How Social is Your S-O-C-I-A-L Media?

by Felice Gerwitz

I do things for many reasons and many of them are not very well thought out. I have good reasons for this, of course. One is that I'm "creative" and people who think outside of the box tend to be cluttered, haphazard and well. . .disorganized. When I began social networking and looked into beginning my online social media campaign it was definitely not well planned. I jumped in as I normally do, with both feet and now feel like I will never reach the bottom of what seems like a never ending hole.

It is time to take a look, create a strategy and look at your ROI (return on investment). Is your time well spent? Are you making money from your time? Or are you considering the "social" part of the "media" a time of recreation to "chill," "hang," and "talk" with your friends? In some ways I wish that this platform was around when I was a teen, what a great time to enjoy the great assets of this venue. Unfortunately as an adult there are many responsibilities and constraints on my time. For me the ROI needs to be significant.

When I began these blog posts I explained you must give value in order to receive value. This is important and holds true then as it does now. The question is how to give value and still take something to the bank. Let's look at the word social and see where it takes us.

S is for search engine optimization. Do you use keywords in your article writing, your answers to posts online and in your blog? Did you place links in your keywords when possible? (You will I created an example in this blog for you with highlighted and hyper-linked words.) If you do you will find your time is well spent. When someone does a search online your name may pop up on occasion.

O is for organize and plan. I try to do things in blocks of time. In fact this is my third blog post this evening. I write all my blog posts at once, I'm in a "groove" my mind is geared to speak in short, concise sentences that have impact (hopefully) and address a need. Is your time organized and planned? Do you know when you are going to be on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn? Do you know what you are going to say? By planning this out in blocks of time you can optimize your time online.

C is for caring. Do you really care what people have to say or are you so busy telling everyone about your products, services or needs that you don't listen. Take a few minutes of your time to give someone a "thumbs up" on facebook, read a blog post and COMMENT and do what it takes to get others encouraged and jazzed. Yes, this is a social community we are using our words to convey our thoughts, and while that may take some time a few well placed sentences will work just as well.

I is for intriguing. Do people stop and listen when you post a comment or write a blog. Do you have followers, do you follow other blogs? I found a radio show guest who is a new author by visiting her lovely blog. She obviously took great care in choosing the color scheme, the layout and the fonts. Her blog was warm and comforting. She told a story and drew you in... and when I learned she was an author I invited her to join me as a featured guest on my radio show. How do you draw people to you? Are you outlandish, loud or brash? Are you informative, ingenious and interesting? Whatever it is keep it up especially if it will bring you leads or referrals.

A is for attraction marketing. This term is widely bantered around in internet-guru-marketing-speak. It means how to you get people to come to you, hang onto every word and buy every single thing you produce, talk about or sell. It is easy for those who jumped on the internet first and now we are all wary of the latest-greatest way to sell or market online. In fact I believe that is why the tables have turned back again and relationships matter. In the days gone by relationships have always mattered. People want to do business with people they know and they trust. Be trustworthy.

L is for laughter. Yes, you can have a good time and market... ROTFLOL translation: rolling on the floor laughing out loud. It wasn't that long ago that our emails and instant messages were filled with that type of "speak". Today there is a reason for laughter and for joy! The market is still new and you are on board. Yes, it is growing in leaps and bounds but you are here, you have a presence and you, my friends are making an impact.

Grow your businesses, share your good news, and let others know what you do... make sure you give value and you will find many will come flocking to your door. It has happened to me in many ways recently. I have hired several new part-time staff members and we are forging ahead to build my publishing business with a drive and a focus I had many years ago and thought I had lost. I find myself excited once again with the resurgence of connecting to people I may never have met and opportunities I might only have dreamed about in the past.

Use your time online wisely and you will not be sorry. We are only a click of a mouse and a keyboard stroke away from some of the most influential people in the space. . . and I could be talking about you!



Felice Gerwitz is a wife, mother, author, publisher and radio show host. Her focus is on education, whether it is products, curriculum or teaching social media classes online. You can find her on her website at http://www.InformationInANutshell.comInformation in a Nutshell.com


Note: I am taking a break from my blog posts and won't be joining you monthly for a time as I listen to my own advice, plan and regroup. I want to thank Joanne for her encouragement and understanding, and the entire Empowered Women group for making me feel so welcome!