Today, one bad experience might cost you a hundred, maybe a thousand customers. Because of this, social media has irrevocably shifted the role of customer service from an easily outsourced, back-office function to one of an organization’s most important tactical assets.

~Oliver Blanchard, Author of Social Media ROI

WHEN STEVE JOBS INTRODUCED THE IPHONE IN 2007, he famously quipped: “I skate to where the puck is going to be…not to where it’s been.” Truth be told, he borrowed that brilliant little nugget from Walter Gretsky, who often taught it to his boy — named Wayne.

Poignant words that I resolutely believe drive breakthrough brands. It’s not enough merely to improve on your competition. You must innovate. And, to do that you must imagine where the puck will be, not where it is.

That said, if you were to ask me where the puck is going in social media, from a business perspective, I would say without hesitation: reputation management.

This will be a major growth industry over the next decade.  Think about it: Companies invest thousands, millions, even tens of millions of dollars–and untold hours–building precious brand equity and erecting a beautiful brand image. And, it can be unraveled online in hours. Don’t believe me? Just ask Bank of America, Verizon, Dell, United Airlines, etc ad nauseum (and counting). Very few people, or companies, know the art of reputation management. And, it is an art…

If you were considering a career to pursue, marinate over reputation management. If you can help companies listen to the online conversations about their brand, draw actionable insights from that, develop strategy and make measurable progress, you can write your own ticket. This is a brand spanking new field. There are no “benchmark salaries” for this kind of job. It’s all “value based fees.” You could waltz right in to a job interview and proclaim: “Look, you spend $11 million a year on advertising to build your brand. You should pay me 10% of that to protect it.” If you are an expert in reputation management, you will be able to charge a fortune — and get it.

A single negative Tweet, Facebook post or YouTube Video can race across humanity and burn through brand equity—and company valuation!— with blinding speed. We’ve seen it time and again with vaunted brands from Bank of America to United to Verizon. They have all the resources in the world to put out fires, and even they could not begin to contain the tsunami-like brand revolts against them. It’s like trying to hold back a tsunami with your bare hands. Consider this video that has garnered over 10 million views and will continue to damage the United brand, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year…for the rest of time.

Brands have never been at greater risk than they are  at this moment. And, that risk grows not by the day, but by the minute. The power of the people is becoming greater than the people in power. Thanks to social media, consumers wield enormous power now—and that power is growing logarithmically.

That is why reputation management has become such an important component of social media. A few scathing reviews on Yelp, Amazon, Facebook or a mom blog—without your engaging in the conversation—could seriously hurt your bottom line. Consumers in the consideration set won’t necessarily say anything; they simply won’t do business with you. Virtually every study shows that people trust peer recommendations orders-of-magnitude more than they trust corporate marketing.

1. Face Facts.
You may have spent untold amounts on branding, website design and corporate communications, but these efforts pale next to the hundreds of millions of people sharing ideas and opinions in social media. They are talking in public about companies—and in doing so, they are defining brands. You need to accept this reality — and not cavalierly disregard “brand management” as a “nice to have.” It’s a “gotta have. Right now.”

2. Listen (All the Time).
Put your ear to the ground and start listening to what people are saying. Not doing this because you are “afraid of what you’ll find” could be the death knell of your business. To move from good to great, you must face brutal facts and improve that which needs improving. Be unwavering on this. Perform searches for your company on the main social media platforms: Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIN. What are people saying? Is it accurate? Don’t get defensive if you find something negative. In fact, those can be valuable business insights. If a blogger flames your company, don’t ask: “How can we get rid of this post? Ask: “Are they right? What can we do to fix it?” Then fix it and let them know you’re fixing it. I also advise against leaning too heavily on technologies for online reputation defense and “sentiment analysis.” I speak from personal experience: At the time of this writing, even the very best technologies miss critical posts, misjudge “sentiment”–and lack the “human element” so important to effective brand management. Your brand is too important to leave to chance. Put human eyes on this stuff.

3. Engage with Grace and Humility.
You cannot control the conversation, but you can be part of it. If someone posts something negative about your brand, even if it’s not accurate, others will pile on in a mob-like fashion. For every moment you allow that to continue, you risk permanent damage to your brand. But, you cannot barge in. Again: you may work for a $50 million corporation, but guess what? You come to the social media table with one vote, just like everyone else. Engage like a person, not a corporation – lest you merely fan the flames of public discontent.

4. Unlearn What You’ve Learned.
Gone are the days when you can issue a press release to respond to crises—and be done with it. “Corporate statements” are now not only largely ineffective, they can be counterproductive. If I were advising Bank of America amidst their debit-card-distaster, I would have said, point-blank: “Look, you were being greedy. $5 a month to use a debit card? Come on. Consumers are already spitting-angry with banks. So, do something unprecedented. Set a new standard for banks: admit it. Apologize (and mean it). And, commit to not nickle-diming customers anymore. If you do that, you will win the hearts of millions. If you keep doing business-as-usual, you will continue to get pummeled–with increasingly devasting blows.”

You can turn your most vitriolic critic into your most vocal evangelist if you have humility and listen. Remember: social media is not a media. It’s not marketing. It’s a human relationship. Treat it as such, and your brand management strategy will be more effective than most.

As Oliver Blanchard says in his must-read Social Media ROI (Que, 2011): “Never get defensive, never take attacks personally, and never allow yourself to be drawn into an argument. Present the facts calmly and professionally, monitor the impact of your activities on topics relating to your brand and overall sentiment, and either press on with your response or move on.”

5. Do the Right Thing.
When you engage in social media, be honest, care about your customers–and do the right thing. This is Business 101. Social media, with its new-school technologies, has ushered in a return to old-school business practices. I love that. If you make a mistake, acknowledge it. Offer to fix it—and then, do it. It’s not good for business; it’s great for business. Bring “old school” to “new media.” Shakespeare aptly summed up effective brand monitoring and reputation management: “Mind your speech a little lest you should mar your fortunes.”

An effective online reputation management strategy is not something you can put off until tomorrow, because guess what? An army of empowered consumers are defining your brand. Today.

Eric Harr is the new Social Media Expert for CBS News and the Founder & President of Resonate Social, a boutique, integrated marketing agency in San Francisco. He is the author of “The REAL TRUTH About Social Media: 8 Timeless Truths Uncovered & 8 Monumental Myths Revealed” now available in Barnes & Noble nationwide and on the REAL TRUTH Website. [Use code “GIVEBACK” and receive 10% off. Proceeds benefit CARE, to defend dignity and fight poverty worldwide.] He is the co-creator of SocialSee, the first technology that shows True ROI from social media in a real-time dashboard. It goes live: March 15, 2012. And, it’s truly something.

“A good video can make all the difference.”

~Brian May

IF A PICTURE IS WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS, you could say that a video is priceless.

We live in a time when a single video can tell your story, tip your brand — or change our world. Cases in point: JK’s Wedding Entrance Dance, Will it Blend? — and We Are All Khaled Saeed.

Over two billion videos are downloaded every day on Youtube. That is roughly equivalent to the programming that the three major television networks put out. In one year. And, in my estimation: user-generated videos are just getting started. As these tools (such as smartphones) become more pervasive — and they are — an increasing number of people will produce video content.

Predicting the success of a video is next to impossible. Who would have ever guessed that “Charlie Bit My Finger” would have garnered more views than five Superbowl commercials? However, there are some guiding principles to help you produce winning videos, whether they’re for your personal brand, your business — or your cause. Here they are:

1. Keep it Short & Sweet.

People, particularly in social media, have shorter attention spans. Studies show that attrition rate after 30 seconds is roughly 82% (unless the video is compelling or celebrity-driven).

2. Start Strong.

A Jupiter research study found that people decide — in the first two seconds — whether or not they will watch the remainder of a video. It’s important to capture their attention in those two seconds, but not necessarily with stagecraft. Strive to be compelling and give them a reason to keep watching. Have you ever watched thoroughbred horses break out of the gates? It’s so jaw-dropping that we cannot help but keep watching! Break out of the gates in your videos!

3. Make One Point (and No More Than Three).

Nielsen reports that humans can only process, and retain, three simple messages in a short span of time. Do not overload the viewer with granular facts and minutiae. You needn’t make them an expert. Just pique their interest. Pick 1-3 concepts you want to convey and use anecdote, humor and color to bring texture your videos.

4. Entertain, Inspire, Inform—or, Ideally, Do All Three.

Frame messages in the interest of the viewer. The fact is that people care less about your product, brand or cause than they do about how it improves their lives. Stay viewer-centric and seek to leave them informed, inspired, entertained—or all three. Humor is powerful, engaging and effective—if you can pull it off.

5. Produce Share-Worthy Content.

This relates to the point above, but it warrants its own coverage, because it’s essential to understand in this “word of mouth economy”: in a single click, people can share your content farther and faster than ever before. Here’s a litmus test: Produce content you’d be compelled to share with your family.

6. Speak From the Heart.

People have sensitive antennae in social media. These channels were created as a very refuge away from corporate marketing. People know contrived when they see it, and it can do more harm than good. Speak in a “human voice.” Mean what you say. If you’re interviewing someone, ask them to be honest (even if it means they aren’t uniformly positive; it will be more credible.). If you try to message people, you will never reach a wide audience. If you win people’s hearts, you can reach the world.

7. Have a Clear Call to Action.

Ask yourself: “What do I want the viewer to do?” You need to move people to action, otherwise you may achieve non-financial outcomes    (video    views)    in    lieu    of    financial    outcomes (conversions/revenue). Tell viewers what you want them to do. And, if it’s possible to edit the video with a graphical outro, do so.

A single video that resonates in the hearts of enough people can achieve breathtaking results for you, your business or your cause. You have never been more empowered.

The question is: what will you do with that power?

Eric Harr is the new Social Media Expert for CBS News and the Founder & President of Resonate Social Media. This post is excerpted from his best-selling new book: “The REAL TRUTH About Social Media: 8 Timeless Truths Uncovered & 8 Monumental Myths Revealed” available online and in bookstores across America. [Use code “GIVEBACK” on the REAL TRUTH Website and receive 10% off. Proceeds benefit CARE, to defend dignity and fight poverty worldwide. For more information, visit: http://ericharr.com.

I have found that among its other benefits,
giving liberates the soul of the giver.

-Maya Angelou

It is said that when someone gives you something of perceived value, you immediately feel a desire to give something back. When my wife, Alexandra, is cleaning the house, I feel an immediate desire to get in there and start scrubbing. (Factoid about me: I’m quite the uber-sexual who enjoys housework!)

One our agency’s clients once asked: “I noticed you are Tweeting content that has nothing to do with driving sales. How does that help our bottom line?” It was a valid question. We were posting “how-to content” in order to generate discussion and endear the community to the brand. The client was paying us a lot of money and wanted to know why we were Tweeting content that did not directly drive their bottom line.

Answer: It was—by engaging the Law of Reciprocity.

Gary Vaynerchuck said it, and I agree: We are in the midst of a “thank you economy.” When you genuinely help people live better lives, they will be inspired to return the favor. It may take a minute, a month or six months, but most people will reciprocate. And when they do, via social media, it can have big impact on your bottom line.

What most brands don’t understand is this: why would a person engage with your organization in social media? Why would they follow you? No, really: why? To be marketed to? To be sold? Absolutely not. They get enough of that in their lives. Social media was created as a very refuge away from the sales-driven bacchanalia of corporate marketing.

The brands that serve up a steady buffet of relevant, useful and sumptuous content inspire people to dine–and to engage with them. The socially-savvy brands nurture the relationship. They give. They might elegantly weave in a product offer, but they will have built sufficient social capital; their community won’t mind the errant promotion.

Let’s say you have a travel company. If you Tweet entertaining and informative content about “how to pack” or “how to stay safe overseas,” for example, you will earn people’s trust. You will win their hearts. You may inspire them to retweet you or even to write a blog post. It’s all powered by the Law of Reciprocity.

Your social media strategy should be to give, to deliver value and information that is so good and so compelling that it inspires people to pass it on.

Remember: The magic isn’t in the Tweet; it’s in the retweet. Post share-worthy content. Just ask yourself: “Would I share this with my friends and family?” That’s a good litmus test for deciding what to post in social media. Would you share it?

If you give and give and give, people will give and give and give right back.

Eric Harr is the new Social Media Expert for CBS News and the Founder & President of Resonate Social Media. This post is excerpted from his best-selling new book: “The REAL TRUTH About Social Media: 8 Timeless Truths Uncovered & 8 Monumental Myths Revealed” available online and in bookstores across America. [Use code “GIVEBACK” on the REAL TRUTH Website and receive 10% off. Proceeds benefit CARE, to defend dignity and fight poverty worldwide. For more information, visit: http://ericharr.com.

“What is uttered from the heart alone
will win the hearts of others to your own.”

–Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

THE INTRODUCTORY NARRATIVE in the film Love, Actually changed the way I think about people. It went like this:

“Whenever I get gloomy about the state of the world, I think about the arrivals gate at Heathrow Airport. General opinion is starting to make out that we live in a world of hatred and greed. But, I don’t see that. Seems to me that love is everywhere. Often it’s not particularly dignified or newsworthy. But, it’s always there. Fathers and sons. Mothers and daughters. Husbands and wives. Boyfriends and girlfriends. Old friends. When the planes hit the Twin Towers, as far as I know, none of the phone calls from the people on board were messages of hate or revenge. They were all messages of love. If you look for it, I’ve got a sneaky feeling that love actually is…all around.”

I know: so sweet, it’s practically saccharine. But, I’m quaffing Pinot, and that scene makes me verklempt. And, it conveys an important point about us humans: we’re inherently good. I resolutely believe that. And, I’ll never stop believing that.

When I decided to engage in social media in March 2009, I went in with four beliefs: 1. We naturally elevate to the company we keep; 2. Lifting others up lifts me up; 3. Anything worth doing takes work; and 4. Good business is good for business.

These four guiding principles have served me well, personally and professionally. I’ve been on Twitter for two years, and while I only have 25,000 or so followers, they are emotionally engaged. I sought to build social capital, not actual capital. I didn’t monetize my Twitter followers by pushing my books. I gave them advice and answered their questions. I cared. I delivered value and my expertise. They got around to finding out about my books—and, in some cases, buying them.

In social media, you don’t want to win minds. You want to win hearts. (So important, it bears repeating: you don’t want to win minds. You want to win hearts.) Do this and people will be naturally inspired to help you, without your having to ask. That’s the Law of Reciprocity in its glorious splendor. Or, as Vaynerchuk says: the (*@#&! “Thank You Economy!”

Old-School Rules, New-School Technologies

To be successful in social media, you have to say what you mean and mean what you say. This applies to companies and individuals alike. (And, I promise you, if you try to pull the wool over people’s eyes, they will punish you dearly for it. Just ask Bank of America or United Airlines or Dell, ad infinitum…)

When a consumer wants to know if your product is worth buying, they bypass expert reviews (could be planted, solicited, paid–or all three). They don’t bother with your website (it’s pure marketing). They Google you. They scan review sites like Amazon and Yelp (filtering by 1-star reviews first). They check out search.twitter.com or ask their friends on Facebook. They “social-search” you.

Staid corporate diatribes, cheesy sales pitches and tired marketing messages only draw our ire and push us away. Speak in a human voice. Relate to me in a sincere and authentic way. Tell me about the good things you are doing in our world. Do those things, and I will buy from you and evangelize your brand.

The following story–and many others like it–prove that in social media: nice guys (and gals) can finish first.

Social media success story: TOMS Shoes

“To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. That is to have succeeded.”

–Ralph Waldo Emerson

TOMS Shoes is living, breathing—and walking—proof that in this “world-of-mouth” economy, good business is good for business.

I haven’t met one person who doesn’t love this brand. I’ve been compelled several times to Tweet about TOMS Shoes. I can’t help myself: it’s the kind of company you want to see succeed. I have generated thousands of dollars of free promotion for TOMS—without their having to ask. When you do good business, people will spread the word far, fast and wide.

Here’s what makes TOMS so special and “share-worthy”: With every product sold, TOMS helps someone in need.

While competing in The Amazing Race with his sister, Blake Mycoskie visited Argentina. That’s where the idea of TOMS Shoes came to him.

“I was sitting on a farm pondering life,” he said. “And it occurred to me, ‘I’m going to start a shoe company, and for every pair that we sell, I’ll give a pair to someone who needs them.’” After he noticed the numerous children without shoes in the poorer villages, he returned to the United States and sold his online driver education company to finance the shoe company.

That is tailor-made for social media. Everyone loves a story like that. The secret sauce is the “share-worthiness” of the social good aspect: for every pair they sell, they donate a new pair to a child in need of shoes.

Don’t take my word for it. Google “TOMS Shoes”—and you will see a flood of positive publicity about this brand. That is “reputation management” at its finest! As more people engage in social media, and more people learn how to use these tools, companies like TOMS are going to win increasing amounts of free, positive publicity in the most trust-based way: word of mouth.

Companies approach our agency all the time asking for help with “brand monitoring and reputation management.” We’re happy to help. But I always tell them: If you manage your reputation by doing good business, you won’t have to “monitor your brand.”

Actionable insights:

To rally people to your cause–to win their hearts–whether it’s around a product, service, point of view or movement, do three things:

1. Have the goods. Create a stellar product/service/position that people cannot help but evangelize. People have the tools to promote you, but you must inspire them to do that. Convey your information compellingly, with humor, passion, insight—or all three. Put out “share-worthy” content. Remember, the magic isn’t in the tweet (reaches your followers); it’s in the retweet (reaches the world).
2. Care. Care about your customers. Seriously. They put food on your table. Have #gratitude. If you must shift your mindset (or your culture to get employees to care about customers), then do that. Otherwise, all the social media in the world won’t help you. In this economy, caring isn’t everything. It’s the only thing. Get your people squared up on what the vision is for 2011 and enlist them. Fire them up. Ignite their passions. Get them engaged in social media (within the confines of a well-defined social media policy; you have one, right?). Inspire them to care.
3. Make a movement. If you engage in social good, good for you. Let the world know. If not, decide what one thing makes your blood boil and your heart ache. Commit to helping that cause. Social media can unleash a world of social good, and good for our world is indeed good for business in this “world-of-mouth economy.”

Social media has ushered in a new era in which everyone is more connected and empowered than ever. Meet the new vanguard of empowered influencers: the Jure Klepic’s, the Jan Minihane’s, the Teri Conrad’s. Your company no longer controls the message. These beautiful people do. Their influence is strong, and it’s growing by the minute.

Robert Louis Stevenson said: “Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds you plant.” Social media takes time—especially if you do it right. It’s not a marketing channel, it’s a human relationship.

Put people first. It’s not merely the right thing to do. It’s the smart thing to do.

Eric Harr is the new Social Media Expert for CBS News and the Founder & President of Resonate Social Media. This post is excerpted from his best-selling new book: “The REAL TRUTH About Social Media: 8 Timeless Truths Uncovered & 8 Monumental Myths Revealed” available online and in bookstores across America. [Give the gift that gives back this holiday season! Use code "GIVEBACK" on the REAL TRUTH Website and receive 10% off as proceeds benefit CARE, to defend dignity and fight poverty worldwide.]

“I’m a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have of it.”

~Thomas Jefferson

HAVE YOU EVER HAD A MOMENT when everything came together? When all the hard work well and truly paid off? When the reality shot so far past the expectation that it brought tears to your eyes?

That happened to me on October 8, 2011.

I finished this year’s Ironman Triathlon World Championships in 9:01:34, good enough for 40th overall (and 9th American) out of 1,900+ competitors. My family witnessed everything. The backbreaking sacrifices we made for this all year came out at the finish line on Ali’i Drive, in a long, emotional embrace–and a torrent of tears.

Ironman is a heart-stirring and awe-inspiring display of the strength, courage and indomitable will of the human spirit. It takes place on the Big Island every October and consists of a 2.4-mile rough-water swim, a 112-mile bike ride on a road that cuts a swath through the legendary lava fields and a 26.2-mile marathon, much of it along the barren and exposed Queen Kaahumanu Highway. This road gets so hot that it’s been known to melt the rubber clean off a runner’s shoes. This year, pavement temperature was 135 degrees. It felt like 140. At one point I thought: “Crikey O’Reilly. What in the heck am I doing out here? Why didn’t I take up chess, or cricket…or curling?”

The answer of course is: self-discovery. I learned more about myself in nine hours than I have in nine years. This event has a way of doing that: it strips everything away and reveals your “true self.” It’s why people are so fanatical about it.

Now, I know it’s a facile analogy–not to mention corny and trite–to compare athletic events to life: e.g. “Why Marriage is Like the Marathon,” “Why Parenting is Like Base Jumping.” But, over the past year, I have been patently engrossed in triathlon and social media, and I found six striking similarities between the two.

Here they are:

1. Slow and steady wins the race.

Ironman is tough. If it weren”t, I suppose they would call it: “Aluminum-man.” I mean, let’s be honest: human beings were not designed to race all day in a place like Hawaii. We were meant to frolic in the ocean and partake of umbrella-festooned drinks.

The race was concocted by a bunch of moustachioed men in 1978, who were far too many umbrella-festooned drinks into a debate over which athlete was fittest: swimmer, cyclist or runner. So, they said: “Let’s put all of those events into one and we’ll find out! Now bartender, another round!”

Social media is similarly hard. Like Ironman, it requires a lot of work. Every day. One reason why most people don’t see results in social media is that they give up too soon. They see the jaw-dropping speed of these channels and are lured by the quick fix. When they don’t see stratospheric results, they give up … when success was likely around the corner.

Lesson: To achieve great heights, you must be in it for the long haul. Social media is not a marketing channel or a media. It’s a human relationship. As such, it takes time, patience and work. Stick in there. Slow and steady. You’ll get to where you’re going.

2. You never know who’s watching.

This was an interesting, and unexpected, one for me. Part of my motivation to break the 9-hour mark was to raise $1 million for CARE. We leveraged social media to do that. I knew a lot of people were paying attention, but I didn’t realize how much–and how passionately.

When I returned home, I had hundreds of people on training rides, and in my hometown, come up to me and say: “We watched you all day on the live coverage. It was amazing!”

I never knew these people were paying attention. They hadn’t messaged us in social media. But, they were there.

In social media, you might feel like you’re playing to an empty room, but you’re not. Most people are “watchers.” They won’t necessarily contribute much to the conversation, but they’re there–and you’re having an impact on them.

Lesson: Don’t be a caution expert and let fear dictate your decisions. In social media, and in life, people won’t remember your failures; they’ll celebrate your successes. Dream like you’ll live forever, but live like you’ll die tomorrow. If you pour your heart into social media, you’ll produce “share-worthy” content, which unlocks the real power of social media.

3. Have a plan, but watch the data.

Ironman, like social media, requires serious planning! I spent months planning everything down to the minutest detail: I knew where to line up in the swim; what feet I would draft; how many calories I would take in on the bike; how many watts I would produce; what pace I would run, and so on. Most of it materialized perfectly, but here’s the critical caveat: if I weren’t watching the data and assessing in real-time, I would have bombed.

Here’s an example: for some reason early in the bike, I was having a hard time holding my goal of 300-310 watts. I was only supposed to take in 400 calories an hour (which I was doing), but I also knew that to drive up the power, I needed to eat more. I doubled my intake (to 800-calories per hour, which is slightly insane. But, that’s what the data was telling me!). And, it worked. Within minutes of eating more, my power meter showed 300+ watts.

Lesson: Spend the necessary time designing a well-conceived social strategy for 2012. But once it’s underway, watch that data–and be willing to shift course based on the numbers. I cannot over-emphasize how important that is. If people aren’t retweeting your content; if your LinkedIN ads aren’t pulling; if your videos aren’t being shared, then mix things up!

4. Efficiency trumps effort.

I felt like a svelte, unstoppable Gladiator warrior when I arrived in Hawaii. I think I may have had 10-pack abs. But, when I saw some of my competitors, the finest triathletes on the planet, I lost a bit of my swaggery confidence. These guys were clearly fitter and stronger than me. They looked like absolute machines. I mean, their ears looked muscular! But, on race day, I left them in the proverbial dust. Why?

Efficiency. I channeled my effort into forward motion more effectively than they did.

Lesson: Ironman, like social media, is not about how many hours you put in; it’s what you put into those hours. Strive to be efficient with your time. Use tools like Hootsuite and e.gg timer to do more in less time.

5. Without purpose and passion, you’ve got nothing.

Twenty minutes before the start of the event, with the helictopers buzzing overhead, tens of thousands of people cheering–and the most difficult day of my life beckoning–I had to remind myself why I was there. For me, it was to honor my family and try to break 9 hours and raise $1 million for CARE. That focused my mind, calmed my nerves and put purpose and passion into every move I made on race day.

Lesson: Know why you’re engaging in social media. List three things you want out of it in 2012. Knowing that will better define your strategy, your tactics and how you measure success.

6. When you don’t think you can take another step, take another step.

Ironman tested my soul, and I’d be lying to you if I said I didn’t think about quitting a dozen times on the marathon course. But, in those moments of nagging doubt, I said to myself: “Just run to the next aid station, to that guy holding the ice–and then decide if you want to quit.” When I got there, and the guy greeted me with a smile and ice, I realized it wasn’t so bad. So, I ran to the next guy at the next aid station. Before I knew it, I was running down the finishing chute on Ali’i Drive high-fiving the crowd in a blaze of glory!

Lesson: Anything worth doing is hard. Sometimes it tests our soul, whether it’s parenting, work or a sporting event. But, let me tell you this, and I know it to be true, because I’ve seen it first-hand: you are far more powerful than you realize. You are. You may have forgotten it, but you are. I saw 70-year-olds finishing Ironman. And, I’ve seen all kinds of people, from all walks of life, succeed magnificently in social media.

If you take a long-term approach, watch the data and come from the heart with passion and noble intentions, you’ll succeed in social media. It make take more time than you thought, but you’ll get there.

Just take it one step at a time.

Like the post? You’ll love the book! Eric Harr is the Founder & President of Resonate Social Media, a leading, integrated social media agency in San Francisco. He is an award-winning TV host on CBS News and the best-selling author of the new book “The REAL TRUTH About Social Media: 8 Timeless Truths Uncovered & 8 Monumental Myths Revealed” available in electronic and hard copy (pre-order).

“I do not want to foresee the future. I am concerned with taking care of the present. God has given me no control over the moment following.”

~Mohandas Gandhi

Why lead a piece on the future with a quote arguing against it? One: Mohandas is the man. And two: I believe that staying present-moment focused is how to achieve the best results: in sport, business, family–or life. Immersing oneself in the moment, without being distracted by the nagging pull of the past or future, allows you to produce your finest work–and live your best life.

That said, I also believe passionately in the blue sky opportunities of social media. It holds tremendous promise and is changing rapidly. It’s important to know where social media may be headed so that you can get out in front of it.

Here are four predictions for what we’ll likely see from social in 2012:

For Us

Social media will continue its jaw-dropping, eye-popping growth because it’s not a media. It’s a human relationship, and connecting and communicating are not wants; they’re needs. The needs to be heard, to feel appreciated and to be connected are woven into our very genetic code. Humans have waited millenia for this kind of influence and reach, and they will never, ever give that up.

For You

As more people learn how to leverage these increasingly-powerful tools, the ones who are happy in their current jobs will become more powerful, effective, efficient engines for their companies. They’ll use social media gain greater influence; and they’ll understand the importance of personal branding–to excel in what they do.

For those who don’t love their work, they’ll start to wonder why on Earth they’re doing work they don’t love, and why on Earth they’re building the dreams of their bosses instead of themselves. This will lead to heart-stirring thoughts around how they might be able to parlay their passion into a viable business–so they can fire their bosses!

As Thoreau said, we must “go confidently in the direction of our dreams and live the lives we’ve imagined.” Life is not a dress rehearsal. Never before in history has it been easier, and cheaper, to start your own business. The cost of entry is virtually zero. So, I predict that more people will “moonlight” their business ideas. A good number of them will find traction in the marketplace, and these people will jump ship from their current jobs. I toast these intrepid souls. Nothing will make you happier than controlling your own destiny. A great book to light the fire and get you going is: Crush It! Why Now is the Time to Cash in On Your Passion (Harper Studio, 2009) by Gary Vaynerchuck.

For Businesses

More businesses will flood in to social media, wild-eyed, without proper strategies in place–and they will quickly become disillusioned by the dearth of results. The smart ones will use social media strategically to drive key business objectives and measure financial impact.

Social media is maturing. How, and if, it can produce a tangible return on investment is the most hotly-debated topic in the space. Businesses that have been engaging in social will start to demand financial impact from engagement. In other words, non-financial outcomes–such as Twitter followers, video views and even traffic to the website–will matter less to executives (and they should). Savvy business leaders will demand that social media drive financial impact: higher sales and new customers. Moreover, they’ll want to be able to measure that efficiently to draw valuable business insights from those measurements.

For Our World

Globally, social media will continue to foment revolutions and mete out justice–as these tools become more pervasive among the oppressed people of the world. They are tasting freedom. They’re willing to die for it, and social media is helping them win it. That is why social media is not another dot-com bubble, as some critics claim. Dot-com was driven by greed. Social media is driven by need.

Finally, I have a fifth prediction I hope will materialize: As a CARE Ambassador, I hope social media will start to live up to its breathtaking potential to help heal our world by defending dignity and fighting poverty. I believe social media can unleash a world of social good.

With all my heart, I hope it does.

Like the post? You’ll love the book! Eric Harr is the Founder & President of Resonate Social Media, a leading, integrated social media agency in San Francisco. He is an award-winning TV host on CBS News and the best-selling author of the new book “The REAL TRUTH About Social Media: 8 Timeless Truths Uncovered & 8 Monumental Myths Revealed” available in electronic and hard copy (pre-order).

“Listening is a magnetic and strange thing, a creative force. The friends who listen to us are the ones we move toward. When we are listened to, it creates us, makes us unfold and expand.”

–Karl A. Menninger, famed American psychiatrist

There are roughly a billion active users of social media (give or take a few hundred million, depending on who you ask)—and most of those people are busy talking. They have something to say. They had eggs over easy this morning, con sarnit! And they neeeed you to know that!

If Everyone is Talking, is Anyone Listening?

Many people are intoxicated with these new tools of social media that can spread their messages far, fast and wide. But if everyone is talking, who’s listening?

It’s an understandable concern people have about social media: namely, that they won’t be heard amidst the thousands of Tweets a second and billions of video downloads a day.

You can rise above the din. You can be heard…by listening.

In Jim Tobin’s book, Social Media is a Cocktail Party (CreateSpace, 2008), he observes that the best hosts are the ones who ask questions and listen. You may be the most charming, intelligent, articulate, well-exfoliated host this side of Savanna, but if you stand on a chair and pontificate for an hour, you will alienate the very guests you are seeking to please. Move through the crowd, pour Pinot, get others talking—and you’ll be as pleasing [sic] as punch. Same in social…Most overzealous business brands, and overeager personal brands, make this mistake in social media. They are falling over themselves, charging into social media, over-caffeinated, trying to “message” people…when the first thing they should be doing is listening. As a business, the only way to know what to say is to listen to your customers and help them improve their lives. Like my dad always said: “Boy! God gave you one mouth, but two ears!” I never really listened to that. (Actually, I think every father has admonished his son with these words since the days of the Greek philosopher, Epictetus, in AD 55-135!)

This line of reasoning, of course, begs the questions: “How can I be heard if I’m not talking?” “How can I get people to act without prompting them to do so?”

Answer: Before you start talking, spend the necessary time listening to the conversations that are important to you. Do this, and you’ll be more equipped to craft intelligent comments that resonate with people. People have sensitive antennae in social media; you cannot coerce them to act. You must inspire them to act. It’s subtle, elegant and nuanced.

How can you know what to say if you don’t know what people want to hear?

There is a way of talking that shows you are listening and that you care. When a good listener talks, they echo the desires and dreams of the other person. Don’t use social media as a megaphone. Social media was created as a refuge from that very method of “interruption marketing.” People seek honest dialogue and authentic discourse. They want to be heard. You should spend roughly 80% of your time in social media listening and asking questions—and 20% of the time contributing to the conversation.

The art of listening

“Listen to many, speak to a few.”

—William Shakespeare

You win people’s hearts when you care about them—and listen to them. And, in this word-of-mouth economy, powered by a new vanguard of empowered influencers—whether you run a small bakery or a multinational corporation—winning people’s hearts will help you more than you can imagine.

Listening well is hard to do. I am a lousy listener. I mean look at me now. At 819 words, this post is a mini-diatribe, a downright deluge of verbosity! Okay, I’m working on it…

Most brands do not listen. For decades, companies have done all the talking. But times have changed. If you aren’t listening to your customers, they will think you don’t care, and they’d be right. These social media tools make it so easy for companies to listen that not doing that shows a disregard and a disrespect for the very people who put food on your table.

Monitoring your brand is one of the most important things you can do in social media. Remember: People trust one another orders-of-magnitude more than they trust you. Consumers are using these tools to communicate—and they are directly influencing one another’s purchase decisions. Are you listening to what they’re saying? You’d better.

(Oh, and if you wish to leave a comment, I’m listening…)

Like the post? You’ll love the book! Eric Harr is the Founder & President of Resonate Social Media, a leading, integrated social media agency in San Francisco. He is an award-winning TV host on CBS News and the best-selling author of the new book “The REAL TRUTH About Social Media: 8 Timeless Truths Uncovered & 8 Monumental Myths Revealed” available now in ebook or print edition.

“What you need to do is get that tape measure out, and start measuring that gut. Then you start working out and you start eating properly till that gut gets down close to it was when you were in your 20s. Then you’ll find out what your weight should be.”

–Jack LaLanne

Jack LaLanne was one of my heroes. Crikey O’Reilly, the man pulled a boat, handcuffed, from Alcatraz to shore. He set a world record of 1,033 pushups in 23 minutes—on television! At 65, he towed 65 boats filled with 6,500 pounds of Louisiana Pacific wood pulp, while shackled.

The man understood that goals require measurements.

Most people look at life subjectively: “I am doing well at work.” “I am exercising more.” “Family life is good.” But they don’t have an objective understanding of it.

This may sound geeky, but I measure what matters most to me. I track how many hours I spend with my family. I track how much time and money I give to CARE—and how many lives that is impacting on the ground. I measure my speed, distance and heart rate in every workout. And I monitor Klout score, audience reach and website conversion rates for our clients. I know, total dork, right?

In social media, measuring progress towards clear, time-based targets that drive your key objectives is critical. Here’s are three important tips…

Trust the Numbers

Everyone has an opinion in social media. They tell you how often to Tweet, when to post on Facebook, how long videos should be, how ad copy should read, how websites should be designed, and so on.

There’s a lot of “inside baseball” going on; executives are impressed with “social media gurus,” “focus groups” and “market research.”

But there’s one source that’s never wrong: the data. The numbers never lie.

I have a good friend, Mark Kithcart, who doesn’t trust anybody. Let me qualify that: Mark is a wonderful, loving guy who is actually an excellent hugger. He is an online marketing gladiator! When he is designing an online marketing campaign, he always says: “These are all great ideas. But, I have no idea which one will work. Let’s test them all and find out.” Moral of the story: test, measure, test, and then deploy! Like a marketing gladiator!

Ask the Right Questions

Let’s take website design: What percentage of people who visit your home page are converting to your desired call to action? Do you know? Are you tracking that? If so, do you know what influences that conversion rate?

What about Twitter? Are you tracking the number of people who retweet you and @-reply you—and more importantly, how many people are clicking over to your website and buying your stuff? Which Tweets are most effective in moving those conversations to conversions?

Focus on Financial Impact

In social media, non-financial outcomes are aplenty: Twitter followers, video views, whitepaper downloads, Facebook comments. They satisfy the ego, but don’t drive the bottom line. At the end of the day, your business either thrives, or dives, on financial outcomes. While you should always focus first on delivering a stellar product or service that enriches people’s lives, you must also focus your social media efforts on driving your economic engine.

In social media, come from the heart, but watch the data. Jack LaLanne would be proud.

Like the post? You’ll love the book! Eric Harr is the Founder & President of Resonate Social Media, a leading, integrated social media agency in San Francisco. He is an award-winning TV host on CBS News and the best-selling author of the new book “The REAL TRUTH About Social Media: 8 Timeless Truths Uncovered & 8 Monumental Myths Revealed” available now in ebook or print edition.

A determined soul will do more with a rusty monkey wrench than a loafer will accomplish with all the tools in a machine shop.

~Robert Hughes

Hughes is right on the money. Sometimes I feel like we rely too heavily on tools and technologies to do the work for us, when the real truth about social media is that it’s not a media. It’s a human relationship. Like love, it takes time, passion, consistency and effort. That said, there are some standout tools that will allow you to get the most out of social media—while simplifying your life!

In our quest to provide the very best service to our clients, our agency has spent countless hours trying and testing every conceivable social media tool and technology. There are the good, the bad, the ugly and, well, the downright heinous! Here are 10 of the most effective (and cost-effective) tools and resources we’ve discovered:

1. Hootsuite. This is at the top of the social engagement dashboards. The accompanying mobile app allows you to monitor social media from your phone, which you must do, since social media never sleeps. You need to know what people are saying, seven days a week, so that you can put out fires before they grow. Cost: Their Basic plan is free, yet ad supported. It includes 5 social profiles. Their Pro plan is just $5.99 with enhanced social analytics, unlimited social profiles, Google Analytics integration and more. http://hootsuite.com.
2. Klout. The current gold standard for measuring online influence. If you want to know if someone truly has influence, Klout ‘em. Keep your eye not so much on their overall Klout score, but on their “Net- work Influence” score. This is the influence of one’s engaged audience, in other words, how influential their audience is and how much they actually listen to them. That’s a “metric that matters!” Cost: Free. http://klout.com.
3. Tweetreach. Remember: followers don’t matter as much as “reach,” which takes into account how engaged and influential your followers are. This simple tool allows you to calculate that reach in seconds. Cost: Free. “Tweetreach Pro” has a variety of plans ranging from $84/month to $899/month, based on number of reports and users. http://www.tweetreach.com/
4. Facebook Insights. This provides a wealth of information about your Facebook community: everything from post quality to the demo- graphic information of your active fans (sorry, “likes”). Very robust. Cost: Free. http://facebook.com/insights.
5. Chartbeat. I cannot say enough good things about this tool. It’s a real-time dashboard that gives insights into how your website and online presence are driving your key business objectives. Cost: $9 to $149 based on the size of your website. http://chartbeat.com.
6. YouTube Insight. It’s hard to believe that these analytics are free. Just 10 years ago, you’d pay thousands of dollars a month to get this information. Learn who is watching your videos, where they live, how old they are, even how long they watch each video! Cost: Free. http://youtube.com/t/advertising_insight.
7. Postling. “Get smarter, faster and better at social media in 5 minutes a day.” Compelling value proposition—and one on which Postling delivers. For small businesses that are strapped for time, this tool offers a one-stop place for staying in contact with your customers and staying on top of what people are saying about your business. Cost: Free trial that moves to $1/month per social media account after 30 days. You’ll pay $1 to save up to 10 hours a month. http://postling.com.
8. Google Keyword Tool. If online marketing is important to driving your business, it is absolutely critical to understand how to use this tool. You simply enter trial keywords or a website name, and the Google Keyword Tool returns a list of related search counts and advertiser competition. For example, if you own a real estate company in San Francisco, you might type in “San Francisco real estate.” As of today, there are 74,000 people entering that keyword string into Google—every month! Is your real estate company figuring into those results? You’d better be! Cost: Free. http://googlekeywordtool.com.
9. PitchEngine. The “Social Media Release” is Press Release 2.0. It starts with the text release and adds multimedia content (photos, logos, videos and links) to allow people and journalists to share con- tent in their preferred way. PitchEngine makes is easy, efficient and cost-effective. http://pitchengine.com
10. Manymoon. Our agency has used a variety of online collaboration tools, but none are as simple and easy to use as Manymoon. And the price is right; currently, it’s free! http://manymoon.com.

I just finished the Ironman Triathlon World Championships on Saturday. Since I’m in that mode, I’ll draw an athletic analogy here. My coach always says: “It’s not the amount of hours you put in; it’s what you put into those hours.” Same applies to social media. Apply yourself to social media more effectively and efficiently. I truly hope these tools and resources help you!

Like the post? You’ll love the book! Eric Harr is the Founder & President of Resonate Social Media, a leading, integrated social media agency in San Francisco. He is an award-winning TV host on CBS News and the best-selling author of the new book “The REAL TRUTH About Social Media: 8 Timeless Truths Uncovered & 8 Monumental Myths Revealed” available now in ebook or print edition.

“Efforts and courage are not enough without purpose and direction.”

~John F. Kennedy

Many of us go about our business – and our lives – not knowing the answer to one of the most fundamental questions we can ask:

Why?

As an individual “brand” (and yes, you are a brand), you need to know your “why.” It will make you far more powerful, appealing – and effective in business. Why do you get out of bed in the morning to do what you do? If you don’t have a compelling reason, you may need to consider a different direction. Life is not a dress rehearsal. Follow your passion. It’s never been a better, more empowering time to do so.

As an organization, identifying your “why” is imperative to success, as it  will help you stand out in this “world-of-mouth economy.”

The REAL TRUTH about social media is that to succeed, you need to win hearts. Features and benefits win minds. Your “why” wins hearts.

Here’s why: the average consumer/reader/viewer has no compelling reason to follow a company on Twitter or Facebook. Why would they? To be sold? To be marketed to? They are inundated with “interruption marketing” ad nauseum; social media was created as a very refuge away from one-way corporate marketing. They want to be inspired, informed, entertained. They want to be part of something special.

That said, the brands that are achieving momentous success in social media are “why-driven.” They convey the “why” of their companies, and in doing so, inspire customers not merely to follow them – but to become vocal evangelists of their brands. That is the holy grail of marketing. I like to say that the magic isn’t in the tweet (that has a linear impact). It’s in the retweet (exponential effect). If you put out inspiring, informative “why-driven” content, people will share it with their trusting communities–and you are on your way. When you win someone’s heart, they are naturally, madly, passoinately compelled to get behind you.

Take 18 minutes to watch this poignant, profound video; it likely shift the way you think about marketing in this new economy, in which people are seeking (demanding) authentic connections with the brands to whom they give their hard-earned money.

Give people a reason to follow your brand. Win their hearts. Remember: the average social media participant is a one-person print and broadcast media outlet now. Connect and engage with them around why you do what you do – and they will roll up like a juggernaut and drive your company forward in ways you cannot imagine.

Eric Harr is the Founder & President of Resonate Social Media, a leading, integrated social media agency in San Francisco. He is an award-winning TV host on CBS News and the best-selling author of the new book “The REAL TRUTH About Social Media: 8 Timeless Truths Uncovered & 8 Monumental Myths Revealed” available now in ebook or print edition.