Posts Tagged ‘social media’

How to respond to negative online reviews

Wednesday, June 30th, 2010

OOPSWe all love to get feedback, and online reviews are a great way to get a check on how we’re doing. This great article on Mashable contends that not checking out how your small business is perceived on line is “just plain lazy.” And I agree.

There are so many places your business can be reviewed online – Google, Yahoo, Bing, Yelp, TripAdvisor, LinkedIn – the list is long and growing. If you’re doing something right (or seriously wrong), you’re sure to have at least a few reviews out there.

People are more likely to post online reviews in extreme cases – either they’ve had a really great experience, or something went horribly wrong. A waitress was having a bad day; a hotel room smelled like smoke; a project didn’t flow the way it should have. Whatever the reason, now you’ve got a negative review out there and you can’t do anything about it. (more…)

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Posted in Social Media | 1 Comment »

How to use social media when you’re not feeling, well, social.

Friday, May 28th, 2010

Time for social media?The past few weeks have been really hectic around here, and I’m finding myself letting my social media presence dim a bit. I know how important it is to keep those relationships going, to be a part of the conversation and to put yourself out there, but I just can’t seem to find the time or energy.

I’m stressing about it.

And I hear this from my clients all the time.

I got to reading, and realized I’m not alone. Social media is just one more thing on our plates; one more tool in our belts. It’s not the make-it-or-break-it key to success that so many evangelists make it out to be. It can be a very powerful tool if you are able to use it, but there are certainly other tools.

When you’re feeling overwhelmed or just tired of being social in social media, here are a few thoughts to help you.

1. When you want to do social media but don’t have the time, use HootSuite: Seriously a life saver. Set up a free account at this web-based social media manager. Load up all of your social media accounts (Twitter, Facebook, FourSquare, whatever) and start posting. The best feature of HootSuite? You can schedule your posts. Schedule a few status updates for your business page to post over the weekend or while you’re on vacation or even periodically throughout the week so you don’t lost interested fans. Check in once in a while to respond to comments. Set it and forget it!

2. You don’t need to be everywhere. Read this great post about why you don’t need to be on Twitter, then stick with the social media that you think really fit your market. If your customers aren’t your fans on Facebook, you probably don’t need a page. Social media isn’t right for everyone and every business, and that’s ok. It’s not absolutely necessary to succeed.

3. Give yourself a break. Too much posting is just as annoying as a page that hasn’t been updated in two months, so ease up. Let yourself take a few days away without worry. Jump back in when you’re ready and make sure you reply to comments and start conversations. Set user expectations so that they know not to expect you online all day and night, unless that’s what you want to do.

4. Watch your competitors. There are probably a few of your competitors who are doing an awesome job with social media. They’re posting all day, replying on Twitter, starting really cool conversations with industry leaders. Then, there are probably quite a few who have no social media presence at all. Which of those competitors are most successful? You’ll probably find a balance. There are many ways to stay connected to your clients and customers; social media is just another tool in your belt.

5.  Enlist help.  Find an employee who has a good handle on social media that can spend 20 minutes a day posting for your business.  Buy a cheap netbook (or maybe an iPad!) and let them go at it.  Hand over the reigns. You’ll be sharing a much more realistic and genuine view of your business than trying to half-heartedly maintain control doing it yourself.  Give your employees a voice and let them build those relationships.

Business owners wear a lot of hats, and marketing has to be one of them, but no one is expecting you to be perfect. Do what’s best for you, keeping an eye on your competitors, and you’ll be fine.

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Posted in Social Media | 1 Comment »

10 Rules of Facebook Promotion for Small Businesses

Tuesday, May 11th, 2010

Originally presented as a Lunch-n-Learn last month, I thought I’d share these ten simple steps to success for small businesses on Facebook.

1. Fans – not friends (page not profile)

2.  What to post

3. When to post

4. Use applications to increase engagement

5. Develop custom tabs specific to your business

6. Join the conversation – but don’t control it.

7. Offer discounts and specials to your Facebook fans.

8. Leverage the power of Facebook Events


9. Use your Facebook URL everywhere, like a website.

10. Use Facebook ads!

More tips and tricks

Facebook Resources

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Posted in Social Media | 1 Comment »

Celebrate Foursquare Day with us on April 16th!

Wednesday, March 31st, 2010

If there’s anything we know about marketing, it’s that it’s much easier to keep customers than it is to gain new customers.  Social media has been a huge boon for businesses who know how to use it to build and maintain relationships with their fans.  Rewarding loyalty isn’t a new concept – but there are definitely some new and exciting ways to do it.

Foursquare mayors!Enter foursquare.  Foursquare is a mobile application that combines social media with game-like mechanics, encouraging healthy competition and personal besting.   Users ‘check in’ to local establishments using their phone app as they move around town.  They are rewarded with badges as they explore new places and check in more frequently.  They find friends and share tips about the places they go.

Foursquare has only recently become popular in the Tampa Bay area, and as more and more users sign up (Foursquare is aiming to reach 1,000,000 members by Foursquare Day on April 16th), businesses can benefit by rewarding their loyalty.

As an aside, foursquare day was conceived and organized by Tampa’s own Dr. Nate Bonilla-Warford of Bright Eyes Family Vision Center. It’s been adopted and promoted all over the world – so let’s be proud and represent, Tampa!

There are a lot of simple ways to encourage users to check in at your business, but it all comes down to rewarding customer loyalty based on the data behind foursquare usage.

  1. Reward your mayor.   The mayor is the person who checks in most frequently at any establishment. Offering perks like free drinks, food specials, discounts and public promotion of your support helps build that competitive spirit and encourages others to check-in more frequently.  (Example: Hyatt Regency Tampa is giving a 50% restaurant discount to their mayor.) (Don’t allow your employees to check-in and become mayor or it throws the whole game off.)
  2. Offer discounts.  Encourage users to show their phones when they check-in at your business, and give them a discount for doing so.  Offer discounts for frequency of check-ins, sharing tips, and inviting their friends.
  3. Promote your foursquare love! Make sure your patrons know that you encourage the use of foursquare with frequently updated marquees, tweets and Facebook status updates about their check-in behavior.   Use your in-store marquees and signage to promote the discounts and perks you offer.
  4. Let foursquare know. On the iPhone and mobile web versions of foursquare, special attention is given to businesses that offer promotions or discounts for users.  Let foursquare know about your deals, and they’ll share some insights into what other businesses are experimenting with, what works and what doesn’t.
  5. Get involved with foursquare day (April 16). Promote your deals and foursquare itself for the next couple weeks to help encourage people to get on board and start using foursquare.  Become a fan on Facebook and stay tuned to what your colleagues and competitors are doing (because if you’re not going to do it, someone else certainly will!).

To learn more about foursquare and how it can benefit your business:

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Posted in Social Media | No Comments »

Why I’m not at SXSW this year

Thursday, March 11th, 2010

(Not that I’ve ever been.)

But this year, I really really wanted to go.  I am running a web business, working on social media plans, engaging daily with new technology and testing new ideas – I really should be at one of the top interactive conferences of the year, right?  And the music – oh the music!

This year has been big for Big Sea.  Like mega-uber-big.   So it wasn’t in the cards.

Just to make myself feel better, here are a few reasons I’m not at SXSW this year.  (I’d make a list of why I should be there but it would be waaaaay too long.)

  1. I opened an office!  Big Sea grew and grew beyond the scope of my back deck and home office.  I found I needed better separation of work and home life, and needed people around me too.  I’m an extrovert, after all.   Anyway, opening the office meant new computers (and of course, they can’t be anything but Mac), rent, all of the expenses I didn’t have when working from home.   Financially, it didn’t make sense to spend a few grand on the conference this year.
  2. I have a 15 month old daughter. I know my husband and parents are more than capable of caring for her in my absence, but I would miss her!  Ok, this isn’t a really strong reason, but it’s a contributor.
  3. We are swamped.  I had 4 new client meetings this week, am trying to push 2 HUGE development projects forward to launch April 1 and simultaneously finish 2 fairly large design projects.  In addition, I need to keep up with the numerous and ongoing needs of all of my clients. New web content or features, eblasts and ideas galore.  Not that this ever changes.  I’m always swamped, and I always feel guilty taking time away.
  4. I’m afraid of flying. Nope, not true.
  5. My cat needs to get her tonsils out.  Also no.
  6. It might rain.  (I love rain.)

So I’m out of reasons, and the first three are pretty lame.   I should be there.

See ya next year!

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Posted in Andi's World | 2 Comments »

Lunch-n-Learn: 10 Rules of Facebook Promotion

Thursday, March 4th, 2010

As the first event in the LocalShops1 Lunch-n-Learn Series, Big Sea Design will be offering a 45-minute workshop on the 10 Rules of Facebook Promotion that Every Small Business Owner Should Know.

You’re a small business owner, and you know that you need to use Facebook for promotion. You might even have a fan page already built.  But are you using it to its fullest potential? What are you leaving on the table, and how can you maximize the very little time in your day to get the most out of your social media marketing?

It’s important to understand  how, when, where and why using social media makes sense and what impact using them will have on your business.

Join us for lunch at Three Birds Tavern (pardon the music) on Tuesday, March 23 to learn:

Where:  Three Birds Tavern
When: Tuesday, March 23, 2010 at 12:00 pm
How much: $15 for paid LS1 members / $20 non-members / $25 at the door
(includes lunch, drink and tip + 45 minute workshop and discussion time)

Register in advance at LocalShops1.com »

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Posted in Big Sea Projects, Social Media | No Comments »

Lessons from SocialFresh: Twitter for Beginners

Monday, February 8th, 2010

I have a hard time convincing clients who don’t do social media to, well, do social media.

To me, the payoff is obvious.

Relationships are created, fostered and flourish.  Friendships form.  Conversations are held.  Clients and customers are engaged.

Twitter is especially difficult for people who don’t already get it.

In general, I advise my clients to spend 10 minutes each morning logging in to Twitter and/or Facebook; retweeting interesting articles or posts; replying to customers or interesting tweets; generally engaging and interacting.  Ten minutes.  A good place to start.

For clients who really want to get involved though, I learned a really great tip from the small business roundtable that I hosted at the Social Fresh conference in Tampa today.

(I really wish I could remember the name of the fantastic guy who gave us these tips, so if you’re out there, please comment and let me know!)

Five Tweets to Send Every Morning (for new Twitter users)

  1. Tweet a link to an article that you find interesting from a publication you read regularly.  This can be industry specific or locaation-specific or just something you find funny.  Doesn’t matter. Share good information.
  2. Find 2 people who you would like to notice your business, and retweet or reply to something they have written, tweeted or posted.  If that’s a writer at a newspaper or an influential blogger or a big customer, doesn’t matter.  Engage them on Twitter.
  3. Find 2 people looking for information about your business or industry and retweet, reply or engage them somehow.  If you’re a caterer, these are brides talking about getting married.  If you’re a digital document storage company, these are lawyers or HR folks or people complaining about filing.

If you can stick to just these 5 tweets and keep up with the conversations that start, you’ll be one step closer to landing those new big clients and introducing your company to new customers.

Sure beats cold calling, right?

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Posted in Social Media | No Comments »

Now I Get It! Overcoming Resistance to Change

Thursday, January 14th, 2010

I thought that 2010 would be the year.

And I tried.  I really did!  (Ok, I didn’t try that hard, but I gave it a couple weeks.)

This was going to be: the year that I went digital.

So idealistic was I:  I’ll scan all of my documents! I’ll use iCal and Evernote and the ‘To-do’s’ in Mac Mail!  I’ll put everything in Basecamp!   No more lists and scraps of paper all over my desk, I thought.

I work all day on a computer and rely on my iPhone for everything – this will be easy!

First, there were client meetings.  Added to iCal: check.  To-do’s based on emails in my inbox:  added to the To-do list in Mail: check.  But wait – now where does it go?  Where’s an overall list of ‘to-do’s'?  And I have to remember to plugin my phone to sync my calendar.  And there’s a totally different to-do list in iCal!  Then there’s Evernote and learning to use it for the tool that it is. . . Desktop app syncing with iPhone app . .. and more lists.  It started taking me as much time to add something to my To-Do list (and figure out how to sync it with everything) as it does to just complete the task.

Needless to say, I still have my scribbled notebooks on my desk, and I broke down and bought a day planner this week too (to add to my library of day planners I’ve had since 1994 – which make for neat scrapbooks and memory albums for me).  I essentially scurried back into the hole from which I came, quickly.  I guess I wasn’t ready to make the change, to commit.

I got to thinking about the ways this applies to building websites, building online businesses and social networks.

Whenever we build a new website for a client, we’re essentially building them a new way to interact with their clients or customers.  We’re giving them a different voice, with different methods of publishing and creating information.  We’re asking them to add these new methods to their daily routine – because the web, after all, requires that sort of dynamic interaction.  We put everything on a CMS these days – and we ask our clients to change things, add things, keep it fresh.

I’m putting together a few social media packages for clients right now that include a blog, Facebook fan pages and Twitter accounts.  They’re easy enough to set up, but I’m not sure my clients understand the commitment they require.  We can’t just ‘build it and they will come.’

Successful online communication, if you’re not already doing it, requires a total change in the way you go about your day.

That’s the hard part.  There are some of my clients who ‘get it’ – they understand and are ready for that challenge;  they wade in slowly but with both eyes open, embracing the new opportunities the web can provide them.  And then there are those who don’t fully trust what an online communications strategy can do for them.  They balk at daily updates and laugh at Twitter’s value.  I build those websites – but when I’m done, I’m not excited about the future of the new site.  I’m sad, knowing that my new baby will sit untouched for months, maybe even years -  well past it’s usefulness.

(If you’re going to invest in a website, make sure you’re ready to commit to using it.)

So how do you incorporate all of these new communication tools into your life?  How do you make your investment really work for you?  Stop thinking about your web presence as a brochure, and start thinking of it as a voice.

  1. You’re working with a new client that has a unique question:  a blog post idea or FAQ question pops into your head!  If one client has this question, others might too.  Write about it!
  2. You see something interesting on an industry news feed: Tweet it!  Share the link!
  3. You just sent out the biggest order ever – or one that’s a especially remarkable:  take photos of the packing process and share them on Facebook!
  4. A client tells you how pleased they are with their new fill-in-the-blank from your company: add it to the testimonials page and ask them to write a review on your Google Local listing!
  5. You just signed a deal to provide something previously unheard of in your industry – the quickest installation or revamp or largest whatever it is – get out your Flip video camera and record it!  Use your desktop movie editor (iMovie, Windows Media) to edit a quick video together and post it to your Flickr and YouTube and Facebook accounts.  Add it to your website.

I completely understand that we are all busy people, and continuing on the path of least resistance requires the least amount of effort.

But the rewards that come from making these changes – the rewards of building your online presence, creating that online community and establishing your online credibilty – those rewards are worth the effort.

I’m not sure that the rewards of moving my calendar and to-do lists online are as great – so I don’t feel too bad about not committing 100% – but in an effort to show my clients that I get it – I am going to incorporate Evernote into my life as much as possible, and start getting used to organizing things digitally.  Each day, I’m going to take a small step to changing the way I organize my life, so that maybe, just maybe, 2011 will be the year.

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Posted in Social Media, Web Design | No Comments »

Keep your business out of my face.

Friday, December 11th, 2009

Screen shot 2009-12-11 at 9.51.16 PM

A client asked me this weekend about how businesses can and should be using Facebook.  Best practices, things to avoid, etc. I told her a few things about sincerity, about creating relationships or maintaining boundaries – you know, the usual social media 101 jibber jabber.

But it got me thinking: what do you think businesses can and should be doing on Facebook? Do they belong on Facebook? Are you assaulted with promotions and sick of it? Do you like seeing what your favorite brands or small businesses are up to and supporting your friends (ahem)?

Be honest, and let me have it. I’m curious, from a professional perspective not in relation to Big Sea on Facebook (I won’t be hurt if you think business should stay off).

And go.

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Posted in Social Media | No Comments »