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#social#networking #social#media #social#web #social#media#monitoring #social#media#analytics

One of the most annoying things about trying to choose a social media monitoring tool is all the options.  Often, enterprise social media analytics like Alterian’s SM2 and Radian6 are too expensive and overwhelming.  And those services that will monitor your social media presence using the best value aren’t easy to find.  That’s why I found cost effective social media monitoring alternatives that offer any social media marketer on any budget the most value for the money.  Everyday this week I’ll tell you about a new social media monitoring tool that costs $10 or less per month, and I’ll end the week with a look at this week in social media monitoring.

PostRank

1.     Monitor up to five sites and ten social networking sites.

2.     Use Overview to see your engagement throughout the social Web throughout the last week, month, or three months.

3.     Use Analyze to see how your blogs ranked using a points system, and filter your posts, to see which individual posts ranked highest.

4.     Use Analyze to see which pages on your site receive the most attention and how people interacted with each page.

5.     Use Trends to see your top ten blogs over the last three months, the social media sites they received the most attention from, and your top ten influencers.

6.      Use Optimize to see how people engaged with you on ten different social networking sites.

PostRank offers a free 30 day trial so you can explore everything they offer, and they’re always looking for ways to improve.  They also offer enterprise social media monitoring, so you can monitor up to 200 sites and connect 50 social networking to each of those.

Stay social my friends,

Erick

#social#media#marketing #new#twitter #social#media#news #tribestrategist #google#social#network #jive#software #social#networking

This week the battle for social media domination continued; though, the battle fronts seemed quieter than the previous two weeks.  Twitter is getting a new look and Google is preparing to roll out the social media cannons with a social networking site of their own.  I know, they already tried that with Orkut, and it hasn’t gone so well.  So, here’s what’s happened throughout this past week in the world of social media marketing.

TribeStrategist Launches Social Marketing Spotlight – It’s free

Jive Software – They announced Jive Social Media Engagement 4.5, which offers social business capabilities.

Twitter announces a new look – I went to their New Twitter page, and I wasn’t impressed.  But it sounds cooler in these articles than Twitter makes it look. Another article on the New Twitter

Google announces plans to launch social media site – When I read this article, I feel like I’m watching the preview of Halo or some other video game.  You know the ones where the player’s standing with their weapon in hand and an austere look on their face, as they rotate on a platform and typing comes up to give their stats.  Yeah, I think Google should make a video like that, announcing the heavy hitters involved in this project.

Okay, other stuff happened, but not much.  This week was kind of slow in the battle of the social media giants, but with summer coming to a close I think they’re focusing on business at hand.  The cannons will start firing again.  Just wait.

Stay social my friends,

Erick

I don’t understand the hype about Seesmic Desktop 2.  I’ll tell you why I don’t use it, and I’d like to know why those of you who do use it chose it.  Yes, there are positives, but the positives aren’t enough to keep me around.

If you’ve found something I haven’t, or if your computer is allowing you to do what mine is not, let me know.  I am using Google Chrome on a Mac, so your experience of Seesmic Desktop 2 may be a little different using Firefox or Internet Explorer on a PC.  Here’s a list of some of Seesmic Desktop 2’s features.

1. You can only add one Facebook profile (Is this different for PC?)
2. The add button doesn’t work for LinkedIn (Is this different for PC?)
3. Trends is not cloud based like it is in Tweetdeck
4. One positive is that you can conveniently follow user lists
5. Another positive is that there are apps for smart phones

One of the nicest features is that there are more than 40 apps, and I’m sure there are more to come.  I find most of the apps pointless, but here are a few I found useful.

1. By typing in a few keywords Postup finds brand influencers for you to follow
2. The Read Out Loud app does exactly what it says it does.
3. I haven’t tried the Translator, but my understanding is that it will translate all Tweets to whatever language you select.

Here’s what some random Tweeters thoughts about Seesmic Desktop 2:

RT @eerieecho Testing out Seesmic Desktop 2…about time someone makes something useful out of Silverlight.

RT @vonbrucken no Twitter lists on Seesmic desktop 2 @askseesmic ??

RT @peterjblack @askseesmic none of my twitter lists in seesmic desktop 2 on my mac have updated in over an hour

RT @jacobsloan 2 things I like about Seesmic Desktop 2 thus far: ability to post/manage Facebook Pages, suggesting #hashtags as soon as you type the # sign

RT @ma77or7iz: Don’t like that Seesmic Desktop 2 doesn’t remember my window placement and sizing…

RT @cdwillie76: So not impressed with @seesmic 2.  So how does one clear a column of messages like I could with sessmic desktop 1?

RT @Bashar_Kokash: The Final ver of  @seesmic desktop 2 is released, it doesn’t support typing in Arabic, I just submited my 1st feedbackhttp://bit.ly/aEQExR

RT @timanderson: Trying Seesmic Desktop 2 – http://bit.ly/9jMisw – impressive Silverlight 4 out-of-browser app – but miss the simplicity of twhirl

RT @pinouzi: Seesmic Desktop 2, installed and then directly in the trash. Not for Mac users. Prefer other alternatives.

Some of these may have changed in the past several days, as Seesmic is great at responding to Tweeters’ complaints and suggestions.  I’d also like to see tabs, much like Hootsuite uses, which makes for better client management.  I’m not denying Seesmic Desktop 2 has many great features, but when it comes to functionality and usability it fails for me.  I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Stay social my friends,

Erick

Every business and entrepreneur has a brand, brand influencers, an audience, and a brand identity.  In terms of social media marketing, the key to managing your brand identity is to listen to the needs of your audience through social media monitoring, while allowing your brand influencers to influence how you listen to the needs of your audience.

Your brand influencers are not your audience, they are those who influence how you listen to the needs of your audience.  Your audience is those people with needs, but they’re not going to tell you what they need.

I hosted at a restaurant for a short time.  Eventually, the restaurant manager made me a day time server (lunch counter style), so I could get into the habit of serving people and looking for their needs.  The goal was that I would work my way up to night time server (dining room only).  I left before I made night time server, but I took those skills of seeing needs and used and improved on them at my next job.  Eventually, I took those skill and others and started SEO Bridges.

When you allow the needs of your audience rather than the insight of your influencers to influence your decisions, you lose sight of your brand identity.  For instance, if one of the guests at the restaurant waved a $100 bill in my face and told me they’d give me that money at the end of the night if I stood at their beckon call and ignored everyone else, I’d be allowing a portion of my audience to influence my key decisions.  Now, if a party of 20 came into the restaurant, they’re going to leave at least $100.  Then, I’m going to focus most of my attention on them, but I’m going to remain aware of the needs of everyone in the restaurant.

In terms of Web content and social media marketing, allow your brand influencers to influence how you’re going to listen to the needs of your audience, listen well to the needs of that segment of your audience that’s in the most need of your services, and remain aware of the needs of your entire audience.  It is when you allow one segment of your audience—search engines, Facebook friends and fans, Twitter followers, and others—to cause you to ignore the rest of your audience that you allow your brand’s audience to become your brand’s influencers.  It is then that you allow your brand identity to be influenced by brand popularity rather than brand integrity.

Stay social my friends,

Erick

#social#media#marketing #social#media#monitoring #Twitter #Facebook #conversation #social#networking #conversational#web #social#media#conversation

So, last week you indirectly told me you want to talk about listening to your audience, so we’re going to continue with that conversation.  I’m not going to talk about social media monitoring, but I am going to talk about how to keep the social media conversation going.

Much of my audience comes from Twitter.  I can’t say most of my audience comes from Twitter, because with my site there is no ‘most’  (more than 50%), but many of you come from there.  So, when it comes to keeping the social media conversation going I’m focusing on Twitter.

Imagine you’re at a party and you’re in a conversation with five people and two or three people are making eye contact with you, while the attention of the others is waning, those are the people you want to make eye contact with.  Just because someone at that party is part of your audience doesn’t mean their listening to everything you say.  You have to say something to capture their attention first.

In terms of social media, if people are listening to you on Twitter, focus the conversational side your social media marketing there.  If people are paying attention to you on Facebook, spend time there.  Always focus the conversational side of your social media marketing efforts wherever people are listening to you the most. For those in your audience whose attention you may have lost, say something interesting to get their attention back.

After you know who is listening to you, engage them in conversation.  Don’t be like that person at the party who talks for 20 minutes straight, causing the eyes of people in his/her audience to glaze over.  People are listening to you either because they want to learn from you and may have questions or they have something intelligent to add to the conversation.

Any questions, comments, or snide remarks?

Stay social,

Erick

Recently, someone asked me what I thought of Foursquare.  In a word, I find Foursquare a pointless fad.  Okay, that was two. He asked me to explain its popularity.  Well, fads are based on popularity.  Remember long poofy hair, parachute pants, boy George, and  . . . um . . . Myspace.  All those fads found their popularity with big hair bands, rappers who claimed to be “too legit to quit,” androgynous singers, and a World Wide Web popularity contest.  “Congrats, Tila Tequila!  You won!”

Well, now that we have the Social Web, we love to socialize with anyone, anywhere, at any time.  On-line games allow people to compete with one another.  Foursquare is not only a Social Web game, it is a Social Web game that allows people to compete for popularity.  People sign up on Foursquare, go to Foursquare registered venues, and let the world know when they arrive.

In essence, the same things that make “Reality” T.V. shows popular—people’s collective temporary popularity mentality—make Foursquare popular.  Though, just as kids eventually outgrow the need to have the coolest shoe or most popular video game, and the Paparazzi only stalks those stars who subconsciously yearn for mass attention, people on Foursquare will tire of the desire for popularity and the to desire to be followed.

The things that made the 80’s and early 90’s popular faded away, and those fads they made popular faded away.  Right now, online games are popular because “Reality” shows are popular and unemployed people are bored with unemployment.  According to Gallup, the national unemployment rate in Aug. was 9.3% and underemployment was 18.6%.

So, I admit it.  In theory, Foursquare is a good idea.  It fits the basic model of supplying to people what they demand—popularity and a cure for boredom.  When people check in to Foursquare registered spots, they earn points, and those points are redeemable for rewards and popularity.  Though, when people stop demanding popularity, Foursquare will either fade away or they will have to restructure their business model to fit a new fad.

So, Foursquare has its charm, but so did Myspace until Facebook came along.  If Foursquare wants to survive, they need to combine the ideas of Yelp and OpenTable, but don’t make it a popularity contest. Give it another five years and you’ll see.  If I’m wrong, I’m wrong.  But I predict that if they don’t prepare for the collective popularity mentality and boredom factor to fade away, Foursquare will be remembered as the poofy hair of the World Wide Web.

Let me know your thoughts.

Stay Social,

Erick

So, there have been no shortage of mergers, buy-outs, releases of innovative technologies, and lawsuits in the world of social media this past week.  Cyber-bullying and cyber-stalking continue to rise, Mark Zuckerburg whined about his own privacy being compromised, and North Korea joined the social media bandwagon.  Amidst all of that, here’s some articles about what’s happened in the world of social networking that I think you’d enjoy the most.

The Anti-Facebook: Ironically Mark Zuckerberg’s Facebook is losing popularity with people his age and younger.  Maybe all of those people will make the move to Diaspora.

Google goes on a social networking spree: Due to their dwindling shares in the search market, Google bought SocialDeck, Angstro, Jambool, Slide, and Like.  I wouldn’t mind a Google buy-out.  I hear they pay pretty well.

Apple races Google in the social networking spree: Apple bought Ping and is integrating it with iTunes Genius.

Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7: The long awaited Windows Phone 7 is off to cell phone makers.

Gmail introduces priority Priority Inbox: Think of this innovative feature as Google mail meets Pandora or Gmail uses a similar technology as Pandora.

Foursquare hits 4 million users: This article should be retitled, ‘Foursquare identifies 3,000,000 of the world’s most bored people and those who want to know when they’re not home so they can rob them.’  Perhaps I’ll eat my words in five years, but I foresee Foursquare as being the MySpace of the second decade of the 21st century.  Just another social media fad.

Okay, so those are just five of the biggest things that have happened over this past week in the world of social media.  If you know of any other major moves over the past week, post the URL in the comments section.

Stay social,

Erick

Every company wants to listen to their customer base, and Squidoo allows them to do that. When you create a lens, you have a plethora of options of modules.

Among those modules is a poll module to ask your customer base what they do or don’t want. This module only allows users to ask multiple choice questions, but it’s a good way to listen to your audience in a fun environment.

Another popular module is the Amazon module, which allows you to become a virtual distributor of Amazon products. Let Amazon suggest products to sell or pick products out from a list. Either way, when someone buys an Amazon product through your Squidoo page, you receive a commission.

Also, you can pull from various Twitter feeds. Use Twitter Search to search for tweets by keyword, Twitter Follow to follow particular people, Twitter Storm to follow a debate, or Twitter List to follow your Tweets. There are many other feeds you can pull from, including Deli.cio.us, your blog, Yelp, Youtube, and more.

There’re so many other ways you can use Squidoo, but the purpose is to allow you and your audience to engage with one other in a fun environment. People may not want to sign up for various social networking services, find you on those websites, and follow you and everyone else. Squidoo allows them to engage with you on many of those sites without signing up for or logging into all those sites.

We’re busy creating lenses, so keep watching.

Stay social,

Erick

The best way to integrate your Web content with your social media marketing campaign is to write a blog at least once a week and use social media to promote it. The more you write and promote your writing, the more people will become familiar with your name and your site.

Blog about whatever your site’s about.  If your site’s about politics, blog about politics and use political keywords.  But use language that allows your writing to remain accessible to anyone who might read your blog.

Let others know about your blog by posting it to social networking sites.  But don’t stop with Twitter and Facebook.  Set up accounts on social bookmarking sites like Deli.cio.us, Digg, and Reddit.  Web browsers like Google Chrome and Firefox have apps that automatically fill in content for you on those and many other social bookmarking sites.  You can even integrate many of those sites with larger ones like Twitter and Facebook, so they automatically update when you update your Facebook or Twitter accounts.

The Internet allows people to do faster for free what it took several weeks and dollars to do less than ten years ago.  It takes time to setup and update those accounts, but the return on the investment is worth it.

Stay social,

Erick

Every week, I try to bring you Open Source software for you social media marketing endeavors that I am able to test out first. That, of course, means it must be simple enough for someone like me to use. This week, I am going to tell you about a program that I am not going to download, but I hope to give you an easy-to-use tutorial that will help you get started with it. Elgg is a powerful Open Source social networking platform. Well, that is what they claim to be, but I am going to take their word for it.

For those who like to read and explore for themselves, here’s what’s in Elgg according to Elgg (that means they wrote it, and I am giving credit to them):

Profiles

Elgg comes with default profile fields that can be extended or completely customized by the site administrator.

Activity Streams

The granular activity stream feature ensures you keep up to date with all site activity.

Blogging / Microblogging

Blogging and microblogging functionality that is both powerful, yet simple to use.

Pages

Create documents collaboratively with full control over read and write access.

RSS / JSON

All content – such as blog posts, activity streams and group discussions – is available in both RSS and JSON formats

Widgets

Add widgets to user profiles.

Video

Search for your favorite videos on services such as Youtube and add them to your Elgg video gallery.

Social bookmarking

Share your web resources with others in your company, group or course.

Groups

Collaborate around specific topics via public, private or hidden groups.

Access controls

Control who can access your content.

Web Services API

Expose functionality through the REST API by building a plugin and either publish the API for other developers to build clients, or provide your own.

Documents

Upload and share documents with the rest of your network.

Photo Gallery

Using the powerful Tidypics plugin, let your users create their own photo galleries.

For those who would like to know more about how they  can use Elgg for their social media marketing, there are plenty of plugins to explore, including plugins for events, photos and images, widgets, games, site and user admin, and more. There is also a forum for those who want to know the latest about what is going on in the world of Elgg. For those who want to download Elgg, it includes bug fixes and security enhancements. For those who want to experience Elgg, but do not want to download it, they can sign up for more information here.  For those who need help uploading it, here is a great video. (Video coding and me ain’t getting along too well this week).

Okay, so that’s it for this week. Enjoy. And please tell me what you like or don’t like about this blog. I’ll try to get a live video on here for all you visual people. Oh yeah, thank you all for your comments.

Erick