I’m delighted to be teaming up with Lori Ives-Godwin of Your Community Connector on a series of social media workshops for Charlotte’s holistic community. Your Community Connector is sponsoring four mini bootcamps beginning in November:

• Facebook for Your Business
• Twitter for Your Business
• Beyond Facebook and Twitter: Other Social Media Tools for Your Business
• It’s Not About the Tools…It’s About People

Each workshop is $25 per person. The first classes are Nov. 11 and 18 at Unity of Charlotte on Arrowood Rd. Dates and times for the other two classes are still TBD. We’re working on venues to offer the workshops in Uptown Charlotte and North Charlotte, too.

Here’s a quick overview:

Facebook for Your Business

Wednesday, November 11, 7-9 p.m.

Facebook offers powerful tools to spread the word about your company and engage your customers in compelling new ways.

In this session, you’ll learn how to create a Facebook Page for your business. You’ll come away with tips to grow your audience and connect in ways you never thought possible.

We’ll answer your most pressing questions, such as:

• Why do I need a Facebook Page?
• How do I create a Page for my business?
• How do I gain more Facebook Fans?
• How do I get my audience to spread the word for me?
• What is good content?
• How do I convert fans into customers?
• I have fans…now what?

Register for Facebook for Your Business.

Twitter for Your Business

Wednesday, November 18, 7-9 p.m.

Everybody’s talking about Twitter! You’ve heard what it can do, now learn “hands on” how to makeTwitter work for you.

In this session, you’ll learn how to get started with Twitter, how to grow an audience, and how to tap into your online community and grow your business.

You’ll learn invaluable “how to” lessons, such as how to:

• Create an effective Twitter account
• Use Twitter more efficiently and save time
• Find people who are interested in your business
• Use Twitter on your mobile phone
• Monitor public Twitter conversations for topics of interest to you
• Learn more about your followers and customers
• Send out links and useful resources to your audience
• Analyze your Tweets to see what your readers care about

Register for Twitter for Your Business.

Beyond Facebook and Twitter:
Other Social Media Tools for Your Business

Date and Time TBD

The social web is bigger than Facebook and Twitter. There are countless tools that make it easy to share your message with the world. Interacting directly with your target audience has never been easier

In this session, we’ll discuss social media you may not currently be using, such as blogging, photo/video sharing sites like YouTube, social bookmarking, online reviews and more. You’ll learn about:

• Why listening first is so important
• How to tell if blogging is right for you
• How to discover where your audience hangs out online
• Becoming part of an online community
• How to integrate new tools into your social media mix
• When it’s okay to automate social media and when it’s not

Register for Beyond Facebook and Twitter.

It’s Not About the Tools…It’s About the People

Date and Time TBD

You’ve learned about Facebook and Twitter. You’re considering a blog. Now learn why being a “social business” means more than using the tools.

In this session, you’ll learn how to create a social media game plan. We’ll discuss marketing vs. customer service, when it’s okay to sell, and how to influence people online.

We’ll cover the following topics:

• Creating content? Sharing content? What is your content strategy and why does it matter?
• Why ridiculous generosity trumps always asking for money
• Why a well-written, well-designed website is more important than ever
• How to create a strong call-to-action
• Defining success
• Staying motivated over the long haul
• …and more!

Register for It’s Not About the Tools…It’s About the People

Sharing good content is a heckuva smart social media strategy. But how do you share a blog post or article with audiences scattered across multiple networks?

I post content directly from Google Reader to Delicious, Friendfeed and Twitter in a single motion. The step-by-step configuration instructions are below, but first read these five reasons not to automate your social media program.

Back? Good.

Step 1: Configure Google Reader to Share to Delicious

Google recently added a “Share To” option that lets you customize which networks you want to share content to. The feature lets you share content from your feed reader to a dozen sites like Twitter, Friendfeed, Delicious, Posterous and more.

Click “Settings” in the upper right corner, then click the “Share To” tab. Add whichever sites you’d like, but for this exercise, be sure to add the social bookmarking site Delicious.

Step 2: Configure Friendfeed to Pull Bookmarks from Delicious

Like other “lifestreaming” or “aggregation” sites, Friendfeed lets you pull in your activity from across the social web, including Facebook, Amazon, Flickr, YouTube, music (Pandora, etc.), comments (via Disqus, BackType, etc.) and more. You can pull in activity from nearly 60 sites.

Click on “Settings” in the upper right corner, then click “add/edit” in the Services section. Again, select whichever sites you’d like to add, being sure to add Delicious.

Step 3: Configure Friendfeed to “cc” Twitter

Click on “Settings” again, then click “Twitter publishing preferences.” Make sure “Post my Friendfeed entries to Twitter by default” is checked, then select which of your social activities you’d like Friendfeed to push to Twitter. Again, keep an eye on Delicious.

Step 4: Use Google Reader’s “Send to Delicious” Button

With steps 1-3 complete, you can now send a post from Google Reader to Delicious. It will be pulled into Friendfeed, which in turn pushes it out to Twitter.

HERE’S AN IMPORTANT TIP: When you bookmark an item to Delicious, pay careful attention to these two points:

• Include “by @author” in the title (change ‘author’ to the appropriate Twitter handle). This way they’ll get an @mention when it hits Twitter.
• Keep the headline to about 100 characters to allow room on Twitter for the URL and ReTweets.

Why This Works

The “5 Reasons Not to Automate” post notwithstanding, this is useful for many reasons. Each service in the chain meets a different need. For me, Google Reader is for finding content, Twitter is where I build relationships, Delicious is for saving articles I’ll use later in seminars and workshops, and Friendfeed is for conversations that require more than 140 characters.

You can use this approach with other tools — your blog, for instance. Just be sure to remember the human element. Relationships aren’t built with automation.

Lots of companies want to take advantage of social media. But is your company ready for social media?

It’s tempting to jump and “get your feet wet.” Experimentation is a good thing — I don’t want to discourage you. But before you start flinging profiles up all over the web, take a second to assess your preparedness.

Do you possess these 12 traits you’ll need to succeed in social media?

Trust

• Do you trust your employees? Are you willing to let them represent your brand online?
• Do you have faith in your ability to meet customer expectations?
• Can you trust others to carry some of the load, rather than doing it all yourself?
• Do you trust your team enough to let them experiment?

Responsiveness

• Are you diligent about responding to every email and phone call?
• Do you solve problems, rather than merely acknowledging, disputing or ignoring them?
• Do you have a system to ensure accountability to your customers, suppliers and partners?
• Is every member of your team equipped and empowered to serve customers?

Training

• Have you given team members access to social media training and other learning tools?
• Do you have a social media policy to guide (not restrict) employee use of social media?
• Have you talked to employees about best practices and online etiquette?
• Did you educate executives to gain buy-in and avoid misunderstandings?

Generosity

• Are you willing to give away content (e-books, webinars, videos, etc.) for free to generate interest?
• Are you willing to forgo harvesting email addresses in exchange for greater reach?
• Are you willing to reward loyal customers and influencers with exclusive opportunities?
• Do you care about helping others meet their goals, or just meeting your own?

Patience

• Are you prepared to wait six months or more to see results?
• Do you have the stick-to-it-iveness to endure when you’re not getting blog comments?
• Will you still have enthusiasm for social media when your busy season arrives?

Participation

• Will you commit to letting all employees participate in social media?
• Are you willing to get your own hands dirty and participate?
• Are you prepared to take more than a superficial interest in your customers’ lives?

Thick Skin

• Can you handle criticism?
• Will you respond diplomatically if someone bashes your company on their blog?
• Are you sincere about using feedback – positive and negative – to improve how your business?
• Are you humble enough to acknowledge your shortcomings (honestly…not the “we care too much” way)?

Open-mindedness

• Do you believe “The Way It’s Always Been Done” isn’t always the right way?
• Would you let your customers come up new product ideas?
• If an idea sounds illogical to you, are you brave enough to let an employee run with it?

Resources

• Do you recognize social media isn’t just a cheap/free alternative to advertising?
• Are you willing to let employees spend “work time” on social networking sites?
• Will you invest enough resources in your social media efforts for them to gain traction?
• Would you be satisfied reaching a smaller audience if it’s more targeted?
• Are you good at managing your time?

Work Ethic

• Are you aware that social media requires actual people and shouldn’t be over-automated?
• Are you committed to excellence over mediocrity?
• Will you bust your butt to make your customers raving fans?

Courage

• Are you at ease living under a microscope?
• Are you comfortable adapting on the fly to audiences that can be difficult to predict?
• Are you willing to reveal a little bit of your personal side?
• Will you soldier on with social media, even if you fail?

Realistic Expectations

• Do you have specific and measurable goals?
• Are they attainable? Are they attainable via social media?
• Will you keep up your other marketing activities, rather than putting all your eggs in one basket?
• Have you consulted with a professional (contact me) to assess the feasibility of your goals?

Any Other Ideas?

What did I miss?

Can we talk about transparency again?

I know all of us “veterans” of social media are sick of this discussion. Too bad. We make up less than 1% of the global population, and the other 99% still have questions about transparency, disclosure, authenticity and the rest. It’s our job to answer those questions.

And here’s the real bitch of it: They don’t even use those words. They say things like “Can you just write my blog for me?” Only those of us in the industry use such high-falutin’ terms.

So much for speaking the language of your customer, right?

The transparency debate seems to revolve around one question: Is it okay to blog/tweet on behalf of someone else?

Some say ghost-blogging is okay. Some say it’s not. Some are re-evaluating their positions. Even the tech community is split.

It’s time for a reality check: Ghost blogging will happen. Ghost tweeting will happen. We can’t stop it. Sheer economics tell us CEOs have better things to do than writing blogs, responding to comments and “building community.” It’s true at Fortune 500s, and probably more true at small businesses.

Here’s another reality: Most consumers probably don’t care who writes the blog. To them, transparency isn’t about seeing the man behind the curtain. It’s about trusting the Wizard to take you back to Kansas like he promised.

Those of us in the ever-converging PR, marketing and social media fields can be purists if we’d like. We can draw our lines in the sand. And we can go broke in the process.

I’m not saying we should all start ghost-blogging and ghost-tweeting. We must continue to teach. We must look for creative solutions (Employee blogs instead of ghost-written CEO blogs?). We must continue to influence companies to be listeners and facilitators, not just talkers.

And we must be open-minded.

Companies not innately gifted with communications prowess will nonetheless want to use the tools of communication to their advantage. You’re either with ‘em or against ‘em. You’ll have more luck teaching them to use the tools responsibly if you’re with ‘em, trust me.

The #1 challenge for social networking newbies isn’t creating a profile. It’s not learning the mechanics of Twitter. It’s relating to people.

The power of social networking comes from conversing with people, not following them. But getting to know someone can be daunting (even to me!). We humans have a hard time being human.

Here are 35 questions to help you spur conversation, deepen connections, and grow your network:

1. How is business?
2. What interesting projects are you working on?
3. Are there any challenges you’re seeking solutions to?
4. What blogs do you read?
5. Who’s the most helpful person you’ve met via social networking?
6. Is there anybody in my network you’d like to meet?
7. What are your goals for the next few months?
8. What do you enjoy most about what you do?
9. Can you recommend any resources on ____________?
10. Are you planning to attend any events where we might meet in person?
11. Did you read that article/post by _____________? What did you think?
12. Which social networking tools have been most valuable to you?
13. What do you think is the biggest change your business faces in the coming years?
14. What did you hope to accomplish this year that you didn’t get around to?
15. Who do you look to for wisdom?
16. Would you mind introducing me to _____________?
17. How are things going with that project you’re working on?
18. I’m friends with _____________ … would you like me to introduce you?
19. Have you considered teaching others how to do what you do?
20. Would you be interested in having me write a guest post on your blog, or vice versa?
21. Do you have specific goals for your use of social media?
22. Where’s the best place to get BBQ in this town?!
23. Do others in your company use social networking and social media, too?
24. What’s the toughest part of your business?
25. What questions are YOU seeking answers to?
26. How has your business changed over the past year?
27. How is technology changing the way you do business?
28. Is there something you want to learn more about?
29. Can I help you with anything?
30. How do you define success?
31. What’s the biggest missing piece for you right now?
32. What was the most important thing you did this year?
33. What gets you fired up?
34. What ticks you off?
35. Wanna grab a beer?

Did you notice how none of those questions said “Would you like to buy something from me?”

There are good reasons to automate parts of your social media program — efficiency, expanded reach, sanity. But there are also good reasons to avoid over-automation.

Here are five reasons to rein in your social media automation:

Machines Make Mistakes

Let’s say you’re a restaurant owner. You set up an auto-responder that searches Tweets for the keyword “hungry” and send an @reply with the message “Hungry? Try Jimmy’s Big Pig BBQ on 5th Street.”

You’ll look like a buffoon when someone Tweets “The Panthers are hungry for a win.”

Scripts, bots and machines aren’t very good at deciphering context (Google Wave is, but that’s another story). Human language is subtle, and human beings are good at sniffing out a ghost.

Different Audiences Respond to Different Messages

RSS, Ping.fm and other tools let you push your blog to your outposts (Twitter, Facebook, etc.). But each of your audiences is unique. Being relevant requires nuance. Blasting the same message to every audience is like giving your entire family a Target gift card for Christmas: Tacky, unimpressive, and not very thoughtful.

Relationships Aren’t Built by Automation

The #1 reason not to automate: People like people, not scripts and bots. It’s about getting people to like and trust you, not playing whack-a-mole with your sales message.

Discretion is the Better Part of Valor

Not all blog posts are created equal. Some rock, and some are “Meh.” Pimping a dud post won’t make it better. Automation nixes your ability to rein in a crummy post.

Automation is One Step Away from Broadcasting

If you’re hell-bent on automating, you’re likely aiming for uber-efficiency. Wanna be even more efficient? Don’t talk to people at all. You’ll save time and energy by avoiding human interaction. Of course, it’s a bad idea, but it’s a slippery slope from automation to one-way broadcasting.

Stop it. Just…stop it.

I’m talking to you, Mr. Business Owner. I see you creating a Twitter account over there. Step away from the Twitter or I’ll shoot.

Who told you Twitter was a good idea?

Oh, that’s right. I did. We did (we, the social media enthusiasts). The newspapers did. Oprah did.

You don’t need a Twitter account. Not yet. What’s the game plan here — Tweet about yourself all the time, rack up a ton of Twitter followers, tell them to buy your stuff?

Meh. Boring.

I get it: Sales are down. It’s a recession — we’re all suffering. But blitzing people with “come try me” messages is a bad idea, even if you use the shiny new tool to do it.

It didn’t work when you dabbled in cable TV ads for a month.
It didn’t work when you tried it via email.
It didn’t work at the Chamber of Commerce when you talked about yourself all night.

So, I’ll say it again: Step away from the Twitter…or I’ll shoot.

Go read Amy Mengel’s post Five Reasons Corporations Are Failing at Social Media (hint: Corporations aren’t the only ones screwing the pooch).

Next, complete these exercises:

• Write down three things you want to accomplish with social media. Now, crumple up your list. Throw it out. Next, write down 10 things your customers want to accomplish with social media. How are you helping them achieve those goals?
• Answer this: If you didn’t exist — I mean, plain ol’ didn’t exist — what would your customers care about? (The “if you didn’t exist” routine is designed to help you stop thinking you’re what customers care about. You’re not. I promise.)
• Describe your content strategy in 30 words are less. Content strategy? You do realize there needs to a be a topic of conversation, right? What will your audience talk about? Are you creating content? Sharing someone else’s content? Is it text? Video? Photos? Links?
• At the next staff meeting, ask employees how many have blogs. Ask how many are on Facebook. Ask if any of them use Twitter personally. Now ask yourself why you didn’t seek their ideas when you hatched your social media plan.

I’m being a little glib here (what would a blog be without complaining, after all?), but you get my point. “Fire, ready, aim” is a desperate approach.

You want to boost business, and that’s cool. But please, have a plan. Have a sustainable plan. Invite your customers to a conversation they want to be a part of. Let’s talk and see if we can come up a plan, okay?

Then you can have your Twitter back.

Diving into social media as a business owner is scary…like auditioning for a high school play.

You creep out…slowly. Your palms are sweaty. Your throat is dry. All eyes are on you. You feel as though you’re being judged — and you are. Your mind races as you search for your lines. What was I supposed to say?! You blink, swallow that lump in your throat, and speak. Silence. You look around, searching desperately for feedback. What are they thinking?

Fear is normal…every actor feels it. Accomplished actors draw energy from their audience, and you can, too. But the first step is taking that long, dreadful walk to center stage and letting your eyes adjust to the light.

Here are some other ways being a “social business” is like stage acting:

You Feel Vulnerable

When you’re center stage, there’s no hiding. No stage decoration to duck behind, no cast to blend into — just you, the white hot lights, and the glare of a thousand eyes.

Being a social business can leave you feeling exposed, vulnerable. If you feel that way, it’s a good sign. Remember, the best stage performances are those where the actors take risks.

The Cast Will Carry You

Even the best actors can’t carry a show alone. Your cast — your employees, suppliers and customers — are your supporting characters. Don’t hog the stage — let them shine!

Things Don’t Always Go According to Script

Just ask Hugh Jackman and Daniel Craig, who were interrupted by a cell phone during their stage performance of A Steady Rain. Like true professionals, though, they stayed in character, even as they called out the offending party.

When you’re a social business, you have to be ready to improvise. Life has no script. Customers don’t adhere to your choreography. Be nimble, have a sense of humor, and don’t take yourself too seriously — but respect your audience and stay in character.

71% of email marketers say competing with social media for readers’ time and attention will be a top challenge.

This is despite the fact that “social media use makes people consume more email, not less,” according to Nielsen.

Email and Social Media Shouldn’t Compete — They Should Team Up

A few thoughts immediately jump out at me:

• If you’re afraid of losing audience to social media, why aren’t you using social media?
• Why are you so reliant on one marketing tactic?
• Is your email marketing social media ready? Does it include “Share with a friend” or “Post to Facebook” links?
• Could you upgrade your marketing plan so email and social media work in harmony?

Social Media is No Quick Fix for an Ailing Email Marketing Program

Social media has its own challenges. Many of them are the same challenges email marketers face:

• How do I deliver highly relevant content to my audience?
• How do I measure ROI?
• How to I get people to opt in?
• How do I avoid the perception of being spammy?
• How do I convert followers into actual readers? (Or better yet, customers)

What Social Media Can Do That Email Rarely Does

Social media can do one thing really well that email can’t: Let your audience create the message.

WHAT?!?!

Yes, you heard me. Let your audience community shape your message. You’ll be amazed by the feedback and insight you’ll get, and you’ll build deeper customer loyalty as customers begin to feel invested.

• Instead of creating a discount/promotion…ask your audience what they want.
• Instead of writing e-newsletters about you…write blog posts about them.
• Instead of telling them what product they need…find out what they’re really wrestling with and connect them to solutions.
• Instead of conducting an email survey…listen to them via social channels, engage, probe deeper, and listen some more.
• Instead of building a database…build relationships
• Instead of trying to grow your audience…help your satisfied customers grow their audiences.

How Social Media Feeds Email Marketing

Here’s the pay-off: Social media users are more likely to consume email (Remember the Nielsen report). Engage with your audience via social channels — everywhere. Daily. Become an unforgettable member of their social fabric.  Be less of a brand and more of a human.

You do all of that, and your email situation will take care of itself.

When I was a kid, my dad would often take our family cars clunkers to a guy named Gerry Purdy for run-of-the-mill service: Oil changes, state inspections and the like.

I was immature then and didn’t like the guy much. His son was in my Boy Scout troop and their family was the family everybody made fun of. They lived right next to the train tracks and had a yard teeming with junk vehicles, spare parts, stray cats, and other trappings that, in my juvenile mind, marked the Purdy family as inferior. It was shameful.

But my father didn’t see class. He chatted with Mr. Purdy without judgment. And he always brought a little business — albeit small — to Purdy’s family.

See, Gerry Purdy did something that was uncommon then and maybe more so now: He gave my dad the straight dope. He didn’t try to sell him any BS undercoating or tell him the flux capacitor on our ‘86 Chevy wagon needed replaced. He was fair and honest. Always.

That’s what social business is about. It’s not about Facebook or Twitter or the other gadgets. It’s about respecting people.

My dad got social business, too, long before I did — before social media as a technology even existed. Dad understood the importance of people, relationships, and loyalty. He knew driving the car 20 minutes to Purdy’s was the right choice, even though there was an auto repair chain down the block from us. It wasn’t about convenience or price — though we usually got the “friends and family” rate for our loyalty — it was about something bigger.

See, dad and Gerry Purdy saw themselves as part of a community. Not a niche community,but an all-inclusive community where everyone who passed by was welcome. They shared a set of values defined not by their professions, but by their humanity, not by their business objectives, but by their co-participation in something more important than themselves.

Gerry Purdy, the grease-under-his-nails and Foxworthy-esque automechanic, and my father the elevator repairman were better at social business 15 years ago than most companies are today.

Including mine.