Social Media Mistakes

I wanted to start this Monday out talking about social media. I get asked about this topic often, and I don't feel the basics are covered. I read article after article online that discuss HTML5 coding and the SEO debates, but hardly nothing exists on the basic mistakes associated with social media use.

First, let's talk about your profiles. All of your social media profiles should link to one another and they all need to list your basic biography / boiler plate. Make sure you have both your phone and email contact information visible too. If you have a maiden name or nick name, list them within the confines of your profile's content to ensure searchabilty. Publishing an incomplete social profile is a major mistake and yet it happens a lot.

Pitching products through your social media accounts is also frowned about. Think of using Twitter like a walk down a virtual street. If someone jumped out at you and screamed "buy this product now", you would be annoyed! Instead, if someone walked up to you and said, "Hey, I see you're reading ABC. I loved that book so much that I wrote a more indepth version dedicated to the research of C. Here's some more info. if you want it," the sale would go smoother and you would create a REAL connection.

Finally, don't have an autoresponder do your work for you. Social media is about posting and joining live conversation in present time. I don't know how you can schedule present time two Sundays from now, but I see companies doing this all day long. Post to your own social media accounts or hire a live person to write them (and engage people) for you!

Until tomorrow,
Twyla N. Garrett

Take Your Business Drama to Your Mama...

Oh, the drama of being a business owner. Oh, the drama of being an employee. Conflicts at work are nothing new. So, I've decided to share my top three tips on avoiding drama in the workplace.

#1. Accept that you’re not the smartest person in the room. This is especially true for business owners and managers. Employees can have really great, money-saving suggestions. So, put those egos aside and listen. You might find business gold.

#2. Have a difficult conversation before it causes tension in the office. Don't dance around an issue. Address it and do so professionally. I once heard someone say, "critical feedback deserves your respect. It’s not something to fit in between phone calls ." They were right. Set-aside a time and place to have the difficult conversation and then move on.

#3. Think before you speak. This seems simple enough but we are human. If you just blurt out what a jackass someone is, you can be opening yourself up for a lawsuit- even if you are right! So, think out a response before saying one. If you need time to cool down, then say, "I have to think about this before commenting". There is no law out there stating you have to respond to something or someone immediately. Give yourself some time to cool down and to be diplomatic. It will make you a great leader and free of legal troubles.

Tell me about your prior work-drama experiences on Twitter!

Twyla