Facebook, Twitter, Linked In….how can I be in so many places at one time?

Justin Levy gave me some great advice the other day, advice that I have used quite often with friends, family, clients and colleagues …one of his recommendations for being effective in social media is “fish where the fish are.”  What did he mean by this?  To me, it means that social media is just that social, and everyone finds something that they like about social media…some people like to visit Facebook and participate in groups or play on Farmville, some spend their time in Twitter keeping up to date on news and others in like LinkedIn for professional networking…our choices are endless.  However, how do you do it? How do you appear to be fishing in different lakes every day, multiple times a day?  The answer is through integrated social media platforms.  These platforms are applications or web sites that are built to help you manage your time and effectiveness in social media; they provide solutions so that you can post in one platform and have it simultaneously appear in multiple content platforms at one time.

I have been working with a few different applications that have helped me to manage my social media workload, as well as I follow some of the leading social media gurus to find out how they manage their workload.  Each time I become aware of a new application, I embrace it, work with the program and then make the decision as to the effectiveness in my daily activities.

There are many applications available that integrate social media content platforms, there are some that have been around for a while and new ones are released on a daily basis.  I currently manage most of my primary content platforms using Hoot Suite. Hoot Suite is a professional Twitter client and makes your Twitter accounts manageable.  Hoot Suite offers you the ability to manage multiple accounts, pre-schedule tweets, and provides a URL shortener that tracks your stats and  provides analytics.  Hoot Suite also provides the ability to integrate your Tweets with other platforms such as Facebook and LinkedIn, by using Ping.  I am a recent convert to Ping, so far it is promising and very useful for integrating multiple accounts.  I recently integrated my Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn accounts using Ping and enjoy being able to update multiple platforms at one time.

There are other platforms out there that have been built around the same premise of multiple network  management. Each one has a different functionality, so check each of them out for a few days before committing to one.

• Seesmic is a web-based program or install on your desktop, that integrates Twitter and Facebook.  Just last week Seesmic announced the integration with Twitter lists.
• Tweetdeck is a useful program for integrating Facebook and Twitter on your desktop.
• Flock is a social web browser.  This program is downloaded and lives on your desktop. Flock is useful if you monitor multiple blogs and content platforms.

These are just a few of the examples that are out there.  New multiple-platform management tools are being created every day.
Do you have a favorite that you would recommend?  Please share.  The world of social media is vast and the more we can do to help each other navigate this world the more successful we will all be.

Cheers!

Julie

IS’09 — A pleasant surprise

Last month, I had the pleasure of attending Interactive Strategies ’09 hosted by the Houston Interactive Marketing Association (HiMA).   The event is self-described as “an arena where progressive marketers can learn from industry experts by diving into discussions covering the latest interactive strategies, innovative concepts and advanced technologies, all while networking with fellow professionals. 1 Day. 4 Tracks. 32 Speakers.” 

Sounds exhausting and brain-draining, right?  Wrong!!!  I left this event feeling inspired and re-invigorated with the phenomenal creative energy and potential for great things that are happening in Houston. 

I walked into the Angelika theater (which was a totally cool location, by the way) feeling intimidated and unqualified to be there.  I just knew that I was going to be the only one who wasn’t already an “expert” in most of the discussion tracks.  What I quickly realized was that I was in the presence of people who were just like me.  We all had questions, we all want to create, we all want to be pioneers, participate in and keep ahead of the wave of interactive media. 

Don’t get me wrong, the speakers there were definitely experts in their subject areas and they were passionate, informative and on point.   I was impressed over and over again by the talent and dynamic professionals that are right in our own backyard. 

It was tough choice with each session whether I wanted to head to Theater 1, 2, 3 or 4!    That said, I made my selections and it was a treat to hear presentations from the likes of Kelsey Ruger, Katie Laird, Maggie McDonald, Giovanni Gallucci, Brian Solis, Mike Dunn and David Saxe.   

The day was capped off by a Keynote panel called He Said, She Said:  The Sexes on Social Media.  Fun 🙂 

IS09 has been a gift that keeps on giving.  I’ve been brave with design (thanks Kelsey), cautious when it comes to placing all my eggs into one social media platform (thanks Dave) and creating new recipies for success with SM initiatives (thanks Maggie and Katie).

And, to top it all off, IS’09 has been kind enough to post most of their speaker’s presentations online for the world to see.  It’s worth it to download the slide shows and take a quick peek.  While I can’t promise you the experience will be the same, if you can imagine eating chocolate chip cookies while skimming through Online Recipes for Success or silently humming “Cool like dat” in your head while reading Understanding Design, you will get a small taste of what it was like to attend IS’09 this year.

Can’t wait for the next year. 🙂

Lessons learned from “The Oprah Effect”

Thanks to a tip I gathered last week off of Twitter, I tuned in to “The Oprah Effect,” a one-hour, CNBC documentary on the branding power behind America’s talk-show queen.  The documentary featured various small business owners who went from “barely surviving” to “off-the-chart” success in a matter of days thanks to an endorsement from Oprah.  If you missed it, click here to watch the online slide show.

A couple of highlights that I took away from the piece:

• Know your brand – What makes you different?  Why should people buy your product or service versus your competitor?  It’s the core of marketing, but one that I think many small business owners overlook.  You have to go that extra mile and really zero in on the things that set you apart.  You can’t be all things to all people. Find your niche and go for it.

• Know your audience – You must know the likes and dislikes of your target audience in order to best serve them.  Each of these business owners had products that made sense for Oprah.  They watched her show, read her magazine and knew her tastes.  They invested the time to get to know more about her and whether their products would even pique her interest.  So, follow the same course when doing traditional media pitching.  Dig and find out what reporters/bloggers are covering.  Know their history.  Does your story, product or service even make sense for them?  If not, move on and find a better fit.

• Think ahead – Every one of the featured business owners said they knew an endorsement from Oprah would be “big” for business, but they never realized “how” big.  Within minutes of getting the on-air push, their phones and Web sites exploded with activity.  Eventually, they couldn’t keep up with phone calls.  Servers crashed.  And, they ran out of product.  This sounds great, but is it?  Could these hassles been avoided with better advance planning (i.e., installing more phone lines prior to the show, expanding Web site capability, etc.)?  Hard to say.  But, when Oprah talks, people listen. And, people follow her lead.  So, these owners should have thought a little further ahead and been better prepared.  If you are in the position to get a strong boost for your product or service, think ahead.

• Don’t give up – Two of the business owners pitched their product to Oprah’s producers for seven years straight, but were continually declined.  Finally, on year seven, Oprah accepted, and the business owners were off to Chicago to promote one of their products – a lavish scented soap.  What I loved about this segment was the sheer determination of these business owners.  They never got discouraged with each decline.  They simply said, “Okay, we’ll try again next year.”  When you know in your heart that your product or service is a perfect fit – and I mean perfect fit — for a certain audience, company, etc., stick to your guns.  Believe in yourself, your product and your service.  And never give up!

Until then…remember fresh ideas yield powerful results!

Brooke Baumer Crawford

Senior Editor

Facebook vs Twitter?

With social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter growing at an unprecedented pace, Griffin Marketing wants to know…