Showing posts with label Social Entrepreneur. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Social Entrepreneur. Show all posts

Friday, December 14, 2018

Social Media -- A Good Thing For CEO's?


Social media may be habit-forming -- And for CEO's that's a good thing..

As a serial entrepreneur and agency president, my days are hectic -- and that’s how I like it. I always have something on the back-burner, whether it's my next idea for a company, a tweet that I’ve been noodling on or chores to do on the urban farm where I live.



I start my day at 4 a.m. and work until I collapse into bed around 9 p.m.

Part of my work is to find creative ways to share what’s going on in my world -- what I’m reading, thinking, growing or doing. Maintaining an active presence on social media has become a valuable habit I’ve formed because it introduces me to interesting people, and it adds meaning and connection to my life.

Some people ask me why I bother. Shouldn't CEO's have better things to do with their time? I disagree. While my company takes center stage, I play a crucial supporting role in its success. By using social media, I aspire to be accessible, present and transparent -- qualities that speak to our workplace culture. Social media is essential to so many individuals’ and organizations’ lives. Because I value connection, I can't ignore it. Instead, I want to be part of those harnessing it for good and as a tool to highlight insights for my business and the wider community of social entrepreneurs, agency leaders, journalists and opinion-makers.



Company leaders who personally engage in social media elevate and strengthen their organization's identity.

A recent article in Inc. detailed how John Legere, CEO of T-Mobile, took to Twitter to reimburse a customer for her in-flight Wi-Fi charges. The customer had tweeted about a flirtatious couple next to her, and it went viral. Some observers said they would be changing carriers to T-Mobile, demonstrating the power CEO's can have when they engage on social media. CEO's can give a company a face and personality with which consumers can identify. Legere leveraged the moment while boosting T-Mobile’s image and behaving like a real human being.

CEO's can and should use social media to share what is important not only to them but to their business. Content might communicate with shareholders and consumers, but at the same time, it should showcase an organization’s personality and values. Far from being a waste of time, social media is a way for me to build relationships based on giving and receiving knowledge in a fast-moving world. I can help drive a conversation about the things that matter to me and learn from others with similar interests.



I use social media nearly every day as a tool to read, converse and learn.

It’s highly relevant to leading an agency that develops social media strategies for clients. By participating, I hone my craft, and I experiment with what works and what doesn’t. Many decades of experience in social business practices and advertising doesn’t mean I don’t have room to grow, especially in this ever-changing industry. I enjoy keeping tabs on fellow agencies, brands I respect and their leaders through social media. It gives me ideas for clients and insight on how I can improve my own business. The constant flow of innovation and ideas keeps me on my toes.

One of my mantras is "action, not words." Sharing what my companies are doing through social media demonstrates what is possible with conscious capitalism. Whether it’s photographs of our monthly employee volunteer outings or video footage of PlasticWorks, our community’s plastic up-cycling factory, I’m proud to be walking the walk. The goal of my new consulting venture, Humanista, is to transform more companies through social purpose. Because I’m so active on social media and not farming it out to a third party, my companies’ actions carry more credibility and lead to more genuine relationships with clients.



While it’s not the norm for CEO's to manage their own social media, a few leaders do it well consistently.

Elaine Welteroth, the former editor-in-chief of Teen Vogue, has a massive social presence that spotlights the events that she attends and the causes close to her heart. She helps use her platform to bring awareness to racial injustice and wage inequality. I’m also a huge fan of Andrei Cherny, who is a Twitter master and leads a socially conscious financial firm.

Leaders who want to play a more active role in their own social media must identify and observe leaders they admire. It doesn’t matter if they share your industry if they can create a sense of connection and authenticity and deliver value from the posts they share. I like seeing how leaders engage their own networks through social media, especially on LinkedIn, and how they take constructive criticism and use their platforms to inspire movements for good. For example, Dan Price of Gravity Payments is a social media master (best known for paying everyone at his company at least $70,000 a year) who evangelizes about paying workers a living wage and calls out companies that fall short. He’s caught some flack but takes it humbly.



Social media shrinks our world in terms of distance while expanding it exponentially in terms of access to new ideas and brilliant people.

Connections forged online have led to in-person connections -- both valuable assets. Plus, it's fun. In the early days of Twitter, I met a friend who recently launched a wonderful soap company that donates a percentage of its profits to endangered species conservation.

That friendship led to meeting my new business partner. Despite criticism because of trolls and fake accounts (not to mention our president), Twitter is one of my platforms of choice because it’s so quick and easy.

Guest Authored By Russ Stoddard. Russ is the Founder and President of Oliver Russell, a public benefit corporation that builds brands for purpose-driven companies. Follow Russ on Twitter.





"A CEO is the face of his or her company, like it or not. By participating in social media, we show the world who we are: transparent, authentic and committed to leaving the world better than we found it. Through my social media, I hope to inspire more people to act in a way that creates a positive difference in the world and learn from them along the way.." -RussStoddard



  • Post Crafted By:
    Fred Hansen Pied Piper of Social Media Marketing at GetMoreHere.com & CEO of Millennium 7 Publishing Co. in Loveland, CO. where I work deep in the trenches of social media strategy, community management and trends.  My interests include; online business educator, social media marketing, new marketing technology, skiing, hunting, fishing and The Rolling Stones..-Not necessarily in that order ;)
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Location: Loveland, CO 80538, USA

Tuesday, October 2, 2018

8 Branding Questions For YOUR Social Media Strategy?


Up your social media game by answering these 8 branding questions. Don't put the social media cart before the brand strategy horse..



To excel at social media, you must be a social media expert, right?

While this is true in some respects, having narrow social media knowledge can also be limiting.

A social media-only focus can actually hold back your social media strategy from reaching its full potential. You are building more than a social media presence -- you are building a brand. Social media is not an end unto itself. Vanity metrics -- followers and likes -- may be early indicators of good content, but the true test of social media is business impact. Management will eventually stop paying for social media activity that doesn't lead to bottom line action.



Despite the hype, spending on social media has failed to live up to expectations. In 2017, actual social media spending was nearly half of predicted levels. This stems from a continued struggle to show the real impact of social media and to integrate social media with wider marketing strategy. CMO Survey results indicate marketers still rank social media low in its contribution to company performance (46 percent) and low in how well it is integrated with the wider marketing strategy (59 percent). Social media actions, and even plans can exist on their own, but without having an understanding of the larger marketing and business strategy behind them, they could be acting in vain. Are you putting the social media cart before the brand strategy horse?

To help understand how social media fits into the bigger picture of marketing and business, consider the following key questions to help develop a basic brand understanding of your business or organization. The questions emphasize the consumer perspective which is especially important in social media. Answering these questions can help create a broader understanding of a business, its marketing and how social media contributes. They can help you gain more of a branding perspective, speak the language of business and move towards integration and improving ROI.



1. Why Does The Business Exist?

Vision and mission matter to today's consumers. To make money is not a sustainable answer for customers or employees. What does the company behind the product or service stand for, and where is it headed? This could be a focus on solving a greater problem or spreading a bigger message. Maybe the business supports a cause, community or the environment. Perhaps the mission is simply being the absolute best at something specific.

2. How Did The Business Get Started?

A brand's backstory is important. People buy for rational and emotional reasons that can come from an organization's origin story. Show the human side of the business starting in a garage, the founders investing their last five dollars or making a childhood dream come true. Perhaps an event put the cause on their heart, or something they couldn't get as a customer motivated the creation of the company. Even large corporations can benefit by showcasing their humble roots.



3. How Does The Business Measure Success?

Business objectives are where the rubber meets the road. All marketing action, including social media, must help support business needs such as sales, average spend, market share, leads, contracts, awareness, customer satisfaction, retention, referrals, volunteer, or donations. To do this, brand building must start with specific objectives clearly defined. Make sure they are SMART:

--Specific (quantified such as XX percent or $XX)
--Measurable (data you can access)
--Achievable (not too high)
--Relevant (support vision/mission)
--Timely (deadline like X months or X years)



4. What Does The Business Sell?

Don't take knowledge of the brand's products and services for granted. Start by literally listing every product and service offering, lines and versions. But then go further to describe each from the consumer's perspective. What is the real value to the customer? Turn product and service features into consumer benefits. Then look for gaps in product lines and offerings from the company, but also its competitors. This can uncover key messages to emphasize and may uncover key opportunities for growth.

5. What Is Happening In The Industry?

An industry overview provides valuable context. Is the industry and category growing or declining? What innovations and trends are important? Are there gaps in offerings? What do consumers care about most? What are their pain points, threats and opportunities? What are the consumer's unmet needs? Once identified, clearly communicate how the brand meets these needs.



6. Who Is The Business Trying To Reach?

Be clear on the overall market and ensure you have the right target market. Don't merely identify everyone who could possibly use the product or service. Focus limited resources on the segment with greatest possibility of return. Narrowly define the group most likely to have the unmet needs the business provides. Be specific with demographic (gender, age, income, education), psychographic (attitudes, values, lifestyle) and behavioral (products used, brand loyalty, usage) bases. Who needs the solutions the brand offers the most?

7. Who else targets this market?

Brands are evaluated by consumers against key competitors. Identify several top competitors by market share and sales in same industry and/or by replacement products and services outside the category. What do you offer that is different? Why should they pick you? With this understanding summarize the main distinctions of the brand.



8. How Can You Sum Up Your Branding Strategy?

Understanding your main message focuses effort, ensures consistency and improves integration. Summarize all the answers above into a positioning statement written to the target market. Boil it all down to a main overall message. What is the essence of what the brand means to the target audience?

Now that you have a larger brand understanding, take that knowledge and apply it to current social media presence and actions. Where is the target market active in social media? Look at social networks, messaging apps, blogs/forums, ratings/reviews and podcasts. Look for ways to leverage geosocial, crowdsourcing, influencer marketing, social care, user generated content and paid social media. Identify the top social platforms for the target and then compare to the current business social media accounts. Do you need to make some adjustments based on the target market?



What About Messages And Content?

Are you talking about the right things based on your products and services, industry and competitors? Look at business objectives. Are you driving to the right places and actions that matter? Are you telling the complete brand story? Don't miss out on parts of the mission, vision and backstory that could drive consumer action. Finally, ensure that all social media is integrated in message, tone and look with other forms of digital and traditional marketing communication to optimize efforts. It could be a good time to perform a social media audit.

Guest Authored By Keith A. Quesenberry. Keith is Assistant Professor at Messiah College in Mechanicsburg, PA. An expert in social media and digital marketing, he is author of Social Media Strategy: Marketing and Advertising in the Consumer Revolution. Follow Keith on Twitter.

Related Article: YOUR Video Content Is King?




"Being a better social media professional can start with improving your business intelligence and gaining a better understanding of overall branding. Having a strong foundation in branding will lead your social media activities in the right business building direction.

The latest CMO Survey results indicate that the top use of social media by companies is for brand awareness and brand building. Answering these questions will increase your brand knowledge and help improve your social media strategy.." -KeithAQuesenberry


    • Post Crafted By:
      Fred Hansen Pied Piper of Social Media Marketing at YourWorldBrand.com & CEO of Millennium 7 Publishing Co. in Salt Lake City, UT. where I work deep in the trenches of social media strategy, community management and trends.  My interests include; online business educator, social media marketing, new marketing technology, skiing, hunting, fishing and The Rolling Stones..-Not necessarily in that order ;)
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    Location: Draper, UT 84020, USA

    Monday, October 1, 2018

    Should Entrepreneurs Use Social Media?


    Entrepreneurs should not use social media..

    Entrepreneurs should not be using social media. Social media is a double-edged sword that is more often used to inadvertently commit the business equivalent of seppuku. Social media is touted as the new magical wand that has created millionaires and business gurus. But, we are overlooking the infinite number of people that have harmed themselves through social media.



    Elon Musk is the most recent example of an entrepreneur that has harmed himself through social media.

    Musk is stepping down as Tesla chairman and is paying a $20 million dollar fine. This all started when he made the fated tweet on twitter stating, “Am considering taking Tesla private at $420. Funding secured.” That’s a $142,857 dollars per character mistake made via social media.

    As people, entrepreneurs are liable to make mistakes due to sudden flashes of emotion or oversight that lead to a negative possibility we didn’t foresee. It’s much safer for the average entrepreneur as well as anyone to completely avoid using social media, than relying on it to gain substantial benefits. My advice is for everyone to stay far away from social media.

    If you decide to use social media, you need to treat all social media like it is a press conference podium attached to the third rail. I’ve had prior employers and clients google search my history and read through my social media to determine whether they wanted to work with me.



    For example, if you are voicing strong religious, political or other beliefs. You will ultimately be offending a large segment of people in the world.

    You have no idea whether you’re going to be able to afford offending a possible future employer or client that you’ve yet to meet.

    There are some individuals that can leverage their social media accounts to gain followers and financial success. But, these individuals are statistical outliers. You should not assume that this is the norm.

    Guest Authored By Cameron Keng. Cameron covers a lot of taxes and even more about business. He practiced taxation for clients such as Goldman Sachs, Deutsche Bank and Pfizer at PwC as well as KPMG. Founded a nonprofit tax clinic sponsored by the IRS and partnered with NYS and NYC that processed 5 million dollars. Received Congressional endorsements for outstanding community and public service. Featured by Bloomberg, Tax Analysts, BusinessWeek, Entrepreneur, HuffingtonPost and Fox News as a tax, finance and business expert. Follow Cameron on Twitter.





    "Given the choice, go old school and just write your thoughts in a paper journal. It is far safer. Otherwise, tread lightly in the social media landscape. All your thoughts are kept online forever and backed up via multiple sources. Thus, each time you put something out in the world it will never be forgotten.."


      • Post Crafted By:
        Fred Hansen Pied Piper of Social Media Marketing at GetMoreHere.com & CEO of Millennium 7 Publishing Co. in Salt Lake City, UT. where I work deep in the trenches of social media strategy, community management and trends.  My interests include; online business educator, social media marketing, new marketing technology, skiing, hunting, fishing and The Rolling Stones..-Not necessarily in that order ;)
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      Location: Draper, UT 84020, USA

      Sunday, July 1, 2018

      Social Media Tips From A Young Entrepreneur?


      Young Entrepreneur Shares Experience's, Social Media Tips..

      The traditional route was never for Daryl Garcia.



      Garcia, 24, has always done things his way. After dropping out of college in 2014, Garcia created his own event promotions website When In Guam.

      For the past several years, Garcia has worked as an entrepreneur. The jack-of-all-trades does graphic design, event coordinating and social media marketing for Crook Guam, Colosseum Guam and One Punch Media.

      He’s organized everything from big concerts to club parties, including this year’s Holi Festival, Massive Music Spotlight, Pitch Black night at the W; and concerts for Fat Joe, Trinidad James, J Stash and Adrian Marcel.

      The young Filipino entrepreneur also makes time for his passion for music. He gigs every Wednesday at Mosa’s Joint with his band “All In,” where he does lead vocals and guitar. He’s also the lead singer and guitarist for the local music duo “Daryl G & Noni Spumoni.”




      On top of his busy schedule, Garcia manages his family business: the Agat DVD store RJDJ Movie Plus, which his family has owned since he was in the fifth grade.

      Juggling a bunch of projects might seem like a stressful nightmare to some, but Garcia’s motto is to take it one step at a time.

      “I always think: what do people need right away? I focus on business first, and music and personal stuff last,” he said. “I try not to think too far into the future. I focus on the task at hand and smaller tasks, so I don’t stress.”

      Part of what made Garcia want to drop out of college was that school was harder for him in some ways, compared to his classmates. As a young adult, Garcia realized he had dyslexia, which makes it more difficult for him to read.

      “My mind works differently,” he said. “I’m more of a visual learner.”




      Garcia shines in creativity and can learn easily just by watching others.

      When playing guitar, he can watch someone play the chords, then pick up a song easily without having to read sheet music.

      Most of the important skills Garcia uses in his day-to-day life are self-taught, or by watching videos online. He learned how to do graphic design and social media marketing through “university of YouTube,” he jokes.

      Getting good at graphic design, music and social media marketing took hours of researching other people’s methods and lots of practice.

      With social media work, Garcia stays up-to-date on the latest apps, and sets up clients’ social media accounts to help boost their businesses.




      Guest Authored By Chloe B. Babuta. Chloe keeps readers up to date on Guam’s latest trends, food spots, festivals and more. Follow Chloe on Twitter.





      "For people who want to start their own social media marketing companies, Garcia has some practical tips:

      --Do research: look up social media marketing, see what’s trending, and research which apps are best to use for your client and market.
      --Think about what other people want, not yourself. When you’re doing graphic design, you have to create something that catches people’s eyes, and isn’t just what you want to see.
      --Learn from the successes of others: when learning marketing in general, look to big media companies as examples. See what they do and what works for them. Emulate what they do that’s successful.."


        • Post Crafted By:
          Fred Hansen Br@nd Alchemist at GetMoreHere.com & CEO of Millennium 7 Publishing Co. in Loveland, Colorado. I work deep in the trenches of social media strategy, community management and trends.  My interests include; online business educator, social media marketing, new marketing technology, skiing, hunting, fishing and The Rolling Stones..-Not necessarily in that order ;)
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        Location: Loveland, CO 80538, USA
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