Have you ever cursed on the job?  In front of your boss?  To your coworkers?  Well…you should probably shut your trap.  Turns out a lot of people do and it’s not going to help with that raise.  According to a recent CareerBuilder survey, “64 percent of employers think less of an employee who repeatedly uses curse words, and 57 percent are less likely to promote someone who swears in the office” (Wong, para. 2).

According to the same survey, most of these potty mouths are employees aged 35-44.  The people who swear the least?  Employees aged 18-24.  Are you surprised?  I’m not.

Longer standing employees often feel more secure in their positions.  They have more years in the business and perhaps they subconsciously use that to justify the $&*! that comes out of their mouths.

In my experience, most workplace swearing happens in the lunchroom.  Employees are off the clock and ready to release their morning stress.  However, as soon as some people stop working, they seem to forget they are still AT WORK.   I’m no boss, but I certainly think less of these individuals who feel the need to dirty up my down time.

I believe the same principles apply to social media.  If you’re using social media to build a professional network, engage with coworkers, friends, family, whoever and wherever that may be, clean it up a little!  I’ve certainly done my fair share of swearing but there’s a time and place for it.  If you want to compare whose boss is a bigger a$$hole, go out to lunch.

As far as social media goes, I really don’t appreciate inappropriate tweets or Facebook posts with my name attached to them.  I don’t have time to monitor everything others say to me or about me, but at the same time, I don’t want anyone thinking less of me.  So…if you’re at work or online, keep it classy!

- H. Acito

Wong, Vanessa.  Cursing at Work Harms your @#$%& Career

Mistake #1: Using your PR firm to smear the competition instead of actively promoting your own brand.

In May 2011, Facebook was outed for having hired PR Firm Burson-Marsteller to actively smear Google and its new social media effort, Google+ by planting stories and spreading dubious “facts” about Google invading the privacy of users, hoping that the media would pick up the story and effectively end Google’s social media effort. Once found out, many users were outraged at Facebook’s poor ethics in this matter.

Mistake #2: Not responding at all to consumers on social media outlets.

Starbucks, a hugely profitable company that prides itself on customer service and interaction with its consumers, hosts an official Facebook page (linked from its own website), on which thousands of comments, praises, and notably, complaints are posted to – none of which are responded to by the company.

Mistake #3: Responding to consumers, but doing so negatively.

Apple, another very popular and successful company known for its superior customer service, suffered a PR setback of its own when CEO Steve Jobs sent an email response to an inquiring college student, effectively telling her to “please leave us alone.”

Mistake #4: Acknowledging consumers’ concerns, then dismissing them.

After Groupon’s 2011 Super Bowl Ads were deemed highly insensitive to very serious social issues by many of their own consumers, Groupon pulled the ads and issued this statement on their blog, explaining the rationale behind their ads but offering no official apology.

Mistake #5: Failing to respond to a crisis immediately.

With no “worst case scenario” crisis plan in place for the failure of the brake systems in their cars in 2010, Toyota angered and disappointed many of its consumers and corporate partners by failing to immediately address this very serious issue. Though a successful PR campaign was eventually rolled out to combat the negative press they received as a result, many were already disenchanted with the brand.

So what’s the moral of this story? All brands, no matter how big or small, need to make sure that they are taking care of their customers at all times, in all arenas. Though all the companies listed in the examples above have maintained their success throughout these PR blunders, one has to wonder, if it’s happened once, will it happen again? And will their customers be as understanding next time?

-Stephanie G.

21^st century has introduced dramatic changes into marketing and sales tactics. Today customers spend more time on mobile applications than on web browsers. Studies indicate that 22% of time spent on the internet is social, 24% people prefer social networks to email, and increasing number of users are active on Facebook through mobile versus desktop. The social revolution has created a social divide where most of your customers and employees are already social. What about your company?

Humans are changing, so are they ways to reach them. We are moving from the world of outbound marketing to inbound marketing. Push strategies are slowly but firmly being replaced by user initiated pull strategies. Today, the sales representatives have much less leveraging power in the process than 10 years ago. Customers can find the product reviews online, they can skip the TV ad with just a press of a button on Tivo remote, they have caller ID to screen incoming calls, etc.
The old marketing playbook is broken.

But is it really over for traditional media? Not in my opinion. Although social media usage is growing exponentially, it cannot live without the traditional media. Traditional advertising and promotion strategies, integrated with Social media marketing, will enhance the overall effect on target audiences. Alone it will be so much weaker.

There is no universal one-tactic-works-for-all. The key is how to get the right message to the right person. Who are the people targeted? What do they like? What are they saying? Where are they hanging out?

 - Kristel

Download on-demand webinar from Hubspot to learn more about The Social Revolution.

Some are using platforms like Radian6 to engage in online communication and measure the feelings and perceptions surrounding their brand. Whether to better understand consumer behavior or develop a more relationship-orientated strategy, top brands acknowledge and embrace the influence consumers have over prospective publics.

Case in point: an airline that suffered an explosively public blow to its ego from a passenger’s Twitter uproar channeled the setback into an opportunity to build a mutually beneficial social media presence. Southwest Airlines has become a leader in listening and providing solutions to customer dissatisfaction while taking positive interactions to the next level. A corporate policy dedicated to how employees respond to customer inquiries online resulted in exponential growth to its Twitter and Facebook followings, 12 million monthly visits to its Website, and over 29,000 travel guide reviews.

Tried and true, you can’t make everyone happy. Rather than being afraid of what unsatisfied customers might post to your Facebook page, counter negativity with incentivized communication, enticing audiences to think twice before abandoning your brand. I recently joined Southwest’s Rapid Rewards program for several benefits, all of which were targeted to me with the right message in the right place at the right time.

Sites like Facebook and Twitter provide a platform for the country to ban together and share their emotions and opinions stronger than ever before.  Some post memorial messages and notes of respect for the innocent two year old, while others question the verdict and the legal system. 

Those who disagree with the ruling found a way to condense their feelings in 140 characters or less on Twitter.  Today, there are over 90 Facebook pages titled “Casey Anthony” and even more expressing hatred towards her. 

In less than one week after the day she was acquitted, 39,000 people “liked” the Facebook page – “I hate Casey Anthony.”  In the same timeframe, more than 700,000 people had signed an online petition at Change.org in favor of a federal “Caylee’s Law” making it illegal to fail to report a missing child within a specific timeframe. 

The Casey Anthony case is often compared to when O.J. Simpson was found not guilty of murdering his wife in 1996.  The difference between then and now is that these online networks didn’t exist.

These social sites are no longer just for connecting us with people we may know or want to meet.  They have become outlets for the world to respond to current issues, a place to celebrate a life or mourn a death and a form of therapeutic release.

–Courtney

*Photo Credit: Facebook.com

I am aware of the facts about how blogging drives traffic to websites and how large companies have advanced with the utilization of social media and I know how many people are on Twitter (175 million). Despite this, I still have trouble giving advice as to the implementation of social media as a form of marketing that has direct benefit.

I have found that when I put social media in the context of public relations, I have an easier time conceptualizing results.  Companies believe in the value of having a public relations team that pushes stories, maintains relationships and is well connected within the community.  Social media platforms are the outlet for public relations and public relationships.

Two bloggers who I cross paths with regularly have very different views on this topic.  To learn more about why social media is NOT public relations click here, and to learn about why social media IS public relations, click here.  I would strongly encourage you to check out their opinions and see where it falls within your organization’s conversation.

-Kelly

photo source: designbeep.com

Abigail was born just two days before my grandfather passed. Many of my family members only knew the date she was born, they didn’t know her weight or length and they certainly hadn’t seen any pictures of her. I shocked them when I was able to say that she was 7lbs 6oz and 19.5 inches long. “How do you know that?” they asked. I replied with what I thought was an obvious answer “Facebook, of course.” Perplexed, my second-cousin Eileen asked “what book, there’s a book?”

By this point in the conversation I was surrounded by six of my second-cousins. I elaborated a bit, “no, Facebook, you know, the website.” They all stared at me blankly; it was then that I realized, they had never even heard of Facebook! I spent the next few minutes trying to explain its features and benefits. they still weren’t quite getting it. So I decided I should show them, I took out my phone only to discover I didn’t have any service. I was 1,400 feet above sea level and I do subscribe Sprint, so I guess I couldn’t expect to have any bars. I asked my circle of cousins if I could use one of their phones to demonstrate. And one by one they all told me that they don’t have cell phones, because cell phones don’t work on the mountain.

In a last ditch effort to introduce them to the wonders of Facebook, I told them they should just look it up when they get home. However that wouldn’t work either, because they don’t have computers. So if any of you ever miss the good old days of landlines and letters, I have just the place for you.

-Erin

Image Courtesy of www.treasuredpast.com

I understand that Facebook, like most “free” services, has to incorporate ads into its platform in order to sustain itself, so when they came out with their sidebar ads, I begrudgingly complied. I don’t mind the ads because, bottom line, I don’t have to click them if I don’t want to. And when they started to allow people to “suggest” business pages to friends, I didn’t mind, because again, I don’t have to “like” it.

Some may argue that the same holds true for the individual invitations – “if you don’t like it, don’t ‘like’ it!” But I disagree – a personal invitation from a “friend,” even if just an acquaintance, is much more high-pressure than a simple “suggestion” hanging out on my sidebar, and I have the suspicion that I’m going to now have to “like” every local business page that is crammed into my notifications, if only for the fear of being the one friend who wasn’t supportive of their marketing efforts.

Not only do I find this new development personally annoying, I think it’s just one more step in Facebook’s road to total marketing overload. Once a place that relied on recommendations in a social marketplace, it’s becoming more and more like a crowded flea market, with everyone hawking their wares.

Unfortunately, I’ll probably still have to stick with Facebook for the time being, but I don’t have to “like” it. Besides, I heard somewhere that Google + is looking pretty good…

-Stephanie G.

Everyone knows they want ROI and many have no idea how to measure it, or at least they don’t want to take the time to figure it out. Knowledge is the key, but only action gets you through the door.

Brett Relander comments to Brian Solis’ blog post   

In B2B business, Social Media endeavors are often funded as pilot programs in hopes that they demonstrate momentum and the rewards will materialize. These pilot programs might be introduced without an integrated strategy, keep the management unsure and unable to assess the return on investment.

Measuring the benefits of social media is not as simple as looking only for a direct sales return from a social media input. Increasing the revenues is the ultimate business goal in B2B. However, customer loyalty, repeat web traffic, and many other factors are measurable milestones and viable business indicators which should not be overlooked. Viewing social media holistically is more beneficial than looking for one single return.

Lauren Fisher from Simply Zesty presents The ROI of Social Media: 10 Case Studies

Social media is all about building relationships and networking. Nevertheless, Twitter vs. Facebook, guess which generates more revenue? Quality vs. quantity: how to compare the monetary value of social media channels in terms of “followers” and “likes”? Extensive research by company called Chompon resulted in fascinating findings: a Facebook “share” generated almost three times the dollar value of a Twitter “tweet”, and a Facebook “like” valued four times as much as a Twitter “follow”. I encourage you to download the PDF with their results and methodology.

Read more:

http://www.bitrebels.com/social/twitter-vs-facebook-a-social-media-revenue-comparison/

http://socialmediatoday.com/boothyboy/275569/facebook-share-vs-twitter-share-which-generates-more-revenue

-Kristel

As a victim of childhood bullying, I know the classic forms of terrorizing that would take place in schools. Nothing beats a good ol’ physical altercation, but then there was always my favorite tactic employed by the more civilized bully; mental warfare.

The onslaught of after school cyber hangouts have taken this idea of mentally attacking someone to an entirely new level that has taken a toll on many victims of bulling. Not only are these kids not feeling safe in school, but their online persona is also attacked. It’s like the only way they can get out of the constant bullying is to withdraw from not only the physical world, but the cyber one as well.

So how does the media handle such terrible information? Well, Time Warner and Facebook have teamed up to start a campaign that will hopefully drive the anti-bullying message home with kids and young teens. They’re trying to get kids to speak out about any bullying they see with ads on Cartoon Network, but I’m not sure how willing a child will be to break the silence.

Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook’s chief operating officer, says that working together with parents and teachers will be the best way to teach students to speak out. I guess I agree with her, but I feel like it’s gonna take years before we see any improvement.

Real life is one thing, but how long does it take to get the virtual gum out of your hair?

-Cristina

http://blogs.sfweekly.com/thesnitch/2011/07/facebook_stop_bullying_speak_up.php