Strategic Online Marketing

Are You Twitter Listing?

noreply@blogger.com (Laura Catherine O) — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 12:41:00 +0000

By now, you're likely tweeting away! Whether you're a twitter newbie or a veteran, Twitter lists will prove to be most helpful, especially as you grow the number of people you follow on Twitter.
Someone recently asked me how I seem to find goodness-filled tweets when I'm following 4,000 people. My answer: Twitter lists.

Thank goodness, I had enough insight when I was new on Twitter to create and use Twitter lists. Sure, it was somewhere between follower 1 and follower 1,000 that I realized how essential the lists would prove to be. Yep, there were a few long days where I had to back-track and list each person I was following so that my streams were super-organized.

Example: Out of 4,000 people, nearly 500 are Charleston marketing and public relations professionals. And I have them all in their very own list. That means at any time of the day or night, I can jump over to that list (on my computer OR phone) and see what's going on with these talented peeps.

Same goes for artists...I have close to 200 artists whom all took "Flying Lessons" with Kelly Rae Roberts in their own organized list.

Twitter gives you up to 20 lists of your very own. Think about how your followers break down (do you tend to follow authors, inspirational folks, house and home peeps, jewelry makers, mommy bloggers, tech bloggers, etc?) - make lists and start listing! And if you're late to the list party? Trust me, it's worth adopting lists today, and even going back to list your tweeps.

Need a tutorial on how to create a Twitter list? I'm reposting a link to this updated tutorial, previously shared on this blog but still very handy.

Are we following each other? Tweet me @lauracatherineo and tell me you read this post. I'd love to meet you!

Enjoy!

Laura is a marketing professional and blogger who has been active in social media since 2005. If you enjoyed this post, please consider subscribing to this blog via Email or RSS. Laura can also be found on Twitter (@LauraCatherineO), Facebook, and LinkedIn.

Tell me what you’re interested in!

noreply@blogger.com (Laura Catherine O) — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 18:34:00 +0000

Now that I have a personal blog (love love love), I’ve moved my motivational/inspirational/art-filled posts over there. That leaves lots of marketing and design goodness for us to talk about here!

That said, I’d love to hear what kinds of tips would be most helpful for you in 2012 in this space.

I’m versed in everything from web design, print design, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, SEO, blogging (set-up and design), email marketing and more. Jack-of-all-trades, smile. Where shall we go in 2012?
I’d like to post one helpful tutorial or tip for you each week, and know we always have plenty to share because the web never stops evolving.

Comment below and I’ll get to work!
xo

Laura is a marketing professional and blogger who has been active in social media since 2005. If you enjoyed this post, please consider subscribing to this blog via Email or RSS. Laura can also be found on Twitter (@LauraCatherineO), Facebook, and LinkedIn.

2011: Blog Year in Review

noreply@blogger.com (Laura Catherine O) — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 18:47:00 +0000

Another year is ending – these “year in reviews” are always joyful for me. Do you enjoy the feeling of a fresh new year ahead? I know I do. Usually before the New Year I do some blog housekeeping – including updating my bio and navigation bar. You’ll notice the themed days-of-the-week nav buttons got a make-over. Since I moved my motivational/inspirational posts over to my personal blog, they don’t need a home in the navigation here anymore. Of course, Twitter posts, Facebook tips and my step-by-step tutorials still have a home here. “Twitter Tuesday” is now called “Twitter Tips” and “Facebook Friday” is called “Facebook posts”. Same great content, just a new name.
If you’re looking for some of your old favorite motivation/inspiration posts, you’ll find them over on my personal blog, LauraCatherine.co. Now, Let’s have a look at 2011!

2011 Blog Highlights:

Twitter tips galore on this blog – it was the year of Twitter for me - including several tweetups planned and hosted (love those Charleston Ladies Who Lunch – link to post and post), a new look for Twitter (link to post)
Facebook sweepstakes fun for Kelly – I learned sweepstakes on Facebook are a GREAT (and economical) way to grown your fan base! (link to post)
A blog redesign and website launch for my freelance work (link to post)
Some handy tips on changing fonts on your blogger blog (link to post)
Google+ launched (link to post)
New Facebook timeline launched for developers (link to post), plus the “subscribe” and “share” buttons (link to post)

For those who like numbers/statistics, here are a few fun facts about my blog traffic this year:

18,165 unique visitors came to this blog in 2011. What a blessing!
The top five visitor states are South Carolina, California, New York, Texas, and Florida.
60% of my traffic comes from Google, 20% is referral, and the rest is direct.

My top five posts of 2011:

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for following along with me in 2011. I am gearing up for a fantastic 2012 and am anxious to share online tutorials and tips with you. Take care and comment below so I know you were here.

Happy New Year!

Laura is a marketing professional and blogger who has been active in social media since 2005. If you enjoyed this post, please consider subscribing to this blog via Email or RSS. Laura can also be found on Twitter (@LauraCatherineO), Facebook, and LinkedIn.

New Look for Twitter Announced

noreply@blogger.com (Laura Catherine O) — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 18:30:00 +0000

Do you tweet? If you follow my blog regularly, you know I'm a huge fan of twitter. In fact, I've made nearly ALL of my friendships in Charleston through the beauty of Twitter. So much so, that I co-founded a Tweetup group with Liz Deloach and Melissa K. I also count Twitter as a blessing, since I met Diane Gottsman and Jacqueline Whitmore there.

If you've tweeted for some time, you're used to design changes and new features every now and then. I have always enjoyed the upgrades and am hopeful that the latest round of changes are great improvements.

Here's a quick video that Twitter shared to walk people through the latest changes. It's here for those reading by email. Enjoy, and thanks to Ashley Caldwell for tweeting about the changes.

Laura Catherine Otero is a marketing professional and blogger in Charleston, SC who has been active in social media since 2005. If you enjoyed this post, please consider subscribing to this blog via Email or RSS. Laura can also be found on Twitter (@LauraCatherineO), Facebook, and LinkedIn.

Facebook Insights Update: How to Export Old Insight Data (by December 15, 2011)

noreply@blogger.com (Laura Catherine O) — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 10:55:00 +0000

Do you use Facebook Insights? It’s a helpful tool that tells you how many people are visiting your business page each month. It also gives you the number of post views, the kinds of users your page has, and the most popular interactions, among other things.

Today I’m sharing a Facebook Insights update. Here’s the scoop: on December 15, 2011, the “old” Facebook Insights tool will stop collecting data. Instead, the new “Pages Insights” will be the go-to tool for analytic information on your biz page.

All old insight data will be deleted on 12/15, so Facebook recommends that you login to the “old” insights before then and export anything that you want to keep. I’m sure the “new” insights tool will offer even more data and become one of your favorite tools!

Since I’m not sure what will stay and what will go, I recommend logging into your old insight data before 12/15 and doing a few exports of the various insights (overview, users, and interactions) so that you’ll have the information handy should you ever need it.

Facebook Insights Update: How to Export Old Insight Data (by 12/15/2011)
1. Login to your Facebook account

2. Go to your Facebook business page

3. Click on “use Facebook as [your business page name]”

4. Click on “view old Insights” from the right-hand side of the page (below admins)

5. Refer to “overview”, “users”, and “interactions” tabs at left-hand side of the page.

6. Be sure to click on “export” above the data.

7. Select your dates (go as far back as you’d like to) and format, then click “download”

Be sure to visit my blog again in mid-December for a review of the new “Pages Insights” tool being rolled out on Facebook.

Laura Catherine Otero is a marketing professional and blogger in Charleston, SC who has been active in social media since 2005. If you enjoyed this post, please consider subscribing to this blog via Email or RSS. Laura can also be found on Twitter (@LauraCatherineO), Facebook, and LinkedIn.

Update to Facebook URL Post

noreply@blogger.com (Laura Catherine O) — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 21:23:00 +0000

Last November I shared step-by-step instructions on how to shorten your Facebook URL. At the time, you needed 25 fans to shorten your Facebook business page URL. It usually didn't take long at all to get to 25 fans, but the challenge may have been remembering to go back and shorten the URL after you created the page! Thankfully, Facebook has changed their policy and now allows you to shorten your business page URL before reaching 25 fans.

Have you shortened your Facebook URL yet? It really comes in handy when you are advertising your page, via TV, radio, your biz card, print, in-person, etc!

Here is a link to the updated instructions: http://strategiconlinemarketing.blogspot.com/2010/11/how-to-shorten-your-facebook-business.html. Enjoy!

Laura Catherine Otero is a marketing professional and blogger in Charleston, SC who has been active in social media since 2005. If you enjoyed this post, please consider subscribing to this blog via Email or RSS. Laura can also be found on Twitter (@LauraCatherineO), Facebook, and LinkedIn.

An observation about Hootsuite and Facebook: Impressions Up or Down?

noreply@blogger.com (Laura Catherine O) — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 14:06:00 +0000

I’ve used Hootsuite casually for some time. It's especially helpful if you manage multiple social media accounts and need to save time. That said, I still prefer to Tweet via Twitter and Facebook via Facebook, etc. There are just some features that seem to only be offered when you’re “on” the aforementioned site. For example, you can’t seem to “tag” a person or business via Hootsuite for Facebook. Same goes for adding a photo via Hootsuite for Facebook. Both of these things (tagging and adding photos) are so important to much of what I do that I end up taking the extra time to go to Facebook and not schedule many things out in advanc

That said, I am only one person! Especially at events, it’s difficult to work an iPhone, camcorder and extra camera at one time. So, until I can get a bit more help, I’ve had to schedule a few status updates and tweets out in advance for HistoricColumbia (and myself!).

I noticed something with the “new” (or newest, I suppose) Facebook and was wondering if you’d noticed it too…

Status updates scheduled by Hootsuite seemed to generate half as many impressions as my usual updates on my biz page. Same goes for “networked blogs” posts. I have to wonder if Facebook is placing priority on status updates that are made “on” Facebook instead of via a third-party app? It would make sense, since there is not nearly as much benefit for Facebook (and Facebook advertisers) if I am not actually visiting Facebook itself to post.

After hearing a few friends mention their business page impressions were also down (via Networked Blog posts on Facebook), I was beginning to think this was the case.

To confuse me further, last weekend I scheduled tweets for Historic Columbia at every half hour during the day of a big event. Sounds like a lot, I know, but activities were changing every half hour or so, and I wanted people to stay up-to-date. I knew the impressions would be down (meaning fewer people may see the updates), but felt like I just balance everything without the help. Guess what? The impressions were down slightly, but nowhere near the dip I’d seen before. That made me wonder if Facebook had balanced their algorithm? I hate to borrow a term that is typically used when talking search, but it seemed to make sense in this case.

Anyone else noticed this sort of thing? Are your biz page impressions up or down depending on the tool you’re using? I realize it can also depend on the time of day and post content as well.

Thanks for chiming in!

Laura Catherine Otero is a marketing professional and blogger in Charleston, SC who has been active in social media since 2005. If you enjoyed this post, please consider subscribing to this blog via Email or RSS. Laura can also be found on Twitter (@LauraCatherineO), Facebook, and LinkedIn.

Think VIDEO - A success story

noreply@blogger.com (Laura Catherine O) — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 22:49:00 +0000

Are you thinking VIDEO?
One of the things that always amazes me is seeing a YouTube video with plays in the MILLIONS. Don't think it's something you can accomplish? With the right vision, it's possible. One of my video brainchildren has been seen more than 1.7 million times. And I was just getting started on YouTube. I worked at the best CVB in the country and wanted to somehow showcase the fantastic shopping that can be found in Columbia, SC. The fantastic Zero Gravity production team shot and edited the video for us.

Tip: Think TUTORIAL when it comes to shooting a YouTube video. What do you have to offer that others may be searching for? For the CVB, it was "how to tie a bow tie". For you, it may be "how to restore an old photograph" or "how to make a bridal bouquet on a budget".

We shot 4 or 5 videos that day. 4 are in the low thousand plays, one is at 1.7 MILLION. Think big!

Laura Catherine Otero is a marketing professional and blogger in Charleston, SC who has been active in social media since 2005. If you enjoyed this post, please consider subscribing to this blog via Email or RSS. Laura can also be found on Twitter (@LauraCatherineO), Facebook, and LinkedIn.

To Allow or Not To Allow? The Facebook Subscribe Button

noreply@blogger.com (Laura Catherine O) — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 22:09:00 +0000

When I visited Facebook today, I was greeted with the following message, direct from Facebook:

It read,

New: The Subscribe ButtonNow you can let anyone who's interested subscribe to things you share publicly.

The message also included a list of my friends who were already using subscribe.

Fellow blogger and friend Angie Mizzell recently wrote about the subscribe button, and how she'd be using it in a way that made sense for her and her friendbase.

Will you be allowing subscribers to your Facebook updates? I can't help but notice that this feels similar to Google's "circles" in a way. Not that that is a bad thing! On Google+, you get to decide who receives the updates you share. You first must group your friends in circles. A friend-in-real-life circle, an acquantance circle, an I'm-not-sure-who-you-are circle, etc. Then, when you post something, you tell Google+ who gets to see the update.

With Facebook's subscribe button and feature, you decide if your status update is public or for friends-only. The public updates are shared with all of your subscribers, friends or not, IF you've opted-in to activate the subscribe button for your profile.

Will I be turning the subscribe button on? I'm not sure yet. I pride myself on being an early adopter of all things social media, but I'm not sure how I feel about this just yet. It seems to make a lot of sense if you're using your Facebook like Angie is. It also makes a lot of sense for folks who regularly share their blog posts on Facebook. Like me. Hmmm...

Get the full explanation about the subscribe button on Facebook's official page about it here.

I'm curious to know if you've turned this feature on for your profile.Why or why not?

Laura Catherine Otero is a marketing professional and blogger in Charleston, SC who has been active in social media since 2005. If you enjoyed this post, please consider subscribing to this blog via Email or RSS. Laura can also be found on Twitter (@LauraCatherineO), Facebook, and LinkedIn.

How to Get the New Facebook Timeline Layout BEFORE it Rolls Out

noreply@blogger.com (Laura Catherine O) — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 13:06:00 +0000

If you've been following Facebook in the media this week, you're already aware of some pretty big changes. Some are already here, and others are on their way. If you need to get up-to-speed, read this article about the newest changes.

One of the new changes that especially intrigued me was the new "Timeline" layout. The video below does a good job of explaining this new layout.

I was able to roll-out the new "timeline" format on my Facebook profile BEFORE it rolls out to the general public by following the steps outlined in this Mashable article. It's 8 steps and takes a few minutes, but if you're eager to give the features a test-drive, it will get the job done. I'll be checking out the new features today! My next post will walk you through some of the features. In the meantime, here's a sneak peek at what my new profile looks like:

Have a great day, and remember to visit my personal blog, LauraCatherine.co if you're looking for my latest "Motivation Monday" and "Be Inspired Wednesday" posts. I took the more personal posts from Strategic Online Marketing and made a new home for them. Of course, I'll still be sharing plenty of online marketing goodness with you here.

Laura Catherine Otero is a marketing professional and blogger in Charleston, SC who has been active in social media since 2005. If you enjoyed this post, please consider subscribing to this blog via Email or RSS. Laura can also be found on Twitter (@LauraCatherineO), Facebook, and LinkedIn.

Are You on Google+ Yet?

noreply@blogger.com (Laura Catherine O) — Sat, 10 Sep 2011 14:12:00 +0000

I was fortunate to get a Google+ account soon after the network launched. Here are my thoughts on the network...

At first, it was exciting to feel like I was one of the first folks in Charleston on Google+. But, that also made it difficult to really connect with my friends (local and online), since many weren’t on the network yet and didn’t “get it”.

Think about this: My first few weeks on Google+, I really had to sort through all my contacts to find 20 or 30 on Google+. On Facebook, that number would have been in the hundreds, easily.

That said, the smaller “circle” wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. The Google+ stream wasn’t flooded, making it easy to follow updates from others and engage in friendly conversation. Sure, I missed my Facebook friends, but is it really possible to be “friends” and engage with 900 or so folks on a regular basis?

A look at the stream in Google+...

Typically I would have written a review about Google+ right away, walking you through the features and benefits. This time I decided to take my time to really get to know Google + before I shared my experience with you here. Was it user friendly? Did I “get it”? Did I love it? Hate it? Did I really need another social network?

There seem to be plenty of opinions on both sides of the Google+ argument.

Here’s what I like:

Although it may be seen as a disadvantage, I like that everyone is not on Google+ yet. It’s easier to follow the stream and engage with others.

With Google+, it’s seems pretty acceptable to add folks to your circle, regardless of if you’ve met or know each other. Sending a friend request to a stranger on Facebook (perhaps a blogger you follow or someone you want to get to know) can come across as creepy. It’s easy to follow top bloggers and social media experts on Google+.

Updates and comments seem more engaged. Responses are welcome.

Google+ feels like a calm place. Stop by, stay a while, leave for a few days, and you won’t have missed anything earth-shattering. With Facebook, there is just so much going on, that I have found it can sometimes be overwhelming for me.
Being able to create "circles" based on my relationships with my connections makes great sense. For example, I have a "personal friends" circle and a "top bloggers" circle. Things I may share with my personal friends might not make sense to share with top bloggers, many of whom I do not know personally. So, I do like the sharing options. Each time you post an update, you get to determine who sees it. Brilliant!
Your Google+ profile can be customized to showcase your websites, blogs, photos, etc. It feels a bit more professional and visible than Facebook.

My Google+ Profile

Here’s where I’m not sure:

Something that is a plus can also be a challenge. If I wanted to send out an event invite or notify all of my friends about something, Google+ isn’t the place to do that yet.
I hear some pretty big things are coming for biz pages on Google+, but I haven’t seen them yet. For a business with thousands of fans on Facebook, making the move to Google+ will certainly need to be approached strategically.

It’s another network to keep up with. Since it may be years until the majority of Facebook users feel the need to leave Facebook (Can you imagine? If it seems impossible, think MySpace. Need I say more?). There really are only so many hours in the day. I have multiple accounts on Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, and numerous blogs as well. At a certain point, it can easily consume far too much time if I’m not careful.

Should you try out Google+? If you aren't already overwhelmed/consumed with various social networks, go for it! If you need an invite, let me know. For my line of work, I needed to give it a try and get to know the features. It's been enjoyable and low maintenance so far!

Already on Google+? Circle me up! :)

Special Announcement!

noreply@blogger.com (Laura Catherine O) — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 12:42:00 +0000

It’s a big day here on the blog! I have been hinting at possible changes, but didn’t want to share all the details until everything was squared away. I also wanted to make sure all felt well since it’s a big step for me.

Since a blog about marketing isn’t quite the place to share my journey towards living an inspired life, the time has come (hooray!) to make a new home, just for that part of my writing. Not to worry, this blog isn’t going away. I’ve just decided to house the artful, creative side of my writing on my new blog, and to keep the marketing goodness and tutorials for you here in this place.

Allow me to introduce LauraCatherine.co!

Think about this space as my marketing biz blog and my new space as my personal blog.

I’d like to invite you to come visit me in my new place, LauraCatherine.co to read about my journey towards living an inspired life. That’s where I’ll be sharing my bits of motivation + inspiration, plus art journaling, photos, and wherever else this creative journey takes me! I've pulled over my "Motivation Monday" and "Be Inspired Wednesday" posts over to my new place, with more to come!

If you’re a reader here for the marketing tips and tutorials, you’re still in the right place! I’ll continue to post online marketing tips and tutorials for you here in this space.

If you read via RSS or email, be sure to sign up for my new blog posts via email or RSS to get lots of creative, honest goodness. There’s much more to come, and I couldn’t be more excited about having an official home for my artful journey.

The RSS and email feeds for this blog, Strategic Online Marketing, will continue to run smoothly, just without the motivation + inspirational posts.

I’m truly honored and humbled that you’ve chosen to join me on this journey, and can’t wait for what lies ahead.
Laura Catherine Otero is a marketing professional and blogger in Charleston, SC who has been active in social media since 2005. If you enjoyed this post, please consider subscribing to this blog via Email or RSS. Laura can also be found on Twitter (@LauraCatherineO), Facebook, and LinkedIn.

Twitter Launches "Recent Images"

noreply@blogger.com (Laura Catherine O) — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 15:09:00 +0000

I'm here to share a #twitter feature that has left me feeling a bit uplifted and inspired. I think it makes great sense for today, even if it may not be officially "Twitter Tuesday" for us here in this space.

Have you noticed Twitter's latest feature? It appears as "recent images" on the left-hand side of the user profile. You can get a sneak peek below. Then, if you click on "view all", a page is filled with a collection of the images you've most recently shared.

I'm sharing my most recent images below. I don't know about you, but I like the picture that this slice of me paints. I think it shows that I'm a woman exploring her way through life with the help of art and inspiration. Color, faces, light, happiness.

Take a look at your images. What are they saying about you? It's a fun exercise! I hope your images line up with your heart and your goals. If they don't, it may be time to regroup.

Have a great day!

Laura Catherine Otero is a marketing professional and blogger in Charleston, SC who has been active in social media since 2005. If you enjoyed this post, please consider subscribing to this blog via Email or RSS. Laura can also be found on Twitter (@LauraCatherineO), Facebook, and LinkedIn.

How to Change the Number of Posts that Appear on My Blogger Blog Homepage

noreply@blogger.com (Laura Catherine O) — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 14:24:00 +0000

One of my amazing artist friends Mary Beth Volpini asked me a question today that I thought could make a neat “Tutorial Thursday” post. Her question was about changing the number of posts that display on her blog homepage. So, today I wanted to share the few simple steps to change this number. If you aren't using blogger or don't need to change this setting, be sure to scroll to the end of this post to get a peek at MB's art!

How to Change the Number of Posts that Appear on My Blogger Blog Homepage

Login to Blogger
Click on “Settings”.
Click on the “Formatting” tab and look for the first item, which says “show at most”.
Change the number from the dropdown to the number of posts you’d like to display on your main page.
Be sure to click on “Save Settings” at the bottom of the page.

You’re all set!

Be sure to visit Mary Beth’s blog. She is an “artist, designer and mom…redesigning her life after cancer”. Mary Beth is “Drawn to Color” and you’ll surely be touched by her beautiful mixed media artwork. I'm sharing a few of my faves below. Simply breathtaking!

Melting Colors Garden

Stand Alone

Follow Your Heart

Love

Have a great rest of your week.

Twitter Tuesday Tip: "Browse Interests" Tool

noreply@blogger.com (Laura Catherine O) — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 00:08:00 +0000

Let's talk about finding new tweeps by using the "browse interests" tool. Last "Twitter Tuesday" we talked about growing your network on Twitter by using the "who to follow" and "others like you" tools. If you missed the post, it's over here.

First, how do you get to this tool? You click on "view all" just below the "who to follow" suggestions on your home screen on Twitter. From here, click on the "browse interests" tab. This is where you can click on the category that most appeals to you.

One of my suggested interest categories was "art & design". I can click on "view all" next to "art and design" and Twitter has a list of 59 tweeps who fit into this category that I may be interested in following.

Today's exercise: Explore the "browse interests" tool on Twitter to connect with a few new and interesting tweeps today. Time spent: approx. 15 minutes.

Good Luck!

Laura Catherine Otero is a marketing professional and blogger in Charleston, SC who has been active in social media since 2005. If you enjoyed this post, please consider subscribing to this blog via Email or RSS. Laura can also be found on Twitter (@LauraCatherineO), Facebook, and LinkedIn.

Two Twitter Tips to Share on this "Twitter Tuesday"

noreply@blogger.com (Laura Catherine O) — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 19:57:00 +0000

Today's "Twitter Tuesday" Tip is one you can easily execute in a manner of minutes! Let's talk about the "Who to Follow" and Similar to You" follow suggestions on Twitter. Both are great tools that are available to you via Twitter that will help you grow your network.

First, the "Similar to You" feature on Twitter:

Have you noticed the "similar to you" feature on twitter? If you visit your profile (and are logged in), it's just below your following/followers numbers (example below). By default you should see 3 people below the "Similar to You" header. Click on the "view all" just next to "similar to you" and you'll find a full page of suggestions for you. Some you may already follow, but others could make great new follows!

Next, the "Who to Follow" feature on Twitter:

From your "home" screen (not your "profile" screen), you should see a "Who to Follow" feature just below your following/followers. Click on "view all" for the full page of suggestions.

Both of these tools are great ways to connect with new tweeps who share similiar interests with you!

How to Publish Your Own Paper.li Online Newspaper

noreply@blogger.com (Laura Catherine O) — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 12:32:00 +0000

Have you visited http://Paper.li yet? According to their website,

“Paper.li is a content curation service. It enables people to publish newspapers based on topics they like and treat their readers to fresh news, daily.”

I came across Paper.li many months ago but have developed an increased interest in the content sharing after being featured in a Twitter friend’s own paper.li online newspaper. @SHUEDA (Greg Shue) publishes a “#CHS #Design Daily” using paper.li, and I have been thrilled to find myself as a contributor on several occasions (example here: http://paper.li/SHUEDA/charleston-design). The best part? It’s allowed me to meet new people and has helped grow my relationship with @SHUEDA and others featured in his daily paper. A few weeks ago another Twitter friend, @ashleytcaldwell, released her own paper.li daily newspaper, The Modern Connection Daily.

Today I’m walking you through the process of creating your own Paper.li online newspaper.

I created three of my own daily papers:
The Charleston Marketers Daily,
The Dream Big #ArtDaily, and
the Charleston Local Business Daily.

These were so much fun to make, I imagine I’ll make a few more! The best part? Your daily paper is automated, and you can set up the daily tweet to run by itself as well. I’d encourage you to create your own daily paper, especially if you’ve created lists on your twitter account.

How to Create Your Own Paper.li Daily Online Newspaper (It’s Free!)

1.       Visit http://Paper.li.

2.       Click on “Create a Paper”.

3.       Sign in with your Twitter (or Facebook) account. I signed in with Twitter because that’s where I’m pulling my content from.

4.       Authorize Paper.li to use your Twitter (or Facebook) account.

5.       Provide your email address and click "continue".

6.       Important! Instead of clicking on "Create Paper", we are going to customize your paper. This will give you more control over the content and will allow you to customize the name of your paper.   To do this, click on "show me" under "Want to create a paper based on a specific topic or list of people?"
7.      Now, Create your newspaper by entering a Title. Try to think of something short and sweet that will come across well on Twitter.

8.       If you have Twitter lists, add the Twitter List that is in line with the desired content of your paper. For example, I have a Charleston Marketers list on my Twitter account with 450+ people in Charleston who are in marketing/pr/design/advertising. When I created my “Charleston Marketers Daily” paper, I added my “Charleston-Marketers” list from Twitter as the content stream that would power the content of my paper. If you don't have Twitter lists related to the content you'd like to publish, consider pulling in twitter users another way (by keyword, hashtags, etc.)

9.       Select your language and click “Publish”

10.       Now it’s time to set automatic publishing to your Twitter profile and/or Facebook wall. To do this, go to your paper from the “my favorites” at the top right-hand side of paper.li when you’re logged in.

11.       Then, click on “paper settings” below your profile at the far top right.
12.   Select the time of day (and time zone) when you’d like your paper to be published and click “save settings”.
13.   Click over to the “promote” tab and make sure “automatically tweet to all your followers” to publish your paper to your Twitter followers (max once per day).

Congratulations! You’ve just created your very own customized online newspaper.

New Twitter Background Designs to Share

noreply@blogger.com (Laura Catherine O) — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 02:04:00 +0000

Welcome back from the 4th of July holiday! I have a few lovely Twitter backgrounds to share with you on this "Twitter Tuesday". It's a bit late, but here are few designs I've recently completed. Tomorrow I'll be sharing an inspirational post about my brother. Until then, please enjoy these backgrounds.

Today's Etiquette with Darlene Das
Darlene is new to Twitter and will be taking the Twitterverse by storm before you know it! I created a custom background to match her website. Diane had lovely photos for me to work with, so she made my job super easy!

Today's Etiquette with Darlene Das at @TodaysEtiquette

I feel a bit silly sharing the next background, but it's one that was in need of an update. Designers often work on their own websites and profiles last, and the same can be said about me sometimes. I updated my Twitter background recently and wanted to share it with you.

Are we connected on Twitter? Follow me @LauraCatherineO

If you're interested in updating your own Twitter background, I posted a tutorial over here. Not graphically-inclined? I can help!

Hope you have a lovely rest of your evening. We'll talk tomorrow. It's going to be a post close to my heart.
xo,

Laura

Laura Catherine Otero is a marketing professional and blogger in Charleston, SC who has been active in social media since 2005. If you enjoyed this post, please consider subscribing to this blog via Email or RSS. Laura can also be found on Twitter (@LauraCatherineO), Facebook, and LinkedIn.

How to Give Someone "+K" on Klout.com

noreply@blogger.com (Laura Catherine O) — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 15:06:00 +0000

Have you created your profile on Klout.com yet? I’ve talked about Klout in this space before. Klout is a free service that “identifies influencers on topics across the social web.” I’ve noticed a few neat features from Klout recently. The first was Klout “perks”. I talked about a free Klout “perk” I received over here. Just a few weeks ago, I came across a new “+K” feature on Klout.

So, what exactly does it mean to give someone a “+K” score?
A "+K" reminds me a little of a “recommendation” on LinkedIn, but it only takes a moment and you can tweet about it! Klout recommends that you give someone a “+K” if that person has influenced you about a particular topic lately. Today on “Tutorial Thursday” I’m going to walk you through the process of giving someone a “+K” on Klout.com.

How to give someone a "+K" on Klout.com:

Login to your personal Klout profile. If you don’t have an account on Klout yet, you can easily create one from their homepage.
In the search box on the top right-hand side of the Klout screen, type in the twitter username (“handle”) of the person you’d like to give a +K score to.
This will bring up his or her profile on Klout. Look for the area that says “influential about” on the user’s Klout summary page. It will appear next to “influencer of” and below his/her profile.
Click on “see all” in the “influential about” area. This will bring up the full list of topics Klout has identified as being areas this person is influential about.
Look for the “Give +K” button below the topic, such as “marketing” or “blogging”, etc. Click on the “Give +K” button to give this person a “+K” for the chosen topic.
In the pop-up window, click on “tweet” or “share” to let this person know you gave him/her a “+K”.

Alesya Dreams Big and Launches Alesya Bags to the World

noreply@blogger.com (Laura Catherine O) — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 12:14:00 +0000

Alesya Opelt of Alesya Bags

Have you been following Alesya Opelt of Alesya Bags in Charleston, SC? Her stylish laptop bag business, Alesya Bags, launches TODAY to the world! I admire Alesya for many reasons, and one of those reasons is the way that she openly shares her entrepreneurial journey by way of her blog. Readers get an inside look every step of the way, and Alesya is always honest, always open, and always captivating.

Alesya and I met through the Twitterverse (yet another reason to get started on Twitter if you haven’t yet), and I’m eternally grateful that we did! We exchanged tweets back and forth before agreeing to meet for coffee. At the time, I was working on my jewelry designs, and Alesya was building her bag business.

The first time we met, we talked for well over an hour. I instantly liked her. She was SO approachable, and underneath, I knew there was a brilliant woman building an empire. Yes, I said empire. You see, Alesya dares to dream, and to *dream big*. She’s inspired me in many ways, and you may recall that I use *dream big* on this blog often.

I could go on and on in my respect, admiration, and high regard for the work that Alesya does and the business she’s built, but this post is also about “THE BAG”!!!

Take a look at this super-sophisticated, can’t-live-without-it, once-you-see-it-you’ll-need-it stylish laptop bag!

"THE BAG" in Heather Green

Talk about making a statement! The bag makes the entire look!

Heather Green or this amazing Eggplant...decisions, decisions! ;)

Here's a personal video message from Alesya that she posted on her blog this morning, the morning of her launch! (Email readers, please visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRvC7HerVB4&feature=player_embedded).

If you've been as inspired by Alesya as I have, be sure to visit her website to show your support. I'm expecting the first-round of bags to be sold out before you know it, so get yours while you can! She's a rising star who'll be taking the fashion industry by storm, for sure. She's also on Twitter and Facebook!

XO,

~Laura
Laura Catherine Otero is a marketing professional and blogger in Charleston, SC who has been active in social media since 2005. If you enjoyed this post, please consider subscribing to this blog via Email or RSS. Laura can also be found on Twitter (@LauraCatherineO), Facebook, and LinkedIn.

Do you follow @tiglu?

noreply@blogger.com (Laura Catherine O) — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 14:03:00 +0000

One of my twitter friends, @tiglu wrote an amazing post on “Getting the Most out of Twitter”. Tim & I have never met in person, but have exchanged tweets back and forth over the past year or so. I’m not sure how we found each other’s tweets, but I’m glad that we did. Tim also shares podcasts, something that I have not done yet.

I can relate to Tim’s post about people’s reactions to Twitter. I am used to folks saying “isn’t that just a site where you talk about what you had for breakfast?” or something along those lines. I usually answer that Twitter has evolved a sophisticated networking tool that connects people all around the globe. I then go onto to say that nearly all of my friends in Charleston have been made on Twitter. Wow!

Without further ado, hop over to Tim’s post! You’ll be glad you did!

I'll Be Hosting a Webinar Today at 3 pm with @EtiquetteExpert

noreply@blogger.com (Laura Catherine O) — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 16:51:00 +0000

Etiquette Expert Jacqueline Whitmore

I met the lovely and talented "Etiquette Expert" Jacqueline Whitmore during an etiquette tweetup last summer. Today (Thursday, June 23) I have the honor of leading a webinar with Jacqueline on Social Media. The topic is "10 Tips To Developing Your Brand Online". If you're reading this post by email, I'm happy to share that the audio from the call will be available for purchase after the webinar. Details below.

10 Tips To Developing Your Brand Online with Laura Otero:
If you've entered (or are entering) the world of social media, this conference call is for you! Have you watched as others soar in their social media efforts, while your social media presence isn't experiencing such growth? Or, are you just getting started with marketing your business online and not sure where to go or which profile to create next? Laura Otero will teach you the tips and tricks to branding yourself and your business online.

Participants will learn:
* How create and name your Facebook business page for success
* How to grow your Facebook fanbase significantly in a matter of days
* How to get started on Twitter
* Twitter basics for growing your networks
* Blogging basics and growing your community online
* How to create a YouTube channel
* Time-saving tips on maximizing your time in the social space

Date: Thursday, June 23, 2011
Time: 3:00pm - 4:15pm Eastern Time
Investment: $60.00 (includes the downloadable recording)
Buy Now (downloadable recording included for those who cannot make the call)
All expenses for continuing education taken to maintain and improve professional skills are tax deductible. Contact your accountant for details.

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Laura Catherine Otero is a marketing professional and blogger in Charleston, SC who has been active in social media since 2005. If you enjoyed this post, please consider subscribing to this blog via Email or RSS. Laura can also be found on Twitter (@LauraCatherineO), Facebook, and LinkedIn.

Video Post: Setting Up Your Background for the New Twitter

noreply@blogger.com (Laura Catherine O) — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 09:59:00 +0000

Happy "Twitter Tuesday"! I created a YouTube video on creating your very own #NewTwitter background. This video was inspired by my tutorial post, which continues to be one of my top blog posts. When Twitter moved to what they call the "New Twitter" or "#NewTwitter" format, the background changed a bit for users. Although the overall space is the same, you'll find that you have a bit less space on the far left and right hand side of the page. This is important to note, especially for those of us who placed photographs or text (like a phone number) in this area. It may be a good idea to take a careful look at your background on Twitter and see if it's in need of some freshening up to better fit the new specs.

For those reading by email, the video can be found here: http://www.youtube.com/user/lauracotero#p/u/0/ahGlPoVKTfI

All others may wish to watch below. Thanks for visiting!

Laura Catherine Otero is a marketing professional and blogger in Charleston, SC who has been active in social media since 2005. If you enjoyed this post, please consider subscribing to this blog via Email or RSS. Laura can also be found on Twitter (@LauraCatherineO), Facebook, and LinkedIn.

My Klout Perk Arrived! Have You Created Your Free Klout Account Yet?

noreply@blogger.com (Laura Catherine O) — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 15:10:00 +0000

What is Klout? Klout identifies influencers on topics across the social web. I wrote about my experience with this service in this post last September. Since that time, they've expanded their services to integrate your LinkedIn and Facebook business page activity into your Klout score. If you haven't created an account on Klout yet, I'd encourage you to do so! The process is super easy and they integrate your Twitter/Facebook/LinkedIn info effortlessly.

Your Klout Analysis Includes:

Your true reach
Your amplification
Your network
Your topic summary
Your top retweets
Most popular links shared
Your influence "matrix"
Your content analysis
Who you are influenced by
Who you are an influencer of

A Klout Perk
I received a notification from @KloutPerks that my "Klout" had earned me a goodie pack from the new TNT series "Franklin & Bash". I wasn't sure what this was about but I thought it was pretty neat of Klout to offer this to a select number of their users. There were no strings attached...just a fun thing all-around!

I wasn't sure what to expect, but there was a package waiting for me on my doorstep this week. Here's what was inside.

Great fun! I'll be taking the portfolio with me on my travels today.

Laura Catherine Otero is a marketing professional and blogger in Charleston, SC who has been active in social media since 2005. If you enjoyed this post, please consider subscribing to this blog via Email or RSS. Laura can also be found on Twitter (@LauraCatherineO), Facebook, and LinkedIn.

How to Setup Your Facebook Email Address

noreply@blogger.com (Laura Catherine O) — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 18:20:00 +0000

Do you have your own Facebook email address yet? Today's "Facebook Friday" post will show you how to set-up your Facebook email address. This is a simple tutorial and should only take a few minutes if you haven't already set your Facebook email address up. Thanks for reading!

How to Setup Your Facebook Email Address:1. Login to Facebook
2. Visit http://www.facebook.com/about/messages/
3. Go to your Messages view and click the "Claim your Facebook email" link.
4. According to Facebook, "Your email address will match your public username, for example:
Profile: facebook.com/username
Email: username@facebook.com
If you don’t have a username yet, you can choose one when you create your email address."

Facebook writes, "Once you set up your email address, people can email you using any traditional email system (e.g., Hotmail, Yahoo or Gmail), and the emails will be delivered to your Facebook Messages. When you send messages to external email addresses, the emails will be formatted to look like Facebook messages, including your name, your profile picture and your message."
Laura Catherine Otero is a marketing professional and blogger in Charleston, SC who has been active in social media since 2005. If you enjoyed this post, please consider subscribing to this blog via Email or RSS. Laura can also be found on Twitter (@LauraCatherineO), Facebook, and LinkedIn.