Category Archives: Social Media

With a little help from your friends

  By Nathalie Trepanier | November 15, 2014 - 3:16 pm | , , , ,
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internet marketing

Friends usually want to help, but sometimes, they need to know what form that should take. On social media, it obviously revolves around shares.

While that might appear obvious, it’s actually not always the case. Sometimes, you need to ask.

Take my friend, who, after years of dreaming of opening her own store, finally took the plunge and recently opened blanc&turquoise in my community of Orleans. It has not been a week and it is already getting rave reviews. The key, in this instance, was to create a sense of anticipation before it even opened. Steve Jobs was particularly brilliant with this strategy. While there are many aspects to this strategy, for new and small entrepreneurs, start with your friends.

Spell it out

Posting something on Facebook or LinkedIn is great but it becomes really effective when it is shared.  Real friends will want to help but it’s not always obvious how. So, tell them. When you do post something, reach out to your friends via phone, email or whatever other means you have in case they are not regularly on LinkedIn, Facebook or whatever other forum you use, to let them know the post is there and ask them to share. In many instances, friends will be happy to like but won’t think to share. Make that clear.
In Celine’s case, I not only liked and shared a post which depicted her beautiful boutique and the amazing products it offers, I explicitly asked others to share and like it as well. I am proud of my friend and keen to encourage her however possible.

Obviously, you have to be selective and strategic. If you try this too often and on posts that are not entirely useful, you will become a nuisance and people might start to “unfriend” you.  You are an entrepreneur and hopefully, you have devoted family and friends who want to support you. Don’t be shy to tell them how.

How to fit social media into everything else

  By Nathalie Trepanier | May 21, 2013 - 10:47 am | , ,
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Clock

Many people are intimidated by social media because they fear it will consume too much of their time and resources. While it’s true that an instant response is desirable, it is not always practical – particularly if you are a very small business or a business of one. To address this issue, you can indicate up front when or how often you are able to respond. This will ensure that expectations are met. This strategy works particularly well for individuals who are very regimented. They can set their own expectations and work their schedules around social media. If you don’t set those expectations up front, practice will invariably do it for you. Those who follow you regularly will come to know when to expect a new blog, tweet or response. They will also adjust their responses accordingly.

If you want to be strategic about your timing, Business Insider has conveniently identified the best times of day to post on each social network.

Ultimately though, individuals or businesses will invest the time and effort if they feel there is a real return on that investment. We know that social media is not going away and the longer you wait to get on board, the more effort you will have to make to capture, keep and grow your audience.

For those who have come to embrace social media, the effort is no longer how to get on, it’s how to get off.

Take a breath and slowly move your fingers away from the keyboard

  By Nathalie Trepanier | April 17, 2013 - 12:24 am | , , , ,
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I have to confess, I am often the first to get drawn into a futile battle. While that can be frustrating in verbal exchanges, it can be really counterproductive if not downright stupid online. Nothing is private anymore. Everything can be shared on Facebook, Twitter…just pick your weapon. I recently read an email exchange between a merchant and a customer that was subsequently pasted onto Facebook with the merchant lambasting the customer and calling her stupid because she failed to read the full add and request information that was obvious in the ad. Who’s feeling stupid now?

Politeness, good manners and simple courtesy are always important but perhaps no more so than now, when everyone can potentially be a witness. That is both the danger and the beauty of social media. While social media does encourage quick responses, never, EVER give in when feelings, or rather, bad feelings are involved. Step back. Think it through and be strategic. Perhaps you ask a colleague who is more objective (read calm) to respond. Maybe you leave it for a day or don’t respond at all. There is a whole discussion that could be devoted to how to respond to negativity and I will leave that for another time. The point here is not to let your feelings overrule your good judgment. You might regret it but social media will never let you forget it.

Helpful links:
Anger management

You can’t escape the media

  By Nathalie Trepanier | April 16, 2013 - 12:09 am | , , , , ,
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internet marketing

 

Large companies and organizations often rely on corporate spokespeople to address the media on various topics. In many instances, they are often the only people authorized to speak to the media on behalf of the company. The prevailing logic suggests greater control over the message. Media relations experts undergo extensive media training and develop messages that are often vetted through formal approvals. It makes sense and often works well but it today’s global networking context, it is a limited approach.

 

Thanks to Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and so many other forums, everybody now possesses the ability to broadcast an encounter, a conversation or an event to a very wide audience. The starkest example is the 2012 leaked video of Mitt Romney addressing guests at a private fundraiser. The video exposed some very controversial remarks that would continue to be used against the candidate throughout his campaign.

 

Regain control

 

This new dynamic can be both an opportunity and a danger. Social media has empowered us all to be truth seekers and reporters. It is a tool that should be used responsibly and respectfully. For companies, it also has very serious implications. Perhaps most notably, it implies a certain loss of control. There is one way to regain that control, however. Companies and organizations should ensure that all staff have access to the right message and information. There are all kinds of tools to help share consistent, up-to-date and factual information with staff. Internal websites are very conducive to this approach and should be used to that end. You can no longer always pick your spokespeople and you will not always know when you are on the record. One could debate what effect it will have on genuineness and that should perhaps be left for another discussion. For businesses, the point is to be aware and to be prepared. Whoever is speaking, be certain that he or she is well versed.

 

Search for the power within – using web 2.0 to empower staff

  By Nathalie Trepanier | April 10, 2013 - 10:01 pm | , ,
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Search for the Power Within
Social media or web 2.0 is often regarded as a powerful tool to communicate to customers (existing and future), stakeholders and pretty much anyone else outside the organization. But that ignores a critical group and your most important asset.
New workplace dynamic
The workplace environment is shifting to forgo the traditional hierarchical structure of old in place of a flatter and freer environment. In this structure, it is the contribution that really matters, less so the title. All voices are heard and everyone has an opportunity to influence the outcome. This is the sort of environment that huge corporations such as Facebook and Virgin are adopting with impressive results.
Web 2.0 is the perfect tool to support and encourage that notion. Employees are no longer content to work endless hours and see the bottom line increase. They need to know that their individual contributions matter and that they have a voice. They need to feel valuable. Web 2.0 is so conducive to that end. Successful adoption of these tools means that the information is not just flowing down to employees, supporting and constructive ideas are moving back up. That, my friend, is how you evolve.
How better to understand the impact of plans and ideas before they hit the market or the industry than from the people who are regularly selling the product or delivering the program on the ground. You have just saved valuable time and resources by not having to tweak the product and respond to complaints down the road. It’s not foolproof, but it is definitely strategic. And the best part: most of the tools are relatively inexpensive. Internal wikis, blog posts and open comment options are great examples of effective tools that speak to this new dynamic.
Unfounded concerns
And yet, so many companies are not making full use of them. The usual concern is actually feedback, or negative feedback. In my experience, it’s usually unfounded. Employee names typically accompany the comment. Just as someone wouldn’t yell out absurdities or profanities in a crowded room, they are not prone to do so on these vehicles either. Companies should also provide rules of engagement as well. They should respect fellow employees, use appropriate language and be in the interest of the common good. And, in the end, so what if someone says something bad. They are saying it anyway. You just have a chance to address it and maybe even become better for it.
Just knowing that employees’ ideas are being considered is huge. And you very likely end up with a far more considered and strategic approach. Isn’t that worth the risk? Yes, it implies a certain culture shift. It’s called adapting. As Darwin put it: “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change.” That time has come.
Helpful links:
Employee Engagement:

Will the real @nattrep please come forward

  By Nathalie Trepanier | April 8, 2013 - 1:42 pm | , ,
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I recently ran into myself on Twitter. I came across Nathalie Trépanier – from L.A., apparently – with the same profile and virtually same handle. Fortunately, there was no picture of me accompanying the profile.

My initial surprise was followed by outrage. Oh, the injustice of it. This must be resolved immediately, I vowed. But then, I started to think about it. This sort of stuff happens to celebrities all the time. There are countless political, film and music star posers all over the social networking sphere. Obviously, this is not exactly a novel occurrence. Except (while my husband might argue the point;) I am not a star – not even close.

Was my relative anonymity the draw? The other Nathalie Trépanier was too lazy or time strapped to come up with her own profile and handle? Should I be flattered that my profile was just too good to beat? Whatever the rationale, it was not a welcome development. It made me consider a friend, who is actually famous, with a similar experience but in that case, the impersonator stole his whole identity on Facebook and started to post fictitious activities and scenarios with his family. It left him with a strong aversion to social media.

According to Twitter, impersonations are not allowed, unless intended as parody. Their definition: To pretend to be someone on the internet that you are not. Impersonation that is intended to deceive is prohibited under the Twitter Rules, it notes. https://support.twitter.com/articles/18366-impersonation-policy#

One way to counter concerns over impersonations, of course, is to be present. Twitter does offer options to authenticate a user, assuming he or she is famous. This way, followers will know if famous person X is in fact expressing an opinion or, if X is not. Not so much if you are not among the rich and famous.

The bigger question for me, though, is why do it. The only answer that I could come up with is a desire to express opinions with impunity. That lacks guts, as far as I’m concerned. It also goes against the principles of the Internet. If you have an opinion, own up to it. The Internet has been adopted so overwhelmingly in large part because it offers such incredible potential to share. We become better people when we learn from each other. To hide behind a false identity is doing yourself and the world a disservice. You have years of experience and lessons-learned to impart. Have the courage to stand behind them. If you are too ashamed to back them, they are obviously not worth sharing.

As a final note, I just changed my handle.

The world is your stage – just don’t miss your cue

  By Nathalie Trepanier | April 4, 2013 - 1:01 pm | , ,
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Empty_Stage_with_Microphone

Being able to tell your story well is obviously critical but it becomes pointless if you don’t have an audience.

I like to compare communications to a big stage where timing is everything. I have watched countless individuals or companies work so hard and spend so much time on “perfecting” the message that by the time it’s delivered, not only has the spotlight moved away from them, the entire audience has left. What’s worse, they have left with someone else’s message. I was once told about an individual who sat on a message for several hours, missing an important deadline, because he was not happy with the formatting. By the time the formatting was up to his standards, they had missed an important opportunity. Ironically, the formatting on the page he was reviewing would change when uploaded onto the specific forum.

First off, let’s be clear that there is no such thing as a “perfect” message. Communications is a very subjective exercise. Everyone has a different or better way of saying the same thing. Just say it. Obviously, say it well, succinctly and convincingly ─ all within a very short window.

This is your moment

Let’s get back to the stage idea for a moment. The spotlight is shining brightly on you. The audience is sitting in rapt attention as you prepare to tell your story and you say…nothing. It seems you are trying to figure out if you should say house or home. Meanwhile, the spotlight has moved onto your competitor, who is telling the story for you. The audience is thrilled. They have something to consider, something to talk about.

And now you, Mr. or Mrs. Wordsmith, have a lot of work to do. You will have to spend the next several months possibly correcting any fallacies or misinterpretations and telling your story as you see it. Except, your audience is scattered all over the place and it’s no longer interested. That’s a lot of work and time to devote to a lost opportunity.

So please, do choose your words carefully and make sure you present them well but, by all means, say them. Your audience is waiting.

SEX! – GOTCHA. NOW, HOW DO I KEEP YOU?

  By Nathalie Trepanier | April 3, 2013 - 6:05 pm | , ,
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cropped attention

Grabbing and keeping attention amidst the chaos that is social media.

In the increasingly fast-paced and populated social media realm, getting attention is hard enough, keeping it is this decades elusive prize. There are so many different facets competing for our ever-fleeting attention that we are growing increasingly weary of new efforts, and so much more demanding of whatever holds it. It is a lot of pressure, and few are now measuring up.

It wasn’t so long ago that diving into social media was enough.  No longer. If you haven’t yet tested the waters, you now face a very strong current.

To grab someone’s attention, you have to speak directly to them. If you are not a recognizable face or entity, you have some fast talking to do. To first get someone’s attention, you will have to stand above the crowd. Yelling won’t do it. Everybody else is – incessantly. And they are all wearing bright, pretty colours.

Choose your words carefully

Clearly, messages abound. To stand out, they have to matter. They have to be smarter, wittier or more captivating than the rest. They have to offer information that’s novel or funny or compelling but ultimately, valuable. It has to be worth repeating.  Online currency is measured in “forwards.”

Real estate company sells home in downtown Toronto…Whatever. Real estate company sells home in downtown Toronto for more than $420,000 above asking price…What!?

Small company one partners with small company two… Don’t care. Technical expertise of one company combined with the software of the other  leads to huge advance in specific field …Tell me more.

Government announces $9 million project…So what? New government project will improve traffic flow in my busy neighborhood…How?

Now you have my attention. To keep it, you will have to prove that you are worthy of something that is even more precious – my time. What’s in it for me? If you can answer that question – clearly, succinctly and eloquently – I’ve got a little time for you. I stress little. With so much competition, you are going to have to make it quick. Unless you hold Shakespeare’s pen or are privy to the most riveting news of the last few months, you better say what you have to say in few words. Take this article for example. I suspect that you are pretty quickly ready to move on to another.  Get to the point quickly and above all else, tell me what’s in it for me.  Don’t make it about you or your company, no matter how great you think one or the other are. It has to be about the reader. How can you make his or her life easier, more lucrative or just all round better. Tell me that, and you are a keeper… I may even share you.