Social Media – Letting Your Visitors Control The Direction Of Your Business

When people talk about social media today, you may instantly think of Facebook or Twitter. But in truth, there are hundreds of ways you can take your business social.

Have you ever been to MyCokeRewards.com?  If you drink Coke products, you can take the codes listed on the bottles and boxes, enter them into the website, and build up your points to trade in for prizes. You can trade them for things like magazine subscriptions, coupons to use at your favorite stores, or to enter sweepstakes for bigger prizes.

So Coke has a highly concentrated site where a lot of their “fans” congregate and spend time.

Now instead of simply going there for prizes, they are also trying to get you to take the next step with their branding by offering a contest where you become the designer.

For 2010, they are looking for a new design to place on their cans of Coke. Instead of letting their in-house graphics team handle the job, they’ve turned it over to millions of fans. Design a can. Submit it to Coke. And you have a chance to win one of fifteen $500 Visa gift cards.

By making this kind of offer, they are accomplishing three things:

1. Gaining more dedication to their product – if you enter, you’ll probably be more dedicated to coming back to check results.

2. Growing their worldwide exposure. What if you enter, and win? Imagine how quickly you can spread the word about your design. Share it on Facebook. Tweet about it on Twitter. Let your blog audience in on the news.

3. Making their site even more fun. If you already visit for one reason, why not come back for additional reasons? You always have to have a reason for people to keep coming back.

Will Social Experience Impact Your Potential?

Today as I was working, I noticed an interesting post on Twitter from @treypennington

It seems Best Buy is looking for a Sr Manager – Emerging Media Marketing Job. The notice lists the usually stuff – exactly what you would expect on an employee opportunity notice. Except for the Preferred Qualifications:

In addition to experience and a graduate degree, they would also like you to have at least 250 followers on Twitter.

Wow.

What is this saying about the impact of our future? That we as a society and as potential job holders really need to get with the current times, follow trends, and use current technology to remain players in the job market.

I love it.

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Why Do You Use Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn?

Back before the tech bubble burst, and people and companies had lots of cash to throw around, any type of marketing strategy could be promoted. Just throw in a new tech word and you had a sure winner on your hands.

I attended a meeting last week with a variety of business owners. We were all in the B2B realm, with everything from insurance and financial representatives, to IT and promotional products. 

After I gave my 60 second commercial on creating an online marketing strategy, the social media conversation started.

     “I just signed up for Twitter.”
     “I visit Facebook every day.”
     “I use LinkedIn all the time.”

So I asked the next question.

     “How are you using these tools to make money for your business?”

And of course I got exactly what I expected. A ton of blank stares.

If you ask people what it means to market or advertise, they usually come up with a response about promoting their businesses. But ask how any of the new social media applies to their marketing strategies, and you’ll be lucky to get any type of reply at all.

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Using Twitter To Grow Your Ideas

What can you do with social networking?

Well if you’re trying to raise money and awareness about literacy, it can be amazing.

Chances are you’ve heard of Tim Ferris and his mega best seller, The 4 Hour Work Week. My copy looks like a college text book, with highlighted paragraphs and stick tabs throughout the book.

On his blog, he’s trying a new experiment. It’s more like an ethical bribe.

The Tweet to Beat: Paying $3 Per Twitter Follower

In order to raise money for literacy and library programs throughout the United States (and increasingly around the world) he will donate $1 for every person that follows him on Twitter, and an anonymous donor will follow up with a $2 donation. (@tferriss)

Pretty incredible goals. So far he’s gained over 4,000 followers. His goal is to reach 50,000 new followers.

• It’s great for literacy – what a great way of raising awareness and money for something that impacts our lives.
• And it’s also a great example of using a noble cause for dual purposes.

What could you do with 75,000 people following you?

Winning On Twitter

I’m excited to be a part of a new online program, Online Profits, that walks through the process of starting an online business and growing it to a success. Even though I’ve been online for years, I know there’s always a ton more to learn, and something will surely pop out that I haven’t tried in the past. 

First Tip
So the very first thing I learned is how to run a Twitter contest. I follow a ton of people through various sources. But I happened to see a retweet one day of someone announcing a contest put on by John Chow. I’ve read his blog for over a year now, but for some reason never signed up for his Twitter feed. After following the link in the retweet, I noticed he was hosting a contest for anyone who signed up for his Twitter account, and retweeted a message about his contest. In just a few seconds, the post was made. And a few days later I had notice from John I won – thanks John!

One of my goals for the year is to build up blogging as a full time income stream. And this contest was a great way of building up readers to both his blog and to his Twitter feed. So yes, I’ll be trying this myself on my VirtualPhotographyStudio blog here in just a few days.

And of course I’m going to be using the information I learn in Online Profits to continue to tweak some of my strategies, and learn from some of the best names in online marketing. I’ve had a few days now to work through the first few courses. And I’m using everything I read just to make sure it’s in my strategy. No matter how many times you do things, its always good to look at it from a different angle, and find something new that will help you grow even quicker.

I’ll be sharing some of my a-ha moments along the way. Stay tuned

Finding The Perfect Person on Twitter

As I circulate this season to holiday parties and family gatherings, it’s fun catching up on the personal side of life. The one thing I always enjoy is starting up a conversation with the relatives, and throwing in words like “social media” and “Twitter”, just to get the eyebrows moving. You know, the one where they look at you like you’ve just stepped off a spaceship from a different planet?

When I look back at 2008, I have to say that several things have impacted my business in a huge way this year.

Blogging – I never imagined at the beginning of the year that I would be devoting most of my time to blogging, and it would become a huge focus for 2009.

Social – I’ve loved Facebook/LinkedIn/”your favorite here” for a long time. But now that I’m seeing results, I love them even more.

Twitter – the clear winner in micro blogging sites, and one that I’ll be devoting a lot more time to in 2009. Yes, I guess I’m a tweet-adict.

So even though I spend almost every day engrossed in each of these types of online marketing, I also realize I’m above the curve. Today I found a great site that lists media contacts that are on Twitter.

In Colorado, there are just a couple – and no reporters as of yet.

And even in some of the larger states there are no contacts as of yet.

I wonder how all of this will have changed one year from today?

My goal for 2009 is to become even more active on Twitter, and to use it to generate business. And with this new media list, I also hope to connect up with more top level people.

Want to join me and learn how to use Twitter to impact your business?

Being A Part Of A Tribe

All right, I’m impressed.

As you know, I read a lot. I read at least one book a week, and usually have a half dozen books or so laying around between my desk and my night stand.

I buy a lot of business books, and they are usually a part of a promotion through a friends, or part of a promotion to gain traction with places like Amazon.

But the newest promotion is by Seth Godin, and really “wow’d” me. So of course I have to share.

Back in August, an announcement came out through my Twitter that Seth Godin had a new promotion. Pre-purchase his newest book, Tribes, to be released in October, and you’ll become a beta tester for his new social site, Triiibes. So of course I had to play.

I’ve been on Triiibes ever since, and try to participate in discussions daily. I’ve really grown to love the site, and met a lot of great people.

Today I received a package in the mail. Inside was Seth’s book, Tribes. It’s sitting on my desk, next in line to be read. But what struck me was the letter included with the book. 

This isn’t the book I ordered through Amazon. Instead, Seth sent out a second book in advance for all of us to read ahead of time. With one request that when we receive the second book from Amazon, that we give the book to someone in our network that could use it.

What a promotion! WOW!

Imagine as an author having hundreds of books pre-sold before the publishing date.  Imagine these hundreds of people developing a social site, that will have thousands of pages built for you when the book comes out, and others venture in and decide to join as well. Imagine sending out hundreds of additional books, with a request you pass the book along – what kind of traction will this have!

I guarantee you a ton. Not only will I be sharing my book with some lucky client of my own, but I’m sharing the idea with you too.

Oh, and one more thing. As a special “surprise”, Seth used the beta testers’ profile pictures to create the inside book jacket. How cool is that.  

What can you do to create your own WOW promotion? Have you ever done something that made others say WOW?

Take Action and Get Involved

Blog Action Day 2008 has just been announced – and I’m excited to be a part of this amazing event.

Thousands of blogging sites will take place in this unique online event. On October 15th, every blogger registered for the cause will make a blog post about poverty. To be truly unique, the blog post should be targeted towards your audience of readers. So of course I’ll be reflecting on the importance of financing an entrepreneurs dream of making a better life. 

I’ll also be supporting Kiva that day – an amazing organization in which you can help entrepreneurs in developing countries with a micro loan.

Do you have a blog? Do you want to join this amazing cause yourself? Come join in the fun, and see how blogging can take you to new heights. 

Can Anyone Blog?

Does it take a journalist to blog, or can anyone do it?

That’s the question that was raised in an article in my local newspaper this past weekend.

A reporter wrote an article on a blogger that was fighting a $25 million defamation lawsuit for something he wrote about another business owner. Journalists are taught what is acceptable and what isn’t in the world of reporting. But can bloggers go too far, and write in such a way that a lawsuit is brought up against them?

Or is it all just a scare tactic?

Journalism as a whole is changing every day. The younger the audience, the less likely they are to gather news in the same way as their parents. And it’s not just the 20 -somethings that are changing. I myself get almost 100% of my news from online sources. I haven’t watched news on tv in a long time (I don’t watch much tv anyway) and I only get the Sunday news for the comics and ads (there’s still something about sitting down and reading the comics with my daughter) and reading things like the book reviews. 

Blogging is perfectly safe – just keep these three things in mind.

1. Blogging creates a permanent record. Always think twice about your posts; list facts, references and resources; and make sure things are written the way you desire.

2. Use your blogs as an extension of your business and your expertise. Share your knowledge, and give people information about what you do. Don’t step out of your areas of expertise.

3. Instead of writing up certain issues – link to stories instead. Let your readers make their own opinions.

Do you have any stories about blogging, or ideas to stay safe online?

Summer Blogging: Get Your Kids Active

So you’re looking for something for your kids to do this summer. What can you do to keep them busy and entertained?

How about blogging? 

Blogging is easy to do, easy to create, and provides a wealth of knowledge to a budding writer or businessperson. (And yes, it’s what my daughter will be doing this summer – she’s actually excited about it.)

1. Make it exciting. Don’t set too many boundaries for your child’s blogging project. Let her choose something of interest to her, and help her refine what the focus will be. The only limits should be Internet safety, depending on the age of the child. Things to keep in mind are not revealing your real photos, real name, or detailed information about your life.

2. Make it entertaining. Who would want to read your blog? Write to entertain your readers, provide them with something of value, and give them a reason to come back and visit again and again.

3. Make it rewarding. How about earning a few extra bucks while blogging? The easiest way is to affiliate with Amazon, and let your child link back to books, magazines and other products of interest. It takes just a few minutes to create an account, and you’re child will learn valuable skills in the process.

4. Make if fun. Don’t feel like blogging to day? Don’t sweat it. This shouldn’t be a chore. If your child is having fun with it, have her create a few extra posts. You can always post-date them, and have information ready for days when you prefer to lie by the pool.

5. Make it educational. Learn a few new skills along the way. Maybe it’s how to create a graphic design. Or maybe it’s a little about computer security. There are many ways to have fun and learn about this exciting new endeavor.

Want help setting up a blog for yourself or your child? Learn How To Blog

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