The Flipside by Alternative Strategies

Does your Facebook page look like this?

Do you even have a Facebook fan page? Do you think your business needs one? In my humble opinion, YES! Absolutely, you should have one. Facebook is not only for teens. The fastest growing population segment on Facebook are people in their 50s. And if people like your brand, why shouldn't they be able to "like" it. It puts your name out there and it provides your customers a platform to have the closest thing possible to a relationship with you and you with them.

So, why not have a Facebook fan page that's appealing and engaging? Here are 10 great examples of Facebook fan pages. The only remaining important thing for you to decide is what of this content is appropriate for your audience.

Good luck and call us if you need help with that.

    100 million Tweets circled the world today. Did you know that? It does not mean that all of it is interesting content; All too often, people on Twitter feel the need to reveal to the world what they’ve had for lunch, but there are some fascinating pieces of information that can spread through the web like wild fire. Along with Twitter, micro-blogging platforms such as Posterous or Tumblr have soared through the ranks of the most used blogging platforms. What does that mean for blogging in all its forms? Well, looking at the statistics of the study Technocrati takes on every year, it looks pretty healthy any way you want to look at it.

 

    Blogging is going mobile. Brian Solis would say this is a matter of a glass half-full or half empty but that the circumstances matter most. Are you drinking from the glass or are you pouring water in the glass? So, although traditional blogging (sitting at a computer desk and write articles, thougth pieces, etc.) retains its attractiveness for longer pieces, blogging on-the-go is in full throttle. Mobile technologies are allowing this transformation and moving the location of blogging, literally. 25% of all bloggers have already gone mobile and 40% of bloggers that use their smartphones to blog have confessed that it has changed the way they blog.

 

    The second trend on the rise is blogging mommies and women in general. Brands beware. Although mores are changing over time, women still do the shopping in a typical household. Overall, 69% of bloggers confess that they blog to speak their minds on what areas of interest. We have all heard of social media/PR debacles for brands that were not paying attention to their customers’ experience.

 

    So, what does it mean to you right? Why should you care about the health of the blogosphere? Well, with review sites like Yelp, micro-blogging platforms like Twitter or Posterous people will talk about your brand, your restaurant, your business, etc. And what happens if you don’t take the time to care about what they say? There is no knowing what the consequences of alienating a customer with a digital soap box might be. Are you going to take the chance?

 

Your Resume Is Your First PR Campaign

By Alex Pridgen

So let me get this straight, I can have a better chance at getting hired for a job if I make a statement such as one particular candidate who claimed to be “Pig Wrestling Champion?”

 When Sara Sutton Fell, CEO of FlexJobs.com, was hiring for a entry level position, this particular candidate obviously stood out from the rest because of her pig wrestling background.

However, the pig wrestler stood out for the wrong reasons.

Fact is, people do want to stand out and be different from the rest in order to get hired. But never forget to highlight the qualities that will benefit the job description.

Consider your resume to be your first, most important, PR campaign.

Job seekers just want to make a statement and stand out from their competition; unfortunately they are often memorable for all the wrong reasons.

 I am just outraged at some of the things people include in their resumes thinking that they genuinely will stand out because of some stupid one-liner.

Some “don’ts” not to do when writing a resume:

A. Don’t apply for a corporate position as a part time model highlighting on the resume some pictures of yourself in various poses, like the gal who included lots of bikini shots. She probably got a lot of offers, just not for jobs.

B. Don’t list your abilities at Playstation 3 or XBOX under “special skills.”

C. Please don’t provide an email address that was made when you were in the 7th grade such as hotsexygirl@yahoo.com or pinkpoodlegirl@gmail.com. (It is time to change that). These are fictional examples (hopefully), but you get the point, right?

D. And please don’t tell people that your personal accomplishments include “getting back together with my boyfriend upon release from prison.”

E. Last but not least, please please refrain from actually acting out the scene from “Step Brothers” in which both brothers had a joint interview for a janitor position wearing tuxedos. You will not stand out by doing this.

The Quick Pitch

By Michelle Lew

With social media like Twitter limiting how many characters are allowed in a single post, are you able to get your pitch clear and concise enough?

Some see using Twitter as a barrier or a pain in the rear end, but I see it as a challenge. That little bird is asking me to clean up my message and if I fit the 140-character limit, it will deliver the message to my public.

The idea of a 21st century carrier pigeon is exciting to me, plus the "fail whale" pushes my patience with the internet. But how do you make your pitch successful?

Stick To Your Core Message

With the lack of space in a tweet, there is only room for one main message. Remember to pick your most important point and stick with it.

Abbreviate

When space is of the essence, some grammar and slang rules need to be broken with Twitter. I have seen many professors with doctorates abbreviate in tweets. Also using “&” instead of “and” will save 2 characters (remember how precious space is).

Keep it simple!

Only include important details -- you don’t have very much space to fluff up your message. Stick to the 5 W’s: who, what, where, when and why (leave the “how” for follow ups). Make sure you answer the important questions your followers might have, but leave them wondering and wanting more.

With Twitter, less is more. But there is strength in brevity and, when used properly, Twitter is very effective and beneficial for your company.

Finding New Clients Through Social Media And The Internet

By Michelle Lew

In an era which a good majority sits behind computers with endless information at the ends of their fingertips, finding new clients has shifted from actual word-of-mouth or driving around town to social media and internet searches.

Yes, technology has changed the way a lot of business works. If you don’t have a Web site, your company is outdated. If you don’t show up in a Google search, you’re most likely going to get overlooked.

Thanks to review sites such as Yelp!, CitySearch and Merchantcircle the internet can be helpful in finding new clients.

First, it helps to have an idea of either the neighborhood or industry you’d like your client to be in. Then you’ll be able to look through main listings of local businesses and then go to their personal sites or do Google searches of their company. You can choose whether or not you like their mission, company and services through their site and then add them to your list (or not).

Social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter can be a big help for finding new companies. Social media is a free way for new companies to get started and old companies to connect to different customers.

Facebook is no longer just for college-aged people. Everyone (and some of their mothers) is on Facebook and that opens the door to finding clients. Twitter is a very open medium where contacting others or retweeting a post can bring attention to your company. This is an easy way to make potential clients aware of your services.

Even if you personally are not following the potential client, the word of mouth through Twitter is outstanding because retweets and mentions by other tweeters can lead you to undiscovered gems!

From the potential clients you have found through your Internet research, you can then begin your outreach efforts to secure new clients.

Attracting New Attention To Old Clients

By Michelle Lew

Sure, maybe you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, but what if you taught a new dog old tricks?

Getting attention for old clients might seem like a difficult task, but with some out-of-the-box thinking and these tips you should be set to go.

Find new media outlets

Blogs and online media are showing up everywhere. Depending on how long they’ve been around, it’s a good chance they have not written a piece about your client.

These new dogs are not familiar with the tricks you already have. This way you can to pitch any services that your client has because they’ve never heard of them.

Also, look for publications that you have not outreached to before. Although print is allegedly a dying media, it is still worth sending a pitch over to see what happens.

In addition, don’t ignore the places you’ve been. They might have changed editors and that means your old client might be new to them.

Develop a new strategy

Think of this as a small re-brand, a mini make-over for your client.

With trends changing so rapidly, your client should be tweaking their services or their message to accommodate the changing times.

Frequently brainstorm with your team how you can help your clients out, even the smallest things help or start the wheel turning in a co-worker.

Think about current events, trends, new services offered and pitch your idea to media to get coverage.

Also, introducing old clients to new media is never a bad idea. Twitter and Facebook are always options to raise awareness and can be used to your advantage when needed.

Remind them & create nostalgia
 
For the older contacts, simply reminding them of your client might help. Humans were programmed very strangely and sometimes creating nostalgia about a client can help.

Maybe your target audience has some emotional ties to your client and a little tug on a heartstring is what is needed for them to write a story. Or perhaps they have previously written something for your client and you could use this to your advantage and pitch a follow up story.

A professor once told me, “Keep it simple, sometimes less is better.”

If it seems like there’s nothing you can do to help out an old client, start fresh and think back to the basics. If that doesn’t work, there are always interns around with new and improved ideas you can ask for help!

How To Get Results From Social Media

By Erin Goss

So you’ve got a Facebook and a Twitter page for your company… what now?

That seems to be the big question these days. Companies know that they need to jump on the social media bandwagon, but once they’ve got their pages set up they struggle to figure out how to turn tweets into real results.

Don’t worry! We can help with these simple tips.

Be passionate! First off, businesses need to realize that in order to get readers and increase brand awareness they need to make their pages interesting! Too often businesses post boring news messages without any personal flair. One of the greatest benefits of social media is the ability to humanize a company by allowing it a voice and the opportunity to communicate with followers. So don’t be afraid to show off your business’ personality!

Take Advice. What is the point of communicating with clients if you don’t use that information to improve your company? That’s right, there’s none. Take comments seriously, recognize what your business is doing right but also take into account criticisms. Just note that any critiques should not be taken personally. If you have ever looked at Yelp you know that some people have way too much time on their hands…

Get Creative! Think outside the box. The businesses that have been most successful using social media have come up with creative incentives for people to follow their pages.

Exclusive giveaways via Twitter or Facebook are a great way to get people checking your site constantly. For example, Jet Blue recently started tweeting about special deals for $9 flights that are available to followers until the seats run out. The only stipulation is that the customer proves their twitter allegiance by providing the specific code that went out with the promotional tweet.

Set Goals. Don’t just aimlessly post on your social media sites. First decide what you are hoping to accomplish, and gear your social media towards achieving that goal.

For instance, are you trying to increase brand awareness, or perhaps drive more traffic to your website? Focus the use of your social media on a goal and you will be more likely successful in your social media endeavors.

 

 

Being Too Social With Social Media

By Jennifer Hoskote

In the words of the legendary Forrest Gump, “Stupid is as stupid does.”

The phrase can be adapted to numerous life situations…consistently locking your keys in the car, not cleaning up after your dog then walking outside barefoot, or leaving your I.D. at home when you go to Las Vegas.

But it especially applies to social media. You’d be surprised at how many seemingly intelligent people hurt their careers by posting something on Twitter or Facebook that could negatively influence themselves or their company or client’s image.

It’s a slippery slope because most people see social media as a channel to express themselves and their personal views on a wide array of topics – everything from their opinion of the proposed health care bill to not “getting” the season premiere of “Lost.”

This is all fine, but begs the question: “How much personal expression is too much?”

You’d think it would be common knowledge not to call out of work sick then post on Facebook “Pool party at my place, free booze!”

Apparently not.

Comments like this might help your personal image as a party animal, but it will hurt your trustworthiness and damage your credibility with clients.

It’s even worse if your Facebook or Twitter accounts are connected to your company because it threatens their gain for potential clients and your own job.

Let’s be honest: No one cares about what you had for lunch or that your morning coffee burned your tongue. Well, most people don’t.

But the benefits of social media can be quickly ruined with nonsensical posts that beg for attention for the wrong reasons – such as that photo of yourself doing a body shot off your boss’ wife.

You’re more likely to gain followers and friends with similar interests and values; make those known, and not how wasted you got this past weekend.
That being said: Even companies can get a little too social with their social media by inundating people with product and/or service emails that properly belong in the junk folder.

Keeping your client/customer base interested may be difficult at times, but creativity and controlled humor go a long way…all the way to the bank.

Whether it’s for personal or business use, knowing your audience is the first rule of thumb. This doesn’t mean completely limiting yourself, but having a firm grasp of what your message is and conveying it in an appropriate manner are vital to maintaining a successful relationship with your public.

Facebook Vs. Twitter: The Great Debate

As the social marketing trend continues to grow, so does the number of social media options available for your business.

When it comes to down to it though, the undisputed leaders on the social media marketing forefront are Facebook and Twitter.

So which of the two big social media sites is more beneficial for business? To some degree it depends on the kind of business you are trying to promote.

Due to its “fan page” feature, Facebook lends itself best to consumer brands. Facebook is an excellent way to encourage brand enthusiasts to support products such as the latest iPod or trendy clothing brand.

Since Facebook is primarily used for socializing, it is common for users to follow what their friends have been up to. In the process of searching wall posts and photos, the users inevitably notice which fan pages their friends have joined or if they have posted links to a particular brand page.

Don’t underestimate the power of  word of mouth generated by your fan’s actions – the term “Facebook stalking” hasn’t come from nowhere. Promoting your business on Facebook fan pages allows for organic growth and cultivates buzz within a community of people with like-minded interests.

For those companies though that are trying to reach the general public, Facebook is extremely dynamic in its promotion options as far as the page display goes. Facebook allows for videos, photos and messages at any length to be posted.

However, for companies that aren’t necessarily targeted to consumers – such as business-to-business companies, Facebook is relatively ineffective.

Twitter on the other hand is superior as far as publicizing news goes. Although the messages are restricted to under 140 characters, Twitter can serve as a constant and immediate source of information from your company to your clients.

Twitter uses quick, concise postings on a relatively simple page set up, resulting in an easy to read design for followers. For technology or business to business based companies Twitter most likely will be a more efficient use of your social media marketing efforts for this reason. Twitter can also be a great tool for communication in particular industries where the site is highly utilized.

While both Facebook and Twitter are great ways to target clients based on the type of company you are working with, each site does have its disadvantages. Facebook restricts accounts from having more than 5000 “friends” and also prevents accounts from acquiring friends too quickly, so if you plan to have an extremely large amount of followers your business may be better suited to Twitter where there is no follower restriction.

However, Twitter’s status as a lasting social media outlet is still in question. Reports have shown that the site loses 60 percent of new users within the first month.

Either way, social media marketing is the way to go and both Facebook and Twitter can help your company increase awareness and generate word of mouth in different ways.

How To Handle Online Criticism -- On Yelp And Elsewhere

In the last few years, social media sites like Yelp have been the best PR for some local businesses who discovered the positive effects of word-of-mouth reviews on the internet.

It makes sense: All the best paid PR in the world still doesn’t beat unbiased positive remarks from customers.

But for some business owners, there is a downside of review sites like Yelp. If you get a ton of reviews, not every one is going to be glowing.

Some can be downright mean or, worse, inaccurate.

However, there are some things a business owner can do to emphasize the positive and downplay and even eliminate the negative.

1. Register
Even if you detest review sites, it’s still worth opening a business owner account on Yelp. Citysearch, and any other website on which your customers are talking about you. Registering generally allows you to correct inaccuratcies, receive alerts when you are reviewed, and respond to your critics.

2. Participate
Participating on a review site by commenting on your favorite restaurants is a good way to build goodwill among the more active members of the sites. Don’t just praise your own place, recommend other good businesses. Also, let the other members know you are committed to running a good business and that you welcome any feedback. When people associate a business with a name or a face, they are more willing to give it some slack.

3. Don’t Fake It
Some businesses try to improve their Yelp standings by having their friends and family sign up and write reviews praising the place. Problem is, regulars can see right through it. For one thing, the fakers don’t bother to review anything else or upload a photo so it sticks out like a sore thumb.

4. Breathe
Just because you can respond doesn’t mean you should. Anything you say-in a private message, a personal e-mail, or even a voicemail-could end up on the Web. If there’s no way to respond to a review without being angry, profane, or aggressive, don’t do it at all.

5. Be Gracious
Apologize for what the customer didn’t like, and offer to make it right. When Lauren Hart, owner of the Root hair salon in Phoenix received a two-star review from a woman who didn’t like her hair cut, she wrote, “I am so sorry that you are unhappy with my work,” and then offered to pay for a cut at a competing salon. The woman wrote an equally gracious response and upgraded the Root to four stars.

6. Complain
If you can’t be nice to the reviewer, try complaining to Yelp directly. The site removes reviews in cases where there is a conflict of interest (for instance if the review has been written by a competitor). Other grounds for removal include hearsay, hate speech, and attacks that are unrelated to the customer experience.

7. Avoid The Courts
The Communications Decency Act protects websites from being held responsible for the actions of their users. And although defamation lawsuits against Yelpers have, in rare cases, succeeded in getting reviews taken down, suing tends to attract the ire of other Yelp users. If you decide to sue, be ready for more attacks.