FirePath Blog
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10 Social Media Truths
Comments OffEvery month, I teach a social media workshop for small business owners and marketing folk. I get a lot of questions, and address many, many misconceptions about using social media for marketing and promotion. Here are my top 10 truths about social media that so many social marketing beginners need to understand and accept today:
1. Social media is a set of tools.
Social media is not a singular or solitary communication method. It’s simply a set of online communication tools that people use to share content, profiles, opinions, insights, experiences, perspectives and media itself. Social media facilitates conversations and interaction between groups of likeminded people. These tools include blogs, message boards, podcasts, micro blogs, bookmarks, networks, communities, wikis, and vlogs.
Our Favorite Sites for Social Media Stats
Comments OffA friend of mine was doing some research for a business presentation this week and wanted some of the latest statistics on social media. He asked me for my favorite go-to sites for such information, so I thought I would spread the love and share with everyone else.
How Does BP Rebound from the Biggest FAIL Ever?
1 Comment »There needs to be a fundamental, monumental change in the DNA of that company. Every oil-leaking day that goes by, they lose more credibility and more respect…and they don’t have much more left to lose. They need to stop saying the “right” things and start doing what is right or no amount of PR will ever help them. To survive, they need to show the world the profound impact that this catastrophe has had, at every level of the company. They need to change the company philosophy, right down to the mission statement, to refocus on protecting the environment, whenever and where ever they conduct business. They need to do something BIG–not a publicity stunt, but something that shows their seriousness on environmental issues, no matter how it impacts the bottom line. Something like…shutting down their other deep water oil rigs.
5 Things You Should Never Do in Social Media
5 Comments »Lately, I’ve seen some small businesses (and some large ones!) start “dipping their toes” into social media. It’s obvious to me that they are testing the waters because they have no overall theme or consistent messaging, their efforts aren’t supporting the brand or marketing campaigns, and they are painfully unaware of social media etiquette. While the lack of strategy will only get them nowhere in terms of social media ROI, the missteps in etiquette have the potential to damage their reputation and credibility in the social space…which could end up being quite a hairy monster to tame. So I thought I would offer these folks a few quick tips on what NOT to do in social media.
Social media is one ingredient, not the whole cake.
8 Comments »Social media marketing isn’t just throwing a few tweets or blog posts out and calling it a day. Or worse, throwing a social media profile up, operating it separately from all other marketing programs, and expecting a steady stream of new prospects from it. Just like traditional media, social media needs to have a thorough strategy for each level of the campaign in order to be successful. And each component should support the overall message that you are trying to deliver. Social media isn’t a separate campaign, separate message or separate brand–it’s a tool to help support your overall marketing efforts.
Is Lady Gaga for Sale? Duh.
Comments OffA blog post on Yahoo’s Musictoob discussed the new Gaga/Beyonce “Telephone” video and asked the question: “Is Lady Gaga for sale?” To which I answer: Duh.
And why the heck shouldn’t she be? Like most of the musicians who are in the spotlight today, she will fade out. So why not make a few bucks now so she can spend her golden years sipping mango mojitos and shopping for crazy plastic clothes with her aged gay friends on South Beach? Without veering off into a talent discussion on “musicians today,” I have to say simply: They are all for sale. See also: Every American Idol contestant ever. Even the great King of Pop hocked Pepsi back in the day.
Social Media: a New Dog that Hates Old Tricks
Comments OffWhen corporate accounting comes looking for their ROI, you will fail to produce it. Because you failed to identify how you will measure it. Because you failed to set goals.
5 Great Facebook Fan Pages
Comments OffLately I’ve been obsessed with Facebook branding. We help clients build engaging content and interactions on Facebook (among other platforms),…
What Tiger Woods Could Learn from Social Media
1 Comment »Tiger & PR Team: you could learn a lot from the social media evolution. Ever heard of it?
Toyota’s Missed Social Media Opportunity
1 Comment »The Toyota recall situation seems to be getting worse. In addition to skyrocketing complaints, there are now new investigations into…
No ROI in Social Media? Bologna Sausage!
Comments OffSocial media was all the buzz in marketing and PR in ‘08 and ‘09. In ‘10 the buzz is how…
One Thing You Need to Do to Manage Your Brand’s Online Reputation
Comments OffIn a very interesting blog post, Barry Hurd equates a person’s–or indeed, a company’s–online reputation “score” to a credit score.…
Take this Twitter Poll!
Comments Offvar addthis_pub = ‘warner76′;
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Are the Rumors True: Is Cold Calling Really Dead?
Comments OffA recent search on Google for “cold calling” returned more than 33 million hits with titles such as, “Still Cold…