Contact Us 18772575556
live the brand
I'm Just Sayin'

Cutting through the clutter Part 3 - You're supposed to be social... Say something!

Dave Siekanowicz - Wednesday, January 04, 2012



Happy New Year! 

I know, I'm only 4 days late but hey- it's been a while. I should have probably finished this series before the holidays but things just got crazy busy here (crazy is good)and the blog got put on the back burner. But alas! I have returned to finish this mini series: Cutting Through The Clutter. Here's a quick recap of what we discussed in the previous posts:

  • Of all the social networking sites out there, less than 5% really matter to your business
  • That 5% of the pie is also important to 95% of your competitors
  • Your 5% varies on your industry, location and culture- so make sure you get it right
  • Bottom line: everyone's putting all their eggs into the same basket
  • The goal: cut through the clutter and rise above your competitors to reach your audience
Today's final addition to your social media tool belt (think of it more as that cool belt Batman had with everything from shark repellant to ninja stars): being social. Now this may sound simple enough, but you'd be surprised how many people completely ignore this step. Once you have your tiny little piece of the social media landscape all set up and running it is crucial that you actually use it to communicate with your audience. 

I find that the quiet individuals (the companies that will soon be left in the dust of the social media race) make one of two errors that result in their silence. Firstly, they are afraid to interact with their audience, quickly falling into the category of the faceless corporation. If someone writes a negative comment, don't be afraid to respond. If someone asks a question, especially a tough question, don't ignore it. Fear of taking on posts that may be challenging will usually result into your audience tuning you out. Interaction is key, it is not enough to just talk- you have to be a part of the conversation. 

The second type of quiet death (creative eh?) comes as a result of fear to say anything that may draw an opinion. Companies make the mistake of assuming that playing it safe means not recognizing or making comments on anything related to politics, religion, international events, taboo topics, different holidays, important sporting matches or anything too scary, too emotional or too challenging. Everyone else knows what's going on, you might as well say something about it. If there is a major political election you should say something, you don't need to out right endorse a candidate but feel free to remind people to vote, volunteer or just get informed. If a local tragedy happens don't avoid it and write about the weather, instead make an appropriate post or comment that will help your audience remember you're also human- and sometimes life just sucks. 

Regardless of what your approach is remember that in social media silence is deadly. 

      




Crazy Canucks rioters - you suck.

Doug Schust - Thursday, June 16, 2011



As most of you probably know, the Vancouver Canucks lost to the Boston Bruins in a disappointing 4-0 Stanley Cup final last night. As many watched the game, many also watched the aftermath of the loss unfold in Vancouver. Naturally, the first thought for many after watching their home team lose a hockey game is - "let's riot"! Note the sarcasm there.

Rioting outside the Rogers Arena became more violent and more intense as the night went on, and most of the activity was captured for all to see in pictures and videos from smartphones and cameras. Citizens watching the rioting first hand then uploaded this content to YouTube, Twitter and Facebook. #Canucksriot is still trending on Twitter. Some of the content can be seen here. It's been reported that many rioters actually posed for pictures! Well those will be some nice ones to send to Mom.

Didn't anyone learn from the stupidity of the G20 protests? Rioting ruins the city, destroys businesses, puts people in danger and puts the city in a bad light on the world stage. Do people think that setting fires to cars, looting stores, and confronting police will change the outcome of the game? But really, what's the purpose? I think many people share my frustration reading about the riots today.

One thing that may ease frustrations is knowing that the police are getting more and more tech savvy! They will gather the pictures and videos of rioters and use them to make arrests. The Vancouver Police Department took to their Twitter to post their disappointment  and will also be posting how people can submit photos and videos to evidence. You can look to @VancouverPD for all these updates.

Social media is also helping with the aftermath. On Facebook, a group has been started to encourage people to identify those that participated in the riots and there is another group asking members to gather together to help clean up the city. I am hoping that all these social media efforts help Vancouver spring back from last night's events and help punish those who took part.

Facebook Ups Security: What are we protecting?

Dave Siekanowicz - Thursday, May 19, 2011



A few days ago Facebook implemented a new mobile confirmation security measure to help prevent "profile hijacking" (please note that we are living in a world where that term exists). The new security function works by partnering your mobile number with the computer you mostly frequently use when visiting Facebook. Once you have completed this step, Facebook will be programmed to send you a text message if there is a log-in attempt from another computer. If you are just switching computers, then you will simply need to enter the confirmation code found in the text message. But if you find you are not trying to log-in from another location you will know that someone else is attempting to hijack your profile. Luckily, with the new text-based code confirmation they will not be able to log in even if they do have your password. And there you have it, Facebook security is no longer limited to a mere password. 

What's great about new developments such as this is how much they reveal about popular culture, more importantly the greater social media community. Facebook is no longer just a social networking site. Facebook has become people's lively-hood, source of income, business rolodex, branding tool, marketing platform and picture/video album containing precious memories. Having entrusted so much of our professional and personal lives to Facebook, we depend on constantly developing security measures to protect our profiles and precious data. A "profile hijack" is no longer a simple internet prank, but can cause devastating effects that could ruin relationships or destroy your business. 

Facebook has power; profiles have power. With effective management and maximized utilization, a Facebook page can help acquire new customers, generate revenue through ads or market your brand to millions all over the world. To see this power fall into the wrong hands can have devastating effects. The bottom lines remains- the world has recognized the force that is Facebook (as reflected by the ever increasing security development).
Has your business realized the power of Facebook?




<a href="http://www.blogcatalog.com">BlogCatalog</a>




Award Winning Marketing & Public Relation Blogs - BlogCatalog Blog Directory


Im Just Sayin - Blogged

Recent Posts
 


Tags


Archive

OAKVILLE, ON LOS ANGELES