Ever feel like your social media efforts are weighing you down?
I sure do! So I thought up a way to make some changes.
Just created a little spreadsheet starting with a list of all the social media accounts that I have, both personal and for business, and the list includes just the ones that are active. The count? Eleven major social networks with 15 business accounts and 7 personal ones. The personal accounts may be related to my businesses to some degree but only slightly (say less than 20%).
That’s a LOT of accounts to handle! No; wait a minute! It is insanity!
And it explains why my days get bogged down at times. Putting it “in writing” brought things into focus.
A big thumbs down!
Ah, but a spreadsheet is really useless without data. A list has been created and nothing more. A little birdie tells me that I've been checking these accounts all too often because they’re checked on a whim; kind of like an “ooh ah! I haven’t checked that one in a while!” Need to add some structure!
Time to put in some columns. How ‘bout times of the day? I put them in intervals of 2 hours, starting with 7AM …on second thought, I snuck in 8AM too since I tend to do a lot of “busy” stuff in the morning. And for good measure, 12PM is now there too.
Started using the spreadsheet today. A couple weeks from now when there's enough data: Analysis! Will it eventually show patterns and and where there’s too much time being spent, or perhaps not enough?
The good news is that not all social networks need my attention on a daily basis, such as Pinterest. However, it’s there on the sheet as a reminder not to forget it; it is important that I pin my blogs there as well and also see what other people have pinned, however, it just can’t be every day!
See, I'm already prioritizing before even getting started: Mindset! This little “experiment” is going to pan out. While I feel like I'm twiddling my thumbs, I know that’s not actually true and now there will be evidence of how much work is involved with social media upkeep.
How ‘bout you? Would you try something like this?
The Rolling Stones sang about something we all want to have better control of (see below). If you need better control of your time spent marketing, let us help you with your strategy. Stop by our website, or stop by on Twitter, Facebook, or Google+.
Note: Click here for Part one.
Randy’s still not having a good time on Facebook; he can’t find his friends!
Facebook uses an algorithm called “Edge Rank” where they decide what you will see from your friends. Is it fair? Certainly not. However, there’s ways you can get around it before your friends start thinking you are ignoring them.
If you want to see a particular friend's posts there's a few ways to do it:
- Go to your BFF’s wall and hover over "friends", then select "close friend". They’ve now earned a gold star from you (however they won’t know that). You will receive notifications when they post and they’ll also be part of a group of friends that you can custom post too (like a list).
Hovering over “friends” again you’ll see lots of other options as well:
- Click on “Get Notifications”. Then you’ll know when that friend posts via a notification. Note: If you don't click on the notifications for a friend for a while, Facebook may send you a message to let you know they're shutting off those notifications!
Who needs the newsfeed, anyway? Well some folks do rely on newsfeed, so here’s how you can make changes to reflect what you want to see from your friends. DO keep in mind that you'll have to go to each friend’s wall to make the changes. If you have a lot of friends, maybe just make changes for a few per day.
And if you don’t want to go crazy with notifications; just below “Get Notifications” there’s “Show in Newsfeed”. That can be clicked on or off. More importantly is what’s below it, “Settings”. Click on that and choose the options for what you’d like to see from that friend in your newsfeed; the level of posts you want to see as well as the type of posts you’d like to see.
Of course, emphasizing some people means that Facebook will show you less from your other friends. Choose wisely and don’t forget anyone!
One has to wonder: Why can’t Facebook just let us see ALL the posts from all our friends?
Anyway, Randy’s happier on Facebook now. He put himself in control of his Facebook experience and is now busy engaging with all his friends that he missed!
Conclusion: Facebook does not have to be boring!
Long before Randy lamented about where his friends might have gone, Chicago was searching for something as well in this hit from the 1970’s (see below). Search no more for your marketing needs! Visit us on our website, or stop by on Twitter, Facebook, or Google+.
A friend posted this on Facebook: “It seems that I find myself going to bed earlier each night. It's not from being tired, it is from being bored. Ciao people, be good, play nice.”
I immediately commented to him: “You are bored?”
His reply: “…FB at times does get repetitive in so far as it’s the same thing different day.”
Randy (not his real name) hops on Facebook after work. He sees post after post of cute kittens, music videos, excessive whining, and pretty scenery. The bulk of the photo and video posts are unoriginal and many of his friends don't even include any commentary to personalize it.
Oh! And the pages that Randy is a fan of? What about the posts there? Well, first of all, he only sees a small percentage of posts from pages. Why? Because that’s the way Facebook works; they want businesses to pay to reach people who have liked their page!
You knew that already.
Randy needs to take more control of his Facebook experience. We'll discuss friends in part 2. This go round we'll focus on pages.
If Randy wants to see posts from his favorite pages there are two ways to do so.
- Go to that page and like and comment on a few posts. Facebook will recognize the interest (hopefully) and will start showing posts from that page to him in his newsfeed. As long as he keeps interacting, he’ll see the posts. Of course, it’s unclear as to how much interaction is required to make this happen. Here’s what I found: There’s several pages that show up in my newsfeeds currently. I like posts for any particular page maybe once or twice a day and sometimes add a comment as well.
- The second option: Go to that page and click on the little blue down arrow to the right of the cog (which is to the right of the message button in the upper right of the page below the cover art). From there you can create an interest list.
It’s an underutilized tool. In a nutshell, you can create a list of what you'd like to keep tabs on based on an interest (perhaps you are a foodie and dig chocolate desserts?) or you could create a list of your favorite pages! The majority of posts from that page will show up in your newsfeed; easy!
Viewing this from another angle, those businesses that are trying to reach you through the wall that Facebook has put up between you and them will truly appreciate your engagement on their page, especially those small businesses that really don't stand a chance with Facebook’s algorithms.
And a note to the small businesses who are trying to find an audience on Facebook. Google+ comes with no shenanigans.
John Mellencamp sang about crumbling walls (see below). One can only hope that Facebook will let those walls come a tumblin’ and a crumblin’! Don't tumble while juggling social media! stop by our website, or visit us on Twitter, Facebook, or Google+.
The temperature is climbing; it hit 99 here yesterday and felt like a blast from a furnace. The norm is between 57 and 76 for May. Some ice cold root beer could be refreshing, however, I'll opt for water; lots of it!
Some good news: As the temperature climbed, so did the level of creativity!
It’s in all of us; it’s playful, fun and insightful. You gain insight into yourself and reveal your expressive self when you share that creativity with others.
For us folks that were mainly utilizing the left brain assets for many years there’s a feeling of guilt that pangs up now and again, along the lines of “this is too much fun so it can't possibly be work.”
Bah!
Well, I've got right brain fever. It started last night when I remembered a photo I had taken a few days ago of a Victorian house; actually just the roofline of the house. I turned the camera so that the photo would be angled in an unusual way. Then I thought of the word spired …kind of like inspired.
Here was the result:
And that was just the warm up. Took a short walk this morning in the warm sunshine just before the temps were due to rise to where you could fry an egg on the concrete! And what did I see? Lots of things: Peaches, gardens, a house being tented for termites, interesting cracks in the sidewalk, and a low wall with flowers growing beneath it.
I even took some photos of grass, freshly wet from sprinklers doing their daily job.
And for nearly every photo taken I thought of a use for it! Many will wind up on Facebook; some will wind up on my personal profile, others on Groovy Reflections, and others on ModlandUSA. A portion of them will be on Google+, Twitter, and Pinterest too.
Fever pitch: The possibilities are endless!
It is okay to be creative. Incorporate what you see into your everyday work. Share it; it’s a part of you and a part of how people see you both professionally and personally.
No doubt Southside Johnny had a fever when he sang this tune and Bruce Springsteen might have been feverish when he wrote it (see below)! If you need to have your marketing heated up, stop by our website, or visit us on Twitter, Facebook, or Google+.
Yes, I was. And I let them do it.
My Groovy Reflections page (my other biz) posts a lot of music videos in celebration of 60’s/70’s music and pop culture.
Among the things we post are birthdays. It was Gary Glitter’s birthday. If you don't know, Mr. Glitter had some major troubles including taking advantage of children (to put it mildly). He was caught (thankfully). He has paid his dues and is still doing so. While I certainly don't endorse his actions, I hope he can live up to his wrongdoing and find peace. Oh yes and he had a big hit with Rock & Roll Part 2 in 1972. My post said:
“Happy Birthday to Gary Glitter, born in 1944. We celebrate his big hit from 1972. Hey…”
A few likes showed up and then some negative comments including a very irate fan that used very colorful language. That sam fan also sent a message. It read: “gary glitter is a convicted kiddie fiddler please remove this”
Now I admit I have a lot of fight in me. However, the comments and the message hit me at a bad time. So I wimped out and removed the post and posted an apology.
One of my Groovy Reflections team members woke me up. He messaged to me: “You cannot let them bully you.”
Alas. it was already too late. I deleted the post. Shortly afterwards I posted a question to the fans as to whether or not we should continue posting anything related to Phil Spector, since he is a convicted murderer. No one replied. Hmmm.
That GR team member took the issue a step further and made several posts in celebration of those who are “notorious”.
Here are a few examples:
- Jim Morrison exposed himself on stage once but we are posting his 1969 hit anyway.
- This 1965 smash (and many other "Wall of Sound" hits that we love so much), was produced by convicted murderer Phil Spector, but we are posting it anyway.
- Imagine that a fellow was busted in England for drug possession.....then later, that same fellow was being deported from the USA because of Nixon, the FBI and the CIA. Imagine that after five years of court battles, this criminal got to stay in the USA.....Imagine if we posted his music anyway.
Wow! We listen to music by Jim Morrison (The Doors), great tunes produced by Phil Spector, and John Lennon! And they are all bad boys! Imagine that!
And his final post before handing “the wheel” over to the next GR team member (admin):
- This 1972 hit is played at sporting events all over the world. It was Top 10 in its day and most of us liked or loved it. Unfortunately, Gary Glitter (born Paul Francis Gadd) is not that great of a human being. However, he has paid for his crimes. We are posting his song. If you do not like it, do not listen to it. ALSO, walk out of any sporting or other event IMMEDIATELY when you hear it........as you can see from the past six posts, if we only posted stuff by angels we would be pretty limited.
Since I'm not a big sports enthusiast, I had no idea that Gary Glitter’s hit song was played at major events. I can just imagine the crowd screaming out their "hey...eh..hey...eh's" at my local sports arena.
Joe, thank you. You proved your point! To steal a phrase (and title) from a Tom Petty song “I won't back down” in the future. Not sure what happened to my "Jersey"!
So, here we go. I’m posting this song. Here. Right now. If you don't like it don't listen to it! I like the song. It reminds me of a certain period in my life. And as I stated above, I hope Paul Francis Gadd (Gary Glitter) finds peace in his life. And as one fan commented “forgive his soul but not his actions”. Well said.
This is the world of social media. Advice for you? Stick to your convictions. I promise I will stick to mine and I won't let anyone bully me in a social media situation again.
This tune was a 1972 #2 in the UK and #7 in the U.S. (see below). And tune into great tunes at the brand new radion station, Groovy Reflections Radio!
Marketing hat just went back on! You are most welcome to make a tuneful stop by the ModlandUSA website, or visit us on Twitter, Facebook, or Google+.
It’s May! Bring on the flowers! Or, if you live in the area I live in, bring on the next wave of flowers! Daylight Savings Time brings us out of the cave and now there’s even a better reason to spend more time outdoors.
Beauty. Dazzle. Color!
Do be prepared for fewer eyeballs on your social media efforts as your merry fans and followers start skipping through the forests and soaking up the rays.
They may be surfing, however, that might consist of wading in the surf.
Pay a little extra attention to them now. As they prioritize their summer plans they may also be deciding to prioritize their time spent on social networking.
Your small business wants to be at the top of their list!
- Use more visuals to get your point across. If you're a restaurant, let’s see something that’s going to make our mouth water and then return to your page to see more!
- Late Spring / Summer specials for those that are taking a “staycations”. Maybe they'll take short day trips instead or decide to splurge on something special during that time and maybe visit your location!
- Tie-ins to summer activity. Are there opportunities for your business to co-partner with another business and extend your reach further? Perhaps something that is sports or outside activity related?
Its spring …it’s warmer. It’s sunnier. The earth is alive with more colors! Time to think outside of the box! I think I’ll take my notepad and plop down on the chaise lounge out on the patio for a while!
The Box Tops sang about colors back in the sixties (see below). For colorful, cheerful assistance for all your marketing needs, stop by our website, or visit us on Twitter, Facebook, or Google+.
Don't you love getting mentioned on Twitter? It’s so refreshing and reassuring to see that someone took the time to think of you! Recognition is something we all crave (whether you admit it or not) and “small doses” are just plain nice!
Shoutouts can have hashtags such as these:
#shoutout / #SO / #FollowFriday / #FF / #happy(day of the week)
...or perhaps no hashtag at all.
Naturally you want to RT and add a few kind words, right? Well, at least I TRY to. Here’s a tweet that mentioned me (fella who tweeted this is fuzzed and blanked out):
This tweet is at the limit! When I attempted to RT it went well beyond the 140 characters and my own Twitter handle would have been cut off since I'm near the end! And of course; no room to say hello either. So, I didn't RT it. I DID sent a tweet to this tweep suggesting he make his shout-outs shorter; will I hear back?
There's one thing that is clear: Shout-outs, though intended to be something good and positive, can be annoying!
This is not rocket science. It's plain old thinking a step ahead. Why am I bringing it up? Because I see it happening several times a day suggesting that the issue may be fairly common. So I'll do what I can to get the word out and recommend a solution.
Simple rule of thumb: If you want your shout-out to be retweeted keep it under 120 characters. I will be happy to RT your friendly tweets then!
Tears for Fears sang about shouting in the eighties long before we heard a chirp out of Twitter (see below). If you are looking for social media strategy that will make your business sing, stop by the website, or visit us on Twitter, Facebook, or Google+.
Sadly, my efforts have not made an impact on Facebook yet. Repeat. Yet. Their criteria for the allowance of graphic violence, namely animal abuse, remains as is. They must LIKE it!
A couple days ago I published a blog that was extremely difficult to write. If you're an animal lover to any degree or if you think Facebook needs to create stricter rules about what’s posted I urge you to read it.
I wrote the blog for several reasons: A friend was upset after viewing it, to encourage people to get involved any way they can to take care of animals (rescue, advocating rights, etc.), and I wanted to alert people about Facebook’s leniency in allowing videos like the one I used as an example in the blog.
Nowhere in the blog do I state anything in a nasty tone to Facebook. I just relayed the facts. The truth.
And now I am being punished for my actions. For the record: I don't consider myself a radical; if there’s a cause to support it that I believe in, I quietly do so.
Yesterday I received not one, but TWO emails from friends that read my blog. Both saw my post about my blog in Facebook and clicked on the link to go there. Both sent screenshots that looked like this:
Look carefully at the top. Squint if you have to; it's important!
It's hard to believe that I might have been reported to Facebook for my actions towards advocating the prevention of animal abuse! What I think happened was that Facebook chanced upon my blog via whatever algorithm they have for picking up references to them that they deem as negativity. It could have been a combination of words such as violence and Facebook: Who knows?
I am surprised and disappointed by their actions. If I were Coca-Cola or McDonald's would they be treating me this way? Another example of how Facebook cares nothing about small business owners!
What I DO care about animals. The “four-legged” kind.
To anyone that read and shared my previous blog, thank you so much! My blog doesn't reach the masses so every share is greatly appreciated.
Meanwhile, I'm going to go talk to the animals (see video below). If you need to talk to me, visit the website, or visit us on Twitter, Facebook, or Google+.
This is one of the hardest blogs I've ever had to write.
It’s a beautiful world. And most of us want the world to be a better place. Social Media gives us the opportunity to make a positive impact on so many people. We, as individuals, can influence and make change. Social Media is powerful!
The question is: How far should we go to influence and make change? And what is the role of the social network as far as how extreme a post should be? When does it reach a point where we, good citizens that we are, have to report something that we feel is upsetting and distasteful?
This morning a friend messaged me about an extremely offensive video on Facebook and asked me to report it. He was informed about it from a Facebook friend. Unfortunately, he viewed the video. It shook him up terribly. He later stated in a message to me “I will do a mental cleaning later today from after seeing it.”
Facebook’s response after my friend reported this video was this:
“Thanks for your report. We reviewed the video you reported, but found it doesn't violate Facebook's Community Standard on graphic violence, which includes depicting harm to someone or something, threats to the public's safety, or theft and vandalism.”
Facebook does not consider a video of a dog being set on fire to be graphic violence! The video is over 2 minutes long and the dog was very much in pain and still alive at the end of the clip (according to my friend). And who knows what happened after that? A small, innocent animal that did not deserve this treatment!
You are probably shaking your head right now in bewilderment.
After I found out about the video I reported it. My friend stated NOT to view it and I haven’t. I urge you to report it as well: Please do NOT look at it. The URL is: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=448055848620298
When clicking on the URL hit pause immediately at the bottom left of the video. Just below the video on the right you'll see where you can report it:
How did this video wind up being posted on Facebook in the first place?
On April 15th a female publicly posted it on her personal profile. The accompanying comment was in Spanish. Translated she is saying this: “Like and share if you hate these people.” Is she is sympathizing with the dog? No information given about who “these people” are. Regardless of whether or not she is feeling compassion, a video such as this one simply shouldn’t be on Facebook! 1,589 likes, over 950 comments, and over 3,000 shares.
SHAME on you Facebook!
We all want to find who did this and bring them to justice, however, is posting something so disturbing and heart wrenching the best way to get the point across?
As a user of Facebook I do not want to be subjected to posts like this. Nor do I want my friends subjected to them.
Today I learned something new about Facebook, namely their policies that allow posts like this. I am disgusted and appalled by Facebook’s acceptance of videos such as this one. I certainly hope that other social networks are more socially responsible.
This is an example of social media at its worst.
Would like to hear your comments on this subject and perhaps we can eliminate posts like this in the future. Imagine if your child saw this video? There are plenty of young people on Facebook and this is a public post.
Together and as individuals, we can make a change. I hope that my words will be read and inspire others to take action.
If you would like to contact me directly, visit the MODern Marketing 4 U/ ModlandUSA Facebook page and message through there.
Have you ever been to a Fresh & Easy? They are located in California, Arizona, and Nevada. Currently this 200 store supermarket chain is owned by Tesco which is headquartered in England. Their core food store business is in the UK and they have a presence in several countries, including China, India, Hungary, and Poland.
Tesco has been around since the 1920’s; they have over 300,000 employees and over 3,000 stores! Tesco even has its own bank, located in their UK stores.
And they've been mentioned in this 2006 hit song by Lily Allen:
They are not small potatoes.
Five years ago Tesco sought bigger fish to fry and launched Fresh & Easy in the states. In all other countries they've used the name Tesco. Not here. I visited one of their stores soon after it opened in my area. It was small, messy, and boxes were piled up everywhere. Nothing was pleasing to the eye.
I selected a few items and proceeded to check out. The cashier yelled at me about something; I don’t recall what. I later told a friend that this must be the equivalent to shopping in Russia (Have never been; it’s just a perception). I haven’t been back to a Fresh & Easy since.
And now there’s another reason not to visit. Happened to have the radio on the other day and heard an ad that could contribute to their demise even faster. Oh, you haven’t heard? Tesco is leaving the U.S. and their 200 stores are up for sale. They have a message regarding their situation to loyal shoppers on their website, dated April 17.
Their “last blast” of advertising to promote the brand isn't going to win over too many people. Sure “F’in Easy” is supposed to sound cute and people have been using the term to refer to their stores. But hey, did “FCUK” work all that well for a certain British brand? French Connection went back to their original name after a few years.
In the radio spot a little ditty tells us about the lack of things you can’t pronounce that presumably are not included in the fine wares sold by Fresh & Easy. Is this an attempt to compete with Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, or Sprouts? Well, it isn't because the "cutesy" tune with it's "F'in" references is directed to a younger audience and not the alfalfa eating boomer crowd. Aha!
What IS this brand anyway? There's a lack of identity here. From my one visit I gauged that they were trying to be a discount grocery that provided no assistance to the shopper whatsoever. At any rate, it’s an odd moment to try to relaunch a brand when it’s up for sale.
The fine folks at Fresh & Easy have a video version of the ad that they have dubbed "a musical". That video is a "must see" otherwise what I've wrote above makes no sense. Let me know your thoughts on it! Click here (sorry could not embed it!).
Marketing isn't easy if you're doing it on your own. Need some strategy? Stop by our website, or visit us on Twitter, Facebook, or Google+.
Dear Folks at Twitter,
I was having a great day yesterday; out and about running errands and taking photos. Got home just before 3PM. Went into Hootsuite to catch up on Twitter; for one of the accounts, @groovyreflctns, the column that shows the incoming Direct Messages was blank. There was a message to reconnect the account, however, it wouldn't reconnect!
Went into Twitter. And discovered that the account was suspended.
Huh?
I've had that account since August 2010. I post links to music videos and commercials on YouTube, stories from the Groovy Reflections blog, interesting quotes (usually from folks in the rock ‘n roll arena), shout outs to followers, Follow Fridays, Retweets, and photos of nostalgia things (mostly taken by me).
And I don’t follow a lot of people; the account is well within the limits of the daily quota for following.
The account was not hijacked; there were no questionable tweets that were not made from me, nor were there Direct Messages that I didn't send.
This is the last tweet (from around noon) before the account was suspended:
It’s a blog by Groovy Reflections Team Member Paul about dating in his college days. It’s been tweeted before and there is nothing offensive or off color in the story; warning: It IS humorous though!
As far as I can see there was absolutely no reason for you, Twitter, to suspend the account. And to “reinstate” it I had to click two boxes that related to understanding “the rules”. I have no issue with the rules and I abide by them!
After the account was reinstated, the followers and following counts were repopulated…I watched the numbers rise up to close to the figures they had been at before the suspension, minus about 60 followers.
I do feel that I should be told WHY the account was suspended and have a chance to defend myself regarding any misunderstanding on your part. So I tweeted to your @support account:
No reply. At least not yet. Next I tweeted to my followers:
Then, I wrote to you, Twitter, using your form. I immediately received a reply via email and said that the account was not suspended. Well yeah, because I went through the steps to reinstate it! This was not the response I was looking for!
I wrote a second time using a different reason from the choices and received another automated response.
Your actions hurt me. I'm a small business just trying to get ahead. Groovy Reflections™ promotes Peace, Love, and Grooviness through 60's and 70's music and pop culture.
Twitter, please get in touch with me and let me know why you felt it necessary to suspend my account. Don’t be shy. Let’s get this straightened out.
Thanks for understanding.
Peace.
Where to find ModlandUSA: Website,
Twitter, Facebook, or Google+.
I really blew it today. I went and posted on my MODern Marketing 4 U Facebook page that I was going to have a new blog today. At first I was gung ho and jumped right in writing about something important I was thinking about.
600+ words later, it came to a crashing stop. And so it shall remain for now. It just needs a couple sentences to tie it all together.
Won't be posting that one today. And that's okay. In fact; there’s a valuable lesson in the scenario above.
It’s okay to leave things unfinished sometimes. In this case, it wasn't a timely piece; it can be posted next week and none of the value will diminish.
Letting your mind go elsewhere be for an hour, a day, or a week, and “letting it bake”, gives your brain time to breathe a bit and the final words that need to be said may come to you. This often happens for me. However, it happens when I’m usually somewhere where paper and pen is not at hand. Sigh.
You probably have a list of a zillion other things to do. Do some of those and check them off! Diversion, distraction!
Put on some good music! Lyrics can sometimes spur on a great thought or idea and maybe even give you what you need to finish those last few sentences!
If you're truly hung up, ask a friend to read what you've written. They may come back at you with a question about something you've forgotten to include.
Get outside. Just looking at different surroundings clears the mind.
Yesterday I snuck outside three times for ten minute breaks in the sunshine.
Then, later in the day, I took a brisk walk with camera in hand, determined not to think of anything work related during that time. I concentrated on photographing the local birds. Caution: You have to have some patience and I send a salute to all bird watchers out there!
End result? Cobwebs cleared out so getting back to thinking is nice and clean!
The photos included here are from that walk.
The good news: When that blog is finally finished, it will sing!
On their second album in 1968, The Left Banke sang about birds in a beautiful ballad (see below). Fly on over to our website, or stop by and nest on Twitter, Facebook, or Google+.
Ever feel like your social media efforts are weighing you down?
