Erik Qualman's Blog, page 515

Pump Up Your Corporate Events with More Promotions

Corporate events are important facets in the business world.

Whether it’s an internal affair or a larger multi-business conference; a great deal of planning goes into these events.

Not only planning before the event, but during as well and follow up after. Reminders need to be sent, sometimes changes happen and other notifications need to get to the event attendees during it.

What better way to reach those you need to than through text messaging?

Mobile is the Way to Go

You’d be hard pressed to find anyone, especially at a business function, without a mobile device on them.

People use tablets and smart phones throughout these events; therefore, communication via these devices is smart, productive and efficient.

As the article, “How to Give Your Corporate Events a Boost with Text Messaging” looks at, there is much you can do to get the ball rolling.

For those on the event planning side as well as those in charge of getting your employees involved in an event, text messaging is an excellent and efficient choice for communication.

From pre-registration to post event thank you’s, texting will reach those you need it to in a quick, efficient manner.

Before the event:

During the planning stages, don’t hesitate to use text messaging as a great format for reminders, preregistration and other parts of the planning stages.

You can send out a save the date text message, and then another when it’s time to register.

From anything to booking hotel rooms to food choices to getting a small group together, text messaging can be such a convenient method of preplanning that you may wonder how you ever got along without it.

Also, you can promote through your social media sites as well, and be sure to put the two together for maximum promotion.

During the event:

Sometimes you’ll need to send a reminder to the attendees.

This goes for those planning the event as well as for heads of groups attending. Perhaps there has been a change of meeting space and you need to alert the attendees. Send a quick text message with the new location.

Maybe you want to get all of your employees together for a pre-dinner drink to debrief the day – send a text message.

After the event:

What better way to reach out after an event than through text message?

People tend to reply quickly to text messages because of the easy, short and efficient format. Send a link to a post event survey via text message, or even a simple thank you for attending.

As opposed to an email, texts are usually seen and responded to in a timely manner.

Planning is hectic.

You wonder if everyone is getting the right material and notices, schedules and invites. You want your attendees to be engaged and informed during the event.

All of this can be handled through text messaging. It saves everyone time, it gets the information out and answering is easy.

So when it’s time to plan your next corporate event, look to text messaging as a smart line of communication.

Photo credit: BigStockPhoto.com

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Edward Snowden Joins Twitter

THE STORY – EDWARD SNOWDEN JOINS TWITTER @Snowden

Remember him? The former NSA contractor who leaked U.S. surveillance programs? America loves to hate on Snowden. Looks like he has decided to join the Twitterverse to share his thoughts, read some hate tweets and follow the NSA. You can follow him @Snowden.

“Can you hear me now?”

Snowden decided to go with something simple for his first tweet saying, “Can you hear me now?” Within four hours of this captivating tweet, Snowden had 400,000 followers. (Source: NPR) Snowden is not shy about his past stating, “I used to work for the government. Now I work for the public.”

DA SKIM

Snowden left the U.S. in 2013 after what went down, but that didn’t make his charges go away. Snowden could face up to 30 years in prison. In the meantime, he’ll be tweeting about who knows what and people will be watching.  (Source: BBC News)

Quote of the Day: “I’ll pick your kids up for soccer at 5.”

Everyone’s favorite electric car company just released a new ride and it’s cool. Think “soccer mom gets a new SUV” cool. Tesla is continuing to amaze us by being more futuristic than we could have imagined.  The Model X has been talked about since 2012, but was finally revealed Tuesday night. For $130,000 you can drive 250 miles on one charge, carry up to 7 people and have plenty of storage. And it’s fast.  (Source: Wired)

In case you missed it…

Facebook hoax number 874. It seems as if the Facebook newsfeed is filled with people claiming they are going to lose their privacy, charge a monthly fee, sell your information…you know the usual. This week Facebook users have fallen under the new hoax that if they do not post this status they will not be protected from copyright laws. Well Facebook friends, it’s fake.  (Source: USA Today)

Facebook spokesman Andrew Noyes said, “ We have noticed some statements that suggest otherwise and we wanted to take a moment to remind you of the facts — when you post things like photos to Facebook, we do not own them…Under our terms, you grant Facebook permission to use, distribute, and share the things you post, subject to the terms and applicable privacy settings.” So everyone can stop being so gullible and carry on with their normal Facebook ways.  (Source: USA Today)

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Effective Strategies to Get More Social Engagements

Of course, getting more engagements on social media is one of the best ways to make your social presence stronger but this is not easy and majority of the people fail to do so. However, they are some great tips and tricks which can be quite helpful for you to achieve the level of engagements that you are looking for in shortest period of time. You can’t boost such engagements overnight but surely you will be to see results very soon. Some of the most important tips are discussed below in this post.

1: Get Your Readers’ Attention

When you are updating your social pages to inform your readers and followers about your newly written articles, you should also add a question or statement which can help you raise enthusiasm in them as in this way, you can describe a particular point from your article which will surely help you increase the number of clicks, comments, likes and shares.

2: Focus on Individual Platforms

There is no need to build your presence everywhere at the same time because this will cause you divide your focus on different directions and you will not be able to focus on a single channel. The best way to get more engagements is to focus on one channel at a time. For example, if you are trying to win Facebook likes and comments, you don’t have to get yourself involved in twitter or other channels at the same time. However, when you have developed a strong presence on one place, you can go to others too.

3: Promotion of Events

Many people throw out lots of links or information which is quite wrong strategy because engagement should not be taken as a way to replicate news in a digital context. You better have promotion services/events on a limited number of posts. You actually need to understand the actual essence of social media and once you understand it, you can get maximum out of it. Give your reader something interesting rather than just the bunch of links pointing to other sites.

4: Recycling Content

There is no harm in recycling your content. For example, if you are posting a piece of content on your page in the first week of September, the same content with little change or with a different image can be reposted in the last week of same month. This may allow you to bring your audience a different experience without making lots of efforts. In this way, if some of your audiences miss out the information in first post, most probably, they will catch it in the second post. However, it is also important to consider what content is doing well on social media.

5: Keep Simple & Short Posts

Majority of the people have been extremely busy in their everyday life. Therefore, you better use just the few but stronger words in your post instead of using large text. Usually large content is ignored by the readers if they are busy but using smaller content usually gets across and gets more engagements. Keep your posts simple, short and interesting to read.

6: Give Promotions to Clients

The use of promotions has been proven to be an effective way to encourage more engagements. Offer your readers, clients or customers freebie or special discounts on sharing your post. If it works, your post can get spread like wild fire throughout popular social networks. You can also give them special promotions at the selling point. If they are delighted to get such a surprise, the chances of engagements will get much higher than the usual.

7: Effective Call-to-Action

If you don’t let your audience know what you are actually trying to get from them, most of them will not understand it. Therefore, it is really important that you tell them directly what you want them and the best way to do this is to create a call-to-action in each post. You can ask them an exclusive question whose answer can be given in comment box or you can simply ask them to visit a link.

8: Reward Your Followers

There must be many followers who have been constantly showing their responses on your posts. Don’t you think they also deserve something more than just the content? Why don’t you reward your fans and followers with a gift card, a T-Shirt or something else? If you do it in a clever way, you can get huge interaction on social media. In addition to engagements, you can also collect their phone numbers and email addresses which can be used later for email marketing.

Author Bio

Katherine Doris is a young social media enthusiastic who also works as professional assignment writers UK. She is an expert blogger and writer and users her skills to promote effective marketing, social media and learning strategies. Follow her on Twitter.

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The Success Factors of Freelancing

Have you ever wondered what it is that causes one freelancer to make more money (based on their claims) than a regular “day job,” while others struggle to make ends meet? Have you ever contemplated freelancing and wondered about those numbers?

I have been doing it for several years, and I didn’t want to have a bias toward what I think is the key success factor. Instead, I went looking for the answer in some journal articles, to see what the research says about the topic and sub-topics. Before covering the research, I want to provide you with the ultimate guide.

The “Ultimate Guide to Freelancing”

If you have any inkling toward becoming a freelancer (if you are not one already), it is a good idea to see what is involved in becoming one. Even if you are just “checking it out,” it helps to understand everything you can about freelancing. This is especially true if you are considering dropping a “day job” to pursue it.

Recently, a friend told me about a great article that was specifically written for the Freelancer, called the Ultimate Guide to Freelancing. It was put together by the team of John Rampton and Murray Newlands at their site, Due.com. The site offers software that helps you to manage projects, time track, and most importantly, invoice your clients. Obviously, these are needed functions for a freelancer, if you want to survive.

I even interviewed John Rampton on the topic and here is that video:

The guide includes many important factors that should be considered before becoming a freelancer, but also a good refresher course if you are already freelancing. I wish that it had existed when I started!

I’d like to highlight a few sections for you but also relate those back to the research that the professionals have done, on the topic of freelancing. This gives some real-life analytical data that supports what the authors of the guide (John and Murray) already know and what they are sharing with you. So, here we go…

What Causes a Freelancer to Be Successful?

In a journal article that appeared in “Journal of Organizational Behavior,” there was a study of freelancers and what the driving factor of success was, according to the research. In fact, the article was called “Drivers of Freelance Career Success” (written by Born and Witteloostuijn). Interestingly, one of their findings was that freelancer success was about environment. That isn’t only the environment (i.e. office space) where the freelancer works, but also the environment that is created by networking and their relationship with clients and other employees.

The researchers determined that freelancers are also a sort of employee, since they do report to a company as a contractor. Even though the article was based on a survey of 1600 freelancers and 51 one-on-one interviews in the Netherlands, there is still quite a bit of relevant results that confirm much of what we have observed.

In the freelancer guide, there is a section that talks about “Setting Up Your Workplace” that also highlights the advantage of being able to work at your favorite place, even a coffee shop. An example of environment not only includes the interaction with the existing client but also your interaction with potential other freelancers that you may meet up with at the coffee shop. This can be a rewarding experience, as well as a networking opportunity. The research supports this within the context of what they observed as the work-life balance that their subjects mentioned.

More recently, I have been studying ”branding” and “messaging” with a little more scrutiny. I have even hired a coach who specializes in that area. One of the things that I am learning that is missed is how to describe oneself, even as a freelancer. For example, you wouldn’t want to only call yourself a “freelancer” when trying to get that gig with the next client. You are likely calling yourself a writer or designer or whatever area it is that you are covering. But, let’s think outside the box and bit and realize what it is that you offer, as far as solution, and also what your value proposition is. Don’t think in terms of job role or title, but think in terms of the “brand of you.” Fortunately, the Freelancer Guide gives you some direction on that in the section called, “Branding Yourself.”

Another important point is that the Ultimate Guide to Freelancing operates as a sort of checklist for you and if you are contemplating whether you want to quit your day job and start freelancing, it also gives you that checklist of considerations. However, you do not have to limit yourself to only the bullet items there. The guide is meant to be digestible and not overwhelming. An example is that I took a step further, personally, in hiring a business coach who specializes in areas like helping a freelancer to brand him or herself. You can do the same, going a step further in any of the topic areas.

Joining a Community of Freelancers (and the benefits)

Another study, appearing in “Qualitative Sociology,” about eight years ago, talked about “Individual Needs Versus Collective Interests: Network Dynamics in the Freelance Editorial Association” (written by Debra Osnowitz). The article was based on the personal experience of the author (one of the founding members), as well as qualitative interviews with six former members). Fortunately, even though it is not considered “current” (by the five-year standards), it still contains relevant and interesting research in the area of freelancing.

The article itself describes the differences between an individual freelancer approaches a gig and how a collective group can assist in many areas. For example, the area of confidence. Though the freelancer may be highly qualified for the gig, he or she may not feel that way, feeling like they are alone and have to represent their skills as an island, all alone. That same person can sometimes be more confident when working as an employee, representing the company where they are employed. With the example of the association, there is that feeling of support, and sometimes that is enough to help the individual to feel like they are part of something bigger than themselves and have more confidence. Obviously, this depends on many factors, as well as the personality type of the freelancer.

Sidebar: There may be some confusion in attempting to find “The Freelance Editorial Association.” According to the author of the journal article, the organization no longer exists. Interestingly, there is a professional organization called “Editorial Freelancers Association,” that isn’t the same but matches many of the models and structure, based on the article. In other words, the “good stuff” and it may be worth the look for any freelancers who are editors.

Back on the topic of joining a community…

This fits (in this context) under the category of “Where to Find Work.” The Freelancer Guide has a section on that and lists some great ideas like using specific websites that are set up for that very purpose. These listed freelancer sites are also communities in and of themselves, opportunities to network and meet other professionals as well as bidding for jobs with future clients.

The purpose of a specific community, like the one profiled in the research article, is networking on a specific area and providing community events, meetings, webinars, conferences, etc. This is yet another networking opportunity where you can 1) speak with your peers and encourage each other and work on paid projects together; and 2) get ideas on how to find clients, as well as professional job listings and directories (depending on the community or professional association).

A simple Google search for ”professional association” along with your specific area of interest will help to find a relevant community or association that appeals to you and your needs. Keep in mind that there are likely free communities (i.e. Google Plus Community and Facebook Groups), but the amount of ROI (return on investment) will likely be related to the cost. You may get a better ROI with a small membership fee with some of the professional organizations (associations).

A Project Manager’s View of Freelancing

A little more recently, there was an article in the “PM Network” entitled “So You Want to Freelance” (written by Margaret Rhodes). Many of the recommendations that Ms. Rhodes makes are similar to the Ultimate Guide to Freelancing. She includes such suggestions as “volunteering during the lulls,” and keeping tabs on the continuing education arena, to ensure that you are keeping up with your skill set. (This is also something that a professional association may help with, too).

Speaking of project management, the providers of the Freelancer Guide also have the software that I mentioned above that handles the time tracking for you, as a part of your own project management efforts as a freelancer. By using software like that, you can invoice your clients and not have to mess with the calculations. Your invoices can be set up to include a PayPal payment link for your clients.

In Conclusion

As a bit of a sidebar, before we go, here is a list of startup resources that I helped compile, that will help any freelancer to find tools and resources that can assist them in being more effective and efficient. And, by the way, if you wanted to build on that list, here is an effective way to build a list article: The Quickest and Easiest Way to Create a List Post That Goes Viral by my friend, Dave Schneider of Ninja Outreach.

To review a bit, there are several different aspects to consider before getting into freelancing. Or, if you are already a freelancer, you might want to review these different aspects. An easy, free way to do so is to use the Ultimate Guide to Freelancing as a sort of checklist. You can also read the journal articles above, for in-depth discussions and research. However, sometimes the articles cost money to view, so free might sound like a good alternative.

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What Are The Best Ways to Develop Your Social Media Skill Set?

Most of us are familiar with using social media, whether it’s for connecting with friends and family or finding out more about a company or celebrity. We may therefore be lulled into a false sense of security when we decide to use one or all of the social networking platforms to generate more traffic for our own business.

If you want to use social media as a sales tool however there are fundamental issues you need to know regarding marketing practices, especially if you are going to invest in paid forms of advertising through the social channels. One of the best ways to gain a clear understanding of business and marketing strategies is to undertake a degree. The good news is that while this used to be a full-time undertaking you can now fit a part-time course around your business, other paid work or even family commitments.

Once you have a strong grounding in marketing what is the best way to develop your social media skills?

 

Learning through Experimentation

Many of us dive in and explore this option. First because it is free and second because we believe it can’t be that difficult to get started. While we may muddle our way through creating our social media profiles, what we forget is that some guidance on how to set them up to best effect would get us off to a better start. In addition, setting up your profiles is only the first step you then have to update them consistently with content which will engage your audience; encourage readers to interact; and finally entice your followers to take a look at what you offer in terms of products and services.

Also, while we may feel this option is free it can in the long run end up costing us a great deal. This is because we have to invest so much of our time and we may also lose potential new customers because our content is not attracting traffic quickly enough.

 

Attend a Course Run by a Social Media Expert

There is a multitude of courses run by social media experts, both online and in your local community. While these can definitely provide a framework on which to build your marketing strategy it is important to remember that one course won’t provide you with everything you need to know long term. This is partly because social media is constantly evolving and because your knowledge will need to increase over time as you try out new strategies.

However, a course can help you get off to a good start. When you are choosing a tutor ensure you carry out thorough research to make sure they truly are an expert in their field by looking at their own social media profiles and those of clients they have worked with. Also look at their testimonials and see whether they are used to working with business owners at your level of experience. Above all ensure that any teacher is able to walk the walk as well as talk the talk.

 

Learn From Online Experts

The last option, and probably the best over the longer term, is to take time to learn from others across the web, people who have already built successful social media followings.

There are thousands of bloggers and social media sites which offer advice on developing your social media skills. By learning from these people you can progress at your own pace. So when you are first starting out you will need beginner tips and then as your knowledge grows you can utilise more advanced strategies. As outlined above the internet and social media in particular is not a static landscape. Therefore, as changes are made by the social media networks, or when new platforms such as Periscope are introduced, you need to keep up to date so that your profiles remain effective.

Financially this is also the best option as there is no initial outlay, apart from your time spent studying, and at least you know what you are learning can be implemented immediately and will take your marketing strategy in the right direction. Again it’s important to carr

out due diligence to ensure you are learning from sites which can demonstrate their own success.

 

Which Method Should You Choose?

The first of these three options is probably not the way you want to go if your aim is to be successful relatively quickly. Options two and three both offer advantages when you are first starting out, but option three will carry you through and allow your knowledge to evolve as your business grows. This is definitely the path to take for long term success.

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It’s My Money and I want it Now..

It’s my money & I want it now

We all know that the phony calls promising us millions of dollars are a complete hoax. However a modern con has emerged and it’s taking over people’s bank accounts. This popular scam is called “card cracking” and has been emptying out people’s bank accounts faster than a slot machine. What exactly is it? Criminals are depositing fake checks into victim’s bank accounts in exchange for a small cut of illicit profits. Young folk are being lured via online contests, scholarships, & social media campaigns. The victims often give away their banking information and the fraudsters deposit a fake check, then immediately withdraw money from the ATM. What’s new is criminals are now turning to sites like YouTube to brag about their feats. Rapper Kevin Ford “Kevo” is famous for trying to illicit money via social media. (Source CBS News)

Amazon launches their own Uber.. Kind of.

The lucky city of Seattle is the first to have the new Amazon Flex service. This new system pays part-time drivers to deliver Prime members their orders within one hour. The drivers are paid a modest fee of $18 to $25 dollars an hour, and must provide their own vehicle, smartphone, and pass a security background check. Shifts range from two, four, or eight-hours. The service was inspired by companies like Uber, Lyft, and Favor with the tagline, “Deliver when you want, as much as you want.” The timeline for expansion is not yet posted but the next cities inline include Dallas, Manhattan, Austin, Indianapolis, Atlanta, Chicago, Miami, Portland, and Baltimore. (Source The Verge)

In case you need a Halloween Costume…

The famous dress that broke the internet earlier this year is available for purchase as a Halloween costume. The famous blue and black dress blew people’s minds when the debate gold & white vs. blue & black took to social media. The Halloween costume is split directly in the middle with one set of colors on either side. The dress is $46.95  hopefully people can be a little more creative. (Source HollywoodLife)

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Social Media Can Space Out Your Life

It’s something many of us want – more space.

We try to constantly organize and clean out, but the space just seems to be getting smaller. Whether it’s for your work space at home or office or spaces at home for projects, how can you make the best use of what you’ve got?

Again, just like most of us want more space, money is a factor for many people and you just can’t go out and buy everything to make a perfectly organized, space saving area. So turn to DIY.

With social media, you can find just what will work for you and with a little DIY gumption and a small amount of technique, you can create a beautiful space when you don’t have much room or budget at all.

As the following article looks at, check out these places to find DIY-Space-savers for your work space:

• Pinterest – Well, of course, Pinterest! The trick may be using the right key words, and also knowing that Pinterest creations may not always turn out as they look in the picture. Be strong and know that you can put your own touch on anything; it doesn’t’ have to be exactly like the Pinterest pin. Especially for ideas like this, which involve a space, you are working with what you have, so Pinterest is excellent for inspiration, not necessarily re-creation. Start by creating a board to store all the ideas that you like. Maybe search DIY work space ideas and look at things like containers, storage, colors you like. You can find it all on Pinterest.

• YouTube – When you find an idea you like, you may want to see it actually done, instead of just the finished product. Search YouTube and you’ll find step by step videos on whatever it is that strikes you. You’ll see how easy it is to DIY!

• Check out some of the big names in DIY and their websites – Go take a look at sites and blogs from HGTV and DIYNetwork. You’ll find incredible, easy to do ideas. You’ll also find that inspiration you’re seeking and maybe come up with some great things on your own.

• Put your own social media to use – Ask your Facebook friends and Instagram followers what they do to save space. Your own friends may have some super ideas you can incorporate into your own space.

Make It Your Own

The charm of DIY is not just making it yourself, but also making it your own.

You can take ideas from 10 different projects and turn them into what works perfectly for you, in your space with your budget.

At the end of the day, you’ll be surprised to see what you have around the house that works, and how easy projects can be.

Photo credit: BigStockPhoto.com

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Take a Diet of Social Media for Better Skin

You are what you eat, right?

This old adage may be more spot-on than you know. What you eat truly is reflected in your health, your general well-being, and your appearance.

One of the most apparent things about your appearance is the way your diet is reflected in your skin.

And if you are looking for some great tips on what to eat and what not to eat to keep healthy, glowing, youthful skin, take a look at social media.

Finding out the Truth

Sometimes it’s hard to weed out the nonsense from the truth when skimming around on the Internet and social media, but by searching smartly, you can find what you’re looking for.

As the following article looks at, finding easy diet tips for great skin is pretty easy itself.

Basic Diet Tips for Beautiful Skin

Among the factors to keep in mind:

• Drink water – You hear this all the time pertaining to so many aspects of health, and skin is a major one that water will affect. Any bit of dehydration will sap your skin of its radiance, making fine lines more apparent. Keep a big bottle of water with you at all times. It doesn’t have to be fancy; straight from the tap is more than fine. The key to how much is that you should never be thirsty, some recommend six to eight glasses a day; some say it goes more towards body weight;

• Eat colorful food – And that means fruits and veggies, not processed and artificially dyed foods! When you begin your social media search, you’ll see all kinds of vitamins and minerals listed for healthy skin. One of the easiest ways to get all of them is eat the colors of the rainbow – grapes, strawberries, broccoli, carrots, kiwi, berries, sweet potatoes, bell peppers – your skin’s color will be healthy and radiant;

• Don’t do the wrong stuff – Smoking, drinking, over dieting can all sap your skin of its beauty by drying it out and depleting it of what it needs. Be kind to your skin and feed it lovingly.

Using Social Media

Social media is full of excellent health and wellness sources and you can find so much information on diet and skin by taking a little look:

• Be a liker – Like social media pages of your favorite sites and you’ll see them more often. If you have a favorite site or two; like them on Facebook and Instagram. You’ll get great articles direct to your social media and you won’t have to search;

• Ask questions on Twitter with hashtags – If you want to know the best foods or what’s bad to eat, ask on Twitter. For instance #skinandchocolate may get more feedback than you’ve ever thought;

• Read blogs – Blogs are such great sources of information. Check out some of your favorites on a regular basis or have them sent directly to your inbox.

Social media is so much more than a place to share your vacation photos. You can get loads of information; ask questions and share recipes and tips.

Use your social media and before you know it, your skin will be glowing.

Oh yeah, fill up that water bottle before you settle in to your social media search!

Photo credit: BigStockPhoto.com

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5 Things Everyone Should Know About Social Media Marketing

We are now living in the age of social media, and companies that fail to harness the power of this technology are quickly going to find themselves falling behind the competition. While these accounts can be powerful tools when used correctly, there are also a number of legal essentials for a marketer and legal issues that all business owners will need to consider. Here is a closer look at some of the legal issues that can take place when businesses utilize online marketing and how to craft a comprehensive social media policy for your company.

1. Every Social Media Outlet Is Different

There is no single set of rules or laws that cover every single social media outlet. A few of the stipulations in Facebook’s terms of service could actually be quite different than those of LinkedIn or Twitter. Marketers need to carefully review each ToS and ensure that they stick to all guidelines. Even apparently minor issues such as asking customers to share a link to enter them into a raffle could result in a permanent banning of that company’s account.

 

2. You Cannot Prohibit Negative Reviews

One of the most important legal essentials for marketer to understand is how they can handle negative reviews and when lawyers will be needed to protect them against slander and libel. The primary benefit of social media is the fact that companies can connect with their customers on a personal level, but that also leaves companies open to huge amounts of negative feedback if they are not careful. Business owners and their marketing team will need to read through their own state’s laws to see what can be done to limit bad reviews. Companies that require customers to waive their right to leaving a bad review could face penalties of $10,000 or more.

 

3. Full Disclosure Is Vital

The Federal Trade Commission is scrambling to keep up with new technology, and this means that new laws are often made well after a major problem has developed. One common mistake made by marketers is not researching how disclosure works when it comes to reviews, how-tos, white papers, and any other form of digital advertising. The FTC has recently revised its Endorsement Guides to include all social media. If you or any other representative of the company pays an individual or offers them free goods/services to write a review or speak about the company in any manner, then both you and the private party must disclose that information in a manner that is clear to the reader.

 

4. Employees Need Training

From the moment that you hire on your first employee, it is important that you have some training in place that discusses social media. Some cases have come up where employees casting their company in a negative light were legally allowed to do so on public digital forums such as Facebook. Business owners and anyone with access to their social media accounts must make their stance clear on these issues and consider adopting some rules to protect the company’s reputation and property.

 

5. Understanding Copyrights

Copyrights are much more difficult to understand when it comes to social media. Countless private parties might share photos and music, but that does not mean that companies are allowed to do the same. Even pictures that seem as if they are public property could have been taken and used without asking. Companies that would like to use any form of media including pictures, infographics, songs, sound clips, and GIFs should trace them back to the original owner. Those that fail to acquire the consent of the owner could be looking at huge fines and fees.

 

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Today’s Biz and Buzz

THE STORY – Volkswagen…Again

Volkswagen cannot get a break. After the emissions scandal, CEO Martin Winterkon stepping down and a new CEO being named, you would think they’ve had enough.

What to say when the investigation begins…

German prosecutors said they have launched an investigation on Winterkon. Someone who was probably a little upset with the company complained that he should be responsible for the whole scandal. Whether this person was upset with his resign or if they already had some bad blood is not known but Winterkon should be worried. (Source: The New York Times)

DA SKIM

If Winterkon is found guilty of fraud, he could face up to 10 years in prison. In the meantime, new CEO, Matthias Mueller, has a lot of work to do considering shares have gone down an additional 7% and 11 million vehicles have been manipulated. (Source: CNN)

Quote of the Day: “Sales have been phenomenal, take that Android!”

The day finally arrived and the iPhone 6S was released. Analysts, or psychics, predicted the new iPhone to sell between 12 million and 13 million during the first weekend aiming to beat the previous record of 10 million in 2014. Apple achieved their goal and sold over 13 million. Tim Cook said, “Sales for iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus have been phenomenal, blowing past any previous first weekend sales results in Apple’s history.” Apple is happy. Customers are happy. Win-win for everyone. (Source: Reuters)

In case you missed it…

Everyone freaked out Sunday night over the Super Blood Moon. The event that only happens every 32 years was taking over Snapchat, Instagram and Twitter feeds. In case the clouds were blocking your view or you were sleeping, don’t worry you can go check it out on Snapchat Live.

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