Up until recently, article marketing used to mean writing a 'how to' article (preferably a keyword laden one) and pasting it into as many article directories as you can (like Articles Base, Article Directory and Article Dashboard).

Having your article duplicated on a multitude of top ranking sites meant that people had a better chance of finding out about you – not just through your articles but also through Google ranking.

The keywords in your articles would be rewarded by Google. And having your website address in your author profile of these directories was enough to significantly help your search engine optimisation (SEO).

So what's changed?

Google has been a bit of a mystery from the start. No one knows exactly what's going on in Googleland. So it's fitting that the latest dramatic change might be called 'Panda' or it might be called 'Farmer'. We're not really sure.

What we do know is that on 24 February 2011, Google did a major ranking algorithm update. For many, this has halved their sites’ visitor numbers. It started causing havoc in the US (because they don't have enough problems at the moment), but it's soon to work its magic in other countries, too. 

The main problem seems to be around unoriginal and duplicated material. Article directories have had a particularly rough time with this new change.

Some spectacular examples

According to Search Engine Journal:

"Ezine Articles and Suite 101 lost over half of their visibility, with Wisegeek getting devastated at a 93% drop. The percentage of loss as calculated by Sistrix placed some prominent sites such as Associated Content, Business.com, and Articles Base at over 90% of traffic which simply evaporated overnight….While major sites such as YouTube, eBay, and Facebook were considered net winners in the Google algorithm modification, some prominent publishing sites such as Ezine Articles, Buzzle, and HubPages were seen to lose considerable traffic."

Why is Google being so cruel?

The aim of this change is to remove poor quality sites from the top of Google’s results pages. Matt Cutts, Google’s head of spam, explains their intention in his update announcement post on the 24th of February:

"This update is designed to reduce rankings for low quality sites—sites which are low-value add for users, copy content from other websites or sites that are just not very useful. At the same time, it will provide better rankings for high quality sites—sites with original content and information such as research, in-depth reports, thoughtful analysis and so on."

Sounds fair enough.

But accidents happen.

So Google have asked those with “a high quality site that has been negatively affected by this change” to let them know about it. That is, if you can work out that your site has been unfairly affected by Panda. Or Farmer. Good luck with that.

And then there was April Fools…

April 1st didn't help things. This year, Google continued its proud tradition of April Fools’ Day pranks with a 'new' Gmail application and the unveiling of CADIE, a Cognitive Autoheuristic Distributed-Intelligence Entity. 

Billed as the world’s first artificial intelligence tasked-array system, CADIE had already scanned the Web and created her own homepage, which demonstrated the entity’s love of all things panda-related (see it here). We already feel foolish enough around Google. Did they really have to make us feel stupider?

Jokes aside – what now?

• Quality content is still king – best have your original, niche-driven content appearing on your own website. If you are too broad in your topic range, Google won't like you as much. 
• If you have lots of articles on your site, have a list of 'categories' on your home page which leads to those articles on a particular theme.
• Don't have too many advertisements on your site. Google won't like that either.
• Try reducing the number of article directories you use to the top ranking ones.
• Find other ways to get your website link onto other sites – ways that have a more natural relationship-building approach.
• Embrace social media – if you can bear it (excuse the Panda pun).

Being an authority in your area of expertise is still what everyone is banging on about. Most importantly, I feel, is being committed to it for the long-term. Apparently Google rewards those who 'keep calm and carry on'.

This post was written by Megan Hills. Megan is a writer, cartoonist and marketing consultant who is waiting for Google to blackmark anyone who uses Facebook or Twitter. Now that would be interesting. Find out more about Megan

Want to improve your SEO? The general response is: "First, write lots of fabulous articles and post them on your website on a regular basis."

The problem is, not all of us are manic article writers. And not all of us are manic readers, either.

There are also enthusiastic talkers – and there are enthusiastic listeners (in the car, on public transport, while cooking dinner, etc).

So this is where the podcast caper comes in.

When Gideon Shalwick (famous online video marketing dude) agreed to be interviewed by me, he stipulated that it should be a video interview. Fair call. The post will be about videos. But we couldn't line up the logistics to do the video. So Gideon suggested we do the interview as a podcast. 

Naturally, I panicked.

"What was the best way to do a podcast?" I wanted to ask Gideon. But wanting to appear 'cool and together' I contacted Mark McGuinness of Lateral Action instead.

Afterwards, it occurred to me that I would like to appear 'cool and together' for Mark McGuinness as well. But it didn't matter. Mark helps artists promote themselves, so he's used to un-together people.

And this is what Mark McGuinness recommended:

1. Call using Skype (it's free!)
2. Record the Skype conversation with Call Recorder (it's free!), with both people using a mic headset (depends on what you want to pay)
3. If one of you comes out louder than the other, Levelator is a lifesaver (it's by donation!)
4. Finally, Audacity is great for editing (it's free!)

If either of you are using a Mac, this is a useful tip: Stop Skype messing with volume behind your back by Bart Busschots.

My findings

I have tested this Skype-Call Recorder-Audacity thing. It's really easy, even for an un-together person. I even bought a headset. Very exciting. 

Stay tuned for my podcast with Gideon Shalwick in April. Hey, I might even swing one with the lovely Mark McGuinness…

This post was written by Megan Hills. Megan is a writer, cartoonist and marketing consultant who is a 'visual' rather than 'auditory' person (contrary to popular Neuro-Lingusitic Programming opinion, I don't see writing as 'auditory'). Find out more about Megan

Michael Q Todd primarily coaches people about Twitter, but also gives social media advice in general. Based in Japan, Michael also spends his time in Brisbane (Australia) and California (US). 

I had a chat with this highly mobile individual about the inside scoop on how to handle social media. Here are the beans he offered to spill:

1. How does a social media newbie decide what vehicles to focus on first – or is it best to dive in the deep end and try out all of them at once? 
   
   Take it one step at a time. And be committed to each step. Trying everything at once and doing it half-heartedly is more likely to damage your business than boost it. For example people with a public Facebook page or a Twitter account that they have not updated for 2 weeks are going to turn away potential business who visit there because they will see you as uncommunicative. Especially if they have tried to engage you there and you have not replied.

   Here are the steps:

   First, set up a blog

   …or a blog component on your website. Why? Because you’re giving away valuable information in exchange for their email address. Your post content can’t be about “me, me, me!”. It has to be genuinely useful information to your subscribers. Most top internet marketers argue that you must give away your best information in your niche for free to stay ahead of everyome else.

   The process is essentially all about building your reputation and your list. So post some useful information at least once a week, give an enticement or reason to become a friend on your Facebook page and visit your YouTube channel (more about that in a minute). And keep building your list.

   Secondly, set up a profile on Facebook 

   …because it’s easy (ask a kid to teach you how to use it – it’s second nature to them!). Once you are confident on that, you can set up a Like page and a Group (more about that later). Your photo is important.You want to look friendly, happy and professional. It is well worth the $30-50 it takes to get a great photo taken. Have a light-coloured background and show as much of your face as possible.

   Then set up a profile on LinkedIn

   …also because it’s easy. And it gives you much more room to explain what your business actually does. Your clients can write recommendations on your behalf, you can link your blog posts to it. There’s a lot you can do on LinkedIn.

   Then set up your YouTube Channel

   Google owns YouTube so your ranking is likely to increase 10-fold being on YouTube. YouTube is much the same as Facebook. You can build up a network of friends, you can subscribe to other people’s channels and they can subscribe to yours. Your videos can have tags – which are keywords – so the right people can find you. I recommend having at least one video. Your first video needs to be about introducing your business, how you help people.

   Then, if you feel ready, set up your Twitter profile

   If people start social marketing with Twitter they often lose confidence and drop out. It’s a blank area and you need to learn how to use it.

    

2. Should you separate professional social media from personal?
   
   I don’t. And I don’t see the need to write differently on social media as I do talking to people face-to-face. People are attracted to personalities. If you are a house painter, for example, it’s amazing how many people will hire you life they like your personality. It’s not just about the quality of work or how much you charge.

   So be yourself. If you don’t then you’ll attract other people who aren’t being themselves – and you don’t want that. If you are yourself you will attract people like you who like you!
   

   
   

3. With Facebook, how do you decide between setting up a standard profile, a Like Page or a Group page?

   
   Have all three! 

   A Facebook Profile Page
   …is useful for gathering and developing realtionships with friends, making comments, posting articles and videos, sharing photos and chatting.
   
   A Facebook Like Page
    …is great for building subscribers. You can also have an online shop on your Like Page, so it’s useful for selling products. Large numbers of people in the US are also putting landing pages on their Facebook Like Pages. You can also post videos and promote your events on your Like Page. You need 25 people or more to ‘like’ your Like Page and then you receive a Vanity URL from Facebook (that is: www.facebook.com/(username). This helps protect your business name, much the same as buying a domain name for your web site. But when more than 100 people like it, you can’t change it – so choose your Vanity URL wisely. You can run live events from your page, hold discussions and much more.
   
    A Facebook Group
    …is a great way to create a community around you, to get people talking with you and each other about your area of expertise. I recommend learning more about this through Facebook expert, Mari Smith: http://www.marismith.com/facebookforprofessionals/  Keep your group relatively small. 20-30 people is perfect and these people will become your advocates.

4. What are the common time-wasters for social marketing? 

   Talking to people who aren’t your customers or who aren’t going to promote you. 

   The key is to find people who are best known at what you do and start talking (i.e. commenting on posts, videos and forums, etc.) to the people they are talking to. By doing this you eventually become identified with those already recognised in your field. So start with the people below first, then build up to the top. And be sure to be social as well as professional – find out their birthdays and kids names!

5. How much time per day should a person schedule for social marketing? 

   
   9 hours a week (1 hour per day Monday to Friday, and 2 hours per weekend day). More than just "social marketing" these days this is an essential part of being a business person.

6. If you only have 1 hour a day – how should you spend it?

   - Check your Facebook messages. 
   - Make an update once every 2 days. 
   - Contribute some comments and questions to previous updates on your Profile,Your Like Page and Your group, 
   - Contribute a comment or at least a Like click in a couple of other groups you are on or on the profile or Like Page of at least 5 of your key friends.
   - Assess your Facebook friend requests
   - Make a blog post and a video once a week, send both of these out to your list and share them by posting links to them on your Twitter, Facebook Profile and Page and also your linked in account.
   - Send out at least 5 tweets from twitter a day maybe scheduled through Hootsuite or Tweetdeck so that they do not all go out at once.
   - Do some friend adding to extend you various networks.
   - Study and test one new tool every day. 
   
   All I have advised is possible if you stick to it – don't meander off getting involved in discussions your friends are having about food, TV, their kids, etc. This can be fun but should be done ONLY if you have time after your core business 'work'.

7. Does it matter what time of day/night a person works on social marketing? 
   
   Yes it matters. It depends on who you are trying to reach and when their key social media interaction times are. That’s why I work with California time – their busiest social media interaction times are Sunday mornings, Monday nights and Thursday nights. So that’s when I’m online. You will learn most about the social media space by interacting with people in California.

    

8. Is it a good idea to hire other people to do your social marketing for you?
   
   I think you really have to do the social marketing yourself if your business is driven by your personal profile. However, if you are an organisation, it is possible to hire someone else to comment on your behalf. But you that person needs to thoroughly understand your business before going ahead. People can see pretty quickly if it is not you who is doing it.

Michael’s facebook page is always open: www.facebook.com/MichaelQTodd

Twitter @mqtodd: http://twitter.com/mqtodd

YouTube /michaelqtodd: http://www.youtube.com/user/michaelqtodd

LinkedIn michaelqtodd: http://jp.linkedin.com/in/michaelqtodd

This post was written by Megan Hills. Megan is a writer, cartoonist and marketing consultant who squawks rather than tweets. Find out more about Mega

This post is about making you making a video. Yes, you. And not a family film or a goofy tape to send into a bloopers show. A proper business-ish one.

A video to pop onto YouTube, your website, your blog site, your e-news, etc. A video that serves as a marketing vehicle, so to speak.

The saboteur's assumption 

Most people who don't get around to making a video are shackled with what I call 'The Tarantino Complex'. You think you have to be a Hollywood director with a supa-schmick camera and killer sound equipment (maybe even a grip and a best boy) before considering it.

Mais non! You don't need these things. There are plenty of people making useful, well-played videos using just their laptop (the ones with a camera).

What you really need for a successful video is…

…useful information and some imagination.

The horror of the home page video

Let's say you wanted to create a video to introduce your business. It's the sort of video you would put on your home page. Sounding snazzy so far. The mistake most people make at this point is to simply talk to your camera about what you business does and title it 'Welcome to (insert business name)'. 

Bor-ring.

Like any marketing material, it's useful to focus on a common problem and the special way you solve it. And like any form of social media, it's best if you don't look like you're 'selling' yourself. It's more a matter of presenting yourself as 'helpful-friend-meets-Liberace' (i.e. friendly and useful person who also happens to be rather entertaining).

Unless, of course, you work in funeral homes. Gotta bring down the tone of the show a notch there. 

Main things to remember:

• Why should they watch?
  Explain what problem you solve and what makes you special. 
   
• Keep them watching
  Say you're going to offer something at the end to keep them watching right through.
   
• Keep it under 3 minutes
  Concentration spans can only extend so far in this crazy, madcap world.
   
• Give them something to do
  At the end, inspire your watcher to sign up to a course, sign up to e-news and get a free e-book, buy within a certain timeframe to get a special, etc.
   
• Urge watchers to be viral 
  "Found the video useful and/or fun? Then let your friends know about it"
  …who hopefully tell their friends…who then hopefully tell their friends…who….

Lights, Sound, Action!

Yes, it helps to have good lighting for your video. This can mean a room with good sized windows on a sunny day. You could even film outside, let the gods turn up the wattage. Or you can invest in cheap construction lights from your local hardware store.

But good sound is vital. If the audio is like a washing machine the folks out there are going to hit the escape button faster than you can say: 'And I'd like to thank…'.

Keep them engaged with engaging facial expressions and body language – while still coming across as natural (this takes practice). Look straight into the camera. There's nothing worse than appearing shifty on your video. And reinforce important points with text graphics. This is usually pretty easy to do with standard software that's probably already on your computer. At the end, promote your website address and any other necessary contact information.

But if you want to get fancy-like…

Buy a camera that records in a format that’s compatible with your computer. And preferably one that allows you to plug a good quality microphone into it. You may even be so bold as to record sound separately. 

When it comes to software Windows Media Player (PC) and iMovie (Apple) are fine. But, again, if you want to be a fancy-pants, I've heard Jing (PC) and ScreenFlow (Apple) are the way to go.

Me?

Yes, I know. I should have made a video of this post. I promise to pop it up…when you least expect it…

This post was written by Megan Hills. Megan is a writer, cartoonist and marketing consultant who preferred to volunteer for backstage duties in the school play. Find out more about Megan 

May King Tsang operates MayKingTea (as in may…king tea, get it?). May King (her first name) is one of the top 50 tea specialists and speakers certified by the Specialty Tea institute (or maybe that's Special..tea Institute – boom boom!), based in the US.

Okay, I have a confession. 

I'm a bit of a tea junkie, so the interview (below) had a personal motivation. I saw May King at a Brisbane Woman networking event, wearing the most stunning Chinese jacket. As she looks Chinese as well, the outfit seemed…well, fitting. But it was when she opened her mouth and an English accent came out (Manchester, for those into accents) that roping May King into an interview…any interview…became irresistible. Over tea, naturally.

May King's a delight to talk with, even if she didn't have an endearing accent. 

Fresh from London to live in sunny (though somewhat flooded) Brisbane, May King sells amazingly exotic, all-natural teas from her website to a variety of countries. 

May King also gives tea tastings, much like wine tastings. First and foremost, May King is an 'enthusiasm igniter'. i was going to say 'educator' but her personality is so much more entertaining than that. 

Not fond of tea? Ten minutes with May King and tea and you'll wish you had a permanent IV drip to the stuff.

In the world of May King, next to tea is Twitter. May King's Twitter name: @MayKingTea. I'll let her tell you the rest…

1. What made you decide to use Twitter to promote your business MayKingTea?
   
   Like many people, I heard you can make lots of money through Twitter. I created an account, Tweeted a bit and – again, like lots of people –  didn't make lots of money and didn't do anything else with it. Then I decided, as I'd created the profile, I would do some research about tweeting and try to make it work. I read lots of articles about it and before too long, I had a huge network of tea folk!

   While I already know quite a lot about tea, I can always learn more. And so by reaching out to other tea specialists, I learnt more. At the same time, I established myself and educated others about tea. Tea consumption is growing all the time. People are generally striving for a healthier lifestyle. So by working with other tea specialists on Twitter we raise awareness about tea and health. 

    

2. Your profile page looks great. Did you employ someone ‘Twitter savvy’ to advise/set it up your profile page for you?
   
   I did it all on my own! Thanks for the endorsement. I looked at other people's pages, and learnt from what I saw. It's all through learning.

    

3. How often to you use Twitter (per day or per week)?
   
   I say to myself "1 hour to 1 1/2 hours in the morning" and "1 hour in the evening" to reach out to other time zones like the UK. But the reality is, I've never timed it, but it's probably much more than that. I must confess that I've become a little addicted to Twitter.

    

4. Has Twitter be helpful for settling into a new country?
   
   When I came to Australia in July, I knew one Australian: Suzie Jacobs. I met her through the Athena Network when Suzie was living in the UK. I arrived in Australia at 6am after a 24 hour flight and met up with Suzie that morning! Through Suzie, I had 4-5 other networking appointments scheduled that week – with people who were mostly advocates of Twitter. After each meeting, I tweeted about it. Before long a significant network had started! If I take the time to understand another person's business and see an opportunity where we can help each other.

   I didn't even know where to buy batteries! Tweeting helped me find where I needed to go. 

    

5. We both live in Brisbane which has recently been flooded. Did Twitter assist in anyway during the flood?
   
   #bakedrelief has been the number 1 or 2 most talked about hashtag in Australia in the past few days.

   Baked Relief is a movement started by Danielle Crismani who is known on Twitter as @digellabakes. Separated from her boys during the floods and who are currently with her mum (and whose property was affected by flooding) she came up with the idea to start baking for volunteers around Brisbane. So after learning about it I starting cooking for Baked Relief!

   Twitter has been an important medium to be kept abreast of where food and beverages have been taken to and where they need to go. To date, I have taken goods to Volunteer Queensland HQ and to Queensland Police and plan to bake more and take them to volunteers who have helped with the clean-up.

    

6. What other social media tools do you use?
   
   I'm starting to use Facebook (May King Tsang) more. I believe a lot of Brisbanites use Facebook. I began using it for personal reasons, but now use it more for business, tapping into a consortium of tea folk. I have a blog (see May King's blog), but don't blog enough! And I use LinkedIn, which is great to find people in the tea area – again for education but also to learn more about business.

    

7. Which social media tool is your favourite and why?
   
   Twitter! But I do like Facebook  - lots of discussions can be had there. I recently launched a group called Queensland Business on Facebook (Megan note: Queensland Business already has 153 members…and counting).

    

8. Would you consider hiring someone to make Twitter comments on your behalf? (if yes/no, why?)
   
   No, because I love Twitter. But some people don't have the time. It's okay for another person to make Twitter comments on your behalf if the two people involved (the tweeter and the person they are representing) have similar personalities and knowledge – and have the same mission and values. You have to inject your personality into the tweet. So you can't pretend to be someone else unless you have these things in common.

    

9. For all the time you spend using social media, do you feel you get the same value (or more) in return? If so, how?
   
   Absolutely. I've been learning a lot about tea, business and people through social media. I have got clients through Twitter and have organised Tweet Ups for others. 
   
   Megan note: I had no idea what a 'Tweet Up' was (I am still to earn my feathers, obviously). May King explained that it's when you are introduced through Twitter and then meet up face-to-face – or elsewhere – afterwards for a proper chat.
   
   Being a tea specialist, social media has its limitations. You can't touch, smell or taste tea on the internet. People's comments about my teas are only their personal interpretations. Face-to-face is important for me, so that's why I have my tea tastings. 

    

10. Do you have any words of wisdom/nifty tips for people who are having trouble getting into the Twitter thing? 
    
    There are 3 common complaints about Twitter:
    
    1. "It's too short!" 
    The main complaints I hear is about the 140 character limitation. But you can use Twit Longer. If you want to Tweet for longer than 140, type your full message then Twit Longer sends the first 140 characters as a tweet and the rest as a hyperlink.
    
    2. "I don't have time to Tweet"
    Tweeting doesn't take long. If you text, you can Tweet. 140 characters isn't much. You can even take a quick photo with your phone and tweet is with Twit Pic.  
    
    3. "I don't know what to say"
    Be yourself. What you are experiencing can help others – even if it's just tweeting about a film you've just seen. You don't always know what will resonate. I remember tweeting something I thought was really important and only got one response. Then I made a passing comment about something I thought was pretty unimportant and received 40 responses.

    Say you are having a coffee (or tea) with a colleague and they need to take a call. While you are waiting, you can tweet about what you are discussing (which can promote the project you are working on, for example), the cafe you are in (using Foursquare to promote the cafe) and who you are meeting (which helps to promote their business). 

    Twitter isn't difficult. It doesn't require much to learn how to use it. Here are some other tips:
    
    What's your specialty?
    I'm a tea specialist, so that's what I'm known for and what I help people with. However, I also end up helping other with business development – and with how to use Twitter!
    
    Don't push, share instead 
    Don't use Twitter to directly promote yourself, rather see it as a opportunity to help others.
    
    Give credit to others 
    Promote other people on Twitter (Twit Longer is great if the person you want to acknowledge has a long name!)
    
    Don't give up 
    It's important to acknowledge that it's not an overnight success. Don't give up after the first month!

    Michael Q Todd (@mqtodd) gave the following advice about Twitter:

    Twitter is hard work by yourself – but as a team we can make a massive impact.
    I recommend 10-20 tweets a day for a decent presence.
    This should take you no longer than say 15 minutes
    - 1 tweet about yourself or your business or event
    - 3-5 tweets sharing good info in your niche
    - 3-5 tweets promoting other people
    - 2-3 tweets that are conversational
    - 1-2 inspirational or fun quotes

     

11. Is Twitter for everyone, do you think? 
    
    Yes, it can be. Again, if you text, you can Tweet.

May King finishes the interview with a pearler:

"Social media is democracy at its best. Being a tea specialist, I'm competing with the likes of Lipton, and so on. But social media shows that I can do just as good a job."

If not better, I say. May King proves it.

May King Tsang is thinking about giving a talk about how to use Twitter. If you are in Australia and interested in attending, please send her your expression of interest.

Tweet May King: @MayKingTea

Send a Facebook message: May King Tsang

This post was written by Megan Hills (with the help of May King, of course). Megan is a writer, cartoonist and marketing consultant who can finally see the point of Twitter. Find out more about this almost-feathered Megan

Like Kylie Welsh from Brisbane Woman (interviewed last post: Hobnob Angel, Kylie Welsh…), Bev Ryan founder of Women's Publishing Network is a joy to be around. She has a smile that simply glows. It's the kind of smile that is given with eyes, cheeks and earlobes – without any effort at all, it seems.

Bev's natural warmth and genuine enthusiasm for bringing people together is contagious. So it makes sense that social marketing comes naturally to her. Somehow, that genuine smile has transferred nicely into digital life.

Bev claims that the timing of Women's Publishing Network's membership site move to Facebook - ready for launch in the New Year – was just a coincidence. But it is how the Women's Publishing Network's Facebook 'entity' has been set-up that has been truly artful. Here are some of the ways that the very resourceful Bev Ryan has taken advantage of the Facebook situation. On the site you will find: 

• A discussion board

• Events listings

• Blog sharing – create or add your own blog and add it to NetworkedBlogs

• The facility for members to add photos, video links etc.

• A book store – where members' books are sold  

• E-news subscription 

Here is my chat with Bev about how she got her head around it all.

1. Do you use Facebook for personal purposes? (if so is that how you became comfortable using it?)
   I started using Facebook a few years ago as a way to connect easily with my daughter living in California. Even if we don’t connect personally I can go online and see what she is doing, and check photos etc. I was actually surprised that my four children were happy to add me as a friend. They were the ones to add me as a ‘parent’ to their sites so I was pretty happy about that.
    
2. What made you decide to 'move' WPN to Facebook? 
   When I first set up the free membership site for WPN in early 2009 I used Ning (see Bev's Ning site: Women's Publishing Group). It is so easy to use and provides a lovely connectedness for members when administered well. People have to find their way to the site to sign on though, and I was distracted last year so not a lot was happening there. In the last 2 years I have seen the great connections (and great business) some of the members of WPN are making on Facebook and I felt that media offers an easy way for new people to find us online.
    
3. Are most people involved in WPN regular Facebook-users?
   When I sent an email to all of the members on the Ning site advising them of the move to Facebook, I did receive a couple of emails from members saying they don’t use it. I suggested to them that they opt in to receive my e-newsletter as an email and they were very happy to do that, as they don’t spend time on social network sites.
   Since then however, I have been more active on the Ning site myself and people are connecting very well: I may decide to keep both! Time will tell.
    
4. How did you decide between setting up a standard profile page, a group profile, or a fan page?   
   I took the advice of Jeannie Barker who provides social networking services and is the President of the Gold Coast Writers’ Association (their Facebook page) She has done a great job of getting that group online, and she set up our group page for me.
    
5. How did you decide what functionality elements to use (i.e. e-news subscription, shop, discussion forum, etc.)?
   I want a place where people can discuss aspects of self-publishing and help each other on the discussion boards; where they can ‘join’ my business by opting in to my newsletter; and I want to be able to promote and sell members’ books. I have yet to finalise that aspect of the site using Payvment: it isn’t quite as straight forward as I thought. I have set up the facility for my blogs on my own site to come through onto the facebook site as well, through NetworkedBlogs. Streamlining and connecting is a real timesaver.
    
6. With Facebook being able to do all this, does Women's Publishing Network need a website at all?
   Good question: no, it does not need another site at all. However I feel I will lose a small community if I take the Ning site away at this time, and I don’t want to do that. It is very special and very supportive – just what an online community should be. It is not about numbers – it is about like-minded people finding each other and enjoying each others’ company and input.
    
7. How often to you use Facebook (per day or per week)? 
   I go onto Facebook most days and comment here and there on my personal friend/family page, on my more ‘professional’ page, and am training myself to do the same on the WPN site now.
    
8. Is Facebook something you immediately warmed to and got in the habit of? Or have you forced yourself to use it because so many others do?   
   I find it easy on my family/friend page, as I feel I can relax there and be loose. I find the professional pages a little more challenging, and am still finding my voice. I want to resist the d&m clichéd things that are very common there – everyone is a philosopher of second-hand material it seems. I like the idea of sharing things I find that have substance and/or humour of value. Although I am always surprised when someone poses a simple questions and gets dozens of posts. I feel I have lots to learn!
    
9. What other social media tools do you use?
   Apart from Ning and Facebook, I use Twitter a little, and LinkedIn seldom. My own website/blog is with Wordpress. I discovered on the weekend that they are all linked quite well now so I have no excuse!
    
10. Which social media tool is you favourite and why?
    I love my Ning community – lovely people, small and meaningful group, and lots of features on the site. I have kept the site fresh and clean in appearance and like it that way.
     
11. Would you consider hiring someone to make Facebook comments on your behalf? 
    I may consider it down the track: I would first ensure we share a common philosophy and vision for the pages.
     
12. For all the time you spend using social media, do you feel you get the same value (or more) in return? If so, how?
    At this point the monetary return is not tangible, but I know I am building value in many forms.  
     
13. Are you looking to advertise on Facebook?  
    Maybe, when membership is larger (I pay money for the Ning site to keep their google ads away).
     
14. How easy do you think it will be for those who aren't familiar with WPN to come across your page?
    The more time I spend on Facebook and my other linked social network sites, adding value and helping others, the easier it will be. I want to build a community of good people rather than just attract hordes of faces.

Bev's links 

Ning membership site: www.womenspublishinggroup.ning.com

Wordpress site: www.bevryanpublish.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Womens-Publishing-Network/

This post was written by Megan Hills (with the help of Bev, of course). Megan is a writer, cartoonist and marketing consultant who knew embarrassingly little about NetworkBlogs and Payvment prior to this interview. Find out more about Megan

Kylie Welsh uses social marketing tools better than anyone I know…except maybe Seth Godin (with that said, Kylie seems more enthusiastic about Twitter than Seth).

Kylie is founder and director of Brisbane Woman – an organisation that is dedicated to promoting, educating and connecting women in business. She's usually co-ordinating a busy schedule of networking/workshop nights and masterclasses. But don't worry if you're not in Brisbane. Kylie also has a great blog (where there's also a free member directory) and is about to launch the first of many Brisbane Woman webinars.

If you ever see Kylie you will notice that she is ALWAYS wearing a beautiful dress, looks wonderful in glasses and – for such a dynamic hobnobber – somehow maintains a sweet, quiet humility…quite rare these days.

Perhaps it's because Kylie's a genuine enthusiast – rather than a big 'me' megaphone – that social marketing has worked well for spreading the word about Brisbane Woman.

Here's our chat (my interrogation) about Kylie's experience with Facebook and Twitter:

1. Do you use Facebook for personal purposes too? 
   When I first went on Facebook it was purely for personal use and to keep in touch with my family and friends and share pics. This has totally changed now and I use it for 80% business and 20% personal. It's important to still let your personality shine through and for your Facebook friends to get to know the real you, but you tend to focus more on your business/brand/expertise when making posts and comments. 
    
2. Can you tell what proportion of those involved in Brisbane Woman events regular Facebook and/or Twitter users? (i.e. is it popular with your punters?)
   This tends to ebb and flow a bit. After initially using Twitter for 3 months, I started to get quite a lot of business from this, probably about 30% of new attendees would come via Twitter. I still use Twitter now, but personally prefer Facebook and have ended up investing more time in this. Ideally it would be great to spend equal time on both or outsource this function to an expert who could look after it for you, as they are both very powerful business tools.
    
3. How did you decide between setting up a standard profile page, a group profile, or a fan page on Facebook for Brisbane Woman?  
   I decided a safer option would be to have my main focus on developing 'friends' rather than fans for my business pages or groups, as I was not sure of their longevity as a relationship building tool. I have a Brisbane Woman group and fan page. The fan page is more popular and is a great way to keep updating members and send out invites to events but I find 'friending' people a more effective way to build relationships.
    
4. Did you employ someone Facebook savvy to advise/set it up for Facebook and Twitter profiles for you?
   No, I set them up myself but I think getting an expert is a much better idea. It took me ages. I now outsource some of this function to my VA, who deals with putting my events on and sending out invites also.
    
5. I love how you can see your latest Facebook posts and Twitter tweets on your website. Was that tricky to set-up? 
   That was really easy. I think I typed 'Facebook badge' into the search area of Facebook and they give you step by step instructions. It was the same with Twitter. I did this myself and am pretty non-technical so anyone can do it!
    
6. How often do you use Facebook and Twitter?
   Every day, probably at least 1-2 hours is spent between the two mediums. If I have an event or more marketing is required, this can increase to 3-4 hours.
    
7. Is Facebook something you immediately warmed to and got in the habit of? Or have you forced yourself to use it because so many others do?   
   I thought it was fun but didn't take it too seriously. I could not have imagined how successful it is as business tool. It took me a while to believe it was actually going to work for work, but I persevered as it was fun anyway. Now many new visitors come to my site and events specially from Facebook so I know it is really working.
    
8. How about Twitter?   
   Twitter was more of effort for me personally but I also grew to enjoy this too. Once you start getting results, it's amazing how your enthusiasm increases.
    
9. Which social media tool is your favourite and why?
   Facebook. I love the visual side of facebook: reading detailed comments, pics etc You really are going into to people lives and that makes it feel more personal to me.
    
10. Would you consider hiring someone to make Facebook comments on your behalf? (if yes/no, why?)
    I believe there are social media experts that do this very well, as all of their work and comments links directly to your brand and expertise. I can see how it could work with an expert who will build your credibility and develop your expert status in a niche. They post relevant articles for your readers and find professional groups for you to join etc.  It often comes down to timing, so if you don't have time to do it yourself, it is better to pay someone else, than to not use Facebook at all. I'm probably not quite ready to take that jump now but I would consider it in the future.  Even with my VA doing work for me sometimes on Facebook, you still have control and can ad your personal touches where you want to.
     
11. For all the time you spend using social media, do you feel you get the same value (or more) in return? If so, how?
    Yes I definitely do. I am strict with moderating my time on social media now as I have lost way too much time in the past. I would say 40% of my new clients come from Facebook so that is an amazing result.
     
12. Do you have any words of wisdom/nifty tips for people who are having trouble getting into the Facebook/Twitter thing? 
    - Stick with it for at least 3 months if you want to see results. 
    - Be consistent in your efforts as inconsistency soon becomes very public and does not work well for building your reputation. Set aside a specific time each day and start building momentum. 
    - Be authentic in all your dealings, especially in social media. Virtual friendships can and do lead not only to new customers but new friendships too.
    - Remember to focus on what interesting content or resources, tips, expertise etc. you can provide and not on selling a product or service. Hard sales does not work well in social media. The idea is to peak someone's interest enough for them to click on the link or visit your site.
    - Focus on your audience when writing posts/comments. You will soon feel your confidence building as your realise the great resources you can provide and not on whether you sound 'interesting' enough. We all worry about such things, it's human nature – but you'll get over this soon enough (I promise!)
     
13. Any other comments?
    Have fun with Social Media and experiment with what feels right for your business and you will see the results!

This post was written by Megan Hills (with the help of Kylie, of course). Megan is a writer, cartoonist and marketing consultant who likes how social media can amply reward genuine interest in others – but is conscious that there are plenty of pretenders out there. Find out more about Megan

Do you have a social media speed bump? I confess I do. And it's a big 'un.

In the beginning I enthusiastically set up two Facebook fan pages, two Twitter profiles and a LinkedIn profile. Do I have the urge to get up at the crack 'o dawn to milk these cows? Nope, not often.

Note: the crack 'o dawn feels like the only chance I'll get before the day slams those roller skates on my feet and pushes me off down the wild blue yonder.

I also have three blog sites which are apparently considered social media, too. But as I rarely get a comment on any of them, I put these sites comfortably in the 'Megan Media' pile. 

Another note: Wordpress blogsites are cheaper than counselling sessions.

The challenge

So I thought I'd share with you my new year's resolution (I know, it's not 2011 but I thought I'd get in early before the rush) to find new and exciting ways embrace all these social media platforms that I have created. Actually, one new and exciting way would be a beautiful thing.

And this is for the purposes of promoting 'business' – not to actually be social for the sake of…you know…being social. What are my chances do you think?

Diagnosis

Let's look at what the current problem might be. 'Social media' is essentially chatting to people from a broader online community. You don't need to approach anyone specifically. You can just say something and hope that someone out there is listening and actually cares.

Sounds good, so what's the problem?

• Am I shy?
  I was shy when I was six. Painfully shy. It was so painful for everyone around me that I got over it. 

• Am I afraid of negative judgement or rejection?
  Always, but the fear didn't stop me from starting three blog sites and putting myself on a virtual slab for commentary dissection.

• Am I afraid that no one cares what I have to say?
  It's the old Oscar Wilde saying: "There's one thing worse than being talked about and this is not being talked about"…but there are times when I subscribe to Jean-Paul Satre's: "Hell is other people".
   
• Do I have anything valuable to say that surfaces – niblet-size – into my consciousness at regular intervals?
  "And therein lies the rub," as Hamlet said (and that guy knew all about rubs).

Dem pardy folk

You know those people at parties who manage provide a constant array of quaint witticisms throughout the evening regardless of how much alcohol they have consumed? I am not one of these people. And am one of the other kind. The kind who chuckle so much at their witticisms that I accidently stick my straw into my nostril and spray colourful, sticky cocktail into the ether. 

I believe it is these witticism people who are responsible for the power mustered around social media. The Stephen Frys of this world. Their motivation is to make us feel even less funny than what we feel now. Of course, ultimately, it's all about global domination. 

Nonetheless, if you can't beat them, then chat to them – regularly.

So stay with me…

…please…on what's going to be a stimulating (though sometimes embarrassing) post series. I will be sharing pointers from my research – including interviews with people who use social media to boost business effectively without looking like Hannibal Lecter's pet piranha. And, of course, exposing myself further as a social media incompetent in new and exciting ways.

This post was written by Megan Hills.  Megan is a writer, cartoonist and marketing consultant who likes bluebirds when they are sleeping. Find out more about Megan

If you are my 69 year old retired mother, I'd have to say that Twitter is not vital.  

If you are a corner grocer in an outer suburb, it's possible that putting the majority of your promotional energy into Twitter might not be the most productive step.  

Just in case you are unsure about what Twitter actually is (and, no I won't titter at your bemusement, because in some ways I'm still working out what Twitter actually is): Twitter is an online social marketing tool where you can create a profile and send out messages (Tweets) that are up to 140 characters long.  

Many assume that being in marketing means that I am not only Twitter-savvy, I am also Twitter-obsessed.  I have to be honest…I’m not obsessed (as mentioned in my Burnout post on Twitter).  But I do have two Twitter profiles and I enjoy Tweeting when the urge takes me.

David Risley's view

David Risely, a very successful blogger who blogs about…well, blogging…says that:
“The people who fail to find value in Twitter
are the ones who are socially inept in real life.”  
David Risley's full post on 'Social Media Gripes'.

I'm not sure how tongue-in-cheek this statement is supposed to be.  It certainly tickled my funny bone.  Of course, it might be a sad raspberry to those who used to say that internet communicators (i.e. 'geeks') are those who are socially inept in real life.   Perhaps some well-meaning souls still stand by this claim.  But they are rapidly turning into the minority.  In general terms, I think this ‘geek-hunt’ was a phase and most of us have moved on.  

Of course, the more serious implication to David's statement is that being socially-savvy in real life means having to be on Twitter.    

So who’s socially inept in real life: those who Tweet or those who don’t?

If I had to pick one or the other I’d probably say ‘both – sometimes’.

Let’s put this in some perspective

UK comedian Stephen Fry appeared on the Graham Norton Show this year (5 Dec 2009, UK date).  Stephen, famous for his witty one-liners, is a well-known Tweeter.  So during the show Graham asked the audience to raise their hands if they had a profile on Twitter.  A surprisingly unimpressive number held up their hands.  It was almost embarrassing.  But it doesn’t stop Stephen Fry to continue his enthusiastic feather flutterings.  And why should it?   

Twitter is growing pretty fast though…

Neilsens, a measurement company, gave their Twitter growth assessment earlier in 2009.  In a nutshell, they said that unique visitors to Twitter increased 1,382 percent year-over-year, from 475,000 unique visitors in February 2008 to 7 million in February 2009, making it the fastest growing site in the Member Communities category.

But back to that perspective thing…I know people who have generated great business leads through Twitter.  But we all know people who are massively successful without a Twitter profile too.  So what should you do?

Are those you want to reach feathered?

The importance of Twitter depends on who you are trying to engage with.  Quantcast released its 2009 Twitter-user demographic findings (US only): Young (18-34), women (but only just), no or few kids (0-2), well-educated but less affluent ($0-$60k).  Apparently African Americans are particularly partial to Twitter. 

Neilsens reported Twitter as definitely an adult’s game, not teens.  And mostly working adults who have time to Tweet from the office.

Is this any help? 

Well it’s nice to know the big picture.  But Twitter really is about finding your niche within the big picture.  This means finding like-minded souls through ‘search’ and twibes, etc. 

Once you start, you might find you like it.  Give it a trial and see what the experience brings.

Rumour has it…You Tube (already big) is about to explode…Ready to jump on another bandwagon? 

Megan Hills is a writer, marketing consultant and cartoonist – more about Megan

Are you pleasantly intrigued by all this Twitter squawking?  Or are begrudgingly forcing yourself into it because you want more online presence?  Either way, it’s best to get your foundation right so you can soar on this blue-hued site.  

What is the first step to setting up your Twitter profile?  Choosing your Twitter name.  And this is important.  I’ve done the research.  So here are ten tips to help you in the virtual aviary:

1. Letters, numbers, etc.
Your username on Twitter can consist of letters (upper or lowercase), numbers, and underscores.  But avoid underscores and uppercase (find out why in point #2).   And avoid numbers (see point #4 for that one).

2.  Keep it short
You name needs to be easy to remember AND easy to type.  People are now tweeting by phone, so names that are easy to phone-type is now essential.  That also means avoiding underscores (apparently it’s tricky for phone users).  Also avoid uppercase, as lowercase makes for easier typing on the follower’s part.  
Note: The case you apply when typing your username is what other people will see. 

3.  Another reason to keep it short
When communicating on Twitter, you only have 140 characters for your message. When you tweet, your username isn’t part of that count.  However, when someone replies to you, your @username becomes part of the message. The same rule applies for re-tweeting, with ‘RT@username’ being part of the re-tweet message.

4.  Look good – avoid underscores and numbers
Choosing underscores and numbers makes it clear that you didn’t get the first name you wanted.  Apparently this puts a dent in your Tweeting prowess.

5.  Don’t mix business with pleasure
Your friends aren’t necessarily your target market for business, so mixing pleasure with business means your messages are likely to appear inappropriate or confusing.

6.  Don’t mix niches
If you have multiple niches, have multiple Twitter names.  It helps to build credibility.  Plus mixing marketing messages with health messages, for example, will just confuse your followers.

7.  Using your personal name
When I was thinking of using my name Megan Hills was already taken.  But I could have tried any of the following: meganjhills (using my name’s middle initial, from Jane), meganjane, meganh, meganjanehills, msmeganhills, mshills, msmhills, or meg.  If you are better known – professionally – from a nickname, consider using that instead.

8.  Your business name or blog name
Consider using your business name or blog name for Twitter.  But make sure your Twitter username is a clear representation of your original name, so your clients and customers can find you easily.

9. Combination of your personal name and business name (or your industry)
Having a name-industry combo is handy if you want to remind others of the industry you are in and reinforce your area of specialty.  A double-whammy approach.

10.  Changing your Twitter name
You can change your Twitter name down the track.  But if your network is big, it could cause some confusion.  Try to get it right from the start.

I have two profiles:

@meganmything (for marketing, writing and cartooning information)
@myburnoutthing (if you’re specifically interested in burnout and related health issues – relates directly to my blog site: www.myburnoutthing.com) 

Looking forward to tweeting with you soon.