08Mar 2010 by Bob Cargill

10 Ways to Succeed in Social Media, Part Seven

Blogging, Facebook, LinkedIn, Marketing, Public Relations, Social Media, Twitter, YouTube
7. Overcome the social media "dip." A common mistake made by many business folks is to think that social media will be an instant cure for what ails their traditional marketing activities. And while in many cases it can and will have an overwhelmingly positive effect on an organization’s ability to connect with its constituency, it’s not a panacea for an inferior product, poor PR, inept communications or a lackluster brand. The truth is that it’s a long and winding road to social media success. And as anyone who’s been blogging, tweeting and the like for a long time knows, it’s often an uphill climb, too. But if you can tough it out – listening, creating, engaging and opening up to others – for an indefinite period of time, making sure…
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01Mar 2010 by Bob Cargill

From the Twitterverse to Twitter In-Person

Social Media, Twitter
The following guest post was written by Kristin Dziadul, a recent Graduate of Western New England College who already has her own blog, YouTube channel, Twitter account and a large network of friends in social media, including myself. The idea for this guest blog post all stemmed from this direct message that I received from Bob Cargill on Twitter... Kristin, I signed up for this event tonight -- http://soxup.eventbrite.com. Check it out. Maybe we could meet up for a chat there. -- Bob (11:14 PM Feb 3rd) Bob and I then kept in touch purely via Twitter up to the day of the event on February 25, while also finding other people on Twitter who would be in attendance simply by using the Twitter hashtag, #soxup. Yes, the nature of networking has…
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23Feb 2010 by Bob Cargill

10 Ways to Succeed in Social Media, Part Six

Blogging, Facebook, LinkedIn, Marketing, Public Relations, Social Media, Twitter, YouTube
6. Leverage a number of channels. It’s one thing to tweet a few times a week, write a blog post once a month and update your profile on LinkedIn if you happen to land a new job. But it’s quite another to be active on a handful of social media channels on a daily basis. That's right, the most accomplished social media mavens don’t occasionally go online. They practically live online. Instead of checking email and voice mail, they’re responding to a steady, endless stream of comments, questions and requests from their friends, fans and followers. Instead of sitting in meetings all day, they’re sitting in front of a variety of screens, tap, tap, tapping away in the name of meaningful engagement with their constituencies. Instead of working nine to five,…
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16Feb 2010 by Bob Cargill

10 Ways to Succeed in Social Media, Part Five

Blogging, Facebook, LinkedIn, Marketing, Public Relations, Social Media, Twitter, YouTube
5. Work as a team. While most social media programs have a single champion at the helm, the best among them have a crew to provide support. Never mind the extraordinary demands of the job on almost a 24/7/365 basis. From project management to PR, customer service to marketing, creative to analytics, there are simply too many different skills required for one person alone to be successful on the grid on behalf of a big brand. As I wrote in a previous blog post (Social Media is a Team Sport, Not a Solo Act)…  An exceptional writer with a strong body of knowledge, a charismatic personality and a boatload of enthusiasm can make a huge social splash – don’t get me wrong. But to sustain an effective strategy for an indefinite period of time requires…
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09Feb 2010 by Bob Cargill

How Agencies Handle Transparency in Social Media

Blogging, Facebook, LinkedIn, Marketing, Public Relations, Social Media, Twitter, YouTube
In case you missed it, John Cass and Toby Bloomberg pulled together an exhaustive joint post recently on how agencies, consultants and freelancers handle the notion of transparency when using social media on behalf of their clients. They reached out to dozens of their colleagues in the industry (myself included), asking them how they dealt with this issue while not only providing social media content for their clients, but in many cases posting that content for them as well. I applaud John and Toby for spearheading this initiative. It was a considerable undertaking on their part, the result being a diverse range of opinions from those on the cutting edge of social media, a body of work of great value to the industry. In my opinion, if a brand doesn't have the capabilities in-house, it makes perfect sense to outsource its social media…
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03Feb 2010 by Bob Cargill

10 Ways to Succeed in Social Media, Part Four

Blogging, Facebook, LinkedIn, Marketing, Public Relations, Social Media, Twitter, YouTube
4. Stand for your brand. As much as you need to be yourself in social media, it’s even more important to be a positive, well-suited reflection of the organization you represent. So before you blog, tweet or record that YouTube video, take pause and ask yourself if you're actually capable of embodying the very best characteristics associated with your brand. Even if you’re your own boss, you may find it more than just a little challenging to come across as a trustworthy, authoritative and engaging spokesperson. The truth is that some of the most successful social media practitioners are those with extraordinarily good people skills. They’re evangelists, diplomats and envoys, folks who live and breathe the topics and issues bandied about among their respective business circles. Their strong sense of corporate identity is eclipsed only by their personal character and integrity. In the best interests of their constituents…
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27Jan 2010 by Bob Cargill

10 Ways to Succeed in Social Media, Part Three

Blogging, Facebook, LinkedIn, Marketing, Public Relations, Social Media, Twitter, YouTube
3. Create enough quality content. One of the most common mistakes I see people and businesses make in social media is jumping into it without having anywhere near enough original, quality content to stay in it for the long haul. Either they underestimate just how critical it is to be able to offer news, information and opinion for an indefinite period of time or they simply don’t care about being fully engaged.  Whatever the case, these folks invariably run short of content and ultimately have no idea what to say anymore. So relationships are interrupted. Momentum is lost. And their constituents are left wondering why the "brand" they look up to is suddenly so silent in social media. But it doesn’t have to be that way.    Before dipping your toes in the social…
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19Jan 2010 by Bob Cargill

10 Ways to Succeed in Social Media, Part Two

Blogging, Facebook, LinkedIn, Marketing, Public Relations, Social Media, Twitter, YouTube
2. Set realistic expectations. Using social media to communicate with others isn’t that difficult. But if you expect your posts, tweets, status updates and videos to result in any new leads or business opportunities, you had better be more than a little patient and perseverant. As I wrote in a previous blog post, The Importance of Getting Past the Social Media "Dip"… ...social media shouldn’t ever be looked at as a fast track or short cut to success.  Mastering social media requires a long-term, strategic investment that needs to be looked at as part and parcel of almost everything else you do as an organization, not as a quick fix or panacea for an inability to find common ground with your constituency in the first place. Don't disappoint yourself. Be realistic with your expectations. To put together an…
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13Jan 2010 by Bob Cargill

10 Ways to Succeed in Social Media, Part One

Blogging, Facebook, LinkedIn, Marketing, Public Relations, Social Media, Twitter, YouTube
Now that so many businesses are using blogs, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and other social media channels to connect with their constituents, it’s only a matter of time before they realize what a challenge it is to use them successfully. No, social media isn't rocket science. But it's definitely a BIG departure for those who have been dependent on traditional marketing, advertising, PR and communications methods up until now. So to help educate and enlighten those who are about to use this relatively new means of engagement for the first time, here's the first in a series of 10 ways to succeed in social media... 1. Adopt the right company culture. I hate to disappoint you, but not every organization is cut out for social media. To those who are accustomed to privacy and top-down, one-way, interruptive communications, it requires nothing short of a transformative change from the inside out.…
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