Social Media Outreach: Blimp Style?

I wonder how many people notice things like this?

I was in Sydney on the weekend at Taronga Zoo and wanted to take a photo of the beautiful view only to have this thing fly into my photo. Besides being annoyed at appliancesonline.com.au ruining my Snapchat, I realised that in a way this was effective marketing to get people to notice this online business.

But then you wonder, how many people really noticed the blimp in the sky besides those enjoying the view?
Is this really an effective outreach strategy?
How many people are really going to bother going online at that moment to check them out?

Should online businesses try conventional social media outreach strategies by advertising over a broad selection of social platforms instead?

Personal Branding Simplified

When potential employers, businesses or clients are interested in working with you, they will most likely Google you to see what crops up. Melonie Dodaro, author of the Top Dog Social Media blog, suggests there are '10 Steps to Build Your Personal Brand Online' through social media management:

1. Do the Google test - what comes up when you type your name in the Google? When potential employers click on those links, is what they will find good for your reputation?

2. Complete your LinkedIn Profile - Dodaro suggests that having an up-to-date profile and one which speaks directly to your target audience (e.g. potential employers) is a sure way of increasing your personal brand.

3. Setup Google Authorship with your Blog - if you are a fellow blogger, this is a good way of assuring that your target market will reach you and for you to gain credibility. Here is a link to a site which helps you do this:  https://blog.kissmetrics.com/google-authorship/

4. Write a great Facebook Bio - Dodaro informs us that the first 150 characters of her personal Facebook profile shows up on the search results page in Google, so she advises to make sure it's worth reading. Personally I wouldn't make my personal Facebook page open for viewing by the public, but if that floats your goat just make sure there are no embarrassing photos or status updates (those things unfortunately follow you wherever you go)!

5. Write a great Twitter Bio - if you're a tweeter, Dodaro also suggests that you make your Twitter bio gripping to read because as with Facebook, the first 100 characters comes up in the link description on the search results page.

6. Create a Killer Google+ Tagline and Fill Out Occupations Section - Unlike Facebook and Twitter, Google+ pulls the first 70 characters from your occupations section and your tagline. Another important thing to consider is how many Google+ circles you've been added to, because this is one of the first things that pop up on the search results page.

7. Specialize - Dodaro advises that although it seems like you'll get much more attention if you show you are a 'jack of all trades', the best way to grab people's attention (the right people - the people you want to listen) is to specialize and market yourself in the area you are looking for.

8. Guest Blog for Websites Bigger than Yours - contributing to other blogs or websites builds 'third-party credibility' and helps you attain more exposure than just publishing your own.

9. Use Professional Graphic Design Services - poor visual branding lets people down more than they'd like to admit. So if you're really hardcore, putting extra effort into perfecting your logo, website, Twitter background to make it 'scream professional' will definitely help you in the long run, says Melonie Dodaro.

10. Remember the 10 Commandments of Social Media - Melonie Dodaro puts forward a few fundamental rules of social media which will help you build your personal brand through this simple graphic:

Information used based on: http://topdogsocialmedia.com/blog/  

Simple Mistakes: Error 404

I stumbled upon this TED Talk by Renny Gleeson about making mistakes on social media platforms. Namely, the annoying Error 404 page which comes up when you can't get to where you want to be.

Some platforms have started to use that to their advantage by posting videos or inspirational messages on that page. And as Gleeson says: "A simple mistake can tell me what you're not or remind me why I love you".

https://www.ted.com/talks/renny_gleeson_404_the_story_of_a_page_not_found#t-218958

The Train Theory

Welcome aboard the Social Express!
Whether you have a ticket for the whole ride or will be hopping on and off at different destinations, you are more than welcome to discuss, comment and participate.
Some of these posts will be researched where the sources will be linked if you'd like to read further, other posts will be solely my opinion or my take on articles and other's opinions.

I see social media as a train and we are all the drivers, whether you're a fellow blogger, working or wanting to work in social media marketing, or simply a Facebook user. It has laws and rules governing it, but there are many directions the train can go in (like the tracks on which it goes). Each new track has new challenges, set backs and consequences, whether good or bad (those are the hills, valleys and plateaus).

Since we are the drivers we have to choose the right routes for what we want to achieve. The language we use and what we post about depends on the audience we're trying to capture. Just one wrong post or word can see you having to climb up that hill once again to reach the standard you were before. This is why we have to be careful what opinions we give, as anything posted on social media will most likely follow you around (like the wagons on the train).

I will be exploring what and what not to do and say on social media, whether you'll be marketing your own or someone else's business, or whether you're wanting to engage in personal branding. Since the world of social media marketing is fast moving and unpredictable, we will all have to hold on and stay with the current trends to market successfully!

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