Want to know how to be successful?
Look to those that have come before you. Study their assets, their journey, and their tactics. Watch them as they work and you will learn more than you ever expected. These observations plus your strategic planning and hard work, you too can be a Branding Rockstar.
I call this “Follow the Rockstar.” It’s a concept I’ve shared again and again over the years. Continue reading
A few years ago I created a tool for my own use that I’d like to share with you. I found that when I sat down to write content for my various social media channels that I’d forget to talk about certain topics. I gravitated towards the obvious, the easy, and rarely addressed some important issues that simply weren’t my favorite. I needed a way to make sure that I covered all of my content, but how? I created a Social Media Theme Schedule and it solved a lot of problems. (I’ve included a download at the end of the blog for your use.)
I love spreadsheets! They are an amazing way to track lots of information so I opened a blank sheet and asked myself the following questions:
Hey Kerry,
We’ve gotten some momentum on our Facebook page recently and are wondering about how you usually “follow up” with those who interact with your posts. Do you just let them come to you or do you reach out to them? Thanks!
Dear Friend,
When you follow up on social media with those that interact with your posts can be viewed as a bit creepy unless they specifically ask to be communicated with. When someone likes a post, no response is expected. When someone comments, you can reply and attempt to strike up a conversation within the comment stream. This is an opportunity to ask questions about their needs or offer further assistance. I wouldn’t do a hard pursue as it will turn people off. Continue reading
I’m here to warn you about a very real and damaging action you aren’t taking and it’s inflicting a tremendous amount of damage to your brand. It’s channel abandonment. That Tumblr account you opened one weekend and put a ton of effort into and have barely posted on since. That Pinterest account you never even finished opening (no profile picture or description). The Twitter profile on which your last tweet said “I haven’t tweeted much lately but I’m back to it!” dated 3 years ago. Those channels are speaking volumes about who you are as a person or business. This is channel abandonment and feels like a desert wasteland. Your potential customers see this and leave, your current customers think you aren’t on the ball, and the vendors that want to work with you doubt your commitment.
I get lots of questions at cocktail parties and events. “Kerry, should I be on Twitter?” Continue reading
Over a year ago, I was walking out of a board meeting for a non-profit organization and talking with a fellow board member. It so happens he’s the father of a woman I went to college with so we’ve known each other a long time. He asked what I’d been up to and where I was headed. I told him I was going to Sonoma State University for my Professional Social Media Certification class.
He asked, “Oh? What class are you taking?”
I said, “No, I’m teaching the class.”
Maybe he still thinks of me as a college kid though almost 20 years has passed since then but the look on his face was priceless. I felt like I’d “made it.” Continue reading
I’m pleased to be an instructor for Sonoma State University School of Extended and International Education’s Professional Social Media Certification Course. I know it’s a mouthful but this material is in demand and VERY hard to come by. My fellow instructors and I are beyond extended to present to those that register. Watch this space as I keep you informed on the course.
See Course Modules
See Learning Objectives
See Instructor Bios
Do you know your company’s vision? Can you recite the mission statement? Rarely is this true when I talk to my clients’ teams past the owner or CEO…with one notable exception. I was in the conference room of a client, Mengali Accountancy in Healdsburg, CA recently, and they had theirs mounted on the wall. Not just on a piece of paper but etched into glass as a piece of art, hung for all to see. Now this is a company that makes their values known.
I recently read a quote (paraphrased) that smart leaders pay attention to the successes of the leaders before them. Even smarter leaders pay attention to their successes AS WELL as their failures.
You didn’t invent the wheel. Many have come before you Continue reading