There are a couple ways to approach this with your clients. I shared a few “Twitter Tips” in this video that you might find helpful – check it out!

Social Media is a wonderful thing isn’t it? It is literally turning the way we communicate upside down! Social Media allows ANYONE to have a voice and be heard, which is both liberating and scary.  While Social Media promotes the Freedom of Speech and the opportunity for anyone to share their views and opinions, where do we draw the line on commentary that is hateful and even harmful? Are there clear ethics or even a “moral compass” to Social Media or is that not even possible?

In this post, you are going to get a few random thoughts that have been percolating in my head for sometime, so bear with me…. I have a point to make.

Over the past few days, I am sure you have all watched the events unfold in Iran following the tainted election results.  We have seen a Twitter Revolution emerge as many Iranians tweet their concerns and disgust over the political corruption in their country. One university student in Tehran actually had his website shut down and was attacked, but was able to still let his voice be heard through Twitter.

Social Network sites like Twitter and Facebook are giving a global voice to people who would typically not even have a voice in their own country – truly amazing!

Social Networks have given a voice to great organizations like the Salvation Army to bring awareness and increase their donation base during a down economy.

A Facebook group helped to raise awareness and build support for an  American Father (David Goldman) seeking to regain custody of his son who was taken to Brazil.

Social Media has provided amazing opportunities for people to have a voice and share their plight and situation.

Now, if I was to stop there, we would all say… WOW, Social Media is having such a powerful and positive impact on our world (which it is), but let’s look at the other voices emerging as well.

A couple weeks back, an interesting post emerged on Tech Crunch titled, “Holocaust Museum Death Won’t Change Facebook’s Mind on Hate, But Advertisers May be Able To.“  A great dialogue ensued on the ethics of allowing Anti-semetic Hate groups to set-up Facebook groups to collectively voice their harmful views. There are Facebook groups promoting the idea that the Jewish Holocaust which saw 6 millions Jews murdered was just a myth.

These groups are given the opportunity to share their hateful and discriminative opinions on Facebook and other Social Networks. Is that right? Should we give a voice to those that promote hate against certain races? Are we able to draw a moral line in the sand where certain voices are accepted and others are not? Is that possible?

Take for instance this story…. A few months ago, a Facebook  group emerged called “National Kick a Ginger Day“, in which they encouraged their members to “get them steel toe boots ready” and kick a red-head at school. Well, even though the founder of the group said it was just a big joke, many acts of violence occured that day as a result of this nasty Facebook campaign.

So, I ask the question again….Where do we draw the line on WHO should have a voice in Social Media?

Some say that censorship on Social Networks will only hinder freedom of speech and ruin the original intent of Social Media. That is one perspective.

Here is my thought…. While I love the freedoms of Social Media and the voice it gives to the average person, I believe that a moral line DOES need to be drawn in the sand. I believe that Facebook should monitor, screen and ban groups that promote hate or harm to another human being. You might say that everyone is entitled to their opinion, even those with hateful sentiments towards another race. I would say that in our history, we have seen these types of groups act out their hateful views through violent means (Such as the recent shooting at the Holocaust museum in Washington), so why give a voice to group with a capacity for harm?

I believe that sites like Facebook and Twitter need to have a screening criteria in place that flags those posts or groups that are promoting hatred or harm to others. Isn’t that the right thing to do?

These thoughts have been floating around in my head for a while and I just needed to get them out! Again, I truly believe Social Media is a great thing, but I still think there are some guidelines or measures that need to be put in place to prevent these kind of  groups and commentary from easily finding a voice in the Social Networks.

Okay, I am finished….. I need to hear others perspectives on this? What do you think? Where do you stand on this?

Have you ever found yourself in a blogging rut, completely void of creativity, inspiration, and a passion to write? I would have to say that I recently was in a “Blogging Black Hole” with no real motivation to write anything.  It was a real chore to come up with any worthwhile ideas and it just seemed harder and harder to squeeze out the time to blog.

You know how baseball players get into batting slumps where they literally couldn’t hit the ball if their life depended on it…..Well, I have to confess…. I was in a blogging slump!

As I tried to assess the many reasons why I lost that “love n feeling” for blogging, I started to recognize some of the ways that I could put the wind back into my “blogging” sails.  As I have started to implement these different strategies, I have experienced a renewed energy and passion for blogging.

Here are five ways for reigniting a passion for blogging (This is what worked for me anyways….)

1. Take  a Blogging Sabbatical (Vacation) – If you find yourself in a blogging rut, then I recommend taking a short and temporary break from blogging. Some bloggers would disagree and say that you should not stop writing and just blog your way out of a rut.  I personally think this is not the best choice especially if you are writing uninspired, “blah” blog posts that are only hurting your blog readership. I believe that a short break (maybe 1-2 weeks) is a good time to “recharge your batteries” and reflect on why you began blogging for your business in the first place? This time will help you to re-define the overall purpose your blog has in your business objectives. Essentially, it is important to get “back to the roots”  and figure out what this blog means to you and your business!

2. Read Other Blogs – During your “blogging vacation”, I would recommend replacing the usual time you take to write your posts and just read more industry-related or relevant blog posts. Read blogs that inspire you and cause you to think critically about your work and life.  As you read these blogs, make a list of the types of topics they are blogging about and try to determine those areas that seem to peak your interest. Also, read bloggers that are clearly passionate about what they are writing as they just might “rub off on you”. They did for me!

3. Talk to Other Bloggers – In addition to just reading the posts, it is helpful to also talk to other bloggers about why they do what they do, what inspires them and how they continually inject new, creative ideas into their posts. These conversations might give you some helpful hints for breaking out of your own blogging slump.

Also, I love to listen to other bloggers’ success stories – that fires me up as well. Just last week, one Virtual Assistant who has done some work for us in the past shared how she had landed this great new client via one of her blog posts. She had actually been listening to our “Product Launch Success Strategies” event at VAClassroom and decided to write a blog commentary on it. Well, her blog post was indexed by Google and this new client found her post and VA business by searching for “Online Product Launches”. This one blog commentary ultimately resulted in a great new client – isn’t that cool?

It is that kind of inspiration that I am refering to here…. blogger testimonies that help you to remember why you started blogging in the first place!

4.  Change Up Your Blogging Schedule – I am not sure what kind of regular blogging schedule you keep, but I would recommend switching your current schedule and try something new and fresh. If you regularly write blog posts at three or four different times during the week,  then maybe switch it up to pick a set time per week where you write all three or four posts in one sitting…. Or vise versa. Try a different approach that will help to revitalize your blogging efforts!

5. Focus on your passion! When you are going through these “lulls”, it is important to write posts that matter to you or areas that you are passionate about. These are NOT the times to be writing posts that you think your audience wants to hear. Write posts on topics that really “charge your batteries”! If you are super passionate about Social Networking, then gear your current posts to that topic. If you love shopping cart technology, then write some posts on tips for setting up shopping carts for clients. The key here is to identify those topics that you are truly passionate about it and just blog! This just might get you out of the slump:)

So, there you have it…. Five ways that have helped me to really climb out of my blogging rut. One last thing…. I truly believe that blogging is one of the most powerful tools for connecting with your target client audience. It can truly have an awesome impact on your business. So, the key is to not give up, but implement some of these strategies and others that will help you re-gain your focus, purpose and love  for blogging.

Now, I would love to hear any ideas you have for staying inspired and passionate about blogging – Please share!

You’ve established your client’s presence on the major general Social Networks, and have successfully utilized the tools and features that have helped grow their business and brand authority.  Well done!  Effective marketing with the big networks such as Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn is a “must” for today’s business, and maintaining regular activity and reputation monitoring are part of your ongoing tasks as a Social Media Marketing Specialist.

But is that all there is?  Why not venture out and take a look around to see what else is going on?

Far from being the only networking options, (and at the risk of suffering what’s being coined “Facebook Fatigue”), it’s worth considering joining one or two niche Social Networks in your client’s industry, for yet more additional exposure, brand recognition, and as a valuable market research strategy outside the realms of the giant networks.

Remember, 75% of Internet Users were involved in Social Networking in 2008, and they weren’t all on Facebook or Twitter!  It’s predicted 2009 will continue to see the rise of niche Social Networks, as people want to be a part of an online community where they can contribute and gain something back in a meaningful way.

New niche Social Networks are cropping up everywhere and online community forums are the new way people of like-mind gather and share ideas, information, link exchanges, and forge new joint venture collaborations.  Whatever your client’s industry, be it health supplements or a fitness product, insurance, natural products, or a non-profit organization, you can bet there’s a niche Social Network where not only potential clients are hanging out, but other businesses competitors are tapping into!

As part of the overall Social Media Marketing action plan and strategy, researching and joining a select few niche Social Networks can only be beneficial in many ways, with your client’s active engagement, adding relevant value and gaining information on the current trends in their industry.

How do you find targeted, niche networks for your client to join?  Chances are you’ll easily stumble upon them while surfing Web 2.0 with other activities anyway.  But for a targeted search with your relevant industry key words, you can utilize such research tools as:

• findasocialnetwork.com (doesn’t get any easier than that)

• Zuula (Blog Search Engine)

• BlogPulse

• Google Blog Search

• PRWeb (for recent Press Releases)

• Ning (allowing you to create your own social network or join an existing one.)

There are many options for bringing your client to where their audience is online.  Branch out!

Have you heard of PitchEngine yet? I came across this cool site recently and though you might find it interesting!

The traditional Press Release has now evolved into the Social Media Release (“SMR”), which you can now share for free. The evolution of all things Web 2.0 has provided a new platform for Press Releases to integrate your social media accounts, such as Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and easily embed video and audio, along with the usual text.  No technical skills are needed, and you can create as many company brand accounts that you want for free.

PitchEngine is the new one-stop answer for larger PR firms, small businesses or anyone on a budget with their public relations campaign wanting to cast a wide net with their message.  As a social platform, it provides the means of virally spreading your SMR to the social media sites and networks, journalists, bloggers, and your SMR is also picked up by Google News.

A quick overview:

• Your easy-to-share SMR package can be edited even after it’s been made live;

• Your release is hosted free for 30 days and then expires, with the option to purchase a subscription for a more permanent social media newsroom;

• Provides an ideal solution for journalists and media, allowing search filters for stories they’re looking for;

• After your SMR is saved, PitchEngine provides sharing capabilities to your Facebook profile and your Twitter followers with an option to personalize your message to suit your relevant audience;

• Not only aimed for the media, PitchEngine has made press release more social and suitable for both consumers and your friends and followers;

• They provide a video tutorial, blog, lots of instructions, and an easy to use application for any business wanting to integrate their Press Release with the dynamic world of Social Media!

PitchEngine is yet another powerful tool ready to be leveraged to get your message out virally. Another Web 2.0 Marketing tool to add to your arsenal!

There has been a hot debate brewing in the blogosphere on the ethics of outsourcing Social Networking activities to a Virtual Professional. Many graduates from our Social Media Marketing Specialist Program have recently found some of their clients requesting that they “Tweet” on their behalf on Twitter, or regularly update their Status Updates on Facebook. In other words, these clients are looking for a “stunt-double” who will be “them” in the most popular Social Network sites.

Businesses are “Gung-Ho” about Social Media right now and some are hoping to yield serious business-building results by outsourcing all their Social Media Marketing activities (including the whole “relationship” piece) to a consultant or VA.  Unfortunately, some of these businesses have jumped into a hot new marketing channel without fully understanding the heart of Web 2.0 and the obvious “relational” nature that drives Social Media.

My friend and collegue, Leesa Barnes really got the ball rolling in this debate with her very thoughtful post,

Why You Should Never Outsource Your Social Media Tasks and What You Should Delegate Instead

In being a BIG proponent (myself) of  Outsourcing “certain” Social Media Tasks  to a specialist, I quickly wrote a lengthy comment on some of the Social Media tasks that could be potentially delegated  in order to expand the reach and business potential using Social Media.

Leesa and I connected after this post and agreed that there was so much interest on this topic, that we have joined forces to put on a 75 minute tele-event on Thursday, May 28th to offer a “fresh” perspective. I think Leesa  and I make a great team for this call as she is a Social Media Trainer and consultant for businesses wanting to tap into this powerful new channel and I represent the service providers (VAs and Specialists) who are seeking to offer “in-demand” Social Media Marketing services for their clients. So, I think we have both angles covered:)

I believe this going to be one of the most captivating events I have been apart of in quite sometime. Here are the event details:

Title: Five Social Media Tasks to Outsource (And Still Be Authentic)
Date: Thursday, May 28, 2009
Time: 5pm EST (2pm PST)

Sign-up here for this important event .

The new kid on the block is Cligs, which is growing at a rapid rate, providing not just shorter URLS, but the additional features of providing you the stats of your submitted links, with analytics, social media monitoring and geotargeting capability.

The driver behind Cligs is to help you understand your traffic.  By tracking the traffic going thru your links, your online activity and the buzz it creates, whether for business or otherwise, is made transparent to you.

Why use Cligs?  Besides being FREE and user-friendly, it provides:

-    An informative Blog, regularly updated with news features and tips;
-    Real-time analytics, who’s sharing your link and who’s linking to you;
-    Geo-targeted destination URLs, to target your marketing and promotions on a per-country basis;
-    Referral statistics, to show which links sent you traffic;
-    Tools, gadgets and widgets, such as Wordpress plugins;
-    Various Twitter applications, such as a short a URL partnership with “Twitblogs”, the blogging service with Twitter which automatically gets tweeted with a link to the full post;
-    Ability to create an unlimited number of cligs, pointing to the same destination from different sites for traffic tracking purposes;
-    100% search engine friendly.

Has anyone tested out Cligs yet? I would love to hear your feedback!

Last week, I had the privilege of speaking at the IVAA Live Summit in Montreal on a topic near and dear to my heart: Social Media Marketing. This was my first time attending a Live Summit with IVAA and I have to say that I was SUPER impressed with the quality of speakers (especially the guy – lol), the professionalism of the event and the great networking and learning environment.

It was wonderful to meet so many talented VAs with a rich diversity of skills and specializations from transcription work and Internet Marketing, to blog design and bookkeeping.

A few months ago, I did a webinar on defining your ROI (Return on Investment) for your education and training pursuits. I talked about the importance of measuring the training programs you take based on the positive return you see for your business. Well, based on my experience with the IVAA Summit last week, I would have to say that any aspiring or experienced Virtual Assistant would greatly benefit and be inspired and encouraged from attending this yearly event! Next year is in Phoenix – sweet location!

The other thing that really impressed me was the level of support, accountability and encouragement IVAA members showed one another. This is truly a top notch organization and one that you might consider joining if you have not already. They have great education opportunities, networking and support as well as a members forum that offers great resources as well as new client opportunities.

So, check out the IVAA website to learn more about the benefits of belonging to this great organization – might be the resource you are seeking for your Virtual Assistance career!

For businesses who are utilizing Twitter’s staggering marketing potential as part of a Social Media Marketing campaign, Twitter provides a lot of room for creativity and innovative solutions for reaching target audiences.

Now that celebrities (such as Ashton Kutcher and CNN) , presidential campaigns and millions of users worldwide are accustomed to micro-blogging, Twitter is providing an enhancement to the micro-space of Tweeting.

For everyone already on Twitter, how many don’t realize they have a TwitWall? This easy to use feature is a blog companion for Twitter, allowing a space for Tweeters as an alternative, or addition to their micro-blog of maximum 140 characters. This page within Twitter allows users to embed their favorite videos and widgets, upload photos, mp3 music, podcasts, and source-images originating from existing http:// locations.

The little set-up time and effort involved is very appealing for those wanting more of a presence on Twitter, outside the context of the micro-blog. Additionally, TwitWall utilizes your existing Twitter followers that you’ve already established, with everything posted on your TwitWall updating your status on your Twitter timeline. It also carries over the personal branding design preferences of your Twitter page, such as background image, colours etc.

So why use TwitWall as a blog page rather than just your traditional blog post?

This question was posed to TwitWall founder Michael E. Carluen, who stated, “For users who currently have existing blogs, TwitWall can be a repository of content they would like to share with their Twitter network, but does not fit the general content of their main blog.”¹

As an additional blogging platform that’s unique to your followers, TwitWall provides a dynamic new communication tool, ready to be discovered!