A Survival Guide to Social Media and Web 2.0 Optimization Webinar Series presents:

Integrating your Social Web presence.

Tuesday, November 17th, 11am to 12pm CST – $99

Level: Advanced – This session assumes the user has a fair understanding of social media tools and how to use them.

The Social Web has evolved into a integrated system based on RSS feeds, widgets, applications, and plugins. Learn how to take advantage of these technologies and maximize your time and resources spent in the Social Web.

This session will cover how to integrate your Social sites and tools by:

• Feeding your blog posts into other social sites
• Using applications to integrate social tools and sites
• Implementing widgets and badges
• Using plugins in WordPress and other CMSs
• Using integration tools like Ping.fm and HootSuite

Registration is limited, so sign up now!

Go to http://www.socialmediapower.com/webinars to register.

1. Burn your feed to FeedBurner.com. Take advantage of the optimization and analytics features they offer.
2. Offer alternate ways for readers to subscribe to your feed. Use FeedBurner tools like email subscriptions and subscription buttons like the ones on AddtoAny.com to offer more choices for your readers.
3. Add your feed to as many feed directories as you can. Don’t assume that just because a service is being pinged (notified) about your posts, that your feed is listed in their directory. Start by claiming your blog at Technorati.com. Then use the toprankblog blog directory list to find more.
4. Import your feed into your social networking sites. Facebook allows you to import RSS feeds into your profile and offers applications for you to import feeds into Facebook pages. LinkedIn offers an application to include your feed in your profile. And you can use a tool like HootSuite.com to import your feed into your Twitter account.
5. Create a lifestream or social page. Start an account with a  lifestreaming service like FriendFeed or create a page on a social site like Squidoo. Import your feed into your new accounts along with relevant information from your other Social Web accounts.

Though these tips will help improve the reach of your RSS feed or blog, the best way to get more subscribers is to regularly generate as much quality and on-topic content as you can.

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Get the critically acclaimed book: A Survival Guide to Social Media and Web 2.0 Optimization

Copyright 2009 by Deltina Hay. All rights reserved.
Deltina Hay is the principal of Dalton Publishing and founder of  Plumb Social.com

This book excerpt from A Survival Guide to Social Media and Web 2.0 Optimization: Strategies, Tactics, and Tools for Succeeding in the Social Web by Deltina Hay contains Chapter 7 of the book in its entirety as well as links to all of the forms and resources for that chapter.

So, if you are reading these chapter posts in order, you will want get your hands on this teaser while Chapter 7 (about social bookmarking and crowd-sourcing) is still fresh in your mind.

Chapter Seven of A Survival Guide to Social Media and Web 2.0 Optimization: Social Bookmarking & Crowd-Sourcing on Scribd.com.

Enjoy!

The following excerpts are from A Survival Guide to Social Media and Web 2.0 Optimization: Strategies, Tactics, and Tools for Succeeding in the Social Web by Deltina Hay

Copyright 2009 by Deltina Hay. All rights reserved.

###

A Social Bookmarking Strategy
The first thing to do is get a good feel for a number of social bookmarking sites. There are some popular sites listed at the end of this chapter and on the resource CD. Choose a couple that represent your interests. If you do not feel inclined to do the research, I recommend starting with Delicious.com, Technorati, and StumbleUpon. Using these three sites should give you a broad reach into the world of social bookmarking. Before you begin using a bookmarking site, it’s important to become familiar with the guidelines. Some sites are much more stringent than others about bookmarking your own sites, or representing a business of any sort. It is best to go forward informed rather than risk getting a reputation for ignoring the rules, or worse, getting banned from a site.

As you develop your social bookmarking strategy, keep in mind that the Social Web is about interacting, sharing, and collaboration—not self promotion. Bookmark, tag, and comment on sites that interest you, and connect with others who share similar interests. You will be amazed at how many people you ultimately reach. There is nothing wrong with
bookmarking your own Web pages or blog posts, as long as the site allows it; just balance those contributions with others.

I know I sound like a broken record on this point, but fill out your profiles completely! You don’t want to go through the trouble of bookmarking a bunch of sites, only to have others not even know how to find your Website if they find your bookmarks engaging enough to click through to your profile.

Create a list of your best key terms to use as tags and use them as often as they apply to the sites you bookmark. Use your best tags within the descriptions you give each of your bookmarked sites as well. Many of the social bookmarking sites have developed social networking characteristics as well. If available, you should join groups that are relevant to your area of expertise or interest, and subscribe to email updates for those groups.

A Crowd-Sourcing Strategy
Crowd-sourced news sites are different from social bookmarking sites in that they focus on sharing news and information about stories, Websites, and blogs, as opposed to sharing bookmarks to Websites or blogs. As a result, you want to use a different strategy for these sites than you would social bookmarking sites.

There are a lot of crowd-sourced news sites out there, so you may want to explore a number of the sites we mention at the end of this chapter in the book or on the resource CD to get a feel for them. You should be able to choose a few sites that are good fits for your message.

As always, fill out your profiles completely so that others can find their way to you easily.

Add some of your more newsworthy blog posts, Web pages, or online press releases to each of your chosen crowd-sourced news sites. Pay close attention to each site’s submission guidelines and do not add information that does not adhere to their guidelines or is not a good fit for the site. When considering whether to add something to one of these sites, ask yourself if it is something you would find newsworthy and if you would naturally share it with others. Just like with social bookmarking sites, be sure to offset your own content by contributing other content as well. You will get a natural following of readers from these sites if you contribute regularly and engage in the conversations that happen around topics of interest. The advantage to this strategy is that you can hone in on your target audience by seeking out and commenting on topics relevant to your product, book, or message.

Many of these sites have also added social networking features, so explore any additional ways the sites may offer to connect, such as groups.

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Beyond strategies for social bookmarking and crowd-sourcing, this chapter also includes real world examples of social bookmarking and crowd-sourcing in action, as well as lists of some popular social bookmarking and crowd-sourcing sites, such as Technorati and StumbleUpon, reddit and Mixx, respectively. The resource CD offers linkable resources and four fillable PDF forms called “Social Bookmarking Strategy,” “Crowd-Sourcing Strategy,” “Social Bookmarking & Crowd-Sourcing Submission Form,” and “Social Bookmarking & Crowd-Sourcing Tracking Form.”

A Survival Guide to Social Media and Web 2.0 Optimization: Strategies, Tactics, and Tools for Succeeding in the Social Web by Deltina Hay

416 Pages, Indexed, Resource CD with fillable forms.

Buy from Amazon or…

Exclusive offer for Social Media Power readers: $18.00 including US shipping:

The following excerpts are from A Survival Guide to Social Media and Web 2.0 Optimization: Strategies, Tactics, and Tools for Succeeding in the Social Web by Deltina Hay

Copyright 2009 by Deltina Hay. All rights reserved.

###

Creating Facebook Pages

Once you have a Facebook account and have completed your profile, log in to Facebook, and go to the “Advertising” link at the bottom of your Facebook profile page, or go directly to the Facebook business link.

Choose the best category for your business, book, or product. The three main categories are: local business; brand or product; and artist, band, or public figure. You can choose a subcategory as well. If you offer a number of different services or products, you may want to create several pages. For instance, if you are a publisher, you may want to create a main page for your publishing company using the “brand or product” category and individual pages using the “Artist, Band, or Public Figure” category for each of your authors.

Choosing the name of your Facebook page is very important. You are limited to around 65 characters, so make them count. The name of your Facebook page determines how well your page performs in searches.

The next step is to input detailed information about your business or product. Click on “add information” on your new page to do this.

The category you chose in the previous step determines what type of information you can enter. For example, the “Artist, Band, and Public Figure” category highlights Personal Interests, whereas the “Brand or Product” category asks for a Company Overview and Mission Statement.

Regardless of the category you choose, prepare the information you enter here ahead of time. Use your preparation worksheet to populate your page with all of your best information and key terms. You may only have a few seconds to get a reader’s attention, so put your best key terms forward. At this stage, click on every tab and fill each box thoroughly, reusing your key terms often. Be certain to upload an image to the “Picture” tab as well.

Once you input your detailed information, you can customize or remove the built-in applications for your page. Clicking on “edit” beside any one of these gives you more information about what they are and how to use them. Click on “view page” to see these applications in action on your page.

As an example, click on “edit” beside the “Notes” application. You can add manual notes to your page, or you can import a blog that feeds your latest blog posts onto your Facebook page using this application. There are many more applications you can add to your page. Click on “More Applications” at the bottom of the edit page or go to the Facebook application directory. Add applications that help represent your company and/or your products in your own unique way.

Applications are not difficult to install and are usually very easy to set up. A general rule of thumb when choosing an application is that if you can’t figure out how to set it up after the second try, find another one. There is often more than one application out there that can accomplish the same task.

Browse or search the application directory for applications that make sense to implement for your business or product.

On their Facebook page, Dalton Publishing utilizes the following applications:

Book Share Books
This application lets readers share their favorite books with their friends, as well as rate them and comment on them. This is a perfect application for a publishing company wanting to showcase their books.

My Flickr
Display photos from your Flickr account using this application. These photos can include logos, book covers, photos from author events, etc. You are provided many options of how to display the photos, too.

YouTube Box
Allows visitors to play your YouTube videos right on your Facebook page. This is handy for book trailers or promotional videos.

RSS-Connect
This is a nice application that allows you to display RSS feeds on your Facebook page. It is a convenient way for Dalton Publishing to display the feeds from their main site, as well as to their authors’ newsroom feeds.

By implementing these applications, Dalton Publishing has created an interactive page that also gives their visitors a personable look into their business. You can find many applications that can do the same for your
business.

Once your page is ready, don’t forget to publish it. You will see a message in the upper right corner as you prepare your page that says “This Page has not been published…” Click on “Publish this Page” in that box so that your Facebook page can be seen by others.

The “wall” of Dalton’s Facebook page is similar to a regular Facebook profile in that Dalton can post items and others can comment on them. This is also where most of the built-in applications appear. Also from here, you can send updates to all the fans of your page, promote your page with an ad, and manage page settings.

A Social Networking Strategy

Follow these steps for each social or professional networking site you join:

• Read and follow the site’s Terms of Use.
• Complete your profile using prepared material, including your best key terms.
• Upload a profile image or logo when available.
• Search for applications to enhance or customize your presence.
• Integrate other social tools and sites into your presence (like Flickr images or YouTube videos).
• Invite friends and colleagues to join your network. Do not invite people just for the sake of inviting them; only invite people you think can benefit from a specific community.
• Choose your friends wisely; do not just add anyone who asks; check out their profile first.
• Join groups relevant to your area of expertise or interest.
• Promote your page or profile on your Website or blog.
• Get to know the network features: Explore all of the features of the networking platform and implement each of them that make sense for you or your business.
• Do not turn your back on your investment: Keep your social networking presence dynamic by contributing to it frequently.

This worksheet is also available on the resource CD.

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This chapter also includes extensive information about other social networking sites, like MySpace and LinkedIn, micro-blogging sites like Twitter, niche social networking sites tailored to appeal to certain groups of people or businesses, and Ning.com, a free service where you can create and build your own social networking site. The resource CD offers further reading, linkable resources, and two fillable PDF forms called “Social Networking Strategy Worksheet” and “Social Networking Preparation Worksheet.”

A Survival Guide to Social Media and Web 2.0 Optimization: Strategies, Tactics, and Tools for Succeeding in the Social Web by Deltina Hay

416 Pages, Indexed, Resource CD with fillable forms.

Buy from Amazon or…

Exclusive offer for Social Media Power readers: $18.00 including US shipping:

A blogger and new social media user, Linda “highly recommend[s] this book to anyone who is interested in the internet.”

Read the review here…

Listen to the interview here…

The following excerpts are from A Survival Guide to Social Media and Web 2.0 Optimization: Strategies, Tactics, and Tools for Succeeding in the Social Web by Deltina Hay

Copyright 2009 by Deltina Hay. All rights reserved.

###

What Will Your Podcast Be About?
Before you create your first episode, you should be clear about the purpose of your podcast. Will you be recording interviews, lectures, or panel discussions? Clips of your own music? Reciting excerpts from your book? Reading stories for children? Or just recreating existing blog posts as podcast episodes? What is the premise of the podcast?

When people subscribe to your podcast they will have an expectation of consistency as to the topics your episodes will cover. So planning ahead at this stage is important.

Creating Podcast Episodes

Preparing the Script and Key Terms
Below is a typical podcast script. You can get royalty-free music for your podcast episodes at a number of sites on the Internet, such as PodsafeAudio. Always make sure that the music you use is royalty-free and offered freely for use in podcasts, and give the author credit. This script outline can also be found on the resource CD.

• Opening (30-60 seconds)

• Introduce the podcast as a whole.
• This should be the same for each episode.
• Mention the name of the podcast, what its purpose is, and the URL where it can be found.
• Introduce yourself and who you are.
• Introduce the topic of the episode.
• Mention the episode number.
• Introduce guests if you have any.

• Opening Jingle (30 seconds)

• Main Topics (6 to 12 minutes)

• Depends on the type of episode you are recording.
• An informational podcast is typically only six minutes long.
• A panel or interview could be as long as twelve minutes.

• Intermission (30 seconds)

• Break up longer episodes with an intermission.
• Use music for the intermission.

• Closing (2 minutes)

• Thank your guests if you have any.
• Thank the audience for listening.
• Announce the next episode topic.
• Repeat the podcast URL.

• Closing Jingle (60 seconds)

Make a list of the best key terms for each episode and repeat these key terms at every opportunity that feels natural in your script. Of course, you can write the script first and extract the best (most repeated) key terms for use in the metadata and landing page of the episode.

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This chapter also includes information about publishing options for a podcast, including publishing to a blog or Website, or using a service, as well as creating and optimizing a podcast or Webcast. The resource CD offers further reading, linkable resources, an example podcast, and a fillable PDF form called “Podcast Script Outline.”

A Survival Guide to Social Media and Web 2.0 Optimization: Strategies, Tactics, and Tools for Succeeding in the Social Web by Deltina Hay

416 Pages, Indexed, Resource CD with fillable forms.

Buy from Amazon or…

Exclusive offer for Social Media Power readers: $18.00 including shipping:

Following the release of her highly praised social media and Web 2.0 handbook, A Survival Guide to Social Media and Web 2.0 Optimization: Strategies, Tactics, and Tools for Succeeding in the Social Web, social media pioneer, Deltina Hay, presents strategies and tactics for optimizing and marketing your business using social media and Web 2.0 at BookPeople (603 N. Lamar, Austin) on Wednesday, July 22 at 7:00 p.m..

A Survival Guide to Social Media and Web 2.0 Optimization is a no-nonsense guide to the tools of Web 2.0. This book arms readers with the nuts and bolts of the new, open-source Internet through hands-on, real-world examples. From WordPress to Facebook, Squidoo to YouTube, wikis, widgets, blogs, and RSS feeds, Hay demonstrates how businesses and individuals can create and use these tools to maximize their Web presence and profit from doing so.

As a publisher and small business owner, Deltina Hay knows firsthand how to apply the tools of social media to the industry, and as a developer, knows how to build those tools. Hay is a regular contributor to IBPA’s Independent, The SPAN Connection, SiteProNews, SocialMedia.biz, and many online news sites. While she has taught at the university level, her deep working knowledge of social media ideas and how to apply them in the real world make her writings and presentations some of the most exciting and accessible in the industry today.

Buy the book now!

On Saturday, July 18, tune in to WNZF Radio 1550 AM, 106.3 FM, or online at www.wnzf.com, at 11:30 a.m. EST to hear Social Media Power founder, Deltina Hay, discuss social media and Web 2.0 topics straight from her recently released book A Survival Guide to Social Media and Web 2.0 Optimization (Wiggy Press, May 2009). “Cover to Cover” host Frank Gromling invited Ms. Hay onto his radio show to give the audience insider information on the importance of social media and how it’s linked to the publishing industry, as well as tips and strategies for implementing a successful Social Web presence.

“Cover to Cover” examines all aspects of the book publishing world, including hot new titles, up-and-coming authors, and a look at the process of producing and marketing books.