Our very own Marcie Hill was a panelist for The Power of Social Media for Social Activism: Can Social Media Create or Advance Social Movements? at Social Media Week Chicago on Tuesday, September 20, 2011. She shared the stage with rapper/activist/20th Ward Aldermanic incumbent Che “Rhymefest” Smith and journalist/blogger/TV personality Zondra Hughes.

Facilitated by Carl West: CEO MG Media, Founder/Managing Editor TBTNewsService.com and Lauren McCadney, Social Media guru at CDW, this session discussed issues relevant to grassroots organizations and every day people, not just marketing and branding.

Some of the questions asked were:

• Do you think a social movement can occur in the United States like they did in Libya and Egypt? If so, how?
• Can social media spark activism or is it just a tool to keep it going?
• What was the best example of the use of social media?
• How can people determine which messages are real and not “manufactured”?

It was a great two hour panel. More images to come.

Image: zocalogroup

Social Media Week Chicago,which will be held September 19 – 23, 2011, has over 50 events scheduled across the city. All of the sessions are free, but you must register. Some of them are already full.  Visit www.socialmediaweek.org/Chicago  to get a full schedule of events. And don’t forget to register!

Image: chicagopressrelease

I searched my name on Google, Yahoo and Bing, and found that I rank higher on my social networking sites and blogs than through e-zine articles.  This led me to wonder: how much weight does article marketing hold these days?

There was a time when article marketing was highly encouraged because it boosted the writer’s visibility on search engines, thereby allowing them and their expertise to gain more exposure. It seems that social media and blogs have taken over.

Here’s my concern with the increase in search engine visibility based on social media activity. My thoughts are based on what I see, not actual research. There are lots of active people on social sites and blogs, but many of them are having fun and sharing personal information.  They are not really providing valuable content.

This led me to two more questions:

1. Are people really ranking high on search engines based on social media activity?
2. If activity is the primary determinant of ranking, where does content relevancy fit in

Based on the relevance placed on social media activity in search engines, is article marketing passé? What do you think?

Image: johnrobberson

I know you’re probably thinking, “What’s an ooVoo?” I know I did when I first heard about it. Now, I’m digging it.

ooVoo is free video conferencing and video chat program that allows you to connect with 3 people at once for FREE. It’s really cool and very easy to use.  It’s one step up from the free version of Skype. You can actually chat with up to 6 people but you have to pay for the remaining three.

I had the opportunity to use it to call my friend in Connecticut with another friend here.  I loved it. There were very few disconnects, the images were clear and the sound was pretty good.  The disconnects we did have was based on the strength of individual internet connections.

To be successful on an ooVoo call or any other video call, you have to have the following:

1. good internet connect
2. webcam
3. microphone – this could be internal or external
4. speaker

I am a fan of Skype and ooVoo. Both are recommended for quality video calls and video chat. You can actually change your ring tone and make other customizations on both. I haven’t done it yet because I’m still in awe of the concept of video calling. Even if you are a Skype user, I would encourage you to ooVoo.  Find a couple friends to give it a try today. If you like it, come back and share your experience.

For those of you who have used ooVoo, how do you view ooVoo?

Note from author: I am NOT getting paid for this but if any ooVoo staff members see this and want to toss in a couple dollars, I’ll take them

Image: ooVoo

Most business people jump into social media waters without a plan of action. Many of them say, “We have a Facebook page,” or “We have a Twitter account.” And when they are asked, “Who is your audience and what do you say to them?”  They start blabbering like Ralph Kramden from The Honeymooners.

As a business owner, any social media efforts should fit into your current marketing plan, which should fit within your overall business goals and objectives.  Following are a few things you should consider before “going social.”

Before you do anything, there are two questions you need to answer: 1) Why are you engaging?  and 2) Do you have the time and manpower to do this?

Really think about why you want to use social media for your business.  Are you doing it because everyone else is doing it? Or, do you have specific messages to get to specific audiences?

Consider this: social media is very time-consuming. It’s not just a matter of creating messages and walking away.  You have to have conversations with other people.  You have to listen to what they are saying and respond accordingly.  And you have to continue to court those relationships offline.  Do you have enough time and people to do this?

Until you can honestly answer these two questions, there is no need to go any further.  If either of your answers were negative, STOP HERE.  Otherwise, let the real planning begin.

1. What is your goal?

Do you want to generate awareness for your business, products and services?   Do you want to be known as the expert in your field and industry? How about converting visitors into paying customers?  Know your goals so you’ll know how to best proceed.

2. Who is your audience?

You need to be as specific as possible for each of your audiences.  It’s not enough to say, “I’m reaching out to small business owners.” That’s a huge class. You have to narrow your options to industry, company size and any other distinguishing factors that will allow you to tailor your messages.

3. What are your messages?

Are you educating, informing, entertaining or all of the above?  Regardless of what you decide to say, do not sell anything directly.  This is by far the easiest way to lose the audience you’re working so hard to build.

4. Which is the best site to get your message to your target audience?

There are literally hundreds of free social sites online with more being created every day.  People seem to think that they have to have a presence on all of them to get their message across.  This is not true and a big waste of time.  You need to pick that one space that has your target market and really work it.  This is the space where your relationships are created and courted.  This is the space where conversations become profits.  Be sure to have a detailed plan for whichever site you choose.

5.  How often should you post content to your sites?

This depends on the audience, message, method of delivery, and your time and manpower.  Sending tweets is less time consuming than creating and editing videos.  Maybe your audience prefers photos.  Be sure to be creative and consistent in developing and delivering content to your audience.

Before you take a plunge into social media waters, be sure to really consider the questions above. Most people engage with no plan while others begin and don’t continue because they don’t have a plan.  Having a plan will ensure that you deliver the right message to the right audience using the right tool.  It will also keep you on target and focused.  If you find that time and resources are limited, it’s best to wait until you are able to work your social media plan effectively and efficiently.  Remember, poor planning is as bad as or worse than having no plan at all.

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Following are a few resources to help get you started on your social media journey.

Facebook for Dummies – Leah Pearlman and Carolyn Abram

LinkedIn for Dummies – Joel Elad

Twitter for Dummies – Laura Fitton, Michael Gruen, Leslie Poston

YouTube for Dummies – Doug Sahlin, Chris Botello

Social Media 101 – Christ Brogan

Social Media Marketing for Dummies – Shiv Singh

Facebook Marketing – Mari Smith

The Social Media Marketing Book – Dan Zarella

If you need help developing a social media plan, brainstorming ideas, setting up and managing your social media site and content, contact us at (877) 570-5228.

Image: Eric Rosen