So You've Asked People To 'Like' Your Facebook Page, Now What?

I have a lot of friends who are small business owners.  Unfortunately many of them haven't included social media tactics in their overall business strategy. *sigh*  But, THAT's another topic for another time.   

Back to the subject at hand... 

So...you've asked people to 'like' your new Facebook company page.  Now what?   First and most important, look at your company's business goals.  Remember: 

Social Media is Not a One-Off  =  Your social media strategy shouldn't have its own agenda.  It should align with your overall business strategy.  For example, if one of your key issues as a company is to raise the level of awareness around a new product or service, then your social media efforts should support that.  

Create An Editorial Calendar - An editorial calendar is basically a daily listing of posts that will go on your page. Relevant, consistent, engaging content is super important on Facebook.  Sure, being spontaneous is a part of social media.  But remember, you want to focus on your overall business goal(s) too.  An editorial calendar will help you do that.  It will help you stay on track.  

Keep Your Posts Short & Sweet - No one has time to sit and read a thesis about your product and whatnot.  Keep it short.  The shorter, the better. 

Add Images - A post without an image is like a cupcake with no icing.  Blah.  Content is moving fast on Facebook. People are seeing all kinds of things in their feed.  You want to grab someone's attention quickly.  Great images can do that.    

Real Time Engagement - Not only do you want to add fans to your page, but you want to interact with them too. You want to answer their questions, respond to their compliments and assist them if they have a problem.  If you can't do these things personally, hire someone who can. 

Understand & Utilize Facebook Insights - Insights is sooooo valuable!  This tool will show you who your fans are, where they live, what posts they like, what times of day they're online, etc.  Get familiar with Insights.  It will help you find out which content works best for your audience and how you can improve. 

Scheduled Posts - You can schedule posts on Facebook.  In fact, you can schedule posts up to six months in the future.  How cool is that?!  With this feature, you'll be able to post more content without being strapped to a computer all the time. 

I know this seems like a lot, but if you really want your business/brand to have a successful Facebook page, you have to take it seriously.  Start with these things first.  I think you'll be pretty impressed with your results.  

What Is PR & How Is It Helpful? Glad You Asked....

First Things First, What Is PR - Public Relations? 

If you're a PR professional, you should know the answer to this question.  And you better be able to answer it quickly and accurately.  If you can't?  Well now... It's time for you to reevaluate some things.  But if you're a business owner or just curious, here's the gist of it:

PR is what people think of you once you've left the board room.  What they say about you once you've left the party.  It's perception.  It's how a person feels after they leave your store or receive services from you or your staff.  It's how people remember you.  It's part reputation and part branding.  Ask yourself, when people think of me, my company or image, what's the first thing that comes to mind?  

How Is PR Helpful? 

Your reputation impacts your market capitalization.  In other words, people's actions (i.e, purchasing products, supporting an organization, person, event, etc.) are based on their perception.  So, if people think a business/person is unprofessional, has poor customer service and offers services that aren't valuable and/or priced fairly...what do you think?  You think they're going to support it financially?  Probably not.  

PR can help to change those negative perceptions.  How?  Many different ways.  A PR strategy should always be custom tailored to the needs of a business (No one size fits all approach!) That strategy can include tactics that focus on social media, traditional media, community partnerships or brand awareness.  

The great thing about PR is, it's one of the most cost effective, impactful commitments you'll ever make.  Trust me.  And if you don't believe me, listen to what Bill Gates, Co-founder and Chairman of Microsoft has to say:  "If I was down to my last dollar, I'd spend it on PR." 

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Note: This info is applicable to your personal branding and PR also.  Again, ask yourself when people think of me, what's the first thing that comes to mind?  Is it good, bad, complicated or "other"?  Be honest and be ready to make the necessary changes if you need to. 

The Harlem Shake: A PR Lesson

Do me a favor, go to YouTube and type in the words "Harlem Shake."  Tell me what you see. I'll wait (there are more than 220,000 results).  *sips smoothie*  

The Harlem Shake.  Get into it.  It goes a lil' something like this... Put something on your head /over your face (a hat, scarf or ______)... *Harlem Shake techno music plays*  Start dancing slow, do whatever you want.  Then, as the music climaxes, just wild out.  Get crazy, wacky, jump up and down....do you for about 30 seconds.  That's it! 

Crazy, right?    

As a PR professional, I'm always fascinated when something goes "viral."  Part of me thinks, hey--this kinda stuff doesn't just happen.  No freakin way!  There has to be someone or something behind this. The other part of me understands and appreciates great PR.  

The "PR me" knows that phenomenons like these are unexpected, totally organic and will eventually fade away.  But for me, great PR is addictive.  And viral PR?  Woo la la.  LOVE it!  And while you can't predict when something will go viral, there are some things you can do to get people interested and excited about your product/company/service, and grab their attention like the Harlem Shake: 

• Create something that quickly entertains/educates your audience, and hits a nerve.
   
• Use the power of the Internet/social media to pass it on to others; make it sharable (If it's a video, make it focused, consistent and short.)
  
  
• Don't duplicate what's already been done - People won't be as engaged if they've seen/done it before.
  
  
• Don't be afraid to add a bit of humor (be careful...it HAS to be funny or it could backfire.)
  
  
• Luck - Even with the best strategy in place, sometimes success involves a little luck.

Remember there's no blueprint to creating something viral.  But if you incorporate the above elements in your PR plan, you'll create something that's impactful and memorable.

Unwritten Rules of Twitter: What They Don't Tell You When You Sign Up (Volume I)

It's no secret.  I love Twitter.  When I joined the Twitterverse a few years ago, I admit--I was a little naive. So, I jumped right in (Look Ma, no hands!)  There were no instructions, no warnings...I'm still waiting on my "Welcome to Twitter" muffin basket.  Nada.  Nothing.  Zero.

And I realized very quickly there were a lot of things the Twitter Welcoming Committee doesn't tell you.... (Thank me later):

• Typing the word "your" on Twitter when you mean "you are" can be dangerous.  Jesus himself could get on Twitter and say "Fear not, child. I know that your going to heaven," and someone will respond to him and say..."Actually, it's you're."
  

• There's no reason for you to combine your "hahahas" and "lols" in the same tweet.  Way too much.  Nothing is ever THAT funny.
  
  
• Don't ever say ANYTHING bad about Beyonce.  Her fans are ruthless and will come for you with the ETHER.
  
  
• Unfollowing Folks (Part I)
  Listen.  The unfollow struggle is real.  People (including me) always think waaaaaay too much about it. Then...they do it anyway. Just know that this is normal.  Don't beat yourself up about it.
  
  
• Unfollowing Folks (Part II)
  If you unfollow people, don't tell them.  It's like announcing you're leaving a free concert in a room full of people. Awkward and...lame.
  
  
• "Twitter After Dark" is real and in full effect after midnight on weekdays, 11:00 pm (EST) on weekends.  If you can't handle the raunch & ratchetness, log off and come back during daytime hours.  No shame, just go.

• Deleting Your Twitter Account
  There's no need to let the Twitterverse know you're deleting your account.  No one really cares and you'll be back after a week or so.
   
• If you're a Kim Kardashian fan, you might want to keep that to yourself.  People go IN on her (and her fans) on Twitter like you would not believe.

•  If you're not careful, Twitter will harden your heart.  It will darken your soul, if you let it.  Before you know it, you'll be slandering dead celebs and sick kids with the quickness. So....think before you tweet.
  
  
• Non-parents, be careful.  Tweeting about kid topics (potty training, disciplining, homeschooling, etc.) could get ugly.  Tread lightly here or else.... #MommysDontPlay

Hi, I'm An Egg With No Bio (Twitter Woes)

I love Twitter.  I can't live without it.  Not for the obvious reasons you think, either.  See...I'm a bonafide, unapologetic, Grade A news junkie.  With Twitter, I can connect with reputable newsmakers anytime and anywhere I want.  Whew. Yes. That's incredibly dope to me.  #nerd

I love the cadence and speed of it too.  It moves fast.  Like, Danica Patrick fast!  Fact: Twitter broke the news about Michael Jackson's death, the Hudson River plane crash and Osama bin Laden's raid & death. THAT's how fast it works.  If you don't "get" it.  I advise you to get into it.  If you're in PR and you're not on Twitter....drop the "P" and the "R" from your job description, pack your stuff, do not pass Go and kindly....leave.  Yep, I went there. *files nails* 

Anyway, I digress....  So yeah, I love Twitter. 

Here's the problem.  *sigh*  You know the small area at the top of a person's/company's Twitter profile?  The area that should have a picture/image/logo and a description listed?  Yeah, that one.  I really want people to stop leaving that section blank. STOP.   

First of all, it's 2012.  We gotta move past the default "Twitter egg with no bio" purgatory place.  I mean, who wants to connect with an egg?!  Come. On!  Having an egg as a profile picture (with no bio) is equal to someone showing up to a Democratic dinner party wearing a Mitt Romney costume.  Awwwwkward.

And Eggheads...listen.  I won't follow you.  I won't talk to you.  I won't acknowledge you.  No. No. No.  Not gonna happen!  Not until you take a sec, upload a picture and create your bio.  My tip: Don't stress about it...keep it simple. Think about your interests, prioritize (business vs. personal) and remember key words (Twitter is a search engine.)  Click here to see mine.  If you need more help, hit me up.  Remember, I'm here for you. :)

Exhibit A

You Might Be a Great Publicist/PR Professional If....

Real quick: In every working field, there are people who are just... *blank stare*  *yawn*  *files nails* at what they do. There are some who are actually pretty doggone good at what they're being paid to do.  And then, there are those who are just drop-dead amazing at their craft (i.e. Beyonce, Phil Jackson, Valerie Jarrett, Shonda Rhimes, etc.)  PR is no different.

If you're looking to hire a publicist, if you're a PR newbie or if you're evaluating your commitment to the field, here are some things to seriously think about....

Obvious Signs of a Great Publicist/PR Professional: 

• Great listeners (Listen with intent to understand)
  
  
• Exceptional writers
  
  
• Strategists who will roll up their sleeves & jump head first into their bag/toolbox of tactics
  
  
• News junkies
  
  
• Highly creative (Thinks outside of the box & has fun doing it)
  
  
• Great communicators (Can hold an engaging conversation with anybody)
  
  
• Can't (and shouldn't) live without social networks
  
  
• Attention to detail is insane...On a scale of 1-10, it's about a 25
  
  
• Understand that PR is NOT a 9-5 job