To tweet or not to tweet? That is the question meeting planners, facilitators, speakers and attendees are asking when it comes to meetings.  Well, they may not REALLY be asking about twitter specifically but they are asking, What is the role of social media in meetings?

Today, I was asked to share my opinion on how social media should be used for a facilitation session of up to 25 people.

Here’s what I said:

The most important role of social media (in my opinion) is post-meeting to keep the discussion going among those who attended and extending the discussions to other key people who didn’t attend.

To set the stage for a successful online conversation later, I recommend taking time at the in-person meeting to answer the following questions and make sure everyone understands the plan:

1. Where will the ongoing discussion will take place? Facebook (group or page), LinkedIn Group, Google Group
2. What are the objectives for the continuing conversation?
3. Who will be included (public, private, by invitation)? Can attendees invite people who didn’t attend the live meeting?
5. Who will moderate/motivate/manage online discussions & handle group access issues if any?
6. Who (what team of people) will get the initial content out on the group or page to frame the initial conversations?

In regard to day of meeting social media activity, a few positive tweets or status updates by those who love to post in the moment will spread goodwill about your organization and likely won’t disrupt the group process. However, I typically recommend protecting the in person face time from distractions of structured social media. With a group of 25 or so, everyone should be able to have a voice (in person). Using tools such as Twitter to poll or facilitate result in an added burden to the facilitator (even if the feedback is all positive) and it would likely disrupt the flow of live discussions.

What do you think? Have you used successfully used social media in large or small meetings? If so, what did you do and how did it work? Be sure and describe the group size and setting also.

From retailers and restaurants to law firms and local churches, the typically not so attractive QR Codes (Quick Response Codes) are everywhere.

But, why are they being used?

If you’ve ever typed in a search term, a new contact or a URL on a smart phone, you will appreciate the benefit of QR Codes. QR Codes enable smart phone users to replace typing with scanning.  How do you scan? EASY! Once you install a QR Code Reader app (there are many to choose from) , you simply open the app and point your phone’s camera at the code and off you go to perform the QR Code’s instructions.

QR Codes can take you EASILY to all kinds of virtual destinations on your smart phone: websites, PDF docs or contact info to be added to your contact list.

Let me give you some examples:

Retailer:  A Nursery can place QR Codes on the plastic plant tabs with a link to a website with info on what is required to care for that plant.

Restaurant: A restaurant can place a QR Code on the table signage with a question like “What do you want for dessert?” The QR code links to a video or image gallery of dessert choices. Want to make it social? Ask them to LIKE or SHARE on your Facebook page which dessert looks best to them.

Law Firm: A law firm can make it easy for attorneys to share contact info on business cards by adding a QR Code that stores contact data in the VCard file format.

Religious Institutions: Churches can make it easy for people to take the message home by using a QR Code on the Sunday bulletins or worship folders. The QR Code links to a PDF of sermon notes or a website that archives videos of sermons.

QR Codes help smart phone users access information with ease. Ready to create one of your own? That’s EASY too.  Check out these QR Code Creation tools: QR Stuff (VERY Easy)  Raco Industries (Advanced.)

As you explore the use of QR Codes for your business, think first about the kind of information people are looking for in a mobile setting when they are engaging with your business.  One of the primary ways to make QR Codes helpful is to use them to link mobile users to info they want and need without having type on their mobile phones.

Are you using QR Codes in your business? I’d love to hear how. Share your ideas here!

Are you stuck when it comes to writing status updates,  publishing blog posts or shooting videos for youtube?

Creating good content (useful, valuable content) for social media (blogs, Facebook, twitter, Linked, Youtube) can be a daunting task.

A great exercise to get your content flowing is to identify the common questions that prospects ask about your industry, expertise, products or services.

January’s Webinar is past. February is around the corner. Register now! https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/655428234

Happy New Year!

Are you happy about using social media for business? 
Happy or not, I hope you will join me today for the
The Daily Expansion Show,
a monthly webinar to equip people for social business.

Today, we are talking about how to create a REASONABLE social media plan—one you can REALLY fit into your schedule. We’ll talk about what’s new, what’s working and what isn’t. The core goal is to help you strengthen your relationship with clients and prospects in 2012. Do you need to do that?

If you haven’t registered yet, do it now.

Today’s the day to expand your business online.
The webinar begins at Noon CT.

Social media can be a challenge just like a good physical work out. It is like taking that daily walk or run to get and stay fit. The Daily Expansion Show will keep your business moving. You can walk, run or pick your own pace with your prospects and clients every day all year long on the social web. Will you join me?

Register Now: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/726788522

Start your new year off right by completing this 10 minute exercise:

1. Write down the names of 3 people who helped you develop yourself or your business in 2011. Then, show your gratitude by sending them a thank you card, email or message on a social network.

2. Write down 3 ways you added professional value to others in 2011. Then, congratulate yourself out loud.

You may be thinking, What does this have to do with social media?
It has everything to do with the effective use of social media for business. Read on.

3. To build solid business relationships on the social web, it is essential to add professional value to others and show appreciation for those who add professional value to you. The final step in this exercise is to copy, write down or save the sentence above in your Personal Social Media Guidelines file. Don’t have one? Start one now.

Happy New Year!
And, if you haven’t registered for the January 4th, Noon CT premiere of The Daily Expansion Show-a free webinar, do it now: Register NOW!

WordPress 3.3 Users:  I was able to solve the inactive Visual Tab problem by installing the Use Google Libraries plugin.

Description of problem: After the upgrade to 3.3, the visual tab was no longer accessible. Posts could only be edited in HTML.

To see if your theme is the problem, install Twenty Eleven, activate it and test.

To see if your plugins are the problem, deactivate all and test.

Goals and Objectives.

Strategy.  Tactics.  Logisitics.

All of the above are essential for business growth.

Take a quick assessment:

• 1. Have you written your goals for 2012?
• 2. Developed your marketing strategy?
• 3. Defined the tactics?
• 4. Mapped the logistics?

If you answered no to any (or all) of the questions, don’t be discouraged.
You can start preparing for 2012 business growth right now.

Let’s keep it simple. The most common goal among professional service providers is this:

Increase my client base.

Is this one of your goals for 2012? If so, right or type it right now in a place that will be visible to you daily.
Your strategy will need to be unique but the tactics don’t have to be.

Here are 5 tactics you don’t want to leave out of your 2012 online marketing strategy:

1. Build and nurture your email list (client and prospect base) by providing timely answers to problems they face. Email has been around since the early 90’s but it is still the hub of business communications.

Daystar New Media Client Example: Last year, a decades old insurance provider entered the email marketing arena by compiling an email client list.  The second email newsletter they sent out to the list contained info on how to protect property with adequate flood insurance coverage.  They were careful to include a call to action: Buy a new flood policy or increase flood coverage. The results were immediate. They received 15 calls resulting in 7 new policies from a single email.  Have you emailed your clients lately?

2. Commit to blogging your expertise. Unlike PPC, print ads and in-person networking, the value of the blog investment grows exponentially over time.

Daystar New Media Client Example:  Two years ago, one of my clients, a law firm, committed to blogging for the purpose of building visibility and credibility with a very targeted commercial audience in the legal industry.  The pay off for the more than 200 posts, has been an increase in visits from 800+ in year 1 to 8000+ in year 2. Unique visitors are up from 300+ in year 1 to 5000+ in year 2. ROI has also come in the form of conversation and feedback about the blog from important stakeholders and industry leaders. You can’t buy that with ads. Have you increased your traffic and your credibility strategically?

3. Create short, passionate video messages that contain content to HELP your audience accomplish their goals and overcome their challenges.

Daystar New Media Client Example: A commercial real estate company plans to provide informational videos to introduce not only the unique client workspace available at his location but also become the resource about how to utilize commercial tax credits, a complicated but very valuable opportunity for businesses. What content could you offer in video format that would HELP your clients/prospects?

4. Communicate with your clients & followers regularly using status updates. Use this space to offer quick actionable content such as tips and best practices. Make it worth their time to read what you post.

Daystar New Media Client Example: A real estate company maintains statistics on local home price trends and publishes them on the company web site.  Using social media status updates, this info is streamed out across social networks increasing the company’s visibility and driving traffic back to the website.  What content is sitting on your web site that is under-utilized?

5. Create a core message that you deliver in person to quickly communicate the value you offer on your blog, email list and/or social media spaces.

Daystar New Media Client Example: A CPA Firm partner regularly attends networking events.  He plans and practices his 30-second introduction. In 2012, after clearly stating the firm name and website, he’ll invite small business owners to subscribe to the firm blog so they can learn how to increase their profits by earning and keeping more money.  Let the people you meet in person know what’s in it for them to subscribe your blog, visit your facebook page or follow you on twitter.

To learn how we can help with your 2012 online marketing plan, contact us at info@daystarnewmedia.com or call 504-210-7690.

About Michelle Cullison: Michelle is an acclaimed professional speaker, author, and the President of Daystar New Media, Inc.  Since 1993, she has helped hundreds of clients expand their businesses from web site to the web presence.   Michelle knows how to leverage the power of the social web with tools like WordPress, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.   Today, through her speaking, training and consulting services, she equips companies to expand from web site to web presence by developing and implementing effective social media strategies.

The call for help came early this morning! “Help! I scheduled my blog articles and they didn’t publish!”
Wordpress is usually a REALLY faithful tool so I immediately logged into the client’s wordpress site to see if I could find the problem.

It appeared that none of the articles were marked as Scheduled. All the problem articles were showing up as Drafts. Of course, that was the problem. But, why did this client think the article was scheduled?

I opened one of the suspect drafts and found that there was a scheduled time and date entered for each draft. But, the articles didn’t get posted because they didn’t make it to the Scheduled Queue.

Like most things, it’s simple once you know the routine. But, if you are new to WordPress, the number of options available can be quite confusing.  Here’s the sequence required to get those scheduled posts out of Draft mode and into the Scheduled Queue:

1. Enter the date and time.
2. Click OK.
3. Click the Schedule button.

The problem: After clicking OK to save the scheduled time, the Save Draft Button was clicked.

Tip: Look carefully at the options in WordPress and in other new media tools when you are ready to publish, post a status update or tweet. What buttons and options are available? Take a minute to explore them.  Determine what the dialogue boxes are REALLY asking you. Since platforms like WordPress, Facebook, LinkedIn (and ______) are constantly changing, your options may not be what they were last time.  Taking 1 minute to really examine the options can save you time and help you utilize new features more quickly.

If you are looking for more structured learning about new media tools like WordPress, Daystar New Media, Inc. offers one-on-one  online training  to help you get up to speed quickly with WordPress and other new media tools.
Contact us at info@daystarnewmedia.com or call 504-210-7690 to learn more.

About the author: Michelle Cullison, President of Daystar New Media, knows how to leverage the power of WordPress, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn (and more) to strengthen the brand and expand the reach of businesses.  Since 1993, she has helped hundreds of businesses utilize the Web to its fullest business potential. Today, through her speaking, training and consulting services, Michelle equips companies to expand from a website to a web presence by developing and implementing a social media strategy. Connect with Michelle on Linkedin.

You might be macabre if…your facebook page is a cemetery for updates and posts from years gone by.  No living souls post to it…only some ghoulish spammers.

You might be macabre if... you let your web designer handle your domain name and website updates. Then-YIKES- he disappears: dies, goes out of business, gets too busy. It’s been ___ weeks or is it months? Your in the Domain Dungeon and your content is getting very chilly.

You might be macabre if…your company sales rep accidentally tweets on the company profile that he hates the small town he is visiting today. He’s there for a sales meeting. Local news picks up the tweet and broadcasts it. It’s called Twitter Terror!

You might be macabre if...you didn’t measure your marketing efforts in 2011 and now you don’t know how to prove ROI on anything-web  site expansion, blog, Facebook, Twitter, Email Marketing or  _____.  You and the CEO are really SPOOKED.

You might be macabre if...your social media strategy document is covered in cobwebs. It hasn’t been accessed since February. You wish you had been #accountable. You wish your #ROI was clear. Your haunted by the 2011 #Sales reality.

Tired of being macabre on the social web? Don’t be.

Become a Magnificent Social Media Manager.

Join Michelle Cullison for the Social Media Magnificent Webinar Series.

Tuesdays Nov. 29, Dec. 6 and Dec. 13 at 1 PM CT or 7 PM CT (Your choice)

Can’t make the session? Recording will be provided.  Learn more.

Register by midnight Nov 1st for an extra TREAT.

Connections. Friends. Followers. Credibility. Visibility. Reach. Influence.

This is the language of Social Media.

A web site is no longer enough.  People want availability and interaction.  Decision makers are struggling to determine which communication channels to use, what to publish, how to engage and manage conversations and who in the organization is responsible.  To achieve success in the social spaces, companies need to expand daily. This requires:

1. A strategy tied to defined organizational objectives.
2. Systems to manage content, conversations and teams.
3. People who understand the language, culture and tools of the social web.

While the tools are new, we’re not.  From modems and Mosaic (circa 1993) to the social web of 2010,  Michelle Cullison, President of Daystar New Media, has been applying internet technology to meet the business objectives of  her clients.

Are you Ready to expand your business EVERY DAY? Start reading the blog, susbscribe to my enewsletter and contact me to book a free 20-minute phone consult.