BY FC Expert Blogger Gregory FerensteinFri Oct 2, 2009 at 5:17 PM | FastCompany.com

The Who’s Who of twitter were out in full force at this week’s 140 Conference at the Los Angeles Skirball Center. I got to heckle speakers with @adventuregirl (+1 million followers), talk branding strategy with @ijustine (700,000 followers), and speak on a panel with @pistachio (author of Twitter for Dummies).

I gathered a few unique insights from these twitter elite, and wanted to share them with my readers:.

1). Tweeting is a profession: both @adventuregirl and @ijustine spoke of twitter as a full time job, and admitted to being constantly connected to their computer. Unless you’re already an A-list celebrity, the twitter elite rose to fame through hundreds of hours of painstaking dedication (and, if you are an A-list celebrity, thank you for reading my blog and I’d like to have my own reality show ).

2). Give more than thou receive: Both the traditional celebrities and the Internet celebrities were unanimous on one strategy: promote others more than you promote yourself.

3). Be undeniably genuine: @pistachio and @obamagardens, both of whom raised much of their $100,000+ for charity with under 5,000 followers, used multimedia to display themselves as the passionate givers they actually are. @pistachio quickly raised a crucial $2,000 to meet a deadline by pleading with fans on ustream. @obamagardens snaps candid photos of smiling people holding his gorgeous flower bouquets (notice the blurry one of Tony Robbins’ wife).

4). Thank (nearly) every @reply or retweet: @ijustine stunned the celebrity panel when she admitted to personally thanking the thousands of people who mention her on twitter (a fact which she had to reaffirm after several probing questions of disbelief). How is this possible to do without clogging up one’s twitter stream with those annoying @replys? A couple of ways:

a). Send a direct message “thank you.”

b). Open an alternative account for use with @replys

c). Use a clever bit.ly trick: go to search.twitter.com. In the panel, search your twitter name and copy the URL from the results. Then, shorten the URL at bit.ly and say something like “Thanks to all the great comments: please check these wonderful peeps http://bit.ly/13LMi6”

5). Keep it simple: No fancy software is needed to manage +1 million followers. Some just use twitter.com; I heard some use tweetdeck.

Well, I for one am taking this advice and joining up a charitable cause at Stephen Colbert’s Donor’s Choose “Social Media Challenge.” Feel Free to join the 140 Twitter Conference group, start your own group, or experiment with an entirely different charity. @reply me with your experience, and, of course, I’ll be sure to respond back,

Greg Ferenstein

I came across this question while speaking with a client about social media and thought I would elaborate a little more on the topic. With the overwhelming acceptance and lessening resistance by the majority of companies social media is here to stay. So let’s take some time to tackle this question of engagement versus over-promotion.

Here’s a scenario. Acme Company, a business to consumer (B2C) electronics company is convinced it needs to be involved with social media. After all, twenty percent (20%) of all tweets mention a brand. Excited, they have their interns build some social media accounts and start telling the world about their products. This is a common and fundamental problem in many social media strategies.

Telling has been the traditional method of communication between businesses and consumers. It’s only natural that the first instinct of many businesses is to tell people about a great product, service, opportunity, or promotion for their company. But consumers are smart. They see what you’re doing, and to be frank, it’s just irritating.

It’s not a catch 22 however, and there is a silver lining. After all, it would be irrational for businesses to venture into social media if the outlook was dismal. People are here to build stronger brands, sales growth, and collect feedback to make their offerings better. The key however, is to find a balance between too little involvement and being overly promotional.

To do this effectively it is important to listen first. What kind of conversations are taking place about your brand? Understanding what customers think is an important step if you’re going to provide them with good value. Once you understand the perspectives of your consumers it’s much easier to provide them with resources, promotions they are interested in, or in some cases, a heart felt apology for when you legitimately screw up (a nice apology can be very effective).

It’s hard to be overly promotional when you know what your customers want and you give it to them. The overly promotional brands are usually the ones who are so busy talking that they don’t realize no one is listening. Practice actively listening to your customers and you’ll see higher click through rates, more interaction, and happier clients. All together, that equals higher sales.

September 20, 2009 | via TechCrunch.com

This guest post was written by Meebo CEO Seth Sternberg. It is the first in a series of posts he’s writing about the decisions a young entrepreneur needs to make when she/he is first starting a business. The timing is perfect, there is more than a little overlap with Vivek Wadhwa’s guest post on venture capital earlier today. We’ll update this post with links to his further installments.

I was one of those kids who just couldn’t stop trying to start a company. I think I just really feared working for the Man. Problem was, I seemed to suck at the whole startup thing. Multiple attempts followed by multiple failures. At some point I just said, “screw it, I’ll get a high paying job.” Problem was, I couldn’t stop thinking of the next great thing that got me ridiculously excited. Turns out, it wasn’t so much that I was the problem. Rather, I didn’t have anyone around me familiar enough with startups to tell me that I was doing it all wrong.

This is the first post in what’s going to be a series of blogs on how to go from nothing – no connections, no team, no money and no knowledge of how the startup industry really works – to operating a growing business. I mentioned to Mike that I was going to kick this series off over on the Meebo Blog, but he suggested I start it here. Gladly! So for this first post, here’s the best advice I can give you: join an awesome founding team and get your product out the door ASAP. Then, forget everything else, VCs included, and just build.

One of the things I do as a founder of a later stage startup is to meet with early stage entrepreneurs to help them get their companies going. Nine times out of ten, the meeting ends with them asking me for introductions to VCs. Little do they know that, even if they could raise VC, it’d start them down the wrong path. So, this is what I tell them…

Read the whole article at techcrunch.

Many of our readers have asked us what they can do to build their blog’s presence. Well, you asked and so you shall receive. Below is a compiled list of resources you can use to build your links and promote your content.

LINK BUILDING:

1. Exchange links with other bloggers
2. Use BlogRush
3. Submit to RSS directories
4. Submit to blog directories
5. Submit to general directories
6. Start a 2nd blog and link to yourself
7. Create and give away blog themes (with a link to your blog in the footer)
8. Create free plugins
9. Create link bait
10. Participate in blog carnivals
11. Comment on DoFollow blogs
12. WordPress Backlinks Plugin (link removed due to possible security issues)

COMMUNITY:

1. Join communities at MyBlogLog
2. Join communities at Bumpzee
3. Join communities at Blog Catalog
4. Start a community at any of these sites
5. Comment on other blogs in your niche
6. Email your friends and contacts about a new blog post that may interest them
7. Email your readers to say “thank you”
8. Email other bloggers to introduce yourself
9. Link out to other blogs

SOCIAL MEDIA:

1. Twitter
2. Digg
3. del.icio.us
4. StumbleUpon
5. Reddit
6. Netscape
7. Magnolia
8. MySpace
9. Facebook
10. YouTube

We spent the day talking internet marketing and social media Wednesday (well, actually we do it everyday) at Jacksonville’s first AMA Internet Marketing Expo in downtown Jacksonville. It was a good conference, especially for the low cost, with topics ranging from introductory lectures on Facebook and Twitter to case study presentations on some of the nation’s largest companies. Despite the ranging topics, the underlying theme always came back to high value customer engagement for optimizing conversion rates. At least, that’s how I saw it. Here are some takeaways from the conference for those who could not make it.

1. Basic Marketing Principles – The internet is nothing new, yet so many traditional marketers and business owners feel overwhelmed as if internet marketing was something launched last month. A big take away factor that was continually reiterated was not to forget the basic principles of marketing. Idea Integration, a full service ad agency compared an approach they used to a high school term paper, using the “who, what, where, when” questions to better understand their audience. Keep it simple, and listen to users.
2. ABT (Always be Testing) – We’ve been saying it for forever. A lot of focus was placed on usability testing and data collection. Laura Hernandez mentioned a new tool that we REALLY like. It’s called ClickTale, and it actually allows you to watch recorded videos of users behavior when they come to your site. We embedded a video so you can check it out. We use it and we love it.  For quantitative data Google and Yahoo analytics are good choices. They’re free and simple, but robust. Forums and social media can also be helpful and cheap ways to keep track of what users think about your brand.
3. Weak Panel Discussion – Not to say that those on the panel were under qualified. Truthfully I don’t know too much about their accolades. None the less the panel discussion really had potential but completely missed the mark. To better improve it for the next conference consider  having a more diverse panel (all were from the Florida Times Union) so that more experiences and opinions can be shared. The other takeaway from the panel is that it didn’t REALLY seem like an expert panel, although I could be wrong. Perhaps they were nervous. My expert panel would have been a Geoff Wilson, Carl Smith and one of the members from IDEA integration.

Overall the conference was certainly a success and well worth the $50.00 bucks I paid to go. I recommend if you weren’t able to go that you plan for it next time. Many of the speakers were very knowledgeable in their fields and it’s always nice to surround yourself with people who have a passion for these kinds of things. You can learn more about the Jacksonville American Marketing Association at www.jaxama.org.

Engage your audience! But, what in the heck does this really mean anyways? In fact, isn’t that what every keynote, industry expert and consultancy says, assuming that people know what they’re talking about? Ok, so engage your audience. Thank specific members for becoming a fan or following you (NO AUTO RESPONSES).

Take time to learn about your audience you can ask them specific questions. We like to call on followers that have related experience and ask them for their opinion. It’s a great way to catalyze conversation, as others will usually add their feedback once someone takes the initiative.

More to come tomorrow…

Soshalite just finished its facebook page and is exciting about what it means for building conversation and sharing ideas and information about social media and internet marketing. Our main goal is to interact with Facebook users to see how they feel about different business and marketing issues that are going on in the market place.

You can see the facebook page and become a fan by clicking here: Soshalite Facebook page.

-The Soshalite Team

I recently had the experience of seeing effective marketing by a business on Twitter. It’s a nice thing to see in all truthfulness, as most companies are still trying to avoid real conversations with their prospects and customers.

Impressed and intrigued, I did what any curious self-proclaimed web marketing guru would. I contacted VSP Vision Care’s (@VSPVisionCare) marketing department and started asking questions.

VSP's Home Page

Met with mutual excitement the VSP media relations department started telling me about specific doctors who were integrating social media strategies for customer feedback and business development. I was then introduced to Dr. Justin Bazan. Here’s what he had to say about social media, consumer feedback, building a loyal client base and increasing employee productivity.

@VSPVisionCare & @Grdeken: See How the Conversation Went

Q: At what point did you decide to integrate social media strategy into your business model?

A: From the start.  I had a pre-existing blog, started back in 6/07 that I continued to develop with my cold start in 2007/08.  I had both a personal Facebook page and Twitter account in existence for a while, but did not actively begin utilizing those services until late 2008.  Our business Yelp account was formed upon the opening of Park Slope Eye, but was not promoted until early 09.  Our practice was conceived with a patient-centric mentality, and one of the benefits of utilizing social media is that it allows us to get into the heads of our patients.

Q: Starting out. What objectives did you hope to accomplish through social media?

Initially we weren’t 100% sure. We knew we had to start utilizing social media, but that’s about the extent of it. Our initial objectives for the blog was to provide people with useful info about eye care and eyewear.
Q) How have your goals and objectives changed or grown as you become more comfortable and efficient in social media?

A) Instead of a sole informative optometric blog, Park Slope Eye now uses social media as our broadcasting platform to inform, involve, and evolve present and potential patients and clients.  We still provide useful info about eye care and eyewear, but we also find interactive ways to stay involved with our fans and followers.  Social media has helped staff perform at consistently high levels and strive to continually improve themselves, their team, our practice, and most importantly our patients’ and clients’ experience.  There is an awareness that social media has the ability to publicly portray them in both positive and negative light.  It is this awareness that drives them to be the best.  From a business owner’s perspective, the feedback from these social media websites is invaluable.  We are able to analyze the feedback and determine the appropriate course of action.

Dr. Bazan's Web Site

Q) Can you think of any setbacks you have had to overcome?

A) It has always been about making progress, pushing forward and doing more.  I was fired from a large regional chain when I refused to take down my blog.  If I remember correctly I was told, “We want the customers loyal to us, not to you.  Your blog is creating loyal patients and that is not where we want to take the company.” It was at that moment I felt confirmation of what I already had known.  I could build a loyal patient base through blogging and social networking.

Q) What is the future of social media to you? Where do you see it going? What opportunities do you see for your business?

A) Social media will continue to grow and evolve.  We see it headed towards cloud applications that will unite the best parts of the earlier generation of social media.  Cloud apps like Google Wave look very promising.  I also see social media sites, like Yelp.com, becoming a valuable research tool for people.  We are a society of people who value word of mouth referrals and testimonials.  We are also a society that is very comfortable in front of a computer, understatement intended.  Combine both and you see how social media sites are very powerful.  Easily accessible valued information and interactions.

About Dr. Justin Bazan:

Dr. Bazan received his B.S. in Biology from Trinity University. He is also a board certified 2004 graduate of the prestigious SUNY State College of Optometry. His formal optometric training includes an ocular disease internship at both the Syracuse Va Hospital and Aran Eye Associates. Dr. Bazan is affiliated with the American Optometric Association , the New York State Optometric Association, Proactive Optometric Physicians, Optometric Nutrition Society, and The Tear Film & Ocular Surface Society. Please visit  www.parkslopeeye.com

About VSP Vision Care:

VSP Global^SM offers world-class products and services to eyecare professionals, employers, and more than 55 million members through a group of leading companies providing comprehensive eyecare coverage, access to cutting-edge frame styles and brands, design of custom interiors and merchandising systems, innovative e-commerce and practice management solutions, and technologically advanced lab services. With the strength and experience of these companies behind it, VSP Global stands apart and delivers benefits, services, products, and solutions that are unparalleled in the world-wide optical industry. For more information visit www.vsp.com or follow them on Twitter at @VSPVisionCare

This is a great post from @Autom8. You can see more social media resources at http://autom.x.iabc.com/ -@Grdeken

The social web is gaining ground and your organization is scrambling. If that sounds familiar, don’t worry. You’re probably not alone.

Now more than ever, organizations must be knowledgeable and agile at identifying pieces of the social media puzzle that would be of value and make good business sense to them.

And there are ways to layer Web 2.0 onto an organization’s existing communications and marketing efforts, including using wikis and corporate blogs.

photo entitled ‘The Conversation’ sourced from Flickr via catcetera

Is a blog for you?
Before deciding to start an external blog consider the following:

• who is it for (target audience)
• what do you want to share that will be compelling (content)
• will there be enough valuable content to keep it fresh
• are you prepared to have a dialogue with your audience
• who will be the resource(s) to manage
• how will this presence enhance an existing business development initiative (or create new ones)
• will you have a social media policy ready

Also, if you’re still leery of taking the blogging plunge, you may consider starting off on a smaller scale: micro-blog on Twitter.

I’ve seen a couple of effective corporate Twitter accounts used by large organizations: @TELUS (community/CSR), @RogersHelps (customer feedback/support).

Conversation
As you research, filter through the hype and determine how / whether or not to embed a social media strategy into the mix, you will be compelled to look at how well you engage your audience. Be prepared to listen a lot and to be responsive.

What has your tribe/organization done to start the conversation?

About Autom:

Autom is a collaborative communications and marketing professional with 20 years experience in three industry sectors: insurance/finance, telecommunications and corporate law.

Additionally, with over eight years experience in graphic and web design, web management, as well as an understanding of and keen interest in emerging web-based technologies, he specializes in researching, communicating such technologies to address marketing and business development requirements and strategies.

He considers himself a social media explorer.

The content and opinions expressed in this blog DO NOT necessarily reflect those of his current employer.

keywords are fundamental to effective internet marketing strategy. Integrating the right keyword strategy is important for achieving favorable pay per click and search engine optimization results. Many tools exist to help marketers find the right keywords, analyze competition, and use the data to make efficient decisions. The end result is better search engine rankings, more traffic, and lower cost per click campaigns.

Keywords are specific key phrases that search engines use to categorize websites. For example, a financial news blog may have keywords such as ‘financial news’ or ‘wall street news’. It seems simple at a first glance but it is important not to underestimate the importance of keywords in getting your website in top search engine results. For more information on search engine optimization check out our SEO Guide.

One great keyword research tool is Word Tracker. Word Tracker is the standard in keyword research, giving users the ability to find keyword listings and competitive analysis on keywords. You can typically get a free trial and do a lot of the research you need before the trial is over.

Many people simply tag their home page with keywords, or use the same keywords for every page. This is a weak strategy. To be effective each page should focus on keywords relevant to the content that is included within that specific page. This is where the real power of keyword research comes in. By building up unique keywords on each page you increase the chances of getting more pages ranked higher in addition to building the ranking of your whole website.

Keyword research is also helpful for naming your links. You will notice this page has the link http://www.soshalite.com/2009/08/keyword-research-to-boost-seo/. The underlined part of the link shows how we have included the relevant keywords to this post. Search engines love this. Many sites, especially eCommerce sites do not practice this, costing them traffic and sales every month.

Keywords are really the focal point around favorable search engine listings. Failing to do effective research can be costly and a waste of time as you will likely go back and optimize your keywords once you learn the business of search engine optimization and realize how important this is. Our suggestion is to check out the Wordtracker Keyword Research Tool and do the free trial. It’s a seven day trial, which is more than enough time to get all the research done that you need.