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Social Media Marketing 2009

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Another year and another great possibility! With the election of Obama to the presidency, there is Hope and all are looking for a great future.

But I am sitting here thinking of all the folks in social Media that are going to be frustrated again in their social Media marketing efforts. wondering why they are not getting the traction or friends that they thought they should. And the main reason is that they continue to make the same mistakes in Social Media as last year.

Are YOU going to do that- I sure hope not. You may not have the power of a Robert Scoble, or the personality of a Gary Vanyerchuck, or the mind of a Chris Brogan, or the networking focus of a Mari Smith or Coach Deb micek. Or even the amazing writing talent of a Scott Monty.

At least not yet.

But you CAN accelerate your Social Media Success this year by avoiding these top 10 mistakes made by people in Social media in 2009.

Ok...what are they?

1) Lack of Consistent Visibility.

You cannot make a path and create a presence in Social Media, without CONSISTENTLY being SEEN and HEARD with your message. Ask Carrie Wilkerson. Or Timothy Carter. NOT going to happen. That is why that you MSUT create a Presence on the web DAILY- and be seen and heard as part of the community. A tree does not grow part time. It must be consistent in it's efforts. It is the saem with your Social Media marketing.

2) Focusing too much on being heard.

LISTEN first- THEN talk. Social Media is about Listening to what is being said- by your prospects and customers- and social media in general. You would never enter a party or social event and immediately start yelling out what you wanted to talk about.

Neither should you in Social Media. LISTEN and then LEARN- and then Let your voice be heard- ONLY as a part of the existing conversation. Your time to start the conversation will come.

3) Taking, instead of GIVING to the Social Media Community.

Ahhhhh- lots of takers out in the Web 2,0 world. But NOT YOU. GIVE first. Give Value. Give Suggestions. Give Advice. Give ideas. Give Encouragement. Give News. Give New Possibilities. Give Words of Gratitude. But do NOT take relentlessly. You will be shunned and labeled as such.

If you REALLY want to create powerful influence- GIVE. How does that work?

GIVE = Gain Influence Very Easily. Give FIRST - and you will never come in Second.

4) Not Joining groups.

Groups are where you can have some of the greatest growth and learning. I belong to a ton of groups. Why? Because of 2 reasons: 1) I learn a lot from other people. 2) I CONNECT with the folks in the group.

Groups are a "secret weapon" that you should use on as many social sites as you can. They will not only Enlarge you- but also the possibilities that the group can bring to your life.

5) Not attending Events.

Events ROCK. And you should be attending at leat 1 event a week to do 2 things: 1) Become more Visible. 2) To learn from people that know things you do not.

Events are what i call the "Hidden University" of social Media. You can learn a LOT and grow a lot from events.

Look at the events that interest you. And pick on event that mildly interests you. And see if you can learn something even from that event. I have an event journal. and every event that i attend- i keep a log of what was said so i can review it later. You may want to do the same.

6) Not enough VALUE in what they are doing.

Value RULES in Social Media. And we train on what we call "Surprising Value." This is the type of Value that is so great and unexpected that it surprises the person that discovers it. Put More Value in your POSTS. Put more Value in your PODCASTS. Put more Value in your Conversations. Put more Value in your Articles. Put More Value in your Recommendations. Put More Value in YOU and what you bring to the Social Media table.

Value RULES. And the one with the MOST value at the end of the day- reigns.

7) Joining Too Many Social Media sites.

There are about 3,600 Social Media sites. You need maybe 5-7. You read that right. You need 5-7 PRIMARY Social Sites. Then you need maybe 25-30, or even 50 Secondary sites for Link Building and traffic purposes. The main sites that you should be a part of- is up to you. My 'Big 7″ are facebook, twitter, youtube, LinkedIn, Stumbleupon, Plaxo, and Wordpress- along with mashable. These are the CORE of my Social Media Marketing.

Do I belong to more? Heavens yes- a LOT more' but have automated those through ping.fm and other social software.

Do NOT try and be seen on a hundred sites. Facebook alone can keep you busy with over 200 million people. The same with myspace, or friendster. Master ONE site while mastering social media and then another, and then another, until you have YOUR "Big 7." And then automate the rest.

8) Focusing too much on Monetizing Social Media.

Nothing wrong with monetization on the internet. We do it a LOT- and daily. But focusing too much on that in social media- is , well...not cool. People do not mind knowing about an offer, or new info product. But how about giving some VALUE first with it- then invite them to an event- and then at the end of the conference call or webinar-give them a chance to purchase your produst.

What do I see daily? Urls and messages SELLING SELLING SELLING! Whew- wish that would not happen so blatantly. It has gotten better, but if you have a great content rich info product- here is a novel idea: GIVE part of the info away FIRST'and let the person ASK you for the product if they like it.

Hmmm....that just might be an idea worth considering.

9) Thinking that You are Nobody and Social Media Success is for other people.

Ask Chris Brogan. Ask Scott Monty. Ask Alejandro Reyes. Ask Brian Solis. Ask Dave Taylor. Ask Shama Hyder. EVRYONE has a great possibility to becoming SOMEBODY in Social Media. THAT is the beauty of the culture. Everyone who contributes Value and Connection- is more than welcome to achieve whatever they want. Chris Brogan once had 10 readers of his blog. Now he has almost 40,000 people following him on twitter alone. Brian Clark of copyblogger fame once had 10 readers. So did Scoble. So did Monty. So did Shama. And the list is endless.

There is GREATNESS inside of you-and there is NO BETTER place than Social Media to unleash it upon the world. You ARE Somebody- and always have been. YOU are a Social Media Rockstar- in training!

10) Not Branding Yourself Strong Enough.

Branding is a tool that we all use in Social Media. It is WHO YOU ARE- and what people remember about you. It could be a phrase-"Just Do It (TM)"- or a slogan- ""We've Got You Covered." Or even a questions- "Can You Hear me Now?" or just a Name-"Trump."

You need to get a slogan or phrase that you can start wrapping in your messages. You need to get an image that speaks what you want the public to see and know. And you need to decide -what is the ONE THING I want people to think of FIRST- when they think of me and my company? THAT is the start of a good brand build. Do not be just another face in the web 2.0 world. Set yourself apart and above the fray with a brand that rocks. We teach what is called "Connection Branding" and we have saying:

"Do NOT just be known or remembered- become UNFORGETTABLE." ™

THAT is what you need to do!

These are the top 10 mistakes people will make in Social Media in 2009. Yes, i Know there are others- but these are the ones that i see as the most prevalent in Social Media marketing.

blessings..doug firebaugh

Social Media Marketing 2009

Yep- that is what the core focus is in Social Media.

Ok- let's get REAL. If Social Media marketing is about conversation, then should there not be words that fit in to what the culture of social media is all about? Should not you paint a picture with your words? Should your words not elicit feelings and emotions?

Of course they should.

Words are a marketer's tool box. Here are 11 you need

1) "YOU."

There is nothing more powerful to a person reading a message or conversation that has the word YOU in it, over and over. Many people have an "I" mentality, and in social media, you are not the deal. The other person or side of the conversation is.

There are 2 forms of conversation in social media::

a) "Contribution" and b) "Distribution."

" Contribution conversations" contribute to the whole, and add Value to the conversation. "Distribution conversation" distributes the message/agenda you want- and has little inclusion of someone else. Contribution words use YOU many times. Distribution words use "I" or 'Me" many times. Use the word YOU and become a Contribution Agent in social media, not a distribution rookie.

2) "A Person's Name."

Duh. There is nothing more beautiful to a person than their name. This is a given. I am surprised how many tweets, notes, and messages i get and also read that do not say the person's name. Use their name at least once in every communication and message as it adds to the conversation.

And also, a person will retain almost 70% more of what a message says, if their name is within the first 3 words. Chris Brogan is a master at this. I have seen and studied him, and every time he tweets or sends a message- ususally the name is the first word.

Smart. VERY smart. we all should follow that lead.

3) "Connection."

This word is an indication that you want to connect and start a relationship of some kind and create an ongoing conversation. Many folks use the phrase "get together" or "meet up" or "network." Thise words are good- but CONNECT has a power within the word.

Electricity us usable when you connect to it. Same thing as a battery in a car which powers the car. And idea is only powerful when you CONNECT to it. The Power is in the Connection-when 2 things come together. It is the same in new relationships- it is all about CONNECTION.

4) "Tribes.'

This is an interesting word. Seth Godin has a cool book called "Tribes." I suggest that you read it. But as far as a word for the social media arena, it is a word that helps define that you are within the culture and understand the community aspects of what social media is about.

In tribes around the world, it is all about community and belonging to that community. It is the same in social media. Recently I described the community we are building within a project as an "empowered tribe" and some people got it- and well'others did not.

Make sure if they do not understand the concept of tribes, then you explain it.

5) "Transparent."

In social media, being REAL is critical. And part of being REAL is being open and transparent. I love it when I read statements like "full disclosure" and people are disclosing that they have an interest or are on some board of a company they are talking about. THAT is so rocking hot. It shows that they are being transparent and nothing to hide and telling the truth.

And that is what social media is about in many respects- TRUTH about you- and what you are and do. THAT is transparency. Use that word when talking about the truth. Just being "transparent" - that says a lot in one word about you.

6) "Strategy."

Social media without a strategy for it, is like building a house without a blueprint. You need to develop, plan, start, and execute a strategy for your social media success. We call it a "Social Media Path." What PATH do you plan on developing for your business, and how will that fit into your current model of business? What will be your Primary social media Platform, and what will be your secondary platforms?

PATH stands for "Purpose- Actions-Tracking-How." what is your PURPOSE for integrating social media into your business? Marketing? Prospecting? Client communication? Customer service? What ACTIONS will it take? Videos? Blogs? Podcasts? Social Networking? What TRACKING system will you use to keep the platforms at maximum pace? And HOW are you going to Execute the Actions? Through employees? Through outsourcing? Through a combination?

Strategy is a word that you just talk about. You need one. And so do others that you know as well.

7) "Branding."

This word has been around for a while. But you still need it in your focus and communication. Branding is a word that you need to utilize not only in your messages, but your focus as well.

YOU are the Brand is a popular way to discuss social media marketplace image making. But that is not totally true. The PERCEPTION of you is the brand you are building- good or not so good. So make sure that if you use this word in social media this year, you realize that PERCEPTION Rules in Branding.

Brand yourself in the marketplace. But make sure that you focus on the VIEW and FEELINGS people have of you and experience when they think of you—and what you do- and not just some catchy slogan or icon.

8 "Trust."

You need to be an Agent of Trust. Chris Brogan has a book coming out called "Trust Agents." Should be a rocking hot book. What about you? Are you an Agent of Trust? Just like a Real Estate Agent markets real estate, you market Trust in all you do. That is the real estate of the heart.

I like to get that word out there quickly-as i believe that people i do not know, that is on their mind. "Can I trust this guy?" And I usually message something like, "Our company helps build leaders and businesses through concepts and ideas that people can trust and feel good about."

THAT is using the word Trust- to build trust.

9) "Family."

Some people use "network." Some use "team." Some use the word "community." Some use the word "friends." I like the word "Family." it is personal, powerful, and paints a picture of what social media really is building- a family that can help, be there for each other, educate, equip, and empower for greater good.

One thing that I do- and again- just an idea'I welcome everyone on facebook or twitter or youtube or any other social connection with "Welcome to the family!" This says so much more than "thanks for following me" or "appreciate the connection." We ARE family- and I hope and pray it stays that way.

10) "Value."

It ia ALL about Value. It is all about the VALUE that YOU bring to the table. It is all about the VALUE of your conversations and contributions.

And it is ALL about the VALUE that you help others see within themselves. Edify. Encourage. Empower. And become a "Carrier of Value" to everyone you meet in social media and GIVE some Value to them.

11) "GIVE."

This is the MOST important word. GIVE. Why? In social media, it is not the same ol business methodology. It is Biblical- if you will. "Give first- and what you give- you reap." Giving is the culture of social Media. Why do you think that people give so much rocking hot info on their blogs?

Giving is a Power. It is something that not only is part of the evolving culture of social media, but also the CATALYST of much of what social media has already become. if you are a marketer, New Marketing can be almost threatening to you as it flys in the face of traditional marketing- or does it?

No- not really. It is simply marketing that puts PEOPLE FIRST- not profits. It put RELATIONSHIPS FIRST- not results. And it puts GIVING FIRST- not grabbing for their checkbook.

These are the 11 Critical words that I believe should be included in 2009 in your :

1) Social Media Philosophy.

2) Social Media Conversations.

3) Social Media Marketing Actions.

4) Social Media Core.

If you do, your Success should be rapid in social media marketing.

blessings...doug firebaugh

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Douglas Firebaugh has sinced written about articles on various topics from Leadership, Social Media Marketing and Multi Level Marketing. Doug Firebaugh is one of theTop Social Media strategists, MLM, Network Marketing Home Business Trainers, Speakers and Authors in the world. Over a Million people. Douglas Firebaugh's top article generates over 2900 views. Bookmark Douglas Firebaugh to your Favourites.

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