Posts Tagged ‘Blog’

Quick, what single word that comes to mind when you try to describe social media? Authenticity? Immediacy? Participation?

What about meanness?

It seems the best way to drive traffic to your blog is to write that something or someone is:

It’s the social media version of the Mad Libs game. Title your blog post “[proper noun] is [adjective from above list]!” and watch the comments roll in!

The problem with this game is that often, innocent, or mostly innocent people are caught in the crosshairs, and exposed to undeserved risk to reputation and career.

Certainly public condemnation is called for in many situations, but where do you draw the line? Gross ethical misconduct? Easy call. But what about a poorly thought out business model, a bad user interface, or a momentary, innocent lapse in judgment? Do these kinds of situations deserve the social media equivalent of the public beating in the town square? Or is it that the risk to reputation and career of harsh public criticism directed at specific individuals and companies is outweighed by the usefulness of this kind or reportage in helping others avoid the same mistakes?There are several things that encourage negative behavior in social media. The first is the idea that a good blog is one that gets lots of visitors and lots of links. That’s good if you sell advertising on your blog or if your ego demands it. So we write provocative headlines and we take on sacred cows. Because (mixing a few metaphors here) social media is like a day at the race track: some people come just to see the crashes.

Another more subtle factor is the need some of us feel, and I include myself in this category, to offer our professional wisdom to others in the industry. It’s often easiest to do that by commenting on a case study. Case studies involve real, identifiable people and their behavior, so it’s hard to write about them without naming the people involved.

In my journalism school days, during the Coolidge administration, we talked about the dismal failure of “good news:” print and broadcast news outlets designed to balance the doom, gloom, death and depravity highlighted every night on the evening news. The truth is, for whatever reason, bad news sells.

When I write about something I’ve read relevant to social media, PR or corporate communications, I try to base my analysis on the facts, and to avoid character assassination. I tend to stay away from the big four adjectives above, although I did call a couple of people “weasels.”

Lately, I have been giving a lot of thought as to whether all of this negativity is really necessary, and whether there is another healthier, more useful way to carry on these discussions.

This all started a few weeks ago when I left a comment on a blog in which I was critical of someone’s professional conduct. I soon realized that while I thought I was participating in an academic discussion on social media ethics, I was in fact unfairly questioning the integrity of a fellow professional based on only a handful of facts (those included in the blog post.) I did two things I have never done before. I apologized to this person, and I asked the author of the blog to delete my comment.

I then wondered, is it possible to talk about hypothetical conduct to avoid criticizing specific individuals, or is it only through “real life” case studies that we can understand difficult concepts, particularly in the area of ethics? What kind of conduct merits public disclosure? Where do we draw the line when it comes to criticizing the thoughts and deeds of others?

I’m not sure what the answers are. I’m still working through it. Until I figure it out, I have for the most part stopped using case studies on my blog, and have stopped criticizing people as a way to make a point.

And to help me establish my own rules of engagement, I decided to write my Social Media Love Manifesto. Despite the evidence that “good news” and kindness are not big sellers, I thought I would give it a shot.

While many claim that Web 2.0 and social media have brought with them new and uncharted terrain, where etiquette is defining itself with each advance and new rules are being written every day, the line between the online world and the real world was largely erased a long time ago, and there is no longer any reason for two sets of moral and ethical guidelines.

The people we “meet” in our online interactions are real people. They probably own a computer or two, write a blog or participate in a social network, and through the social media filter we see only glimpses of them, but that does not mean that they are not real, or that we are in any way excused from treating them like any other person we would meet.I have therefore resolved that when writing on my blog, or when using any other form of social media, when calling into question the conduct of a specific, identifiable person, I will:

And I will not:

I will always strive to:

Maybe I’m naïve or foolish. If I come across as didactic, preachy or self-serving, I don’t mean to. But I’d like to think we could all be a little nicer. Since I have agreed to follow my Social Media Love Manifesto, I have found less to write about on my blog, and my position in the Advertising Age Power 150 list of media blogs, the only ranking I watch, has slid gradually downward.

I’m a writer, and I try to choose my words carefully. That’s why I called this “My Social Media Love Mainfesto.” I wrote it for me, and I intend to give it a try. If you like it, feel free to use it. If you want to add to it, leave me a comment. And if you don’t like it, feel free to tell me why, but please try to be nice about it.

It’s a Blog New World. Social media has changed how we communicate. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Blogger.com and dozens of other social media sites have given us a new way to communicate with friends and business colleagues. They have also given us a new vocabulary.  We now “blog” and “tweet” and “text”.  We read “blooks” and “microblogs” and are concerned about “trackbacks.” But most importantly, social media has given us a new set of communication rules. And if you are a business leader, knowing the ins and outs of communicating in a social media world can be critical to your online reputation and your business presence.  Here are eight guidelines executives might think about when communicating in this brave new social media world.

1.Think Eternity. When writing a blog, tweeting, or commenting on any social site, the first thought in your head should be, “These words are permanent.” Will you be proud to see the comments you wrote, let’s say twenty years from now? Comments associated with your name can advance or tarnish your online reputation, so write with an eye to your future.

2.Think Like Aretha Franklin. Remember her famous song, “R-E-S-P-E-C-T”?  No matter what social media you engage with, offering up respectful comments, recognizing and calling-out the efforts of others, and keeping a collaborative mindset will serve you well. It’s also one of the most important brand traits for a business leader.

3.Think Like Twitter. Few people have the time or inclination to read rambling and lengthy articles or comments. Twitter’s micro blogging 140-character limit forces us to be crisp and focused. No matter what the venue, concise and to-the-point writing will help gain any business leader an audience.

4. Think Like the Audience. What do THEY want to read?  What are THEIR likes and needs?  Make your comments and writing more about your readers than about you.  That’s not to say you should keep your opinion in check, just make your opinion relevant and topical for readers.

5. Think Story. People all over the world love narratives. You can never underestimate the power of a good story, no matter how long or short it is.  When commenting and especially when blogging, add stories, relevant business examples, and real-life people to make your writing come alive.

6.Think With Your Ears. Listen to the crowd.  Don’t just jump in and write to LinkedIn colleagues or respond to a blog post. Really listen to the collective voice first. Maybe read a post more than once before you respond, or review a few of the blogger’s key words. By really listening, you’ll know how to more effectively frame your comments—you’ll add more value and be more a part of the social fabric.

7.Think of the Venue. Each social site has its own conventions and ways of doing things.  Spend some time checking-out the lay of the land before you land your comments on a page.  Conventions for Twitter are vastly different from those for Facebook or your corporate blog. Think, “Editorial Guidelines” so your comments will be in keeping with the look, feel and flow of the social site you’re writing for.

8.Think Twice Before You Tweet. Does the world really care that you are going off to the slopes now, or meeting Mr. X for lunch, or taste-testing a new microbrew? As a  business leader, are you advancing compelling business ideas?  The types of comments that might be relevant to your favs or family might NOT be relevant to the corporate world.  If it’s not of value to the collective business crowd, think twice before posting. Bottom-line, the social media is not like the American Wild West.  There are rules, conventions, etiquette and best practices. And as a business leader, following or not following those guidelines can impact your executive brand.

Thinking about social media conventions before you jump in can make the experience a better one for both you and your readers.

Since we have entered into the digital world, the electronic advertising has gained a magnificent attention of the businesses. Now people don’t want to waste their precious time in wandering into the market streets and shops to get the required product or services rather they sit in front of the computer screen and with few clicks, they get their requirement done within no time.

A single word in a search-engine, explores a variety of websites where we can select over a core interest and can reach easily to our requirements. It is higly observed that, only sites on the first or the second search-engine page can get the luck to be viewed by the searchers and in a result can make some revenue by the end.

Now, the problem is raised that, “how to get on the first page of the search-engines”?

Here comes the roll of Social-Media marketing. Yes, they have come up with certain strategies and techniques to over-come the problem of business owners. They use techniques like text link building, banner advertising, contextual linking and many others used in SEO to optimize the site for the search engines.

Google.com is a search engine that crawls the websites with a peculiar algorithm and rank them according to their contents, back links, layout and some other factors. Alexa, can be reduced in a similar way that is also counted as a major factor involved in website’s values. So, the social media has played a significant roll in promoting websites and providing businesses with a better ROI.