photo credit: filtran

I was having a conversation with a friend via Facebook and he jokingly remarked that I was beginning to appear everywhere on his account: his friend feed, his side advertisements, everywhere! He ended by asking if he should expect to see my face in popups next.

The conversation with my friend was lighthearted but it got it me thinking: How could I continue to leverage the viral nature of Facebook and other social media sites, without getting swamped with the numerous time-consuming tasks often related to them? Below are a couple of tips that help me do just that.

1.  Work smarter, not harder (aggregate and propagate)

Social networking can take up a lot of your time. For every website you join, you're essentially adding another inbox to your already-bloated list of email accounts. Just trying to keep up with all of the different conversations can be a challenge in itself.

The key to not getting bogged down is working smarter, not harder. How do we go about doing this in social media (without hiring a VA)? By using services that aggregate (pull in) and propagate (push out) information.

Aggregators

Aggregators are services that basically pull in actions and info from multiple sources and organizes it in one central location. Whether your friend adds a favorite photo on Flickr, changes their status on Facebook, or retweets a great post on Twitter, you'll know about it -- without having to check each site individually.

Popular social aggregators include:

FriendFeed - http://ping.fm/3ZImm

SocialThing - http://ping.fm/LDIys

And I should note that Facebook's News Feed serves a similar purpose. If you're a heavy Facebook user, you should definitely take advantage of it. You can even filter the feed according to your friend groups (e.g. to keep up with your clients)

Propagators

Propagators are simply websites that "push" out information instead of pull it in. Many of these services allow you to update your social network statuses and micro-blogs without having to login to each one individually. Talk about a time-saver! Below are a few of the more popular propagators available now:

Ping.fm - http://ping.fm

hellotxt - http://hellotxt.com

2. Keep your finger on the pulse and your ear to the streets

It's important to know what's being said about you, your niche, and your brand. But you don't want to go searching for these relevant conversations one by one. That's time consuming and a poor use of resources. Regardless, it's still critically important to monitor these things because information spreads fast in today's interconnected online world. Reputation Management 101 should include a serious effort on your part to keep an eye on your public image and your brand.

That said, there are a few services you should be using to keep track of these events so you can mitigate the situation by responding immediately and with a remedy. Not to mention, it also fulfills one of the original goals stated earlier in this post: to appear "everywhere" without doing the back breaking work that would ordinarily be required to monitor these discussions.

Use these services below to aid in your customer service and reputation management efforts:

Google Alerts - http://ping.fm/sQzRq

Get Satisfaction - http://ping.fm/0PnyV

Setup Google Alerts to notify you whenever an article, blog post, et cetera is made that mentions something relevant like your name or company. If you find something positive, leave a nice comment in response. If you find something negative, quickly act to correct the situation

The other site, Get Satisfaction, is a service that allows business owners, help desk staff, service reps, and so on, to interact with people who have posted complaints online.

Their Overheard service "eavesdrops" across the Net and updates with relevant conversations about your product/service. Here's Comcast's Overheard section showing a list of Twitter updates about the company: http://ping.fm/4djVO/comcast/overheard.

Here's a quote that I recently came across from someone who had an issue with the feed sharing service, Toluu:

I got my invite and went to log in. Whenever I can, I use my OpenID because I'm tired of entering passwords in Passpack. However, OpenID failed. I have a low threshold for fails of that variety, so I Tweeted that it was a bad first impression. Within about two seconds, I had a response from @calebelston asking me what issue I had, could I describe it, etc. Best part is that I sent him the info, as well as the issues I was having importing my complete OPML file to Toluu, and then forgot about it. You know how it gets when you are trying 85 apps at a time. Then I get an email from him: Hey, we've been working on this issue. Would you be willing to try it again and see if it works? I was floored that he remembered to come back and contact me.

As you can see, incorporating these tools and tips we just discussed into your marketing efforts and customer service strategy could pay huge dividends. Are there any other websites and/or services that you highly recommend too?

Leave a comment below and let us know how you're using them.

(continue reading &aquo;)

photo credit: kevindooleyTrying to build "real" relationships and connections with people you "meet" online can appear quite challenging at times. You want to connect with others - perhaps, that potential JV partner or a mentor who you've been following for quite some time. But, how do you go about doing it? How do you stand out from the others who are trying to do the same thing as you? Obviously, you don't want to appear needy, pushy, lame, or spammy in your "relationship marketing" efforts. That said, what should one do?First, let me say this: social networking is nothing more than an online representation of our offline worlds. A lot the things you would do offline to break the ice and network are the same activities we should be doing online as well. That said, here are 5 tips and ideas that will help you get the ball rolling.1. Reference something that is recent and relevantLet's not beat around the bush. People like to hear about themselves. Referencing something that is recent and relevant to your intended contact is a phenomenal icebreaker. Has your "target" received any press (interviews, newspaper mentions, etc)? Did they write a popular blog post?What about any other noteworthy achievements? All of these are great things to mention. Referencing them will help you to avoid those awkward "what do I talk about?" moments and will allow the conversation to progress naturally. Plus, it makes one helluva impression.2. Offer your time, services, or supportOne of the best ways to make someone stand up and take notice is to give of yourself. Find out what your intended contact is currently involved in. Perhaps, they're looking for a custom blog theme... If you have web design skills, offer to help with some or all of the design. Maybe they're considering starting a charity. If social entrepreneurship is one of your strong suits, ask if there's anything you could do to help them get it off the ground. It's all about the Law of Reciprocity!3. Follow up after the initial contactWhen your intended target accepts your friend request (decides to "follow" you, etc.), take the time to follow up by sending them a quick thank you note. But do NOT spam. This is not the time to pitch your ideas and pub your latest, greatest opportunity. The focus MUST be on building the relationship first. Otherwise, you run the risk of looking like an ametuer spammer and a professional tool.Now, once you leave the "thank you" message, take it a step further by standing out from the others who, too, left notes saying thanks. But how?4. Follow up in a memorable wayThese days, almost everyone is leaving some kind of "thank you" note in one form or another. Although others may not be doing it improperly (too much self promotion, spammy, etc.), yours can easily get lost in the mix. To avoid this, incorporate some unique follow up ideas and techniques by taking a brief survey of what others are doing; then, do something contrary to that.For example, Facebook allows users to record a video directly into wall posts. Instead of sending a thank you message, consider recording one instead. You can also record greetings for birthdays and other holiday occasions. Remember, it's about being unique and memorable.5. Make contact on more than one site.With the bevy of social networking sites available, you can bank on the fact that a lot of people will have more than one profile under their belt. Don't restrict your efforts to one sole website. A lot of times, "social savvy" people will use one or two sites as their online "hub" while using their other profiles much less frequently. If you send a message to someone's Myspace, it might take weeks for you to get a reply if he/she uses Facebook as their online hub.That said, it's a good idea to spread out your efforts. But, before you do this, exercise some restraint. You don't want to appear as if your spamming -- or worse -- stalking the person you intend to connect with. If you've already sent that person a message, consider leaving a valuable comment on their blog instead of sending them another message on a different network. This idea is a great way to "keep your name in front of them" while not appearing pushy or overaggressive.Takeaway points...To make a personal, memorable connection in an online world:1. Reference something that is recent and relevant to that person. Cite a newspaper or magazine article and mention some positive points about it.2. Invoke the Law of Reciprocation by offering to do something for them. Offer your help or expertise in an area where you and/or your knowledge would bring value.3. Always follow up after the initial contact, and...4. Follow up in a memorable and unique way. Stand out from what others are doing. If everyone is sending text greetings, send audio instead. If everyone is sending audio greetings, record a video. Stand out!5. Remember, there are tons of social networking sites out there. Not to mention, blogs, podcasts, and so on. There are plenty of places to connect. Spread your efforts and look for the unconventinonal ways to get your name in front of your intended contact.That's it from me. What are you doing to build meaningful and lasting connections in -- what many call -- an impersonal online world? (continue reading &aquo;)

In this video, I talk about a recent trip to Wendy's, a honeybun, and some photoshopping. It all adds up to being exceptional and what it could mean for you business and relationships. (continue reading &aquo;)