{Image by Emilie Ogez}

Building a fan following from scratch can seem overwhelming. So how do social media consultants do it? Here are a few tips that social media super users follow to gain more fans and keep communities happy.

1. Shamelessly Self Promote
If there are no social media icons on your website’s home page, you’re missing out on a huge opportunity to gain new fans every time someone visits your website. It’s the easiest way to drive traffic to your new Facebook page or Twitter account, yet I’ve seen many clients avoid it…for months…and months. There are even official Facebook plug-ins you can grab for your site. Easy, peasy.

In addition to home page icons, add your vanity URL (the easier to spell, pretty-looking URL you must claim) to your marketing materials and to your email signature. Self-promote means cross-promote too. On Facebook and LinkedIn, you can add a link to Twitter in your info section or feed your tweets on your page. If you don’t want to feed all your tweets to Facebook, Involver has a free, separate Twitter tab you can add to your page.

2. Tag others
The “@” symbol isn’t just for Twitter. Use it on Facebook posts, too. Simply type the page’s exact name after the “@” and select the correct page from the drop-down menu that appears. (On the off chance that the page doesn’t appear, try ‘liking’ the page first.) If you’re hosting a career fair at a university, tag the university. If you’re sharing an article link, tag the publication. Other pages are notified when you’ve tagged them and your post will appear on their wall (as long as they allow comments and posts to appear from users on their wall). So when people visit their page, they’ll see your post too. On Google+, the “+” symbol does the same job.

3. Geo-target Your Posts
If you’re a national or international company with hundreds of thousands of followers and you want to promote a single job fair in Denver or a grand opening in Miami without bothering everyone, you can send a Facebook post to only people in that area. As you type your Facebook update, look at the “Share” button beneath it and the “Public” setting next to that. Select “Location/Language” from the drop-down menu then follow the prompts to geo-target your post.

4. Interact
Social networks are about being social. ‘Like’ other pages and showcase them on the side of your page. Under Edit Page>Featured, you can select five “featured likes” that best represent your page. Maybe it’s a parent company, a sister site, or an affiliation.

Facebook and Google+ also allow you to leave comments on other pages as your page. If you’re a fashion retailer and a magazine posts a link to a special feature on your new line of clothing, leave a “Thanks!” below the link. If you’re a company and the local business school posts a link to your internship, encourage students to apply with a little message. Or click ‘Share’ to re-post another page’s content on your wall. And of course, Twitter isn’t Twitter without a little re-tweeting. Why are you doing this? Because if you give some, you get some. The more eyes on your posts and page, the better.

5. Keep Links Clean
Got a long, ugly link to post on your wall? Shorten it — and personalize it — at bit.ly first. Bit.ly also keeps track of how many clicks your shortened link gets. Or, here’s another tip — once you’ve copied a link onto your post and the preview pane appears below, you can delete the link within the post. The preview pane will stay and fans will still be able to click the link via the preview pane.

6. Make It Look Pretty
Never underestimate a good profile picture, and change it with the seasons if you can. Have you noticed that many companies take advantage of the long vertical space for profile pics? You should, too!

Don’t forget to make your posts interesting by using quality images — especially now that Facebook has greatly increased their size. There are hundreds of thousands of high-quality images that are free to use at Flickr.com  if they are under the Creative Commons license and if you credit the photographer. (I go to Search>Advanced Search>Only search within Creative Commons-licensed content.) I like to tag the picture with the photo’s direct link or add a note in my post that says, “Photo Credit: X.”

 7. Create a Welcome Tab
There are lots of ways to create your own welcome tab, but I’m a big fan of using the free Static HTML app from Involver. See how it looks on my Facebook page. Choose to upload a simple image (it won’t be clickable) or get your web developer to help you with a little bit of HTML to make your image link to your website. Once it’s set up, under Edit Page>Manage Permissions, select the default landing tab as the Static HTML page. To change the name from “HTML” to “Welcome” (or in my case, “Hire Me”), go to Edit Page>Apps>Static HTML for Pages>Edit Settings.

Feeling overwhelmed? That’s where the social media consultants come in. I’ve managed Facebook pages and Twitter accounts for brands like EXPRESS, WIRED, Six Flags, Rosewood Hotels, Michael Page International, Home City Ice, SOS Staffing, St. John’s School, First Student Canada, Spectrum Brands, and more. If you’re interested in my social media consulting services, contact me today.

DIGS Moda, a NYC fashion boutique, has been the Upper East Side’s “best-kept secret” for about 6 years. With a new partnership and the grand opening of an e-comm site and a flagship SoHo store on the horizon, they needed some help. Quick.

I stepped in to create an About Us story for their new site, consulted on their product descriptions for their new e-comm site, and created a Facebook page for DIGS. After a one-hour consulting call, I’ll make sure the executives at DIGS understand how to update the page, create a custom Welcome tab, and learn a few other Facebook page tricks and tips.

It’s a little marketing, a little writing, and a little PR that will make the opening of their new business more successful and more professional. If you’re launching a new business and need help with catchy home pages, about us stories, Facebook pages, or any other marketing copywriting (print brochures, product descriptions, emails, etc.), shoot me an email.

Photo by George Deputee

I got an unusual email the other day from a major retailer in the area:

“My boss has asked me to find a poet for hire, to word a poem to be read during the annual holiday management lunch for our department.  She is hoping to gather events/changes/updates from each of the teams and then combine them into something witty & funny.  Is this something you would do?”

At first I chickened out. Poetry? No, no ma’am. But then I realized it could be a good challenge, and if I set it to a familiar holiday poem — like ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas — it would be pretty fun to write. And it turned out kinda awesome. In fact, “It was a huge hit!” Here’s an excerpt:

‘Twas the day before holiday break, all were hard at work at Kohl’s,
Especially in Men’s — they were trying to hit their goals.
The slim fits were hung in the stores with care
While Ron, Scott, and Lisa hoped he would soon be there.

Chris, Charles and Robert were nestled all snug in their chairs,
While visions of “S’s” danced in the air.
And Lizanne dreamt of a holiday lunch one year ago,
The day the crazy bunch first heard her say hello.

When somewhere in the office, there arose such a clatter,
It could be only Louboutins that sent everyone in a scatter.
Peggy, our fearless leader, appeared in a whirl
Ready to lead us on another quest to dominate the world…

Read the full holiday poem. Got any weird internal content creation requests? Contact me.

{Image via Mashable via Voltier Digital}

What can help you land new customers, rank higher in Google searches, and make you an expert in your industry? Content marketing! Here are a few content marketing strategies — often called inbound marketing — that you can begin using today. And if you need help, you can contact me at aubre.andrus@gmail.com.

1. Social Media
From Facebook to Twitter to Foursquare, social media can be the most easy and unique way to engage your customers. The most important part of social media is that it’s a two-way conversation. That means that you must interact with your followers and fans. Putting a voice to your business should be fun for both sides of the equation.
PROS: It’s free and easy to use.
CONS: It can be very time consuming to manage a page 24/7. Social media doesn’t run only within business hours.
PAYOFF: Fans and followers are constantly reminded of your brand and business.

2. Blogging
Google likes websites that are updated often and the easiest way to do this is to start a blog on your site. Not only will it show that you’re relevant and timely, but it is also a secondary vehicle to draw people into your website. Posts must be very well written, unique, and have catchy headlines in order to go viral.
PROS: You’ll rank higher in Google searches.
CONS: A well-written post can take hours to create.
PAYOFF: You’ll look like an expert and your posts may go viral and gain you new customers.

3. How-Tos
Certain businesses can market relevant and creative content along with their products. Think Kraft’s food & family magazine (with recipes featuring Kraft products), Michael’s free publications and classes (featuring crafts made from their products), EXPRESS’s denim guide, or J.Crew’s gift guide. It’s an easy way to expand your brand while providing content your customers will love.
PROS: Customers get useful, free content that feels like a huge bonus.
CONS: It’s a time and money commitment up front that will pay off eventually.
PAYOFF: Customers may buy more of your products based off the content you created.

If you’re interested in my consulting or editorial services, view my Social Media Portfolio, Blogging Portfolio, and How-To Portfolio.

November is NaNoWriMo! National Novel Writing Month is not only a 30-day period where wanna-be novelists promise to commit a story to paper — er, screen. It’s a (somewhat lofty) commitment to write 50,000 words by the end of the month. That’s 1,666 words per day. Can you do it?

“Valuing enthusiasm and perseverance over painstaking craft, NaNoWriMo is a novel-writing program for everyone who has thought fleetingly about writing a novel but has been scared away by the time and effort involved.

Because of the limited writing window, the ONLY thing that matters in NaNoWriMo is output. It’s all about quantity, not quality. This approach forces you to lower your expectations, take risks, and write on the fly.”

Feeling a little better about the concept now? Plus, if you disregard the coffee consumption and lack of sleep, there are mental and emotional benefits of regular writing. And to top it all off, real authors have participated in this for the past 12 years. Allegedly, Water for Elephants came out of a NaNoWriMo of yore.

Check out the past pep talks if you’re still scared. One last bit of encouragement — most people fail. Which means you can’t feel bad if you only write one measly page. In fact, only about 15% of those committed to the program actually complete the 50,000 word goal. So what have you got to lose?

Sign up Now
What is NaNoWriMo?
How does NaNoWriMo work?
How to Start Writing a Novel

{via Dave Agnew}

If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?

This same question can be asked of social media pages, but the answer is much less philosophical. If you build a Facebook careers page but no one sees it, it definitely won’t make an impact on your employment brand or recruiting efforts. I wrote a 3-part series for TalentMinded on how to successfully run a Facebook careers page in 3 months.

Month 1: Build a Strong Foundation for Your Facebook Careers Page  (via TalentMinded)
Learn how to create a strategy, define your process, and develop a contact plan.

Month 2: Promote Your Facebook Careers Page (via TalentMinded)
Read how promoting internally and cross-promoting among other social networks are the top two ways to get more fans and more interaction.

Month 3: Grow Your Facebook Careers Page  (via TalentMinded)
Now that your page is up and running, it’s time for external promotion as well as a content tune-up.

Like a campfire, new social media pages need constant attention and nurturing before you can sit back and enjoy a steady flow of fan engagement. If you need help developing or implementing your Facebook careers page, check out my social media portfolio then contact me.

{Enjoying local wine from a wine garden in Vienna, Austria in June}

I became a full-time freelance writer six months ago. Part of those six months were spent traveling throughout the Czech Republic, Hungary, Austria, Germany, and Italy. Then the next couple weeks were spent moving from Columbus, Ohio to Madison, Wisconsin. And then there were a few weeks spent catching up with friends and enjoying the summer weather. I got my first tan since college — there’s a whole world outside of a cube! Who knew?!

But besides the obvious perks of taking time off whenever I please and working from anywhere in the world, I’ve found a few unexpected benefits of becoming a full-time freelance writer.

1. I’ve Saved Money.
I never need to spend my hard-earned cash on ugly “business casual” work clothes that I would never wear outside an office. I also don’t need a car anymore. While my car is already paid off,  I can save about $200 month in parking, insurance, and gas costs if I sell it. I think I’m going to do it. I’ve already used my bike to commute to coffee shops and lunch dates at least a few times a week.

2. I’ve Saved Time.
No traffic-filled commute to work. No unnecessarily long meetings. No annoying interruptions. No need to blow dry my hair. As much as people are wowed by solo professionals’ ability to manage their own time, there’s also a little bit of flexible time-wasting built in to our schedules given the amount of hours we save each week working from home. I can literally work every minute from 8 AM to 5 PM if I want to.

3. I’m Healthier.
I can cook my own lunch. Grilled chicken and vegetables? Yes, please! Granted, I’m still relying on the classic Lean Cuisine when I’m feeling lazy or super busy. Another huge benefit is that I can work out whenever I want to. The summers were great for morning runs along the lake, and the winters will be perfect for a mid-afternoon workout DVD. Unfortunately, I’m not more motivated to work out…I still have to force myself to get excited about getting sweaty sometimes.

4. I’ve Met People.
While some people may think freelance writers are holed up in a dark cave of solitude for months on end, I’ve actually met more people as a self-employed business owner than when I was a salaried corporate employee. From coffee shop meetings with local clients, to phone calls with out-of-state teammates, to networking with other freelancers at a writer’s conference in New York City, I’ve been corresponding with more people in my industry now than ever.

5. People Trust Me.
I run a business and people hire me to work for them. Over and over again. While some may dread the constant “job searching” of a freelance writer, think of the constant job offers! How great does it feel to get hired for a new job? I have the possibility to get that feeling every day if I’m lucky. And if I deliver good work, they’ll throw me another project. It’s like constant reinforcement that I’m doing something right. And there’s nothing wrong with that.

{Image: WebRanking Pictures}

As a business, the world of social media can seem overwhelming from the outside. So much time and effort and what’s even the payoff? The truth is that one social media site may be more suited to you than the others. I wrote a three-part social media strategy series for TalentMinded, a CareerBuilder blog. While this series focuses on recruitment, any company can learn more about the benefits, unique aspects, and time commitments for each social media strategy:

Facebook
With over 750 million active users, it’s clear that Facebook is the top-dog of social networks. And, Nielsen’s Social Media Report shows U.S. internet users spend more time on Facebook than any other website overall, at 53.5 billion minutes in May 2011, beating out runner-up Yahoo! by over three times!

Relevant job listings combined with top-notch career advice are just two of the information streams both passive and active job seekers look for on Facebook. And by creating a separate careers page, you’ll have the ability to reach new talent every day. If you’re hesitant about using a social platform for professional networking, remember that there are a few exclusive benefits that make Facebook a great place to recruit. Read more of my Social Recruitment Strategy Series: Facebook at TalentMinded.

Twitter
Twitter is like Facebook’s younger sibling: posts are shorter, it has far less active users and it hasn’t been around quite as long. However, despite its many differences, Twitter is continually gaining popularity as a space for users to get the latest news, share content and connect with people around the world – in 140 characters or less.

Twitter’s simplicity lends a hand to candidates seeking job postings, career advice and professional networking opportunities. And the ‘list’ tool makes it a breeze for job seekers to group their streams into specialized feeds of information like companies hiring, job openings and resume tips. Read more of my Social Recruitment Strategy Series: Twitter at TalentMinded.

LinkedIn
LinkedIn is often grouped with other major social media players, like Facebook and Twitter, but in reality, LinkedIn is a professional network designed specifically for job seekers. While the site now boasts some commonly used social features like a feed with status updates, connection activity and popular blog posts, it originated as a place for professionals to connect and share their experiences.

Company pages on LinkedIn allow users to stop by your official home on the site to view corporate information, available career opportunities and the profiles of current employees – adding a human element to your organization. Read more of my Social Recruitment Strategy Series: LinkedIn at TalentMinded.

{Image via Miss 604}

A client recently asked me to explain the difference between social media marketing and social media recruiting. The answer? They’re exactly the same! Social media is social media regardless of whether you’re recruiting, networking, or simply socializing with friends. It inspired me to write this post for TalentMinded, CareerBuilder’s new social media recruitment blog.

Marketing a product or a service is all about identifying an audience and proactively reaching them with the right message to inspire action. Selling your company as a place to work is no different! Despite the similarities, marketing has historically been much better at targeting specific audiences, while HR used broad appeal mediums in hopes that the right talent would find them.

Until now.

It doesn’t matter if you’re a consumer goods brand, a local fashion boutique, or a national restaurant chain – solid social media concepts are universal:

1. Bring the brand to life with a distinct, likeable voice.
2. Establish and grow an online community by making that voice relevant.
3. Foster a sense of trust and engage your audience with valuable content.

{Image via bertop}

I specialize in two different kinds of writing: editorial and copywriting. A friend recently asked me to explain the difference and I realized there are probably a lot of non-writers out there who don’t know an advertorial from an opinion piece or an article from a press release. I already broke down Editor vs. Copyeditor vs. Copywriter so now it’s time for another showdown: Editorial vs. Copywriting.

Editorial
Online and print publications such as magazines, newspapers, websites, and blogs fall under this category. Writing editorial can range from opinion columns to breaking news to how-to articles to restaurant reviews – all types of writing which involve researching and reporting non-fiction content. News articles in papers like the New York Times and on websites like CNN are 100 percent fact with no opinion inserted — unless it’s a column, review, or opinion editorial (op ed) piece.

Often magazines and blogs take researching and reporting one step further by writing in a branded “voice” or adding extra commentary their readers love. For example, Go Fug Yourself reports on fashion but in a snarky, funny way. They want to bring a special angle to the content that makes it extra-interesting to read. Magazines and blogs also develop their own content that you can’t find anywhere else. Think Martha Stewart Living and the zillions of recipes and craft ideas they publish each month or the exclusive exercises in Women’s Health.

Copywriting
Copywriting is simply words that sell. Brochures, websites, advertisements, and store signage all fall under this category. While this copy may be fun and witty, its main goal is to sell a product or service. These words are written by the company itself or by someone who’s getting paid by the company; however, magazines, newspapers, and blogs report on products, services, and news on their own accord and without payment. Companies could develop their own content here as well. For example, Kraft has a food magazine filled with recipes using all Kraft products – obviously the underlying goal is to get you to buy more Kraft products.

Public relations departments are also internal departments that write words that sell. Their specially-crafted press releases and press kits are sent out to publications in the hopes that a reporter will be intrigued by their company’s product or service, and offer them free press in the form of an article or review.

A Mix of the Two
It’s easier to see how the term “advertorial” got its name.  Advertorials are written by companies that are trying to sell a product or service, but they are disguised as an editorial piece like a review or an article. This kind of writing must be labeled “advertisement” at the top so as not to trick readers.

I’m including social media under this combination category because – depending on who’s using it – it could fall under either editorial or copywriting. A company’s official Facebook page is really just one big marketing campaign, but a news organization’s Twitter feed is really just a stream of editorial articles.

You can check out my portfolio in both arenas of these writings for more examples.
Editorial
Copywriting
Social Media