Updated to include Google's addition of a "Fact Check" category in Google News search results. See "Update" at the end of this post. This 2016 election season in the United States has been like no other for a couple of reasons. It has two leading presidential candidates comfortable using social media with hordes of rabid followers tearing up the social media channels with claims real and, well, a lot less so. The live candidate debates have frequently degenerated into name calling and claims that are hard to believe. What is an interested citizen to do? Thankfully the other trend this season has been the wide range of sites offering fact-checking on what is being said by all sides. Here is a starter list (it could never be truly comprehensive). The links lead to a site's political coverage where many, if no most, offer live fact-checking during major debates:
Social media is everywhere and yet many businesses are still not using it or not using it well. Sometimes it is a time issue. Sometimes it’s a feeling of "Where do I begin? Sometimes it’s simply a feeling of intimidation or having bene left behind. My hope with this page of links is to offer some useful resources for any small business owner at any stage of their social media evolution: Platforms: Hubspot, probably the best champion of inbound marketing – attracting customers – has a useful post for those starting on Facebook: How to Create a Facebook Business Page in 5 Simple Steps Hubspot’s Mike Volpe offers a video tutorial called How to Advertise on Facebook Using Pay Per Click Adslink text Twibs, a Twitter business portal, lists more than 47,000 businesses who are on Twitter and covers 1,000s of topics. On Pinterest there are thousands of boards. Two that might prove useful:
Interesting Graphics – a Pinterest board curated by me that features infographics that mostly relate to social media and its uses for business.
Social Media Posts – a Pinterest board also curated by me that features images that link to blog posts about social media. On Linkedin? Then use its groups feature to discover useful groups in your community and in your industry. Go to Linkedin Groups. Useful posts on the web: Mashable, a great resource for news about social media has a section dedicated to social media and business. Entrepreneur magazine’s collection of social media posts. Inc. magazine’s The Business Owner's Social Media Tool Kit Social Media Examiner’sA Beginner’s Social Media Guide for Small Businesses B2C, the Business 2 Community, blog’s 10 Benefits of Social Media for Business Every Skeptic Should Know
Ideas for newbies about to jump off the lily pad and into the blogosphere Blogging can be an excellent way to get started in Social Media (providing of course you allow comments and feedback).
It’s the way for a company, organization or individual can show off knowledge, build trust and gather a following.
Here are some blogging best practices to advance your standing in Social Media.
Your own blog:
Content: Pick a niche that you can “own” and always be helpful by offering analysis, tips and useful commentary
Length: Plan to always post between 250 and 750 words for the best Search Engine Optimization (SEO) results.
Headlines: The more intriguing, the better. Consider using numbers as part of your title and consider numbers that resonate with readers. (i.e. 3, 5, 7 and 10) So, for example: The 10 Signs Your Social Media Efforts Are Paying Off
Keywords: Using your top keywords is critical so that your blog post helps with your website’s overall Search Engine ranking. Therefore always try to include keywords in the headline, hyperlinked text and all the key tag fields.
Links: Always internally link (to your own Website content and to previous, related blog content. Also link to other blogs and news that is highly relevant. This cross-linking strategy helps your blog rise up in Search Engine results.
Schedule: Treat blog posting as a routine – no less than one post per week is good; two per week would be better. Create an editorial calendar built around topics that will be of high interest to readers, be timely and be able to carry your keywords.
Photos or Graphics: Including at least one with a post is recommended when possible. Use your keywords in the image "alt" attribute when possible
Review: Always have at least one set of extra eyes – a trusted colleague or friend – review the post before it goes live. It’s your reputation at stake here.
Sharing: Use Social Media platforms, email or other methods to let people know when a new post goes live. Allow visitors to click on an RSS feed so they automatically get notified of new posts.
Comments: Be sure to acknowledge comments left on your blog. Be positive – even when commenters aren’t.
Commenting on others’ blogs
Be thoughtful: Reference what helped you and try to add value to the original post.
Regularity: By commenting regularly on a few blogs you will establish a relationship with that blogger and their audience.
Linking: Add links in your commetns rarely and with great care so you don’t appear to be merely a self-promoter. If you are linking to content of your own, be sure it is very relevant to the topic at hand. Consider including linking to other blogs
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