Social Media: The Essentials

Social media

As we get closer to the new year, it might be a wise idea to take a redefine some of your social media goals for 2013. Use some time after the holidays and ask what do you want your business to achieve this coming year with the use of social media.

Similar to a business plan, your social media strategy must be continually updated. I often here people say, you need luck to develop a strong social brand presence, but I believe there is an actual science to it. You have to monitor your results and be willing to make changes. Here are some things you might want to consider:

  1. Do you have a brand personality? Is it working?
  2. Does your brand appeal to your target audience?
  3. What are you using social media for?
  4. Are you pushing you product? (A big NO!) or Are you sharing exclusive content?
  5. What social media channels are you on? 
  6. Should you focus your time only on one channel?
  7. What is the level of engagement with your consumer base?
  8. Do you use any social media management and monitoring software?
  9. If answer to 8 was no, please consider investing time looking into HootSuite, Radian6, etc. You can even run analytics to assess your social progress.
  10. What keywords have driven users to your site?
  11. Are you tracking social mentions?
  12. Have you done any A/B Testing?
  13. Inform audience on topics related to the industry.
  14. Engage with audience.
  15. Are you addressing any negative comments or simply deleting/ignoring?
  16. Have you figured the best times to share content?
  17. Do you have any form of tracking that monitors the # of people directed to company page from social media?

Apple: Social Media King

Every so often, I look into brands I am in interested in and try to find their Facebook or Twitter page. I like to do this because certain brands offer exclusive content solely available these social media outlets. Some brands also upload photos of their company culture and I personally think it’s awesome to see how a brand’s culture has shaped the way the brand is conceived to the public. 

You look around and we are living in a world that is Apple everything. I mean I look around and see middle schoolers with iPhone’s and Macbooks. Some of the younger members in my family are even requesting an iPad (for gaming purposes) over a Wii. 

Anyways, I was trying to look for their social media accounts to possibly see some exclusive content and see exactly how they engage with their audience. Result: NOTHING. Besides an official AppStore Twitter Account, Apple does not do social media. 

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“Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” - Confucius We always hear do what you love, but how many of us actually act on it? As I have mentioned before, being an entrepreneur doesn’t necessarily mean you must start your company. I believe to be a successful entrepreneur, you yourself with the right people. And the right people includes your employers. Don’t take a job just because of its pay or it’s your only offer. Remember money will always follow. Just think of all the companies formed by ex-googlers. Choose a company that gives you real work, challenges you, shares your passion.
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“Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” - Confucius

We always hear do what you love, but how many of us actually act on it?

As I have mentioned before, being an entrepreneur doesn’t necessarily mean you must start your company. I believe to be a successful entrepreneur, you yourself with the right people. And the right people includes your employers. Don’t take a job just because of its pay or it’s your only offer. Remember money will always follow. Just think of all the companies formed by ex-googlers. Choose a company that gives you real work, challenges you, shares your passion.


Facebook: The Information Monster

Facebook knows everything about you. Your political beliefs, your partner, your friends, where you work, and thanks to timeline can even know when you broke your arm.

Personally, that’s why I am a bit hesitant to share an excess amount of information on the social network. It’s intentions are solely to use this data against you and sell it to advertisers. 

Since Facebook has gone public, there has been a lot of pressure from investors for Facebook to make better use of their data, especially since the stock hasn’t lived up to expectations. This is why we are now seeing ads on our mobile devices as well as on our news feed. 

Before going public, I felt that Facebook cared somewhat about the user experience and kept the ads neatly placed on the side bar. Forgetting their original values, they are now targeting users by mentioning brands their friends have liked as well as sponsored ads from companies and various Apps.

I noticed a new feature that has slowly been rolling out. Looks like Facebook Gifts are back, a service that was shut down back in 2010. The option to buy a gift is shown on Friend’s Birthdays and Anniversaries; however, it’s not available for everyone just yet. I am only given the option to buy a gift for a few of my friends. Below is a screenshot on the gift store I was shown for one of my Facebook Friends

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Tuesday Morning Motivational Video Wake Up

I am a huge fan of Will Smith. Not because he is the most talented artist or actor (something he even admits to), but I admire his persistence. He’s aware that there are people who are more talented than him, but he’s achieved his success by always pushing forward.

Love that he took the moment to actually feed something of use to the viewers rather than thanking his fans and entourage. 

When times get hard, you must train yourself not to quit and realize there lies a solution somewhere. That’s the power of running and reading. 


Don’t be pressured to live out someone else’s reality. Create your own path, follow your passions.  “Ask yourself what makes you come alive and then go do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”
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Don’t be pressured to live out someone else’s reality. Create your own path, follow your passions. 

“Ask yourself what makes you come alive and then go do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”


Tuesday Morning Motivational Video Wake Up


 No, this isn’t a post about football.

I’ll tell you this
in any fight
it is the guy who is willing to die
who is going to win that inch. 
And I know
if I am going to have any life any more
it is because, I am still willing to fight, and die for that inch
because that is what LIVING is.

Tuesday Morning Motivational Video Wake Up


Selected Quotes:

  1. Greatness truly exists in all of us
  2. While the other guy is sleeping, I’m working
  3. Dedicate yourself to being better everyday
  4. Don’t you ever tell me there is something you can’t do
  5. I want to do good, I want the world to be better because I was here
  6. The first step before anyone else believes it, is you have to believe it
  7. Be unrealistic
  8. You can’t be scared to die for the truth. The truth is the only thing that is going to be constant

The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Exercise: Pull-ups & Chin-ups

Exercise is probably the last thing on your mind. You are an entrepreneur, you are building a business, trying to raise capital and find talent. There simply is not enough time in the day to workout. While I do agree working out does take time and commitment, there are plenty of “hacks” that can be implemented throughout our daily lives to achieve physical fitness.  See my post on being more active within the workplace. 

Although it is the last thing on our minds, we all know that exercise is important. Believe me some of the rewards include:

  • more motivation
  • less stressed
  • more energy with the same amount of sleep
  • better posture

Now I am not here to write to you all to turn you into a bodybuilder, but rather push you towards a better you - in the workplace, at home, and with your body. Each week I want to feature a “hack” that can be done throughout the day. Here is this weeks:

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Tuesday Morning Motivational Video Wake Up


When you want to succeed as bad as you want to breathe then you will be successful - Eric Thomas

Eric Thomas’ 3 Secrets to Success

  1. If you want to be successful, you have to be willing to give up sleep
  2. To be able to sacrifice for what you are for what you will become 
  3. Pain is temporary. It may last for a minute … even a year, but eventually it will subside. And something else will take its place. If I quit; however, it will last forever.



Hurricane Sandy

Not sure if you all know this, but I live right outside of the city. And as most of you have heard or even worse experienced, the North East was hit by Hurricane Sandy. I was fortunate enough to only loose power. I have had friends that had their homes completely destroyed and even worse one friend who lost his home - as in, there no longer is any remains of his home.  

Right before the storm, there was a lot of speculation on whether the storm would live up to its severity. Twitter blew up with photos like this:

                  

Everyone thought it would just be another over-hyped storm and life would continue on. As we now know that was not the case. The storm, that grew life thanks to social media, destroyed the lives of those in the northeast. 

     

     

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