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Deb Krier, The SociaLight

Amid much fanfare and drum roll (ha!), after months of telling people that they should have a Facebook Page to promote their businesses, I finally launched my own: Deb Krier, The SociaLight.

The basic Page—Facebook has dropped the word “Fan”—is good, but I wanted to add some bells and whistles to hopefully make my Page stand out from the crowd.

The first thing I did was to create a much larger image. It’s kind of a hidden fact that the picture on a Page can be much larger than on a Profile page. Right now, Facebook allows an image that is 200 x 600 pixels—think “bookmark.” However, they have announced that they are changing this to 180 x 540 pixels “soon.” Mine is a bit shorter, but it was easy to create and upload.

I also wanted to have a special landing tab for new visitors. Currently, you can personalize a Page using FBML. Again, Facebook has announced changes and will be switching to iFrames “soon.” As I’m not a programmer, I searched for another method and found Facebook applications for creating personalized tabs. I went with TabSite, as for a very small fee, I can create five tabs for my Page. I was amazed at how easy it was.

The cool thing about creating a custom tab is that new visitors to my Page “land” on a special “Welcome!” tab. It gives a bit of info about me and more importantly, reminds visitors to click the “Like” button. It’s always a good idea to have a call to action.

I also added tabs for my YouTube channel and for my blog and plan to add several more tabs.

It’s critical to remember, though, that no matter how “cool” a Page is, it’s still vital to have ongoing communications with followers and to post fairly often. Personally I think once a day at a minimum is good—and if you can’t post at least once a week, you shouldn’t have a Page.

If someone comments or posts on the Wall, ignoring it is just like ignoring an email. As I don’t want to be glued to my Page, I discovered a nifty application that checks my page periodically for me! If there’s activity, I receive an email. There are several choices, but for now, I’m using PageNotifier which has both free and fee options.

I’m curious as to what you think of my Page. More importantly, if you have a Page, what cool tips do you have?

My blog posts about mixing personal and professional posts in social networking, even for businesses, always gets the most comments. There are, of course, people who use one site, like Facebook, just for personal posts, and use other sites, like LinkedIn, for professional posts. As I’ve often said, there is no right or wrong way to use the sites; it’s all individual choice.

However, when businesses use social networking to promote their products or services, I firmly advocate mixing in personal posts. This is confusing to some, as we tend to think of “personal” posts to be about a movie we saw, photos of our children, and where we went for dinner.

So, let me clarify: businesses should inject personality into their posts. It’s what makes things interesting. If a company sells widgets and only posts about its widgets, they may be the greatest widgets in the world, but followers get bored…and move on.

However, what if the same company posted about “100 fun and different uses” for their widgets? What if they had a “count the widgets” contest? Do either pertain to what a widget does? No…but it gets people’s attention, which could then lead to someone buying their widgets.

Advertisers have recognized this for years. One of the most popular commercials right now features the cute pig yelling “whee, whee, whee!” The pig has nothing to do with insurance, but the commercial catches people’s attention.

Businesses are turning to social networking to engage customers (and potential customers). A great example is Toyota. On their Facebook Page, they encourage followers to post their “auto-biography” stories about experiences in their Toyotas.

One of my favorites is the M&M’s Page, where people tell why they like M&M’s—and you can find out where to buy the new M&M’s Pretzel candy.

The key to using social media for business is to integrate it with the rest of your marketing efforts. The messages must be consistent across all platforms. You can watch the little piggy cry whee, whee, whee on Geico’s website, on their Facebook page and on their YouTube channel. The pig is cute—but the consistent message is saving money.

It comes down to this: we do business with companies and people we like. Maybe it’s a common interest that we share, we love their advertising, we know they are good corporate citizens or a host of other reasons.

So, give your business a “personality” in your posts to draw people to you—then give them your sales pitch.

“Did you see what happened to Derek and Meredith last night?”

“Are you planning to go to the movie about Facebook?”

“I just signed up to attend a great new seminar next week.”

“How ’bout them Rockies!”

Whether it’s chatting by the company water cooler, grabbing a smoke outside, talking over your neighbor’s fence or the myriad of other places we engage in small talk, conversations like this take place millions of times every day.

When we have these conversations, we often find out that we have similar interests with others. We like the same TV shows. We go to the same movies. We attend the same business meetings. We root for the same baseball teams. And, of course, we sometimes find out that we don’t like the same things! However, in making these discoveries, we develop friendships.

Do these communications look familiar to you? They could have just as easily been on your Facebook page, Twitter feed or even on LinkedIn. Whether in the “real” world or online, snippets of our everyday lives are what binds us all together.

I know this seems silly—and to be honest, it is—but “small talk” is how many business relationships get started, whether in person or online. This is why I’m a big advocate for including personal posts in your business social networking efforts. It boils down to this: we choose to work with people we share common interests with.

Several months ago, I “liked” the Fan Page for the TV show, Dr. Who, and it posted on my Facebook feed. Within 10 minutes, one of my “friends” contacted me to say that he was also a big fan of Dr. Who, had gone to my Profile page and discovered that we had more in common than he thought. Since then, we’ve had several discussions about how we can support each other’s businesses.

Businesses “personalize” their posts by including things that aren’t strictly related to their business. I saw the following post on Southwest Airlines’ Fan page: “Remember to grab your reusable bags when you go grocery shopping! Don’t fret if you forget—here’s some alternatives to keep those plastic bags out of our landfills. DING! You are now free to be Green.” They then linked to their blog post about uses for plastic bags.

Does this pertain to what Southwest actually does? Of course not! But, it does show that they are good corporate citizens—and, if that’s important to someone it may make them more likely to want to fly Southwest. It “humanizes” the company.

What do you think? Do you like it when you see a combination of business and personal posts?

OK, I know that’s a loaded question. Some people happily tell you their age—young or old—while others prefer to be coy. I’m definitely one of the coy ones…until someone guesses that I’m older!

I’ve had many discussions with people about sharing their age online. In most cases, these are my more “mature” friends. If they are using social networking sites for business purposes, or to get a job, they feel that providing info that indicates their age could be a negative. I’d like to politely disagree!

Now, I’m not saying that ageism doesn’t exist, because I’m sure that it does. There are most definitely companies (and individuals) who want to pay the least amount possible, when hiring a person for a job or as a consultant…or whatever. In many cases, this does mean hiring the inexperienced—and often younger—person.

However, people realize that if they want experience, it means working with someone who has worked long enough to get that experience…and the wisdom that comes with it!

It’s vital that you post a current photo of yourself and that you don’t lie (or hide) things in your bio. I’ve talked with people in their 50′s and 60′s who are in the job market and only list 10 or 20 years of experience in their LinkedIn profiles. Obviously, it’s a personal preference “how much” experience someone lists, but to me, this seems slightly deceptive. These same people also don’t list the years that they received their education—they do everything they can to keep their age secret. I talked with an HR person about this and her response was: “If they lie about their years of experience and education, what else would they lie about?” A little extreme, but true, nonetheless.

It’s important to remember “who” is online. According to a recent study by the Pew Research Center, nearly half (47%) of Internet users age 50-64 and 26% of users over 65 use social networking sites.

Obviously, you can’t hide your age when you meet with someone in person. However, there are ways to make it positive. Rather than talking about your “long years of experience,” talk about your “long-term goals” instead. Make it clear that you’re not planning to retire in the near future. Do the same online. As I’ve said in the past, it’s critical to be authentic.

What are your thoughts? Have you experienced ageism or know someone who has?

And no, I don’t mean in a Pretty Woman sort of way!

Whether you are looking for a job, representing a company, promoting your own organization’s products or services, or even just networking, you have to first get your foot in the door—online or in person. If your online persona is of a sleazy used-car salesman, then you probably won’t accomplish much!

Your online reputation does matter—no matter why you are using social networking sites. If someone you are connected with online were asked to describe you based on your posts, what would they say?

Would they say that you are a party animal, a slacker, a complainer…or worse, only focused on yourself? Or, would they describe you as a resource, a friend, funny (without overdoing it), well-rounded—someone they would want to associate with in the “real” world?

What impression do you give?

In a recent Microsoft study, researchers found that in the U.S., 70% of hiring managers have rejected candidates based on what they found online about them. Often, the candidate didn’t even have the opportunity to interview in person. For many people, the first (and sometimes only) interview is actually what someone finds out about them online.

Before you meet with someone, do you Google them? I know it seems a bit intrusive, but I know many people who do research someone prior to meeting with them. Obviously, a big part of it depends on “why” you are meeting them. If it’s for a long-term business arrangement, you may very well want to know more about them than what’s in their brochure or website.

When I have a meeting with someone new, one of the first things I do is see if they are on LinkedIn—and if they are, what their profile says. How complete is it? It’s not a negative to me if they don’t have much information, but if it appears out-dated or incorrect, it does matter. If they post fairly often, I look at what they post. Are they posting links to articles important to their industry? Do they talk about their accomplishments? (It’s OK to brag about yourself if you don’t overdo it.)

Someone’s online presence is part of their personal brand. Lida Citroën had a great post in her blog about building your personal brand online that provided several great tips.

If your online presence is the first impression that someone has of you, what does your’s say about you? There’s no right or wrong, but keep in mind that people will judge you. It’s important to be authentic and genuine to yourself, while being personable—just don’t get too carried away!

Realtors tell us that it’s all about “location, location, location.” For me, benefiting from social media is all about “relationships, relationships, relationships.” We participate in social networking sites in order to connect with other people. However, not everyone seems to view it this way.

Are you a one-dimensional poster? That is, do you post and post and post and virtually never comment on someone else’s posts? Worse—if someone comments on your posts, do you ignore them?

Or, are you someone who values the people who have “friended,” “followed,” or “connected” with you? Do you recognize that in essence, to have a friend, you have to be a friend?

The important thing about relationships is that they are two-way. Give and take. Post and respond!

Now, I’m not saying that you have to comment on each and every post. It’s just not possible, unless you spend 24 hours a day online and read every single post. Just show a little interest now and then!

As I’ve said in other posts, how someone uses these sites is entirely up to each individual. However, how many “one-dimensional” people wonder why they aren’t having success on the sites, especially when they ask for help?

Whether you’re online to find your best friends from high school, get a job or promote your company’s services, you’re more likely to be successful if you’ve been a friend to others. If someone asks for assistance, give it. If you can provide a resource, do so. Heck, if someone playing Farmville asks for a cow and you have one, share!

The point is that when you’ve been a friend to someone, they are more likely to help you when you ask for it.

This is especially important for businesses that are online. I’ve posted questions on Fan pages—questions that were never answered. I won’t do that again…and more importantly, I stopped following those pages. One of the primary reasons for a Fan page is to communicate with consumers. So, if they aren’t going to interact, why bother? To be blunt, that’s what a website is for: to provide information in a static manner. I’m not saying that’s wrong because that’s what websites are for. Social media is for building two-way relationships!

What are your thoughts on this? If you’re “friends” with someone who never does anything besides talk about themselves, do you unfriend (or at least hide) them? If you follow someone on Twitter who never retweets, do you see that as a negative? Are you more likely to help someone who has helped you?

It’s an ongoing battle: which social media sites are for “professional” use and which are for “personal” use? I read numerous articles and blogs that say that specific sites are only for professional use and others are only for personal use. Typically, the “preference” is that LinkedIn is professional, while Facebook and Twitter are personal—and never the twain shall meet.

There is no right or wrong way to use these sites. Let me say it again: there is no right or wrong way to use these sites! It is entirely each individual’s choice as to how they use social media sites.

My preference is that no site is just one or the other. I believe that we associate with people we share similar interests with. When we “get to know” someone, we’re more likely to want to support them in a professional manner—or develop a friendship with them—or both!

I firmly believe that LinkedIn posts should primarily focus on professional activities, but there’s no harm in occasionally having something fun tossed it! (However, I don’t like it when people have their Tweets automatically feed into LinkedIn, especially when they’re definitely more fun than professional.)

I have a combination of personal and professional posts on Twitter and Facebook. I’m very careful, though, not to get too personal and to always communicate in a professional manner.

The question I have for those who use sites like Facebook only for personal posts is simply “why?” I don’t care of someone is your best friend forever, family member, sports teammate or former classmate, are you assuming they could they never be in a position to refer you for a job, recommend you to a potential client and so on? In other words, if they know what you do professionally, they might be able to help you!

However, if you have unprofessional personal posts, then you may give a bad impression of yourself. One of my Facebook friends—someone I have known for many years—was not happy with her job and continually posted her unhappiness. She posted things like “I hate my job so much that I leave early every day.” She then asked if I’d be a reference. I’m a good friend, but she put me in a very uncomfortable position of having to lie if asked about her work ethic.

The moral of the story is: it’s OK to use sites just for personal use, but keep in mind that showing warts and all may come back to haunt you!

What do you think? What’s your preference for using the sites?

“Anyone should be able to post anything they want, anytime they want.”

This was part of an interesting discussion I took part in earlier this week. The initial question concerned employers implementing social media policies for their employees and whether or not people agreed with it.

As you could imagine, responses ranged from those thinking this was OK to those thinking what they do online is no one’s business, especially their employers.

It was pointed out that employees shouldn’t be able to post proprietary information, trade secrets and so forth. Others said that people shouldn’t be able to post private information about clients/customers and co-workers.

Those who opposed policies claimed that they have a First Amendment right to post whatever they want, without losing their jobs. One person even said that if told he couldn’t post what he wanted, he’d exercise his Second Amendment right—the right to bear arms.

Wow. At that point, I excused myself. It was clear that there was nothing that could be said to show the “anti-policy” folks that there might be times when posting anything, anytime wasn’t a good idea.

I’m not normally one who thinks that we need lots of policies, but in this case, I do think that businesses at the very least have to consider what their employees may be posting online—especially as it pertains to them.

Businesses must protect their interests. If that means implementing social media policies, then so be it. Do some go overboard? Of course. I researched numerous policies and found many with lots of legalese—some were more than 30 pages long! Best Buy is a great example of a basic policy, which treats its employees as responsible adults.

The anti-policy folks also said that potential employers shouldn’t be able to research them online. Oh really? What if they’ve posted that they routinely steal from their current employer? (I’ve actually seen that!) What if they posted that even if they get a new job, they’re moving out-of-state in six months? (I’ve seen that, too.) In this day and age of drug testing, running background checks—even contacting former employers (gasp!)—researching candidates online is going to happen, whether we like it or not.

Do you work for a company that has a social media policy? Do you think potential employers should be able to Google someone? Or, should we be able to post anything, anytime, without fear of retribution?

It happened again. I had someone adamantly tell me that using social networking for business is a complete and total waste of time. The gentleman felt so strongly about it that he even raised his voice and shook his finger in my face. Yoiks!

I tried to talk with him, but it was clear that he didn’t want to hear anything I said, so I gave up. His opinion was based on watching his wife play Facebook games for hours, seeing his children on MySpace and unfortunately, believing his employees were wasting time on a variety of social media sites. What was sad about our exchange was that his business relies almost exclusively on word-of-mouth and referrals to spread his message. Because of his personal experience, he refused to see that there is a “different” way to use social networking and how it might benefit him.

It is true that many sites are for “social” activities – playing games, finding old schoolmates and colleagues and having fun! However, I simply don’t understand the view that some people have that it’s only for fun, just as much as I don’t understand the people who only use social media for business.

It’s all about connecting with people outside your normal circle. Chris Garrett has a great blog post about this. Among other things, he says that it’s more than just building relationships based on shared interests – it’s about having shared goals.

Maybe for you, those goals are simply to find folks who want to have fun and that’s OK. However, why not develop relationships with people who will help spread the word about what you do – potentially to hundreds, if not thousands, of their online friends?

It’s certainly fun to find old friends online – and to repeat myself, maybe it can turn into more. Several months ago, I “friended” a young woman from high school. I haven’t seen her since she was 16 and that was a long time ago! She recently surprised me by asking if I could show her how to use social networking for her business.

I fully recognize that I’m in a unique position, as my “business” is showing people how to use social media for business, so it’s obviously the best way for me to spread my message. However, is there any business that doesn’t rely at least somewhat on referrals and word-of-mouth? Why limit yourself? It’s OK to have your friends help you!

What are your thoughts? How do you use social networking?