Time To Get All Rocky Balboa On Social Media

For some reason Americans love an underdog.  Sure, we throw our support behind the biggest names, those with the most power and prestige (yes, I am talking to all you Yankee fans out there.  You know who you are) then cheer on the underfunded, undersized, underdog who wins it all.  We are a nation in love with the Rocky Balboa types, the ones who work harder and smarter in order to prevail.

If you own a small business or run a non-profit you probably know what it feels like to be the underdog.  You are dedicated, passionate, hard working and keenly aware that there are bigger and better funded organizations out there.  They are not evil (well, not all of them) but they have significant advantages that you have to overcome if you are to be successful.  This includes the world or social media, where the big boys and girls have established brand identities, paid social media staff, and big budgets.

So, what are you gonna do about it, Champ?  Throw in the towel and give up?  Of course not!  Your gonna gulp down your glass full of raw eggs and start getting ready to rumble.  It is time to get all Rocky Balboa on social media.

The first thing you need to do is find a good trainer, someone who can give you the advice you need to take advantage of all those powerful social media tools.  Find someone with experience in both social media and the real world (and if possible is easier on the eye and ear than old Mickey).  There are professionals out there who can help you understand what the various social media platforms do and how best to use them.  Make them part of your team.

Then be dedicated and disciplined.  Develop a strategic plan and stick to it.  Building strong communities is a process not an event.  Make no mistake, there will be days when you feel like you are running through the streets of Philadelphia all by yourself.  It will take time to see a ROI but if you stay focused and committed you will see results.  Your "likes" and "followers" will become clients and volunteers, running with you as you make the world a better place.

Finally, and this may be the most crucial point, remember what your true goal is.  Believe in what your organization is trying to accomplish, why you got started in the first place.  Social media platforms can help you get there, but don't lose focus.  You did not start your business or non-profit so that you could get 3459 followers on Twitter.  You got 3459 followers on Twitter so you could fulfill your vision for your organization.  Keep your eyes on the real prize and let these tools hep you become the heavyweight champion of your world.

And Yo, Adrian! if you need a social media trainer I am here to help.  My language may not be as colorful as Mickey's, but I founded Rubate Consulting for all the underdogs out there.  You can contact me at http://www.rubateconsulting.com/ or roger@rubateconsulting.com. 

©2012 Roger Burns-Watson, All Rights Reserved

Social Media - Another High School Dance?

Imagine for a moment a high school gym.  It is a Friday night and the room is dimly lit.  Chairs are lined up against the walls and a lone table stands at one end of the gym holding a collection of music and a CD player.  The speakers blare out a Top 40 hit while a few brave souls dance to the rhythm.  Everyone else stands around and watches, too afraid to risk busting their own move yet unwilling to leave and go home.  So they wait, nervously hoping they find the courage to join the party.

Sound familiar?   Perhaps you went to a dance like this when you were in high school.  Dances are these strange social functions that many people want to be at but don't really know what to do once they get there.  As we get older dances get replaced by other social occasions, but the dynamic is still the same.  Some people take advantage of the situation while a large number of folks just stand along the wall.

In my conversations with people I get the sense that many of them view social media like it is a high school dance.  They feel a good bit of pressure to show up but are too uncertain of themselves to do much of anything when they get online.  So they watch, wonder why they came and pray it gets over soon.

I hope you are not one of these people.  But if you are I have some good news for you.  Slow dance.  That's right, slow dance.  Nothing brought the masses out on the dance floor like a good old fashioned power ballad.  You just grabbed your date and shuffled your feet to the beat.  Elaborate dance moves were not required, only a willingness to hold on to your partner and sway to the music.  Slow dances were safe and they made it possible for people to get into the action.

So, if you are standing along the proverbial social media wall consider this an invitation to slow dance.  Sure, one day soon you will be interacting with your online community like Fred Astaire on the dance floor.  You will be a master at building communities through all the latest and greatest social media platforms.  Right now, today, start slow.  Find one platform, be it Twitter or Facebook or LinkedIn or Pinterest and start shuffling your feet.  It a short period of time you will find the rhythm and a bit of confidence.  You will discover that you know more about community building than you thought you did. 

And your organization will be stronger because you got out on the dance floor.

Questions? Need some more ideas about how to get started with social media? Visit me at www.rubateconsutling.com or e-mail me at roger@rubateconsulting.com.  We would love to be your partner.


©2012 Roger Burns-Watson, All Rights Reserved

Why You Might Want Negative Comments

Most small businesses and non-profits have a number of fears when it comes to social media.  The potential price tag, not being able to create enough content, and a lack of followers can cause even the most determined leader to break out in a cold sweat.  Yet, what really keeps folks awake, the nightmare that haunts their dreams of social media success is what happened to McDonald's earlier this month. 

In case you missed it the fast-food giant started a Twitter campaign that was supposed to generate positive stories about McDonald's.  Instead, hundreds of negative complaints came pouring in and within a few hours McDonald's had to shut the whole campaign down.  Given it's size and reputation no one was really shocked to discover that McDonald's had dissatisfied customers.  The tone of the comments, and the speed at which they came, did catch people by surprise.

It is a simple fact of life that no one is perfect.  We all make mistakes and disappoint even our most loyal supporters (just ask your dog if you don't believe me).  In an ideal world when a customer or donor is unhappy they would speak to us directly, person to person, so we could work through the problem.  Sadly, ours is not an ideal world.  Many times people just walk away when their expectations are not met.  We never know what we did wrong, though their friends and neighbors might hear all about it.

Which is why you might want negatives comments by customers and supporters posted on your social media platforms.  First, by posting their complaints people are, in most cases, still open to engaging in a relationship with you.  Again, coming to you in person would have been best, but not everybody is comfortable with situations that seem confrontational.  By posting they are letting you know there is a problem and possibly giving you the chance to make things right.  Yes, all of your followers now know someone is unhappy, but you are aware as well. 

Negative comments also give you the opportunity to demonstrate to your social media community that you are open to feedback and willing and able to address problems.  Each situation is different but as much as possible let your community see you in action.  If mistakes were made acknowledge them.  If there is a way to make things right offer it up.  Be polite, professional and timely in your response.  How you handle the situation will define you more than the original complaint.

And use this as a opportunity to engage your social media community.  Invite your followers to share ideas of how to make your product or program more effective.  By involving them in the process you might discover a better solution to the problem and help create new opportunities for your clients and volunteers to become invested in your business or non-profit.

No one wants negative comments but don't be afraid of them.  They don't have to be your worst social media nightmare.  On the contrary, if you handle them properly negative comments can help strengthen your reputation with your social media community.

Questions? Need some more ideas about how to deal with complaints on your social media platforms? Visit me at www.rubateconsutling.com or e-mail me at roger@rubateconsulting.com.

©2012 Roger Burns-Watson, All Rights Reserved

Return on Relationship (ROR)

ROI - Return on Investment.  It factors into how much you spend (or don't spend) on a product or service for your small business or non-profit.  Will you get more out than you invested?  And if so, how much more?  And how will you know?

ROI is a difficult subject when it comes to social media because you are trying to measure relationships.  Building and nurturing relationships is what social media is all about.  Those relationships can led to new customers, donors or volunteers.  Yet, social media platforms can also help your current clients and supporters to develop a deeper and more meaningful relationship with your business or organization.  That is why social media is so critical and creating ways to measure not just ROI but also Return on Relationship (ROR) is very important.

Here are a few ideas about how to measure ROR:

- Know what types of relationships you HAVE with your current customers or supporters and what type of relationship you WANT to have with these folks.  This will help you establish goals or markers so you can determine if your social media strategy is giving you a healthy ROR.

- Create opportunities for interaction.  Too often small businesses and non-profits use social media for one-way communication, a sort of cyberspace bulletin board.  Relationships require give and take.  Your posts and feeds and tweets should be designed to encourage interaction.  The number of "likes," comments or retweets can tell you if you are starting a conversation or doing all of the talking.

- Having said that, set realistic goals for interaction.  It is unlikely that 80% of your Facebook fans are going to respond to any given post.  That is OK, since not ever post or tweet or link is going to connect with all of your supporters or clients.  Think about your relationships and who you are really trying to reach with your messages (a fraction of your total audience) and then work towards 5-10% interaction from that group.

- Ask for feedback.  Talk to your customers or volunteers.  Find out if they are connecting with you via social media.  If so, are they reading your posts, tweets, blog or links?  If not, take a deep breath, put your ego on hold, and ask the right questions.  It is not a good idea to ask them why they don't pay attention to you.  That will just put them on the defensive.  Rather, ask what types of posts or blogs or tweets they do interact with.  What peaks their interest?  Keep it simple and direct and think about a way you can reward them for taking the time to share their insights with you.

ROR is a vital part of your social media strategy.  Don't overlook it when you are planning how to use social media to grow your small business or non-profit.  Questions? Need some more ideas about how to factor in ROR? Visit me at www.rubateconsutling.com or e-mail me at roger@rubateconsulting.com.

©2011 Roger Burns-Watson, All Rights Reserved

Using Social Media To Hit 'Em Where They Are

"Keep your eye clear, and hit 'em where they ain't"—"

Willie Keeler

Great advice if you are stepping up to the plate in a baseball game.  Not so helpful if you are trying to reach people through social media.  There are dozens of social media platforms created every day, and just as many relegated to the trash heap.   A few years ago Facebook was an idea to connect college classmates.  Five years from now it may not even exist.  So, which platforms do you use?  How do you hit 'em where your customers and donors are?

First and foremost, don't guess.  Ask.  Too often non-profits and small businesses make assumptions about social media based on two criteria: the age of their clients or volunteers, and their own personal use (or lack thereof) of social media.  And too often they miss what is really going on.  While age has some impact on the use of social media it is a very bad idea to determine that older folks don't use social media, or that younger people are obsessed with it.  Make it a priority to ask all of your customers and supporters about their use of social media regardless of age (or income, education or any other filters you might be using).  Through informal conversation or a simple social media survey you can get a real handle on what platforms they are using and how often they use them.

Second, just because you don't tweet does not mean your customers are not avid users of Twitter or other social media platforms.  Once you know what platforms your clients are using start connecting to them through those platforms.  Learn to love Foursquare...okay, maybe just grow to like it as a friend, but use it.  Make it a part of your social media strategy.

Third, keep your eye on the future.  Your current customers or donors may not be heavy users of social media now, but that does not mean that new clients and volunteers won't be.  Your customer, donor and volunteer bases are not static.  They are every changing and their use of social media is in a constant state of flux as well.  Your social media strategy needs to take change into account and be designed to add platforms later on that may not be very helpful today.  That way you can ensure that you hit 'em where they are.

©2011 Roger Burns-Watson, All Rights Reserved

Social Media - It Is Not All About You!

When it comes to using social media so many non-profits and small businesses lose sight of one simple fact - it is not all about you.  Too often the first question I get from clients is, "How do I get more people to like/follow/subscribe my organization or business?"  This is not a bad question.  The problem is what drives people to ask it.  In most cases it has to do with organizations and businesses wanting more people to use their social media platforms so that their business or organization will grow.  Of course social media can help you grow.  Yet, if your first concern is about you and your organization then you run a high risk of missing out on the power of social media platforms.  It is not all about you.

Rather, your first thought should be about your customers, clients, donors and partners.  And your first question should be about how you can use your social media platforms to meet their needs.  Think about it for a minute, how many people use social media platforms in order to be sold goods, services or opportunities to give?  Yes, people go to websites to shop, and Groupon and other such sites are popular with consumers, but most folks are using social media for other reasons.  They are looking to stay connected, maintain or nurture relationships, be amused, distracted, inspired, and heard. 

Organizations and businesses that use social media effectively strive to know their customers, clients, donors and partners needs and then figure out ways to meet those needs (within the context of what those organizations and businesses specialize in).  These professionals understand that the fastest way to grow their social media base is to shift the focus from their organizations to the people they serve.  Growth in the number of likes/followers/subscribers comes because these organizations bring value to the lives of the people they are reaching out to. 

What drives your organization or business' social media strategy?  Are you committed to identifying and meeting the needs of your clients or donors?  If not, what are you waiting for?  Questions? Don't be afraid to ask. Rubate Consulting is here to help.

©2011 Roger Burns-Watson, All Rights Reserved

Using your social media to help your partners

Every business, non-profit and organization has partners.  Your partners make it possible for you to stay in business and fulfill your mission.  The more successful your partners are the more successful you are going to become.  You can use your social media platforms to help your partners grow and also expand your base of support.  Here are some tips to make that happen:

-KNOW YOUR BRAND.  You can allow partners to post on your Facebook page, or reTweet something they Tweeted, but you need to ensure that their content is consistent with your brand.  Just because one of your partners is having a yard sale next weekend does not mean they should use your social media platforms to tell the world - unless yard sales are part of your brand.

-HAVE A STRATEGIC PLAN.  Think about your partners and what type of relationship you have with each one.  Develop a plan that allows your social media platforms to specifically addresses and strengthen those relationships.  Be strategic, not hit or miss.

-SHARE THAT PLAN WITH YOUR PARTNERS.  It is important that they know you are trying to support them and what the boundaries are.  Otherwise you risk turning your social media platforms into billboards for your partners that do not build up your brand and actually undermine your relationships.

-GIVE FIRST.  Reach out to your partners first.  "Like" them, follow them, invite them to post content on your social media platforms (using your strategic plan!).  Take the initiative.  Your partners are going to be much more willing to invite you into their social media networks if you have already extended an invitation to them.

A strategic use of social media can help your partners grow, but it will also help you grow.  Your partners have access to dozens, hundreds, perhaps even thousands of people and businesses who are waiting to become your next client, donor, and yes, partner.  That is what makes social media platforms so valuable for you, your organization and your partners.

If you have any questions don't be afraid to ask. Rubate Consulting is here to help.

©2011 Roger Burns-Watson, All Rights Reserved

Mind the avatar

Do you know what your avatar looks like?  No, I don't mean the blue people from the movie, I mean the image that represents you, your business or organization out in cyberspace.  Most avatars are small squares, often only an inch or two in height and width.  You may not think that they matter that much, but in truth they are critically important in helping your customers, members or donors recognize you.

We live in a visual culture.  Our eyes are drawn to images much quicker than they are to text.  In many social media platforms your avatar is going to be one of the first things that people connect with and their impression of what they see is going to shape how they respond to your content.  Unfortunately, many individuals and businesses don't pay much attention to their avatars and undermine their ability to effectively communicate with their audience.  Here are some simple rules to keep in mind when designing your avatar:

1) If you are using a logo make sure it is formatted to fit in a square.  Most business logos are rectangular in shape (a hold over from the age of print when logos were created to fit neatly on letterhead).  I cannot tell you the number of times I come across avatars in which the logo is cut off because the individual or business tries to use a rectangular logo in a square box.  If you don't take the time to reformat you are undermining your brand and greatly reducing the effectiveness of your logo across your social media platforms.

2) Many individuals use photos of themselves for platforms such as LinkedIn or Facebook.  In most cases that is a good choice.  Keep in mind, however, that your avatar is very small.  Head shots are always going to show up better than full body photos.  Think about the colors you are using in your photo.  Bright colors will attract attention, but they can also distract.  Our eyes are conditioned to respond to vibrant colors and you don't want your avatar to distract from the content you are sharing with your audience.

3) Keep your avatar the same across all of your social media platforms.  Your avatar is your logo, it represents you whether you are an individual, business or organization.  The trust and goodwill you have developed with people is communicated in that little image.  Big things come in small packages.  You lose the power of your avatar if it is not consistent.

4) Keep it simple.  If your logo has text remember that too many words will be difficult if not impossible to read in an avatar.  Focus on the image rather than the text, unless your logo contains only two or three words.  Tag lines, mission statements and the like are important, but they do not work well in avatars.

5) Don't be afraid to do some simple market research.  Ask your clients, members, and business partners what they think about your avatar.  Do they recognize it?  Does it communicate anything to them?  Is it distracting?  Or, does it generate a positive feeling about you, your business or organization.  In the ever growing world of social media your avatar is too important to leave to chance.  Make sure your avatar is working for you, not against you.

If you keep these simple rules in mind you will be able to unleash the power of your avatar.  You may not win an Oscar (James Cameron didn't win one either) but you will discover that your avatar increases your ability to connect and communicate with your audience.  If you have any questions don't be afraid to ask.  Rubate Consulting is here to help.

©2011 Roger Burns-Watson, All Rights Reserved