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In these tough economic times, many of us have been forced to look for new jobs at unexpected points in our lives. So maybe we should look for those jobs in unexpected places?

Mashable.com’s recent article, “HOW TO: Find a Job on Twitter” can help with just that. Evolving from a micro-blogging way to find out what’s happening in the world, or your backyard, Twitter has moved into a social media site for recruiting and job searching. How to make the most of your Twitter presence to locate that dream job is as simple as making yourself “job friendly” – post a link to your online resume/CV, twitter about your job search and what you are specifically looking for, and by all means, use a professional avatar. There are more great tips in this article, so check it out.

The SSN Take: Some things haven’t changed and that is the importance of who you know. With Twitter, you can “know” more people that are important to know.

Melody K. Smith, April 30, 2010

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Sometimes your needs are special and boxed products just don’t fit your organization. The same could be said for social media sites.

If this applies to you, consider “Do-It-Yourself Social Media“, Entrepreneurs article for those who aren’t getting what they want from mainstream social media. The author reminds you that building a social media website is not the same as adding social media elements to an already existing site. Step back and consider what features you want to offer. What do you want your site to do for the user? Consider the goals in stages. What do you want to achieve this year, next year, and the next ten years? Take a good look at the technology options out there to determine what best fits your needs and budget.

The SSN Take: It is important to remember that building a social website is about two important points–a clear business model and the applications used to help you grow that business.

Melody K. Smith, April 27, 2010

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Communiscpace CEO Diane Hessan has some advice about using social media and the common element is this: use your head.

In “Lessons From Leno and Twitter Bombers: 3 Rules for Next-Gen Marketing,” Austin Carr writes in FastCompany about Hessan’s recent presentation at the Advertising Research Foundation’s (ARF) 2010 Re: Think Conference in New York. Hessan presented eight rules for next-gen marketing research based on feedback from over 200 consumer-insight professionals. Carr focused on three of them: 1) manage social media jitters; 2) game-changing insights don’t usually come from testing; and 3) don’t underestimate the power of one.

Regarding responding to social media, Hessan prescribes a balance between reaction and overreaction. “We need to listen hard to consumers, for sure, but if your target consumers are not on Twitter, for instance, then you don’t necessarily need to change strategy because of an angry tweet or two.” Hessan said that research doesn’t always translate into success. Game-changing insight may instead come from ongoing discovery, which she views as a necessary part of marketing. And Hessan said “the big breakthroughs often happen away from the spotlight. … The one lone voice in the background” may have the best insight.

The SSN take: Rules can be good guidelines, but in the end you still need to think.

John Sniffen, April 17, 2010

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Improper planning is being blamed for the projected fail of social media initiatives.

Tradeshow Week recently reported on some dire predictions in their article, “Gartner predicts over 70 percent of IT-dominated social media initiatives will fail.”  Their focus is on corporate enterprises which typically have a more advanced systems and processes, but still lack proper planning. Everyone seems to be in a hurry to get something out there and in that rush, forgets that proper planning is needed for a social media launch just as much as for a major marketing plan or communications strategy.

The SSN Take: Once organizations step away from the experiments and begin to design proper, well planned, well thought out approaches – the failures will decrease. Social media itself is not the failure.

Melody K. Smith, April 11, 2010

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The travel sector’s strategy has changed, says a new report by Total Media, a UK-based media planning and buying agency.

“Six critical issues to consider with social media in travel” highlights six key trends of the report, driven by the “sociability” of consumers. First and foremost is the “word-of-mouth” experience – getting customers to talk about their experience and share it with others online. Handling praise as well as criticism is important: “be active in the reviews ecosystem.” We all know that SEO is important, and being “visible on search” is crucial. Mentioned many times is the keyword “inspiration” – advertising, content, and reviews need to inspire consumers to book dates and seek out deals. Lastly, they caution to avoid going after the young, flighty consumers who may be too busy to review – it’s the “older, mainstream consumer” who will be the influencer.

The SSN Take: With the consumer’s influence and your company’s inspiration, any market can be positively affected.

Samuel Hartman, April 6, 2010

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“Yelp for Business: 4 Steps for Success” lays out the reasons for local businesses to claim and manage their Yelp listing.

With its user-generated review and rating system, urbanites come to the trust the site for information on where to eat, buy clothes, or get an oil change. While your business may be listed, “claiming” it is important, and only take a few minutes. Once completed, update your listing with all pertinent information – an incomplete page will likely send a consumer to a competitor looking for a service.

Yelp allows businesses to respond to customer feedback, and even provides an easy guide on how to handle criticism. Part of keeping consumers happy and interested is using the Yelp platform to announce offers and sales. For those wishing to take it to the next level, Yelp offers a premium account with on-site advertising – rates range from $300 to $1000 a month.

The SSN Take: “Take the reins” of your Yelp page and utilize its feature to hone in on local consumers.

Samuel Hartman, April 6, 2010

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A successful social media campaign depends on carefully determining what is to be achieved before starting, says Michael Jansma, CEO of GEMaffair.com.

“As an e-commerce seller, is your goal to drive more visitors to your site? Improve your presence in the search engines? Or, is your goal more focused, like increasing brand recognition or reputation management for your brand?” Jansma is quoted in “Social media success hinges on clear goals, e-retailer says” on internetretailer. “If your goal is to turn your followers into buyers, you’ll want to make sure you are engaging your followers and creating dialogues with your potential customers. Whatever your goal, there are specific tactics to use.”

Jansma, an early adopter of e-commerce, is also an enthusiastic proponent of social media. With more than $20 million in e-commerce revenue, GEMaffair.com is one of the leading gemstone and jewelry retailers on the web.

The SSN take: Common sense advice for pretty much any marketing campaign.

John Sniffen, April 5, 2010

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Back in January, to commemorate Data Privacy Day, Microsoft released a study of professionals worldwide with some interesting conclusions regarding online reputation.

“Online Reputation Can Cost Someone A Job” gives the biggest factoid: 70% of HR professionals turned down a potential employee based on data discovered about them online. And while many consumers are concerned about their online rep, less than half consider it when posting online. Fewer than 15% believe it would negatively impact their job hunt. Microsoft’s Privacy Strategist cautions that an online reputation is not something to be scared of, but “proactively managed.” Many of the HR professionals surveyed indicated that good information about a candidate online can help their chances. Clearly, companies are doing a little Googling when a new name comes under their nose, so it’s up to you to make sure those results are clean.

The SSN Take: Check out Microsoft’s Data Privacy Day website - as they say, “your reputation is ON the LINE.”

Samuel Hartman, March 22, 2010

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As a busy CEO, do you find the time to tweet, blog, and update your Facebook status?

CatchFriday, a self-proclaimed “virtual personal assistant” service, argues that even if you do, it’s sporadic at best, and not the best use of your time. Their recent press release, “Why CEOs Are Better Off Outsourcing Social Media Tasks,” describes a CEO who, in neglect of social media persona, must focus on his other “important tasks in the workplace.” They continue to describe the ROI of outsourcing tweets and blogs, having a virtual assistant or copywriter create good content for your online presence.

Where, may I ask, is the marketing department? And if the persona of the individual CEO is valued, then genuine updates are important (see Zappos.com CEO Tony Hsiesh), not those from a  hired copywriter. CatchFriday may have a use, but look within your company for a solution first.

The SSN Take: Social media relies on honest, open dialogue, so be wary of having others write as you or your brand.

Samuel Hartman, March 22, 2010

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The Next Web’s recent article, “The Social Media Cheat Sheet,” features an easy-to-read PDF with color-coordinated ratings of the top social media websites, created by the marketing gurus at CMO.com.

The sheet details various social media sites and how well they can be used for customer communication, brand exposure, upping site traffic, and SEO. At the top of the list? Twitter, of course, allowing instant interaction and exposure for anything, as well as re-tweeting links and sending traffic your way. YouTube and Facebook rank high, along with Digg, though McLellan cautions that the site’s user-driven rating system eschews any perceived commercial content. “Buzzing up” through Yahoo!’s new service, along with the lo-fi Reddit don’t get high marks in any category, but this doesn’t mean they can’t be utilized by your company, you just need to know your audience. Social bookmarking sites like StumbleUpon and Del.ici.ous are listed with some value, too.

The SSN Take: Diversification in the social media landscape is a good thing; utilize each site’s strengths.

Sam Hartman, March 20, 2010

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