Good Customer Service on Social Media

In a world of text, tweets, chats and non-physical face-to-face conversations it is much easier to let someone down. Want to cancel dinner? Just text you have a headache. Didn't really quite enjoy that first date? He can be dumped in less than 140 characters. Recently, I watched in wonder as people took to a Facebook event wall to cancel just hours before a party started. You have to ask yourself if they would have sucked it up and come had they been forced to call and speak to someone. So admittedly, technology in all its wonders does have some draw backs, it makes it much easier to "hide" or to be in a way unreliable.For brands and companies though, the opposite seems to hold true. When a dissatisfied customer takes to technology, it is less about hiding or running and more about helping as quickly as possible. No one can be sure how fast the message will spread or how many others will see it and jump on the conversation. Some companies have a policy of answering within 24 hours, others within the hour and some get to it when they can, probably not the best approach. When thinking about your response strategy think about the following:

- What is my capacity? If you don't have someone dedicated to monitoring and responding, then make sure you try to set some standards for fans. Being up front and honest is half the battle. "We'll respond to requests within seven days. If you want a more immediate response call this number."

- Where can people go for customer service? If social isn't where you are putting your focus for customer service be very clear how people can reach you otherwise - phone, email, website. Despite having this people may still want you to respond on social. Very often people want to be responded to via the same medium they reached out on.

- What is your response? If you have a list of common questions or complaints, you can always format a library of responses, allowing even a a third party to be able to respond on your behalf. It saves you time and it satisfies the fan.

Technology may allow people to hide  but it also allows people to have their voice amplified. Make sure your company is prepared.

Know How Technology Works

When driving North on I-65 I came across two billboards each a mile apart. The first was for a local mom and pop diner. On it was a picture of food and a call to action - the restaurant's phone number. From what I could tell it wasn't the type of joint you would need to call ahead for a reservation, so why was the phone number featured so prominently?The second billboard was for Burger King. It also had an image of food but in big bold letters it read: Turn right at the next exit. Followed by an arrow. Burger King nailed it. Granted they probably had a support of a large agency,  but they clearly understood how the medium (a billboard in this case) worked.

Whether it's a poorly placed QR code or a text heavy Facebook post, people often fail to think about how the medium is being used by their customer. Here are two key questions to ask yourself when developing a campaign:

1. What is the information your customer needs to know?

2. What is the best way to deliver that information on the particular medium you are using?

If you are using mobile use wide ranging methods to reach your customer -  less QR codes and Apps and more use of mobile web and SMS. Mobile search is often searching "in the moment" or "on the go." What types of information would your customers need to know as they are heading out to shop, eat, etc?

If you are using social be conscious of which platform you are using. Twitter behaves differently than Facebook which behaves differently than Pinterest. Make sure you are in the right space to reach your customers. On social media, what social currency can you give your followers so they'll help spread the word? Maybe it's a coupon, maybe a recipe or perhaps a bit of trivia. Think about information that is interesting and useful for your fan base while still helping you achieve your business goals.

No matter what the medium, it's important to understand how people are using it and to identify the critical information they need so you can make a sale. Sometimes it's as simple as a big yellow arrow pointing toward your next Whopper.

How Brands Must Leverage Facebook's New Newsfeed

Facebook is constantly reinventing itself, and you can't blame them. To stay stagnant is a death wish in an industry that changes so rapidly. That said, some of the changes benefit users and some brands. The most recent newsfeed change is one that I believe tips the scale for the user, giving them more control over what they see on Facebook.A user will soon be able to toggle between different newsfeed streams - Photos, Friends, Most Recent, Music and Following (brand/media pages). Great customization for the user, not so great for brand pages who currently get a coveted spot between posts from friends and families. I predict that the Following newsfeed will probably be the most underused feed, because at the end of the day no matter how clever a post, it's still from a business versus a friend.

Should brands shut down their pages quite yet? No. Brands can still actively engage with users but they must find ways to get into as many newsfeeds as possible. If they rely just on the "Follows" newsfeed they're likely to see their engagement levels drop pretty dramatically.

Here are recommendations for staying in the "feed":

• Include images in your posts. With the popularity of Instagram and Pinterest, it's becoming more apparent that visual does well on social. As a brand if you post an image with your post, you can then secure a space in the Photos newsfeed.
• Post regularly. If you want to appear in the most recent news feed, you need to post. Simple enough.
• Create engaging content. Get people to engage with your content and it will appear in the Friends newsfeed.
• Consider advertising. It's not been clearly defined yet, but from early talks it sounds as if ads will get your airtime in all newsfeeds, including the Friends newsfeed which will most likely be the most popular.

Social in a Crisis Situation - Newtown

When Newtown happened you could feel the shock and sadness slowly rippling through the social media world. A tweet here, a link to a story there, posts of prayers and disbelief came flooding across news feeds. Here's when a community really can become a community one in which there is support and shared emotion.I have to admit, I was disappointed to see page after page put out a statement about Newtown. I may like tequila but I didn't need my brand of tequila telling me how bad they felt during that moment. It was just odd.

As marketers we want to believe that our brands represent so much more to the consumer than a tasty drink, a good meal, a fast car. But when it comes to tragedy, all that brand positioning kind of goes out the window. Instead, you should remain silent, let people talk to people. Don't try to capitalize on a tragedy even if that isn't your initial intention. There's a time and a place to jump in on the conversation. Part of being a good community manager is to know when it's your turn.

Back to Basics - Thanks EdgeRank

There's been quite a bit of buzz about Facebook's tweaks to EdgeRank. Are less people seeing your content? Is it all just a big scheme to get more ad dollars? Should your company jump ship to Google + where it is safe?While we may never know the answers to all of our pressing Facebook questions, I can tell you this...If you do the basics you'll be able to ride out any EdgeRank craziness.

Think of it in terms of weight loss, if you want to lose weight eat less calories and stay active. I know it sounds waaaay too simple, but I've seen it work. When it comes to Facebook you also need to do the basics to stay in the game - post regularly, post engaging content, interact with fans and buy advertising from time to time to get fans re-engaged or to draw in new fans.

In the meantime, Facebook will fumble, tweak and hopefully come up with a solution that makes both fans and brands happy. Your role as a page owner is to do the best you can to ride it out and keep fans engaged.

Optimizing Facebook Ads

I have to admit...I was a bit hesitant about sponsored stories ads on Facebook. Wouldn't you want a compelling line of copy (even if it is only a few characters long) and your picture of choice in your ad? That way you could ensure you'd win people over as customers and fans. But alas, much like everything else in social you have to shove your ego aside and give people what they want...which isn't your copy writing genius.Having hosted ad campaigns for a variety of businesses large and small, I can tell you what works best over and over again. It's the sponsored story.

There's something about the personal recommendation that is far more legit than any ad copy you or I could write.  And I've seen it not just perform better once or twice. It's every time, most of the time performing 10X better than a standard Facebook display ad. (I usually always run them side by side, just to be certain).

It's essentially word of mouth marketing, but you don't have to wait for someone to tell their friends because sponsored stories do it for you.  For example, when you like Nike's page it goes into the newsfeed once. It's up to Nike then to pour a few dollars into a sponsored story ad campaign to make that "Like" work as hard as possible. Now that "Like" is being shown to all of your friends multiple times a day in the form of a sponsored story ad. Good news for Nike, especially if you're an influencer among your circle of friends. If you want the biggest bang for your buck on Facebook ads, go sponsored stories and save your copy writing skills for another day. It took me awhile to become a believer, but I got there eventually. You should too.

Facebook Takes a Beating

It seems people have been waiting for Facebook to fail for a while now. Not sure where the anger comes from, but since the social network giant has continued to grow and gain traction, the naysayers have had to remain fairly quiet...until now.Let's face it, the IPO hasn't gone smoothly. Finally, some negative news! General Motors doesn't want to advertise with them anymore? Hooray, pile it on! eMarkerter has a survey saying Facebook ads don't influence purchase? Bring it. The LA Times said teens would rather Tweet? Perfect. Teens are the barometer of what's cool after all.

Facebook may not be around forever, but here's the thing. I've long ditched my address book, I'm horrible at remembering people's birthdays, and I actually enjoy keeping up with the lives of people I would otherwise never stay in touch with. (I'm talking about the randoms from high school, the ex co-workers and estranged family members). Facebook still holds all my social connections. I know that if at any moment I had to reach out to someone I could and they'd eventually get the message.

Remember, you don't have to check Facebook every day to use Facebook. Just like you wouldn't study your address book every day. It keeps your social network in tact for when and if you need to access it. That said, a lot of people still do check it every day out of habit.

You don't have to love Facebook, you don't have to even like it. But you do have to admit it is useful for staying in touch with a large amount of people at one time. Until there is another network that provides a similar service, in a better way, I don't see Facebook going away tomorrow. Even if they've received a bit of bad PR.

Why Pinning is Winning

Pinterest recently moved into the Number 3 spot for social networks, which means a newbie like Pinterest is actually doing better than a giant like Google+. Aside from the fact that it is one of the fastest growing websites to ever hit the interwebs, why should you care?

1. The studies are still rolling in, but Pinterest does an amazing job at driving traffic back to web sites. The whole point of Pinterest is to bookmark web sites, but bookmark them in a much more visually interesting way. Whereas Facebook tends to work inside its own eco-system and Twitter tends to link to more news sites and blogs, Pinterest is there to capture more of the lifestyle links. We aren't necessarily learning about the latest volcanic explosion as it happens, but we are able to see a really enticing recipe or cute new spring dress.

2. The visual world is becoming more important. We've seen that Facebook posts with images tend to perform better than text-only posts, but on Pinterest if you don't have a good visual, you really don't have much. Remember if you want people to be driven to your site, you have to host interesting visuals on your site. If you're a clothing store who is constantly updating new images and styles online you are set. For the rest of us, that's something to think about.

3. The big dogs are already jumping on board. Quite often you'll see these new networks that never go anywhere, but Pinterest was smart enough to leverage what is already working to gain a mass quantity of users quickly. (In order to create an account you are prompted to use your Twitter or Facebook log-in which then allows you to see which of your friends/followers are also on Pinterest). You'll also see that some companies, like Lowe's, have begun using the "P" logo on the bottom of their ads. It's fresh, it's new and it's very relevant to women in their 20s and 30s.

4. Facebook and Twitter have been very popular for a very long time, at least "long" in terms of the tech world. When you see a network explode in the way that Pinterest has, it is something to take notice. Inevitably, things are going to shift. I'm not saying Facebook is going away tomorrow by any means, but I do think Pinterest has made a big enough splash for you to think about the ways your business could leverage it.

Old School Message Boards - Yep, I'm Pregnant.

Message boards? Those are so 1990's errr...was it early 2000's? If I was giving advice to a client I would definitely steer them toward something more modern. Set up a Facebook page, hop on Twitter, Pin something for goodness sake. But I have a confession to make. I've been spending more time on Message Boards than I have any other social network lately.Why the throwback, you may ask? I'm pregnant. Yes, it is true, and I am trolling the mommy boards on the What to Expect When You're Expecting site like no other. At first I was just a lurker, but now I'm a poster. I'm asking questions about which stroller to buy, whether or not I need to strap my baby on to me and if so, what do I do with the other one? (Did I mention it is twins?)

I have to admit these Boards are extremely useful, and here's why.

1. Anonymity. I don't want to be friends with these ladies on Facebook. Maybe it's their hormones or maybe they always skew toward the unhappy, but there are some "feisty" women on these boards. The Forum / Message Board function allows me to get what I need out of it without getting personal.

2. Common bonds. These ladies are just as obsessed/terrified/excited as me. We are all going through this new experience together. All due in July. And despite differences in personalities, political views, geography, all feeling the same aches and pains. Forums are great for bringing people together with a strong common interest.

3. Separation from my "social" social world. I'm not a big fan of posting every day about my pregnancy. I have a few photos of me pregnant but that's only because I went on vacation and happened to be pregnant. It gets to be overload when your friends share every moment of their pregnancy, soon to be followed by every moment of their labor and new child. I've been on the receiving end of the newsfeed and I swore I wouldn't do it. The forums allow me to have a place strictly for baby comments and for people who actually care about baby stuff.

4. You get to learn a new language. You know you're a part of an intense community when you have to learn the lingo to participate. DD (Darling Daughter), MIL (Mother In Law), FTM (First Time Mom), TTC (Trying to Conceive). I could go on and on. It took me awhile but I am in. It's kind of a barrier to entry, and inevitably some newbie will get on and actually ask what everything means. Please, you think these ladies are going to take the time to explain? You need to figure that one out. It's a rite of passage.

5. You get to listen in. Marketers should be here. I can't help it. Even when talking about my pepperoncini cravings I'm thinking with my marketing hat on. If I was a company in the baby products industry or even a doctor I would be listening on this board like no other. The women are constantly talking about their needs, recommending products, complaining about OB GYNs. It's like Yelp, Urbanspoon and TripAdvisor rolled up into one for the baby industry. Trust me, you want in on this conversation.

I'm not saying abandon Facebook or Twitter by any means. What I am saying is find the online communities where your hard core consumers are having an in-depth conversation and you'll find rich insights and feedback to be had. Maybe you can host one yourself (more tricky when they know the brand is listening) or maybe you can just be a fly on the wall, but don't disregard this space, unless you can't stomach all the husband bashing, odes to Taco Bell and Mother In Law rants. In which case, I completely understand.

Facebook and Twitter - the Conversation Bandwagon

I’m a firm believer that you should treat your Facebook and Twitter content differently. Don’t link them up. They are two different audiences and two different platforms. That’s just being lazy, no matter how much you tell yourself you’re being efficient.My belief was confirmed as Valentine’s Day rolled around and then Mardi Gras. Something struck me as I saw brands and people posting about the various holidays – on Twitter it benefits you to join in on the conversation, while on Facebook it can hurt you to be the same.

Here’s why: If there are 30 posts referencing Valentine’s Day on Facebook your post may very well be tucked into a grouping of all the others who posted about Valentine’s Day. Facebook groups similar topics together on your newsfeed. Great for the user but for a brand trying to break through,not so much.

Twitter is totally different. If Valentine’s Day is trending because so many people are talking about it, you should leverage keywords like Valentine’s Day. People who currently don’t follow you but are searching the topic or clicking on the trending topic, will then find you.

Long story short – find ways to stand out on Facebook to get your spot in the newsfeed, and find ways to jump in on Twitter to be a part of the larger conversation and gain more exposure.

Just another reason you should really treat your Twitter and Facebook management differently.

Susan G. Komen's PR Blunder - Top 5 Mistakes Made

Abortion is an extremely polarizing topic and I try to keep my personal views separate from my work, but I would like to talk about how Susan G. Komen handled the recent pulling of funds from Planned Parenthood from a PR and social media perspective. I think there are lessons here, whether you are a pro-lifer or pro-choicer, on what not to do. Looking at the coverage and social media chatter, from a public perception stand point Susan G. Komen got slammed over the last few days for how they handled this piece of news.So here it goes...The Top 5 Mistakes Susan G Komen Made

1. Silence

Susan G Komen had no official press response put out to media aside from "No Comment." So what happened when USA Today, New York Times and others couldn't get a comment? They went to the organization's Facebook page and lifted a post from the page. It wasn't a poorly written post by any means, but if you are going to speak up in one space why not offer up the same comment to the media. The two boundaries are blurred now. What you say in social can easily end up on the front of the New York Times. Be prepared for that and think twice when you hand over your Facebook page to your intern to run.

2. Transparency

Whether this was true or not, people on Facebook were accusing Susan G. Komen of deleting Facebook posts. On one hand it didn't really matter because the negative posts kept flooding in, but it was clear that the organization did not have a crisis plan in place. They should have anticipated, staffed up and had a library of responses or well-crafted posts to state their position clearly and explain to people that they are pulling funding from one source and putting it in another to assist low-income women. Goes back to Point 1 though, Susan G. Komen opted to remain silent for the most part.

3. Planning

You had to scratch your head and think..."Didn't they see this coming?" There did not seem to be any statements in place or any alternative plans - well we are pulling funding from Planned Parenthood but in its place we are giving funding in those same cities to provide breast screenings for low-income women. To make a move like this, Susan G. Komen should have gotten out ahead of the announcement and begin talking to fans and media about their efforts with low-income women that extend beyond Planned Parenthood.

4. Solidarity

In the midst of their silence there was one person who spoke on the record. Yep, it was the president of the Susan G. Komen Connecticut affiliate who was pretty vocal about the fact her local office didn't support the national position. It really would have been in the organization's best interest to make sure everyone was on the same page and that their affiliates were armed with talking points prior to this news coming out.

5. Anticipating Weakness

Whether there was an underlying political agenda or they simply felt funding an organization under investigation was wrong, they should have "thought" like the opposition. Did they not think people would dig up info on Karen Handel? True or not, public perception is powerful and you need to prepare for whatever backlash there may be. I would try to poke holes in my own story, find my weaknesses and make sure I have ammunition and facts to back up my stance.

No one's perfect, mistakes happen and we don't have to dwell on this forever. (Knowing people's attention spans this will be over by next week). But it is always good to learn. In today's world, transparency is key. If you think your decision will upset some people, it probably will, and you'll probably hear about it. You can't make everyone happy, but you can put yourself in the best position possible through planning and anticipating, which wasn't what happened in this case.

Brands Be Yourself, Especially On Social

I was standing in the checkout line when I saw marketing materials for a new Mentos gum product which used a quote from Aristotle and tried to equate choosing flavors with choosing your destiny. I like choice and I like gum but it was a bit much. It was playing in an area it really had no permission to play. Leave Aristotle for something a bit more grand than gum.Then I came home to see Pinnacle Vodka posting quotes from Martin Luther King on its Facebook page. Yes, it was MLK Day, and yes, he's an amazing man, but you're vodka. Not all holidays are meant to be celebrated by all products. As community managers struggle for content it's easy to just say, well what's going on in the world today? But you can't jump on every opportunity just because it is there.

Social allows brands to take on a personality but it doesn't give you permission to play everywhere and anywhere. You still at the end of the day are what you are, even if you're a bit more casual in the social sphere.

So here it goes- Be yourself. Be true to who and what you are and consumers will respect it. They "liked" you because they liked you in the first place. They expected to hear about cocktails, recipes and new products, so give them that, and if there's a creative way you can spin yourself into a holiday or the musings of some Greek philosopher well go ahead and try. But if it feels forced, it probably is.

Social Media - Five Predictions for 2012

Another year, another step closer to viewing social media less as a newfangled technology and more as a must-have in your marketing plan. My 5 predictions for social in 2012. Feel free to add yours!1. Going beyond the blue F. Yes, you have a tiny blue "F" at the bottom of your ad perhaps a tiny blue bird as well. While it's a good reminder to consumers to look for you in the social space it's kind of passe. People expect you to be there and people expect you to be listening. In 2012 I believe the companies who are doing it "right" will give people a reason to visit their page, use their hashtag, or take that extra step. Some will integrate it into a campaign - visit us on Facebook and tell us why you love to drive your Honda - others will wave a reward to lure people in - follow us on Twitter for breaking airline deals. Either way, you need to give a reason, the blue F isn't enough anymore.

2. Interests are key. Facebook will continue to be the keeper of our personal memories, stashed away in a beautiful timeline, but the other space to play in for social networks is our personal interests. Twitter has capitalized on this and the emerging network Pinterest is also quickly gaining ground. When we want to take a break from our friends and selfishly look at what interests us, these types of networks will be where we go. Facebook tried to tap into this with its subscribe button, but posts on your interests are often overwhelmed in your newsfeed by your friends' activity. I believe they are two separate needs, and ultimately two platforms.

3. Social will continue to be an important voice. From the upcoming election to unrest in the Middle East, social media will  be the people's voice and play an important role in social change.

4. Mobile, mobile, mobile. Social media will be how we show the world what we are seeing, hearing, feeling while we are on the go. From pictures to check-ins to status updates, social will continue to be our voice on the run, our source of news, our quick hellos, our way to kill five minutes in the waiting room. The big networks will continue to invest in their mobile platforms and you'll start seeing more mobile ads on social networks.

5. Getting help. Companies will continue to have that a-ha moment when they realize that social takes time and they need to either staff up or outsource. At first they'll try to save a few dollars and pawn it off on the intern. Then they'll realize their intern may know his/her way around Facebook but is not quite yet a marketing genius and get someone with more experience. It seems to be the path most businesses go. What I predict you'll see is more affordable social marketing support in the next year. Smaller agencies who will run your Twitter, Facebook accounts for a reasonable amount.

My five predictions, let's hear yours.

Facebook - How Many New Likes to Expect

Psst. Here's a secret. If you want a lot of fans quickly you need one of two things: Money for an ad buy or an existing database (think your email list) that you can easily convert to fans.If you don't have either then your best bet is to grow organically, by providing interesting quality content in your wall posts. Sure you can offer a giveaway, but even a giveaway without a large fan base and advertising support will only draw in so much activity.

Don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with growing slow and steady, just make sure your expectations are set correctly.

If you have a page that has under 500 fans - expect to grow somewhere between 5 - 15 fans a month. 2,000 fans you could up it to 30 - 50 new fans/month. 30,000 a fair bet is 1,000 - 2,000 new fans/month. These are rough estimates but should give you some guidance.

Don't beat yourself up if you aren't pulling in thousands of new fans each month. Slow and steady isn't a bad way to go, especially if you are getting the right people and your engagement rates are high.

So next time you get pulled into a meeting and the boss man wants to hit 1 million fans in two months, it's best to be upfront and tell him or her to budget some $$ for advertising. That's just the way it works.

From Likes to Engagement - New Facebook Insights

Facebook is prompting us all to get our heads out of the - I wanna be popular - mindset, by forcing companies to pay equal, if not more, attention to engagement metrics as to “likes.”The new insights page offers more in-depth engagement metrics if you want to dig around, but the feature ”XX people are talking about this” may be one of the most useful new metrics rolled out. The Talking About metric lives directly under the number of fans on the left hand side of the page and is not only available to page admins but to any Facebook user. So what makes this metric so useful?

The Talking About metric is an easy way to keep tabs on engagement. Start to know the percentage of fans who are “talking about” your page every week versus total fan numbers. I’ve found most pages live in the 1 – 3% range when they aren’t running ads. Set goals for yourself and tweak content when this percentage starts to dip.

It’s also an easy way to spy on your competitors. Let’s admit it, it may seem childish but at some point we all develop a case of fan envy when it comes to competitors’ pages. Sure your competitors may have more fans, especially if they’ve invested in Facebook ads in the past, but do they have as high engagement when you look at the Talking About metric vs Total Fan base? Now that you can view the “Talking About” metric on any page use it as a benchmark to see how your community is performing against others and then tweak.

The Talking About metric is an easy way to spot good ideas.If a page has high engagement rates (# of People Talking About / Total Fans) see what types of content they are posting and what ideas you may be able to borrow when building your own content calendar. Are their posts shorter? Are they using the Questions function more often? More photos than you typically use?

Facebook is trying to ease us into the idea of quality over quantity. Sure it doesn’t hurt to have a large fan base – more potential for exposure via the newsfeed – but a community with a high engagement rate could lead to more word of mouth exposure (friends seeing friends’ activity on a brand post) as well as a chance to create deeper connections and loyalty (brand and fan interacting versus just brand posting). So don’t dismiss the Talking About metric and try for a week or two focusing on engagement versus total fan base numbers. It won’t be easy – we all want to be popular – but it may be worth it in the long run.

Facebook's Changes Keep Us Flexible and Cranky

The change game is complicated. Don't make drastic changes (see Apple iPhone 4s) people complain. Don't see change coming (see Blockbuster, Borders) you could go under. Make too much change (enter Facebook) and you risk ticking people off.Facebook's new Timeline, Ticker and Newsfeed may take some getting used to, but after getting over the initial shock, I actually find the new changes worthwhile.

Timeline is light years better then my profile page which had little use. Ticker brings what was "Recent News" to life giving more real-time exposure. And the Newsfeed? Well I'm happy to not have to toggle back between the two tabs. Only time will tell if brand pages are hurt by the move. I've noticed some activity lighten up on pages that don't have as many fans but the ticker does seem to offer a quick burst of exposure every time you update.

Let's be honest, if Facebook didn't change it would become MySpace. Instead of ranting and raving about changes I think we should thank Facebook for forcing us to learn how to be flexible.

Yes, the changes are irritating at times for the user, but we'll survive and in the end so will Facebook.

Social Media Fueled Revolution

Thanks to one of my clients – The World Affairs Council of Kentucky and S. Indiana – I had a front row seat with members of the Tunisian revolution. (This does circle back to social media so stick with me). I admit, prior to the event, I knew little about Tunisia and I certainly couldn’t pick it out on a map.  I did know that the Tunisians kicked off the Arab Spring. They were the first country in the region to overthrow theirdictator and you could say gave inspiration to nearby countries.

What struck me during the cultural conversation was one comment, spoken by one of the older Tunisians – “The youth had rocks and tires which they would set on fire, but the greatest weapon of the revolution was the mobile phone.”

After hearing their story, I have to admit it was true. The mobile phone allowed the people to continue to tell their story long after the traditional media had been shut down and the journalists jailed. The youth took photos and videos sharing them on Facebook and Twitter which were then used by media around the world.

I couldn’t help thinking of Mark Zuckerberg. When he created Facebook did he have any thought that one day this platform would give people the courage to overthrow a dictator? And it didn’t stop in Tunisia. The Tunisian youths taught the Egyptian youth how to best leverage social media along with other tips on surviving and winning a revolution. It was a sharing of best practices you could say.

The Tunisians are now in the rebuilding process and will start elections in October. Oh and by the way, this country went from one dictator to 107political parties. Can you even imagine? I suppose they wanted choice.

Next time you take out your phone and fire off a tweet, give a second to think about the Tunisians and the power of social media. That phone of yours may one day be your most powerful weapon. You never know.

Experiencing 9/11 in a Pre-Social Media World

As we approach the 10th anniversary of 9/11 two things struck me - 1. How would it have been different if social media had been around? 2. I still was carrying a lot of emotion when it came to 9/11.Everyone has a story of where they were when 9/11 happened. It didn't matter if you lived in Manhattan or Des Moines, Iowa, your world suddenly stopped that day. I had just moved back from New York City to my hometown of Chicago a month before it happened. I did know people who lost loved ones from 9/11 and I did feel a sense of guilt for leaving the city behind.

I found out about the attacks when my father called me at work. He had been home watching the news and called when the first tower was struck. I kind of brushed him off because I was busy and had no idea the impact of what he was talking about. He called back when the attacks continued and I began to worry because his voice was wobbling. After all dads don't cry often. At least my Dad doesn't. I remember hanging up the phone and watching the office file one by one into the conference room where there was a TV. We were all watching in horror before they made the announcement to evacuate the building. There was a mad rush as we tried to get away from the tall skyscrapers of downtown to the train station. It was the longest elevator ride down 21 floors I had ever experienced.

Once home, I remember trying to call my friends back in New York and not being able to get through to any of them. All the phone lines were tied up and at the time texting never crossed my mind. It was a helpless feeling to not be able to connect.

Fast forward 10 years, and I truly believe that if I received the same call from my father today, Twitter would have been one of the first places I checked for news and Facebook the first place to check on my friends. Imagine going through half your phone list calling them  one-by-one versus scanning a newsfeed and knowing instantly. Sure Facebook could feel less personal then a phone call but at that time it wasn't about being personal it was just about knowing he or she was alive.

We've seen how people have used social media to connect over and over when disaster strikes from cleaning up cities post riot in London to posting a lost and found on Facebook after tornadoes struck the South. Social has allowed us to organize quickly, connect no matter what the distance and "see" the disaster firsthand through the tweets, posts and pictures of those on the ground.

Part of me is glad social wasn't around when 9/11 hit because it was so horrific. Part of me wish it had existed so I could have received more answers more quickly.  Either way I'm taking time to deal with some emotions (to feel, not wallow) on Sunday and to be grateful for all the good that has happened these last ten years.

How do you think 9/11 would have been different if social media was around?

Facebook Location Isn't Going Away

Maybe we're just used to quickly reading headlines or tweets and drawing assumptions, but when Facebook announced it was integrating location into a status update people seemed to get it wrong. A roar went up that Foursquare has "won."I think Facebook's move is less about bowing to Foursquare and more about realizing that location is just one part of the story - the who, what, where, when. You could say the Place has been put in its place, it's not the status itself but rather an add-on. I'm cool with this as I don't mind when people check-in on Facebook, but I like it a lot better when they add some commentary as well. So you're at a restaurant...is it good? What are you eating? Let's personalize this check-in a bit.

With the new location roll out you will still be able to use deals, you will still be able to let your friends know your locations, it's just the stand alone check-in function is slowly being replaced with a location tag...similar to tacking on a photo or a link to a status. This option will also allow you to go back and tag vacation photos with a location without actually being there and will allow you to tag places for future events from your mobile phone or desktop. "Can't wait to visit (tag it)."

Who knows how this will ultimately play out, but I do think it is a bit premature to say Facebook is out of the location game. I also think we all (myself included) need to read the full story rather than the headlines.

One Solution to Saving the Media Industry

As a PR professional, I'm always interested in what is going on in the media world. Not surprising, print subscriptions are down, newsrooms continue to cut staff, and media companies seem to be scrambling to come up with some new technology that will save the industry. The New York Times tested their own social network which they later scrapped and most recently, the Tribune Co. announced it was coming out with its own tablet to woo new subscribers. Tribune vs. Apple? Doesn't seem like a fair battle.Having worked in interactive marketing , the same lesson has been pounded over and over in my head and I think it could be the key to saving traditional media. Here it is: Be where people are spending their time. In other words go with the flow. If people are buying iPads, do whatever it takes to integrate yourself into an iPad, don't waste energy building your own. If people are on Twitter and Facebook, make those social networks your priority, versus spending a ton of time and dollars managing your own.

Makes sense right? Taking this idea further...What if newspapers put social media first? Facebook/Twitter becomes their "site/paper" - reporters focus their efforts on social, not as an "after the fact, the story has been written" kind of way but more of an "in the moment, this news is happening now" kind of way. The reporters who currently do it well are the ones who are using social networks real-time. They are at the city council meeting tweeting from the event. They are watching newsfeeds to dig for the next big story. They aren't just tweeting headlines with links to the story after the event has occurred. Sure they still write the story at the end of the day and still play a very important role in gathering the facts and crafting something that is legit and vetted, but they're also just as real-time as everyone else.

I get that real-time news may make some news organizations or editors uncomfortable, but as a friend recently said  - "I stopped checking the newspaper online because if something is important I'll hear about it on Twitter." Being uncomfortable is better than being irrelevant.

So if you did shift most of your efforts to social media and had your editorial in order, then what about advertising? Well what if you had a @gannettdeals for example. People who live for coupons could follow or fan that page. It could be something you could sell to advertisers (we'll tweet XX amount of times for XX dollars) and it would push advertisers to be more creative/give something of value to readers versus a banner ad that no one wants to see or a circular I'm going to throw straight into the trash.

You could also take your classifieds and start Twitter handles/Facebook pages. @ganettjobs. People who actually are looking for jobs, cars, puppies, etc could easily find what they need without having to sort through all the other listings. Another lesson I've learned from my interactive marketing role, making life easier for people is always a win.

So there you have it, this is one idea on how traditional media could continue to thrive - by being relevant, flexible and most importantly being where people are spending their time. Oh, and by the way, if they are all these things, they're also going to be more attractive to advertisers.

TV stations, you fall into this as well - use Twit Vid, YouTube and Facebook to air your segments, try live streaming. Your advertisers will thank you for it and your viewership has nowhere to go but up. You just have to be willing to change the way you measure audience numbers by including social.

I like local media and I would like local media to continue to exist for years to come. I hope they are willing to be flexible and change with the times. It would be sad to see them go the way of video stores, record shops and book stores because they just didn't see it coming.

Any other thoughts on how to make traditional media profitable?