced

Old-school SMMs have years of experience, sometimes even in the marketing arena. In an apocalypse, nobody has any experience. It’s all about getting through the day alive.

They’re Over Experienced

Their Communication Skills Are Terrific

Some of them grew up before there was social media or computers. And they know how to use punctuation, too. By the way, do you want to know whether Punctuation is Important? But during a zombie apocalypse nobody cares about the Oxford Comma!

Old-School SMMs Know What to Do in a Crisis

They’ve been in a crisis before, but have they ever played paintball or wielded an AK-47? Probably not. So there you have it! A zombie apocalypse is better than having an old-school SMM!

Zombie Apocalypse

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: adult, emojis, emoticons, old school, Social Media

Twitter Lists for the Power User

October 15, 2015 By Carol Stephen 27 Comments

After having seen people complaining about being listed on Twitter, I thought it was time to update this post.

You might have seen other people using lists on Twitter, or dabbled in creating lists once upon a time, when you first joined Twitter. Maybe you have been added to others’ lists and are curious about why people create them. If so, this post is for you!

Lists are a good thing!

First of all, being listed means that someone thinks your content is valuable. I don’t know how the opposite view got started, but it’s out there now. People will say in their profiles no lists please. You know what? I want people to list me! Please list me! Also: if someone really wants to stalk you, they could put you on a private list and you’d never know. Tweets are public, unless your account is private.

Why Twitter Lists?

Lists are an effective tool for organizing people you want to keep close at hand, those you don’t want to miss, or those you want to keep track of every day. Lists are also a way to gauge an account’s effectiveness. If you’re trying to decide whether to follow an account, check to see if that account is on anyone’s list. If not, that account may have bought fake followers.

Improve Your Followers to Following Ratio

You don’t have to follow the people you list. So you could put all the major news organizations on a list instead of following them all. And if you know someone will never follow you back (for example, @DalaiLama follows NOBODY), you can put him or her on a list. If you add those folks to a list, it will improve your followers:following ratio and also help you cut down on the noise while raising the quality of the tweets you see.

The Nuts and Bolts

Twitter allows you to have 1,000 lists with up to 5,000 accounts each. Even for a power user, that’s a lot of lists! Advanced Twitter users spend a lot of time maintaining lists, you’ll discover. So before you create your own, I recommend you go shopping and look at how people in your industry set up their lists. For example, take a look at Robert Scoble’s (@Scobleizer) fabulous lists. Could you use similar naming conventions? Or could you subscribe to one or more of his lists rather than reinventing the wheel?

Private Versus Public Lists

Private lists are those that only you can see. Public lists are for everyone. One benefit of having a public list is that you can offer it as a service to your followers. For example, @WindowWorksUSA has a list called San Francisco, which is a list of people who are in San Francisco (you can see the list icon on the left in the image below). You could occasionally send a tweet letting your followers know that the list is available. When you update the list, you could even let your followers know that, too.

Three Types of Lists

To see lists, go to a Twitter profile page, click on “lists,” (see above) and you’ll see the lists you create, lists you’re subscribed to, and lists you’re on.

Subscribe to Interesting Lists

While you’re shopping for lists, you will see some interesting ones. Subscribe to them by simply clicking on the “Follow” button.

Examples of Lists

You might have a list called “Social People,” with the people you want to follow and retweet every day. You could also have a private list called “Enemies,” with your competitors on it. If you’re researching something embarrassing, you could create a private list for that. Or, if you have a hobby, such as watching cat videos, you could create a list called “Crazy Cat Ladies.”

Display your lists so you can quickly see who’s tweeting what

Reading Tweets from a List

If you have a scheduler, such as HootSuite, in your arsenal of Twitter Tools, you can create a column for any list. So, for example, say you have subscribed to @Scobleizer’s list, Tech News. You can create a column and follow the technology news every morning through Twitter! Just scroll until you see a story you want to read. And if you’re looking for content to retweet, how about a list called “Retweetables” of your favorite sources (those that your audience would find valuable)?

How Do You Use Lists?

You’ve probably seen some imaginative lists out there! Let me know how you use lists, or ways you’ve seen others use them that you like, or dislike. Please leave a comment, below.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: Lists, Power, Private, Public, Twitter, User

10 Social Media Expectations That Are Full of Baloney

October 8, 2015 By Carol Stephen 12 Comments

10 Social Media Expectations That Are Full of Baloney

People have a lot of expectations around social media. They think that it’s magic, and that once they are on social media, they don’t have to do anything except answer the phone calls of people wanting to hand them millions of dollars. Here are some popular misconceptions.

One Friend Will Tell Another Friend

This is a popular one. One friend will tell another friend will tell another friend. Like a giant Multi-Level Marketing scheme, the business or startup is of course at the top of the pyramid. When was the last time you were so excited about a new business that you told someone else? It happens, but rarely.

We’re Going to Raise a Million Dollars!

You might do that, but it could take a loooong time! It’s probably not going to happen in one week.

More Followers Equals More Value

This is the kind of thinking that makes people buy followers! Here’s how you can tell who has the most fake followers, by the way. In fact, the small accounts who take the trouble of engaging with you are probably your biggest fans. The number of fans makes some difference, but not if they’re fake.

Nobody Will See Your Drunk Tweets

Not only will they see those drunk tweets, they’ll take screenshots and share them with their friends and blog about it. By then you’ll be sober. And pretty sad. And that is one case where one friend will tell another friend who will tell another friend.

Having Goals on Social Media is Pointless

Yes, there is a point. If you’d like to move beyond vanity metrics (popularity or number of followers), some good goals might be: retweeting five people a day, having a conversation with someone new on Facebook, or participating in a Twitter Chat.

People on Social Media Are Waiting for a Sales Pitch

Yes and no. If people like you, they might put up with an occasional sales pitch. But selling all the time is so 1974. You probably won’t get a follower in the first place if you’re only selling.

Social Media is Free

One word: Nope! Is your time free? Is your brain power free? Is your creativity free?

It’s Okay to Broadcast without Engagement

What is this? The first day of the Internet? Broadcast-only mode is akin to sending direct messages on Twitter when someone first follows you.

People Won’t Notice Bad Reviews

Um, yes they will. According to this Search Engine Land article, “88% Have Read Reviews To Determine The Quality Of A Local Business.” Don’t you check out businesses online before you buy from them?

My Audience Isn’t Online

You could say that in 1995, but these days everyone is online. Your grandma is looking at pictures of your kids on Facebook and watching cat videos on Youtube.

Did You Have Any Misconceptions When You Started?

I’d love to hear! Let me know in the comments. And thank you for reading.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: expectations, failure, Social Media, Startup