• Don’t forget strategy. Aimless chatter on sites like Facebook and Twitter is just that: chatter. Know what your goal is with your social media outreach and keep that goal in mind.
• Don’t talk without listening. Tune in to social media channels to find out what’s important to your customers and clients, and then be responsive.
• Don’t get personal. Don’t use your business accounts for personal issues. Keep the two separate to maintain a professional image for your business.
• Don’t forget to spread the word. Make it easy for people to engage with you on social media channels by putting links in an easy-to-see location on your web site. Offer an RSS feed so that people can subscribe to your blog.
• Don’t post unclear messages. Give your posts some context. For example, if you are sharing a link, include a message about why you think your clients might be interested in it.
• Don’t be inconsistent. Abandoning your Facebook page or Twitter account for months at a time will lead to a loss of interest from your customers and potential new audiences. Update consistently to remain relevant.

Don’t get caught behind the curve! We can help with social media consultations and can even help you manage your social media presence, so you can be sure your business is presenting its best face on all fronts. Contact us to find out more!

Three Girls Media & Marketing‘s specialists design PR strategies that encompass the Internet as well as traditional media outlets. Gone are snail mail, faxes and paper proofs. We understand that the Internet’s rapid speed can be daunting and designed these quick tips to help you get started in the world of electronic social media immediately.

1. See Social Media as another tool to relate to your public. Like the telephone, catalogue, or person-to-person contact, this is simply another way to “talk” to your audience. When you see it as a tool, it becomes less intimidating.
2. Pick a few social media platforms, and focus there. Not all sites are best for all businesses. (See this previous blog post for tips on picking the best sites for you). Of the “big five” (Facebook, Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn, YouTube), choose one or two to start. When you are comfortable with these, branch into another as appropriate.
3. Choose to have time to do this. Stop using the excuse of time for not being on any platforms. Like anything you’ve achieved in life, you created time to do it. Planning and executing a successful social media PR presence doesn’t take loads of time. All you have to do is block out time for it.
4. Schedule time to write and send posts. If you are a beginner, start with a 30-minute block one day this week. (Soon, you’ll only need 15 or 20 minutes.) Write several brief, concise posts, with different content for each platform you’re on: Google+, Facebook, Twitter, etc. (For tips on presenting the best subject matter and how frequently to post, please see our previous blog post, Social Media Marketing: How to Run a Successful Campaign). Once you have a few different posts per platform, schedule them to be posted. Free services like HootSuite automatically send posts according to the schedule you prefer. Talk about a virtual assistant! Imagine having all your posts for a week written and scheduled in less than 30 minutes.
5. Schedule time to blog. Blogging is another avenue to garner a large audience, promote your business and establish you as an expert in your industry. Schedule time to write a three to four paragraph blog at least once a week. The purpose of blogging is to let your audience see that you know your stuff, and gain higher SEO rankings for maximum exposure. Regardless of how frequently you blog per week, stick to a schedule. Consistency is key.
6. Schedule time to respond. Social media requires give and take. It’s great for you to be humming along on Twitter, but you also need to be a good “listener” for it to work. It is important to read and respond to every post on all your sites, no matter from whom or in regards to what. People want to be heard, and when you are a good listener, they will respond to you. Three Girls Media & Marketing recommends you block out time to respond to social media, just as you block out time to write your posts and blogs. Treat this task as you would lunches, networking events, training calls, etc. Download apps on your phone for quick responses during daily downtimes, such as standing in line at the grocery store or coffee shop.
7. Get into a consistent routine. Consistency is key to writing posts and blogs, scheduling them to post, responding to incoming posts, queries, etc. Plan a regular maintenance schedule and soon the traffic and buzz will elevate your business’s relevance, importance, and rank higher on search engines. The cycle will continue to your benefit.
8. If all else fails . . . If you need help with your company’s PR strategy on social media, the staff at Three Girls Media & Marketing can do it for you—from posting tweets to writing blogs. You’ll be surprised what a relief it is to have professional marketing minds on your side.

Special Offer: Three Girls Media & Marketing Inc. loves working with small and emerging companies to raise their brand awareness and name recognition. We offer a complimentary 30-minute phone consultation. Email info@ThreeGirlsMedia.com to make your appointment today!

Photo Credit: stevegarfield

Today social media travels at light speed on the Internet. The most popular sites for businesses remain Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn, with YouTube and Google+ gaining regular usage and popularity. A social media presence is critical to business growth, yet if you’re unfamiliar with each site’s advantages, you’ll waste precious time and not produce the outcomes you seek.

These tips help you get the most productivity from the time you invest in social media marketing:

1. Do your homework. Become familiar with all of the major social media sites (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and Google+) and who is on them. Not all sites are appropriate for all businesses. Go where your demographic is. Seek out the best two or three sites for your business and goals. Where are similar industries or professionals most visible?
2. Strike a balance. Of course, you want potential customers to find your business through social media marketing, but aggressive advertising is a turn off. We recommend an 80/20 split: 80% industry related information, news and education, 20% self-promotion.
3. Have good writing/content. Make it interesting, consistent and focused on your primary target audience.
4. Be consistent. These are Three Girls Media’s recommendations for minimum posting requirements to raise brand awareness and name recognition:

• Twitter: 1-3 quick “tweets” per day. Be punchy and you have no choice but to be concise with a 140 character maximum. If appropriate, offer downloadable coupons or special deals via “tweet.”
• Facebook: 3-5 posts per week. Share something informational and entertaining (“infotainment”). Have fun and encourage fans to engage. Use tools like “questions” to learn valuable info from your customers. Here’s an example of a possible Facebook campaign: Post 3-4 times per week, making the first post about your business, including a link to an informative blog, or run a poll about something related to your industry. In post #2, highlight a positive experience with another business. With post #3, recommend someone’s related industry (perhaps a power partner); in #4, offer a helpful tip or share a news item. Repeating these steps consistently builds trust, longevity, name recognition and a loyal following.
• LinkedIn: LinkedIn is great for meeting power partners and other professionals, and finding discussion groups or events relevant to your industry or market. Set up a personal page and a page for your business, and post 3-5 times per week sharing news relevant to your industry. Join groups that make sense for your business and participate in them regularly both starting, and responding to, discussions.  Aim to stay in the “Top Influencers” sidebar in each group you join by frequent participation (this will also raise your visibility with other professionals you haven’t met yet). Ensure your profile stays up to date by checking it regularly.
• YouTube: Pictures often communicate better than written words, so post short, informative videos on topics relevant to your industry on a consistent basis (once a week, once a month or even once a quarter). Bottom Line: Whatever you post, at whatever frequency, make sure that it’s relevant, informative or entertaining and useful.

Keeping up with today’s social media marketing takes time, attention to detail and consistency. It can be a do-it-yourself endeavor if you’ve done good research and scheduled time to stick to it. Three Girls Media helps businesses structure consistent and well-messaged social media marketing campaigns that raise brand awareness and name recognition. Email today for a free, no obligation social media assessment. Happy posting!

Photo Credit: Asthma Helper

In today’s quickly changing media landscape, integrating social media into your marketing and PR efforts is crucial. Three Girls understands that small and emerging businesses often lack the time or manpower to post as often as needed to make sites like Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter effective. We’ll take the time to research your company and industry, finding great facts, news and updates to share with your followers, providing compelling ‘infotainment’ that will endear them to your brand.  If necessary, Three Girls will set-up accounts on your behalf, too! Cost: $50 and up per month (Price varies based on number of social channels being managed and how frequently they will be updated).

For more information about this Al La Carte PR option, or for other services available, give us a call at 408-871-0377 or send us an email.

Photo Credit: Asthma Helper

1. Put your writing on a diet: 10 word-loss tips http://ow.ly/5iU3p – Great tips for making your writing even more concise.
2. 8 great proofreading tips http://ow.ly/5rg4i – Mistakes and typos are inevitable. Here are suggestions for making sure your proofreading is effective.
3. 7 Reasons Your E-mail Pitches Are Failing http://ow.ly/55dCg – These are the common mistakes small business owners make when trying to pitch the media.
4. Infographic: Every 60 seconds, there are more than 98,000 tweets http://ow.ly/5p8Kk – This is a fun infographic that shows how many searches, email, updates, registrations, etc take place every 60 seconds.
5. 4 Ways Social Media Impacts Media Relations http://ow.ly/5eABR – This post shares how social media has changed media relations for the better.

Photo Credit: Craig Murphy

So how do you use HootSuite to manage your social media? Here are a few basic tips:

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Once it’s installed on the backend of your blog, Scribe’s program is very easy to use and highlights exactly what you can fix to make your post stronger. The tool even offers suggestions for making your keywords even more apparent.

So how do you use Scribe SEO? Once it’s installed, using the program is very simple! First, put your article together the same way you do now: write the article; add any links and pictures; add categories, keywords, tags and a meta-description; and make sure the post looks the way you want. Then:

Feel free to make changes in your post and then re-analyze to raise the content score. In WordPress, the results are color coded – green, yellow and red – so you know how effective your post is. Obviously 100% is best, but as long as you can keep it in the green, you can rest assured your post is SEO friendly.

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These 6 articles will tell you what your body language is saying, how to jump into social media and more.

Is your body language getting your message across? How should you start using social media for your company? Here are 6 articles to help you with those topics and more:

1. 10 Words That Don’t Mean What You May Think They Do http://ow.ly/4WVQf – English changes little by little over time. This post shares 10 words that mean something different than you may think.
2. 10 common body language traps for women in the workplace http://ow.ly/4TnFa – Is your body language saying something different than you intend? This article shares common ways women in the workplace miscommunicate their message based on how they stand, tilt their head, etc. A quick study of psychology might have some big payoffs.  Check out 50 Mind-Bending Psychology Blogs.  It provides some great advice to further understand your reader.  Never stop learning.
3. Do you run your business or work from a home office? Here are 7 steps to help you achieve work-life balance http://ow.ly/4VYhi – A lot of small business owners work from home. This article shares helpful tips for managin work-life balance.
4. How to jump into the social media pool without drowning http://ow.ly/4YLUI – This is a great resource for business owners jumping into social media. It includes advice regarding which types of media to use and activities you don’t want to forget.
5. Are you an educated business blogger? 12 things every business blogger should know how to do http://ow.ly/544tX – There’s a LOT of advice out there for business bloggers. This post shares a good list of things you don’t want to miss.
6. Life Without Twitter – An Infographic http://ow.ly/4VYi8 – This is a fun infographic of what life might be like without Twitter.

Photo Credit: Rd. Vortex

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Here are 5 must-read posts we’ve found around the Web recently.

Do you want to know how to write killer headlines? Or be happier at work? Here are 5 must-read posts we’ve found around the Web recently.

1. 21 things PR is NOT http://ow.ly/4D0Mx – Public Relations is a lot of things, but it is also NOT a lot of stereotypes people assume go along with the industry. This is a great list from Proper Propaganda of what PR isn’t.
2. 10 everyday decisions for social media success http://ow.ly/4jbp5 – Here are 10 decisions and choices you make daily that will impact your social media relationships, activities, and business results.
3. What makes people happy at work? http://ow.ly/4HFdY – Are you happy at work? This study gives practical ways to be happy at work, from having a flexible schedule to a pleasant physical workspace.
4. The 8 R’s of Twitter for Newbies http://ow.ly/4BwJy – Great advice from PR In Your Pajamas for those just getting started on Twitter.
5. 4 tips for writing killer headlines—from Gawker http://ow.ly/4jbsQ – This post provides 4 tips to help you write better headlines for your blog, Twitter, etc.

Photo Credit: SCA Svenska Cellulosa Aktiebolaget

Make sure you read these 5 articles

Do you want more Twitter followers? What about better relationships with influencers? Here are 5 articles that can help you achieve those goals, in addition to assisting you along the road to social media success, the press release and PR management.

1. How to get more Twitter followers – the definitive list? http://ow.ly/4hEFN – Do you want more Twitter followers? This blog post provides a lot of good suggestions, such as find people that work in your field that are interesting, follow them and try to engage them in conversation.
2. 7 gripes about the press release—from someone who writes them http://ow.ly/4cPoj – There are a lot of problems with the press release. This article discusses seven of the blogger’s gripes.
3. 10 everyday decisions for social media success http://ow.ly/4jbp5 – What decisions and choices can you make daily that will impact your social media relationships, activities, and business results? This post provides 10 decisions you can make that will help.
4. 4 tips to help PR managers manage http://ow.ly/4hEFf – From minimizing multi-tasking to learning about new tools, these tips are great for everyone – from PR Managers to Small Business Owners.
5. 5 steps to a better relationship with an influencer http://ow.ly/4hEGo – This article provides specific steps for pitching influential people in your industry like “Leave comments on blog posts” and “Send customized mass-mailed emails.”

Photo Credit: Morten Liebach

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