So many communications folks I talk to (and I talk to a lot) lament that they’re “so far behind” in adopting new communications strategies (we need to stop calling it social media but we won’t for a while yet). But this is like the mom who confesses at playgroup that she can’t get her toddler to eat vegetables. With relief, the other moms admit they’re struggling too. Just as those moms should keep putting broccoli on the table because they want to foster healthy eating habits, you need to examine your values and base your...

There’s been a lot of buzz around Facebook’s new community pages and what they mean for brands, but I have a question that pre-dates any of this: how can a brand engage in a Facebook conversation happening off its page? If a Facebook fan page or group is skewering your brand, spreading inaccurate information or simply making a valid complaint about your company to which you’d like to respond what do you do? Having a Facebook presence is all well and good, but fan pages cannot post to other pages’ walls. Charging someone from the...

Most social media policies are written for HR and legal departments, “CYA” documents meant to protect the company and its managers. What they could be, but aren’t: 1. Useful guides to online engagement 2. Effective navigation around social media pitfalls 3. Fun to read 4. Encouraging So what’s a social media advocate to do? First, consider that trying to persuade the policy writers to change policy language is like trying to weave ropes from sand. HR folks and attorneys are charged with risk mitigation, and this is a valuable contribution...

I get a lot of questions when I’m out and about, but the one I get the most is how I got my job. WCNC asked me (most important takeaway: a top-down camera angle will make you look like Jabba the Hut’s girlfriend) and The Charlotte Observer wants me to help others learn how to find jobs at an upcoming conference. The truth is, I don’t know how you can get a job in social media, but I can tell you the steps I took to get my job as a social media specialist at Duke Energy, a challenging, rewarding job I really love. Here are the things I did: Spent...

You know those friends who know you so well that you can start conversations right where you left off six months ago without any explanation? That’s how me and my friend Dawn are. We’ve lamented together over infant teething, toddler defiance, teacher troubles and teenage defiance.  Sipping Dr. Pepper (her) and coffee (me), we’ve sliced, diced and julienned family conflicts, work issues, successful child discipline and failed recipes. I now live three hours away from Dawn and we don’t see each other much, but when I call or email...

A recent post on the Viral Garden got me wondering how many small business people finally understanding how to blog for business and connect with customers through Facebook and twitter are hearing us dismiss blogging, and diagnose social media as terminal and thinking they’ve missed the boat. I’m here to tell you, Mr. and Ms. Small Business, the ship is just coming into sight for you. Stay focused on your goals and strategy, and spend time delivering value and encouraging communication with your customers. If it’s working (don’t waste...

Two months ago I headed out the front door with my lanky, moody, shaggy-haired teenage son, unlocked the van and, with not a little discomfort, slid into the passenger side. Placing his shiny new driver’s permit in the console, he turned to me with just the hint of a smile. “Mom, the key?” With just the hint of a smile, I handed it over. He took a deep breath as he backed slowly down the driveway. I felt my shoulders tighten and my brake foot tense (what if he hits the mailbox? what if he forgets to look both ways? what if he takes a curve...

I had some great professors in college, although even the best of them made me want to fashion voodoo dolls from old leg warmers (hey, it was the 80s) and spend afternoons slashing their little voodoo term papers with a thick red pen. One I remember quite vividly is my freshman English Lit. professor. I had spent tons of time on a paper that was returned to me with a pulsating “C” on it. “What gives?!” I thought and marched up to her desk, requesting an explanation for why she panned my 18-year-old brilliance. “This is nothing...

Not sure if you’re cut out for blogging? Try this: Start blogging. Build an audience. Get some response. Interact. Get excited. Then stop. If you’re a blogger, you won’t be able to get blogging off your mind. Blog post ideas will pop into your mind as you choose the best peaches, walk the dog and get your car inspected. You’ll obsess over missed opportunities to share ideas and insights, and conversations you wished you’d started but didn’t. How do I know? Check the dates on my last few posts. Yeah, I’m a blogger. If...

Social media offer many potential benefits. Any social media enthusiast can talk all day about “engaging with your customers,” “permission-based marketing,” and “listening and monitoring” and how they may help. But most small businesses are sitting on the sidelines waiting for the answer to that bugaboo question, “What’s the ROI?” Best practices will emerge and benefits will become clearer as time goes on, but there’s one thing that time can’t give you – the appeal of doing something...