Join the Conversation Early, Not After the Damage Is Done

If a conversation happens in a forest and you’re not there to be a part of it, did it really happen?

In the online world of social media – you bet your bottom dollar it did. And an entire network of friends, fans and followers heard it, participated in it and repeated it to their friends, fans and followers.

When I worked for a small town newspaper right out of college, we often joked the biggest threat to being scooped was the gossip that took place at a quaint diner downtown. There’s no message tool more effective than word of mouth – especially when the topic is heated, controversial or sensational. That’s how I like to think of social media. It’s not really all that new to those of us who understand how gossip works – it’s fast, can often be misleading (think the children’s game of telephone – the more you repeat something, the more inaccurate the message becomes) and sometimes damages someone’s reputation.

Socialnomics And How It Affects Your Bottom Line

A shout-out to our friend Abbie Fink in Phoenix who shared this entertaining video at the Public Relations Society of America – Tucson Chapter luncheon on Tuesday. This fun video is both enlightening and eye-opening – especially for those businesses who aren’t in the game.

At The Caliber Group, we push to stay on top of the game, not just in it. Find out what your business needs to know about managing its online reputation at our next social media workshop, 8-10 a.m. Sept. 16 at Ventana Medical Systems – hosted by the Northern Pima County Chamber of Commerce. We’ll show you how you can be anything from a wallflower (find out what others are saying about your business or competitors online) to a witty conversationalist and even a social media influencer.

But don’t sit this one out.

Don’t Be the TMI Twitter Guy

Everybody knows somebody who shares information that should be kept to themselves. I like to call that person “The TMI (Too Much Information) Guy.” Typically they are somebody you know at work or interact with in social settings. Now that social applications like Twitter and Facebook are bursting at the seams with new members, The TMI Guy is now your friend or follower.

Not only can this make your social media experience a not-so-fun one, but it can also hurt your online reputation with other friends and even employers. Imagine if TMI Guy starts blabbing about something embarrassing you did – it’s in their personality to share everything.

This is definitely a trend. Here are some tips to consider as you build your online networks, whether you know a potentially dangerous TMI Guy or happen to be TMI Guy yourself (shame!).

Are Twitter, Facebook and YouTube Really Free Marketing Tools?

A popular argument in the business world against social media is that employers would have to pay employees to blog, tweet or post video and photos to YouTube and Facebook. The “man/woman-hours” is the expense.

Personalizing Twitter Account Key to Building Social Media Brand Following

A recent study on social media shows that taking the time to personalize your profile and targeting followers who are peers and influencers could yield better results than using your brand name and logo and waiting for consumers to come to you.

While the study focuses on insomnia and a fictitious pharmaceutical brand, the results really translate for any business looking to build awareness and/or educate consumers using social media.