1. "Today you are you, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is youer than you."
2. "Be who you are and say what you feel because those that matter don't mind, and those that mind don't matter!"
3. "Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened."
4. "You know you're in love when you can't fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams."
5. "You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who'll decide where to go."
6. "Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple."
7. "A person's a person, no matter how small."
8. "The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go."
9. "We are all a little weird and life's a little weird, and when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall in mutual weirdness and call it love."
10. "Being crazy isn't enough."
11. "From there to here, from here to there, funny things are everywhere!"
12. "I meant what I said and I said what I meant. An elephant's faithful 100 percent!"
13. "Think left and think right and think low and think high. Oh, the thinks you can think up if only you try!"
14. "In my world, everyone's a pony and they all eat rainbows and poop butterflies!"
15. "How did it get so late so soon?"
- Increase link-visibility: Creating a dynamic, as opposed to a static and rarely updated, website is a foundation step in increasing web presence. Adding a blog to a website is even more useful.
- Simplify tagging and bookmarking: Making it easy for users to tag, bookmark and share content through buttons to Tweet or ReTweet, Like on FaceBook, share on LinkedIn or add to Google+ means that they are pushing your content forward for you.
- Reward inbound links: Finding a way to reward people for linking to your website, whether through linking back to them or posting comments on their sites further increases presence in the social network.
- Help content travel: Making it easy for users to pass along content through their network is key. This can be through PDFs, video or audio files, which can be shared across media.
- Encourage the mashup: Being open to the idea of content being used creatively through the social network (within reason, of course) means that users will be more willing to share.
- Be a user resource, even if it doesn't help you: Adding value to users is a great technique to increase visibility, no matter the media used. Becoming a "go-to" resource for users can only result in creating a better presence.
- Reward valuable and helpful users: Encouraging users who add value to your social site is a great way to build a loyal user base, which will feel comfortable sharing your information to their network.
- Participate: A tremendous part of social media is the aspect of participation and dual interaction within the community.
- Know how to target your audience: Being everything to everyone is impossible, so understand your target audience is critical to success.
- Create content: The important of creating relevant content cannot be stressed enough. If content does not speak to your target audience, the chances that it will sink unnoticed are much higher.
- Be real: Authenticity is, as always, the very foundation of interactions within social communities, online or otherwise.
- Don't forget your roots, be humble: This advice is relevant in all areas of life, not just social mediaoptimization!
- Don't be afraid to try new things, stay fresh: Keeping up-to-date on new tools, products and challenges will only make your SMO strategy better.
- Develop a SMO strategy: Any marketing initiative should have a strategy behind it with clear objectives defining the desired outcome. It is no different for an SMO strategy.
- Choose your SMO tactic wisely: Tailoring the Social Media Optimization techniques to your desired outcomes is very important to using resources wisely. What works for one site may not work for another.
- Make SMO part of your process and best practices: And finally, integrating Social MediaOptimization into the way you do business can reap rich rewards as you encourage your organization to share content.
ConclusionAlthough these 16 rules were created almost 6 years ago, they are still very relevant for any business that is looking to use Social Media Optimization in today's wired world. Creating relevant content that speaks to a target audience, but does so with authenticity and a fresh perspective is almost guaranteed to provide rewards in terms of greater reach to a wider audience in the social network. About the author: Celena Watson - Passionate writer and blogger. I have written on many different topics which include demand generation, outbound sales, inbound sales, lead management, lead nurturing, inside sales, demand generation and many more. For more info visit lead generation
 Building a positive image has always been an important part of doing business. A good reputation has a domino effect as satisfied customers tell other people and bring more customers, resulting in an upward spiral of growth for the business. In today's business world of computers and the Internet, creating and maintaining a positive image of your business has become even more crucial as more and more people rely on information that is freely available in order to make buying decisions of all types. Online Reputation Management is the practice of tracking, monitoring and, often, replacing bad online coverage with good coverage to positively affect Internet search results. Continuous vigilance over the kind of information that is being posted to the Internet from different sources and making constant efforts to highlight positive coverage while suppressing negative coverage will contribute to building a strong online brand reputation for any business. With consumers increasingly going online to get information before making purchasing decisions, company websites, and online communities like social media sites, blogs, micro blogs and online review sites have become the new publicity management avenues for businesses today. Sources that contribute to the online reputation of a business- The business itself: Your website, company blogs and press releases all form part of a network of information that comes straight from the horse's mouth, so to speak. Thus, creating an elegant, informative and easy to use website, coupled with solid blog posts and timed press releases, should be the first step for any business serious about online reputation management.
- Customers: Nowadays, people are much more likely to contribute to (and use) reviews of products and services posted on various online sources before making any decisions. Satisfied customers mean more positive coverage and vice versa. Customer satisfaction has always been a business priority, but it takes on a more serious tone when we factor in online reputation management. One negative review on a popular site can cause an avalanche of negative coverage simply because of the tremendous reach of the Internet. A great strategy is to respond to negative comments on the various sites, directly addressing the issue in a professional manner. This can go a long way in letting other consumers know that the business cares enough about what they do to take the time to respond to grievances, even on online forums.
- Employees (both current and past): Current employees are one of the best sources of information about the intimate workings of a business. So what they have to say, especially if they take it online, matters when thinking about online reputation management. A business has less control over the actions of past employees, but they are also a key source of information about the business. Thinking about legal ways to keep employees from posting critical or negative information should be part of the online reputation management strategy. For example, many businesses already limit any mention of company ties in employee blogging activities with steep consequences for flouting these rules.
ConclusionFor businesses that do not have the internal resources or the technical ability to continuously monitor their online brand, using an online reputation management service may be the best option. Firms specializing in managing the online presence of a business or brand offer the easiest way for a business to protect their online presence without spending any time or effort away from actually running the business. Author: Celena Watson
http://www.articlesbase.com/authors/celena-watson/1311998
On March 30, 2012, all Facebook Pages will get a new design. Here is a helpful video from the Social Networking Academy, and a list of what changes are coming your way.
Main Facebook Page Changes:
1). Cover Photo – Some interesting restrictions have been placed on what you can and can’t have on your cover photo; Cover images must be at least 399 pixels wide and may not contain:
- Price or purchase information, such as “40% off” or “Download it at our website”
- Contact information, such as web address, email, mailing address or other information intended for your Page’s About section.
- References to user interface elements, such as Like or Share, or any other Facebook site features.
- Calls to action, such as “Get it now” or “Tell your friends”.
2). Your Profile Picture which will initially be the top part of your avatar, must be square and at least 180px wide 3). You Can No Longer LAND on a Custom Tab!!! Welcome pages and tabs still exist, but you can no longer default to land on any tabs. As with the timeline on your profile your photos and apps show in the central section in boxes, which means we can add a nice looking graphic to our Welcome pages and tabs to encourage people to click on them. Here’s what FB say about the central boxes; Photos, likes and apps are now at the top of your Page. Photos show in the first spot, but you can change the order of everything else so people see what matters most. You can show a maximum number of 12 apps, so make sure to put your most important ones first. I have to say I’m really disappointed that you can’t land on your custom landing tabs anymore, but somewhat relieved that we still have them! 4). You Can Pin Posts to the Top of Your Wall!The main design is the same as your profile page so as with that you can now add posts at different dates in the past, you can feature your post by clicking the star so it covers the width of your page, or you can hide it from your page altogether, but the really cool feature is being able to pin specific posts to the top, kind of like a ‘sticky’ post in forums. 5). There’s a brand new admin panel from which you can see your notifications, new likes, insights and the new private messages that people can now send you from your page! From your admin panel you will also see the Manage button which gives you access to the main editing section of your page (Basic Info, Manage Permissions, Apps and so on). Not much has changed in there apart from the Manage Permissions section which no longer has the default landing tab section! – Boo! Also from the admin panel, you can access Facebook ads, a function to share your page and to invite friends, plus access to Facebooks help section. 6). New Message Feature! I mentioned above messages, well now your fans can message you directly! The messages will show within your admin panel and you can respond from there. 7). Tab Pages are now BIGGER! I believe the official size is 760px, I’ll keep you posted! 8). You will AUTOMATICALLY get the new design on March 30th. So jump in there and make the most of it, because it’s coming whether you like it or not!
What Does #FF Mean?
Simple Answer: Follow Friday... It’s one of a handful of abbreviations used in Twitter that confuses new users, and then they avoid using it.
I remember the very first time I saw #FF messages. My Twitter feed was littered with them but I couldn’t figure out what it all meant. I felt left out – what is #FF? what am I missing?! So, for those of you who are asking yourself those questions right now, here’s a short guide to Follow Friday…
#FF is short for #FollowFriday. It’s a Twitter trend created back in 2009 by Twitter users that has since become a customary Friday activity.
An #FF is a shout out, a show of appreciation, a nice thing to do. Each Friday you can recommend Twitter profiles that you appreciate and enjoy to all of your followers. The idea being that your #FF recommendation will encourage others to check out that profile, generating more followers for them.
Sooo...... long story - short, this Tuesday's Twitter Tip is to show appreciation for a profile that you appreciate, and #FF them this Friday ;)
We always appreciate the kind words, and the referrals! Our philosophy:- Do the job right and 'as promised'.
- Honesty ALWAYS.
- Give it your all.
We've built a business on that philosophy... and look forward to meeting many more individuals and businesses who are looking for an online presence with a company they can trust.
You may have heard that if you promote other businesses on social media sites that it can boost your own business. For a newbie, it doesn’t make sense. Promoting others will be good for your own business? It’s not a surprise for most small business owners just getting into social media marketing to feel stumped about what to share on social media. Here’s what marketing gurus and experts are referring to when they stress about the importance of promoting others aside from promoting your own blog posts, content, promotions and company information. Remember, promoting others is all about attracting attention, becoming valuable to your followers and remaining consistent. Here are some general ways promoting others will lead business back to you. - Trusted sources will take notice that you are sharing their content. Like brick and mortar businesses, they will likely share your content with their followers. This will then increase your visibility and attract more attention to your company.
- Becoming a resource for your followers is key in social media marketing. More people will buy something or take on a service if it is recommended by a friend or a second party. By building value with your clients through sharing quality information, even if it is from another source, you will create a trusting relationship with the public.
- Once you are in the “game” of social media marketing, you need to be consistent. Things like updating your profiles on a regular basis can be a challenge if you are using only your own content. Sharing the content and resources of others gives you more to work with.
Sharing and promoting other businesses and industry is almost like a partnership. If they scratch your back, you can scratch theirs. If you are not sure where to start, think about products or services that your business could partner up with. For example, a restaurant and a delivery service, or a makeup boutique and a clothing store. The key is to share content that is relevant to your followers that is not in direct competition with what you already do. Social media marketing can be a win-win situation if you do it properly. Everyone wants traffic to their site. Everyone wants new and more business. Why not join forces with others to drive business for both businesses? Everyone wins in this game.
In the not-so-distant past, Twitter seemed to be the stepchild compared to other social media marketing methods. It was available, but as a small business, you were a little intimidated and not quite sure how to use it to your advantage. You have heard other small businesses take advantage of Twitter as a social media marketing tool and become successful using it. Why not join the crowd and start microblogging? Here are a few tips and strategies on how to do it right.
Who is your audience?
This is marketing 101 – finding your audience or the people who you want to reach. Take some time to research the leaders in your niche on Twitter as well as the key followers too. If your business is already active on social media sites and blogs, this should help you build your online presence. Make sure you follow these key people too.
How important is Twitter in your overall marketing plan?
Twitter is capable of connecting with all kinds of professionals and customers but do you have any idea how it fits within your overall marketing plan. Will you focus on new customer acquisitions or connect with journalists? Figure this out before jumping into microblogging.
By figuring out your goals, you will get a better understanding of scoring.
Whoa, don’t get too excited if you attract a huge following on Twitter one day. It does not mean you are guaranteed a huge impact. Again, you need your key followers who will re-tweet -- spreading your links and spreading your message.
Zoom-in on your tactics and methods.
Make sure you add high quality and interesting contributions online and every day. Also, don’t forget to link your Twitter account to other social media such as Facebook or LinkedIn. Lastly, reach out and get your followers involved by hosting Twitter events such as a webinar, and again, do it frequently.
As a small business, you can take advantage of this social media marketing tool. It’s easy to use and proven to be a successful method for other small businesses.
Social media marketing for small business – any business – has changed dramatically in the last several years. One way it has changed has been the introduction of smartphones. No matter where you are --New York City or Adams/York County, knowing how to use your smartphone to help you in your social media marketing efforts will ultimately save you time and money.
Today, an increasing number of people are receiving all their information on their phone. Emails, social networking, voicemails, banking, news, business and entertainment are all conducted on phones. Remember the day when you felt “naked” when not wearing a watch? Today, most people would agree that without their smartphones in tote, their lives literally come to a screeching halt.
With Apple recently launching the iPhone 4S, an even more powerful tool, smartphones will continue to drive email, social media and mobile marketing. If you had doubts about using any of these methods to promote your business, think again. By integrating your smartphone capabilities into a “smart” marketing campaign, you will dramatically impact your marketing efforts.
By using mobile marketing, small business owners get ahead or at least “on time” for the game of business. Smartphones allow you to respond quicker to emails. Social media marketing is instant with responses to Twitter, Facebook and others being at your fingertips. In fact, research has found that people who own smartphones are most likely to be “hyper” users. They constantly check email and Facebook.
Just got your smartphone? Consider creating a mobile version of your website. Also, find out which type of social media presence work best for your business -- Facebook, Twitter, YouTube etc. Don’t forget to track your results.
Talk to a small business owner who just received a smartphone and ask him if he is better off with one. He will say a definite, “Yes.” As much as digital media consumes our lives, it also opens doors to new opportunities.
Are you an Adams and York county small business owner? Want to make money using YouTube? It can be a great social media marketing tool.
The days when YouTube was just a way to share silly videos is long gone. Today, YouTube is more than just a place to get free video hosting. Few small business owners realize that YouTube can be a fantastic tool for lead generation, search engine optimization and social media marketing.
For most small business owners, the idea of posting a video on YouTube is over the top. The good news is that you don’t have to produce your own videos to have an active social media marketing experience on YouTube. At some point, a video would be ideal, but there isn’t a requirement to get started. In fact, just interacting with and aggregating the public’s content can get bring traffic to your own site.
Setting up your own channel will help you start getting optimized, allowing you to build a reputation and create a foundation for attracting potential customers or prospects. Other things you can do include:
• Creating playlists of your favorite videos
• Rating videos (1-5 stars)
• Listing favorite videos (another playlist)
Just like blogging and other social media networking sites, YouTube has various sharing options as well. YouTube users can share a video using popular social networking sites including Twitter. Plus, YouTube allows you to understand how your market responds to your content – a big plus for any small business. Who doesn’t want to know about market statistics and data?
So go ahead, try YouTube. Before you know it, you’ll be an expert at publishing videos and using it as a small business marketing strategy . . . and you’ll most likely have fun doing it.
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