by Deltina Hay

Social Media Monotony: It was bound to happen.

Like all good things we do for our business every day – balance the books, pay the help, return emails, follow up with clients, floss – we know that networking and marketing are necessary to our business’ success.

My mantra is: If I am not working, I am marketing. If I am marketing, I will be working. And, like it or not, social media is now a necessary part of both networking and marketing.

Lately I have noticed a change in my enthusiasm for social media, and I have a feeling I am not alone. It isn’t that I believe it is less effective or that it is losing its appeal, it is just that I have been doing it long enough to have fallen into a rut.

While trying to think of tips this week, it occurred to me that this may be the best one to offer. Following are some time-honored cliches applied to social media marketing that may help relieve the monotony.

Cure #1: You can’t keep what you have without giving it away.

That is one of my favorite anonymous quotes. I believe that the most successful bloggers write from that place – where it is not about promotion or plugging a product, rather about the sharing of knowledge and expertise – freely, without any expectations.

I know the pessimists in the crowd are thinking that there is no such thing as true altruism, that everybody gets something (if only a way to feel better about themselves) from any seemingly selfless act. And, well, so be it. I get something, the readers get something – sounds like a win-win to me!

Cure #2: Change the circles you run in.

I like to think that my LinkedIn connections, Facebook fans, and Twitter followers are different groups of people. Accordingly, I am hoping that the “circles” I run in on Google Plus also come from a different group.

My strategy is to invite people outside of my usual circles, though, with the intention of widening my network. I try to apply this strategy to all my new profiles.

Cure #3: A change of scenery.

It is amazing how something as simple as rearranging the furniture can improve one’s outlook. Try changing up how you post or where you post from as a cure for your social media rut.

Some of my favorite tools are HootSuite, Ping.fm, and Posterous. Here is a recent post about social media apps that may help, too.

Cure #4: Do something out of character.

My Facebook page posts are pretty predictable. I write about the importance of staying on topic, and try to practice what I preach. However, now and again it may not hurt to mix things up.

Today, I placed a post on my social media book Facebook page that links to a Flickr set with photos from Bastrop State Park in Texas – before the fires – just to break the predictability.

Cure #5: Try something new.

If you have the time and resources, you might consider adding another tool to your social media strategy. I recently started some HubPages and a Winksite to this end. Since I don’t have a lot of time to maintain new profiles, my goal is to recycle my existing efforts into different platforms in hopes of widening my network.

Some other tools presently on my “to do” list include:

• Tumblr
• Diaspora
• awsomize.me
• Netvibes

Hope you find a cure in this post if you are suffering. And we would love to hear what has worked for you!

Deltina Hay is the author of the critically acclaimed book, The Social Media Survival Guide, already in its second edition. She also teaches the online version of Drury University’s Social Media Certificate program. Learn more about Deltina and her availability for speaking engagements at Deltina.com. You may also enjoy listening to her video tutorial series on YouTube.

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Though I am still testing the tool myself, awesomize.me seems to have an interesting approach to helping out in this area.

From the awesomize.me site:

“awesomize.me isn’t just another social networking site; we already have too many of those. Awesomize.me is a new and powerful social interaction engine that will help you determine intelligently and effectively who you need to be connected with and through which social media channels such as Facebook, Twitter, myspace, LinkedIn, etc.”

Here is my awesomize.me profile, in case you want to rate me…

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About the Author:

Deltina Hay is the author of the critically acclaimed book, A Survival Guide to Social Media and Web 2.0 Optimization. The second edition of her book, renamed The Social Media Survival Guide, will be released in spring 2011. Learn more about Deltina, her books, and her availability for speaking engagements at Deltina.com. You may also enjoy listening to Deltina’s video tutorial series on YouTube: The Internet Empowerment Series.

Subscribe to the Social Media Tip O’ the Day Feed

This can get out of hand if you don’t keep track of it all. Our tip today is to create a visual map of all the accounts you have integrated, and how they are integrated.

Here is a presentation to help: http://www.slideshare.net/deltina/integrating-your-social-web-presence-two-sample-plans.

About the Author:

Deltina Hay is the author of the critically acclaimed book, A Survival Guide to Social Media and Web 2.0 Optimization. The second edition of her book, renamed The Social Media Survival Guide, will be released in spring 2011. Learn more about Deltina, her books, and her availability for speaking engagements at Deltina.com. You may also enjoy listening to Deltina’s video tutorial series on YouTube: The Internet Empowerment Series.

The following excerpts are from A Survival Guide to Social Media and Web 2.0 Optimization: Strategies, Tactics, and Tools for Succeeding in the Social Web by Deltina Hay

Copyright 2009 by Deltina Hay. All rights reserved.

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Creating Facebook Pages

Once you have a Facebook account and have completed your profile, log in to Facebook, and go to the “Advertising” link at the bottom of your Facebook profile page, or go directly to the Facebook business link.

Choose the best category for your business, book, or product. The three main categories are: local business; brand or product; and artist, band, or public figure. You can choose a subcategory as well. If you offer a number of different services or products, you may want to create several pages. For instance, if you are a publisher, you may want to create a main page for your publishing company using the “brand or product” category and individual pages using the “Artist, Band, or Public Figure” category for each of your authors.

Choosing the name of your Facebook page is very important. You are limited to around 65 characters, so make them count. The name of your Facebook page determines how well your page performs in searches.

The next step is to input detailed information about your business or product. Click on “add information” on your new page to do this.

The category you chose in the previous step determines what type of information you can enter. For example, the “Artist, Band, and Public Figure” category highlights Personal Interests, whereas the “Brand or Product” category asks for a Company Overview and Mission Statement.

Regardless of the category you choose, prepare the information you enter here ahead of time. Use your preparation worksheet to populate your page with all of your best information and key terms. You may only have a few seconds to get a reader’s attention, so put your best key terms forward. At this stage, click on every tab and fill each box thoroughly, reusing your key terms often. Be certain to upload an image to the “Picture” tab as well.

Once you input your detailed information, you can customize or remove the built-in applications for your page. Clicking on “edit” beside any one of these gives you more information about what they are and how to use them. Click on “view page” to see these applications in action on your page.

As an example, click on “edit” beside the “Notes” application. You can add manual notes to your page, or you can import a blog that feeds your latest blog posts onto your Facebook page using this application. There are many more applications you can add to your page. Click on “More Applications” at the bottom of the edit page or go to the Facebook application directory. Add applications that help represent your company and/or your products in your own unique way.

Applications are not difficult to install and are usually very easy to set up. A general rule of thumb when choosing an application is that if you can’t figure out how to set it up after the second try, find another one. There is often more than one application out there that can accomplish the same task.

Browse or search the application directory for applications that make sense to implement for your business or product.

On their Facebook page, Dalton Publishing utilizes the following applications:

Book Share Books
This application lets readers share their favorite books with their friends, as well as rate them and comment on them. This is a perfect application for a publishing company wanting to showcase their books.

My Flickr
Display photos from your Flickr account using this application. These photos can include logos, book covers, photos from author events, etc. You are provided many options of how to display the photos, too.

YouTube Box
Allows visitors to play your YouTube videos right on your Facebook page. This is handy for book trailers or promotional videos.

RSS-Connect
This is a nice application that allows you to display RSS feeds on your Facebook page. It is a convenient way for Dalton Publishing to display the feeds from their main site, as well as to their authors’ newsroom feeds.

By implementing these applications, Dalton Publishing has created an interactive page that also gives their visitors a personable look into their business. You can find many applications that can do the same for your
business.

Once your page is ready, don’t forget to publish it. You will see a message in the upper right corner as you prepare your page that says “This Page has not been published…” Click on “Publish this Page” in that box so that your Facebook page can be seen by others.

The “wall” of Dalton’s Facebook page is similar to a regular Facebook profile in that Dalton can post items and others can comment on them. This is also where most of the built-in applications appear. Also from here, you can send updates to all the fans of your page, promote your page with an ad, and manage page settings.

A Social Networking Strategy

Follow these steps for each social or professional networking site you join:

• Read and follow the site’s Terms of Use.
• Complete your profile using prepared material, including your best key terms.
• Upload a profile image or logo when available.
• Search for applications to enhance or customize your presence.
• Integrate other social tools and sites into your presence (like Flickr images or YouTube videos).
• Invite friends and colleagues to join your network. Do not invite people just for the sake of inviting them; only invite people you think can benefit from a specific community.
• Choose your friends wisely; do not just add anyone who asks; check out their profile first.
• Join groups relevant to your area of expertise or interest.
• Promote your page or profile on your Website or blog.
• Get to know the network features: Explore all of the features of the networking platform and implement each of them that make sense for you or your business.
• Do not turn your back on your investment: Keep your social networking presence dynamic by contributing to it frequently.

This worksheet is also available on the resource CD.

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This chapter also includes extensive information about other social networking sites, like MySpace and LinkedIn, micro-blogging sites like Twitter, niche social networking sites tailored to appeal to certain groups of people or businesses, and Ning.com, a free service where you can create and build your own social networking site. The resource CD offers further reading, linkable resources, and two fillable PDF forms called “Social Networking Strategy Worksheet” and “Social Networking Preparation Worksheet.”

A Survival Guide to Social Media and Web 2.0 Optimization: Strategies, Tactics, and Tools for Succeeding in the Social Web by Deltina Hay

416 Pages, Indexed, Resource CD with fillable forms.

Buy from Amazon or…

Exclusive offer for Social Media Power readers: $18.00 including US shipping:

An optimized foundation is essential to overall success in the Social Web. This series will show you how to achieve it.

Author, publisher, and Web developer Deltina Hay will explain:

• what an RSS feed is, and why you need one
• how to start a blog without breaking your back or the bank
• the basics of social bookmarking and crowd-sourcing
• why you want to share your images and video in media communities
• in which social networking sites you should establish a presence
• how to use a social media newsroom to highlight your presence
• how to optimize your Social Web presence
• how to integrate your entire Social Web presence to save time and money
• why you will need an optimized Social Web presence to survive in the future Internet

Instructor: Deltina Hay

Multi-session Series Class:
Class #1 - Introduction to Social Media & Web 2.0 Tools and Technologies
Class #2 - Building an Optimized Foundation in the Social Web
Class #3 - Integrating Your Social Web Presence

Class Date and Time:
Wednesdays, July 1, 8, 15: 5:00 p.m. EST

Cost: $30, includes audio recording and handouts

Click here for more information.

Building a Strong and Integrated Social Web Presence presented by Deltina Hay

This class will show you how to set up and implement essential social media tools like blogs, social networking sites, media communities, and social calendars. Learn how to integrate them so that your workload is greatly reduced.

Discover how to blog once, upload a photo one time, enter an event in one place, and feed all of it into your social networking pages, your blog, and your Website.

Creating this type of dynamic presence is necessary for success on today’s Internet.

This process does not have to be difficult or ridiculously time-consuming. Careful planning can make it practically painless!

Join us for another information-packed edition of Publishing University Online:
Wednesday, June 24, 2009 – 11:00 am PST/ 2:00 pm EST

About the Seminar:
The seminar cost is $49 for IBPA members and includes the hour-long seminar with participation, three free playbacks and the Power Point presentation to keep and review.

To register and for more details, click the link below:
More information and to register for Webinar

This is one Webinar you don’t want to miss if you’re looking to create a strong presence and find success in the Social Web. Hay, a leader in social media and Web 2.0 topics will demonstrate:

- How to start and maintain an optimized blog without breaking the bank or your back
- Building an impressive and optimized social networking presence
- How to tweet on Twitter and why you should be doing so
- How to utilize low maintenance tools that will yield big results

Register today to attend the Webinar!

The following excerpts are from A Survival Guide to Social Media and Web 2.0 Optimization: Strategies, Tactics, and Tools for Succeeding in the Social Web by Deltina Hay

Copyright 2009 by Deltina Hay. All rights reserved.

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Once your strategy is in place, use it to prepare the content you will need for implementation. Try to resist the urge to just “wing it.” Proper preparation of your descriptions, biographies, and other blurbs will greatly increase your exposure in the Social Web…

Important First Decisions Regarding Your Social Networking Profiles

Before proceeding, you need to decide two things:
1. What “entity” will you be representing in the Social Web? If you are an author, this will be your book; if you are a business owner, this will be your business. If you are a publisher or an author who intends on writing more than one book, you may want to think this through. For instance, if you are a publisher, you may decide to create a presence for your press as well as for each of your titles. Whereas if you are an author with several books, you may want to make your name/pseudonym or the name of your book series your entity as opposed to just the name of one of your books.

2. Which person within your organization will be representing you in the Social Web? You cannot always use your business or book name as the account holder of social sites. You will need to populate many of the profiles for an actual person. If you are an author, this is a given; but if you are a business, you will want to choose someone within your organization who has the time to contribute to these sites on occasion. This person should also feel comfortable disclosing a certain amount of personal information about themselves.

Once you have decided on your entity and your representative, gather the following information. Be sure to use one or more of your best tags in every description and biography.

Information for Entity:

• Name of entity
• Tag line
• Short description
  • 50 to 60 words
  • Use at least two of your best tags

• Long description
  • 175 to 200 words
  • Use at least three of your best tags

• Website URL
• Year entity was founded
• Mission statement
• Product list (if applicable)
• Gender and birth date (These fields are required to register in some social sites, and since the age of your book or business would not make sense, use something else that has meaning for you.)
• Logo or book cover art

Information for Representative:

• Name of representative
• Brief biography
  • 100 words
  • Use two of your best tags
• Gender
• Birth date (This does not need to be public.)
• The following information is optional in most sites, however, it will make your representative more likely to find contacts in social networking sites:
  • Hometown
  • Activities
  • Interests
    • Music
    • TV
    • Movies
    • Books
  • Favorite Quotes
  • Favorite people/heroes
  • Education
    • College/university
    • Class year
    • Concentration
  • Work
    • Employer
    • Position
    • Description
    • City/town
• Photo for social networking profiles

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This chapter also features preparation tips for tags/keywords, social calendars, multimedia items, as well as optimizing file names and preparing content for blog posts. The resource CD offers linkable resources and a fillable PDF form called “Preparation Worksheet” that you can use to prepare your content.

A Survival Guide to Social Media and Web 2.0 Optimization: Strategies, Tactics, and Tools for Succeeding in the Social Web by Deltina Hay

416 Pages, Indexed, Resource CD with fillable forms.

Buy from Amazon or…

Exclusive offer for Social Media Power readers: $18.00 including shipping:

Throughout the day on Wednesday, May 27, Deltina Hay, owner of social media consulting and Web 2.0 development firm Social Media Power and the independent press Dalton Publishing, is heavily involved in panels and workshops as part of the conference.

Early on Wednesday morning, from 8:30 to 10:00 a.m., Deltina is a guest speaker for a panel discussion entitled “Octopus Marketing: The Multiple Tentacles Approach to Creating Book Buzz Online (Web 2.0).” She will share the stage with Bob Baker (Spotlight Publications) and Maggie Lichtenberg (Open Heart Publishing). The publishing pros will provide insight into Internet book marketing, specifically touching on the importance of a strong Web presence created using social media and Web 2.0 strategies.

That afternoon, from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m., the social media maven hosts “Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About the Fundamentals of Web 2.0 and Social Media, but Were Afraid to Ask,” a panel covering all aspects of the Social Web. From social networks to blogging, multimedia sharing to RSS feeds, this panel provides the answers you’ve been searching for to enhance your Web presence. Steve Mettee of Quill Driver Press and Kathleen Gage, The Street Smarts Marketer, assist Deltina in this discussion.

And for those craving a hands-on, straight-forward approach to implementing social media tools, Deltina will hold a workshop, titled “How to Build a Strong Technical but Manageable Presence on the Social Web,” on Wednesday afternoon from 4:00 to 5:30 p.m. This class will demonstrate how to build a strong Social Web presence without the confusion often brought on by technical jargon. Learn to set up the essential social media tools, including a blog, social networking profiles, media sharing communities, and social calendars, and integrate them to reduce your workload. Discover how you can blog once, upload a photo in once place, enter an event to one social calendar, and feed all of it into your blog, your social networking profiles, and your Website.

Look for Deltina Hay’s forthcoming book A Survival Guide to Social Media and Web 2.0 Optimization: Strategies, Tactics, and Tools for Succeeding in the Social Web due out from Wiggy Press in April 2009. And, if you’re looking for an affordable way to create a powerful presence in the Social Web but cannot attend IBPA’s Publishing University conference, check out Plumb Social, an innovative new Web 2.0 service offered by Social Media Power.

My Flickr (http://apps.facebook.com/myflickr/): Display photos from your Flickr account using this application. These photos can include logos, product photos, photos from events, etc.

Upcoming (http://apps.facebook.com/upcoming/): Add all of your events to upcoming.org, and you can easily display them on your Facebook page with Upcoming’s Facebook application.

YouTube Box (http://apps.facebook.com/videobox/): Allows visitors to play your YouTube videos right on your Facebook page.

Simply RSS (http://apps.facebook.com/simplyrss/): This allows you to display up to eight RSS feeds on your Facebook page and display the feeds from your business’s main site and newsrooms.

Book Share Books (http://apps.facebook.com/bookshare/): This application is good to share books key team member’s have written or to highlight books relevant to your industry.

Notes (http://www.facebook.com/apps/application.php?id=2347471856): Facebook notes are like blog entries, where you can post entries and your fans can comment on them. You can also pipe your regular blog entries into this application.

Static FBML (http://www.facebook.com/apps/application.php?id=4949752878&ref=s): This application will allow you to create your own custom Facebook boxes using standard HTML or Facebook Markup Language. Do not be intimidated by this application, though, it is easy to implement, and can add to your page customization.

To see these applications in use, visit:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Dalton-Publishing/9792568507

or

http://www.facebook.com/pages/USInsuranceOnlinecom/10125499057

Note: If you use a particular application regularly, consider donating to the application’s creator.