by Kimberly | Feb 25, 2010 | Blog, Facebook, Featured, Social Media
Google announced today via their Twitter account that Facebook Fan Page status updates will now become part of the real time search. This is huge for people who seriously consider Facebook as marketing avenue and want to use it as a tool to further get found by search engines. This means that updates from Facebook Fan Pages are currently being indexed and included in Google’s real time search feature. This includes links, photos, videos and status updates but not comments by fans. While updates from personal profiles can also be posted publicly by users, it doesn’t appear that those updates are being indexed as part of the real time search. What is Real Time Search? If you’re not familiar with real time search, here’s an example. Currently trending on Twitter is “Canadian Joannie Rochette” from Olympic events. If you go to Google and type in “Canadian Joannie Rochette,” you will get quite few results, but if you scroll down about mid-page, this is what you will see. As you can see, there is a scrolling box which shows real time results as they are happening. The addition of Facebook page updates to real time search joins Twitter, MySpace, FriendFeed and others. Mostly what I’ve seen so far in real time search are updates from these networks about trending topics. This probably means that big brands on Facebook with large fan bases will likely get the most of amount of love from real time search right now. However, it does become yet another reason why businesses, organizations, non-profits and others need to seriously considering creating a solid presence on Facebook...
by Kimberly | Feb 23, 2010 | Blog, Featured, Social Media, social media marketing
Social media and the internet make it easier than ever to reach other people, other markets and other businesses anywhere in the world. So sometimes, it seems as though what is most often overlooked is how easy it is to use social media to connect with local people and businesses. As a Virtual Assistant, my business model is built around being able to work with virtually anyone, anywhere. When I first started using social media for marketing, I did not focus too much on networking locally either online or in person. However, when my husband and I started an e-commerce business, OTC Sports, part of our business model for was centrally built around reaching the local market. Around this same time, I made the acquaintance of Gary Powell with ImageWear Solutions on Twitter (@imagewear). Gary and I exchanged a few emails as I helped him figure out some of the inner workings of using Twitter and Facebook for business. He also reached out to my husband, Jeff, on Twitter (@OTCsports), communicating back and forth about different sports related topics. Gary is a great example of what a local business can do with social media. He reached out to other locals on Twitter and Facebook, offered a helping hand, and was always willing to help spread the word about other local businesses. Gary doesn’t use social media to be self-promoting, he uses it for connecting with people. When the time came for us to order promotional apparel for OTC Sports, Gary was the first person we called upon. Completely knowledgeable about promotional products and apparel, Gary made the process easy...
by Kimberly | Feb 3, 2010 | Blog, Facebook, Featured
I became a fan of the US Army fan page on Facebook after the shootings at Fort Hood last year. Today I noticed an interesting status up from their page. (See below). I think this is a fascinating use of a government agency connecting with every day people but it was also an interesting commentary on just how far social media has come and is now ingrained in our every day lives. After seeing this update, I went over the Army’s Facebook page to see just what was going on and it seems as though the Army’s fans were posting their opinions on the military’s “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” policy. Obviously, this is a highly charged and highly emotional issue for many people on both sides of the issue. The parts that particularly caught my interest was: 1. The response from the Army’s admins for page who were actively engaging with their fans and letting them know they were being heard. It also appears Admins are actively watching the page to delete any completely derogatory and profane messages. But the ones that are on there seem to be posted by people on there who are willing to post their opinions without resorting to name calling or hurtful words. 2. That this issue was being so openly discussed at all on their fan page. While fan opinions on Facebook may not change whether the policy continues, it does seem entirely feasible that at the very least, these comments will be forwarded to those in the higher ranks and quite possibly to congressmen and women and other policy/decision makers. I believe...
by Kimberly | Nov 23, 2009 | Blog, Featured, Twitter
Often people ask how to go about finding other people to follow on Twitter. There really isn’t an exact science to it but for Twitter to be an effective social media marketing tool, it just makes sense to follow (and to be followed by) people who are or might be interested in what you tweet about or in connecting with you. I think those who are new to Twitter will sometime become frustrated in the beginning because they are only following a few people then the Twitter stream can be a fairly quiet place. And then, if you are only being followed by a few folks, the interactions can be few and far between. Here are some ideas for finding other people to follow on Twitter. Check the different Twitter directories. Use these directories to find people who have listed themselves by industry, subject, interest or location. Here are the top three that I often use: WeFollow.com– Users self-identify themselves in this directory using different “tags.” You can easily do a search by tag and find other people who you might be interested in. I also recommend listing yourself in this directory so others can also find you. WeFollow will list users within a certain tag according to how many followers they have with the higher follower counts first. Twellow.com– The Twitter Yellow pages. Every account on Twitter is automatically listed in Twellow. However, users can also go in and “claim” their profile on Twellow and list themselves in 10 different categories. Twellow also gives you the option to input additional profile information about yourself or what you do...
by Kimberly | Nov 5, 2009 | Blog, Featured, Social Media, Social Media Virtual Assistant, Virtual Assistance
You’ve probably heard over and over that social media is about authenticity, sincerity, and transparency. Maybe this has prevented you from getting a little extra help with your social media needs; you aren’t looking for someone to go out and impersonate you online. You want to be sure that you are the one maintaining control over your image, your business or your brand. Unfortunately, you’ve probably also heard that social media can become a colossal time suck. This is where a Social Media Virtual Assistant (SMVA) comes in. Your image and message can remain authentically yours while someone else takes care of the routine tasks and chores of social media. Here are just a few things a SMVA can do for you: Set up your social media profiles. Setting up a new Twitter account or Facebook Fan page is easy, but optimizing them for the greatest marketing value is quite challenging. An SMVA has the expertise and specialized knowledge to efficiently get your account off to a running head start. Already have an established Twitter or Facebook page? Your SMVA can provide you with recommendations on how to use your accounts to build your online visibility and increase your brand awareness. And how many times have you wondered what exactly you’re supposed to do with your LinkedIn account? An SMVA can advise you on how to optimize your profile and how to be seen as an expert in your industry. Save time by having your SMVA research groups for you to join and find questions for you to answer. Research. An SMVA can help research where your target audience...
by Kimberly | Oct 27, 2009 | Blog, Featured, Social Media Virtual Assistant, Virtual Assistance
Engaging in online media and maintaining your social presence online is time consuming, and it can quickly become overwhelming as well. This is especially true if you are new to using social media. A Social Media Virtual Assistant (SMVA) is someone who can get you set up on different social networks, streamline systems for maintaining your social media presence, and help save you time in the long run. They understand how different social networks function and can get you up and running so that you make the best use of your time and resources online. Here are few tips to help you make the most of your Social Media Virtual Assistant: 1. Have a good idea what your goals are. Do you want someone to help you create and maintain your profiles? Implement an overall social media strategy? Provide consistent updates and distribute your new content? Do you need someone with experience editing and distributing videos? Does the SMVA need to know how to help maintain the backend of your blog or help with the more technical aspects of blogging? Having an idea of what you want to the SMVA to do will help you to look for an assistant who has the skills to provide the type of assistance you want. You should also be comfortable with delegating tasks and communicating consistently and clearly. It typically takes between 60-90 days for an assistant to fully understand the client and integrate with their business. You need to be especially prepared to provide information and be responsive during the early days of the working relationship. It is also important to...
