RULE #1: DON’T BE A JERK (or The Cocktail Party Test)

When social media was the newest kid on the block there was little regard for “best practices” or etiquette. Everyone was just really concerned with “doing” social media, getting a presence out there and hoping for some sort of return.

There were a lot of social media failures. Businesses that jumped on the social media train early, and incorrectly, came to the conclusion that it didn’t work, that it was a waste of time. Why?

Well, we’ve learned that putting out sub-par content and expecting people to lap it up, simply doesn’t cut it.

Your audience wants great, awesome, useful, relevant, helpful, sharable content. They don’t care much about how great your company is or what you’ve done in the past. That’s for your marketing department. The marketers can toot your horn and sing your praises. Social media has a different mandate.

Social media sites and networks were not developed to promote and sell your business, product, service etc. They were created so that people could share experiences. Facebook is so popular because friends, old and new, can share in the cool stuff you’re doing in your life. It’s a bit like the Christmas letter but shorter and much, much less boring.

Your friends want to know that you spent an amazing day with your kids on the ski hill. They want to share your Hawaiian vacation. Sharing those moments with you gives them a sense that they’re connected to you. You have a relationship.

On the other side of the coin, sharing those experiences or inspiring content makes you feel great. If you help your friend out of a funk with a photo of a sleeping kitten you get some satisfaction from that.

Social media wasn’t created for business. Remember that. It’s important.

With that mantra in mind you can develop your social media strategy. A great way to think of what constitutes appropriate content is to think about what you might say to someone at a cocktail party. I call this the “cocktail party test” (not very inspired but I bet you remember it

If you’re about to post some content take another look and determine if it’s something you’d share with someone you’re standing face to face with.

“Hey Bill, my company just landed a huge account and we’re about to become the #1 potato retailer in the country! How cool are we?” Remembering that you don’t really know Bill personally, do you think he’d care? Probably not.

On the other hand, if you said something like: “Hi Bill, did you know that potatoes can lower your cholesterol? There’s a cool new study out of the University of Spudland that found that men over 60 who eat 4 potatoes/day can live an extra 10 years. Crazy hey?” (I don’t think this is a true statement by the way, just a little fun, potato humour)

Giving Bill some interesting information that he may want to share with others is what social media best practices are all about.

So, Rule #1 – Don’t Be A Jerk means, think about what you’re putting out there. Don’t abuse the trust you build with your audience by wasting their time. Give them something they can use, you’ll get considerably more engagement and interest that way.

Recently I was speaking to a friend of mine who was very put out by the use of the term “social good” to define all manner of behaviour. In particular, he was annoyed that many organizations and charities continually ask for donations under the guise of a socially good mandate.

Asking for something and claiming that it will contribute to the good of society is akin to guilting someone into cleaning out the gutters; sure it’s better for the house but what’s in it for them? (Though I will allow that there are some people who derive great satisfaction from home-maintenance I think they are in the minority.)

The “what’s in it for me” philosophy runs deep in our society. So deep, in fact, that I find it one of the biggest challenges to explaining what I do for my clients. Some people have a lot of trouble understanding that the notion of looking out for #1 is no longer a sound business practice.

Take a company like Toms Shoes for example. Owner Blake Mycoskie didn’t start a shoe company to make money. He was traveling in Argentina and met a bunch of kids who couldn’t afford shoes. His motivation for Toms Shoes was to shod these kids by creating a product and business philosophy that could empower people to contribute to the greater, social good. His solution was to sell Toms Shoes in the Western world for a fairly high price ($60/pair) but to donate 1 pair of shoes to kids who need them for every pair sold. Creative and profitable!

“What’s in it for me” didn’t enter into the equation because Blake understood what motivates us. A sense of purpose. Stores can’t keep Toms in stock because everyone wants a pair. It makes them feel good about themselves to help others and the Toms product is trendy, cool, comfortable and pretty dang swanky. In fact, in a business where knockoffs are the norm, Toms enjoys an enormous market share. People don’t want the fakes because the fakes don’t give them that sense of purpose.

Toms isn’t the only company that have figured out that providing people with a sense of purpose can have a profound effect on the bottom line. Companies like Patagonia and Whole Foods have long put forth the philosophy of “what can I do to make your life better?” rather than “what’s in it for me?”

When I go in to speak with a new client I ask them what they hope to gain from their social media strategy. The most common answers include, more brand awareness, more customers, more sales, etc. I allow them to voice their expectations and to suss out just how much they know about the social science behind motivation and online marketing before I hit them with my #1 rule for success online.

Here it is…are you ready? This is pretty big, pretty revolutionary (unless your Toms

Rather than asking the question “what can social media do for my company?” organizations, (corporations, charities, etc) need to ask “what can we do to help others find purpose in the decisions they make?” and “how can we build long-lasting, trusting relationships with our clients/customers?”

There will always be those organizations that can’t get their head around a new business model that requires corporate social responsibility as a core philosophy and to them I say, be careful. Why would someone deal with your company if working with another makes them feel they are contributing to the betterment of their society?

So, to recap for my friend; “social good” is figuring out what you can do to help others and build strong, trusting, long-lasting relationships. It is not using guilt to goad others into supporting your cause, company or product even if it may contribute to the greater good. (oh, and it isn’t giving lip-service to corporate social responsibility. Especially in this day and age where the internet will rat you out faster than a Kardashian runs toward a TV camera.)

If it weren’t for the CBC and McLean’s Magazine, a google search for Stephen Harper would turn up a helluva a lot of negative publicity.

Simply by adding one word to the search….let’s say “jerk” the entire search result changes to articles calling him a douchebag and an idiot. There is no love lost, online, for our Prime Minister.

I can’t help but think that having someone monitoring his Social Media could only do some good for his rep. I mean, if he knew how much negative stuff was out there, wouldn’t he want to address it?

Perhaps he doesn’t care much what Canadians think. Maybe he is content to allow the old school popularity contest that is Canadian politics to give him enough confidence in his ability to do the bidding of the people.

The thing is, Steve, the prevailing attitude online is that you’re a knob. (for those not familiar with this English word, knob means penis) A day does not go by without at least 1, but usually several, posts about what an idiot you are and the harm you’re doing to our beautiful country.

Check out http://sorryworld.ca/. A web page entirely dedicated to the crap-tastic decisions that have come out from “The Harper Government”. (I’d like to add another. Changing the name of the Canadian Government to the Harper Government. Who the hell do you think you are? The Queen?)

A few short years ago I was infinitely proud to be a Canadian. I am a liberal to my core. I believe that you should be able to worship, love and vote for whoever you damn well please. I believe that teachers should be paid more than pro athletes (except hockey players because, after all, I am Canadian!) I believe that marijuana should be legal and taxed and that the resources wasted in catching pot smokers should be used to help get crack off of our streets.

I believe that we should not allow American’s to bully our native people and build pipelines through our beautiful forests. I believe that Canada should be a leader in environmental reform and restoration and that the rest of the world should have to catch up to us rather than the other way around.

I believe that while Tim Horton was a hero, Tim Horton’s restaurants should be held accountable for their environmental impact.

I think that we’re smarter than our Prime Minister believes us to be and I truly, 100% believe that we can use our collective power to start to move toward putting someone in Ottawa who actually loves our country and wants to see it flourish rather than flounder.

Mr. Harper, you’re a tool. You clearly dislike Canada and are willing to sell it, piece meal, to the highest bidder.

We’re not going to let you. Good luck with your next campaign. I think you’ve just about made us mad enough that, even as Canadians, we’re going to stand up and say “enough!”.

Vancouverite Shane Gibson, owner of Socialized.me, gives a great talk here on how to engage on social media in a respectful and relevant way. It’s 15 minutes that will infinitely improve your online presence.

On Saturday, November 12, 2012 Vancouver hosted it’s 3rd annual TEDx Vancouver event at the Chan Centre on the University of BC campus.

This year’s event was attended by over 1,000 people and was considered, by all accounts, to be a great success.

The theme of TEDx Van was “Frontier”. Pretty cool, right? I thought so too. I felt that “most” of the speakers were really great. I enjoyed the energy and the messaging that was delivered and, all in all, I enjoyed the event.

Some of the presenters really had a wonderful message to convey. Nolan Watson, for example, was really great. He spoke with passion about his passion and purpose and he kept the auditorium wrapped up in the story in a way that would make TED organizers proud.

So too were speakers like Kara Pecknold, Dr. Kate Moran and Seth Cooper. Their message was delivered with passion and enthusiasm and an un-wavering belief that what they were going was making a difference in the world. (and I thought so too)

I was somewhat less enthused or engaged by Jai’ Aquarian and Erin Marci’s account of their journey to build the Temple at Burning Man this summer but I can completely see where others would get a lot of their talk and their shared experience. Perhaps after I embrace my inner-camper I might change my mind.

There was a hitch to the day though. The last speaker to appear before the lunch break was not on the roster and, quite frankly, after speaking with several other attendees, I don’t think he belonged at a TED event.

Jose Figarroa fled El Salvador and sought refugee status in Canada in 1997. Recently he, and his family, have been threatened with deportation. While Jose spoke with great passion I felt a little bit like the TEDx organizers were trying to manipulate me.

TED is ideas and inspiration. It’s about sharing ways to make the world better. What it’s NOT about it politics. Why then was Jose given the stage? I’d love to know and I hope that TEDx organizers and volunteers have their fingers on the pulse of the net to look for commentary about their event. I would venture to guess that I am not the only one questioning this decision.

I was also disappointed, as were others I spoke to, with Shahrzad Rafati, CEO of Broadband TV. Her speech, far from inspiring people to be active members of society, encouraged us to watch more video. I get it. I know it’s her business. I know that she believes in the power of the media. Great. But the messaging was weak at best and delivered in such an over-the-top manner that it just put the audience off. It came off as more of a CEO sales pitch then an “idea worth sharing”.

By far my favourite of the day was Victor Lucas. I liked him so much that I will write a post just about his speech in the next couple of days. Suffice to say, for now, that Victor held the audience’s attention in a manner that embodies all that TED has to offer. He is a master story-teller with an important message and his “idea” is definitely “worth sharing”.

No account of the day would be complete without a mention of the other 3 in my top 4. Sean Aitken is a home-grown idea man, from North Vancouver. I loved this passion, his purpose, his commitment to not settle for what society may, or may not, expect of him. His One Week Job Project was an odyssey that enlightened him and everyone who watches his work. If you have a teenager, they really ought to see Seth’s videos.

I also loved Christopher Gaze. Talk about engaging! He silenced a room of 1000 20-50 year olds with, of all things, Shakespeare! I have a minor in English Literature and he taught me more about ol’ Willie S in 15 minutes than I learned in a full university course! I’d love to figure out a way to rent him out to my teenager’s English class.

Finally, but certainly not an after-thought, was Romeo Dallaire. Most Canadian’s know him as a war hero and many American’s would recognize his book “Shake Hands with the Devil” which was turned into a movie called “Hotel Rwanda”  in 2004, staring Nick Nolte as Dalliare.

After what he’s witnessed and what he’s lived through Dallaire is able to get up on stage and mesmerize a group with humour and passion and an enormous sense of purpose. He makes you want to go out and save the world, ask questions, vote and encourage others to do so. He was just amazing and even if it had only been him at TEDx Vancouver, the event would have been worth every penny.

All in all I loved my TEDx experience. I hope that next year I may be on the stage rather than in the audience and that’s what I’ll be working toward. If you were at TEDx leave your thoughts and comments below. I’d love to know what you thought.

Until next year!

Click the image to read the interview.

When Social Media Canada first opened it’s doors in 2010 there were no companies standing in line to sign up for a social media strategy. In fact, most Vancouver, BC companies had very little understanding of social media as a means to promote their brand and build their business.

We set out to inform people that the 500 million users on Facebook could not only be leveraged to improve the bottom line but that there is a unique marketing method required to properly engage in social media and that ignoring it will lead to failure.

Over the last 18 months we’ve had many clients. We’ve had real estate agents, health care clinics, retail stores and online retail operations and most arrived knowing a lot about traditional marketing and little about social media marketing.

Slowly the trend toward authenticity and social responsibility is growing among companies who do business online. Those organizations who are finding success (defined in which ever way you would like to define it) have quickly learned that building relationships based on trust and a true desire to provide visitors to the site with value, is the cornerstone to a good online presence.

Throughout this website you’ll find many articles on the necessity to engage the C-level execs in any online campaign. The best way to convince them they need to be involved is to explain that if they are not able to adequately champion their own company, who else can? Only a CEO who hates what he does is incapable to saying why he does it.

This is going to be a short post. Social Media Canada has moved to a new level in the social media strategic planning game and, as such, we’re not able to publish as much great content.

That said, you won’t find any re-printed articles on this site (unless they’re really relevant) We have always written our own content and will continue to do so, as time permits.

For now, there are a ton of articles on how to be authentic here. How to engage an experienced social media expert to help you come up with a strategy for success here. How to redefine ROI (return on investment) for the Web 2.0 generation here. And a lot of other useful, current articles on how you can use a well-thought-out social media campaign to provide value and garner business.

Keep an eye out here and on our relationships page for  some cool case studies and success stories.

Oh, and don’t forget Social Media Week comes to Vancouver September 19-23!

After the 3rd period of last night’s Stanley Cup game 7 between the Vancouver Canucks and the Boston Bruins went to a 3-0 win for Boston I was disappointed. Disappointed but also proud that my fellow Vancouverites showed some class while they cheered on the Boston team’s hoisting of the coveted cup.

Unless you live under a rock you’ll know that my disappointment turned to disgust and dismay shortly after when some dreadful behaviour of a group of young men (and I mean young men. Don’t even try to respond to this saying that the instigators were anything but young men. The proof is irrefutable)

With a run for the cup coming hot on the heels of Vancouver’s great success as a host city for last year’s Olympics, each game was an opportunity to relive the party atmosphere in downtown Vancouver. The city kindly provided massive jumbotrons so that those people who wanted to watch the Canucks play and get the “feel” of the game could watch from the closed streets of the downtown core of Vancouver.

If you know Vancouver at all you’ll know that it’s a peninsula (sort of). The way in and out consists of 4 bridges (3 to the south and 1 to the north) and 1 viaduct. It’s almost isolated when you look at it from the air.

It’s basically tailor-made for a group of trouble makers, hell bent on destruction, to get their own game on. And that they did.

As Boston skated back on to the ice to accept the cup a group of young men began to throw projectiles at the big screen. They then began fighting with other groups, turning over porta-potties and finally setting cars and debris on fire. As the evening wore on the crowds did not disperse as police hoped and, as a result, the violence escalated. By 10:30 the looting had begun.

People were in no hurry to leave the city. Being there must have been really exciting. I guess.

The one thing that you notice when you watch the footage is that everyone, and I mean EVERYONE who was on TV was carrying a cel phone, taking photos and video and Tweeting, Facebooking and sharing the content across every social network around.

The good news is that the Vancouver Police Department has embraced social media as a crime-fighting tool.

In 1994 Vancouver had a similar riot and the police used news footage to identify, charge and convict rioters. It took several months to bring the hooligans to justice but the police were relentless, creating a special team that concentrated all of their efforts on making sure that everyone who was caught on tape was charged.

This time it’s going to be different. This time social media will make the job of the police considerably easier. In fact, less than 2 hours after the rioting began someone created a Facebook page called: Vancouver Riot Pics: Post Your Photos and asked that anyone with photos post them to the page, share them and encourage others to tag the photos. 1 hour after the group was created it had 3,000 users!

This could be the first time that Facebook has been used as a tool to promote public awareness that YOU ARE ALWAYS BEING WATCHED! (and not in a Big Brother way. More in a “your mom’s watching” way.)

I’ll be following this story and reporting the police findings and activities on my blog at socialmedia-canada.com over the next weeks/months.

I hope that the Vancouver Police can bring every, single one of these idiots who have disgraced my beautiful city to justice.

This is pretty awesome!

Social Media is a relatively new career. There are a lot of people out there calling themselves Social Media Experts and some of them even are.

The problem with a new genre is that no one knows just how much a great Social Media Manager is worth in a corporate setting. That’s why you see people advertising on Craigslist for a “Admin assistant/Social Media Expert”. Very little irks me more than these job listings.

If you’re a Social Media Expert, Manager, Coordinator, Strategist, it’s really good business to know what you’re worth to a potential employer. Relying on information from sites like PayScale, who peg Social Media Management salaries between $27,000 and $165,000!, could really mess with your valuation.

So sit down, figure out what you’re time is worth, do some research and be prepared to justify your worth to a potential employer.

If you behave like an Administrative Assistant you’ll get paid like one. However, if you can provide quantitative proof that what you know will add value to the company you’ll be hired as an important member of the management team and treated as such.

Good luck and enjoy the image, it totally cracks me up!

Like most people who have a choice I use a Mac. I always have. In fact, since 1990 I have had 6 Macs and 1 PC. My Mac Lombard G3 still works but, in 2008 my 2 year old Dell Inspiron was infected with a virus via the internet. The virus would create massive popup ads telling me where I could go to buy the software to eliminate the virus. It made me angry. Very angry. So angry, in fact, that I have not, nor will I ever, own another PC.

Mac ownership has allowed me peace of mind with regard to viruses. I mock those friends of mine who complain that their PC has been disabled due to some nasty infestation and I smugly sit back and snicker at their pain. I know that’s not nice but you’ll see how Karma has come to bite me in the ass anyway.

Becoming over-confident in anything is just about always a bad thing. I have bragged about my golf drives only to shank 10 in a row after. I have bored groups by regaling them with skiing exploits then been unable to ski out the day due to sore muscles. I really should learn to keep my mouth shut.

Computer viruses are no different. Being a Mac user has caused me to feel over-confident and like many things, out of sight, out of mind has been my mandate regarding them.

Until now.

Last week I had a client call me to tell me that her computer had been infected by a virus and that, according to her “computer guy” the virus came from Facebook. Facebook! My trusted social media partner! I was devastated. My client trusted me to guide her business’ social media campaign and one of my suggestions lead to the loss of a ton of data. Ack!

To that end I have some suggestions to avoid this happening to anyone in the future but first, a crash course on how they get ya.

Most of the infestations from programs like Facebook are worms. Worms use computer network and security holes to replicate themselves. They search online until they find an unsecured network then jump in there to create havoc. Once in, the worm can open the door for all kinds of nasty visitors to your computer.

From here on out I will be recommending the following to my clients to avoid getting attacked. I’ll be writing it right into my proposals so that they have a clear understanding that doing business online can open their systems up to viruses if they’re not careful.

1. In a perfect world the client would use a Mac to run just their social media campaign. All blogging, Facebook, Twitter, Linked In etc would be on one machine and all of their company records would be on another system that is not networked in any way to that Mac.

2. If #1 is not possible the client should, at the very least, be running Facebook in the https secure setting rather than http.

3. Running an operating system like UNIX pretty well eliminates the virus issue.

4. PC’s have a myriad of software options for security issues. Norton Utilities have been around for ages and seem to have a good track record of keeping things tidy.

Being aware of possible threats to your client’s and making them understand that security should play a part in their overall online strategy is a great way to provide value to the companies you do business with.

It’ll also save you from having egg on your face if something goes wrong