Why You Must Build Consumer Trust via Social Media.
http://ping.fm/J8yCb
Friday 31 December 2010
5 Ways To Gain & Keep Your Customers Trust Online
Amplify’d from www.socialmediatoday.com
5 Ways To Gain & Keep Your Customers Trust Online
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Stephen Covey wrote in his book The Speed of Trust, “Trust impacts us 24/7, 365 days a year”. I believe this to be true not only on a personal level but a professional as well, especially online. Now more then ever, organizations are opening up to the public and becoming transparent due to the impact and evolution of social media. Social media has forced small and large organizations to join in on the conversations that people are having about their brands. If you want to continue growing your business and its brand then you need to gain trust from your customers immediately. Below I listed 5 simple ways to keep and gain your customers trust in an online environment.
- Be consistent with all of your branding. In order to keep and gain trust you need to keep a consistent branding strategy across all of your platforms on and offline. What this does is shows your prospects and consumers that you are consistent and clearly portrays who you are, everywhere, all the time. Something to keep in mind is the consistent branding all the way down to the simplest things such as consistent color schemes. These color schemes should be followed through from your website all the way through to your business cards and letter head. Being consistent tells your customers that “this is who you are all the time, with no smoke or illusions”.
- Let a personality show through. People trust, and buy, from people. This is the reason its important to let a person, or at least your businesses personality, shine through in your online presence. Especially in your businesses social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter. Be you and tell your story, you may surprise yourself how people will react to this if you are used to hiding behind the curtain and letting only your business speak.
- Respond to comments and reviews both negative and positive. I have many conversations with business owners regarding the conversations that are happening on their social media pages. It is very common for the conversation to go right into the direction of customer reviews. If you are looking to keep your customers trust then leave the customer reviews to the customers and don’t think making a false review for your business will help you. This seems like common sense and basic but I have come across a few instances where employees or business owners themselves feel the need to create false customer reviews about their own business. This can shatter the trust and will dilute any real customer experiences especially good ones. On another note, take both negative and positive reviews as a learning experience and use them to show the public how you handle situations. This over the long run will spotlight your business as positively as possible, and the goal is to have that positive outshine the negative.
- Capture client testimonials. Create a system where your capturing testimonials from people who use your product and or service. By doing this you are creating a great way for you to gain your future customers trust. In many cases before someone decides to purchase something from you they research your business online and part of that research will be in the form of reading your past testimonials. Don’t just capture the testimonials but make them readily available for your future customers to read and gain trust in your brand before they purchase from you. Post them on all your platforms. Invite people to read about these experiences, so when its time for them to use your company they already are competent in the fact that they made the right decision.
- Be transparent and authentic. The many social media platforms that are available these days have made it easier then ever to allow your brand to become transparent and authentic. Being transparent enables your customers to see into your company and gain trust on a whole new level. Social media makes this easy by allowing you to respond to whatever issues that your business is having in a public manner for all to see. This will automatically create the sense of authenticity of your brand and will ultimately create the trust your brand and organization is looking for.
See this Amp at http://bit.ly/gf06so
The UK feed-in tariff: anticipation is met with disappointment - PV-Tech
Amplify’d from www.solarpowerportal.co.uk
The UK feed-in tariff: anticipation is met with disappointment - PV-Tech
- Posted in Blogs by Emma Hughes
- Published on 11 November 2009
- Updated on 13 April 2010
Since the feed-in tariff policy has been deliberated by the UK government for three months now, it seems odd that we haven't heard a peep from them on what the policy will be. As I dug a bit further into this subject I found that it I wasn't alone in not knowing what was going on. After being thrown from person to person at the UK Department of Energy and Climate Change, I finally found someone who knew what a feed-in tariff was, and I was able to get some, although rather vague, answers.
Considering the UK is so far behind its European neighbours in the race for renewable energy implementation, the Department of Energy and Climate Change consultation's results have been much anticipated. Speaking with a DECC spokesperson I delved a little deeper into the mystery of why nothing is yet set in stone. Back in July this year PV-tech commented on this proposal's flimsiness in terms of what these plans actually meant for the UK's renewable future. We thought it was important to outline that there was a proposal, but also to make note of the fact that any aspect of it could change at any point. One thing we now know for sure is that there will be a renewable energy structure and this will be implemented in April 2010.
This however, is all we know.
When speaking with the DECC it became more and more clear that the UK's plans for this policy are still very much up in the air. The first thing I asked was whether or not anything has actually come out of the consultation period. "We have had a large number of responses to the consultation paper, around 800 of these coming thorough in the last days before it closed," they explained. "These responses outlined several alternatives to the proposals, some of them showing a common theme, others a unique response...we are now spending time going through these responses."
See this Amp at http://bit.ly/en8LUG
Great Frontiers in Digital Business
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Great Frontiers in Digital Business
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Like most people, I like to think ahead this time of year. What can I do to improve things next year, both personally and professionally? One thing I think we can all do better is to poke our heads up out of the ground occasionally and take a good look around.
What is really going on in business, and how should we prepare ourselves and our businesses to thrive in the coming years? Are we still mired in survival mode, or is that merely an excuse for stagnancy in our thinking? Let's take a look at some of the mega-trends that steer business these days and think about how we can adapt to change.
The End of the Silo
We used to be departmentalized - in our companies, in our thinking and in the tools we use for business. In Sales and Marketing you had Marketing responsible for reaching potential customers, Sales responsible for transforming them into customers and Customer Service responsible for keeping them as loyal customers. Not anymore. Business is rapidly moving to an online, on-demand, personalized model where the customer is in control and shopping, delivery and service are largely automated. In this fast-paced environment you don't have time for a handoff from one silo to the next. Consumers still want to deal with a person, but that's just it. They want to deal with one person who will give them what they want, information and service. The old idea of putting someone on hold while you switch them to the appropriate department is cold and rotting in the grave.
Is social media the next customer service channel? Not if it's siloed. If you have one person writing Facebook updates about the newest widgets on the market and another person tweeting about customer service with inconsistent messages, what are you telling the customer community? That's right, you're confusing them. They will find a better place to get what they want.
Siloing is also dead in business software. There is no time for pulling up several different apps and moving data from one to the next to get some answers. All apps must be flexible and use open API's that allow data to be transferred instantly and seamlessly between them. This does not necessarily mean that the Microsofts of the world will make a comeback with their digital dashboards and software suites. Instead, it probably means that developers will be creating customized apps for different uses that openly talk to each other and allow end-users to finally put together a toolbox that fits their needs.
The Office
Anyone who has been to Disneyland (or World) lately realizes just how antiquated the technology seems these days. We have apps on our smart phones that make these once-futuristing rides now seem like museum pieces. I see the same thing in today's office. Why do we need to cram a bunch of people in a room and make them work the same hours every day, 40 hours a week? Weird idea, huh? I guess the idea was that managers could keep an eye on everybody and make announcements once instead of a hundred times. Hmmm, seems like a Disneyland thing. Do managers actually check on anybody, and can't they do that electronically? Do meetings need to be held in a conference room? No, of course not. More to the point, does the office actually increase productivity and maintain corporate secrecy better that any other working model? I don't think so. The office model "per se" is on the way out, and companies that don't move on will be left without employees soon enough.
The Boss
OK, so we haven't truly evolved yet. We're still lemmings who follow the leader in most cases. We've been arguing about managers vs. leaders for many years, but we still haven't figured out how to run our businesses without alienating everyone in the organization. We need to think about this, because the company of the future will not be siloed and business will not be conducted in a traditional office. Who should be running the show, and what should he/she be doing?
- Is it the entrepreneur who has more skill building a business than running one?
- Is it the senior manager who has "earned it" by outlasting everybody else and not rocking the boat?
- Are they project managers heading up their teams (hmmm, sounds like silos to me)?
- Should we bring in an experienced manager with a long resume of jumping from company to company to fix things? Good quick way to destroy a close-knit team.
These things all need to be sorted out, but they really need to be done now. You see, the name of the game these days is adapting to change. Markets are changing. Business models are changing. The workforce is changing. Everything is changing. If you aren't leading the charge, surely you are being overtaken.
See this Amp at http://bit.ly/dJMvzx
Thursday 30 December 2010
Is Google Doing It’s Part to Rid Twitter of Spam Bots?
Amplify’d from www.socialmediatoday.com
Is Google Doing It’s Part to Rid Twitter of Spam Bots?
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Google has recently confirmed that yes indeed they are using social signals in search algorithms/results. While at this time it is limited, they are considering Facebook and Twitter as viable resources to match search queries and provide users with the most relevant search results. It was bound to happen with the popularity of social media platforms. But, with the popularity and increased usage, an open invitation appears to have been sent to the spammers, especially on Twitter. Facebook while not completely devoid of spammers, it has through their privacy and permission based connections been able to keep more of a watchful eye on spammers.
Google Using Social Signals in Search Algorithms
In early December, Danny Sullivan, in a very detailed article discussed the impact of the social signals data has had in search. The article went straight to the search sources, Google and Bing, with 6 questions to not only confirm or deny if social signals are used but how much weight is given to them.
In his quick video from Matt Cutts, he explains how Google uses the social signals:
Google has been relying upon Twitter for some real time search results which has been met with some controversy as if you are not one with a lot of quality followers and very active in tweeting, then your tweets were not displayed when a search for your name was performed. However, when you searched Mashable, the real time twitter results were moving so quickly that it was impossible to see if your retweet was even included. Now, generally with an account like Mashable, the results are flooded with retweets and not much interaction due to the sheer volume of their retweets.
Google and Twitter Spam Bots
At the end of the video, Matt Cutts is very clear that follower quality outweighs follower quantity. Therefore, having a lot of followers that are spam bots is not going to give a boost to your rankings. This is not to dissimilar than how Google views links where some are viewed more trustworthy and authoritative than others. In building your online community it is important to consider who you are following and following back as that annoying spam bot that snuck its way in, could hurt you. To what degree, we are unsure however, we know that some sites have been penalized greatly for black hat SEO. If Google came out and said that for each spam bot that you are following you lose X as it relates to your ranking, I am pretty sure that there would be a lot of people looking at their followers and ensure that they are only following people and people of interest/influence.
Twitter Authority and Influence
Twitter authority and influence is also not built solely upon the follower count. I have been quite vocal on this topic and influence is not about the numbers. Yes, there are many that are popular and their followers are influenced by them through the information being provided to them and not by the mere act of following them. Sure, we can see where people are retweeting items that someone they rely upon has shared and their followers may retweet them and so on. However, they are influenced by what they have learned from them and want to share it so that others learn (or sometimes because it is a popular article, people want to be sure they are in the cool kids club and shared it).
Twitter authority and influence have always meant something as how often do you see the spam bots getting retweeted? People get retweeted and that builds their authority and influence. Who builds yours? Those that follow you. If you have a lot of spam bots, you are not going to be retweeted. For the most part, if you have followers that you are not paying much attention to, you are not going to be retweeted. Being consistent in your articles, retweets of articles you have found useful and valuable but also having a strong presence and appearance to engage your audience helps to earn authority but also improves your influence. Improving your influence as Chris Brogan writes is starting with a solid platform and getting seen. Getting seen encapsulates being there by being real and genuine which is achieved by starting conversations, discussions, dialogue and engagement with those in your community.
In order to become influential and earn authority, you have to create conversations, dialogue and a strong connection. If you are getting new followers but not having any interaction with them outside of retweeting, you look like a robot. This is not referring to scheduled tweets. The users that have earned authority and are influential but do schedule tweets, definitely did not get there by scheduled tweets alone. You must interact and engage to show that you are not only real but are a valuable member to the Twitter and also your followers community.
We all want the to be ranked in the coveted top 10 on Google. Bing still has a lot of work to do but should not necessarily be ignored and optimizing for Bing should not be overlooked. Your social signals are starting to have some more weight despite Twitter links being no follow. That then shows that who you are and how you are perceived by the community as a whole matters to the search engines. If you are not paying attention to your followers, it will not only have an affect upon your authority and influence, it will also affect the way that you are ranked.
See this Amp at http://bit.ly/i3p8UV
SPP Investigates: ISIS Solar offers FREE solar power
Amplify’d from www.solarpowerportal.co.uk
SPP Investigates: ISIS Solar offers FREE solar power (but only if you can get hold of them)
- Posted in Blogs by Emma Hughes
- Published on 05 August 2010
- Updated on 05 August 2010
Hitting a brick wall: ISIS Solar is so inundated with calls and emails it has been unable to respond to SPP enquiries
As expected, another company has jumped on board the free solar bandwagon. Southern-based ISIS Solar has announced its plans for the installation of an initial 18,000 solar systems, beginning in the south of the UK, and working upwards as the year progresses.
In the same way that Yorkshire-based, ‘A Shade Greener’ (ASG) is able to offer free solar installations by taking advantage of the UK’s generous 41.3p per kilowatt hour feed-in tariff, ISIS Solar is able to offer the 18,000 installations at no cost to the customer, since the payback is certain.
On hearing about this company through the grapevine, Solar Power Portal (SPP) decided to do some investigation, since the mainstream rags were reporting the basic details and not a lot else. We wanted to find out which area of the country this company was focusing on, what technology they were using, who their installers were and whether they were offering the same basic deal as ASG.
The first port of call was of course the company website; however this was as good as reaching a dead end. ISIS were clearly quick to jump at the genius idea of offering free solar with the promise of guaranteed profit, yet their website was a little neglected in the name of getting up-and-running as soon as possible. There is next to no information readily available here: no details of products, no address, no company background, no solar information. All we did find was a lonely phone number and a one-page site with no links.
On phoning the company the SPP got a little further. We found that ISIS would be working initially in the south of the UK, and would be moving into the rest of the UK as it neared its 18,000 target. Each system would be 3.3kW, covering an area of 24m2, on a roof which must be roughly south facing and relatively unshaded. (A system of this size would usually cost the customer around £16,000. By installing the panels for free, ISIS saves the homeowner this upfront cost, as well as cutting approximately £300 a year off their energy bill.) The ISIS spokesperson helpfully named Leicestershire-based Mark Group as its installer, and promised to send through some product specifications. SPP is still waiting for these.
Since SPP got no further in finding out exactly which products ISIS would be using for its installations, the next and most obvious move was to call the Mark Group directly and ask them which products they would be using for the 18,000 ISIS installations. This is where the story gets peculiar. On making the enquiry with the Mark Group, we found that they were unaware of ISIS Solar, and did not know which products they would be using. SPP found this very odd, since a massive contract for 18,000 installations is hard to forget. Still, perhaps the Mark Group’s spokesperson didn’t get that memo?
On reaching this rather frustrating standstill, SPP decided to go back to ISIS Solar, and see if we could get the originally promised specs to be sent through. This time (after ringing six times and being told that the lines were very busy) we were told that something should be sent through soon (yes, we’re still waiting).
We can assume, from the information provided on Mark Group’s website, that the panels being used will be the Sharp ND series modules, at 158W, 162W or 170W (since these are the only photovoltaic modules apparent on their website.) These modules are certified under MCS and include a warranty for 25 years. Unfortunately, no inverter details were anywhere to be found.
These free solar panel offers are extraordinarily popular, with ISIS telling us that they received 13,000 email enquiries in one day and ASG saying that it was getting five calls per second (they have now taken their phone number off the website, but you can still find it on ours). When contacting ASG a few weeks back, they refused to give us any information since they simply didn’t need the press coverage, and now ISIS are so inundated they just haven’t managed to get back to us.
While these setbacks are wearisome when trying to report a news story, it is satisfying to know just how popular solar power is in the UK. By offering the upfront cost these companies are giving those who would not ordinarily be able to afford renewable energy, to produce it and make use of it, free of charge. Even if we are still waiting for your response, ISIS Solar, we salute you.
See this Amp at http://bit.ly/gO4Jj4
The End of Corporate Social Media as a Novelty
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The End of Corporate Social Media as a Novelty
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On October 6, 2006, A.G. Lafley, then CEO of consumer products giant Procter and Gamble, ushered in the age of corporate social media when he told attendees at the Association of National Advertisers conference, “Consumers are beginning in a very real sense to own our brands and participate in their creation. We need to learn to begin to let go.”
Thus formally began a four-year industry-wide transition that ended December 27, 2010, with the announcement that Big Fuel, a social media marketing agency hired by General Motors a few months ago, will be soon be doubling its Detroit staff to 30 people to support the GM account.
With investments like that made by GM in Big Fuel, the corporatization of social media is complete. In addition to validating the influence and power of social media, and bringing GM and consumers closer together, social media efforts like this will more and more come under the heading of “business initiatives” not “special projects.” Social media marketing is increasingly subject to business oversight. It is measured for effectiveness, and programs that do not generate sales leads, subscriptions, revenue or whatever else they set out to do will be terminated, with some of the people responsible possibly being subject to the same fate.
I’m not saying any of this is entirely new. Hundreds of large companies have made substantial investments in social media already, many of them in-house. But the fact that a company as large and traditionally conservative as GM is making a commitment of this size is significant. The Big Fuel/GM story is a meta story that solidly confirms the transition is done. Maybe it was finished six months ago, or a year ago. But it’s definitely done now.
See this Amp at http://bit.ly/fWGHt6
Wednesday 29 December 2010
Plagiarism is for Lazy Birds! 27 Common Sense Reasons & Tips to Create Your Own Content http://bit.ly/gOoNXw
Plagiarism is for Lazy Birds! 27 Common Sense Reasons & Tips to Create Your Own Content
Amplify’d from www.socialmediatoday.com
Plagiarism is for Lazy Birds! 27 Common Sense Reasons & Tips to Create Your Own Content
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One question any blogger, marketing, social media or business leader should never ask themselves: “Should I copy somebody else’s content or create my own?”
Note: This post comes with strong opinion as my content has been blatently plagiarized numerous times the past few months.
The worst case study I have seen recently was with my own content. The guilty party was a so called “social media consultant” who literally copied and pasted my Green Eggs & Facebook: 15 Social Media Tips from Dr Seuss article. She copied the entire article, changed the title by swapping “Facebook” with “Twitter” and went on her way to claim it as her own. She even tweeted about it and didn’t respond to my tweets, LinkedIn message, comment on blog, Facebook msgs and took four days to remove it from her blog! Sad thing is my article wasn’t the only one on her blog that was not her own.
Since the latest event noted above I have had many ask for words of advice. I am working on a more comprehensive blog post that will include input from thought leaders in this space as well as relevant links to helpful information. As I started doing research on the topic I realized how complicated and difficult it is to actually find hard core right and wrong answers. Common sense for me is when it includes law, I do my research before posting any must do type of information to keep you out of trouble. I’ll leave that to the attorneys!
So for now, here are some common sense reasons & best practices tips.
For purposes of this article and discussions regarding plagiarism and copy/paste shenanigans I am not referencing experienced thought leaders who are leveraging and promoting other people’s content the legal and right way.
Two good examples of best practices when leveraging content:
1. My Green Eggs & Facebook article referenced in the plagiarized scenario above was also creatively included on Guy Kawasaki’s HolyKaw! Blog. Of course I was thrilled to see my post referenced on Guy’s blog in such a fun and supportive way. Thanks Guy!
2. Shari Weiss contacted me via LinkedIn prior to publishing this post to ask my permission. I think she did an amazing job of adding value to her audience via her own opinion yet including my post and referencing me as the author.12 Reasons Why You Should Create Your Own Content Vs. Plagiarize Somebody Else’s
1. Content takes time to create. Chances are the reason you’re plagiarizing to begin with is you’re either lazy or clueless on the topic you’re copying.
2. Copying and pasting content without permission and proper reference/credit can be equivalent to stealing, i.e., copyright infringement.
3. A link to the original article does not equal referencing and proper credit to author or get you out of copyright infringement.
4. Ignorance does not get you out of copyright infringement.
5. Content is not free. Just because you find it on the web, it doesn’t mean it didn’t cost someone’s precious time and/or money to create.
6. Real content requires creativity, connecting with an audience to provide value.
7. Real content requires a brain. Copying and pasting content is not using your brain.
8. The primary purpose of content is to connect with an audience, educate them, inspire them. Spend some time inspiring yourself reading other people’s blogs, not copying them. Maybe after reading enough you’ll feel motivated to write your own content versus steal someone else’s.
9. If you’re copying content, you’re connecting the reader to someone else.
10. Yes, Google likes content. However, Google likes unique content and usually knows when the same content is located multiple places. Your copy/paste episodes could actually be hurting your SEO versus helping.
11. If your social media consultant, marketing agency or copywriter is posting primarily posts filled with other people’s content, run! What value are they going to add for your business if they can’t create their own content about their own business.
12. All blogs and article are equal in the world of Copyright infringement. It doesn’t matter if it’s an article from Social Media Today, Alltop, HolyKaw!, Mashable, Hubspot, Hubpages, USA Today or ABC News. If you copied it, you are creating legal risk for yourself and your business.
15 Common Sense 101 Tips:
1. Don’t copy
2. When in doubt, ask for permission.
3. Notify author of post when published. You might actually get some kudos from the author if done correctly.
3. Include reference at top of your blog post that the article is NOT yours. Reference the author and provide YOUR opinion on what you liked about the content and why.
4. Always include a link to authors site and original article. I also recommend including twitter handle when available.
5. Do not modify copy, article or title.
6. Do not copy/paste images. Images are also protected. If you copy/past and article and an image you may get a double whammy in infringement as image rights are managed by original provider such as Shutter Stock, iStockPhoto, Getty Images etc.
7. If you struggle for copy, it’s okay. Acknowledge it and hire a legit copywriter. Not every thought leader can write. If you have ideas in your head but have a hard time getting them documented, a copywriter might be just what you need.
8. Look at content as intellectual capital. Your business needs intellectual capital of your own. Create it! Copying it won’t get you there!
9. If you are a consultant or agency offering services of any kind you are only hurting yourself and your reputation by only publishing other people’s content. Business leaders are looking for innovation, creativity. If you struggle with being innovative then you probably have bigger problems than just your copy. You should probably look at your core business services, brand differentiation and positioning in the market.
10. Quit playing stupid. I am tired of the professional, educated people “playing stupid” when it comes to content and plagiarism. You know when you’re taking the easy way out. Quit being lazy and create your own business, market niche and differentiate peeps!
11. Copyright is not the same as trademark.
12. Do your research. If you want to play the copy/paste game then at minimum do your research. Do a simple Google search and you’ll have more than enough results to hopefully scare you out of the copy/paste mentality and into the content creation game!
13. Just because you remove the plagiarized content from your website, it doesn’t delete your legal risk. You may very well still be guilty of infringement because you had it there to begin with.
14. If you are a blogger, do your research and protect your intellectual property. Leverage social media listening tools and monitor the use of your name, trademarks and content.
15. Do not be afraid or wait to contact the guilty party if your online content is plagiarized. Take screen captures immediately. Keep records of all contacts, correspondence, etc.
Plagiarism is for Lazy Birds! 27 Common Sense Reasons & Tips to Create Your Own Content
Share
One question any blogger, marketing, social media or business leader should never ask themselves: “Should I copy somebody else’s content or create my own?”
Note: This post comes with strong opinion as my content has been blatently plagiarized numerous times the past few months.
The worst case study I have seen recently was with my own content. The guilty party was a so called “social media consultant” who literally copied and pasted my Green Eggs & Facebook: 15 Social Media Tips from Dr Seuss article. She copied the entire article, changed the title by swapping “Facebook” with “Twitter” and went on her way to claim it as her own. She even tweeted about it and didn’t respond to my tweets, LinkedIn message, comment on blog, Facebook msgs and took four days to remove it from her blog! Sad thing is my article wasn’t the only one on her blog that was not her own.
Since the latest event noted above I have had many ask for words of advice. I am working on a more comprehensive blog post that will include input from thought leaders in this space as well as relevant links to helpful information. As I started doing research on the topic I realized how complicated and difficult it is to actually find hard core right and wrong answers. Common sense for me is when it includes law, I do my research before posting any must do type of information to keep you out of trouble. I’ll leave that to the attorneys!
So for now, here are some common sense reasons & best practices tips.
For purposes of this article and discussions regarding plagiarism and copy/paste shenanigans I am not referencing experienced thought leaders who are leveraging and promoting other people’s content the legal and right way.
Two good examples of best practices when leveraging content:
1. My Green Eggs & Facebook article referenced in the plagiarized scenario above was also creatively included on Guy Kawasaki’s HolyKaw! Blog. Of course I was thrilled to see my post referenced on Guy’s blog in such a fun and supportive way. Thanks Guy!
2. Shari Weiss contacted me via LinkedIn prior to publishing this post to ask my permission. I think she did an amazing job of adding value to her audience via her own opinion yet including my post and referencing me as the author.12 Reasons Why You Should Create Your Own Content Vs. Plagiarize Somebody Else’s
1. Content takes time to create. Chances are the reason you’re plagiarizing to begin with is you’re either lazy or clueless on the topic you’re copying.
2. Copying and pasting content without permission and proper reference/credit can be equivalent to stealing, i.e., copyright infringement.
3. A link to the original article does not equal referencing and proper credit to author or get you out of copyright infringement.
4. Ignorance does not get you out of copyright infringement.
5. Content is not free. Just because you find it on the web, it doesn’t mean it didn’t cost someone’s precious time and/or money to create.
6. Real content requires creativity, connecting with an audience to provide value.
7. Real content requires a brain. Copying and pasting content is not using your brain.
8. The primary purpose of content is to connect with an audience, educate them, inspire them. Spend some time inspiring yourself reading other people’s blogs, not copying them. Maybe after reading enough you’ll feel motivated to write your own content versus steal someone else’s.
9. If you’re copying content, you’re connecting the reader to someone else.
10. Yes, Google likes content. However, Google likes unique content and usually knows when the same content is located multiple places. Your copy/paste episodes could actually be hurting your SEO versus helping.
11. If your social media consultant, marketing agency or copywriter is posting primarily posts filled with other people’s content, run! What value are they going to add for your business if they can’t create their own content about their own business.
12. All blogs and article are equal in the world of Copyright infringement. It doesn’t matter if it’s an article from Social Media Today, Alltop, HolyKaw!, Mashable, Hubspot, Hubpages, USA Today or ABC News. If you copied it, you are creating legal risk for yourself and your business.
15 Common Sense 101 Tips:
1. Don’t copy
2. When in doubt, ask for permission.
3. Notify author of post when published. You might actually get some kudos from the author if done correctly.
3. Include reference at top of your blog post that the article is NOT yours. Reference the author and provide YOUR opinion on what you liked about the content and why.
4. Always include a link to authors site and original article. I also recommend including twitter handle when available.
5. Do not modify copy, article or title.
6. Do not copy/paste images. Images are also protected. If you copy/past and article and an image you may get a double whammy in infringement as image rights are managed by original provider such as Shutter Stock, iStockPhoto, Getty Images etc.
7. If you struggle for copy, it’s okay. Acknowledge it and hire a legit copywriter. Not every thought leader can write. If you have ideas in your head but have a hard time getting them documented, a copywriter might be just what you need.
8. Look at content as intellectual capital. Your business needs intellectual capital of your own. Create it! Copying it won’t get you there!
9. If you are a consultant or agency offering services of any kind you are only hurting yourself and your reputation by only publishing other people’s content. Business leaders are looking for innovation, creativity. If you struggle with being innovative then you probably have bigger problems than just your copy. You should probably look at your core business services, brand differentiation and positioning in the market.
10. Quit playing stupid. I am tired of the professional, educated people “playing stupid” when it comes to content and plagiarism. You know when you’re taking the easy way out. Quit being lazy and create your own business, market niche and differentiate peeps!
11. Copyright is not the same as trademark.
12. Do your research. If you want to play the copy/paste game then at minimum do your research. Do a simple Google search and you’ll have more than enough results to hopefully scare you out of the copy/paste mentality and into the content creation game!
13. Just because you remove the plagiarized content from your website, it doesn’t delete your legal risk. You may very well still be guilty of infringement because you had it there to begin with.
14. If you are a blogger, do your research and protect your intellectual property. Leverage social media listening tools and monitor the use of your name, trademarks and content.
15. Do not be afraid or wait to contact the guilty party if your online content is plagiarized. Take screen captures immediately. Keep records of all contacts, correspondence, etc.
What’s Your Opinion?
What is your opinion on this topic. It is a touchy subject and you should have an opinion. Has your content been plagiarized before? What did you do about it? Have you copied other people’s content before knowing you were setting yourself up for legal risk?
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Plagiarism is for Lazy Birds! 27 Common Sense Reasons & Tips to Create Your Own Content http://bit.ly/e2yO6d
Plagiarism is for Lazy Birds! 27 Common Sense Reasons & Tips to Create Your Own Content
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Plagiarism is for Lazy Birds! 27 Common Sense Reasons & Tips to Create Your Own Content
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One question any blogger, marketing, social media or business leader should never ask themselves: “Should I copy somebody else’s content or create my own?”
Note: This post comes with strong opinion as my content has been blatently plagiarized numerous times the past few months.
The worst case study I have seen recently was with my own content. The guilty party was a so called “social media consultant” who literally copied and pasted my Green Eggs & Facebook: 15 Social Media Tips from Dr Seuss article. She copied the entire article, changed the title by swapping “Facebook” with “Twitter” and went on her way to claim it as her own. She even tweeted about it and didn’t respond to my tweets, LinkedIn message, comment on blog, Facebook msgs and took four days to remove it from her blog! Sad thing is my article wasn’t the only one on her blog that was not her own.
Since the latest event noted above I have had many ask for words of advice. I am working on a more comprehensive blog post that will include input from thought leaders in this space as well as relevant links to helpful information. As I started doing research on the topic I realized how complicated and difficult it is to actually find hard core right and wrong answers. Common sense for me is when it includes law, I do my research before posting any must do type of information to keep you out of trouble. I’ll leave that to the attorneys!
So for now, here are some common sense reasons & best practices tips.
For purposes of this article and discussions regarding plagiarism and copy/paste shenanigans I am not referencing experienced thought leaders who are leveraging and promoting other people’s content the legal and right way.
Two good examples of best practices when leveraging content:
1. My Green Eggs & Facebook article referenced in the plagiarized scenario above was also creatively included on Guy Kawasaki’s HolyKaw! Blog. Of course I was thrilled to see my post referenced on Guy’s blog in such a fun and supportive way. Thanks Guy!
2. Shari Weiss contacted me via LinkedIn prior to publishing this post to ask my permission. I think she did an amazing job of adding value to her audience via her own opinion yet including my post and referencing me as the author.12 Reasons Why You Should Create Your Own Content Vs. Plagiarize Somebody Else’s
1. Content takes time to create. Chances are the reason you’re plagiarizing to begin with is you’re either lazy or clueless on the topic you’re copying.
2. Copying and pasting content without permission and proper reference/credit can be equivalent to stealing, i.e., copyright infringement.
3. A link to the original article does not equal referencing and proper credit to author or get you out of copyright infringement.
4. Ignorance does not get you out of copyright infringement.
5. Content is not free. Just because you find it on the web, it doesn’t mean it didn’t cost someone’s precious time and/or money to create.
6. Real content requires creativity, connecting with an audience to provide value.
7. Real content requires a brain. Copying and pasting content is not using your brain.
8. The primary purpose of content is to connect with an audience, educate them, inspire them. Spend some time inspiring yourself reading other people’s blogs, not copying them. Maybe after reading enough you’ll feel motivated to write your own content versus steal someone else’s.
9. If you’re copying content, you’re connecting the reader to someone else.
10. Yes, Google likes content. However, Google likes unique content and usually knows when the same content is located multiple places. Your copy/paste episodes could actually be hurting your SEO versus helping.
11. If your social media consultant, marketing agency or copywriter is posting primarily posts filled with other people’s content, run! What value are they going to add for your business if they can’t create their own content about their own business.
12. All blogs and article are equal in the world of Copyright infringement. It doesn’t matter if it’s an article from Social Media Today, Alltop, HolyKaw!, Mashable, Hubspot, Hubpages, USA Today or ABC News. If you copied it, you are creating legal risk for yourself and your business.
15 Common Sense 101 Tips:
1. Don’t copy
2. When in doubt, ask for permission.
3. Notify author of post when published. You might actually get some kudos from the author if done correctly.
3. Include reference at top of your blog post that the article is NOT yours. Reference the author and provide YOUR opinion on what you liked about the content and why.
4. Always include a link to authors site and original article. I also recommend including twitter handle when available.
5. Do not modify copy, article or title.
6. Do not copy/paste images. Images are also protected. If you copy/past and article and an image you may get a double whammy in infringement as image rights are managed by original provider such as Shutter Stock, iStockPhoto, Getty Images etc.
7. If you struggle for copy, it’s okay. Acknowledge it and hire a legit copywriter. Not every thought leader can write. If you have ideas in your head but have a hard time getting them documented, a copywriter might be just what you need.
8. Look at content as intellectual capital. Your business needs intellectual capital of your own. Create it! Copying it won’t get you there!
9. If you are a consultant or agency offering services of any kind you are only hurting yourself and your reputation by only publishing other people’s content. Business leaders are looking for innovation, creativity. If you struggle with being innovative then you probably have bigger problems than just your copy. You should probably look at your core business services, brand differentiation and positioning in the market.
10. Quit playing stupid. I am tired of the professional, educated people “playing stupid” when it comes to content and plagiarism. You know when you’re taking the easy way out. Quit being lazy and create your own business, market niche and differentiate peeps!
11. Copyright is not the same as trademark.
12. Do your research. If you want to play the copy/paste game then at minimum do your research. Do a simple Google search and you’ll have more than enough results to hopefully scare you out of the copy/paste mentality and into the content creation game!
13. Just because you remove the plagiarized content from your website, it doesn’t delete your legal risk. You may very well still be guilty of infringement because you had it there to begin with.
14. If you are a blogger, do your research and protect your intellectual property. Leverage social media listening tools and monitor the use of your name, trademarks and content.
15. Do not be afraid or wait to contact the guilty party if your online content is plagiarized. Take screen captures immediately. Keep records of all contacts, correspondence, etc.
What’s Your Opinion?
What’s Your Opinion?
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Tuesday 28 December 2010
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Social Media and Numbers - Why They Don't Matter/ Act On Social Media
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Social Media and Numbers - Why They Don't Matter
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Social media is often misrepresented by numbers. Followers, website traffic,Facebook friends, community members, blog subscribers, etc. all contribute to a self-imposed goal that really yields nothing in return. The numbers that are important are your power users. The people who continue to return to your site, contribute regularly and bring in their friends to add to the discussion. I'll later break down a few of the popular social sites and how power users are identified.
Example: On a daily basis I look for new ways to improve online engagement with a demographic that is notably still deciding whether or not they want to use social media. Moreover, the demographic is still struggling to learn how to use social media, which in turn makes it difficult to use Web forums as a means of sharing ideas. While I won't divulge how much communication is occurring on our community or how much traffic we are receiving, based on PEW Internet statistics this is the norm. The demographic? Everyone between Generation X and Boomers. Increasingly though are Millennials who are becoming entrepreneurs, but there is still a large fail rate.
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As testament to my ability to generate discussion amongst my peers (read: I don't simply suck), I converse frequently on the site Reddit. The demographic on there consists mostly of males between the ages of 18 through 35 [Source]. Today I opened a discussion thread with the only intention of finding out ways people have trolled or pranked their office mates. Knowing that many of my fellow redditors were mischievous, I also included one of my favorite pranks pulled during my time developing websites for the FAA. Ten hours later - there are now over 60 comments and a lively discussion involving people from many different demographics. That being said, writing to your audience is extremely important, but their demographic is still on the fence about using social media there may be a much smaller response.
With that being said, PEW Internet has also gathered what appears to be the most reliant source of information as to why the demographic may lead to a lack of quality discussion, even though your website traffic and membership numbers continues to increase.
Generation X and Boomers love to visit agency websites and get financial information. Moreover, there is a drastic increase in the amount of Gen X and Boomers looking to use social media, but again there is still a concern about how they use use it.
People are clearly online getting news and watching videos, but many people find that there is a lack of response. Your numbers may show a large amount of people viewing articles, but without direct responses it's difficult to gauge how successful you are. That being said, how important is it to you personally that you have a large audience who doesn't respond? Hint, you shouldn't claim this as a success.
The Breakdown
Twitter - Power users are defined by people who interact regularly with the people they follow, and reach out to others that share a common interest. Don't worry about your numbers, but do try to keep the amount of people you follow equal to those following you. People fear that if you are following more people than those following you that you are either a spammer, poor personality or just talking to yourself. To reduce this concern, put celebrities and people who don't interact into lists.
- Myth - The more followers you are the more influential and social you are.
- Truth - You are only as good as your power users. Interact with them regularly.
Facebook - Facebook pages should really only be used for your friends, currently. As Facebook begins to open more to the public and compete with Twitter, it will change how you use it. I have my profile page on lock down so only friends, coworkers, and people I have a personal connection with can view a majority of my content. The amount of Facebook friends doesn't represent anything more than a number.
- Myth - More friends means more interactions
- Truth - You can't force conversations. Facebook is currently designed so you can interact with your personal friends and family. Random people will likely ignore you after they are added, and use you as a number under their profile.
Facebook Pages (business pages) - Similar to the Facebook profile, a Facebook Page can have 2,000 fans and only receive a few likes here and there. As an example, the Game news site Game Rant has 2,000 + fans, regular updates to their feed, but only a few likes can be found on the posts [Source]. Much like Twitter, the only way your fans will interact with you is to socialize the page. Ask questions, post pictures, and appeal to your audience. The interactions will naturally follow.
Myspace - If you are using this site for a business, don't.
YouTube - Post videos that are relevant to your audience, block the comment section and embed them directly into your host site or community. There is still a lot of anonymity to be found on YouTube that results in trolls.
TL:DR - People often misunderstand that when it comes to social media, quality is more important than quantity. Just because you have 20,000 members in a community that doesn't mean your demographic will respond. No responses = No Content/Site/Product/Application improvements. Be social, talk to others and most importantly be yourself. The bottom line is that if you are not being social with these social media tools, you are not doing it right.
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