Photo courtesy of ©iStockPhoto.com/axllll

It’s true, much of my time now is spent on phone calls or in email conversations educating on best practices or the “smart” way to do something. This got me thinking: “I’m working to move my clients forward on a timeline of social media and digital competence.” So here are the four stages of socia media competence the way I see them:

Stage 1: Unconsciously Incompetent in Social Media

Many clients start out this way, but it’s usually before we meet them. They know they need to be doing something in social media, but have no idea of the proper methods and measurable tactics. They probably got started because their competitor started a Facebook page that gained three likes and a million percent of the market share. (Please read my sarcasm). They are just doing for doing’s sake. They are unaware that what they are doing is actually not working and not benefitting them at all. Therefore, it’s working against them. They don’t know if they are doing it wrong or right. Possibly until someone tells them…

Stage 2: Consciously Incompetent in Social Media

This is when the client or company knows that what they are doing is not working. They realize that there are needs that require attention and strategy voids that need to be filled. This is how many of my first meetings go with clients: identifying problem areas in their current systems and strategies and working to create a fix that meets their needs. It’s a troublesome place to be, to know you’re doing it wrong, but not sure what to do about it. If you are a company or brand, who finds yourself in this stage, I hate to tell you this, but your customers also know that you’re not sure what you’re doing.

Stage 3: Consciously Competent in Social Media

A plan is set in place and you are seeing good results. It’s taking a lot of brain power, work and time but you are seeing the needle move in the right direction. This is a good thing! Social media is so measurable now, it’s quite easy to see how a specific action warrants a good or bad result. To be consciously competent in social media is where many brands find themselves: understanding that it is a task that needs to ge done to achieve certain results. Please note I said “task.”

Stage 4: Unconsciously Competent in Social Media

As Phil Robertson says, “Now we’re cookin’ with peanut oil!” (Yes, I’m a fan of the Robertson family). To be unconsciously competent in social is to go from “task” to “it’s just what we do.” Your systems, your priorities, your acitons: they all become a part of your company’s DNA that you don’t even think about it anymore. It’s just what you do. In a recent post I talked about how social media is no longer a job, but a skill. This is exactly what it looks like to be unconsciously competent in social: A skill, not a job. Now, you don’t just stumble upon a skill; it takes work. It takes a, sometimes, long journey along this path of competence to have true, unconscious success in social media.

Where do you find yourself along this path? Let’s talk about it in the comments below!

Today is Administrative Professionals Day. Did you know that? I was unaware until I had an executive assistant begin working for me and then you just have to start knowing things like that. Actually, my beautiful wife reminded me. So, Happy Administrative Professionals Day!

A few months ago, my wife and I attended Michael Hyatt and Ken Davis’s Platform Conference in Nashville. It was like drinking from a fire hydrant of leadership and platform-building awesomeness. Michael mentioned in a couple of his sessions about the success of his working relationship with his executive assistant. I’d read a previous blog post of his about eaHELP and the importance of a virtual assistant, but I’d always just skimmed by, not thinking it would be the right fit for me. But something clicked for me during the conference. He mentioned that his “EA” books all travel, syncs calendars, sets up productivity systems, makes phone calls to clients, email management and on and on and on. Everything he mentioned was something that I desperately needed help with.

Long story short, a few weeks after we got back to Tampa from the conference, I filled out an application on eaHELP.com to learn more about becoming a client. The process picked up from there and it has been wonderful ever since.

In this post, I just want to paint a picture for you of why I love being an eaHELP client. This is only my experience, but I have to think that most eaHELP clients have a similar story to tell.

1. eaHELP operates with the leader’s success in mind

I went through an in-depth matching process to in order to be placed with just the right executive assistant. They didn’t just pull the next available person for the job. I filled out a series of documents that asked great questions. I came to find out that my assistant, Caroline, was asked to do the same thing. After my recorded phone conversation with the eaHELP team, they would gather and listen to the phone call again and start building out the criteria and profile of the “EA” that would fit me and my company the best. It’s refreshing to work with a “smart” company – not just a company who tries to get things done quickly, but one that takes time and puts a plan in place that will wow their clients

2. eaHELP hires very well

I wasn’t too sure what to expect when this all started, but I did have a good amount of confidence in “who” my EA would be after walking through this matching process. Bottom line: Caroline is really, really good at what she does. I’ve looked around at some reviews of eaHELP and other client testimonies and everyone is saying the same thing about their EA. Bryan and Shannon at eaHELP take their hiring process very seriously and make sure that they are hiring competent, quick-learning, others-centered, hard-working folks who love details and thrive on getting the job done the right way. This has been my experience in working with Caroline. It doesn’t matter that she is three states away. She gets the job done, serves our clients well and is a great reflection of the Yellow Leaf Marketing brand.

3. eaHELP gets it. Period.

I’ve had the privilege of getting to know Bryan Miles, eaHELP’s CEO and Co-Founder, a little more since bringing Caroline on board and believe me when I tell you that he gets it. He understands that in order to grow, you must serve. In order to succeed, you must submit. In order to lead, you must follow. All of these traits are reflected in every person person I’ve had the opportunity to talk to from eaHELP. This is the type of like-minded company that I am proud to hitch my Yellow Leaf Marketing wagon to.

I hope this has been helpful for you to get a behind-the-scenes look at what a virtual assistant relationship could look like. Since hiring Caroline and eaHELP, our productivity and service quality to our clients has skyrocketed and for that I am very grateful. If you are on the fence about a decision like this, I’m here to tell you, look no further than eaHELP.

A few helpful eaHELP resources:

• www.eaHELP.com

• Bryan Miles’s eBook: 9 Reasons to Rethink Your Approach to Staffing

• eaHELP’s Demo Video

• Get an eaHELP Proposal

Each month at Yellow Leaf Marketing we provide our clients with in-depth reports on their social media and digital marketing success. We measure specific KPIs to show them the health of their programs or where things need to be improved. I’m constantly intrigued at the diverse and sometimes surprising demographics of our clients’ fans, followers and visitors.

This is a great look at social media demographics as a whole. Enjoy!

What surprised you about these findings? Does this change or help frame up the way you will use social media as an extension of your brand? Tell us in the comments!

Happy Birthday, Twitter. Congratulations on changing the way the world communicates.

]]> http://yellowleafmarketing.com/happy-birthday-twitter/feed/ 0 http://yellowleafmarketing.com/happy-birthday-twitter/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/yellowleafmarketing/blog/~3/_hAhInDWA9Q/ http://yellowleafmarketing.com/going-from-like-to-buy-at-country-radio-seminar/#comments Fri, 01 Mar 2013 19:02:17 +0000 Danny Rohrdanz http://yellowleafmarketing.com/?p=810 Yesterday, I had the privilege of attending Nashville’s Country Radio Seminar. I was asked to speak on a panel entitled Going from LIKE to BUY. The purpose of the panel, organized by my friend Daniel Anstandig, was to give practical examples to radio professionals of how you really can monetize your social media strategy and go beyond only measuring Facebook “likes” or Twitter “follows.” My kind of panel for sure. Our moderator was Dan Halyburton and I presented alongside Chris Brashear, Social Media Lead for the Bridgestone tire brands. I really had a blast meeting these guys and getting to know them a little better. A few of the attendees asked that I send my slides their way, so I decided to post them here via SlideShare. I hope they are helpful. I’ve included a few notes below the slides.

A Few Notes from the Presentation

• (Slides 4-5) You don’t own your Facebook page or Twitter account or any social media profile. However, you do own your website. Make that your Home Base and use social media (your “Embassies”) to point people back to your Home Base. Your embassies (social networks) should amplify your message as ambassadors of your brand.
• (Slide 9 – Jay Baer’s quote) Social Media should be an extension of everything you do and therefore it should undergird your overall efforts to achieve your business objectives.
• (Slide 10 – Seth Godin’s quote) Build your customer’s trust through social media before you try to sell to them.
• (Slide 13) – The Bullhorn vs. The Magnet. Are you shouting at your customers through social media? Or are you sharing with them? Shouting = Bullhorn. Sharing = Magnet. Pull them in with great content so that a sales pitch from you feels right and “ok” with them.
• (Slide 14) – If you’re going to track leads and sales through social media, you have to actually do something that is trackable.
• (Slide 17) – Measuring social media really comes down to how well it achieves your business goals. If you’re not measuring this, then what really is the value of it?

Thanks for stopping by. I hope this was helpful for you. If you have any questions you can contact me directly or leave a comment below!

Follow my new #CRS2013 friends on Twitter: @Anstandig | @ChrisBrashear | @DanHalyburton

Side note… Possibly the biggest thrill of the day was being on the same web page as Hootie! (…or Darius Rucker as he calls himself now…)

This confused guy is courtesy of Forbes.com

Social Media has evolved. We knew it would and now it has.

Social can no longer be relegated only to the “young” staff person in your office. Nor can it show up only on the Intern’s job description. Social media has evolved from a “job” to a definitive “skill” I like what Jay Baer says on this subject:

As companies take more steps to “be” social, and incorporate social business initiatives alongside the more common and obvious social media marketing programs, employees from all divisions and departments will utilize “social” to be more effective, the same way they have historically used telephones, email and in-person meetings. – Jay Baer

It’s time for a more mature approach to social media. If you solely continue to rely on your intern for your company’s social media strategy and implementation you are running the risk of your company’s social voice being obliterated. This may sound harsh. It is harsh. Now, I totally understand you may have rockstar interns who “get” you and what you do. These are the types of folks who you want to pour into. Help them help others in the interwebs “get” you. But, on any given day, if you’ll take a look at the trending topics/hashtags of Twitter, you’ll quickly realize that just because someone knows how to use Twitter doesn’t mean they are fit to be your company on Twitter. Does that make sense?

Take pride in your social voice. Train your staff on what this means. Make sure everyone is on the same page as to what your business objectives are and the role that social and digital plays in this.

Social media is no longer just about likes, retweets, comments, followers and having more Facebook fans than then next guy. Social media is about adding value to your business. It’s about bringing in leads and more importantly bringing in sales. Social media success can be measured extremely effectively. Are you measuring success properly or are you still stuck in the rookie stage of “I need more fans!”?

Like I said before – It’s time for a more mature approach to social media. Don’t let just anyone do this for you.

Questions, comments, critiques? Comment below, friends!

Old Marketing says: “You need this!”

New Marketing says: “Your friend found this to be useful. Give it a go?”

Old Marketing says: “Tracking the ROI of that billboard campaign? Riggghht…”

New Marketing says: “We can obviously track if this has worked or not. Everything is measurable.”

Old Marketing says: “Annoying.”

New Marketing says: “Welcoming.”

Old Marketing says: “Whether you like it or not.”

New Marketing says: “Only if you like it.”

Old Marketing says: “We only have them for a limited time, so make it count!”

New Marketing says: “They carry us in their pocket everywhere. We’re friends.”

Old Marketing says: “Of course you’ll buy from me. Don’t you know who I am?! Pshh..”

New Marketing says: “We start with trust first. The sale comes from the trust.”

Old Marketing says: “Push the product!”

New Marketing says: “Let’s create great content.”

Old Marketing says: “The more, the better.”

New Marketing says: “Let’s let the community decide what ‘better’ is.”

Old Marketing says: “But wait! There’s more!”

New Marketing says: “Once we’ve earned your trust, you’ll want more.”

Old Marketing = Bullhorn.

New Marketing = Magnet.

Your customer knows the difference.

• Why should companies consider using social media as a part of their marketing strategy?
• Once a company is using social media, what’s next?
• What resources can a social media newbie use to learn the industry and best practices?
• Yellow Leaf Marketing’s new Instagram Project: #YellowGram
• What’s next for social media marketing?

I really did have a great time chatting with Daniel during this interview. I’ve included it below if you’d like to take a look.

Here are a few of the links to resources mentioned in the interview:

Mashable

Social Media Examiner

HubSpot

#YellowGram Project

The Internet can be a dangerous place. Scratch that… it is a dangerous place. However, we’re at a point in history where almost every vocation, task and act of communication involves the Internet and some form of online communication. The world is now communicating online by using social media. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, blogs, Pinterest… This is where online conversations are happening and you need to have a plan in place to protect your marriage in this new world.  Take your Internet usage seriously. Be above reproach and protect your marriage – here’s how:

 1. Online Accountability. It is always a good idea to have some kind of website activity monitor installed on your computers, Smartphone, and tablets. A program like Covenant Eyes is great for online accountability. You can install it on your computer and download the apps for your mobile devices. It tracks the websites you visit and sends a report to a person who you designate as your “online accountability partner.”

2. Offline Accountability. Author and Pastor Matt Chandler says, “To be 99% known is to be unknown.” It’s true. That 1% could be your downfall.  Ask your friends to hold you accountable with the way you use social networks and the Internet at large. Ask them to check in on you. Maybe one or two of them receive your reports from Covenant Eyes and help you stay safe on the Internet. It’s always safer to walk in accountability. We weren’t created to walk through this life in isolation.

3. Does your spouse know your passwords? Make sure that your spouse has access to all of your online profiles. Let him or her know that they are free to log in at any time to see what’s going on. This doesn’t mean that you can’t be trusted. This means that transparency reigns in your relationship. Go ahead; give your spouse access to your accounts. You’ll feel better.

4. Don’t Over-share. When using social media, make it a point to NOT share your entire life and ALL of your thoughts, hopes, dreams, passions and convictions. Keep that for your spouse!  Many online emotional affairs start with someone pouring their heart out in a status update. Don’t entertain that thought. Keep it simple. Keep it light. Save the heavy stuff for the people closest to you.

5. Keep it Public. Things get dangerous when you start engaging in private messages. If you’re going to use Facebook or Twitter to communicate, try to keep it out in the open and not through Facebook Messages or Twitter Direct Messages. Especially when talking with someone of the opposite sex who isn’t your spouse! Set boundaries and stick to them.

6. Keep Your Shirt On! You’ve seen them. The “iffy” pictures that your Facebook friends post and you think to yourself, “Really? Is that necessary?” Make a rule to only post pictures that are above reproach. Guys, No one wants a ticket to your “gun show.” Trust me.

7. Make it NOT about you. Choose to use social media to talk and post about the things closest to you. Talk about your spouse, your kids, your job, etc. Try not to focus on yourself specifically. Social media is a breeding ground for narcissism. Guard against this.

8. Get Your Privacy Settings In Order. Make sure your social network privacy settings are configured in a way that protects you and your family. If you only want your friends seeing your status updates, make the switch!  The privacy settings of Facebook and other social networks are easy to navigate.

9. Be visible. Make sure that your family computer is in a visible place. If you use a laptop, make a family rule that it can only be used in the Living Room or Den.

10. Be prepared and Have a Plan in Place. You can control the way you use the Internet and specifically social networks. However, we can’t control the way others use it. Make sure to have a Family Plan in place for when online predators come “knocking on your door.” Maybe it’s an old boyfriend or girlfriend, a co-worker, or just an acquaintance trying to contact you. Will you try to hide it from your spouse and pretend like it never happened or will you bring it out in the open and discuss how you as a family will respond together in unity?

Well, we all know what’s been happening in the wide world of social media this week. On Monday Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg (Zuck) announced on his Timeline that Facebook is acquiring Instagram. Minutes later, Instagram’s CEO, Kevin Systrom, posted on the company’s Tumblr blog about the acquisition.

I was shocked to see some of the things Zuck wrote about the acquisition:

“But in order to do this well, we need to be mindful about keeping and building on Instagram’s strengths and features rather than just trying to integrate everything into Facebook.”

“That’s why we’re committed to building and growing Instagram independently. Millions of people around the world love the Instagram app and the brand associated with it, and our goal is to help spread this app and brand to even more people.”

“We think the fact that Instagram is connected to other services beyond Facebook is an important part of the experience. We plan on keeping features like the ability to post to other social networks, the ability to not share your Instagrams on Facebook if you want, and the ability to have followers and follow people separately from your friends on Facebook.”

It seems as though Facebook won’t be tampering with Instagram’s awesomeness, but a lot of folks don’t think this will last very long. This does, however, seem to be a unique situation for Facebook…

“This is an important milestone for Facebook because it’s the first time we’ve ever acquired a product and company with so many users. We don’t plan on doing many more of these, if any at all.”

Whatever the outcome may be, it’s astonishing what Instagram has done in 17 months. Astonishing. $0 to $1 Billion in 17 months. Acquired by the world’s largest social network to help them improve the way their users share photos. Below, I’ve posted an Infographic posted by Mashable this morning and made by the creatives at Visual.ly. Before we get to the [awesome] infographic, here are 3 takeaways from this saga and what I’ve learned from Instagram and hopefully will apply to Yellow Leaf Marketing.

1. See a void and fill it.

Instagram saw a void in social media and the way people used and communicated with their smartphones. They acted quickly and filled that void.

2. Keep it simple. Don’t over-think it.

When creating and adding features to the app that millions upon millions of people love and use every day, Instagram stayed simple. Their team is small – less than 15 employees. Their focus is narrow. Their product is intuitive and simple, but extremely effective. I think it’s important to keep it simple and not over-think it. When we begin to over-think our offerings, we lose sight of “why” we do what we do in the first place. I hope to grow here.

3. Adapt and grow as your customers adapt and grow.

Similarly to #1 in this list, Instagram saw a need and they filled it. But they kept delivering for their customers as their customer-base grew. I think it’s important to recognize that what I/we/you do right now may not always be what our customers need tomorrow. Are you willing to adapt and grow and provide excellent service at every turn? My hope and prayer is that Yellow Leaf Marketing would always be ready, willing and able to “add new filters” upon request and over-serve our clients with whatever needs arise.

Below is Instagram’s history (in Instagram photos of course….) courtesy of Mashable and Visual.ly. Enjoy.

by visually. Browse more infographics.