A lot of businesses think that simply Tweeting about a sale, event or promotion will bring people in their doors, to their websites and money in their bank accounts. This, although true for many larger well known businesses, is not true for smaller businesses. We are not easily known nor is our logo quickly recognized by thousands, but this isn’t quite a bad thing. Tweeting may be the first step, but never make it the last step.

Let’s say you’re planning a local event or sale.

Twitter may be your first stop/ thought to promote, but do you have a landing page with details or a way for people to contact you with questions? Are you reaching out to other networks?

Here is exactly what I would do and the sites I would use, including Twitter, to promote my event.

Event name: Fake Event/ Sale 2012

Sites to use:

Your own website/ blog – List all details (directions, attire, date/ time and contact information)

Tumblr

This Social Blogging site is one of my favorites and has a ton of possibility for sharing and indexing. Make sure to build a following on the backside and add all proper keywords as well as a link to an event posting or listing, preferably the LinkedIn or Facebook event and your website.

Facebook

Fanpage if applicable as well as the creation of a Facebook event

Tip: Unless completely unable to, create your event under your personal account. Creating it under a page takes away the ability to contact and message those that have RSVP’d yes and maybe as well as those that have yet to RSVP. 

LinkedIn

You can create an event here just like on Facebook. Share the event on your LinkedIn profile. You can also send individual messages to connections you know would be interested in attending.

Google+

If you’ve begun using this platform then I suggest promoting here as well. Be sure to use your location as a hashtag (mine would be #Tampa) for others to find it as well as predetermined hashtag for said event.

Local media blogs

Here in Tampa the TBO.com is a great place to list your event as are many of the local radio stations and other media sites. Do a search in your town for local media sites and see if they have an event submission section or an email address to send news/ events to.

Local bloggers

See if any would be willing to blog about your upcoming event. Make sure you give them all of the details as well as how they can stay up to date with the event details. Include your Twitter, Facebook, website, Tumblr, Foursquare and contact email as well as all details for the event.

Foursquare

If you have a physical location the possibilities are endless. List on the locations Foursquare page about the upcoming event, if it’s your own listing and the event or promo costs money, make a Foursquare special with a percentage off of the event or promo OR create a special that gives people an incentive to attend.

Pinterest

I personally haven’t had a chance to test out how well event promotion is on here, but I soon will and what can it hurt if you’re already pinning away?

EXAMPLE: Join us Sat for out Fake Event/ Sale – Check in and receive a free cupcake (or something like that)

Don’t Forget The Press Release!!! 

Eventful.com

Great place to post local events and sales

Video and Image for promotion

Use sites like YouTube and FlickR if you want to take your promotions one step further with a more visual aspect.

Twitter

Yes now we can come back to Twitter. Now we have a place to send people to. We have listings on other networks.

Do you have a #hashtag picked out? For our event we’ll use #FakeEvent2012 and every time we Tweet about the event we’ll add that at the end of the Tweet. Why use a hashtag? Easy tracking to see who else is talking about your event or sale

In conclusion, if you Tweet it they might come, but your chances are much higher when you take advantage of all that is in front of you.

We’ve all been there; liked a page hoping for some great content that sadly never seems to happen. You end up getting tired of seeing the junk spewing from said fanpage and simply just want to unlike the page.

Does this sound like a familiar story to any of you?

Unliking the page is as simple as visiting said fanpage, scrolling down and looking for “unlike” to the left of the page. Click and say goodbye to unwanted posts in your Facebook stream.

Facebook is always changing up their TOS and this, my friends…. THIS is absolutely aggravating at times. Having to read up on the rules each time I launch a new contest is rather tedious, but very much worth the extra time as you never know if someone will report your contest or if Facebook will notice that you are not running the contest within their TOS.

Here are a few tips to make sure you are running a legit contest through Facebook

Facebook TOS

Bookmark and read up on their terms of service as they could change at any given moment.

3rd Party Apps

It seems SO simple to simply have fans upload their picture or whatever it might be to your fanpage wall and have them accumulate likes in order to win, but this is completely against their TOS. Always use an approved third party app. If you have less than 500 fans at contest launch I would suggest using OfferPOP as it’s free until you reach that 500 threshold.

Ad Campaigns

Attract new eyeballs to your contest (and fanpage) by running an ad through Facebook. Be sure to have the ad link to the contest landing tab.

Using Events To Promote Contests/ Sweepstakes

Create a Facebook event and invite friends that you think would be interested in the contest. Be sure to encourage, but not demand sharing with their following and connections.

Blog About It

Use your blog and website to promote the contest – social sharing of your blog is also encouraged.

Using Other Platforms

Twitter, LinkedIn, DailyBooth, YouTube, Plurk etc…. These are all great ways to also promote your contest.

Email

Do an email blast. Make the email is specifically about what they can win and how to enter. Don’t use the blast to promote your services. Get them to like your page where all of your business promotions and content happen.

Bonus Tip

It may seem like second nature to give away some of your company’s services or products, but unless these are in high demand and well known you might want to take a different approach. Try giving away Amazon gift cards or if it’s local something to or from a well known local restaurant or store or give away a product that you know anyone would die to have (ipads, iphones and/ or anything tech related). When you send the winner their gift you can also send that complimentary service or product as a bonus so they’re pleasantly surprised when they get their package.

Do you run contests often? What tips or advice would you give?

Facebook has rolled out the new Timeline feature for everyone. Honestly, I forgot that everyone didn’t already have it enabled as I’ve been using it since October… I think….

Anyways, I wanted to give a little visual for people to see and better understand not just the Timeline itself, but the power of using it.

Visit this Mashable article to learn how to activate Timeline if you haven’t already

1. Facebook Header

Forget those old, outdated boxes, you can now have your own header. Make it what you want. Pictures of your favorite type of car, use it for your own personal branding or like mine… I chose to use one of my favorite quotes. This will probably, no will definitely change (hint hint Courtney).

Tip: You can choose from photos you already have on Facebook or upload a new one. You’re also able to reposition the header once you’ve added it.

2. Profile Image

Your profile image picture. Maybe you want to incorporate it into your header or maybe you just keep it how it is. Regardless, this doesn’t change.

3. Facebook About Section

Your about section. Click this and a whole new world opens up. There’s an edit button for each section, check it out and also, make sure all of the information listed is correct.

4. Status Updates

Updating your status has also changed. You can now add your place, who you’re with, and if you choose the year.

5. Pages, Pictures, Friends, and More

6. Recent Activity

7. Modify Timeline

8. Quick Access To Any Year

Tip: You can go back as far as the day you were born which is why I see it as the digital baby book or “Lifebook“

The other day I was trying to explain to a friend what the new Facebook Timeline was like and the only 2 ways I could describe it without physically being able to show her was; it’s almost like your own website, but more like my Baby Book that I still update. It’s really not my Baby Book, it’s more like my “lifebook” which is now how I am viewing the new Facebook Timeline. 

The new Timeline has so many of the same “features” as my Baby Book with theexception of saving/storing tangible items. On Facebook I can now record life achievements, injuries and illnesses, when you got your pet, lost a family member, got engaged, bought a home, got a roommate, etc….

There are so many great new features that will allow Facebook users the ability to make their Facebook experience more personal.

Have you checked out the new Timeline?

What are your thoughts?

Click the options/image below to take the poll on Facebook.

We’ve always had a birthday tradition in my family where on our birthday we would buy something small for the other people in the family. It probably all started because one of  us threw a fit or was upset that we didn’t have anything to open. Chances are good that it was me, nonetheless…… In keeping that tradition alive this blog post is the best present I could do considering there are so many of you that visit my blog daily. This is my way of saying thank you for encouraging me to share my tips, thoughts and journey this past year.

So here are 31 tips since I’m officially 31…. at least for a year.

1. Social Media is and will always be meant to be social
2. Twitter is a great platform to listen to what your customers are saying about your brand.
3. Your initial goal on your Facebook Fanpage should (most) always be to obtain the “like”
   
4. Become the thought leader on LinkedIn by utilizing the Q&A section.
   

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5. StumbleUpon is great for more than just stumbling. You can find really great content focused around your brand to share with your customers, clients and followers.
6. Plurk has has a strong SL community so if you are a resident and want to meet other awesome Second Life avatars join Plurk.
7. Social Media should never and will never be about the numbers when used properly. It doesn’t matter if you have 100 or 100,000 connections. What matters is the engagement of the connections.
8. Video sharing is great, make sure you use proper keywords and engage/respond to those commenting on them.
9. If you are a business owner make sure you have a business page set up and linked to your “current position” section on your LinkedIn profile.
10. Buying likes and follows will get you nothing except 500+ more connections that wont interact with your brand. Don’t waste your money instead listen, target, engage and build organically.
11. Google+ hangouts are perfect for interviews. Give it a shot.
12. Klout, Klout, Klout….. Stop focusing on a score. Social Media should never resemble that of a popularity contest. I don’t want to think that the only reason you Tweet me is to increase your Klout score.
13. Be yourself….. Everyone else is taken Online. Seriously, check the usernames :p
14. If you’re new, tell us. If you need help, ask. People are very willing to help with anything from a simple Twitter question to web development assistance and even car troubles. I speak from experience.
15. Retweet content on Twitter that you approve, agree with and/or find value in. You do not have to retweet simply because you were asked to.
16. Add your Social Media URL’s to your business cards, website, blog and email signature. Get interaction from multiple sources.
17. Customize your Fanpage and profile URL on Facebook by visiting facebook.com/username. This shortens the URL from having a ton of ridiculous numbers and letters. Example:  facebook.com/KiMediaStrategies looks 100% better than facebook.com/63820Kimedia78298strategies78923hjsajksdg9, right??
18. Forums are very beneficial in many industries. Utilize them if you can and yes… This is most definitely a form of Social Media
19. Track engagement, follows, retweets and interaction with many tools available. I personally use Sprout Social to track LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook for not only me and my company, but also all of my clients.
    

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20. Your Mom will always like your Fanpage and so will your Aunt Sue, unfortunately that’s usually all they will do. Personal connections, although nice to have, shouldn’t be relied upon on Facebook.
21. Social bookmarking is great for not only sharing your content but for also building a community. I love Digg, Stumbleupon, Delicious and Reddit to name a few. Give it a shot and start connecting.
22. Social Media should never be a place for bullying whether it’s your business competition, an old high school friend or a family member. What happens on the Internet literally stays on the Internet.
23. Use Social Media to track your company’s reputation.
    

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24. Add social sharing capabilities to your website and blog posts.
    

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25. Content truly is everything on these platforms. Provide value, meaningful and engaging conversations and you’re set!
26. Social Media is great for customer service. Let customers know that they can reach you or a rep for your company via Twitter, Facebook and/or LinkedIn
27. Jump into the conversation, it’s the only way to do it.
28. Make sure your employees are aware of any Social Media incentives and promotions you are running.
29. The more you engage, the more you will be engaged.
30. Just because it worked for your competition doesn’t mean it’s going to work for you. Think outside of the box and be unique.
31. Take your Social Media engagements into real life. Attend or host meetups and meet the faces behind the images Online.

What are some tips you have?

Yesterday Facebook made a decision, to me a tad crazy,  to delete thousands of Second Life avatar accounts. I personally have never had a Facebook account for Sadie Pippita, my Second Life avatar, only because I honestly HATED Facebook when I signed up years ago. I was a glittery gifs on Myspace kinda girl, you know you were too.

As much as I think it’s a joke, Facebook does have this in their TOS:

Registration and Account Security

Facebook users provide their real names and information, and we need your help to keep it that way. Here are some commitments you make to us relating to registering and maintaining the security of your account:

1. You will not provide any false personal information on Facebook, or create an account for anyone other than yourself without permission.
2. You will not create more than one personal profile.
3. If we disable your account, you will not create another one without our permission.
4. You will not use your personal profile for your own commercial gain (such as selling your status update to an advertiser).
5. You will not use Facebook if you are under 13.
6. You will not use Facebook if you are a convicted sex offender.
7. You will keep your contact information accurate and up-to-date.
8. You will not share your password, (or in the case of developers, your secret key), let anyone else access your account, or do anything else that might jeopardize the security of your account.
9. You will not transfer your account (including any page or application you administer) to anyone without first getting our written permission.
10. If you select a username for your account we reserve the right to remove or reclaim it if we believe appropriate (such as when a trademark owner complains about a username that does not closely relate to a user’s actual name).

 

So what do you do now?

• If you still have an active Facebook account set up under a Second Life name I would advise that you download all of your Facebook information to your computer (use the following steps)

Under Account click “Account Settings”

Choose the option second from last “Download Your Information”

This will take some time to do and Facebook will let you know when all of your information has been compiled so you can download it safely to your offline files.

• If you have an active fanpage for a Second Life business, persona or anything else and it’s attached to a Second Life avatar profile you will need to give a real life profile admin rights or you will lose it all. If you have a real life Facebook profile simply choose that account to have admin rights. No one has to know that you are the one that maintains the page if that’s what you choose.

Yesterday was not the end of the world for Second Lifers on Facebook, we just have to do what we do best…. Think outside of the prim.

Hope to see some of you back on Facebook soon!

Logging into Facebook today was like logging into a virtual funeral. I watched connections drop ten at a time until I lost roughly 70. Yes, Facebook deleted 70 of my connections, but sadly thousands of accounts have actually been deleted. About three and a half years ago I heard a rumor that Facebook was going to begin sifting through accounts and start deleting Second Life avatar profiles. Well over three years later they have kept that promise leaving many of my connections baffled as to where their Second Life friends have gone.

I personally understand why Facebook wants to do this, but is it really harming anything? If anything Facebook should want to be more accepting to Second Life profiles and users.

1. Second Life users do and would continue to advertise their virtual goods meaning they spend money on Facebook.

2. Linden Labs advertises on Facebook already, but with the thousands of avatars booted they may rethink where their advertiser dollars end up.

3. Second Life avatars are real people too. Think of it as a pen name. Facebook, are you going to delete everyone that uses a nickname or pen name?

What are your thoughts?

Follow up post:

Is it really the end of the road for Second Life avatar accounts?

If you are an admin/owner of a Facebook fanpage then you may be just as frustrated as I am these days. You suggest to specific friends who you know would like to “like” the page because they are interested in what the page talks about and has to offer, but your page doesn’t grow. You send more suggestions in hopes of at least breaking the 25 fan mark to get you vanity URL and still nothing. You start personally contacting people asking them to like the page, but that takes a lot of time and effort and that message may or may not get pushed down in the recipients inbox.

Does this sound like your life on Facebook these days? It does mine and it is frustrating. About two months ago I received a request to “like” a fanpage in my Facebook messages with a blurb about how this person has unsuccessfully reached anyone by suggesting to friends so I did what I usually do; I liked the page and then went to investigate. Was this happening with my pages? It appeared to be a known issue with Facebook, but it didn’t appear to be causing me any issues yet so I did what I could for this friend and sang the pages praises in hopes to get him a few more fans and some traction.

Fast forward a month later and I began seeing the same issues with client pages that were just starting out. No one was receiving the page suggestion and what was even worse, I couldn’t find where my page suggestions had gone to. Facebook is known for changing things up, but usually there is some sort of explanation, tutorial or something. Not this time though so I started explaining to clients that we were going to have to get super creative with building these pages and we have. Using other platforms is a great way to build your pages. If you are a brand new page you can upload your contact file (email contacts), but this means you have to really have to sift through your contacts.

How can someone “like” a page if they can’t find out what pages are being suggested to them and why am I not getting my email updates anymore?

Facebook provides an amazing platform for businesses to brand and promote, but unfortunately Facebook is making it hard to build a presence and it sucks! Last night I did however find a glimmer of hope as I was checking out my pages that I “like” and looking for some new ones.

I visited facebook.com/pages and guess what I found…..

Besides millions of pages I could like, to the right I found a list of other pages…..

What pages were these? Why they are the pages that have been suggested to me over the past month. How was I to know that Facebook moved them to a page I barely visit?!

My next step was to see when the last suggestion was sent and to my surprise it was only hours earlier. I reached out to my Facebook community of AWESOMENESS and asked for people to suggest I like their fanpages and immediately began messing with my account settings because MAYBE just maybe it was opposite month and if I unchecked that “email me when I get a page suggestion” box everything would be solved.

Sadly it was not nor is opposite month and nothing is working. Half of the mystery however has been solved and my next step is to call up Scooby-Doo and the Gang, hop in the Mystery Mobile and see if we can’t get to the bottom of this!

Do you have the solution? Do you know WHY no one is receiving these fanpage suggestions when they are opting in to receive them?

If you do, I know you would make many people smile!