May 2011 LinkedIn Poll: How well do you really understand Social Media & Social Networking?

For May 2011, I chose this question for my LinkedIn Poll: How well do you really understand Social Media & Social Networking?

I ask this question to clients and non-clients all the time and the response tends to be, “I think I know what I am doing.” This is absolutely unacceptable. You could be doing more harm than good. I know I don’t have to explain this to you, but Social Media & Social Networking are incredibly powerful tools that can/should/could/will transform your business into something modern and adaptable to contemporary life. Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Foursquare, etc. when used in an organized way that is customized to your business can radically alter what you think success could look like.

Keeping up with what goes on in Social Media can make the difference between having a dated and/or inconsistent message online (which could lead to an exodus of your brand’s advertising effort) and having a contemporary and consistent online (which would increase the likelihood that your campaign could be successful). It might seem daunting of a task to keep up with everything on a daily or even weekly basis. Hell I read about 75 articles a day and I still don’t know everything. The important thing is to find a resource that consistently gives credible and useful information to save or refer back to. I can’t stress this point enough. Knowledge is power and there is always room for improvement, not matter how well you THINK you are doing.

I have a section on the lower right side of my blog called: Social Media News. There are some really great sites that I visit on a daily basis and I encourage you to check them out for yourselves. You’ll be glad you did. As a Social Media Consultant, I advise so many types of clients and businesses on resources and possibilities. Keep learning! Keep wondering! It’s ok if you don’t know it all. (little secret…no one does.) There is never a moment I would EVER call myself an expert or a guru. I’m an avid student that is constantly learning, just like you.

Byte Back!

Tags: linkedin poll, social, Social Media, social media consultant, social networking
Posted in: Facebook, Formspring, Foursquare, Internet Marketing Consulting, LinkedIn, Social Media Consulting, Social Media Marketing, Social Media Posts, social networking, Twitter |

Comments: 4 Comments

Social Media Experiment – Pet Portraits – Portrait of Bailey (Chris Espiritu)

An old high school buddy of mine, Chris Espiritu aka @MrEspiritu, recent told me that he had to make the tough choice to put his beloved dog, Bailey down. It was gut wrenching just to think about that long drive to the vet’s office and say that last goodbye. A little over 2 years ago, (wow!) my parents made the tough choice of putting our beloved dog, whose name happened to be Bailey as well, down. I know that feeling Chris and I’m sorry for your loss.

I truly felt connected to Bailey through this drawing. I can’t explain it in words, but when I do these drawings…I feel like they are sitting right in front of me allowing me to be present to them.

- Social Media Marketing and Social Networking can not only dramatically increase the viability of the bottom line to a small business, but also the visibility as well. The potential to reach an enormous customer base and increase the overall ROI of an Internet Marketing budget is there. You just need to think a bit outside the box.

Check out my other Recent Pet Portraits.

Pet Portraits by Andrew David Baron

Tags: drawing, pet portrait, pet portraits, social, Social Media, social media consultant, social media consulting, social media experimient, social media marketing, Social Media Posts
Posted in: Facebook, LinkedIn, Pet Portraits, Social Media Consulting, Social Media Experiments, Social Media Posts, social networking, Twitter |

Comments: 1 Comment

LinkedIn InMaps visualizes your network!

LinkedIn, the social network for business, has revealed an amazing new application feature from their Labs division, called InMaps. It illustrates your entire LinkedIn business network as a visual cloud.

I’m really impressed on the presentation and the implications of the new InMap for networking professionals and business owners alike. Amazingly, LinkedIn takes your connections and literally creates a web of lines and dots that contain the relationship and contact data of who you are connected to and to each other.

With this new technology, Social Media really is moving into the next phase, Social Visual Media. Everything is becoming visual: with visual phone calls, data, etc. It just seems logical and right to create something like this as another way of understanding relationships and business. As Human beings, we have this innate desire to be understood and feel connected to others. This will show you how you are connected to others. It’s up to you to figure out the context of the relationships and what that means to your business.

You’ll notice that there are groupings of color lines and dots. If/When you do your own InMap from LinkedIn, you can actually label and categorize these groups to help extrapolate how you are integrated into the business world. This is a fantastic concept that truly will change the way LinkedIn will be used and perceived by it’s users. I know as a Social Media Consultant that something like this will help me help my clients understand the true potential and power Social Media has. Kudos to you LinkedIn!

Check out this video put out from LinkedIn Labs and then try it out for yourself.

Byte Back!

Tags: LinkedIn, LinkedIn InMaps, social, Social Media, social media consultant, social media consulting, Social Media Posts, social network, social networking, social visual media
Posted in: LinkedIn, Social Media Consulting, Social Media Posts, social networking |

Comments: 2 Comments

formspring.me

Do you have any questions about or dealing with Social Media? #socialmedia #consultant

Formspring is an incredible Social Media phenomenon. It’s like a combination of Twitter, Wikipedia, and Facebook. Really interesting Q&A that you can get instant answers from the entire world.

Byte Back!

Tags: formspring, social, Social Media, social media consultant, social media consulting, Social Media Posts, social network, social networking
Posted in: Formspring, Social Media Consulting, Social Media Experiments, Social Media Marketing, Social Media Posts, social networking |

Comments: 2 Comments

January 2011 LinkedIn Poll: How often do you update your Social Media accounts and profiles?

For January 2011, I chose this question for my LinkedIn Poll: How often do you update your Social Media accounts and profiles?

With new advances coming out literally everyday, sometimes by the hour, it’s imperative to stay on top of your online presence. Knowing how to use the big 3 Social Media sites; Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn; is only the beginning. There is a whole world of amazing Social Media Networks out there that many business owners are unaware of.

Sites like Foursquare, Groupon, and Yelp are making some headway into the mainstream consciousness, but there are still even more amazing sites like: Instagram, a photo sharing Social Network. Formspring, a Q&A based Social Network. Goodreads, a Social Network to see what other people are reading in their leisure time.

No matter what network you are a part of, it’s so incredibly important that you actually participate in a discussion, or leave a comment, or start a conversation about something that means something to you. If you simply use Social Media to blast out stuff about your business, chances are most people will ignore it. The key is to talk honestly, freely, and respectful of others and you’ll be surprised how many people will begin to follow what you have to say.

Think of your Social Media presence as a long term project that will produce a different quality of result that you cannot compare to “normal” advertising. It’s all about what you say and how you say it. As a Social Media Consultant, I deal with these issues all the time and give sound guidance. Let me know how I can help you.

Byte Back!

Tags: formspring, foursquare, goodreads, groupon, LinkedIn, linkedin poll, social, Social Media, social media consultant, social media consulting, social media network, Social Media Posts, social network, social networking, yelp
Posted in: LinkedIn, Organic Search, Social Media Consulting, Social Media Marketing, Social Media Posts, social networking |