Maximizing the Business Value of Social Sites

Transcription

1 Maximizing the Business Value of Social Sites How to Work with Twitter (nuances & timeframe): Twitter is known as a 'real time social networking' site, a place for sharing information as it happens, and for connecting with others in real time, often resulting in lasting friendships and contacts. To join Twitter, Go to Twitter.com ] and sign up for a free account. Do so by entering your name, address, and desired password in the provided space. Gathering Followers You will probably find that you know quite a few people on Twitter. Using the menu tab on your page, click on 'Who to Follow', and there are several ways to find people on Twitter, as follows: Use the 'Find Friends' link to find people you know through your various accounts Use the 'View suggestions' link for a wide range of possibilities that may, or may not, connect with your interests. (Twitter is also working on personalizing lists of suggested followers, so keep an eye out for the feature.) Use the 'Browse Interests' tab to find people by interest. Look for people from organizations that you are in or for those that share a common interest. There are many business, companies, celebrities, and non-profit organizations on Twitter, Creating Lists (optional) If you're following lots of people, it can get hard to sift through all the tweets. For easy reference, you can organize the people you follow into a list. To add someone to a list, go to their profile. Then, click the person icon in the toolbar and select "Add to List." A menu with your lists will pop up; you can choose to create a new list or add the person to an existing one.

2 Setting Up Your Profile Your picture will be displayed with your name across the site. It must be a JPG, GIF, or PNG file and must be smaller than 700 KB. To do so, click on "settings" in the drop down menu below your username. Then click on "Choose File" to select a file from your computer. Make your eye-catching and interesting. Do it just right and it will help you build up followers; people who are thinking of following you do read the biographies to see if they have reason to follow you. Decide whether you want your tweets to be posted to Facebook. This can give you more view per tweet. If you so desire, click the "Posts your Tweets to Facebook" button at the bottom of the profile page. Edit your language and time zone. Under the "Account" tab of settings, you have the ability to change the language and time zone that your Twitter is in. Do so by selecting the desired language and time zone from the drop down menus. You can also change your username and address here if you ever need to. Check the box below time zone to add a location to each of your Tweets. This is different than the location on your profile it is specific to each tweet and can be as general as a town or as specific as your exact location. Even when this feature is enabled, you have the option to turn it on or off with each individual tweet. Review the Tweet Media and Privacy settings. These are listed under the Account tab of your settings. Check the applicable boxes and hit save. Change your password periodically. Protect your account by periodically changing your password. To do so, click on the "Password" tab under Settings. Enter your old password, then your new one twice. Hit "Change" when finished. Decide when you want to receive s from Twitter. Under the "Notifications" tab, there is a list of actions. Check the boxes next to those actions for which you'd like to receive an .

3 Customize your profile. Every profile begins with the default background and color scheme. However, you can personalize it if you wish. Click on the "Design" tab of Settings. You can choose from one of the background images provided, or upload your own by clicking on the button that says "Change Background Image." Then, click on "Choose File" to upload one from your computer. You can also play with the color scheme by clicking "Change Design Colors.Direct Messages. DMs are direct messages. They go straight to the intended person that you are messaging. The DM feature uses an inbox and outbox system, but you are still limited to using 140 characters; you are also limited to sending DMs to only those users who follow you. DMs cannot be seen by anyone other than yourself and the chosen recipient, and are thus more personal. To send a DM, go to the page of the follower you're sending one to, and click on the "Message" box. Use third-party applications for ease of mobility and account sharing. Third-party applications such as TweetDeck and Twitter for iphone or Twidroid (Android) can help you to manage your Twitter account(s) better. If you have lots of followers and if you follow lots of people, at which point it can be difficult to keep up with everything on Twitter's official website, you might want to try something a bit more advanced like Hoot Suite. Be aware that some people really dislike DMs on Twitter because they reason that Twitter is an open conversation and a fast one, not a disguise for sending each other private messages. Also, DMs are not appreciated when they involve marketing or advertising. #FF explanation

4 How to Work With Google Plus (G+) The profile in G+ works a lot like Facebook. You have a cover photo, a profile photo, and then a bunch of tabs where you can find your photos, YouTube videos & things you ve liked. To edit your profile, go to the About Tab. You ll see boxes of various categories. Each box has an Edit button. Go ahead and beef up your profile! It s one of the most important things you can do on Google +.Make sure your tagline is catchy. That is what people see when they hover over your name all around Google. Write a bio and include relevant links. I like this because they have Bragging Rights. Many people brag about what they are doing on other sites, On G+, they give you the chance to brag!!! On G+, you give +1 to indicate that you like something. It s your way of saying you would recommend an article or status update. The +1 s are everywhere, just like the like button on Facebook. Have fun with it, and when you want to see all the things you ve liked, go to your profile and look under the +1 s tab. To Post, Go to your profile button or your home button. Either one is fine. You type in what you d like to say. If you have a link, just paste it in there and it ll pull up a preview. You can scroll through the images (with the little arrows), just like in Facebook. You can also tag people. Where it says + Add names, circles, or addresses, keep it public. Note that if you tag someone in your update, it ll add their name after the public. That is okay (and the way to tag is by adding the + sign and their name).if you want to post in a community, you can t post publicly (which is fine). It s up to you to decide which content should be shared in a community and what should be public.

5 Similar to twitter, you can use a #hashtag in your status to help people find your post. Every single post on G+ is in essence its own webpage. That means it has a URL attached to it for easy sharing. Many people blog right into the Google plus status bar. It is common to have links, hashtags, photos, and text all in that box. It s a major difference from Twitter (the micro-blog) and Facebook both which favor shorter updates. Your notifications will be in the top right hand corner next to your profile image. That s also where you can adjust your settings and notifications. You can respond, mute, and reply right from the notification box. This box will also be available in your Gmail account and when you are on the Google search bar! It appears on the Google bar and on YouTube as well. Everything you need to do can be done in that neat little box.

6 Advantages of Google + A lot of people haven t joined G+ because Facebook is so similar, why have two platforms? Well, G+ is quickly showing its superior skills with the following advantages: Full integration with other social sites Photo display phenomenal & works with Pinterest.. Regular engagement on G+ helps with your Google ranking for websites and pages. Video hangouts (which Facebook does not offer). Open platform with less rules and restrictions. Allows people to categorize friends more easily, whereas Facebook is meant for connecting with friends and Twitter is about following people that interest you, Google + has combined the best of both worlds. The events feature has invites, party mode, and other options that Facebook does not have. Once you get used to the navigation, the hover menu options makes G+ easier to use than Facebook. No paying to promote posts! If you host your blog on BlogSpot, you have even more integration options. Go to your dashboard and click G+ to see the features available to you! Each post is its own webpage and makes it easier to share across the web. The ripples effect shows you how far your posts travel and who is sharing you. You can upload your photos on your Smartphone and goes directly on to Google.

7 Facebook Profile Page: To create a Page: 1. Go to facebook.com/pages/create 2. Click to choose a Page category 3. Select a more specific category from the dropdown menu and fill out the required information 4. Click Get Started and follow the on-screen instructions 5. Recommended Help with Fiverr.com To see a profile page, go to