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Social Media Doldrums: Survival in Six Steps

August 13, 2015 By Carol Stephen 15 Comments

Whether your business is a startup or a long-standing business, you’ll sometimes suffer from the social media doldrums. The doldrums can be defined as a period of stagnation or inactivity. It might occur in the middle of the summer or during a holiday. There is nothing happening, there are no boats on the horizon, and there is no wind at all. Naturally, you’d like to escape the doldrums as quickly as possible!

Share Posts from Like-Minded Companies

Sharing might seem like a non-intuitive way to escape the doldrums, but there are others creating ideas and content who would love the boost. Meantime, you get a little time to reflect and create a long-term escape plan. Some personal favorites are:

Tess Wittler, who writes about blogging for construction companies,
Blue Steele Solutions, who write about marketing strategies and solutions,
Bridget Willard (You Too Can Be a Guru), who writes about social media, and
Robert Nissenbaum (Tactical Social Media), who covers brand awareness and recognition.

Comment on Blogs to Escape the Doldrums

Comment on Blogs

Commenting on others’ writing is a fabulous way to spark new ideas for your own social media or blog posts. A good place to start is with people who are sharing your content or commenting on your posts. Starting a conversation on a blog beyond “great post!” can help the creative juices flow again. Ask a question or say something that will move the conversation beyond the entry level. For instance, “what made you think of writing about this topic?”

Read Articles

Articles within your own niche can help to stimulate new ideas and help you create an action plan to escape. For instance, Copyblogger is a terrific one. Take note of which articles attract you. What headlines brought you there? Could you use a similar headline?

Power out? No problem. pic.twitter.com/dnQ7pOgC

— OREO Cookie (@Oreo) February 4, 2013

Think Back

Go back to memorable moments. These moments might be times when ads caught your attention from your childhood, events that are important to the country as a whole, or to a game that you played. It could be anything, really. For instance, do you remember Life cereal “Give it to Mikey! He hates everything!” ad? People quote that ad all the time. Or the more recent Oreo cookie tweet during the Superbowl of 2013? There are moments that people enjoy revisiting.

Go Into the Stillness

Like a stale meme, you want an easy answer. Sometimes running straight into the fire, or lack thereof, is the right thing to do. This is perhaps the most difficult cure, and also the most “zen.” Every business has its ups and downs. Sometimes a period of absolute quiet is necessary for the next period of growth. Being still and calm might drive you insane as a business owner. Unless you’re an introvert, that is. Here’s my article on Six Facts About Introverts and Social Media That Will Impress Your Friends, by the way.

Feel the Pain

Explore the Pain

If you’re having a period of the doldrums, perhaps your clients are, too. How about writing about the pain that life in the doldrums creates for you? After all, you’re not going to be reaching the top of Mount Kilimanjaro every day. And, to use the sailing metaphor, you won’t sail your boat under the Golden Gate Bridge every day, either.

Ever Been in the Doldrums?

What did you do to get out? Leave me a comment!

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: doldrums, Social Media, Startup, survival

Twitter Chats: 101 Tips for Success

August 6, 2015 By Carol Stephen 9 Comments

Tweet Chats: 101 Tips for Success

I’ve been hosting #DigiBlogChat (a Twitter chat) since August 5, 2015. Besides this chat, I’ve hosted other chats for years for various brands. So I’ve learned a few things. This is for those of you who want to host your own chat. If you want to participate, you might want to read my post: TweetChats: How to Participate.

What is a Tweet Chat?

A twitter chat is a live event on Twitter, organized around a hashtag. It can be a one-time-only event, or an ongoing event.

1. Participate first before hosting your own chat. Get on a chat or two. Or four.

2. Cohost a chat to see how much work it is. You’ll probably need at least two hours per week to host.

3. Before you jump in, ask someone else how much work is involved.

An Occasional Cartoon Can Help When Your Chat Lags

4. Research your hashtag. Search for 2-3 best hashtags, the shorter the better.

5. Register your hashtag. While no one “owns” a hashtag, registering one gives you legitimacy. You can register on Twubs.

6. Register your tweet chat (also on Twubs).

7. Upload a header for your chat.

8. Send reminders to the people on your list.

@_DanMessina @Joshanisfeld @catsatwork @RandyClarkTKO @JanMagee @Greydock We'd love to see you at #DigiBlogChat Tuesday, 8/4 at 1pm pdt!

— Carol Stephen (@Carol_Stephen) August 3, 2015

9. Use a scheduler for reminders. Send them (at 7:00 am or earlier) a day or two before the chat.

10. Schedule reminders for the following week right after a chat. It saves time.

11. Group people on reminders,

Keep a Tickler File so You Don’t Have to Consult Your Magic 8Ball

12. Keep a tickler list of topics and cohosts.

13. Flesh out your topics. Create 8-9 questions.

14. Stay open during the chat for an additional sub-question.

15. Save off-topic questions for another chat.

16. Don’t be afraid to repeat topics and tweak questions a little.

17. Involve participants.

18. Have a good, engaging topic to attract new participants and keep everyone interested.

19. Send more than one reminder, especially if you’re just starting out.

20. Remind people about the chat on Facebook.

Have a promo image for your Twitter Chat

21. Create a promo image with the time, hashtag, etc.

22. Change your promo image for each chat if you’re super-ambitious!

23. Promote your chat on Pinterest on your “events” board.

24. Delete and repin your promo on Pinterest before each chat.

25. Ask others to promote for you.

26. Get on the chat at least 15 minutes early.

27. Clear all your notifications and reply to people before you start your chat.

28. Use TweetChat or Twubs.

29. Keep both TweetChat and Twubs open; use whichever is most reliable that day.

30. Keep your questions nearby.

31. Cut and paste your questions into the chat.

32. Welcome everyone.

33. Encourage newbies.

34. Encourage a friendly atmosphere.

35. Get help to welcome people.

The Co-Host for #DigiBlogChat is Larry Mount

36. Have a co-host for help with topics, promotion, and for more reach, too.

37. Have sponsors create topics and questions.

38. Get a sub if you go on vacation.

39. Create a tweet or two for the sub to explain that you’re on vacation.

Questions will appear as Q1, Q2, etc. Please respond to these with A1, A2, and so on. #DigiBlogChat

— Carol Stephen (@Carol_Stephen) August 4, 2015

40. Remind everyone of the chat’s format.

41. Favorite tweets for inclusion in a post later.

42. Tell people you’re favoriting tweets for a curated blog post.

Time for a short intermission – don’t forget to stretch! #DigiBlogChat

— Carol Stephen (@Carol_Stephen) August 4, 2015

43. Halfway through send a “stretch” reminder. Hat tip to Bridget Willard of You Too Can Be a Guru for this one.

44. Check TweetReach for a free “slice” of your chat.

45. For complete analytics, use Tweetreach ($20).

Tweets about #digiblogchat have reached 50,370 accounts https://t.co/jx1cP8YZ0q via @tweetreachapp

— Carol Stephen (@Carol_Stephen) July 28, 2015

46. Send a tweet with the Tweetreach stats.

47. Keep the Tweetreach window/tab open.

48. After the chat, do a screenshot, go to Facebook, and post the screenshot, along with a link to the Tweetreach stats.

49. After the chat, update your Twitter profile to the next chat’s date.

Change Your Profile to Show the Next Chat

50. Update your Twitter list with the new people.

51. Schedule reminders. Keep a Google list. Schedule those reminders right away.

52. Prepare eight or nine questions for the next week.

53. Space your questions, starting at about 1:03 and then every 7-8 minutes.

54. Still reading? Holy cow. You should get a prize.

55. Side conversations are a good thing.

56. Friendships will develop. Also a good thing.

57. Don’t worry about spam. The community will probably block the spammer themselves.

58. Nip bullying in the bud. Prepare a statement to discourage it.

Holy Cow! Are You Still Reading?

59. Decide upon your ultimate goal. To create a community? Gain followers?

60. Use a simple way to measure your goal. Number of tweets or reach, for instance.

61. Set interim goals, as well as long-range ones.

62. Use tools to extend the life of your chat. Storify is excellent.

63. Edit your Storify to 3-4 tweets per question.

64. Create a blog post from your chat.

65. Add images to your blog post.

66. Tweet the blog post.

67. Tag people from the chat who are mentioned in your post.

68. Research your topic if it’s one you don’t already know thoroughly.

69. Create Tweets from the research, such as links about articles.

70. Tweet images, such as cartoons.

71. Invite more people to the chat.

72. Invite people who might be interested in a particular chat topic.

73. If your invited guests join the chat, add them to the list.

74. Rinse and repeat.

75. Remove people from your list if they don’t attend.

Try to Keep the Chat on Topic Because Squirrel!

76. If people get goofy and go wayyyy off topic, rope it back in. Or not.

77. Decide if you want to tweet about religion, politics, or sex.

Don’t Worry Too Much About Low Attendance

78. Despite low attendance, as long as your attendance trends upwards, it’s all good.

79. Set up HootSuite or Tweetchat with a column for your chat’s hashtag in between chats.

80. Avoid selling your own product.

RT @Carol_Stephen Topic suggestions are always welcomed so contact either me or @LazBlazter! #DigiBlogChat

— Tripp Braden (@TrippBraden) August 4, 2015

81. Ask for topic suggestions and co-hosts.

82. Consider the time zones of your target audience. For instance, my friends in England stay up late to attend.

83. Have special guests to create excitement and extend your own knowledge base.

84. Offer the occasional prize or gift. For instance, for an anniversary or special event.

85. Track the number of tweets, impressions, and contributors.

Get Your Chat Listed

86. Make sure you’re listed in chat directories, such as Kneaver.

87. If your friend Adam tells you that making a list of 100 items for a blog post is easy, don’t believe him. It’s harder than making pie. People say pie is easy, too.

88. Use your desktop for the most control. Do not attempt to host a chat on mobile. That way madness lies.

89. Search for other chats in your industry on Google by “keyword + twitter chat” before you pick a time/day for your own.

90. Join other chats to search out new topics for your own.

91. Don’t choose a time that clashes with other chats in your industry.

92. Your chat name doesn’t have to end with chat (although most do). You could end with talk, for instance.

93. Send questions to guests (or publish them) ahead of time. Some people like to prepare beforehand.

94. Schedule at least two tweets the day of the chat and one the day before to promote.

95. Reward your best contributors. Give them a shoutout after the chat to say thanks.

96. If you have a guest answering questions for the brand, you can have them live on the phone during the chat.

97. Use your email list to promote and grow your chat even more.

98. Follow all the newbies on your chat–unless they’re spammy.

Publicize Your Twitter List After the Chat

99. Publicize your Twitter list after the chat. Ask people to subscribe as a service.

100. If newbies forget etiquette during the chat, remind them (e.g., don’t forget the hashtag!).

101. Above all, be a good host. Like a party, a Twitter chat needs structure and planning to operate smoothly.

What Advice Do You Have?

If you have any advice, let me know in the comments! Thanks.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: DigiBlogChat, event, promotion, tips, Tweetchat, Twitter, Twitter Chat, Twubs

How Nostradamus Predicted Massive Twitter Failure

July 30, 2015 By Carol Stephen 15 Comments

How Nostradamus Predicted Massive Twitter Failure

Most of Nostradamus’ predictions covered disasters, such as earthquakes, floods, and droughts. Often he retroactively predicted catastrophes with specific locations or dates. Or so people thought! When reread in 2015, Nostradamus was obviously talking about Twitter the entire time. This is his true gift to mankind.

Let’s take a look at some of those predictions and see what they really mean.

People Will Live To Be 200

Obviously, Nostradamus meant that tweets will live for 200 years. In the future, your great-great-great grandkids will see your tweets and wonder just what you were thinking. Why so many videos of cats? And why always the headline and the link? What the heck?

The Dead Will Walk And Your Tweets Will Live Forever

The Dead Will Resurrect

That tweet you thought was gone when you deleted it? Not so much. Look at all the politicians deleting tweets before elections (Donald Trump comes to mind). Someone took a screenshot and saved that tweet, though. So be careful what you say, Donald! You can’t fool us!

California Will Have an Enormous Earthquake

Yes, we will. And Twitter is in California. Coincidence? No.

Fear the Sugar

The Third AntiChrist Will Appear at the Beginning of the 21st Century

Now, that’s no way to talk about Twitter’s CEO Jack Dorsey. Come on now. He’s been trying to get the stock price up, to make Twitter easier to use, and to explain the benefits of only 140 characters, blah, blah, blah, as CNN Money explains in their article.

Is Twitter Facing Extinction?

The Mayan Armageddon

Nostradamus was trying to say that Twitter was going down. But Twitter is not going anywhere in the down direction in 2015 (or 2012 as some predicted from Nostradamus’ texts). If you’re wondering whether Nostradamus was something of a Debbie Downer, the answer is yes.

The Differences Between Languages Will Disappear

Now people using hashtags all over the place makes me angry as much as the next Social Media Manager. And tweeting from Facebook is plain wrong. We’ve also seen the rise of pins on Twitter and links that go to LinkedIn, as well as Google translate. So maybe Nostradamus was right about this one.

Got a Prophecy About Twitter?

Want to be your own Nostradamus? Leave me a comment! Yes, I’d really like to know what you think!

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: apocalypse, Facebook, Google translate, LinkedIn, Nostradamus, Twitter, Twitter Chat

How Facebook’s Trending Topics Is Like Minority Report

July 23, 2015 By Carol Stephen 6 Comments

How Facebook’s Trending Topics Is Like Minority Report

In Minority Report, Tom Cruise walks through a mall while an ad calls to him: “John Anderton! You could use a Guiness right now!” Consider all the tracking devices that make your life easier: Waze, Foursquare, and even sampling software such as Shazam. Now think back to cookies, which despite the cute name, tracked–and continue to track–your location on the web. By trading convenience for privacy, are our lives becoming more like Minority Report? And how does Facebook, which many of us use to gather our news, add to that Minority Report experience?

Is Facebook Stalking You?

Say you’re interested in a topic that’s a little non-mainstream. For instance, chemtrails or robot wars. So you get on Facebook and search your usual favorite pages. You find an article you like: “101 Ways Chemtrails Are Destroying Your Health.”* You read said article for 23 minutes. Did you know that Facebook is now tracking the amount of time you spend reading articles? Even if you don’t like or comment on that article, you are being tracked, according to Facebook’s own blog. Supposedly, Facebook now will show you more relevant articles related to this one.

*Any resemblance to an actual article is unintentional.

Facebook’s Trending Topics

At present, Facebook shows the top trends on the right sidebar, which when clicked, expand into a bigger list. Here’s how Facebook describes what makes up the trending topics: “The topics you see are based on a number of factors including engagement, timeliness, pages you’ve liked and your location.” The description indicates that your content is customized to you. By the way, here’s a recent article I wrote on Twitter’s trending topics.

Will Facebook Be a One-Stop Shop?

Facebook Trying to Become One-Stop News Shop

According to Huffington Post’s article: Facebook Trending Experiment, “the Pew Research Center recently found that three in five American millennials said they consumed political news on Facebook in the past week, and in May 2015, the site launched Instant Articles in partnership with nine major international newspapers.” Trending topics is a way for Facebook to corral its users and keep them on the site as long as possible through topics that are more relevant.

The Tail Wagging the Dog

If you read the comments in most articles about privacy and data mining, most people don’t want to be told what to like. They still want to feel that they have a choice. Even if they do spend five hours a day reading about chemtrails or robot wars, they’d like to be able to jump around the internet at will, change their interests suddenly, and have control over what they consume.

Does Facebook Have Your Number?

Has Facebook Gone Too Far?

At what point will you think that Facebook has gone too far? Do you believe that it’s Time to Quit Facebook? Or are you willing to give away more of your privacy? Leave me a comment! I promise not to track you!

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: cookies, customization, Facebook, Minority Report, privacy, smart timer, tracking, trending topics

Twitter Trending Topics: Secrets for Using Them

July 16, 2015 By Carol Stephen 10 Comments

Secrets to Using Twitter Trending Topics

When most people think of trending topics, they think of Twitter. But there are trending and popular topics across other platforms, too. If you’re just getting started on Twitter, here are ways to use Twitter as a listening tool. Google, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter all have trending and popular pins and articles. There’s too much about trending topics for just one article, so it will be a series.

Catch a Trending Topic

Catch a Wave

Trending topics can be like a wave. You might see one coming and decide to catch it. It’s not the most evergreen of content, but something that’s here one minute and probably gone the next. If that’s part of your strategy, it can lend an air of spontaneity to your posts. If most of your posts are scheduled and carefully crafted, having some spontaneity can add an element of fun.

Real-Life Trending Topics

Real-Life Examples

Above are trending topics, from my own Twitter account. The top one, about Amazon’s Prime Day, could be used by anyone selling something. You could say something about a July sale that isn’t disappointing. If you’re in music, you might want to comment on Neil Young pulling his catalog from streaming service. If your audience enjoys science, you could jump on the Charon (Pluto’s moon) trend. For someone in the social media arena, Kim Kardashian’s buying likes could be a major failure, and a good topic of conversation.

If Your Audience Enjoys Science, You Could Tweet about Charon

Find a Trend for Your Audience

You might not want to pick just any trend to post–decide based upon what your audience would like to see. For instance, I tweet about startups, leadership, and social media, so I’d want to make sure that those were the trending topics I posted. If you post about cars, look for trending topics around automobiles, tires, car safety, etc., which are fairly common.

Twitter’s New Detailed Trending Topics

As outlined in the Wall Street Journal, Twitter has recently added descriptions under its trending topics to give them some context. Previously, Twitter had a Discover tab (missed dearly by some of us old-time Twitter fans). Supposedly, these new and improved trending topics will add context to appeal to Twitter newbies. For anyone, having some context could be useful.

Check The Number of Tweets About a Trending Topic

You can also see how many tweets there are about a trending topic, although I wouldn’t base my decision to jump on a trending topic wave based solely on the number of tweets. For instance, the #GrowingUpUgly hashtag would probably not appeal to my audience, despite its 104 thousand tweets.

Local Trending Topics Can Be Useful

Change the Trending Topic to a Nearby City

The trending topics can be changed to another city. For instance, since I’m in the San Francisco Bay Area, I could switch from tailored topics to San Francisco to see what’s different. Just click at the top left (on desktop) to switch back and forth.

How Do You Use Trending Topics?

Do you pay attention to them at all? Or just ignore them? Leave me a comment!

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: audience, Facebook, Google, local search, Pinterest, tailored trends, trending topics, Twitter

10 Arguments for a Pinterest Business Account

July 9, 2015 By Carol Stephen 2 Comments

10 Arguments for a Pinterest Business Account

You may have a personal Pinterest account, that you got when Pinterest first arrived on the scene in 2010 (remember when it was by invitation only?). And you’ve loved some of Pinterest’s changes, such as the move from search to guided discovery. Now that some of your friends have business accounts, why don’t you make the leap, too? If you’re undecided about getting a business account, here are some reasons you need to get off that fence.

The Red Check Mark Gives Legitimacy to Your Business Account

Red Check Mark

For now, as outlined by Business Outsider, Pinterest needs to come to you if you want the red checkmark. It’s a good way to verify whether you’re following a real celebrity or fake. However, checkmark or not, you can still drive traffic to your site. Google takes Pinterest seriously.

Pins and Boards Are Now Being Indexed By Google

Google Search

With both pins and boards now being indexed by Google, it makes sense to have a business account so that you can pin your own content and drive traffic to your website. For instance, above is a Google image search I did on a pin. Pins dominate the search results on Google.

Want to learn more about your audience and your top pins?

Analytics

Want to learn more about your audience, your top pins, and your all-time most popular pin? Sure you do! To get started, login to your business account and check your analytics. As you can see from the above screenshot, I have a lot of views, but views on my website are a spot that could use an upgrade. I’ll be writing more about Pinterest analytics in the future, so keep your eyes open.

A Pinterest Business Account Helps to Increase Your Brand’s Legitimacy

Legitimacy

For any brand, having a business account lends an air of legitimacy. Having a business account adds to your credibility. It’s surprising when a business doesn’t even bother to upload a logo or photo before starting to follow many, many accounts. And by the way, here’s a list of Five Things You’re Doing Wrong on Pinterest and How to Fix Them.

A Business Account Draws More of the Right Kind of Followers

Followers

Just like a business account on Twitter, Facebook, or anywhere else, a business account will draw more of the right kind of followers. If you haven’t taken the time to set up your account yet, here are some first steps you can take.

Rich Pins, Like Sponsored Pins, Can Increase Your Traffic and Profits

More Business

With a business account, you can check what your ideal client is pinning, and then take steps to create pins that match those pins and that will be interesting to them. Besides, you don’t want to miss out on rich pins, sponsored pins or the upcoming buyable pins, do you?

Pinterest Drives Sales to Shopping Networks, Like Etsy and Shopify

Increased Sales

With all the ammunition you’ve gathered from your analytics, you’ll surely have more sales. You should know more about your ideal client and what interests them. Especially in a retail environment, sales can come directly from Pinterest. Pinterest users spend more time on the site, and tend to buy from sites like Etsy and Shopify while there.

A Business Accounts Helps People Recognize Your Brand

Brand Recognition

People will recognize your brand and image if they see you consistently pinning pins that match your brand. You won’t be “out of sight and out of mind” when your pins remind people of your brand.

Know Where the Market is Headed with a Pinterest Business Account , Image: ©PBS Works

Barometer

By analyzing the popularity of your pins, you can get an idea of where the market is headed. For instance, you could pin the same pin with a different image to different boards, altering the time you pin, in order to see which draws more attention. The marketplace’s taste fluctuates as quickly as the weather; what you will find within Pinterest’s business analytics is a barometer that helps you maneuver through the market trends.

Who Doesn’t Need More Brand Loyalty? Image Credit: ©Julio Palacios

Brand Loyalty

According to Access Development, “the most important driver of brand loyalty for millennials is a great product at 77%, followed closely by brand recognition and trust at 69% (NewsCred)”. A Pinterest business account can help you to retain those loyal customers, whether they’re millennials or not.

Convinced?

Will you take the plunge and get your brand a business account now? I’d love to know if you do. Leave the word “Done!” in the comments if you do!

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: Business, buyable pins, discovery, pins, Pinterest, search, sponsored pins

Ten Ways to Be Social

July 2, 2015 By Carol Stephen 12 Comments

Ten Ways to Be Social

If you’ve been on social media for awhile, you’ve heard me saying over and over to engage. So today instead of telling you to engage, I’m going to tell you how to engage. Don’t worry. It’s not that difficult! But it is one of the top questions I get about social media.

Say Hello

One thing is sure. When you say hello to people, they say hello back! Even a casual, “Hi! How’s it going?” will probably do more to get you engagement than tweeting ten articles with links. People like to be noticed and we all love to talk about ourselves.

If you say hello, people say hello back!

Talk About Them

Don’t just talk about yourself. Talk about them. Ask how they are. Be curious. How did they get their name? Where is their company located? What do they do? How did they get the idea for the article they just published?

Thank People

When people retweet you, share your posts, or comment on a blog, say thank you. Don’t simply retweet their retweet of your tweet (did you follow that? Yay.). Go one step farther and retweet something THEY would like retweeted. Probably something they wrote that links back to their website. Here’s a terrific post on the two words that help brand loyalty (guess what they are?!) from Bridget Willard.

Retweet from a Friend’s Website — I’d add an image here

If your friend sent a tweet without an image, go to the link and add the image. They will get more retweets and you’ll look good, too.

Finished Tweet, Uploaded and Scheduled

To turbocharge the tweet for your friend, add an image, shorten the link, include their Twitter handle, and schedule it at an optimal time so it’ll get the most views. The screenshot above is from my HootSuite scheduler.

Comment on Your Friend’s Blog

For extra brownie points, comment on their blog. It only takes an extra minute, and they will love it! Seriously. Even if you just say “good article!” Better still, ask a question about the article and keep the conversation going.

Cross-Post to Another Platform, such as Pinterest

Cross-Post to Another Platform

See a good post on Facebook? Put it on Twitter. Or put it on a popular Pinterest board. Or post it to LinkedIn. And then you could tag your friend and thank them for the interesting article. The tag is important if you want your friend to see it.

Being Friendly Isn’t All That Difficult

Join Their TweetChat

Many people have chats these days. Join in their chat and publicize it, too. That makes both of you look good. My tweetchat, #DigiBlogChat, is Tuesdays at 1:00 pm Pacific Time, by the way. And here is how to participate in a TweetChat should you ever want to join one.

Meet in Person

This is the ultimate way of being social. Once you meet someone in person, everything changes. That person becomes three dimensional. So if you’ve been talking to someone since the Internet was invented (by Al Gore), ask to meet that person if you’re going to be in their area.

What Did I Miss?

What are some other ways you like to be social?

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: engage, Engagement, HootSuite, Retweet, scheduling, Social, Tweetchat, Twitter

Seven Deadly Sins of Social Media

June 25, 2015 By Carol Stephen 8 Comments

Seven Deadly Sins of Social Media

You’ve probably heard of the seven deadly sins, or maybe even grew up having to recite them from memory. But did you ever associate them with social media? Maybe you did on one of those long, sleepless nights. Here then are the seven dead sins for social media.

Lust Equals Popularity

Have you ever known someone who needed “social proof” (also known as followers)? If you end up buying followers, whether on Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest, you could permanently hurt your reputation or throw off your analytics. People can tell if you’ve bought those followers, so there’s the embarrassment factor. And when you try to figure out when your real followers are online, all those fake followers in Estonia will throw off your numbers. No offense to any Estonians!

Sloths Refuse to Check Into Their Accounts

Sloth or Laziness

While adorable in their slowness, sloths enjoy hanging out in hammocks, eating fruit, and refusing to check into their accounts. A sloth would rather chill than post or comment or share. By the way, completely automating your social media accounts so the same post appears in multiple places without any change is definitely slothful.

It’s easy to act out when you can’t see who’s on the other end of that post

Wrath or Anger

It’s so easy to strike out at people when you’re sitting in your comfy computer chair, oversharing on Twitter or Facebook, isn’t it? And remembering that there’s an actual person who has to read your comments is tough to do sometimes. But realize that there’s someone just like you sitting on the receiving end before sending a flamer.

Don’t Let Greed Become One of Your Marketing Tools

Greed Is Greed

Similar to social media lust, greed would have you buying followers, when instead the focus should be on creating good content, sharing, and reaching out to others in your social media sphere. If greed is one of your marketing tools, as the above quote from Jon Foreman says, we lose part of our humanity. And become more like Gordon Gecko.

Greed Asks You To Buy Followers

Envy

Keeping up with the Joneses (or even the other moose) never works well. Instead of envying what someone else has done, why not measure yourself against yourself?

Keeping up with the other moose never works

Gluttony

On social media, gluttony is that inability to get offline. There’s always one more tweet to send, one more post to comment on, or one more meme to see. Gluttony results in burnout. Keeping balance can be difficult when there is so much information available. And being focused on quality over quantity is just as difficult.

Pride or Vanity

Pride is what we feel when others comment on our beautiful photos, or our huge numbers of followers. When one of our posts go “viral” online our ego becomes enormous, and threatens to pop like a giant balloon. Pride has been called “the mother of all sins.” In social media terms, if you are always asking others to share your tweets because you think they’re so wonderful, follow you everywhere before anyone knows you, or ask for favors ceaselessly, then pride has taken hold.

Attention Feeds Our Pride

Is There An Eighth Sin?

Surely I must’ve missed one or two. Did I?

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: buying followers, envy, Facebook, gluttony, greed, lust, Pinterest, pride, seven deadly sins, sloth, Social Media, Twitter, wrath

Twitter Improvements We’d Like to See*

June 18, 2015 By Carol Stephen 6 Comments

Twitter Improvements We’d Like to See*

Twitter has been around since 2006, and since then has improved its interface and its service. With over 300 million active users, you’d think that for that next round of improvements, a little crowdsourcing would be in order. Or maybe they could just ask me. Here, then, are a few unsolicited improvements. Here is Twitter’s wiki, in case you’d like to read about its history.

*And by “we,” I mean “I.”

How about a better chat solution for Twitter?

Blocking

You can already easily block users who bother you on Twitter with a couple of clicks of your mouse. What I’m referring to are annoying types of messages, such as people who only tweet about chihuahuas during #ChihuahuaChat. Perhaps, as Adam Khan suggests (see below), a better chat solution that doesn’t clog up users’ streams. Adam’s other suggestions are fab, too.

https://twitter.com/Khanoisseur/status/610460043700531200

Opt-in DMs

Recently, Twitter decided in its infinite wisdom that LONGER direct messages would be a good idea. Excuse me, did anyone ask me? No. How about this: if I like you, I can turn on direct messages? This would save us all the trouble of unfollowing those who decide that within 10 seconds of following you I’d want to follow you on Facebook, LinkedIn, plus buy your friendship bracelets on Etsy. Because come on! DMs are horrible enough already without making them longer. By the way, if you’re a newbie, here are my Twitter: Top Ten Terms and Power Tips.

"Tweets with #images receive 18% more clicks, 89% more favorites and 150% more retweets."http://t.co/4RiCJwiL2O pic.twitter.com/uJ5cbad9Od

— HubSpot (@HubSpot) June 10, 2015

Easier Image Sharing

Do you know how long it took to figure out how to share an image on Twitter? And then to schedule those tweets with images? Not so straightforward. Of course, tweets with images or video get shared much more, so everyone has to learn how to do this.

Fix the Number One Mistake Everyone Makes on Twitter

Yes, we all feel special because we know that we have to put a “.” or a quotation mark in front of that “@” for it to be seen. But now that we feel special, how about fixing it, Twitter? Wouldn’t that make Twitter a tiny bit more accessible? Because people really don’t get this! Even seasoned users are surprised by this, as Gary Vee explains in his Slideshare, above.

#Discover tab finally goes from @twitter for iPad too. Perhaps, the biggest loss to content discovery for me after Google Reader was killed.

— Prem Piyush Goyal (@prempiyush) May 6, 2015

The Discover Tab

Bring it back, Twitter. It was a great way to discover content! The replacements (recaps and MagicRecs) are dumb.

Twitter Could Take a Cue from Pinterest

Take a Cue from Pinterest

In general, how about taking a cue from Pinterest? Here’s a look behind the scenes at Pinterest, by the way. Nearly every day I log into Pinterest and there’s something cool, such as what’s trending on search (see above), promoted pins, or the new “buy it now” button. And although I love Twitter, I’d like to see more innovation, or at the very least something that makes me laugh out loud.

How About “Twitter Succeeds” as the next trending topic?

Got an Upgrade for Twitter?

I’m a huge fan of twitter. And I hope that you are, too. If you have an improvement or upgrade, I’d love to hear from you! Leave me a comment.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: blocking, Discover Tab, DMs, improvements, number one mistake on Twitter, Pinterest, Tweets, Twitter

WordCamp Orange County 2015: Why Go?

June 11, 2015 By Carol Stephen 6 Comments

WordCamp Orange County 2015: Why Go?

There are so many wordcamps around the world–there are many in the United States, Europe and Asia. So why should you attend the one in Orange County (WCOC)? If you’re anywhere nearby, I highly recommend this Wordcamp. And if you’d like to read recaps from Orange County WordCamp 2013 or 2014, please do.

Everything WordPress

If you’ve been writing your own blog for awhile, or if you’re thinking about starting a blog, you can get plenty of friendly advice here. From hosting to plugins, to how to use a content calendar, you can find it here, or you can find someone to ask.

Everything WordPress

Friendly Volunteers

At WCOC, there’s a non-competitive vibe that prevails, with people willing to offer you their time and opinion on just about everything. The entire camp is run by volunteers, too, so if you’d like to give back to the community, there are many ways to do so. From helping people park to signing in the participants, there’s a job for everyone.

A Huge Bargain

At $40, WCOC is the best bargain you’ll get for any conference, hands down. That $40 includes two lunches, all the sessions, a t-shirt, mug, and tons of bling.

The Wordcamp Bandana doubles as a blanket

The Bling

Yes, we’re not supposed to be all about the bling. But WCOC has such good designers that all the stickers and t-shirts and mugs every year are fab. It’s like a branded event at a million-dollar conference.

Wordcamp Swag

The Sessions

This year, the sessions were the best I’ve ever heard. From Sunday’s business conference to William Bay’s session on SEO, they were each packed with so much information, that there was no way to remember it all. Luckily, there are videos and slideshares!

Feet up at an abandoned sponsor booth.
Shh.
Don't tell.#wcoc pic.twitter.com/SRIgXYpODs

— Bridget Willard (@BridgetMWillard) June 7, 2015

The Friends

Tweeting to my bestie Bridget Willard, I told her that Wordcamp is 1000 times better with friends. In classic introvert fashion, here are our shoes (above). And meeting lots of new friends (see below).

Thanks to all cool people we met at #WCOC, we had an amazing time here and we promise that will come back :) pic.twitter.com/mLxNNbb9LL

— SiteGround (@SiteGround) June 8, 2015

Crazy Inspiration

At every turn, WCOC is filled with inspiration. You might be in the hall waiting for the next session when you overhear someone talking about something you’ve had an issue with. Or out having fish tacos with your bestie when you realize what you have to do next on your blog. Picture below by By Mendel (@ifyouwillit).

WordCamp Inspiration

Controversy

Perhaps the most controversial session I attended was the one in which Jarrett Gucci outlined how to create a blogging calendar for 20 posts in 30 days. And no, it’s not like one of those feats where you work up to it and then slack off. It’s a lifestyle change. Yup.

SteveZehngut shared Shia LaBeouf’s video at the opening of the Business Workshop.

Call to Action

My call to action for you is to put Wordcamp Orange County on your calendar for next year. Just do it!

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: analytics, bling, Orange County, SEO, WCOC, William Bay, WordCamp, Wordpress