Facebook’s Username Grab Goes Wild
By Kimberly | June 14, 2009
Last night Facebook opened the gates to allow users to claim a specific username, which is something people have been requesting for a long time. LinkedIn allows you do that and so does Twitter so it seems that it was about time for Facebook to provide users the ability to create a personalized URL as well. For people who are using Facebook primarily as a business networking and social marketing platform, then there are additional benefits to having a specific vanity URL related to marketing and branding.
For many of us who already use either our name, our business name or another specific username, there was some added pressure to be the first to stake a claim- especially if you have a fairly common name. I chose to go with my proper name instead of my business name. I did this for a couple of reasons. First, as a Virtual Assistant, there is just as much likelihood that someone will search for me by name as they will for my business name. My URL for LinkedIn is also under my proper name. Secondly, Facebook made it very clear that users would not be allowed to change their username and were advised to choose wisely. I figured that if I ever wanted to re-brand myself or decided to change my name or my industry, then I would want to still have a relevant username/URL for my Facebook account regardless of what I was doing or the name of my business. Besides, in a few weeks, I’ll be able to choose a username for my business Fan Page that can specific to my business and thus help me in that way in the search engines.
It was reported on Mashable that 200,000 users claimed their name within the first 3 minutes after Facebook opened the gate. Today, they reported that over three million names were claimed by 2 p.m. EST. And along with that, Twitter was all a-buzz with everyone pronouncing their claims and with reports of other names being snatched up before people could claim the one they wanted. Mashable also followed up with a post today about some of the funnier, wackier and nonsensical names that were chosen.
Now, as a Social Media Virtual Assistant, I made sure to inform all of my clients who are Facebook users of the need to make sure they claim their username as soon as possible and why this was important. I also made sure to give them heads up about the Fan Page username limitations (a 1,000 fan requirement as of May 31) but that we would be able to go in and get a Fan Page username as of June 28th regardless of the number of fans. A few of my clients asked me to take care of claiming their username for them since I was already going to be claiming mine at the same time. This is yet another example of how a small business owner or solo entrepreneur can benefit from partnering with a Social Media Virtual Assistant. I stay aware of what’s going on daily in social media and am sure to alert my clients to whatever news or opportunities that I feel they will benefit from in their social media efforts.
Topics: Virtual Assistance, Virtual Assistant, facebook, small business, social media, social media marketing, social networking, twitter | No Comments »
Changing the World
By Kimberly | May 16, 2009
I saw this video posted today in my Facebook newstream and I really liked the message. As a Social Media Virtual Assistant, I also see myself as an entrepreneur and I do think entrepreneurs are changing the world. We are not only contributing to how the world works but we are doing it to make better lives for ourselves and for those who follow us. With the recent economic hard times upon us, I think it especially important to keep telling yourself that anything is still possible, even when it seems like it’s not. Enjoy.
Topics: Virtual Assistant, small business, social media, social networking | No Comments »
Art on Twitter, Ballet on YouTube
By Kimberly | April 2, 2009
The Brooklyn Art Museum has a Twitter account and at last check, they had over 21,000 people following
them. The Museum uses the account to tweet about happenings at the Museum such as events, announcements, new blog posts from the Museum blog and to interact with patrons. They also tweet links to their other social media accounts such as Facebook where they have they have a Group with almost 800 members. According to recent Facebook statistics, the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, with over 2,500 fans, is one of the fastest growing Facebook fan pages with a weekly growth rate of over 600%.
The Museum of Modern Art in New York is also on Twitter with almost 12,000 people following them. They are tweeting about events such as an Art Hunt, the announcing of their website redesign, to answer questions from people and to tweet about Art in the news. Both museum twitter sites indicate the name of the staff who are doing the tweeting. This is important because even though the accounts represent an entity, people prefer to interact on Twitter with a person.
A quick search on Twitter for other arts organizations include the Atlanta Symphony, The Chicago Symphony, the New World Symphony, the Baltimore Symphony, the Houston Ballet, the Pennsylvania Ballet, and the San Francisco ballet, while not actively tweeting, has gone in and “reserved” their twitter name for future use. The Smithsonian has also joined the Twitter world.
A blog post of an interview with Marc van Bree, the PR coordinator with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra about their social media and online efforts. In referring to their Facebook fan page, they offered people the chance to win a new CD of one of their recent recordings and within a week they had over a thousand fans. He notes they have primarily used the page for distributing information about the organization but they would like to see it become more interactive with their fan posting content and interacting with each other. Over half of their fans are under the age of 24 and 85% of them are under the age of 34 compared with the average age of classical music patrons which is usually between 50 and 60. Facebook is an additional avenue by which they are able to reach out and connect with a younger fan base.
YouTube is another increasingly popular platform being utilized by arts organizations and non-profits. The Anaheim Ballet’s YouTube channel has over 500,000 channel views. The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust also has a YouTube channel which they use to provide information and insight about the city’s fine arts community. The Pennsylvania Ballet is using their YouTube channel to post video of performances, interviews with choreographers and chronicling the building of stage sets.
A recent article on how Philadelphia arts organizations are utilizing social media as a way to connect and engage a younger demographic. Almost every arts organization in the city has a Facebook page and others are using Flickr and YouTube as ways to reach their audiences and patrons. The Arden Theatre which has a Twitter, MySpace and a Facebook account, recently promoted reduced ticket rates on their Facebook page and increased the number of fans to their page by over a hundred. They are quoted as saying that they believe these efforts have resulted in a more loyal audience who better understands their overall mission.
Shawn Stone, the Philadelphia Ballet’s marketing director hits the nail on the head about why arts organizations or non-profits can benefit from using social media, “Using social media and e-mail marketing is a much-less-expensive way of marketing. It’s more targeted and can save your organization money. It’s also creating a direct line of communication with potential audiences of the future.”
Social media is creating new marketing avenues that arts organizations and non-profits are taking advantage of even as budgets continue to shrink. Not only does it seem to be helping them to connect with younger and target audiences, it’s also about having a strategy for getting the results and outcomes they want.
What non-profits or arts organizations have you seen using Social Media?
Topics: Internet marketing, Marketing, Uncategorized, facebook, social media, social media marketing, social networking, twitter | 2 Comments »
Social Media is Everywhere
By Kimberly | March 28, 2009
Social Media is now being used by small business, entrepreneurs, big business, non-profits and a multitude of other organizations. Using Social Media to market and network online is quickly becoming the norm as the number of people using and participating in Social Media grows exponentially.
Consider these numbers:
• In 2005, 8% of all adults online had a profile on a social networking site. Today, this has increased to 
35%.
• In December 2008, 76 million people visited MySpace which was a 10% increase over the previous year.
• In December 2008, 54.5 million people visited Facebook which was a 57% increase from the previous year and it’s estimated that 22% of all adults online have a profile on Facebook.
• Facebook’s fastest growing demographic is among users ages 35-49 in 2008.
• In August 2008, 23.7 million people visited YouTube and 1 out of every 3 videos viewed online is on YouTube.
• Globally, in 2008, more internet users accessed a social networking community than used email, (67% to 65%).
• In December 2008, 4.5 million people visited Twitter which was an astounding 753% increase from the previous year. Five to ten thousand new Twitter accounts are created daily.
• The number of active people on Twitter in the past week is over 550,000.
• 73% of active online users have read a blog.
How Can a Social Media Virtual Assistant Help?
Clearly, Social Media is here to stay and it’s obviously become a marketing force to be reckoned with. As small business owners or solo entrepreneurs, many of us have limited time to be focusing on how to learn or manage what it takes to increase online visibility or to adequately manage all of the “places” online that we are told we “need” to be. That’s where a Social Media Virtual Assistant can help. I have spent the time learning and understanding not only how Social Media works, but how the various Social Media avenues can be used for marketing one’s self or one’s business online. Further, I know how the various platforms work…those icky, sticky details of how to do something within Facebook, how to best manage your Twitter account, who to follow, what does an @reply mean…all things that can take precious hours to learn and understand. As a Social Media Virtual Assistant, I become your short-cut into jumping into the Social Media fast lane. Further, I can help explain to you “why” you want to be involved in Social Media and Social Networking. There are other benefits that are not just about connecting and engaging with your target market.
Stay tuned this week for additional posts which will cover exactly what I can do help with different Social Media platforms, real world examples of how Social Media is being used and other information about why it is important to establish a strong online presence.
Resources:
http://www.primalmedia.com/blog/social-media-non-profits
http://mashable.com/2009/03/09/social-networking-more-popular-than-email/
Topics: Marketing, Uncategorized, Virtual Assistance, Virtual Assistant, facebook, social media, social media marketing, social networking, twitter | No Comments »
Claiming Your Google Profile
By Kimberly | February 10, 2009
Did you know if you have a Gmail or other Google account, that you also get a “profile”? There are some great benefits to doing this. Not only is this a great way to share any of the content you have posted or created with any of the Google services, but it serves as a one stop and centralized location for any and all links or profiles associated with you. For a Social Media Virtual Assistant like myself, it’s a great place for me to be able to post links to all of the my Social Networking profiles allowing potential clients to get to know me.
You can customize the profile to show as much or as little about you as you desire. By making your name public on your profile, you make it that much easier for people (or potential clients) to find you. And of course, it provides you prime a spot for placing a link back to your website…on Google! Google provide you with a wide array of options for posting content about yourself. Also included is a “Send Message” feature so that someone can send you an email directly to your GMail account without having access to the actual email address.
Click here for more information on Google Profiles
Click here to see how I’ve set up my Google Profile
My favorite part of the profile is where I get to list my superpower: Sassy Social Media Virtual Assistant and Savvy Data Chick! If you’d like some help with setting up your Google profile or any other social networking profile, give me a shout out and let’s talk!
Topics: Online Resources, Virtual Assistance, Virtual Assistant, social media, social media marketing, social networking | No Comments »
Add Your Tweets to Your Facebook Status
By Kimberly | December 23, 2008
Within Facebook you have the ability to add an application which will sync with your Twitter feed and supply all of your tweets to your Facebook Status. There are a couple of benefits to using sending your twitter feed to Facebook. The first is that it will often place you on your friend’s home page so they will see it almost every time they log in. This increases your visibility on Facebook. It may also garner you more twitter followers who like what you tweet and will go choose to follow you.
There can be a couple of downsides to consider as well. Being constantly on the homepage with updates from your twitter conversation may be annoying to some people who can then choose ask for “less” about 
you in their home page feed. If you tend to be a prolific tweeter, your tweets will also fill your Personal Profile page as it will be considered a new “status” every time you tweet. So, it’s best to consider the positives and the possible negatives when adding this application. However, if you do add it and decide that it’s just not for you, then you do have the option to remove it as well.
Here’s how to add the application:
1) At the bottom of the Facebook window, click on “Applications” and a small box will pop up. At the top of the box, click on “Find More”.
2) After you’ve clicked on “Find More” a new page will come up and in the upper right hand corner, there is a search box where you can enter “Twitter” and hit search. The Twitter application will most likely be the first one to come up.
3) Click on the link to that application will take you to the Fan page for the application. Once there you can click on “Got to Application” to add it your Profile page. If you have a Fan/Business page, you can click on “Add to Page” to add it to your page.
4) Whichever button you click on will take you to another screen asking for your permission for the application to be added. Click on “Allow.”
5) After the application is added, then you will be asked for you Twitter ID and your Twitter password. Enter these in and you are all set to go.
I’ve also added a link to this application’s page on my Business Fan Page under “Favorite Pages” as another easy way for you to find it.
Topics: Internet marketing, Uncategorized, Virtual Assistance, Virtual Assistant, facebook, social media, social media marketing, twitter | 2 Comments »
Twitter Tips for Virtual Assistants
By Kimberly | December 17, 2008
Daily you can find me checking out new posts and adding my two cents over at the Virtual Assistant Forums where there is not only a wealth of great information but a great sense of community with all my Virtual Assistant comrades. Recently, an awesome new feature was added which gives all members the opportunity to create their own blog there. So, I decided to try out this new feature and created a blog post titled, “Twitter Tips for Virtual Assistants.” There are many Virtual Assistants who are just getting started on Twitter as well as those who are new to the Virtual Assistant industry. I believe it’s important that Virtual Assistants as an industry help each other out and support one another. With this in mind, I posted what I thought were important tips for my fellow VAs to consider for their tweeting journey. I’m posting the majority of that post here for other Virtual Assistants (and anyone else who needs some good twitter tips) and for other readers of my blog. Many of these tips can easily be applied by any small business entrepreneur who is just getting started on Twitter.
I’ve only been using twitter for a couple of months and I will freely admit that I’m thoroughly addicted. When I get up in the morning, I check my email first and then moments later, I log into twitter. All this usually happens before I’ve had coffee or breakfast…(and embarrassingly sometimes even before I’ve made breakfast for my son. Shhh, don’t tell anyone!)
In using Twitter I have:
1) received a referral from someone who saw me tweeting and referred me to a colleague
2) had two people contact me directly about working with me. One of whom will be signing on in January.
3) been asked to join a fellow twitter’s online networking group.
4) been able to “converse” directly with experts in many industries who I might otherwise not have ever come into contact with.
5) commented on a fellow tweeter’s blog about how a virtual assistant could help with the topic he was writing about and he went back and edited his post to include a link to my website.
6) been asked by a fellow twitter to comment on their new twitter related site and in return they placed a link to my twitter profile on the site.
7) received 50 free flyers printed by a graphic artist/printer on twitter because I responded to their post first. She later became a resource for me to get some business cards and letterhead printed for a client- who loved them!
Here are some tips for how I believe Virtual Assistants can effectively use Twitter:
(*) Interact with other Virtual Assistants that you either know from other places or that you do not know at all. This not only provides you with good networking, but you also gain insight into how other VAs are using twitter.
(*) Tweet about Virtual Assistant industry. This shows you are knowledgeable about your industry and that you are “in touch” with your profession and industry.
(*) Occasionally tweet that you are a Virtual Assistant and how you can help. Do this sparingly as people are rather adverse to blatant, constant, in your face marketing. Twitter should mostly be seen as a tool for creating connections and relationships.
(*) Tweet intelligently and professionally but also as a person. Let your personality show but keep in mind that people will be watching your tweets to gage what kind of person you are and how knowledgeable you seem. People will easily be thinking, “Is this someone that I can see myself working with?” “Can this person bring value to me and represent me in professional way?” However, keep in mind, that people also want to see the human side of you and who you are as a person.
(*) Use the “Search” feature at the bottom of the page to search for the terms “Virtual Assistant” or “Virtual Assistance” at least once a day. Read these tweets to see what people are saying about VAs and also to look for people who may be tweeting about needing a Virtual Assistant. You can also search for other terms as well. And if you’re really serious about it, you can add that search term to your RSS feed reader and get notification in your feed reader everytime that term gets mentioned. There are also other applications out there that will help you track keywords or specific terms as they get tweeted- which I’ll post more about later on.
(*) Post your twitter ID everywhere you can think of putting it without looking thoroughly obnoxious about it. I post mine at the bottom of comments I write on blogs. I’ve posted it on the Wall of several Facebook groups that I joined. I put it on my personal and business facebook page. It’s on the front page of my website and it’s on my blog. The key is get people to follow you. This increases the audience to which you are tweeting- all of whom can be potential clients, leads or referrals. After only a couple of months, I have almost 650 people following me. Guy Kawaski said it best on his blog…there are two kinds of twitters- those who want more followers and those who lie. True ‘dat!
(*) Respond to other people’s tweets with a good, quality response. People love to be acknowledged for their tweets, it gets you “seen” and possibly remembered by that person.
(*) ReTweet other people’s tweets. If you see a tweet that you like, think is good, or simply want to pass on, then Retweet it. People really appreciate it when you Retweet their tweets. And hopefully, they will do it in return for you- this means that one tweet could not only be seen by all of your followers but also by all of that other person’s followers and so on.
(*) Post good quality links to pages or items that you think people following you will be interested in. This helps people to see you as knowledgeable and as an information resource. I have several terms set up on Google Alerts and I’ll go in about once day and post several social media links since so many on Twitter are into the most current and relevant social media links. This has gotten me several Retweets. I also make sure that my last tweet of the day is one that includes a good link to something newsworthy or interesting. This is a good thing to do because when people first go to look at your profile they are going to see your last tweet first and in the biggest and boldest font. You want to leave a good first impression until you are able to come back to twitter.
(*) Speak highly of the other Virtual Assistants you “tweet” with. Give them shout-outs in your tweets. This helps create the impression that Virtual Assistants are a unified industry who supports one another- something that I personally think is very important.
(*) Check your @replies frequently and tried to respond to each one. Not only is this a courteous thing to do, but have some “conversation” with others on twitter provides others with the impression that you are using twitter for more than just a marketing tool but also as a means to actually interact with others. It’s not really advisable to carry on a several tweet conversation with someone though as many of your followers may only see your side of the conversation which makes your tweets not all that interesting to them. You can always take direct tweeting to the Direct Messages feature.
(*) Do not sign up to send an auto response Direct Message (DM) to new followers. Most people hate this as it is rather impersonal. And especially don’t use it send an auto generated Direct Message with a link to your website or blog. This is considered to be spammy and off-putting.
Okay, I think that’s about it for now. I’m planning a follow up post to this one with some twitter resources, tools and helpful sites that I use for my twittering. Please Feel free to add how you use twitter as a Virtual Assistant or to ask me any questions about using twitter in the comments area.
Happy Twittering and Come Follow Me!
@jkvirtualoffice
Topics: Virtual Assistance, Virtual Assistant, social media, social media marketing, social networking, twitter | 8 Comments »
Do You Suck at Email?
By Kimberly | December 9, 2008
Recently I have been wondering more and more about what are the current thoughts around email etiquette. Not with regards to how do you draft your emails, what you say or how you say it, but what are the current expectations regarding responses, response time, follow-up and basic communication. If I send out an email to someone following up on a conversation, or to check in with someone, there is an expectation for a response. But after a couple of non-responses, I began to wonder if it was just me who was wondering if common courtesy had completely fallen by the wayside. Has the age of electronic made it easier for us to connect or to ignore each other? Am I way out in left field by myself thinking that a response should be forthcoming?
Just like anyone else, I’m busy and am not always able to answer right away, but it’s always been my policy to try and respond within 24 hours and no later than 48 hours, even if it’s just to acknowledge receipt of one’s email and to let them know I will provide them with a more detailed response later. Other than spammers or auto-generated responses, I have never felt that it was okay to just completely ignore an email with no response. Given that everyone is busy, I also do not send out unnecesary or lengthy, overly wordy emails. Am I mistakenly under the assumption that email is still a communication tool? As a Virtual Assistant, email is a critical tool for communicating with clients from any location. This is one of the advantages of working with a Virtual Assistant…that one can be traveling the globe and still receive crucial assistance for their business. But we still need to be able to communicate and email is a prime way for doing that.
I took a little look around the ‘net to see if their were some newly published top secret email etiquette rules out there that I had missed out on. In fact, I found a post over at Business Email Etiquette which addressed not only my exact issue but validated my feelings about these non-responders. Here is what it said:
By not making the Sender aware you are away with a courteous away message, the Sender will assume their e-mail is received and if not responded to promptly, in your view, not a priority.
If you are so busy that you cannot respond at all (you’re there but not “away” to require an away message be in place), you are in fact deciding to ignore the Sender — even if for the time being — and that’s exactly what they will assume. You’ve made a decision that their e-mail is not important to you or you would have responded.
Exactly! Perception is everything. As technology has advanced making it easier to communicate with the flick of a finger and the click of button, we are slowly losing our ability to acknowledge that all this technology is still human-driven. There’s a person behind every message sent and a non-response has become one way to give someone the virtual finger. I find it ironic though as more and more people jump into social networking and media with all this evangelism about making connections and creating relationships, that people are failing to also see that email is still a part of that web. Your “virtual” presence can be everything when you primarily do business from afar.
As a Virtual Assistant, I’m here to help, so here are my suggestions for how busy people can make responding to email a little quicker when time is short:
1. Even if it’s just one line…send a response. It can be as short as “Hey, I received your email, will respond shortly.” That’s takes like two seconds folks.
2. Create a template email for those quick responses, especially if they are responses you find yourself sending often.
3. Get a Virtual Assistant. They can help with your email morass more than anyone. HOWEVER, you must still be able to communicate with your Virtual Assistant on a regular, consistent basis in order to get the most value out of the relationship. I think this is where so many VA-Client relationships fall apart…but that’s another post.
What is your email response policy? How do you handle non-responses?
Topics: Virtual Assistance, Virtual Assistant | 3 Comments »
Facebook Fan Page for JK Virtual Office Resources
By Kimberly | November 7, 2008
I’m pleased to announce that JK Virtual Office Resources now has an “official” Business Fan Page on Facebook. As a virtual assistant who specializes in social media and internet marketing, it makes perfect sense for me to have a Business Fan Page for the following reasons:
- I can keep my personal profile separate from my business profile.
- I can have a targeted group (fans) of people who are interested in my business and who want to receive updates regarding my business. I’ve essentially created a space where I can develop relationships with potential customers and have a “conversation” with them. I’ve made my business accessible to a whole population of people who I might not otherwise ever interact with.
- Increased visibility- I am able to post a link to my fan page from other social media sites, from my own website and from anywhere else I might be able to post a link. I’ve also made it easier for my friends on Facebook to find a place that explains exactly what it is that I do and what my business offers. Also, I’ve created an alternative to my website to advertise my business for potential customers who may do a search for virtual assistants or social media marketing on Facebook instead of Google. I can post notes or other relevant information on that page and it is immediately sent to my fan’s homepages. If they post back on my page, then all of their friends will see that on their homepage. That’s viral marketing at it’s best.
- Anyone can join or see my information without having to first send a Friend request that has to be approved. The Business Fan Page removes this barrier and allows people see your information much more easily.
- I’ve created yet another back link to my website which can help with search engine rankings.
- Facebook provide daily statistics/analytics such as the number of page views and unique visitors to your fan page. This provides you with good quantitative data about how often people are visiting and viewing your page.
- It’s free. Creating a business page on this highly visible social networking site is completely free and takes only a little bit of time and finesse to set up and it’s totally free. Who doesn’t love free?
Take a look at my fan page and I’d love it even more if you became a fan. I’ll be posting links and other social media information there that will be relevant to the small business owner or solo entrepreneur. If you don’t already have your own Business Fan Page, shoot me an email (or a message through Facebook) and we can talk about how I can assist you with setting up, maintaining and marketing your Facebook Business page.
How have you used Facebook for your business?
Topics: Internet marketing, Marketing, Online Resources, Uncategorized, Virtual Assistance, Virtual Assistant, facebook, small business, social media, social media marketing | 2 Comments »
User Defined Social Media
By Kimberly | October 28, 2008
A recent blog post by Ari Herzog asks the readers to define social media in 140 characters or less ( a la twitter style.) This is an exceptional idea since social media is exactly what it’s users make it. It’s about so many different ideas, thoughts, relationships and people that I’m not sure that it can be easily defined. I mean isn’t that like trying to define the result or outcome of every single interaction we have with each other online? On the other hand, the beauty of trying to define social media via the style of one of the bigger social media sites almost perfectly epitomizes the whole of concept of what is social media.
However, I’ve also been reading other opinions about how social media has been died or been killed or has become the green eyed monster of ME, ME, ME where people know they are “supposed” to be creating relationships and connections but not blatantly selling themselves, but that in reality so many are just pretending to create relationships and be personal while covertly selling themselves.
So which is it? Is social media about the users creating these connections and relationships with other users or has it just become another form of media that will be used to sell us something? In my opinion, it’s both. People are still using social media to form relationships and make connections while marketing themselves and their business at the same time. But there’s a right way and a wrong way. Using social media as a social tool first and as a marketing tool second creates more trust in you as a person and a business so that your use of social media for marketing is effective. Joining the social media bandwagon soley to market your products or services is a big no-no, is most obvious and usually seen as unauthentic and annoying- which totally defeats the purpose of using social media in the first place. Recently there was a great guest blog post on Chris Brogan’s which related this type of fly-by participation as “blurting”- especially when it happens on twitter. The point is, with social media, you have to remember to participate in the “social” part of it.
So to get back to Herzog’s original request about what is social media, I submit my definition of Social Media in 140 characters or less: Social media is collection of users connecting thru various social streams, platforms & niches to relay and receive the messages of others.
Topics: Internet marketing, Uncategorized, Virtual Assistance, Virtual Assistant, social media | No Comments »
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