Connecting with businesses on social networks is like dating. When I “like,” follow and circle businesses via Facebook, Twitter and Google+, I have certain expectations.

I’m not high maintenance. I’m not unreasonable. I just want what any self-respecting girl wants from a social media relationship.

Businesses that meet my expectations earn my loyalty, respect and love. We’re going to be together for a long, long time.

Businesses that disappoint me – we’re history. And when they realize they’ve screwed up, they’re going to have to work darn hard to win me back.

So how can a business stay on my good side with social media?

1. Don’t Bore me- You know what’s the kiss of death on a date? The guy who goes on and on about his pet salamander. You know what’s the kiss of death on Facebook, Twitter or Google+? Update after update about the products and services you sell. Mix it up, broaden your message and get creative. No matter how boring your business is, if you want people to connect with you in social media, you need to find a way to enlighten, educate and entertain.

2. Listen to Me- Social media is a two-way medium. That means you get to talk to me and I get to talk back. Lots of businesses are so happy to hear themselves talk that they forget to listen to the people who are paying their bills (or might be in the future). When I post a comment on your wall or tweet at you, let me know you heard me and reassure me that my comments matter to you. If I ask you a question, don’t leave me hanging.

3. Make Me Feel Special-  I’m not just any girl. I’m your girl. I put myself out there and told you I like you. Don’t make me feel like a notch on your belt. Get to know me. Find out what I care about. Treat me better than the next guy and I’m yours forever.

4. Make Me Laugh- I can’t resist someone who cracks me up. Stop taking yourself so seriously and tell a few jokes. Entertain me with your words, photos and videos and I’ll always smile when I think of you. (But do it in a smart way. No one wants to date an over-the-top goofball.)

5. Bring Me Flowers From Time to Time- You don’t have to spend a lot to show me you really care, and you don’t have to do it every week. But once in a while, send me a little something that tells me you appreciate me. Coupons work. Free samples, too. Don’t ask for anything in return – just let me bask in your adoration for a day or two.

6. Surprise Me- Nothing kills long-term relationships faster than predictability. You can be dependable and reliable and still find ways to delight me when I least expect it. (For a great example, see the amazing video KLM Surprise.) How about featuring my photo on your Facebook page? Linking to my blog? Calling me to let me know how much you appreciate my witty tweets? Sending me a box of chocolates to thank me for the recommendation I posted? Catch me off guard with a grand gesture and I’ll melt.

7. Charm My Friends- I’m far more likely to want to hang with you if my BFFs come along for the ride. If you’re sending a coupon, running a contest or just doing something fun and wacky, make it easy to share and give me an extra perk for bringing my friends. (The Spice Girls said it best.)

8. Show Me What’s Below the Surface- Sure, you’re devastatingly handsome and dressed to kill. But eventually I want to see the real you, the one with the 5 o’clock shadow, rumpled t-shirt and flip-flops. I might even like you more that way. Translation: Nothing makes me feel closer to a business than hearing about the inner workings, even (maybe especially) the blemishes.

9. Never Lie to Me- This is non-negotiable. Deceive me and I’ll never give you the time of day. Plus I’ll tell everyone I know what a jerk you are.

10. Admit When You’re Wrong- Everyone makes mistakes. If you do something to make me mad, tell me straight, apologize profusely, and do whatever you can to make it right. I’ll appreciate the effort and give you major points for acting like a grownup.

So that’s what you have to do, business friends, to keep me happy. I’m not asking for a lot, am I? And trust me – I’m worth it.

POST APPROVED BY STARR HALL!

Guest blogger- Erika Kerekes helps small businesses up the social media learning curve as head of social media solutions at Deluxe Corporation. She has “liked” more than 1,000 small business Facebook pages but is still waiting for her social media Prince Charming.

Share/Bookmark

When social media feels overwhelming, go back to basic principles

One of the most common complaints I hear from small business owners about social media is that it’s overwhelming. So many networks. So many experts telling them what they should do, have to do, can’t avoid doing. The technology and the rules change all the time. New social apps and sites popping up every day.

How can anyone hope to keep up with social media and still run a business?

If this sounds familiar, don’t worry. Even those of us who focus on social media for a living feel that way sometimes. In fact, I got the idea for this post from one of Starr’s own Facebook status updates. We all have our moments.

When panic hits, I breathe deeply and go back to basic principles. These simple rules help me cut through my mental clutter and find my social media mojo every time.

• It’s not about technology. Ignore the whizbang stuff and concentrate on the conversation. If you’re spending your social media time having meaningful, interesting interactions with relevant, interesting people, you’re on the right path.
• You don’t have to be first in line. Some people love being “in the know” and can’t wait to play with every new toy and gadget on the social media shelf. Others get anxious at the thought of exploring new tools and social networks. If that’s you, don’t feel like you have to try everything the day or week it’s released. Read the reviews. Listen to what the social media pundits are saying. A lot of today’s new stuff will be gone tomorrow, and you don’t want to waste time or energy on the losers. Wait until you see something getting traction. By that point there will be lots of online tutorials and tip sheets to help you up the learning curve.
• Commenting counts. Sometimes your well runs dry. You can’t muster up another blog post. You’ve run out of photos to post on your Facebook page. When that happens, hang back for a few days and do nothing but comment on and share other people’s social media activity. Commenting is the best way to make real relationships and expand your network, yet most of us in social media (guilty!) do far too little of it. Do unto others, friends, and you may be surprised how quickly you see positive results.
• Real life comes first. You’ve got 10 minutes between meetings. Should you schedule a few tweets or check in on a client? Update your Facebook page or walk down the hall to ask a colleague a question? When I have a choice, I always go for the live interaction. We all get plenty of screen time these days. It’s human-to-human bonding time that’s at a premium. (And yes, I am the mean mom who won’t let her kids bring their mobile phones to the dinner table.)
• There’s always someone willing to help. Whatever social media question you have, whatever problem you’re up against, there’s someone waiting out there who knows the answer and is ready to help. There are loads of free resources (articles, webinars, blogs) and many qualified experts for hire. If you need social media as part of your marketing plan – and who doesn’t these days? – one way or another you’ll get it done.

What keeps you focused on your social media goals? Share your mantra in the comments.

Erika Kerekes heads social media solutions at Deluxe Corporation. She spends her days helping small business owners up the social media learning curve and her evenings blogging obsessively about food at In Erika’s Kitchen.

Share/Bookmark

Click here to view the embedded video.

I would like to say that I have a pretty good LinkedIn profile. 100% completed, WordPress tied into it, and everything completely filled out. My profile provides plenty of great information about me, my work, and my goals. Recently, while updating some new information, I saw the “Improve Your Profile” button to the right of the page (on the Edit Profile page).

Improve my profile you say? How could I possibly resist that?! I clicked the glaring yellow button, at first only to find that it was asking me to add information about a couple of really old jobs that I was just getting ready to purge from my profile anyway. I skipped these steps and then was intrigued by the next option. LinkedIn asked me if I wanted to “Add a Project.” I thought for a second and decided that this could be a great way to put more emphasis on the guest blogging work that I’ve done, so I followed the prompts. Now I ask: HOW HAVE I NOT KNOWN ABOUT THIS FUNCTION BEFORE?! This is such a great way to connect to fellow collaborators via LinkedIn! I really think LinkedIn should put more emphasis on this portion of a profile page.

Here are some of the great features:

1. “Projects” allows you to name your project and input a URL. This then turns the title of the project into a hyperlink, leading the viewer of  your LinkedIn profile to the project’s website and thus creating an inbound link.
2. You can specifically relate your project to a position that you hold or have held. This can be a great way to show off your expertise in a current or previous position by showing viewers evidence that you know your stuff.
3. Emphasize relevancy by stating when this project started, completed or if it is still ongoing. The more current, the more likely viewers will be to check it out.
4. There is a character limit-free (at least as far as I can see) Description space where you can add details to get people interested in the project itself. (Disclaimer: Be aware that this will show up on your LinkedIn profile, so be concise and to the point.)
5. The best part is that you can add “Team Members.” If you are connected to your collaborators on LinkedIn, you can add them here and their name will appear as a hyperlink to their LinkedIn profile. You are not, however, limited to just your connections. You can still add other collaborators to the list and they will appear as plain text. I recommend using this as a reason to connect to someone on LinkedIn (or encourage someone to get a LinkedIn profile if they don’t have one.)

What a great way to show off teamwork and strengthen your connections on LinkedIn while also adding another inbound link for your website, blog, academic journal, or web-based project!

To add a Project to your profile, log in to LinkedIn and click “Profile” in the header bar. Just below the box that contains your main information there will be an area that looks like the below:

Click on the “+Add sections” button and it will bring up a window with different options to add to your profile. Under the “Sections” heading, you will see an option called Projects (there are also other great options to add to your profile here). This will then allow you to input all of the above listed information. Be sure to use keywords in the description that are relevant, just like you would any other SEO. You want these Projects to make you more searchable for clients, prospects, potential employers and potential business partners. DON’T just list keywords though. Make it sound like a thesis or a complete summary that will give viewers an understanding of the project. This is also another opportunity that LinkedIn provides to let you sound like an expert on your topic of interest. Use it. In case you’re a more visual learner, I have also created a step-by-step video guide for adding “Projects” to your profile. Check it out here.

I’d like to send out a special thanks to Joost Kokke and Justin Whitaker for answering a question which aided in the creation of this blog post!

Have you already been utilizing the Projects section? Have you had any success with it? What are your thoughts on other ways to use this function? Chime in below!

Now go get your social on!

THIS POST IS STARR HALL APPROVED

From Guest Blogger- Rob Zaleski

Share/Bookmark

Companies in just about every industry and of every size want to launch a company blog, and understandably so. Blogs – with their fresh content, keyword-rich text and (hopefully!) original ideas – are search engine bait.

Still, it can be daunting to launch a blog, let alone maintain one, especially for small companies already constrained by budget woes and an understaffed workforce. Fortunately, this is 2012, and the Internet practically hums with hundreds, if not thousands of tools that anyone can use to maximize their blogging efficiency. Check out these FREE tools to help you become a lean, mean blogging machine:

GOOGLE ALERTS

With Google Alerts, you can select keywords and keyword phrases of interest to you in your business, and Google will send you regular emails that list all the mentions of those keywords or phrases across the web, including news articles, social media mentions, blog posts, and even videos. If your business manufactures aftermarket auto parts and you have a blog, you’ll probably want to get Google Alerts on keywords such as car repair, auto recall, and car parts. Anytime you run out of ideas for your blog, check your Google Alerts for ideas on what’s going on in your industry.

RSS READER

My favorite is Google’s Reader, but there are plenty of others out there, including FeedDemon and My Yahoo. If you have a blog, you probably visit many other blogs and other external sites to keep up with conversations around your industry. RSS readers aggregate all of these different sites and pull them into a central location online so that you don’t have to keep a million bookmarks on your browser. Visit your reader periodically for more topic ideas and to network with others in your field by commenting on their own blogs

EVERNOTE

I can’t imagine my life without Evernote, and I still think I haven’t tapped into all of its organizing goodness. Evernote is an application available in a mobile, tablet and browser version that allows you to collect web pages, images, videos, and just about anything else you find on the web into one, user-friendly account. Save single URLs or even entire web pages for future reference, categorize them by topic or keyword tag, and organize them into “notebooks” for easy searches. Or just use Evernote’s OCR-powered search box – it can even search words within clear images. Does your company make unique dog toys? Snap a photo or even record a video of a dog playing with one of your toys directly from Evernote’s smartphone widget and upload straight to your Evernote account. Because it syncs directly with the browser version, the next time you open Evernote you’ll find that video or photo waiting for you, ready to be dropped into your blog post.

EDITORIAL CALENDARS

One of the best ways to avoid writer’s block is to plan for it, and editorial calendars allow you to do just that. You don’t have to write out entire posts in advance – simply add blog topics to the calendar. If you run a dog daycare facility, your blog topics may include “How to clean your dog’s feet,” “Join us Friday evening for Yappy Hour,” “50% off daycare every Tuesday,” “Welcome to our new office manager, Steve,” and “Why socialization is important for every dog.” Add these topics to specific days on the calendar, and you’re already halfway to finishing those posts. Create your blog editorial calendar using Word, Excel, Outlook’s calendar, or take advantage of numerous sample editorial calendars shared freely by bloggers on the web. If your blog is powered by WordPress, you can install this nifty editorial calendar plugin.

Have other tips and/or tools that you use to make your blogging more efficient? Feel free to share in the comments!

Post is STARR HALL APPROVED!

This awesome, rockin post is written by guest blogger- Marjorie R. Asturias, President and CEO of Blue Volcano Media, LLC.

Share/Bookmark

You have your business page set up on Google+, right? If not, it’s time.

Google has made it perfectly clear: Businesses that are active on Google+ will get found more easily via Google search. Google+ posts are indexed almost instantaneously. And with Google’s new personalized search results (Search, plus Your World), your Google+ posts show up front and center for anyone with whom you’re connected.

Grow your circles

It’s easy for you as an individual user on Google+ to add people to your circles – like Twitter, you don’t need their permission to “follow” (circle) them.

But it’s harder to build circles on a business page. A business can’t circle a person until the person circles the business. Makes sense for spam control reasons, but it means businesses sometimes have trouble getting traction.

Here are three ways to grow your network for your Google+ business page:

• Connect with other businesses. Business pages can’t circle individuals without reciprocation, but they can circle other businesses. Use the search bar in Google+ to look for other companies in your industry or location. Circle them and start up a conversation. You’ll make friends with those businesses, but you’ll also be getting your name and comments in front of the people in their circles. The more interesting you are, the more likely those people will circle you too.

• Build your personal circles first by finding friends, acquaintances and interesting Google+ pioneers through Google+’s recommended followers list or external sites like findpeopleonplus.com. Then, whenever you post something particularly interesting on your business page, use the “Share” button under the post to share it with your personal circles. Don’t overdo it – you don’t want to irritate your new friends – but try it every second or third post and see what happens.

• Comment on and share other people’s content. The more your business page comments on and shares the posts of other business pages and the people in your circles already, the more new people will see you. If you’re funny, intriguing, smart, interesting or sassy, you’ll attract new followers.

This blogger is a contributor to Starr Hall’s BLOG (meaning this post is Starr Hall approved!)

Erika Penzer Kerekes heads social media solutions at Deluxe Corporation. There’s more information on how to get started with Google+ in the free DeluxeSocial webinar, Why Small Businesses Need to Pay Attention to Google+.

Share/Bookmark

Click here to view the embedded video.

- Starr Hall

Share/Bookmark

It is time…for timeline. Whether you like it or not it is coming. Just when you thought you had your fan page figured out, along comes Facebook with another set of changes. Personally, I love it when Facebook makes changes, it keeps me on my toes and it keeps me learning new ways to reach out and connect online for both myself as well as my clients. SO- here are the things I love about Facebook’s new timeline and a few quick tips. By the way- if you are stuck and you need help with a redesign or strategy my friend Jody and her team can help you with that (disclosure- Jody does not pay me any moola for these referral, she is a resource for my clients and to show her appreciation, she helps me with my site changes now and again). CHECK OUT JODY’S VIDEO HERE

1) I heart the new layout because:

- You have more creative freedom to express your brand values, story and pull people in emotionally. Make sure you are not using the cover photo space to sales bitch or product push, Facebook says no-way on that approach anyway (phew).

- You can tie your posts and those tab boxes right below into your cover photo theme. Livestrong did an awesome job HERE

2) I LOVE the new sponsored post ads that will show up in the newsfeed.

- When someone posts something cool, fun etc… or recommends something you have posted or have available you can now click on that post and promote it (paid advertising), the post will then show up in newsfeeds of new targeted prospects (you have to pick out the demographics and details as to whom you want Facebook to target for you)

- This gets you on the main newsfeed in front of people that might not have crossed your path yet. Another great feature is the friends that also like your fanpage ads with Facebook, where you can show people that like a post or something on your page and it will show up on the right side bar of Facebook to let your fans friends casually know they think you rock. (Okay this has been there for awhile however it is worth a mention incase you have not seen it yet)

3) I have fallen for the story telling (milestones) and pinning, it is my all time fave new change.

- You have no choice now my friends, you just have to tell your story (or stories). I love this because THIS is how prospects get to know you and connect. You can create stories tied to product launches, things that you did in the past. These can be serious or funny, however no matter how you tell these stories, add a graphic/visual piece in with these posts. Check out Ben & Jerry’s via Mashable here

- Pinning is the best online invention since well, liking. You can pin a post at the top of your timeline for up to 7 days. This way you can feature posts and if you really want to, yes you can feature specials here as well. Another Ben/Jerry’s example here

So there you have it, I embrace the changes, I hope that you do as well. These changes can be a huge opportunity for your brand to reach deeper levels of connection with fans and prospects which by the way is what ultimately results in sales.

If you want Jody’s help- go HERE and to see my new timeline- go HERE

Thank you for stopping by. Feel free to share what you love and or don’t love about Facebook’s new timeline changes.

Lovin time,

- Starr Hall

Share/Bookmark

We’ve all heard about the benefits of writing a business blog. It’s a great way to show the world you’re smart about what you do. Refreshing the content on your website helps you get found through online search. And many businesses out there actually point to their blogs as a source for new leads and revenue.

The problem: Writing a blog takes time. And a neglected blog is worse than not having one at all. You’re already burning the candle at both ends trying to run your business. When, exactly, are you supposed to blog?

If the thought of maintaining a blog for your small business makes your knees wobble, don’t worry: There are ways to make blogging manageable. Here are five shortcuts I use to keep my head above water and the content rolling out on a regular(ish) schedule.

• Set achievable goals. Let’s face it – few of us have time to sit down, collect our thoughts, and turn out 300 well-curated words every day. Put aside an hour or two a week and get as much done as you can. Posting once a week is better than not posting at all because you’re paralyzed by anxiety.
• Lower your standards (within reason). You’re not writing a dissertation here. Your blog posts don’t need to be worthy of publication in a national magazine. Pick a topic, churn out a few paragraphs, re-read them to make sure they make sense, hit Publish, and move on. Do, however, make sure your post reads well, makes sense, and is typo-free.
• Use your “draft” queue. When you hit on an idea for your blog, start a new post, make some notes, and save it as a draft. When you’re ready to write, look through your drafts, pick the one you want to finish, and you’re halfway there. I’ve always got at least a few dozen posts in progress. The best thing about this method: You would have forgotten most of those ideas if you hadn’t written them down when they were fresh in your mind.
• Keep a list. I keep a running list of evergreen ideas in a notebook next to my computer. When I’m stuck for a new topic, I look at my list for inspiration. Here are a few of the things on my idea list: Quote a customer; ask a question; answer a question; today’s reading list; today’s news; an interesting quote; a daily challenge.
• Ask for help. You don’t have to write every word. You’ll find many willing contributors to your blog if you only ask. (Starr knows this – that’s how I got here!) Friends, colleagues, customers, employees – they’ve all got valuable insights to share. Suggest ideas or let them bring their own. As long as they mesh with the general topic of your blog, it’s all good.

Guest Blogger for Starr Hall: Erika Kerekes heads social media solutions for small businesses at Deluxe Corporation. She spends her days helping small businesses understand social media and her nights blogging obsessively about food. She lives by the list above – it’s the only way she can get it all done.

Share/Bookmark

Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the last couple of months, you’ve certainly heard about Pinterest, a website that allows users to “Pin” images from websites into albums which showcase their interests, things they love or want, and places they’d like to go. Pinterest has become one of the fastest growing websites ever and recent statistics are showing that inbound traffic from Pinterest outnumbers Google+, LinkedIn and Twitter combined! Here are a few ideas to help get you going with using Pinterest for your small or medium sized local business.

• Create an album to spotlight your involvement and engagement in the local community with a “Places We Love” album.

An important part of being a local business is how ingrained you are in the local community. You can use Pinterest to highlight this aspect of your business. Once you’ve created an account you can add images from other local businesses that you are affiliated with or want to help spotlight. Add pictures from landmarks around town, images of your own storefront (from your own website, thus creating an inbound link for yourself), or pictures of ways in which your product could be utilized in the community. Your product or service needs to be supplementary to the community, or it will just appear to be shameless self-promotion and may be ignored.

• Spotlight community members with a “People We Love” album

A key aspect of community involvement is getting to know community members. Use in-store signage or your other social networks to find out which of your customers have blogs or websites that they would not mind having highlighted by you. Create an album of Community Members and start pinning pictures from these blogs and websites. They get increased inbound links and you are increasingly connected on a personal level with your community. Pin images from well established, influential or even famous community members as well. It all is just increased visibility for you.

• Showcase products or services specific to your industry

Become a source of information of what is hot and newly developing in your industry by creating an album full of pictures of new products, developing trends, how-to videos and things to come. You should already be doing this with your other social networks, but Pinterest provides a more visual way of doing so. You can use this as a “coming soon” album for you products or services you carry. Just be sure to update this album often.

• Show off new products or services with a “What’s New With Us” album

A small amount of self-promotion is ok, but make sure that this is not the focal point of your Pinterest page. You can use this as more informative, but not sales gimmicky. If possible, the best way to approach this would be to show OTHERS using your new products, or your new product being used or tested in the local community. These photos could be from your own website or websites of those involved in the pictures. If you can get photos of your product on the website of a local business association, that would be a great way to showcase your product and your local flavor, all while providing a link to the association’s page. The best thing about this is that you can see what your customer base likes and is interested in by watching them share, like or pin items themselves!

Maybe little pin(ch)?

Most of all, and most importantly, remember to be human. Make your page about your customers, about your community, and about engagement. The goal of creating a Pinterest page for your local business should not be to try to get direct sales from it, but to create a close knit collaboration with the local community that will lead to customer retention, brand loyalty, and a focus on your importance as a staple part of your customers’ community and your industry. Set up Pinterest with your Twitter account and you can extend your reach even further, especially if you’ve used the Twitter search function to find and follow (and hopefully you have been followed back by) people in your local community.

Have you used Pinterest? Do you find it to be as much of a “next big thing” as many people are touting it to be?

Also, be sure to check out some of the legal info about Pinterest and copyright, be informed- view here

Thanks for reading. Feel free to share feedback or share online.

Now go get your social on!

Rob Zaleski

Guest Blogger for Starr Hall

More about Rob Z-

Hi, I'm Rob Z! I am a fun loving, gnome-obsessed, coffee drinking, social media and theatre nerd. I currently reside in Austin, TX where I work for a company that helps small and local businesses succeed in managing their social media. I got to Austin by way of Canton, OH and Champaign, IL, where I earned a degree in Media Studies from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. I currently blog at robzie-blogzie.blogspot.com and you can follow me @robzie81 on Twitter. In my free time I love to take part in theatre, both on stage and in the audience. If I was allowed one super power, I would decline. I would abuse super powers, that is why I'm not allowed to have them.

Share/Bookmark

I love what I do. I love the people I get to work with. And I love to see my clients dominate in the marketplace.  It’s what drives me every day to get out of bed and take action to make things happen.

When I find others who share my passion for marketing and publicity, it gets me even more juiced up!

LEVEL Studios, a Rosetta company, is one of the best creative teams on the planet, with the technology and development to back it up. I’m thrilled to announce my new role as Associate Partner | Consumer Technology & Entertainment with LEVEL!  I will be leading the charge for the LEVEL/Rosetta message on search and media strategy in the marketplace, and contribute to both big-picture strategy and front-line implementation across clients. In addition, I will be reaching out to clients with additional approaches socially for them to connect with their consumers in new ways.

And it’s a huge win for my existing clients as well!

Now they can have instant access to the very best for all of their online marketing and branding: a team and agency that would have taken me years to build on my own! Plus, I get to bring my decade-and-a-half of experience as an international publicist to the forefront of LEVEL’s Search and Media team and lead the charge as they expand into new market segments.

Of course, this new partnerships means a few changes to the way I’m doing things now. I have closed Starr Hall Consulting, and all of my consulting will now be through LEVEL/Rosetta. With my increased responsibilities at LEVEL, I will also be expanding my team at starrhall.com, finding the best of the best to bring my readers the most up-to-date research and advice. (See my post http://www.starrhall.com/guest-bloggers-wanted/ for details.)

What won’t change is: I am still me.

My WebTV show will continue, the launch of the new webcast is still on track for April 2012, I will continue as a regular columnist for entrepreneur.com, my book media and speaking tours and I will keep providing updated entrepreneurial and small business training products through my site.

Questions? Feedback? Please feel free to post here or email me direct.

About Level/Rosetta- READ HERE

Thank you for all of your continued support, site visits, conversations and just all around awesomeness.

To our continued success,

Starr Hall

Share/Bookmark