How to leverage yourself as an expert with social media (infographic)

The business consultant network Zintro  pulled research from more than a dozen sources including Mashable, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google and Quantcast to put together this infographic, which will help you figure out which social network is best suited to your social media strategy.

Although a lot of this information may not be new to you, I love the at-a-glance way of seeing the different ways  in which social media platforms function. I also see it as a great presentation tool to introduce new clients to the wonderful world of  social media.

Should you post the same content across multiple platforms?

Doesn’t it get slightly wearisome when you end up reading the same content posted in the same way in multiple places? Do you find that your eyes start to glaze over and you end up feeling like you are being broadcast at?

If you are like me, you may follow the same core group of people across multiple social networking platforms which is great for consolidating online relationships, but can also mean that you are subject to status overkill. I understand why people do this. It saves time and spreads your message to a wider audience, but it is impersonal and may even turn people off.

Mashable’s Pete Cashmore raised this question of multiple platform broadcasting on Google+ during the week:  

What’s the solution?

• Tweak your updates and tailor them for each platform you post to. Don’t tell us what you ate for breakfast on your LinkedIN page if it’s more appropriate to a Twitter update (although on that point, do we really need to know what you had for breakfast?).
• Get creative. I post links to my latest blog posts on multiple platforms but I pick a different way to introduce that link each time. If the post is in the form of a question, then I turn it into a statement, and vice versa. I also use different headings from within the body of the post or perhaps a snippet of a reader’s comment.

What do you think? Is posting the same message across multiple platforms a good time-saving idea or are you tired of reading the same thing over again? Have you any other ideas of how to be creative when you post your content? 

Related Post: Facebook vs Twitter – How Smart Marketers Use Both Differently

What’s the buzz with Google+?

By now you may have caught some of the buzz around Google+  I’ve seen it but in my usual I am not an early adopter way I’ve  not engaged with it yet.

Here’s what the Google blog has by way of explanation of their newest project:

We’d like to bring the nuance and richness of real-life sharing to software. We want to make Google better by including you, your relationships, and your interests.

So should you join Google+?

Here’s what social media guru Chris Brogan has to say

If you haven’t yet gotten dragged into Google +, don’t fret. It’s a virus. You’ll be in soon, so save your begging. It’ll come really quick.Frankly, the common feeling seems to be: “I’m not sure why I’m here, but I’m just going to organize my friends/following differently than I did on Facebook or Twitter.

By all means check it out but it is really early days with this new platform and from what I can see so far, it is one for the early adopters and social media fanatics. Having said that, I do see some potential for non-profits in utilizing the “circles” and “hangouts” for building community and  the “sparks” (featured interests) function. It’s early days, so let’s just wait and see for now.

Google Launches Google for Nonprofits

Yesterday, Google announced the launch of Google for Nonprofits – providing exclusive product offerings and enhanced online resources, to U.S.based nonprofits to help them reach more donors, improve operations and raise awareness for their cause.

From the Google for Non Profits blog:

If you work for a nonprofit, this program provides you with several new benefits. Instead of applying to each Google product individually, you can sign up through a one-stop shop application process. If approved, you can access our suite of product offerings designed for nonprofits: up to $10,000 a month in advertising on Google AdWords to reach more donors, free or discounted Google Apps to cut IT costs and operate more efficiently, and premium features for YouTube and our mapping technologies to raise awareness of your cause. We’ve also developed other online resources such as educational videos, case studies and better ways for you to connect with other nonprofits.

Sounds exciting and hopefully it will spread further than the US! Meanwhile, if you are US based, check out if you are eligible and learn more by clicking here.

How to SEO your headlines

Do you remember in an earlier post when I explained the importance of headlines for grabbing attention?

I wrote that users will decide to stay or leave your website or blog in 8 seconds or less – so it makes sense to draw in readers with a great headline.

Today let’s look at headlines again, but this time from an SEO perspective. 

The title of your blog post is one of the first things Google sees when indexing your site. And let me add another SEO tip here –  Google will take the first words of that title as your most important. So it’s worth your while thinking carefully before you write that headline.

Use my earlier tips on how to maximise your blog’s SEO with keyword questions to find the most sought-after keywords for your subject, then include those words in your title.

Simple when you know how!

5 Top Tips for Great Headlines

On average, 5 times as many people read the headlines as read the body copy. It follows that unless your headline sells your product, you have wasted 90% of your money. – David Ogilvy, founder of the Ogilvy & Mather advertising agency.

Recent Google research suggests that users decide to stay or leave your website or blog in 8 seconds or less – so it makes sense to draw in readers with a great headline.This after all may be the only chance you get to make an impression and turn a browser into a reader.

5 Top Tips

1. KISS – Keep it short and simple
2. Ask a question
3. Try listing e.g. 10 ways, or 7 easy steps
4. Write a How to headline
5. Use key words for SEO optimisation

We will be examining each of these top tips in the coming days, so stay tuned to learn how to write those all-important attention grabbing headines.