Oct 28, 2017 |
by Molly Jo Realy @MollyJoRealy
So, there’s a bit of a disconnect sometimes when I tell peeps I work with social media. I’m not saying my mom is gonna flash onto to Facebook or so many people will suddenly make my posts go viral. (Although, if it’s for positive reasons, I ain’t gonna lie: That’d be okay with me.)
While I love helping y’all grow your internet presence, there’s one thing you gotta do both on and off the wires: Ya gotta network.
Frankly, My Dear . . . : Social Media Saturday
With the new day job I get to attend weekly Chamber of Commerce meetings. My city is one of several in the area, but the only that doesn’t limit our meetings to just a monthly luncheon. Ain’t that sweet!
And at these meetings, we, well, meet. We do the Grip & Grin. The Meet & Greet. The Hi & Hug. However you want to say it, we each go out of our way to connect with those around us.
Social media is the same thing. You have to extend a hand in order for others to have something to hold on to. You can’t grow your online presence, your reputation, or your friends list, just by sitting stagnant.
#Trustme.
One of the best things you can do is to reach out to others and let them know how your presence benefits their day. Whether it’s in person or online, your peeps want to know they matter.
And since I want you to know YOU matter, I’m opening up the comments on this post for all y’all to share your links. (Please note that comments will be moderated. They must be your personal or professional links. Any extraneous or inappropriate comments and links will be deleted, and commenter may be blocked. Check back frequently to follow your fellow commenters.)
Ain’t that just a slice of peach pie for your coffee?
TWEET THIS: #SocialMedia Saturday: It’s All About Your #Network @MollyJoRealy
With a large coffee and a like button,
Happy following!
~Molly Jo
And Frankly, My Dear . . . That’s all she wrote!
Oct 23, 2017 |
by Edie Melson @EdieMelson
I teach writers how to build an online platform by investing thirty minutes a day in social media. I do this by utilizing a scheduling program (my favorite is Hootsuite). But, I also caution them not to spend much time talking about themselves, reminding them about Edie’s 5-to-1 rule.
For every 5 social media updates you share on any network,
you are only allowed 1 about yourself.
Remember, social media is not advertising. It’s a way of connecting with others online. These connections will come into play and be your cheerleaders when you are promoting a book or sharing something you care about. But we don’t start with what’s in it for us, we start with what’s in it for them.
Frankly, My Dear . . . : Valuable Social Media
The key to only spending a short time each day scheduling social media updates is having a ready library of things to share. Today I’m going to teach you how to have the resources you need—always on hand—for valuable social media updates.
The Basics
Before you can build a library of resources, you need a focus for your social media updates. Your social media personality needs to have a focus. Just like an unfocused blog, a social media personality that posts about everything under the sun isn’t going to garner many followers. It doesn’t have to be just one thing, but it should be well-defined.
My focus for social media updates covers four areas. Yours will probably be something different, but that’s okay. The process is the same:
- Social media how-to for writers, business owners, non-profits, and ministries.
- Writing instruction and inspiration.
- Things to help military families and the communities that support them.
- Prayer/devotional thoughts.
These are the four primary topics I share about on social media.
I go to three basic places to find things to share on these topics.
- Blogs and sites I read regularly (I make sure I get email notifications when something new is shared on one of these sites).
- Social media updates that others share.
- Hashtags and people I follow on social media—especially on Twitter.
I refer to these resources as my library. But they are only helpful if I already have them close at hand. If I have to spend time searching through websites or scanning social media every time I want to schedule updates, thirty minutes isn’t nearly long enough.
Join me next month and I’ll share my tips on how to build the library.
Now I’d like to hear from you. Any questions about the specifics? Tips that you’ve found to help gather valuable social media updates? Be sure to leave your thoughts in the comments section below.
Don’t forget to join the conversation!
Blessings,
Edie
TWEET THIS: Helpful tips for valuable #socialmedia updates. @MollyJoRealy @EdieMelson
And Frankly, My Dear . . . That’s all she wrote!
Edie Melson
Find your voice, live your story…is the foundation of Edie Melson’s message, no matter if she’s addressing parents, military families or writers. As an author, blogger, and speaker she’s encouraged and challenged audiences across the country and around the world. Connect with her on her blog and through Twitter and Facebook.You can also connect with Edie through Twitter and Facebook.
Oct 21, 2017 |
by Molly Jo Realy @MollyJoRealy
Are you serving up your media with flavor?
I know, you’re thinking, “What the heck is that?!”
Lemme tell ya with an example.
We all (okay, not all-all, but mostly-all) like coffee. But we don’t all like it the same way.
I sometimes take my coffee flavored. I sometimes drink it black.
ELF takes his with sugar.
Gibbs takes his coffee with coffee. (He’s Gibbs. He can do whatever he wants.)
The thing is, when it comes to reaching your audience, you need to think of yourself as a barista. You can serve it up your style, but for your customers, you need to know how they take it. Right?
Coffee is the starter base for what we do. It’s what we add to it, and how we serve our guests, that determines if they come back for more. The same for social media.
Frankly, My Dear . . . : Now Serving With Flavor
There’s a lot that goes into being a social media barista. You must have a knowledge of where your customers hang, what they like to drink, and how they like to drink it. I’m not gonna tell all y’all to drink your coffee black. Neither am I gonna strip down my posts to info-only-no-personality-please. That’s equivalent to water without fruit infusion. It’s good for some peeps, but not for my crowd.
Now, if you’re Gibbs, I’m adding coffee on coffee on coffee. If you’re ELF, I’m gonna put a small coffee in a large cup and just add sugar. And if you’re me, well, I’m just gonna smile and ask what kind of mood you’re in.
My point is, wake up, smell the coffee, and serve it to your people in the style you’re all accustomed to. Ain’t nothing better than a fine cup of joe with your peeps. Unless it’s a fine cup of joe with your peeps, and pie. Am I right?
Frankly, My Dear . . . : Goes Well With Coffee
TWEET THIS: Social Media Saturday: Now Serving with Flavor @MollyJoRealy #socialmedia #coffee
With a big mug and a clean apron,
Happy serving!
~Molly Jo
And Frankly, My Dear . . . : That’s all she wrote!
Oct 14, 2017 |
by Molly Jo Realy @MollyJoRealy
Earlier this week, the unthinkable happened. I couldn’t get into Facebook. Or Instagram. Not terribly heart-attack inducing, until my cohort Irene messaged me “Please tell me your Facebook account wasn’t deleted!” So of course, I did the only thing I could: I panicked.
I Googled “Facebook broke” and whoa-hoh. The ensuing disaster happened before my internet eyes. There in digital black and white was confirmation that both sites were down, and had been for a few hours, worldwide.
Now, my peeps are often scaring warning preparing me for the apocalyptic EMP that will someday take the world wide web, and my life, down with it. Can I just say this little glimpse into the future did not–I repeat, did not–make the warm and fuzzies show up.
The worst was when no one else could access their accounts, either. Or maybe that was the best. I mean, at least I wasn’t alone in my aloneness. Know what I mean?
Thoughts in rapid-fire succession came to me:
- How will I contact my besties?
- How can I blog?
- How long will this last?
- Do I have any other survival skills?
- Why can’t I feel my fingertips?
- When will the room stop spinning?
- How long before my dead body is found, crumpled in a heap at the foot of my MacBook Pro?
Don’t laugh.
I made good use of my five minutes of rediscovery. I made a meme. Only thing was, I couldn’t post it until the event was over.
Frankly, My Dear . . . : The Day the Internet Broke
Sure. It’s funny now. But not during. It was a hit to my social media funny bone.
So let’s not do it again, web.
[Note to self: Remember the digital isn’t the only world out there. I know, I’m laughing too. But they say it’s true.]
Tell me, what do you do when your social media doesn’t work?
TWEET THIS: Social Media Saturday: The Day the Internet Broke @RealMojo68 #socialmedia #facebook #instagram
With a working connection and building connections,
Happy posting!
~Molly Jo
And Frankly, My Dear . . . : That’s all she wrote!
Oct 7, 2017 |
by Molly Jo Realy @MollyJoRealy
So a while ago I told y’all what memes are. Then I shared the power of three. That was fun. The power of three was a fun post to share. [See what I did there?]
Today I want to combine the above with one more: Your Message.
Let’s say you’re in the kitchen and don’t know what to cook. You have chicken in the fridge, but you’re not sure how to use it. Whatcha gonna do? Call Ghostbusters? [Sorrynotsorry. Had to throw a little October in here somehow.]
Frankly, My Dear . . . : What’s Your Social Media Recipe?
Back to the cooking without direction thing. If you don’t know what to do with the chicken, there are a few possibilities:
- You can let it sit in the fridge until it stinks
- You can eat it raw and get sick
- You can try to cook it and hope it turns out okay
- You can look for a recipe and give it a go
Where do you start when you don’t have a recipe but you know you need one? You ask, right? You call Mom, you Google “How to cook a chicken”, you buy yourself a cookbook. Whatever it takes. You research.
Now, let’s flip the switch. Let’s suppose you’re the one with the information. How are you gonna get that fresh-out-of-college, I-has-no-skills person to pick up your recipe? Easy peasy. You let them know you have it.
Social media platforms are your time to shine. This is where you say, “I have this to offer,” and then . . . wait for it . . . you offer it! Crazy, right?! I know, but there it is all sweet and sassy like the tea you know I drink.
- Don’t know what platforms to use? Ask.
- Not sure how to do it? Check Google.
- Hit or miss on your message? Try a few recipes. Change it up. Make it your own.
And don’t forget the seasonings. Ain’t nobody like eating a dry chicken. Add some fixins to the mixin’ and pretty soon you’ll be selling your recipe like the pro you know you are.
Ooh, one more morsel before I go: You won’t always be perfectly original. And a few times you’ll burn the toast. But when you find your stride, take what you’re given and add your own touches, you can make it better. Practice makes perfect. So don’t stop learning. Ever.
Frankly, My Dear . . . : F. Scott Fitzgerald
Now. Get out there and season your world!
TWEET THIS: What’s your social media recipe? @RealMojo68 #socialmedia #foodie #recipe
With a dash of media and sprinkling of marketing,
Happy Socialing!
~Molly Jo
And Frankly, My Dear . . . That’s all she wrote!
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