fLO works with small to medium size businesses in developing unique strategic solutions via a proven methodology that results in effective social media/online content marketing planning and implementation.
ok... it launched, it’s in beta, and only a few people have it, but now a few more people have it, but it currently does not have enough people using it to make it work..... and this is going to be the next big social media experiment that promises not to be an experiment but social media 2.0?
it’s Google+....
After failed attempts at unseating Twitter and Facebook from their respective thrones with Wave and Buzz, is the third time the charm with google+?
What makes that question hard to answer is that with social media there is no black and white, and you generally cannot make complete reviews of something that is continually evolving. It’s like reviewing a movie after seeing a preview, judging the rock prowess of an 80’s hair band based upon the success of one song (no, I’m not looking at you Twisted Sister)...
Read the article! »We here at fLO tend to get a little focused on certain applications for social media. (understandably so!) But one of the reasons I/we find working in this medium so exciting is because the ramifications and abilities of this new public space are ever expanding. Last week, my fabulous cousin was in town. Many people know her online as half of a popular sister foodie blogging team, but when she’s not writing about food she spends much of her time working on various homeland security projects. She recently gave a talk about social media applications for security issues, she shared some of her thoughts with me and I thought I’d share them here too!
Last September, there was a shooting at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore, MD. A surgeon was shot by the distraught relative of a patient.....
We live in an interesting time. The age of information. Access and divulgence are higher than they have ever been and continue to grow. Social Media Networks are the same. Today’s youth generally have no problem divulging scores of personal information on sites like Facebook and using it as their main communication channel. It is this information that makes Facebook what it is and why people participate. Older generations are reluctant to participate in the same amount of divulgence as younger generations. They are more apt to divulge only basic information and then resort to traditional methods of communication. So as the generations remove self imposed limits on information where will that lead us in the future?
Read the article! »Make no mistake market transformation is a monumental task. What it entails is very complex and it requires a great deal of work on many fronts. After all it’s social change, and we know how that goes in this country. How can the proper use of social media help? Social media in its present form is that of a sharing community. Social media is not a fad, but a new way to use a powerful tool, the internet, to communicate with other members of society on levels not previously imagined. Social media is in a constant state of evolution. Social media will be a key component in the success of market transformation.
Read the article! »There is a bit of an argument going on regarding use of the terms “content strategy” and “content marketing”. Are they really two different things? Are the terms mutually exclusive? And what is it, exactly, that those of us who bill ourselves as “content strategists” actually providing?
Leen Jones (author of Clout) suggests that the difference is between using content specifically for marketing initiatives and using content as a commodity. Although she admits at the end of her post that the two are becoming more entwined as time and innovation chug on.
Joe Pulizzi of Junta42 and the Content Marketing Institute (read: Big, big guy in this field) wrote a popular post late last year that basically stated that all these terms mean the same thing, what matters is who you’re talking to.
After last year’s Content Strategy Forum, Newt Barrett wrote that content strategy is the “kissing cousin” to content marketing. A necessary tactic to employ to achieve effective content marketing.
Not to be a complete cop-out....
I’m about to make a bit of a shocking admission. I don’t really like Twitter.
Oh sure, I get Twitter. I understand what you have to do to gain followers. I understand the principals of reciprocity. I even understand why so many people love the constant stream of interesting links, timely witticisms and window to world events as they happen- they find it addictive!
I don’t know if it’s my personality or what, but try as I might I can’t get into it. I just have to say, it’s not my thing. Luckily for our business, my husband and business partner happens to love Twitter. He’s the source of all the awesome links and witty 140 character sayings.
Now I do happen to enjoy Facebook...
A couple of weeks ago I was invited to lunch with a few of the members of the content strategy group at Facebook HQ.
Yes! I was there! In the bunker! Where all the magic happens! And let me tell you, the lunch options were delightful. I can’t lie. It was pretty cool to get to visit the behind-the-scenes of a virtual place where I spend much of my time. But what was even more interesting was the conversation.
Content Strategy is a term not everyone is familiar with...
I’ve had a number of clients and prospects recently that work in highly regulated financial industries. They work within the confines of very strict compliance guidelines. Every email, every fax, every letter they send or use to communicate with clients or prospective clients must be scrutinized and approved.
Networking is a must for individuals in these industries and social media (LinkedIn in particular) is a natural conclusion. FINRA has a social media task force, recently released some guidelines and it looks like they will be revised shortly. The SEC did a massive sweep of social media data in February and will likely have their own recommended practices soon.
If you are a financial professional trying to navigate these ever-changing waters, there are a couple of new tools on the market that might help alleviate your compliance concerns, particularly in regards to record-keeping and suitability
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I gave a presentation last week to a very specialized local association. As always, it is interesting to format my message for a new audience. When speaking to new prospects, as well as here on my site, I always temper the (truly exciting) possibilities and opportunities with the realities of making an online content program successful. Social media and online content marketing is not the "pot of gold" at the end of the rainbow.
Which isn't to say there isn't gold to be had, just that you have to work for it!
I thought I'd share a few of the key points for all my nonprofit homies in the audience.
First of all, social media and online content marketing can and should be used to help you reach your overall goals- just like any marketing program. Some common ones for associations tend to be:
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A couple weeks ago I tweeted/FB’d a link to a video by a couple offering “movie-making” services. I admit, I was poking a bit of fun at their lack of professional style. But there is some truth to their argument that there are many reasons that you as a business or even personally could benefit from having a video made and distributed online – and you don’t need to spend a lot to end up with a polished product.
I recently worked with a client to shoot a short informational video series for his business consulting services. To keep down expenses, we shot with a hand-held Creative Vado HD (similar to a Flip) and used no external microphone. The only snafu we ran into was when the planned outdoor shoot had to be moved inside due to rain and we were limited to the lighting instruments available in the hotel room! In the span of three short hours we were able to shoot enough footage for three videos. As for editing, we used the very fancy iMovie software that comes pre-programmed on a Mac
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I recently had to create an online invitation for my daughter's birthday party. I automatically logged in to evite.com (as you do) and started perusing the designs. Is it just me, or have things become a lot more limited there these days? Anywhoodle. I wasn't having any luck finding a design anywhere close to what I wanted and it occured to me, there HAS to be other options out there!
I've been using evite.com since probably pretty close to it's inception in 1998, when there was little to no competition. Until recently, there has really been no reason to look anywhere else. Evite gets the job done. If you're a prior user, your previous guests addresses are saved. The invitations get sent. The responses get tracked. Reminders get sent. But gosh darn if the interwebs hasn't gone and changed an awful lot in the past 5 years and there are some up and coming invitation services that have some great features that Evite doesn't. This is an article from 2009 (kisses, CNET!) which I used as a launchpad to find the new invitation service I'm totally in love with, Pingg.com.
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Arg. This week has really thrown me for a loop. I have been ill with a terribly evil virus. So I have no words of wisdom today. But many good ideas for posts about planning for the future.
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Ok. You’ve heard all the buzz. This post is going to assume that you’re already bought in to the idea that social media and/or online content is a marketing avenue you need to start using or utilize more effectively.
Now you’re thinking, How do I start?
Let me share with you the secret to beginning an effective social media/online content strategy
Read the article! »A simple approach to start marketing through social media, new media and online content such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, Blogging, Slideshows, Prezi, and pictures (whew!).
Read the article! »Fort Worth Business Press put out this great article about small businesses and social media. It highlights the biggest issue I come across with nearly every client and prospect I meet with: The need for a plan.
What’s exciting about social media and other online media tools is that they appear to be a cost-free venture with nothing but reward to reap. But the truth is, most businesses are out there with no plan or strategy and no method of evaluating and assessing their efforts.
So, ok, you have a Facebook Page with thousands of fans or a Twitter Account with legions of followers. What does that mean?
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Here's the simple answer. You don't.
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My very awesome website was designed by a very awesome website designer whose own very awesome website is… down. He likened it to the auto mechanic whose car is always in the shop. Of course, both designer and auto mechanic have physical examples of their work that they can show to people – evidence of their abilities.
So in that case, does the work speak for itself?
Read the article! »When’s the last time you googled yourself?
Unless you’re the type that like to obsessively check up on what might be being said about you on a regular basis chances are, it’s probably been a while.
I was googling a prospect I am meeting with. As you do. And I suddenly thought, “Hmmmmm, he’s probably doing the same thing about me.” It’s been a long time since I took a look at what came up so I decided to check it out. And I was pretty surprised at what came up.
Want to check it now? Go ahead. I’ll wait.
Read the article! »I’ve written a personal blog for years but for some reason, starting this business blog gives me writer’s block. I think because my personal blog was just a natural extension of self and interests whereas this blog will be a very specific version of me. A very professional one!
A good friend and fellow content marketer (Hello @storytellingmaven!) told me that I should start with an origin story. How did I get into this business? Why do I belong here? What do I bring to the table?
Whew! That’s a lot of pressure.
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