April 2012
1 post
6 tags
Be the consumer… 3 things to remember when sharing...
Share interesting, informative and/or creative content. When not pushing out content, stay engaged with your network.
This should go without saying but too often organizations, ‘dipping a toe in the water’, have the wrong idea about social media.
It’s not anyone’s fault – it’s just the way we’ve been conditioned. Because advertising makes sense to us, we sometimes treat social media as just...
February 2012
1 post
7 tags
Every employee is a brand ambassador - train them!
Most organizations, whether they’re strictly ‘listening’ or ‘engaging’, are becoming more and more comfortable with the ‘once-terrifying’ world of social media. Many have developed plans, purchased monitoring solutions and hired social media managers. And others are not too far behind.
Organizations have dipped their toe in and are ready for the next step…
But, as organizations have become more...
January 2012
1 post
9 tags
5 Predictions for Social Media in 2012
As we enter the first week of 2012, let’s take a moment to think about what the coming 12 months may look like for the world of social media… or more appropriately, social business.
1. Smarter analytics/ measurement
2012 will see a growth of social media measurement and analytics tools. By growth, we mean in acceptance and influence as well as in numbers. What will separate the players will...
December 2011
1 post
5 tags
Calculating social media ROI - is it even...
Determining an organization’s social media ROI has become one of the most critical questions facing communications, PR, advertising and marketing departments. And in many cases, those championing the social media efforts in their own organizations can’t quickly answer this question.
Determining ROI isn’t easy when a dollar figure isn’t directly correlated to a particular marketing effort. And...
November 2011
2 posts
6 tags
Who Funds the Social Media Budget: Sales or the...
This week I wrote a guest post for PR at Sunrise. If you’ve ever thought about the social media budget (for organizations/brands), I think you should give it a read.
- AB
9 tags
10 reasons why free social media monitoring tools...
In the past we’ve talked a little bit about free vs. paid social media monitoring tools. And I’ve always said free is okay…. Only if you can’t afford paid. And although free sounds nice, I should emphasize the fact that they can’t do nearly as much as a paid service.
There are literally hundreds of free social media tools out there; some are strong and others fail miserably. But even most of the...
October 2011
2 posts
10 tags
5 steps to foolproof your social media efforts
Earlier this year, we talked about the 9 parts to a social media plan. That post provided, in detail, the framework behind all successful social media campaigns.
In this post, we’d like to complement that post with 5 ‘must-do’ steps to foolproof your social media efforts. Once you devise your 9 step social media plan, follow these 5 steps to really make your social media efforts pack a...
7 tags
Selling Social Media in the Boardroom
Your senior management team may not know the first thing about social media. But, chances are, they do know that to be competitive, they need to engage in social media.
If you’re passionate about engaging in social media, and think now is the time to dedicate some resources to a social media effort, here’s your opportunity to pitch your ideas and get corporate buy in.
Here are the 3 things to...
September 2011
4 posts
9 tags
Proper Community Management - 3 tools in the kit
We’ve heard the social media horror stories. Community managers who take too many liberties with their messaging and organizations without a strong enough presence to dispel misinformation online are two of the most common forms.
The latter requires a digital overhaul – one that may include: a digital audit, social media strategy, listening tools, a CRM system and a dedicated (and properly...
How Facebook Timeline Might Radically Change the... →
Facebook’s blockbuster announcements last week have already gotten marketers to rethink how they will use the platform, but what about their brand pages? Facebook hasn’t said anything specific about how the likes of Coca-Cola or McDonald’s might take advantage of the new design, though it look…
9 tags
AB Social Media Solutions – The importance of...
Most agree that creating a social media strategy is one of the most important things you can do before getting started in social media. And to be honest, it is.
But there is one important piece to a social media strategy that people and businesses tend to overlook. That important piece? A content plan.
It’s one thing to define your audiences, outline your objectives and choose your tactics, but...
6 tags
Enhancing your brand’s image on Twitter - 5 step...
Twitter has become one of the best online tools for companies looking to build and enhance a positive brand image.
But signing up for a Twitter account and sending Tweets that only link to your press releases or photo gallery doesn’t mean you’re using Twitter properly. Sure, you may have 500 or more followers and you appear to be active in the space, but there is more to positive digital...
August 2011
1 post
8 tags
How to become a ‘thought leader’
Earlier this week I noticed a lot of talk on twitter about some of the most overused words in PR. Words and expressions like unique, revolutionary, state-of-the-art and the like seemed to be on everyone’s list. But in my opinion, the most overused expression in PR is ‘thought leader.’
Much like respect, being a ‘thought leader’ needs to be earned, not proclaimed. Obviously, everyone wants respect...
July 2011
2 posts
11 tags
Social Media Evaluation – 4 great tools
(Heartbeat by Sysomos dashboard)
In the last post we talked about the importance of evaluating your social media efforts. We stressed that it’s not about ‘output’, it’s about ‘outcome’. Once the C-Suite agrees to engage your company in social media they will want to see results.
Fair enough. After all, they are paying your salary and paying for the social media campaigns.
And now that we know...
9 tags
Social Media Evaluation – what you should be...
As the world of social media continues to grow and gain acceptance in boardrooms across all industries, metrics and evaluation are becoming increasingly important.
After the C-Suite decides to embark on a social media campaign, they’ll want to gauge the success of the organization’s efforts. If you’re the community manager or social media specialist, you’ll be asked to report back to executives...
May 2011
2 posts
10 tags
How to get C-Suite buy-in for your social media...
This week, I was fortunate enough to speak to an enthusiastic group of librarians and PR folks interested in starting a social media movement at their organizations.
I was free to speak about how I initiated a social media strategy for my organization and how these professionals can do the same for theirs.
I talked about objectives, tactics, audiences and overall theory. But, what really stood...
10 tags
Choosing the right tactics for your social media...
In previous posts we talked about constructing a social media plan and all its parts. Obviously, at some point, once all the strategies have been developed and all the audiences have been defined, it’s time to ‘let the rubber meet the road.’
By ‘rubber meeting the road’ we mean you need to choose and use the tactics that will carry out your social media plan effectively.
Tactics are your tools....
April 2011
1 post
8 tags
3 Ways to Create a Powerful Content strategy
Over the last few posts we’ve discussed your overall social media plan – how to create it and how to make it successful.
But theories and know-how are only half the battle. There’s more to a social media plan than just careful planning and creative ideas; a good plan needs great execution of material.
Have you ever heard the expression: content is king? Well, if you haven’t, take my word for it...
March 2011
4 posts
7 tags
Developing a Strategy for your social media plan
Having a strategy for your social media efforts may be one of the most important factors in your overall plan. Objectives help determine what you want to accomplish, but how you will achieve success resides in the overall strategy.
Once you’ve conducted a situation analysis, determined your audience, established your objectives, it’s time to plan a strategy.
In creating your social media...
8 tags
Defining Your Social Media Plan's Objectives
Defining and setting objectives for your social media presence may be the most important step in creating a solid plan.
With objective setting, don’t think of it as HOW you’re going to ‘do’ social media, think of it as WHY you’re engaging in social media.
Too many companies jump into Facebook or use Twitter without defining their objectives. In doing this, these companies aren’t maximizing their...
7 tags
Target an audience (second part in your social...
Having specific objectives, a content strategy and a strong handle on the tactics is important to your social media plan.
But, recognizing your audience is critical to your social media plan.
Your audience will ultimately dictate the success of your business – you can’t make a buck without enticing people to buy your products or services. Even more importantly, you need to target the RIGHT...
15 tags
The first step in a social media plan – conducting...
Last week we provided the framework for creating a comprehensive social media plan. In total, we offered 9 steps you should include in your plan before setting out.
And as promised, we’ll now take a closer look at the first step in that 9 step checklist…
Situation analysis – Looking at your business objectively
1) Listen first - How do people view your company?
To do this you’ll...
February 2011
3 posts
10 tags
9 things to include in your social media plan
Over the last little bit we’ve discussed social media theory.
Now, in this post, we’ll let the rubber meet the road.
Everyone says you need to have a social media plan before your company dives into the world of social media. From a casual Twitter account to the most interactive Facebook page, a social media plan will help you lay out the framework for your social media efforts.
But, if you’re...
8 tags
Forget broad reach, think tight grip
Companies interested in using social media for broad promotion of their products and services will fail. Period.
Let me clarify - fail in their social media efforts. They may still be doing other things really well.
I keep saying it, but it needs to be hammered down a little more; especially after hearing Mitch Joel validate my opinions at a conference in Toronto last week. (He really is a...
6 tags
5 simple ways to increase your company’s social...
So your company has jumped into the world of social media and everything is going well. Your content is rich, you’re monitoring, measuring and you’ve hired a community manager to make sure things are running smoothly on a daily basis.
But, good content and a solid strategy will only take you so far. To really kick-start your social media campaign and increase your company’s social media presence...
January 2011
4 posts
10 tags
Put the social in social media… after all, it’s...
Since we’re still at the beginning of our social media journey together, I think I should talk a little more about social media theory. Don’t worry, we’ll get into developing winning strategies and fool-proof plans in the coming weeks.
But, for now, let’s discuss one aspect of social media theory that I think is critical in helping you understand what social media is all about.
It’s called...
9 tags
There’s more to a social media strategy than just...
I’ve heard and seen at least a dozen examples of people claiming to have a social media strategy when really all they have is a Facebook fan page and a Twitter account. Does this include you?
If so, please read on.
Sure, it’s great that you’re engaging with an online community and using some really effective tools for their intended purposes. Heck, you may even know how to listen and respond to...
10 tags
2 goals for your social media plan - connect and...
Social media is about connecting online, period. Regardless of whether you engage in social media for social purposes or for business purposes, positive end results deal with connections.
With that being said, I want to highlight one point before moving on. If you think that social media is just another tool for advertising, then I suggest you save your time and resources and invest them into...
12 tags
People are talking about your brand... shouldn’t...
Let’s face it, people are talking about your brand, shouldn’t you get your head out of the sand and be listening? Ready to talk-back or engage in the conversation?
Yes, you should.
Not every company has the luxury of having thousands of brand enthusiasts, capable of building and maintaining a positive brand image online through tweets, fan pages, blog promotions, etc. And if you run a small...
December 2010
2 posts
8 tags
An Intro...
Hi, my name is Andrew and this is the first post in my new blog entitled: AB Social Media Solutions. Corny title? Yes, but it gets the point across.
This blog is all about helping small businesses get immersed in social media; helping you reach your consumers and key stakeholders through the use of social media.
You’ve heard the stats (facebook’s 500 million active users for example), you know...
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