Facebook changes daily, and so do the rules you have to play by to win. Here are 8 quick ways to kill your business' social media efforts (and a couple may even help you get rid of a few personal Facebook friends too!).

1. Over-sharing: We know you want every last fan to see each post… but guess what? They're not going to. And while you're busy flooding peoples' news feeds with repeat content, your fans who have seen it over and over are hiding your content… or unliking your page. 

Similarly, if you share every update your page makes to your personal profile, your friends are going to get sick of your spamming, and think your page is annoying and that the product or service doesn't speak for itself.

2. Content Trumping: If you have awesome content that could potentially help grow your page, share it! FROM. YOUR. PAGE. Once the page shares it, feel free to share it to your personal profile (thereby directing traffic to the original source - the brand's page).   

3. Impersonal responses: Automated responses make me feel so special! Said no one ever. People are on social media because they want to feel special. Use their names and answer their questions as if the brand were actually managed by humans. Oh wait, it is. 

4. Delayed responses: Fans these days are expecting responses from brands' Facebook pages in hours (preferably less than one hour). If you can't keep up, hire help, or prepare to lose business.

5. Not responding at all: Imagine approaching a girl at a bar. You say hi and offer to buy her a drink and she just turns around and ignores you. You're left alone, looking dumb, thinking to yourself, "What a B*%$@". This is what it's like to fans when you don't listen to them. Social media is meant to be SOCIAL. Take part or people are going to stop talking to you, and soon enough, it won't matter how pretty you are... you'll be going to prom alone.

6. Not posting regularly: Social media strategies are built to be flexible because it's imperative to serve up relevant, timely content. However, dry spells can lead fans to believe you're shady and unreliable. Always have a strategy and content calendar in place just in case.

7. Don't share what you think is cool: Share what FANS will think is cool. If I shared what I thought was cool to every single page I manage, Catholic Churches, cowboy boot manufacturers, and retail stores would all be sharing the latest Justin Timberlake album and memes supporting the 2nd Amendment. Yeah...

8. Don't post just to promote: Make sure your posts are of value or your fans will leave you, simple as that. If you're sharing the page's posts to your personal page - what will excite your friends about it? Stop selling them, and start engaging with them.

Luckily, these 8 steps aren't punishable by death or we'd all be goner's. They are however punishable by unliking and de-friending, so I urge you to evaluate your social media efforts and see where you can tighten up a few screws. 

Have any other pet peeves or suggestions for social media managers? Comment below to share!

Today, February 14, 2013, will go down as the worst day EVER for a guy named Steven at ProFlowers.

It's hard to manage a brand's reputation online, especially when their product or service has substantial flaws or is generally of poor quality. Today, my heart goes out to one guy typing away furiously and cursing his employer - ProFlowers (more like HellNoFlowers).

Allow me to elaborate in picture form...

He admits the flowers "fell short."

Oops - now things are getting "far below our usual quality."

Thinking quickly, Steven stalls for time here, asking Mr. Chen to wait a couple of days and see if things buff out.

But at least we found out who Steven's Mom is on Facebook...

Here's the final takeaway:

Ladies: Be able to find the humor in everyday situations. At least this will be a Valentine's Day to remember (for ProFlowers as well).

Gentlemen: Buy LOCAL. Always.

Social Media Managers: When the Big Daddy of your industry comes to town, have reinforcements ready.

I kind of want to send some flowers to poor Steven now (I feel ya bro)... Just not any from ProFlowers.

Happy Valentine's Day!

"Cringeworthy." It's the word that comes to mind for PR, social media and marketing folks when we see an action by a brand or person that is unlikable (at best), goes viral and is then mishandled. 

It's enough to make you feel shock, embarrassment, even anger. All natural emotional responses—and ones that are now commonly expressed through public social media outlets.

Take, for example, the now-infamous Applebee's incident. On or around January 25, a server from one of the franchise’s St. Louis locations posted a photo of another server's receipt where the tip had been zero'ed out with the comment: “I give God 10%. Why do you get 18?”

Most will agree that the customer's action was rude, while many will argue that the employee's response was unwise. But it's a safe bet that everyone—at least in the marketing world—will maintain that Applebee's wasn't prepared for how to handle the situation.

Think this couldn’t happen to your brand? Think again. We live in what feels like an increasingly graceless world. Instead of mannerly actions, we can choose to attack, rebuff, sneer or just generally stir the pot. Everyone has an ill-tempered side; that's part of being human. And, humans are your customers and clients. 

What people say about your brand is not fully within a marketer's control. What is? Your attitude, your response and your counselors. You can read more about the Applebee's incident elsewhere, but at Balcom Agency we want to remind you that you can make the best of a bad situation like this, should you find yourself in one, by avoiding these communication traps:

You don't think anyone will pick up on the situation. 

Ignorance isn't bliss. You can't predict what may be coming your way, but you can be engaged in ongoing discussion about your company and public perception. Don't be out of the loop; just about anything can be newsworthy or sharable. People care about personal experiences, and company actions often make the news. 

You don't have a 21st century plan in place to prepare for negative posts, comments, emails and tweets.

The formal complaint letter mailed to headquarters is long gone. When someone is upset, they can let you know in just a few minutes. Be sure to keep real-time knowledge of your Facebook page, Twitter feed, comment/suggestion email box and blog comments. Responding quickly, and honestly, to concerns can keep a situation from getting out of hand—and it's just the right thing to do. Communicate like a real person (instead of engaging in corporate speak), and be respectful, even when the kindness isn’t returned.

You don't have a third-party marketing partner to advise you. 

It's hard to be the master of every trade. As a business owner, division leader, manager or employee you may not have experience in crisis communication or social media management. Be sure to hire the right partner to advise you. You'll need them to be up to speed on your business prior to a difficult situation, so consider a PR and/or social media retainer (we offer both at Balcom) as a best practice for your company. 

And remember what they say about an ounce of prevention. Get a plan in place ahead of time so you're not scrambling to keep your reputation afloat if and when disaster strikes.

Thanks to much-buzzed-about tweets by major brands (e.g. Gap, Sears, etc.) during Hurricane Sandy and her aftermath, the term “newsjacking” has gained recent notoriety in the social media and marketing worlds. And while the term may be new, the practice has been around in some form or another for a while.

WHAT IS NEWSJACKING?

David Meerman Scott, who literally wrote the book on newsjacking, defines it as “the process by which you inject your ideas or angles into breaking news, in real-time, in order to generate media coverage for yourself or your business.”

WHY DO IT?

A successful newsjacking campaign can result in your brand and messaging being effectively woven into a larger news story. It can also improve your SEO and boost your reputation – all for a relatively low cost.  

HOW DO I DO IT?

To maximize effectiveness, you must jump in to the news cycle early. This doesn’t mean rushing to throw something together once an opportunity arises. Instead, explore opportunities for future stories and implement your campaign when appropriate.

A great example of successful newsjacking: Oreo’s tweet during Super Bowl XLVII. After a surprise blackout, the brand took to Twitter:

The tweet was buzzworthy not only because Oreo capitalized on the unexpected in a relevant way. The fact that the brand produced an actual ad for the tweet proved to be a savvy move during an event that's watched almost as much for advertising as it is for football.

HOW DO I NOT DO IT?

The difference between scoring points and a potential PR disaster often lies in the news subject itself. Before you decide to newsjack a particular story, ask yourself these questions:

• Could the public potentially react negatively to the association of my brand with this specific news topic?
• Is the information I am providing helpful to my target audiences?
• Is it possible that another opportunity will arise in the near future that is actually a better fit for my brand?

And lastly:

• Is it in bad taste?

Perhaps Kenneth Cole forgot to ask himself these questions before he injected his brand into trending #Cairo conversations on Twitter:

Riding on the coattails of a violent uprising to promote your spring fashion line isn’t particularly helpful and surely doesn’t seem in good taste.

While the art of newsjacking isn’t new, many of the opportunities to do so are. Before you, or your brand, dedicate the time and energy it takes to launch a newsjacking campaign, be sure the circumstances are right and use your creativity to find the absolute best possible fit.

Image credit: Smithsonian.com

I had the opportunity to speak at the UNT PRSSA’s meeting last night in Denton (they’re a very fun and bright group of students who are about to hit the job market *wink wink employers*), and thought I’d share a few of the talking points with other prospective graduates.

1. Do your research

This goes for anyone in the industry, not just jobseekers. The key to success as an ad pro or employee is knowing people. Do whatever it takes to understand who you’re selling your product, service, or self to.

2. Don’t be that guy (or girl)

Nobody likes the embarrassing co-worker who tells weekend stories too loudly. Similarly, nobody wants to hire a “frat bro” with the ol’ shirtless beer chugging Facebook profile picture.