Got plans for the summer?  Why not get caught up on episodes of my Social Media Voices Project podcast?  The podcast features interviews with industry experts such as  Sandy Carter, Brent Leary and Dev Patnaik.  I also have a super interview with Forrest Graves whose inspiring storywas featured on CNN, ABC and FOX news.  So go grab that iPod, iPhone (or whatever you use) and start listening.  Let me know what you think!

What else do you have going on this summer?   Beside relaxing a little, I’ll be presenting at Blog Her Business in New York City in August.  Maria Niles, Project Manager at BlogHer, will be moderating a conversation with Ekaterina Walter, Social Media Strategist at Intel, Gayle Weiswasser, Director of Digital Communications at Discovery Communications and yours truly.  We’ll be discussing specific and successful ways to integrate Twitter and Facebook into corporate social media plans; how to determine who should implement and oversee social media within organizations, and how to listen and respond when you find yourself in a potential crisis communications situation.  Be sure to let me know if you’ll be coming.    I would love to see you!

My blog will be continuing a short hiatus until the end of August.  I’ll be back to share some exciting news right after Labor day.  Take care and be safe!!

Customers are increasingly using social media sites, such as Facebook and Twitter, to communicate with companies for technical support, filing complaints, and more.  Let’s suppose your organization is listening to the social media space.  Are you equipped to use social media to lend a helping hand?  A customer’s S.O.S gone unanswered can lead to a public relations nightmare.

A few brands are expertly using social media as part of their customer relations. I experienced this first-hand, when I recently contacted Citrix for support.

I was having trouble integrating a missing feature on Citrix’s GoToTraining platform. At first, I contacted them by phone, and my first encounter with a representative was less than pleasant.  So, I asked to be transferred to a manager.  A few minutes later, I spoke to a manager who assured me that he would get back to me by close of business that day.

The next morning, after not receiving a return phone call as promised, I sent a direct message via Twitter to David Baeza, Vice-President at Citrix:

I had already made up my mind that I wouldn’t get the help I needed and contacted a competitor.  But, to my surprise, David responded promptly:

Less than one hour later, I received a direct message from the Citrix GoToMeeting Team:

Within minutes, Andrew, a GoToTraining technical team member, called me.  We discussed my problem and quickly determined a solution. The result was a very satisfied customer.  But that wasn’t it!  Later on that evening I received the following tweet:

It took me no time at all to click on the twitgift website and enter my shipping address. I immediately received the following notice:

My gift of a dozen chocolate chip cookies arrived yesterday.  They were delicious!  I also received a direct call from David Baeza after this exchange.

Three things Citrix got right:

Rapid social media response. Companies can no longer afford to respond slowly to customer inquiries. Citrix’s rapid social media response led to a positive outcome.

Top executive use of social media. By communicating directly with customers, Citrix’s top management humanizes the organization and lets customers know that they are listening, responsive, and care about individuals.

Sending a gift. Citrix communicates that they are willing to go above and beyond to support their customers. The gesture was the icing on the cake – or cookie!  And it left me with a memorable impression of the Citrix brand.

In all, my experience with Citrix on Twitter was a perfect example of how a business can expedite and improve customer relations using social media.  If not for the interaction, I would surely have taken my business elsewhere.  Instead, they created a loyal, satisfied customer.  Great job, Citrix. And thank you, twitgift!

According to a recent survey conducted by Compendium, a business blog may be getting 80%  of its traffic from first-time visitors.

This is an important finding that has far-reaching implications for business blogging. Enhancing the site experience for first-time visitors will be even more important, and superior content won’t be the only thing that matters.  Marketers will need to focus on enhancing the experience for first-time visitors.  Does the blog have visual appeal?  How does the site rank on navigability and readability scales?  Can visitors access information quickly and efficiently? These will be important considerations.

Compendium has created an advisory board to keep the conversation going.  Here are a few topics for further discussion:

1. In-depth web analytics.  Does the web analytic profile look different for first-time vs. repeat visitors?  Are there differences in conversion rates?  How often do first-time visitors take certain actions such as subscribing to a blog’s feed or responding to a call-to-action?   Are there other metrics that need to be tracked?

2. Patterns of social behavior. What is the social behavior of first-time visitors?   Are first-time visitors mainly spectators or do they leave comments or share information?  The Altimeter Group’s work with Social Graphics is applicable here.

3. Implications for Social CRM. Is there an opportunity for a Social CRM system to tag first-time visitors and auto-populate information such as a comment left by a commenter?  If so, what are the implications?

4. Content marketing strategy. What kind of blog content should a business create for first-time visitors?  How should this content be arranged on the blog’s home page? What content should be the most accessible?

Let me know what you think!

One of the very first books I read about social technologies was Groundswell. The book blew me away, and ever since then I have been following the work of the author Charlene Li , formally of Forrester Research now partner at the Altimeter Group along with Jeremiah Owyang, another social media powerhouse.  The Altimeter Group embraces a holistic and pragmatic approach to the open research of disruptive technologies.  They recently published the report Social CRM: The New Rules of Relationship Management.

One of Creative Blog Solutions’ organizational goals is to deliver business value to our small business clients.  We believe the current hype of Facebook and Twitter overshadows something bigger on the horizon.  As such, we contribute regularly to conversations about the applicability and future of social technologies.  We value our alignments with like-minded and forward-thinking organizations and we are a proponent of open research and collaborative movements.  To that end, we are excited to announce our involvement with the Social CRM Pioneers group, a community led by the Altimeter Group created in the spirit of open research.  Group members represent organizations all over the world.  We are dedicated to growing with and learning from each other.  I can’t think of a better place to be planted as the frameworks of social marketing and social CRM continue to evolve.

Social CRM:  The New Rules of Relationship Management is an insightful report and an excellent read.  Creative Blog Solutions is excited to be part of the conversation.

Is your business enjoying a lot of interaction on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter?   Beware!  If a static website is part of your online marketing strategy, you might be funneling leads toward a dead end.

Don’t Kick your Website to the Curve

It’s easy to become enamored by the new shiny web 2.0 tools, but don’t forget about your website.  It still plays a vital role in developing long-lasting relationships with prospects and customers.

In the era of social engagement, a static website (basically an electronic business card) isn’t good enough.  Interactivity is the name of the game.  Here are some tips to get your website on a web 2.0 track:

Add a blog or forum. Showcase your subject matter expertise and connect site visitors with each other by creating engaging conversations around what you have to offer.  Think community!

Integrate a rating and review system. Ratings and reviews from happy customers are great sources of interaction. It’s also a wonderful way to sell your products and services.

Add RSS-driven feeds to your site. Use RSS feeds to import content that your company has created from different sources on the web or use a feed from a blog authored by a respected thought leader or trusted adviser in your industry.

Make your website useful. It’s not all about your products and services.  Your site must have content capital and add value.  Post a list of FAQs.  Address your target market’s most pressing questions by publishing an ebook.  Be useful!

Go multi-media. Text is great, but pictures, video and audio can help complete your company’s story and enhance brand engagement.

Speak to the passion of your website visitors. 

What kind of information will your visitors find engaging?

What would make them come back to your site again and again?

It’s a new day for the traditional website.   Make it work for you!

Lately I have been experiencing a little personal Facebook fatigue.  Now,  before I explain, let me preface the rest of this post by saying that I think Facebook is great for marketing!  In fact, I love “friending” brands, personalities and businesses.   All is well on that front.  But I’ve been struggling with my personal Facebook profile.

From ex-boyfriends and bosses, to professional acquaintances and neighbors, three years on Facebook has brought together an exceptionally odd mixture of “friends”.   And what is more interesting is this inextricable link that Facebook has created between my past and my present.  Although it’s been fun getting back in touch, maybe there is a reason that the past is the past.  And can our brains neurologically handle having so many friends at one time?  A recent study says 150 is the limit. And what are the new rules of engagement?

Should I write “Happy Birthday” on your wall if I haven’t seen you in 30 years?

Is it okay to mention that your cat is getting really fat or ask you to give Mafia wars or Farmville a break?

So you “like” something?  I’m skeptical.  What did you really mean by that?

And, yes, your dry cleaning rocks and I love the way you groom my pet, but should we friend each other on Facebook?

It’s all a bit awkward.  Facebook has created new societal norms and new ways of being. Surely our brains are struggling to figure all of this out, and who’s not to say there’s a disorder down the pike.  Facebookalitis?  Facebookatosis?  What will they call it?  At least somebody is thinking about this.

Confusion is not my cup of tea, and I am certain that there is a higher calling for my friends, family members and acquaintances that have congregated at such an unusual place.  This thinking led me to search for my Facebook personal profile’s meaning and purpose,  and in the process, I found Causes. By using a simple Facebook application, I can be an advocate for causes I care about and provide a voice for organizations that are dedicated to creating positive change.   In celebration of my 45th birthday, the Causes Facebook application helped me raise $160.00 to help the earthquake victims of Haiti.  Other causes I have joined:

Jubilee Jobs – provides hope and support for disadvantaged job-seekers. They specialize in job preparation and placement to provide the poor with a clearly defined path out of poverty into sustainable employment.

Girls in Technology- supports academic and community programs that engage school-age girls in technology and computer-related learning.

By using my status updates and links, I am raising awareness about these organizations and I am recruiting my friends in the process.

Thank you, Causes!  Today, there is hardly any question about my purpose on Facebook.

I believe I got my groove back!

From ex-coworkers and college classmates, to aerobic class buddies and grocery store clerks, to Mafia wars and fat cats in between, surely we can all change the world, one status update at a time.

According to a recent study, small-business owners are not fully utilizing social media because they don’t find it helpful in generating business leads and they lack the manpower or the time to effectively leverage the social media space.

Hmmm….why not give people the tools they need?

Last week I organized a Social Media Soiree that was attended by over 40 small business owners in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. The evening of networking included live demonstrations of Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and other popular social tools to help business owners learn powerful ways to find high quality leads, develop brand enthusiasm, and create more buzz about their products or services.

The difference between these small-business owners v. the ones in the study?

Not only did these small-business owners understand the fundamental shifts in the marketplace, they expressed being willing and ready to do what it takes to stay competitive and relevant. They want to be alive and kicking ten years from now!

Kudos to those who made it out to invest in the future of their business!

We were also delighted to welcome our special guest, Clarence Wooten, the CEO of Groupsite, formally CollectiveX.

We would love for you to join us at our next Social Media Soiree being planned for early 2010! Please join our community list to receive an announcement.

Last week I had the distinct pleasure of speaking to students enrolled in the Hinman CEOs program at the University of Maryland (my undergraduate alma mater).   Hinman CEOs is the nation’s first living-learning entrepreneurship program that places entrepreneurially-minded students from all technical and non-technical academic disciplines in a community where they live together, learn about entrepreneurship, and launch new ventures. Approximately 25% of students develop and launch companies as undergraduates.

Interestingly, a few days before my participation in the Hinman CEOs speaker series, I began reading Wired to Care, a book about organizational empathy and how companies prosper when they are deeply connected to the market they serve.

As a certified and professionally trained co-active coach, the concept of organizational empathy is nothing new to me, but reading about it and spending time with our future CEOs conjured up some thoughts:

How will these young minds wrap their heads around organizational empathy?

Will they use social media and emerging technology to gauge their own level of empathy or use it as a channel to build deeper connections with their market?

Will they prioritize personal connections, community building and real life experience over market segmentations, research reports and abstract data?

Consumers are human beings, not numbers on a spreadsheet.

Social media has certainly taught us that consumers want to be noticed and treated like people and not data.  From reviews on Yelp, to broadcasts on Twitter, to blogs that talk about brands, products and services, the voice of the digital citizen is getting louder.  Will our future leaders and CEOs take the unprecedented opportunity to go out into the real world and empathetically connect with the people they serve?

To my new future CEO friends, you have the ball.  Run with it.

Footnote:  Join me on Wednesday, November 4 at 2:00 EST for an interview with Dev Patnaik, co-author of Wired to Care.  The interview is brought to you by the Social Media Voices Project, a division of Creative Blog Solutions.

Confused about how to jump into the social media space?  Concerned about your time and resources?  A little nervous about ROI?  Ease your way in!  Identify some low-hanging fruit or easy achievable/simple things you can do that require minimal effort. Yes, they do exist!

Here are my top five “picks” :

RSS (really simple syndication) – Just about anything on the Internet can be syndicated and shared.  Take a look at your static website.  Is there a section on your site that is updated regularly?  Syndicate it and allow readers to subscribe to your RSS feed!

Social Bookmarking - Set up a profile on a social bookmarking site like Delicious or Digg, identify some great content and create a library of good reads for your target market.  Don’t forget to bookmark your own content!  Busy?  This task is an easy one to delegate.

Twitter - It is beyond me how communicating in 140 characters or less has become totally and utterly confusing.  Think about the basics:  You’ve got a free channel to say something compelling to your target audience in 140 characters or less.  The sky’s the limit.  Keep it simple.  Twitter is the easiest way to get people (lots of people) to listen to you.

Flickr – Grab that digital camera and let the pictures share your story. What can be easier?

Scribd – Want to extend the life of your best and most brilliant PowerPoint presentation?  Could your brochure benefit from a new set of eyes?  Have a glowing annual report?  Scribd, an information-sharing site, is the place to be.

So that’s my pick.  Get started today! You’ll get a quick ROI early in integration, you can celebrate some early wins, and perhaps, just perhaps, you’ll become a social media maven. Keep me posted!

See how I leverage the Facebook public profile as a business marketing tool!  Be sure to also take a look at an older video Facebook business page v. a group for an in-depth discussion about the differences between the two. This updated video highlights features on the Facebook business page and gives tips on how to use it as a marketing tool.  Enjoy and share!

Relationship marketing refers to a long-term and mutually beneficial arrangement wherein both the buyer and seller focus on value enhancement with the goal of providing a more satisfying exchange. This approach attempts to transcend the simple purchase-exchange process with customer to make more meaningful and richer contact by providing a more holistic, personalized purchase, and use the consumption experience to create stronger ties.

-Wikipedia, Relationship Marketing

While speaking to a colleague about social media over the weekend, I was reminded of what I am most passionate about as a social media strategist.  Like many others, I love the new tools, sites and technology!  As an early adopter, I jump in early, test out the waters, and don’t mind wrestling with the beta versions and bugs.  When I joined Facebook it was a deserted island.  LinkedIn was much of the same.  It was adventurous and fun to be one of the earlier pioneers, but as social media became mainstream, it was time to take things seriously.  I am glad I did!

Five years from now, Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn will look and function much differently than they do today, that is if they still exist.

If all the social spaces were to suddenly vanish, what would you have left to justify your use of time and resources?

In the end, it will be the relationships you have built that will remain.

How big and wide will your relationship-building footprint be?

One of my greatest joys is working with entrepreneurs and small businesses and introducing them to the world of social media marketing. Check out these before and after shots of work I just completed for the Gallery of Weave & Wigs. Our team took their static, outdated website and turned it into a Web 2.0 marketing machine! The new site includes RSS, video and blog functionality. Next stop, Facebook! Congratulations, Gail, on your brand new look. May your small business rock this economy.

On April 11, Miss Virginia, Tara Wheeler, will shave her head if she raises $500,oo0 for pediatric cancer research.  What can I say.  I am completely inspired.  Creative Blog Solutions will be giving the  Gallery of Weave Wigs, the donor of Tara’s wig, a “Web 2.0″ website makeover.  What a great cause.   I am honored to be involved.  Please give:

Help Ms. Virginia Go Bald

We had a great turn out last Friday morning at the Baltimore Washington Chamber of Commerce (BWCC) headquarters in Laurel, MD. More than 40 business owners came out to learn how to leverage social media. The event was announced live on Twitter. I was able to send out a tweet to about five participants who had Twitter handles. (I think this number will rise.) I also gave a live demonstration on how to update a Facebook business page. We had a terrific time! Thanks to all who made it out!

Click below and listen to testimonials from participants:

[audio:bwcc.mp3]

recession, originally uploaded by jeremiah_owyang.

Inexpensive.  Quick word of mouth marketing.  Measurable results.  These are three reasons why more than half of the interactive marketers surveyed by Forrester responded that they will  increase spending on social media marketing during this economic downturn.   Spending trends are toward social networks, blogging and user-generated content.  Although the marketing budgets are small ($100,00 or less) these marketers are hoping for a healthy return on their investment.

Yet another sign that social media marketing is becoming mainstream and another reminder that it’s time to get on board.  Jump in!