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.

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

All too often I hear people say that they are afraid to get involved with Social Media both personally and professionally because they feel that they will be opening their lives up. They think that people will find out everything about them and this scares them. Heck, this might even be you. I used to be afraid to use my real name on social sites. Remember AOL chat rooms? Yeah, I think my first screen name was ThatGirlSTL80 or something like that. I didn’t want people to know who I was. Obviously as soon as they knew my name they would find out everything about me, right?

Let me tell you, you are better off having a presence Online because YOU get to control your content. If someone is looking to track you down they are going to find you no matter what you do, but wouldn’t you like to control what they see? I control my content by posting on Twitter, Facebook, this blog and of course my ridiculous DailyBooth addiction.

Yeah, I posted this. It was a super early morning!

If someone is searching for pictures of me, I have them. I took them. Go ahead and use them. I approve them. I may look absolutely insane in most, but I control it! When people post images of me Online, the pictures that I have pushed out overpower the others. It’s quite genius if you ask me.

I'm not all business!!!

At least I approved this LOL

What’s my point?

You can control what people find Online about you by using the wonderful platforms available.

Google me (Kim Randall). I guarantee that you wont find anything that I didn’t want you to find in the first 5 pages

Look any deeper and you must be stalking me, but maybe these pictures can stop that.

I love Social Media! I mean I don’t just love it, I live it, breathe it and right now I am Tweeting and blogging from my bed. Yes, I guess this means that you guys are in bed with me…… Wait! What?!

This past week has been above and beyond a testamant to why I love Social Media and have chosen to build a business dedicated to helping brands find their voices Online with Social Media. Let’s rewind to March 3rd when I saw a call to action for a fellow Tampa Tweep. You see, my friend needed new hearing aids and simply couldn’t afford them. Long story short (read long story here) he was convinced to reach out via Social Media and had successfully raised $2,000.00 in 7.5 hours through Tweets and Facebook posts.  <— Reason #1

This weekend (Saturday evening to be exact) while so many Tampa friends were at SXSW I had the honor of attending SxDD. What is SxDD you might ask… Well it was actually just a gathering of Twitter friends who haven’t gotten together in one place in a very long time and the amazing Dolce Debbie and Barry Frangipane were the hosts (Sauced by Dolce Debbie = SxDD). It was so awesome to meet people that I had NEVER met outside of Twitter and well so much fun to hang out with those that I have already built that Offline friendship and connection with. Without Social Media I wouldn’t have the friends here in Tampa that I do today! <— Reason #2

As well all know, Japan has suffered a lot of devastation this past week. An 8.9 earthquake caused a Tsunami that affected Japan and other countries, including the US. The Red Cross began their plea immediately to once again text REDCROSS to 90999 to automatically donate $10.00 to the earthquake and tsunami relief fund. This plea was Tweeted, ReTweeted, Blogged, Facebooked, Stumbled, LinkedIn, YouTubed and basically plastered all over the web. The hashtag #PrayForJapan trended for days on Twitter. Videos spread like wildfire through the many networks showing the devastation and although it’s such a horrific event that took place, what people have done Online is one of my favorite things about Social Media. <— Reason #3

What are some of your favorite things about Social Media?

If you are a business owner and you live above a rock you probably have a Twitter and Facebook account. You may or may not actually use these. You may even have someone managing them for you (which is completely fine). There are many mistakes that business owners have made in the past year when it comes down to their Social Media presence which is why I believe that these few resolutions should be on every business owners resolution list for 2011.

1. Stop automating your Social Media!

Yes, I know you were told at conferences, in webinars and by close friends of your uncle Bobs aunt Ruth’s cousin Gina’s grandma Esther’s first husband Larry’s new wife Betty’s best friend Martha’s kid Luke’s baby sitter Helen (did you follow that? haha). My point is that you may have been told that you could take a short cut with your Social Media by taking out the SOCIAL aspect and that is something I believe you need to put back into your everyday marketing strategy.

2. Realize that numbers mean nothing in your overall strategy.

You see it in Tweets, blog posts and Social Media work forums “I can get you 100, 000 new fans in 10 days for only $99.00″ and you think, SWEET! This is exactly what I need because I was told that in order to get anywhere Online I needed a lot of followers. If you were told this I hope that you realize and resolve that it is only about the quality of the connections that truly matter. Sure, having 10k followers on Twitter looks great, but isn’t it more rewarding to have 4k followers that pay attention to what you have to say?

3. Realize that Creativity is King and Content must support it.

Yes I said it, I am going against all of the so called Social Media “guru’s”. Creativity is truly King in Social Media. You can have all the Tweets, Blog Posts, Videos ad updates in the world, but no one is going to care unless you creatively get that content in front of their eyeballs. Start thinking outside of the box in 2011 and stop mimicking what your competition is doing. Actually stop caring at all about your competition because they are only competition if you allow them to be.

These are 3 simple resolutions to get you started in 2011, do you have any you would add or will be adding?

I love my DVR because I am able to fast forward through commercials. I flip through the ads in magazines to get to the articles. I also skip (when given the option) pop up ads Online. I hate being “sold” to and I bet you do too. I hate when companies directly @reply me on Twitter thanking me for following them when clearly I am not and this is supposed to be some weird way to get me to follow. I hate when businesses post their advertisements on my Facebook wall and pages I manage. I hate seeing businesses not thinking creatively.

All of the above mentioned ‘hates’ are the reasons that I think like the consumer when I am strategizing any Social Media campaign. I know exactly what I will respond to so why would I do the complete opposite when marketing my own business or someone else’s?

You already know what you want so take your own advice!

I can guarantee that by NOT thinking like your competition and taking some of this advice, you will begin to be noticed more Online with your Social Media campaign as long as you stay focused and consistent!

Let’s Connect!

It’s official guys! I will be speaking at the TEDxPalmaCeia in Tampa on November 16, 2010! Check out the info below and get your tickets today. There is going to be some amazing content shared!

This is a conference that will revolutionize
the way you look at your business and the world!

* The importance of measuring goodwill in business with Chris Blackerby

* How to build a universal community around your business with Social Media sensation Dr. Nate (Nathan Bonilla)

* Changing the world through Social Media and the connections you make with Kim Randall

* The Commisionless Business Structure by Mark Katz

* Developing the 3rd mind through the Eg3 Process by Chris Krimitsos

This is an event filled with amazing content that you can’t miss!

When: November 16, 2010

Time: 3pm-6pm

Where: The Centre Club,

123 S. Westshore Blvd. Tampa, Fl 33609

Investment: $49-per person

You can purchase your tickets on the official TEDxPalmaCeia website!

Hope to see you there!

365 Days of Blogging Challenge | Day 60

Not everyone is using Social Media so don’t forget your Offline Marketing!

Let’s Connect!

If you know me even just a little bit you know that I HATE HATE HATE people that automate every single Tweet, advertise all the time on Facebook and comment on my blog with advertisements to their own business. This seriously makes me mad. I do a lot of speaking in Tampa and in Sarasota and I tell people all the time “It isn’t SOCIAL Media for nothing”.

Social Media is the way in todays world that we find new friends, date, network and stay connected. If you are a business then you need to know this. We are not using Twitter because we love seeing your spammy crap!. I use Twitter to meet new people. Did you know that 95% of the friends I have here in Florida are all from Twitter? That’s true.

If you own a business then this question is for you and you only.

Do you fast forward through the TV program to go straight to the commercials?

If you answered yes, leave this blog now because you are full of it. If you answered no, remember that when you are using the Social Web.

Here are three ways you can draw attention to you and your company while still being Social and not pissing anyone off Online.

1. Share information that you found Online that you know your followers and friends would get value out of.
2. Talk about your hobbies.
3. Communicate with others. Say “Good Morning”. We like this!

You have a profile that should have your weblink on it and if it does people that are interested will visit your site. Remember that there is a happy balance between promoting and being social just like there is a difference between automated Tweeting and Scheduled Tweeting!

Have a great Saturday!

365 Days of Blogging Challenge | Day 50

There has been way too much tragedy and sadness lately revolving around cyber bullying and suicides and I’ll be honest, it breaks my heart. This can be avoided. It doesn’t have to get that bad. No child (or adult) should have to feel that bad because someone wanted cheap thrills Online and maybe a little popularity. I’m telling you adults, it’s us! We are the ones setting the example. We are the ones that the kids look up to and here we are talking crap about some overweight woman we saw in Walmart or snapping pictures of people in public that we think look bad, weird and basically do not live up to the standards that we have set.

This isn’t fair nor is it right. If we were all the same inside and out we wouldn’t have those creative thinkers. We would be a bunch of freaking boring people. I know I’m different. I know I don’t fit into everyone’s idea of what a 30 year old female should look, act and be like, but guess what…. I could care less. I am me and for that I am thankful.

So I propose that we (as adults and any kids that might be reading this) take a stand, stop being bullies, stop being shallow and start accepting people for who they are and not how they look or what they choose to do in their lives. The kids are our future, but we are the influence today.

Think about it.

If you disagree and think that it’s cool to pick on, bully, make fun of and humiliate people Online please tell me why. I don’t understand how anyone could think this is OK.

I encourage you to watch this video that Ellen made and then imagine that one of these kids is your own, your brother or sister, niece or nephew. How would you feel if the tables were turned.

We can help prevent this!!!

Who’s with me?

Connect With Me!