On Words and Business

Being social and networking are all about making the right connections. So is social media.

So how do you get people to notice you or your company? That’s a great question that many companies struggle with.

Like the six degrees of separation theory, having a social media presence means reaching the people who have lots of followers–the mass influencers–and tapping into their energy. Forrester talks about how to engage the mass influencers with the use of feedback. In this case, the story is about a site where reviews are posted and it makes sense. But does the idea work for different types of content?

Think about reaching out to anyone who comments on a blog post, separate from the blog; contacting them when you post something you think they will especially like or be able to respond to and asking for feedback. Contests to get people talking about your site.

What other ideas are out there for reaching mass influencers?

Talking to client is an art, isn’t it. If you know them well, it’s easy to get pally and risk overpromising. If you don’t know them well, it’s easy to hold back in fear of saying the wrong thing.

Here’s a look at 7 words you should never say to a client from iMedia Connection (they’ve always got good stuff!).

My favorite is right up there at number 1: Wait

It’s easy to want to wait to get things perfect, to hold off until you have exactly the right words or the right look or the right approach. Better than that though, is just showing up–in the ad, on the site, wherever, whatever. Unless there are legal or ethical hurdles to jump (in which case the content had better be spot on), don’t wait too long. Like the ads say…just do it.