…..are we too connected?

for those of us cursed with iPhones, Blackberry’s, Androids, or any other smartphone or advanced mobile device then you might agree with my use of the word ‘cursed’. never before have we been so connected like we are today. these days we can reply to emails, texts, tweets, respond to Facebook comments, upload YouTube videos, surf the web, share blog posts, update our websites……I think you see where I’m going. we can do all of these things instantaneously. so the question is, are we too connected? are we creating an environment where expectations are too high? what is an appropriate response time when someone sends us a message? do you have different expectations for personal/professional? I was listening to ‘Type A’ on CBC the other night and one of the stats I heard on being über connected and thinking we we’re being more productive, was that it lowers our IQ by 10 points. that’s more than if we were under the influence of THC. so what do you think? what is an appropriate response time? I know that in my case for the most part if I don’t respond almost immediately, I most likely won’t. thoughts?

mike

content….too much, too little?

I get asked all the time ‘how often should I post?’, ‘when is the best time to post?’, ‘what should I post?’. quite honestly, I don’t think there is a right or wrong answer for any of these questions. I think that if you’re posting great content you can post 4, 5, 6 times a day. I also think that you can limit your posts to  a couple of times a week if you like. when I look at active/ engaging FB or Twitter accounts I see several things. consistency, personality, and relevancy.
what I mean by this is:

• Consistency – if you have great content your followers will begin to look for your posting patterns. whether it be once a week or 10 times a day, we’re creatures of habit. if you go weeks between posts, you’re most likely going to lose people’s attention.

• Personality – do you get involved in conversations with your fans? do you reply to comments or ask questions? followers are looking for the people behind the brand as much as they are looking for relevant content.

• Relevancy – what do you post about? there are no rights and wrongs here but try to keep your posts relevant to your business. that doesn’t mean all your posts should be about the consistency of drywall mud should you be a drywaller. it means that if you’re a contractor, post about new Eco-friendly building products and tips on how to conserve energy, or reduce water consumption. community events your involved in or that are happening around you should be included, and every now and then a post about what’s happening in your life doesn’t hurt.

remember a good mix of business, community, and personal posts will ensure that your followers will keep coming back to your page/site/blog more frequently because they are interested in what you have to say, whether it’s 5 times a day or once a week. it takes time to build a following and earn people’s trust to the point where they feel comfortable enough to comment on your page. keep at it….

mike

why Facebook?

It is becoming more and more important these days to increase our on-line presence. as technology advances and portable devices become more readily available and cost effective consumers are spending more time searching for businesses like yours while on the go. websites are great for showing the full capabilities of your product or service but they can be expensive, aren’t adaptable, and generally don’t allow interactions with your clients. these days 75% of purchases are decided from peer recommendations. what better way is there to generate business than word of mouth? using Social Media as a marketing tool effectively provides a platform where consumers can share your business and all the wonderful things you do with their friends and colleagues, and increases your Google rankings. with close to 850 million Facebook users now why wouldn’t you take advantage of this platform. your customers are already there, are you?

do companies really ‘get’ social media?

I’m constantly finding more and more companies looking for assistance in their new media marketing. what strikes me as odd is how undervalued customer engagement is to some large organisations. a great deal of businesses still see online communications and interactions with their current and potential clients/customers as a task for the sales or administrative departments. I recently came across an ad for a well-known and large Calgary based company searching for an administrative assistant with necessary skills listed as; word, excel, powerpoint, simply, and social media. what does this mean to you?

many companies are fantastic at interacting with their customers, sparking conversations, answering questions and yes, dealing with negative feedback. but the majority that I’ve come across still think that just because they have a Facebook Page and a Twitter account that they are capitalizing on ‘social media’.

one of the best quotes I’ve heard in a while was at last friday’s SMBYYC where Lori Stewart said “don’t do social, be social!”

hillsidemike

Excited to say the least!

I’ve been attending the social media breakfasts in Calgary (smbyyc) for over a year now and to say that this get together has affected my life in a positive way would be an understatement. The personal and professional contacts I’ve made through smbyyc and the knowledge I’ve gained is unparalleled to any other “networking” function I’ve ever attended.  This isn’t saying that there aren’t other fantastic events out there but for some reason smbyyc has always been at the top of my must be there list.

When smbyeg was first announced I was excited to see the franchise grow.  I knew that the social media savvy crowd and the newly engaged would find great value in discussing all things social media.  The McQ Design folks have done an excellent jobs finding guest speakers to present on social media and social media related topics.

This month I’ve been asked to speak at smbyeg about my endeavours with social media and how I use it as a personal and professional tool.  To say I’m excited wouldn’t scratch the surface, to say I’m a nervous wreck, would be more accurate!  I hope I can share some of my experiences both positive and negative and pass on a few tips that have helped me in my day-to-day activities.  I look forward to meeting more of the smbyeg faithful and I know I’ll learn something new, I always do!

Mike