Phyllis Khare

Few Social Media experts research and explain things as thoroughly and simply as Phyllis Khare does.

In case you missed it, please tune in to my Literally Social podcast to hear out chat about Social Media trends and what do to about them if you’re an entrepreneur.

Here’s the link: Phyllis Khare’s Social Media Marketing for Dummies eLearning Kit

Don't take anybody's head off

When you’re looking to boost your brand and social influence

Remember to keep your words tender and sweet

It makes them taste much better if you end up having to eat them later. 

Every now and then it’s possible to receive a hurtful or irrational comment on a blog post or status update. Always keep a level head when and if you respond. You may be surprised to discover how quickly your fans will speak up for you without ever having to go there yourself.

 It’s always good to save the drama for daytime television or reality shows and keep your focus on contributing meaningfully to your communities.

When you establish yourself as a positive (or at least entertaining in your snark) voice, people come to you again and again for your content.

Remember

You set the tone for your online communities. Rise above any pettiness that comes your way and move that conversation to a private channel, like email. 

Related Posts: 10 Ways to Create Happy Fans – Part 1

When have you felt like serving up somebody’s head on a platter but resisted the urge? Please scroll down to the comments below and DISH!

It's so hard to resist the pun

How would it feel to have a happy, supportive fan base?

This list of 10 ways to create a happy fan base is by no means exhaustive, but if you keep these 10 happiness producing, love sharing, reputation building tips, you will be amazed made by how quickly word spreads about the great work you’re doing, both online and face to face.

 Getting Super Clear

Don't Parrot. Discover your voice

Sometimes this takes getting alone with a notebook and just writing about exactly what you want your online reputation to be all about. If you take your career online with the vague goal of being “popular” this might happen for you, but consider what you want to get out of it.

People will respond to you very positively when you identify what you’re doing in clear terms that they can understand almost right away. If you have to educate people about what you do, it takes a lot longer to gain traction online. That could be discouraging.  Something amazing happens when you get super clear on what you want and what you have to offer. Suddenly the way you talk about it gets much clearer. Your blog posts are more focused because you’re using your SEO keywords I show you in chapter 6, and people feel like they can share what you’re saying because it’s valuable and easy to understand.

Creme brûlée content tastes divine

Creme brûlée is the perfect metaphor for writing blog posts. Think about it:

• It tastes divine.
• It looks appetizing.
• A tiny portion really satisfies.
• You get a crispy crunch followed by creamy sweetness.

An ideal blog post is packs a lot of meaning in a small space so that it can be easily read via a mobile device.

• It’s easy to keep up with because it takes a minute to read.
• It’s easy to comment on and share.
• It’s more fun to write.

What’s your favorite snack sized, byte sized content? Please scroll down and comment below. Share with your friends for bonus points!

• You’re writing quality content.
• You’re posting at least once a week.
• You’ve optimized your site for social media sharing.

And yet the traffic coming to your site only stays around for a short time and then bounces out before they can get to know you better or comment. What’s going on here?

Trends move awfully fast online and you’re really smart to research your keywords every year just to be sure you’re on target with attracting the kinds of people who are actually, really interested in what you do. It also helps to create an ideal client profile to consider, but that’s a future post. I did this recently and it was very enlightening.

It might be a while since you’ve researched your SEO keywords.

What’s that? You never have because it sounds scary and weird? Never fear, I’m here to show you exactly how to do this for yourself in less than an hour. A lot less if you don’t play with it. And trust me, you’re going to want to play with it!

More pocket protectors sold in 1990 than in 1960...

What’s all this playing around about? Keyword research of course! I just did this a couple hours ago and am thrilled that I did. It was even fun in a deeply nerdy sort of way. Where’s my pocket protector?!

Here’s an easy, free way to get it done:

1. Go to http://Adwords.google.com
2. Click on the “Tools and Analysis” tab
3. Enter a word or phrase that relates to your site. (I chose Online Reputation Management.)
4. Click on interesting terms and select “show more like this”
5. Play around with your terms and subject matter until you find something that just might fit.

Things to look for:

• Keywords that are low competition
• Keywords that have relatively high local (or global) monthly searches. (See screenshot below.)

Pass this on to your colleagues and friends! It’s guaranteed to blast your targeted traffic through the roof. Please scroll down and share your experiences!

And why not? It’s fun, wildly addictive, and will get you embellishing your manicure with newspaper print in no time. Or so I hear.

I have a link that shows you exactly how to do it right now, but I must warn you that it’s more of a “Fearless Geek’s Guide” than an “easy peasy” guide for most of us.

Before you get started adding a Pinterest tab to your Facebook Page I want you to consider the following things:

• Do I sell artwork or tangible items like jewelry or home accessories?
• Do I want to invest the time to keep up with my Pinterest account and keep it interesting?
• Is my time online better spent elsewhere?

My friend Kelby Carr is just publishing Pinterest for Dummies Snap up if this is going to be an important part of your social marketing.

What’s your story with Pinterest? Do you think it boost your particular brand? Please scroll down to the comments below and share!

How would this person make your clients feel?

Launching a major brand’s Social Media presence isn’t easy

There are all kinds of issues to consider, but when everything’s figured out, such as

• Who decides what the message(s) will be
• Who sets the tone
• Where you will post
• How you will post
• What monitoring tools you will use
• Who will be monitoring via those tools
• Why you even have an online presence
• How you will handle online crisis

How to make your brand’s social media 10x better

If you do this one thing, all of your social media policy evolutions and plans will go 10x better. LISTEN to what people are actually saying to (and about) you online and then respond by genuinely helping, rather than being defensive or trying to sell something.

What’s the best brand experience you’ve ever had online? Please scroll down to the comments below and tell me.

Photo credit: Healthy Psychology Consultancy

Whether you’re responsible for creating content for your organization or you have a cooking blog that enthralls readers eager for your latest installment, you need to have a writing schedule or else it will become stressful rather than a creative blast.

Here’s what works for me

I like to journal and do creative first thing in the morning (like a dweeb) because it clears all the creative cacophony out of my consciousness from the night. More technical writing definitely requires a shot of caffeinated courage and some final research, so I hit that around 10:00 am when my mind is clear and I have the energy to grapple with it.

When there’s a deadline looming I find I can write 24/7, but discovered in college that my thinking is much clearer when I set the alarm super early rather than staying up late. I got up at 4:00 to finish research papers while the house was all quiet and peaceful and it worked for me. I’ll go to bed relatively early with a question on my mind, wake up super early and start writing because my unconscious will have been working on that question while I sleep.

Please scroll down to the comments below and share your problems and solutions for getting compelling content out the door!

I can just feel the little prickles on the back of my neck telling me people will say

“It’s because I feed him every night!”

“It’s because I give him unexpected treats!”

“It’s because I take him for walks!”

But the real reason your dog loves you is because you’re “for real” with your dog.

Consider this for a moment. If your dog greets you with joyful tail wags I’m willing to bet that you never

• Put on airs and pretend to be somebody you’re not
• Try to be perfect
• Do things with him that neither of you enjoy, but fulfill some sense of obligation

How is taking your business online any different?

People are a lot smarter than dogs so it only makes sense that we can sniff out a fake pretty quickly. Even if you’re not being true to yourself because you don’t think you’re enough or haven’t really figured out what you’re doing yet, the outcome is the same.

You deserve better.

• Start paying attention to what energizes you and do those things
• Stand up for what you believe in
• Refuse to allow yourself to be a weak version of somebody else

Be yourself and just the right clients will be attracted to you online. I promise.

Please scroll down to the comments section below and share your views on authenticity online!

Bald is beautiful

As I research ever deeper into Online Reputation Management issues something’s getting really obvious:

Even some Fortune 100 companies aren’t listening to what people are saying to them online!

This article about “Bald Barbie” blows my mind because it’s such a missed opportunity. If you don’t want to read it I’ll give you a quick idea. Basically, a bunch of eager fans commented via Mattel’s Facebook page about how much they’d like to see them produce a “Bald Barbie” for kids to play with who are dealing with hair loss from chemotherapy. It’s about the most wonderful idea I can think of for Barbie to contribute to the community, especially since she’s already contributed an impossible beauty ideal.

If only Barbie were giving back!

Instead, Mattel just ignored these people and another company jumped on the opportunity to do something both so rewarding and financially clever.

The takeaway? Listen to what people are telling you online! This could have been the easiest slam-dunk for Mattel. Instead it’s more of a dunk.

What do you think? Please scroll down to the comments section below and sound off! 

With all the talk saying “Content is King”

Grow your business faster with better SEO.

I didn’t even really do much SEO (Search Engine Optimization) keyword research when I embarked on Social Media Design. I’m proud to say that I’ve been holding down the number one spot in Google’s rankings for well over a year in that category, but it was mostly from having a great name at great time and from getting to write content for some pretty serious heavy hitters like Social Media Examiner, SmartBrief, and BlogWorld, though I’ve been quoted in Huffington Post and in YMCA’s magazine, among other places.

Believe it or not, I’m very attuned to my gut instincts and tend to follow them. That’s my excuse for getting it right with that. Now I have some actual, geeky facts to share so that you can have a process to do the same thing every time!

Is it brag week? Not really, but you’re welcome to add yours down below in the comments section if you feel one coming on.

I’m sharing this because I was unconsciously leaving money on the table. You might be too, since very few brands actually do their SEO keyword research before spreading their wings online. Who knows about that stuff when they’re just beginning? Don’t sweat it if you haven’t, but please check out the following:

There are 3 major parts to boosting your SEO:

• Your site’s architecture
• Links (the bigger the sites the better!)
• Keywords

If you’re interested in a series or class on this powerful topic, I’ll be glad to de-geek it for you and get you on the road to more money, more traffic, and (let’s face it) more fun! Please just scroll down to the comments and give me a virtual hand raise. Share this with your audiences if you’re seriously interested, because I won’t do it for less than 50 hand waves! This beta version would be complimentary, but afterall. You get lots of great information in exchange for helping me to work out the bugs in a future paid course.

Want a de-geeked, kick in the pants, traffic driving, money making course from me? Wave you hands in the comments section down below and share!

kotex pinterest campaign brilliance

Many of you participated in my complimentary Pinterest teleconference call. If you did, you know how excited I am about this gorgeous medium! Please enjoy this freaking brilliant, inspiring Pinterest campaign by Kotex.

This is the kind of stuff that makes me over joyed to teach people about social media marketing!!

The world is our oyster and the only limitations have to do with how far you can stretch your imagination.

What do you want to accomplish? Please scroll down in the comments and share here!

Who knows what we might brainwave for you?

This was one of those panels. I wanted easy to understand, actionable steps, but all I got was a lot of commentary flying back and forth and not much quantifiable information to pull out of it, except that opinions run hot and heavy on the subject! With that being said,

I shared my Best 10 Takeaways from “What’s so (bleeping) hard about ROI?” panel at SXSW.

Here’s the post I wrote for SmartBrief. Enjoy!

Do you measure your social media ROI? If so, how are you doing it?

Thanks!! ~Lori

2013 Porsche 911 Carrera S Cabriolet, Come to Mama!!

Remember when you were in high school?

Sorry if that’s a bad memory, but think of how cute your thighs were back then!! Before you had to consistently workout to keep those babies happening.

Anyway, I don’t want to talk to you about your thighs right now as much as to remind you about the kids who had their own cars in high school.  You remember them.

They were either

• those kids who “inherited” the oldest family car (me!)
• those who had nothing
• those who earned the money to purchase their ride
• those kids with well-off or guilty parents who bought them brand new fancy cars.

Everyone I’ve ever talked with on this familiar subject says the same thing. It’s the kids who just had their fancy cars given to them the day they turned 16 who typically didn’t value the BMW or Porsche they were given. I actually learned how to drive a stick shift in my boyfriend’s Porsche. Needless to say, this has ruined me for just about any other kind of car. Once I’m an empty nester I may have to spring for one of these babies, in a nice hot red with a convertible roof. But I digress.

They didn’t feel like they OWNED the car because it just came to them so easily.

So they didn’t really take care of it. I took care of my car like it was the last one I’d ever own and maintained it religiously. My hunk of junk blossomed into a better running, cleaner hunk of junk. I even sprang for those fancy gas treatments every month as a “thank you” for still running without breaking down. It never failed me and lasted until I could afford to buy a regular car of my own. You don’t forget those kinds of experiences.

What does this have to do with my brand?

Glad you asked! You did just ask, didn’t you? You need to be thinking about this scenario, whether you were the rich kid or more like me, because that’s how people treat your products or services. If they feel like they have some sense of ownership in their experience with your brand, they will value you much more highly (read: treat you better).

How can you encourage your clients to “own” a bit of your brand?

How many times do we berate ourselves for that drive that keeps us up at night? For chasing the all encompassing, self-inflicted pleasure and pain of piecing together new puzzles?

Sometimes we go in a direction for a time, knowing it needs to change, but feeling powerless to take the required steps that will produce our freedom and the joie de vivre that comes from taking on something new because we hunger for the challenge.

The thing that holds us up oftentimes is the self loathing for having outgrown some work, some relationship, some daily pattern of living. We beat ourselves up for “being stupid” because we tried something and it ultimately didn’t seem to take us where we wanted to be. If only you’d played it safe, never taken that road, been “normal” and “smart,” none of this growing pain would have ever happened. Everybody else has figured out how to be happy and settled but you. Is that right?

Wrong!

If you never grow beyond going to work everyday, plopping down on the sofa to watch the same TV shows, and doing the same things with the same people all the time I have envied you more than I can say at times. I wanted to be that steady, content, peaceful person like my 96 year old maternal Grandma, who is delightfully healthy because she eats, exercises, and takes her vitamins at regular intervals every single day.

I must have taken after my Dad’s side of the family in more than looks. His family is full of colorful adventurers. There’s nothing more exciting to me than having a new place to see, smell, experience. I love the wind in my hair as I boldly flounder where this woman has never gone before.

Sometimes you achieve success beyond your wildest dreams and help amazing people who will never forget you. Sometimes it doesn’t go all “postcard” and there are delays, inconveniences, struggles, and outright heartbreaks to our plans as entrepreneurs. It’s easy to blame ourselves for not seeing ahead well enough to avoid the pain, but I believe it’s that forward momentum that keeps us alive and strong. It’s in our Entrepreneurial DNA.

Be strong. Keep moving, even when you’re scared sh*tless. I’m right there with you! Together, I believe we can overcome the urge to hide when life entices us with the promise of a deliciously energizing challenge.

Are you feeling the urge to hide when all you really want to do is to launch forward with some new move in your life? Please scroll down and share what you want and what you’re going to do today to make it happen.

XXOO

Lori