It’s almost hard to imagine a world without social media networks like YouTube and Facebook.  Many utilize these types of sites on a daily basis, but how are these outlets changing the world?

A short time ago, after the enormous success of her Superbowl commercial, fans of Betty White created a grassroots campaign on Facebook to have the 88 ½ year old Emmy Award-winning actress host NBC’s Saturday Night Live (SNL).  The initiative was so widely popular that not only did NBC take notice and book White to host SNL, but it was the first time in the show’s history that social media helped influence the selection of a host. 

Recent, a video emerged on YouTube of 12 year old Greyson Michael Chance playing piano and singing Lady Gaga’s ‘Paparazzi.’  The video was viewed over 18,000,000 times, and was also featured on many national news programs including ABC’s World News with Diane Sawyer.  Ironically, Interscope Records, the same record label as Lady Gaga, saw Chance and offered the seventh grader a recording contract.

So you may be asking yourself, ‘what does all this have to do with my business?’  Since social media is putting more power in the hands (or fingertips) of the public, now is the time to use the suggestions, ideas and opinions of your customers to improve business.  White and Chance are prime examples that popular demand cannot be ignored, especially when it comes to social media.  Identifying trends within your social media channel can help you stay ahead of the competition.  Who knows, maybe your business will discover the next Greyson Michael Chance of your industry.

Finally, summer is right around the corner! Soon children will be out of school and at last people can enjoy the outdoors once again. What does that mean for your business? For many advertisers, summer months are a slower time of year for sales. Now is the perfect time to take advantage of sponsored advertising through social media sites like Facebook and LinkedIn. Sponsored advertising in social media platforms is a great way to reach new customers and keep your sales numbers up.

Advertising special summer deals, promotions or sales through social sites helps you to stay in front of your audience during a time when they may not be thinking of your brand. Since social media sites like Facebook target users by interest, you can market to your exact demographic. This feature is particularly attractive to advertisers with unique products or services.

However, this approach does not only apply to business to consumer (B2C) advertisers; business to business (B2B) can also reap the benefits of summer social media marketing initiatives. Since LinkedIn is specifically aimed at business professionals, advertisers can target by industry, as well as title and location. This option makes it easy to be conservative with an ad budget, while still appearing in front of the appropriate audience.

Whether you are a B2C or a B2B advertiser, social media advertising can unlock possibilities you never imagined, especially during a season where it can be difficult to obtain new business. If you are not already participating in social media advertising, why not start now? After all, summer is almost here!

With the phenomenal growth of social media sites like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, many businesses have begun creating their own fan pages within these sites.  While social media platforms are a great way to interact with your fans, friends and followers, issues can often arise when users post critical comments about your company or brand.

Nestle has received negative press by Greenpeace regarding many environment issues, which include the destruction rainforests in Indonesia to extract Palm Oil to use in their KitKat candy bars, in addition to reports of genetically modified organisms found in baby formula overseas.  “Fans” began modifying the KitKat and other Nestle logos to promote awareness about these issues. The Nestle Corporation requested that these images be removed immediately.  Their Facebook response could have been addressed in a more courteous, respectable manner.

The Nestle party responsible for managing their Facebook post began posting comments that were perceived to be offensive by fans. Upset fans forwarded the supposedly offensive retort to others, and soon word began to spread.  Not long after, the story was all over the web.  Since then, Nestle has experienced major image problems.

What can businesses learn from this experience?  Whatever social media platform your business chooses to participate in, the main point is to remain calm, courteous, respectful and honest.  Fans and followers may not always have positive things to say, however these comments can and should be addressed in a professional manner.  These remarks may also be helpful in altering and humanizing your image, while positioning your brand as a caring, customer service oriented organization.

My Mom and Dad always said, ‘It’s not what you say; it’s how you say it.’  This proclamation also holds true for social media sites.  It is always better to err on the side of caution than to avoid customer confrontations.  Address your fans, followers and even those who are not fans, professionally and you can save your company from an embarrassing situation.

It seems that everywhere you go, someone is talking about Facebook.  Many business professionals have asked themselves ‘how can I have a business Facebook profile but separate it from my personal life?’   While some professionals have created multiple Facebook profiles, others have turned to LinkedIn.

LinkedIn is the crème de la crème of virtual business networking.  This revolutionary professional social network lets organizations create pages which give specific company information such as geographic location, type of industry, company size, median age, male to female employee ratio and much more.  Each company page also includes relevant news articles as well as the recent New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) information.

However, one of the most unique features is the ability for individuals to post their own previous career experiences.   Each LinkedIn user can offer as much or as little information as they would like within their profile.  Contact Settings allow users to designate the type of connections they are looking to make.  Profiles can be used to reconnect with old business colleagues as well as receive reference and expertise requests.

More importantly users can also choose to receive information on job inquiries.  Viewing current or past employment experience via LinkedIn is becoming a new trend among recruiters and human resources personnel.  Could LinkedIn’s virtual resume eventually replace traditional resumes?  While LinkedIn is clearly the greener solution for employers, the future is anyone’s guess.

Worried about just anyone viewing your information?  Privacy settings allow you to select who is allowed to see profile information.  So what are you waiting for?  Create your LinkedIn today and be part of this ever-growing professional social network.

With the boom of users participating in the social media channel, Facebook, many advertisers have begun to realize the value of advertising within social media networks.  Facebook allows advertisers to specifically target their exact demographic based on sex, age, location and interests.  However, many advertisers participating within the Facebook network are not actually indicating a precise demographic, and are causing their ads to be displayed throughout the entire site.  Targeting just a specific age group or gender may not be enough to generate brand awareness and sales.

By designating particular groups you may be able to capture a more relevant sector of users that are more inclined to purchase your product.  It is important think of category variations in order to further segment the audience.  For example, if a concert promoter is trying to gain publicity for an upcoming show, selecting ‘music’ as an interest within their profiles, is going to reach too broad of an interest base.  Instead, try choosing musical artists or bands that closely resemble the concert’s music genre as interest groups.  Not only will you be getting a specific demographic, but you know that those users will be more likely to attend the show.

There is an incredible value in reaching an audience through social media networks, but remember that not everyone thinks the same or has similar interests.  Even with the evolution of social media, in the short time of its existence much has changed, including the user base.  This makes targeting the appropriate visitor very important, and by doing so, you spend your advertising dollars wisely.

Have you ever had a bad experience at a store?  Did you tell a friend or friends about that experience?  What if all these experiences could be used to help businesses improve their image and the way they interact with customers?

Social media platforms such as Twitter allow users to unite and express their joys and frustrations with certain products or services.  This mass sharing of information among Tweeters (those who post updates to Twitter) can at times be overwhelming for advertisers to keep up with.   However, managing and maintaining your presence within social media outlets is now becoming a crucial part of every marketing strategy.

People who post negative comments simply want to share their experience.  These customers want to vent their frustration and disappointment directly at the source. So the question remains; how do you respond to negative comments within social media? 

Sharyn Lauby of Mashable, the Social Media Guide says “No matter how proactive you are, customers will start to question your organization when they see problems. And, whenever there is an information-void, those customers will tend to fill in the gaps with their own thoughts on what the cause may be. That’s why it is important to respond to issues quickly, even if the message is just, “we’re looking into it.” 

While responding with ‘We’re looking into it’ may temporarily pacify an upset customer; it is suggested that the communication be courteous, understanding and apologetic.  Social media is a powerful tool that can easily be used to a company’s advantage.  The worst possible thing any business can do, is to ignore problems, especially when technology moves as fast as it does.

It seems everywhere you go, people are talking about Facebook, Twitter and MySpace.  Many companies have created profiles on these various social media networks, but very few know how to use these platforms to their advantage. 

One way for a company to take advantage of social media is to listen to the feedback they are receiving from their friends, fans and followers.  It is very important to monitor your page, but not hide or delete unfavorable posts.  Internet users are savvy and can tell a page is being censored if every post is a glowing review. By allowing customers to post their experiences, either good or bad, it allows other customers to see how your company handles unfavorable situations and ultimately can fortify relationships with loyal consumers.

Companies should always be honest about a bad experience and immediately claim responsibility.  Liana Evans of Search Engine Watch says, ‘Being humble, accepting the bad, and saying “I’m sorry” when bad things happen to your customers are some of the best actions companies can take when dealing with potentially negative situations in social media.’

By reviewing the posts made on your profile, not only can you protect your reputation, but you can also use these critiques to learn about areas of needed improvement.  Many companies may not even be aware that certain policies or services related experiences need attention.

Let’s face it, when it comes to running a business, the occasional bad experience is inevitable, but it’s how the situation is handled that can make all the difference.  Social media platforms are an extremely popular way for customers to unite and share information.  By habitually posting new information and responses to your social media profile or page, you can keep your followers updated and renew confidence in your brand.

A long, long time ago in 2004, two social network sites began; Facebook and MySpace.  Who would have foreseen the dramatic impact both of these networking portals would have on our lives in a short span of five years. 

Since their foundation in 2004, each of these social networks has experienced dramatic changes, not only in the way they function, but also in the amount of user interaction.  For several years, MySpace rode on top of the social media phenomenon; until recently.  In May of2009, Comscore reported that Facebook has exceeded the amount of MySpace users in the United States.  With a shrinking number of users and more advertising dollars being allocated to Facebook, MySpace has been forced to layoff 30% of employees, as well as reduce its payroll to only 1,000 people.  With over 60 million Facebook users in the United States alone, Facebook has made it possible for teens, adults and seniors to connect in a simple, easy to navigate arena.  Capturing the baby boomer users, Facebook has been able to exceed the amount of MySpace users.

So the question is what’s next for Facebook? With Twitter gaining momentum and nipping at Facebook’s heels, only time will tell.  Although, both platforms are very different in some aspects, both offer users the opportunity to connect with other users and share information.  Could Twitter be the Facebook killer?  Without adapting to current trends and listening to user feedback, Facebook could experience what MySpace is struggling with right now.

Everywhere you go it seems people cannot stop talking about Facebook.  I have been approached by several clients who are interested in advertising on there.  While having a presence on a social media channel such as Facebook, is important, it may not be the best solution for every type of business.

Facebook ads can be targeted towards members not only by their age, location, martial status, sex and education level, but also by the interests indicated in their profile.  Advertisers are able to select the audience they wish to reach; however, this may not work for certain industries.  For example, an auto accident attorney in Phoenix, Arizona may want to start participating in Facebook.  The attorney will be able to select the Phoenix area as the geographic location, along with the gender and age group; however they would be unable to select ‘auto accidents’ as an interest when choosing the audience.  By only selecting the geographic area of Phoenix, the attorney runs a great risk of having the ads display on undesirable user profiles.  Another suggestion that may work better would be to create a page or group for the attorney.  Searchers would then be able to fan the page and learn more about the attorney’s services.

An example of a business that may perform extremely well in Facebook would be a nighclub.  This advertiser would be able to not only specify sex and marital status, but also particular interests such as, nightclubs, dancing and music.  Not only would they be able to reach the desired demographic but also users who have these particular interests.  In addition, this advertiser may also want to set up a page or group within Facebook for additional advertising saturation.

Facebook is a powerful social media tool that can help you bring your business to the next level.  There are many different components within Facebook that you can utilize. Whether you choose to participate in pay per click advertising or otherwise, don’t miss out on the huge potential Facebook offers.

It’s pretty hard to ignore the impact Facebook has on our society; mothers, fathers, children, grandparents and everyone in between seems to have a Facebook profile.  But, the question advertisers seem to keep asking is, ‘How can I use Facebook to generate more sales or leads?’

Recently, I have had several hotel clients mention that they were running special deals due to the recent slump in the economy.  One option that I suggested was to advertise on Facebook.  Although, these clients were skeptical as to how this social media channel could drive sales and bookings, they trusted our expertise.  I explained that by using Facebook they can specifically target an audience with interests that closely matched activities either in or nearby the hotel.  For example, if the client was located in Aspen, Colorado, such interests worth targeting would be skiing, snow tubing, sledding and even Aspen.

In addition to selecting interests that match your company’s profile, you can also select age ranges as well as the gender you wish to target.  Best of all, advertisers can choose exact cities in the surrounding area; this leaves a huge opportunity to offer specials to local residents.

By having so many options to target your audience, Facebook makes it easy to find customers who are interested in the products and services you offer.  Many of the clients I have moved into Facebook are experiencing superb results. 

When starting your Facebook advertising, remember to set your budget small and see the results you receive before allocating more funds toward your advertising efforts.  Be sure that your message is clear and concise with a strong call to action.  Another extremely helpful hint is to include an image with your advertising copy.

Remember, Facebook is not just for ‘tweens,’ teens and college students; there are a huge spectrum of ages and interests waiting for you to target.