Phyllis Zimbler Miller's Blog: Phyllis Zimbler Miller Author, page 58

Social Media Marketing: Something Is NOT Always Better Than Nothing

An effective social media presence is becoming an essential for professionals whether they target a local, national or international market.

More and more people are checking online to find information about professionals met at networking events or to whom these people are recommended.

If you're a professional, it's important to have, at the very minimum, an effective LinkedIn profile. But does this mean that you must fill in all the information fields on that profile?

Obviously the more relevant information you can provide the better. But this relevant information must add to your professional reputation and not subtract from that reputation.

Thus, while it's a good idea for professionals to have their own websites or blogs, I would NOT recommend you include on your LinkedIn profile a link to your website if that website does not reflect positively on your reputation.

A professional emailed me the following in regards to the professional's website:

Although it's not as fancy as I would like, I thought it would be better to get started with something. Eventually, I would like to spruce it up.

First, effective does NOT mean fancy. And, second, "eventually" can be a long time coming.

As I explained in the guest blog post titled "Are You Presenting a Professional Image on Social Media?" – if you are linking to a website that does not help your reputation, take the link off your LinkedIn profile.



In this case half a loaf, as the expression goes, is not better than none.



If you don't want to get an effective website at this time, then put more effort into establishing effective social media presences on sites such as Facebook (a Facebook Page for business and not a personal Facebook profile).

You can link to your Facebook Page from your LinkedIn profile, or even link to a professional site on which you appear. For example, I could link to my Beverly Hills Leads Club blurb: www.beverlyhillsleadsclub.com/bevhillsleads/directory/directory.html#miller

Before you put anything online, including a comment on someone else's blog post, consider how what you are about to do will reflect on your reputation. And remember that something is NOT always better than nothing.

© 2011 Miller Mosaic, LLC

Phyllis Zimbler Miller (@ZimblerMiller on Twitter) is the co-founder of Miller Mosaic Social Media Marketing. Download now the company's free report "5 Tips for Staying Top of Mind With Your Prospective Target Markets" at www.millermosaicllc.com/los-angeles-social-media-consultant

A Smorgasbord of Social Media Guest Posts

I've written more than my usual number of guests posts about social media, and I'd like to share these posts here:

"Starting Off the New Year With Social Media Marketing: 7 Tips"



"Are You Harnessing the Power of LinkedIn?"



"Twitter Is Not About What You Ate for Dinner"

"Get Clarity on What Your Business Is Offering to Whom"



"Simple 11 Twitter Tips for 2011"

"Are You Ready to Start Blogging?"

And for book authors:



"How Authors Can Use Facebook Pages for Their Book Marketing"

"Do Book Authors Need to Write Newsletters?"

P.S. Important update if you have a WordPress website:

When WordPress 3.0.4 was released recently, it came with a very specific warning of the importance of this update for site security. Your WordPress site should always be updated each time a new version comes out, but the 3.0.4 update is particularly important.

For those of you who have a WordPress website, read the official news release now and then make sure your site is updated.

© 2011 Miller Mosaic, LLC

Phyllis Zimbler Miller (@ZimblerMiller on Twitter) is the co-founder of Miller Mosaic Social Media Marketing. Get the company's free report "5 Tips for Staying Top of Mind With Your Prospective Target Markets" at www.millermosaicllc.com/los-angeles-social-media-consultant

How to Explain to Business People What Social Media Can Do for Them?

Miller Mosaic Social Media Marketing specializes in working with individuals and companies who know very little about using social media to get in front of their target markets.

But our ideal clients are those who "get" the importance of this new kind of marketing even if they do not yet know themselves how to harness the power for their own businesses.

Here is my dilemma:



How to explain the power of social media to well-educated, well-established business owners who know very, very little about social media and yet challenge every word I say? I had yet another one of these conversations today.

The company in question has an elementary Twitter account, Facebook account and LinkedIn accounts. I talked about Twitter for several minutes.

Then the company chief executive said: "How do you know how many followers my company has on Twitter?"



I said: "The number zero followers is shown right on your company Twitter profile."

And he said: "I've never seen our Twitter profile."



It's a good thing this conversation was right before lunch instead of right after lunch or I might have lost my lunch.

He's never seen his company's Twitter profile? The way his company is being portrayed online even if he is not involved? And when I asked him who had set up his minimal LinkedIn profile, his reply was that he didn't know.

Okay, deep breath. I will admit that not everyone needs to be actively using social media. But as a company chief executive wouldn't it be a good idea to know what people are seeing online about your company?

In other words, if you have social media profiles set up and even if you yourself don't understand the power of social media, it's a good idea to check on what is being presented in your company's name.

And just because you believe that most of your clients and customers are not using social media doesn't mean that you don't have to participate. You should be participating both to connect with potential new clients and customers as well as to model online marketing techniques for your clients and customers.

This brings me back to my original question:

How to explain the power of social media to business people who must be living on an alien planet since financial, professional and other online and offline publications are filled with articles about Twitter, Facebook and other social media sites?

I'd love to hear any suggestions for the best brief way of explaining the power of social media and why business owners should care. Write your suggestions in the comments section below this post.

© 2011 Miller Mosaic, LLC

Phyllis Zimbler Miller (@ZimblerMiller on Twitter) is the co-founder of Miller Mosaic Social Media Marketing. Get the company's free report "5 Tips for Staying Top of Mind With Your Prospective Target Markets" at www.millermosaicllc.com/los-angeles-s...

Networking: Impact of Social Media on Business Cards

The networking need for business cards has not disappeared because of online marketing. Unless you never leave your computer to venture into the real world, you do need something to hand out to people who want to know what you do and how to contact you.

But as on probably everything else in marketing, social media has had an impact on business cards.

There was a time not long ago when few people would consider putting their photos on business cards. Yet now that we are so accustomed to seeing people's photos on their social media profiles, a photo on a business card doesn't seem that unusual.

And as people have pointed out at networking functions I've attended in the offline world:

When you meet several people at one event, it is helpful to have a photo on each business card to remind you which person went with which card.

Thus I admit I was rather annoyed when I was cced on an email that informed the email recipient that someone in the same professional field stated "he had never seen a photo on a business card" for someone in that particular field.

In my opinion "never seen" are not acceptable words in a global online world where major changes are happening every day and where Facebook has over 500 million members worldwide, the equivalent of making Facebook the third largest country in the world.

While things should be considered against a standard of "good taste," we should all be open to new ideas that can assist us in letting our target markets know how we can help them.

© 2011 Miller Mosaic, LLC

Phyllis Zimbler Miller (@ZimblerMiller on Twitter) and her social media marketing company partner Yael K. Miller (@MillerMosaicLLC on Twitter) work with clients to effectively use social media to get in front of their target markets. See the Miller Mosaic Quick Start Social Media Track at www.millermosaicllc.com/social-media-track

For more social media marketing information, sign up now to get blog post email notifications at www.millermosaicllc.com/get-miller-mo...

Social Media Marketing: Creating Something From Nothing

One of the things I find so amazing about using social media effectively to promote your brand, book, cause or business is the ability to create something from nothing.

Now let me explain, because I don't really mean "nothing."

What I mean is taking a product or service or cause that is blurry around the edges – not really clear what is on offer and for whom – and creating both an effective social media presence and relevant social media engagement that together clearly define the what and the for whom.

For example, let's say you are a photographer. Announcing you are a photographer and showing your portfolio online does not make you stand out from the other photographers.

But, for example, imagine your specialty is photography of young children. Now you share information on Twitter and Facebook on such topics as what elements are needed for a good photo of a child. In this way you can differentiate yourself from other photographers.

Or let's say you're a licensed acupuncturist who has studied acupuncture intensively for four years, yet you find yourself competing against other people who have taken a couple of weekend acupuncture courses.

By sharing your extensive acupuncture knowledge on social media sites you can carve out a reputation as someone who really knows how to use acupuncture to treat specific conditions.

Bottom line? By developing a strategic social media marketing plan to support your Unique Selling Proposition (your USP), you can get in front of your prospective target markets while at the same time differentiating yourself from other people who offer similar products or services.

And for help in getting in front of your target markets, download now the Miller Mosaic FREE report "5 Tips for Staying Top of Mind With Your Prospective Target Markets"

© 2011 Miller Mosaic, LLC

Phyllis Zimbler Miller (@ZimblerMiller on Twitter) and her social media marketing company partner Yael K. Miller (@MillerMosaicLLC on Twitter) work with clients to effectively use social media to get in front of their target markets.

For more social media marketing information, sign up now to get blog post email notifications at www.millermosaicllc.com/get-miller-mo...

New Year's Resolution: Harness Social Media Power in 2011

With 2010 coming to a close, it's time to look forward to social media marketing in the new year.

As veteran tech guru Walter Mossberg said in his December 30th Wall Street Journal article "What's in Store for Technology in 2011":

Facebook and Twitter: The twin leaders in social networking were red-hot in 2010, attracting vast numbers of users.

But there are users and there are users.

Every day there are major changes in social media – and it's almost impossible to keep up with everything. But it's a mistake not to try to continually learn more about how to effectively harness the power of social media to attract your target markets.

I just looked at the new Twitter account and Facebook Page for a well-established communications company. And it was immediately apparent that this company had not first learned, before starting on social media, how to effectively participate on Twitter and Facebook.

Traditional marketing does NOT automatically translate into effective social media marketing. In fact, this is part of what makes social media marketing so invigorating – the opportunity to try new things that couldn't be tried before the advent of Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, etc.

I should probably get a frequent buyer card from Staples for all the computer paper I buy. Why do I use so much paper? Because each day I print out several blog posts and online articles about technology, social media, and WordPress website topics.

There are so many fascinating opportunities. And while we can't do all of them, we can pick and choose from a smorgasbord of new options.

As 2011 is rung in, I encourage all of us to be willing to keep learning new things. The beneficiaries of this new knowledge will be ourselves as well as our clients and customers.

© 2010 Miller Mosaic, LLC

Phyllis Zimbler Miller (@ZimblerMiller on Twitter) and her social media marketing company partner Yael K. Miller (@MillerMosaicLLC on Twitter) work with clients to effectively use social media to get in front of their target markets.

For more social media marketing information, sign up now to get blog post email notifications at www.millermosaicllc.com/get-miller-mo...

Publications: Another New Section on LinkedIn

If you check out your own profile on LinkedIn, you'll see: New: Add sections to reflect achievements and experiences on your profile.



One of these sections is "Publications."

At first I considered using this area for my books that are available on Amazon, although these books are currently featured on my LinkedIn profile using the Amazon application.

Then I realized that the Amazon application is better for my books, which are not connected to social media marketing and whose book covers are prominently displayed in this application.

Instead I used the "Publications" section for my three social media ebooks. Then I moved "Publications" higher on my profile that where it originally appeared.

Now the "Publications" section is immediately below the "Summary" section on my LinkedIn profile (see www.linkedin.com/in/phylliszimblermiller and then scroll to bottom of profile and click on "view full profile.").

Yet I have to admit that at LinkedIn, as well as many other social media sites, it sometimes takes a new pair of eyes to recognize new opportunities on the site.

I was working with client Kathy Rosenblatt on setting up an effective LinkedIn profile for her new personal chef business in Los Angeles (see www.linkedin.com/in/kathyrosenblatt) when she pointed out the "Publications" opportunity to me.

And this is one of the things I love best about social media – the ability to share information no matter how experienced the people involved may be.



Bonus: For those of you who want to read a heartwarming story about social media, read Dan Simon's CNN story "Military families call Facebook a blessing."

With 2011 days away – I hope that, whether you're part of a military family or not, you are taking advantage of the blessings of global social media.

P.S. And if you need help with an effective LinkedIn profile and effective LinkedIn relationship strategies, see our Miller Mosaic LinkedIn Professional Setup."

© 2010 Miller Mosaic, LLC

Phyllis Zimbler Miller (@ZimblerMiller on Twitter) and her social media marketing company partner Yael K. Miller (@MillerMosaicLLC on Twitter) work with clients to effectively use social media to attract their target markets.

Sign up now to get email notifications of new social media marketing posts at www.millermosaicllc.com/get-miller-mo...

Social Media Year-End Review

What better time than now to review our own social media marketing activities: Where have we come from and where are we going with our online relationship efforts?

What I find interesting is the lack of continuing education requirements for social media participation. Look at all the professional fields that require continuing education credits, from attorney and accounts to doctors and all kinds of others professionals.

Yet, in setting up our social media profiles, we often think once we've done the setup we're finished forever. All we have to do now is participate and what's left to learn?

Trust me, in the world of effectively using social media marketing, what's left to learn is so immense that it's almost impossible to keep up with.



Why then is it important to try to stay current with the most relevant elements of the top social media sites?



First, because there are always major changes – changes that frequently mean more opportunities for us. (One example is that Facebook promotions no longer require approval or $10,000.)

Second, because things that we did early in our social media participation may not now be the best practices. (One example of this is that many LinkedIn members do not realize that, by going into the "edit profile" mode, they can get a customized LinkedIn URL.)

If you're not sure whether the elements of your social media profiles are the best they can be, check out the profiles of people on these sites who you know to be very knowledgeable. See what elements these people have that you don't have – or which elements you have that are not on their profiles.

Then figure out how to adapt the elements of effective profiles for your own profiles. (I added my email address to my LinkedIn summary after seeing this element on someone else's LinkedIn profile.)

Review your social media profiles now rather than putting this task on a future "to do" list.



P.S. And if you need help with an effective LinkedIn profile and effective LinkedIn relationship strategies, see our Miller Mosaic LinkedIn Professional Setup."

© 2010 Miller Mosaic, LLC

Phyllis Zimbler Miller (@ZimblerMiller on Twitter) and her social media marketing company partner Yael K. Miller (@MillerMosaicLLC on Twitter) work with clients to effectively use social media to attract their target markets.

Sign up now to get email notifications of new social media marketing posts at www.millermosaicllc.com/get-miller-mo...

Revisiting Microcopy on Websites

I'm revisiting this very important topic of instructional copy because I've been exceedingly frustrated recently by various websites I've visited.

What is microcopy?

A short phrase or sentence that explains what you are suppose to do, such as filling in your first name or first and last name in a name field.

I discovered after much frustration that Mozy, which I use to remotely back up our computers, requires an authentication process after a subscriber changes a password.

When I pointed out to the support person (who explained this to me) that this information doesn't seem to be mentioned on the change password page, he admitted that the company was working on making its site more user friendly.

User friendly? Just add that microcopy on the change password screen.

And talking to a new client, I told her that 1shoppingcart was now easier to use than when I first started using the software. Back then, the whole long product link did not show in the link field nor was there microcopy explaining that the whole link wasn't showing.

I spent a lot of time back and forth with support until someone figured out I wasn't copying the whole link. And how was I suppose to know what the whole link was?

My new pet peeve is the field for phone numbers. There are numerous ways that a phone number can be entered, such as (xxx) xxx-xxxx or xxx-xxx-xxxx or xxxxxxxxxx. Why not show this next to the phone field so that I don't have to get my phone number rejected half the time?

Here's my challenge regarding microcopy:



Let's all look at our own sites where there are requirements for a user to import or export information and see if the action steps are really clear. Test out your site on someone who isn't familiar with it to see out how clear your site's instructions actually are.

Then wherever you find an issue, clarify any possible confusion by adding microcopy – or revising the instructions – so that your website visitors can easily take action.

If you have any specific examples you've experienced where microcopy would have helped, do share these below in the comments, and also share examples where you found microcopy very helpful.

And read previous posts of ours on this topic of microcopy.

© 2010 Miller Mosaic, LLC

Phyllis Zimbler Miller (@ZimblerMiller on Twitter) and her social media marketing company partner Yael K. Miller (@MillerMosaicLLC on Twitter) work with clients to ensure that their websites are user friendly and search engine friendly as well as social media friendly.

Sign up now to get email notifications of new social media marketing posts at www.millermosaicllc.com/get-miller-mo...

Tweaking Your Social Media Mindset for the New Year

With 2011 soon upon us, I'm going to again write a blog post urging people to have an open mind to learning how to effectively participate on social media sites.

And I myself learned an important lesson about presenting new things to potential clients. I learned that my enthusiasm for these online marketing opportunities may be too much for people new to social media.

In other words, instead of talking about all the possibilities -- which can seem so overwhelming to people that they figure why bother trying to learn - I would be better off focusing on just one or two areas for people new to the concept of harnessing social media.

In addition, once again I am recommending Carol Dweck's book MINDSET: THE NEW PSYCHOLOGY OF SUCCESS (available in paperback on Amazon) to help people who have a fear of failure to overcome this fear in order to take advantage of social media marketing opportunities.

And here is the beginning of the guest blog post "10 Things I Learned in 2010 About Why Businesses Are Resistant to Social Media" that I wrote for bizchickblogs.com:

Social media marketing has incredible power to get your message out in front of your target markets – and at a cost considerably lower than almost all other forms of marketing or advertising or public relations.

And most businesses effectively using social media for the purpose of creating relationships (NOT selling) would probably agree with the above statement.

Yet throughout 2010, while I have met many people open-minded to learning how to harness social media marketing, I have also learned numerous reasons why people are sticking their heads in the sand about this powerful marketing opportunity:

1. Fear of the new

Anything new must be suspect. Best to wait a couple more years before Twitter and Facebook have completely taken over the world. Note: At that point your business may be so far behind your competition that you may never catch up.

Read about the other 9 fears now.

© 2010 Miller Mosaic, LLC

Phyllis Zimbler Miller (@ZimblerMiller on Twitter) and her social media marketing company partner Yael K. Miller (@MillerMosaicLLC on Twitter) are committed to taking the mystery out of social media so that individuals and companies can utilize the power of social media to attract more business.

Sign up now to get email notifications of new social media marketing posts at www.millermosaicllc.com/get-miller-mo...