The Miss Manners Guide to Social Media Etiquette, Part 2: What to Do
Last time we talked about three no-no’s of social media. To recap, those were:
- Plagiarism is bad, so don’t steal other people’s posts.
- Don’t follow just to get people to follow you.
- Don’t unfollow just because those aforementioned people didn’t follow you back right away.
Now that we’ve covered what you don’t do, it’s time to discuss what you do do. (Yes, do do. Any Friends fans out there?) Without further ado, we’ll dive right in.
Read more >>
The Miss Manners Guide to Social Media Etiquette, Part 1: What Not to Do
Don't make a mess of your social media strategy.
All right, you got me. I’m not Miss Manners. I can’t help you with the most polite way to decline a tea party invitation, or decide what time of day it is appropriate for a woman to wear pearls. Of course, if you were interested in either of those things, you probably wouldn’t be here.
So, gentle reader, instead I am going to give you some advice that will improve the quality of your online social networking. You might think you’ve got Facebook and Twitter down pat, but if you’re doing any of the following things, you’re in for a rude awakening.
Brand refresh on the horizon? Don’t pull a Qwikster
Avoid Qwikster-esque embarrassment with these three simple tips.
No doubt you’ve heard by now that Netflix has yanked its DVD-only website, Qwikster, before it was even born. Wasn’t it just weeks ago that Netflix proudly announced the new entity, separate from its streaming service? Why, yes. You are correct. Three weeks, in fact. Obviously a move like this makes Netflix look pretty silly.
When it comes to your website (and by extension, your reputation, online and off), you can’t afford to go off half-cocked. Not only do you waste valuable time, but in the end you can end up with proverbial egg on your face. Learn from Netflix’s mistake by applying these 3 Anti-Qwikster Rules of Re-Branding.
Top 10 Reasons You’re Not Getting Follow-Backs (Part 2)
In my last post, I covered the first five reasons why you may not be getting the follow-backs you are hoping for. As a refresher, these include:
- Constantly tweeting cliche quotes
- Being a social media snob
- Tweeting only sporadically
- Tweeting all the darn time, and
- “Convo bubbles” (aka secrets)
Today I’m going to share with you the top five reasons why your fellow tweeps aren’t following you, even though you’ve fulfilled your end of the bargain by following them first. In my book, these are the follow-back deal-breakers.
Top 10 Reasons You’re Not Getting Follow-Backs (Part 1)
Follow me... Please?
One of the tacit rules of Twitter is: “I’ll follow you if you follow me.” Sure, that’s the polite way of Twittering, but realistically, it isn’t going to happen. Sometimes the old “it’s not you, it’s me” excuse holds true: The person or company you just started following is a super-star tweep with a thousand million followers (or thereabouts), and either they can’t keep up with follow-backs, or they’re just too arrogant to put in the time.
But most often, (and I hate to be the one to break this to you), you aren’t getting follow-backs because of you. Here are a few reasons why you might not be getting the return follows you’re hoping for.
5 secrets to help non-designers fake it
Grab your graphic designer hat and form your own art department with these essential design tips.
With the economy still struggling up a steep, muddy hill, it’s not uncommon for companies — particularly small businesses — to opt to internalize all design work when they may have outsourced it in the past. If a talented individual (or maybe just someone with a good eye for detail) steps in, more power to him or her. But if that’s not the case, and your company finds yourself lacking a, well, lackey skilled in the ways of the visual arts, never fear. I have compiled 5 essential tips to help you develop your creative streak and (hopefully) prevent you from making a mockery of your company — or at least drawing attention to the fact that times are a little tough for you right now.
5 Reasons Why You Should Leave Logo Design to the Pros
For many companies, graphic design is considered a luxury, not a necessity — even in good economic times. And in the midst of a recession, I bet you’re looking for ways to cut back on your budget, and graphic design might be on the chopping block. It’s all fluff, you think. If it were important, I wouldn’t be able to run my business on my own… right?
What appears on this card could make or break your business. (Image: SXC)
Wrong. Design is more than making things look pretty. You may have the greatest message in the world, crafted by the most compelling copywriter. But guess what? If you can’t make it look pretty, ain’t no one gonna read it. Then your wonderful message is lost to the world.
Logos are one of the most important parts of a company’s message. With a single glance, a logo can convey volumes of information to potential clients. What kind of people are you? What is your focus? Are you able to give clients the one-on-one care they need, or are you so big that you don’t have the time? Should I work with you? With this much pressure resting on one piece, it’s best to leave it up to the pros. Here are 5 reasons why.
10 ways you can easily repel website visitors
Don't cry! There are ways to fix your human-repelling website!
OK, so repelling your visitors is the exact opposite of what you want to do, right? Right. But for some reason, that appears to be precisely the goal of millions of companies that have a website.
What is it that they’re doing wrong? Why aren’t they getting an ROI on their new website? (FYI: By “they,” I really mean “you.”)
Forget about Google Analytics and social media for a few minutes here. Let’s get back to basics. First and foremost, you’ve got to lay the foundation of a good website. In this case, appearances do matter. Unless your goal really is to repel potential customers, make sure you avoid these 10 common mistakes.
A Client’s Guide to Working With Freelancers
Some companies — whether they are brand new, not graphically inclined, or just haven’t ever outsourced projects before — have no idea how to work with freelancers. When it comes to how to foster a successful relationship with a freelance designer and why these relationships sometimes break down, no one knows better than…well, a freelance designer… how to interact with a contractor. As the “employee,” a freelancer must sometimes swallow her pride (and sometimes frustration) in order to keep the relationship on good terms. However, both sides should learn the best ways to work and communicate with one another. Here are a few tips I’d like to offer companies looking to hire freelancers in the future, in hopes that whatever their projects are, they start off on the right foot.
Top 10 Twitter Pet Peeves
Do these 10 things, and I'll be an angry bird!
Before you grumble to yourself that you aren’t interested in anyone’s pet peeves and skip over this article, let me first say this: If it bothers me, chances are, it bothers someone else, too. Maybe lots of someone elses. And the last thing you want to do is annoy your Twitter followers, because you only get about 3 seconds before they move on to read what someone else has to say. Here are my top 10 suggestions (in no particular order) for improving your tweeting skills—and, by extension, making me and your other readers happy!
Recent Posts
