Heathrow Baker

12 chapters done & dusted and I am walking away with a whole new bag of tricks that I can’t wait to put into practice as I continue on this SMM journey . While I may not agree with all the tips I think there is something for everyone in this book and the authors themselves state at the beginning that they don’t expect you to take their word as Gospel. It provides a great starting point for anyone interested in Social Media giving you a number of checklists and road maps on how to navigate the different platforms effectively, optimize your reach and ensure you are presented in a professional , knowledgeable  All in all it was an enjoyable , quick read containing a lot of knowledge that can easily be referenced in future. If you have no idea what you are doing with Social Media or if you have plateaued and are looking to revitalize and re-engage then this book is a great starting point.... Heather says #readthebook !

Chapter 12 summarizes how to bring everything together providing a guideline & non fiction scenario that you can adapt to your event or product.

The first part is “ Build the Foundation” which outlines the groundwork at the start of the campaign and how to get your ducks in a row. Secondly they advise to “ Amass your Digital Assets” which is something I am diligently working to improve. The idea of having all your media ( video, blog post, youtube clip, etc) is heavenly to me but not one I have practiced as I should. I tend to store the ideas in my head and then rush to get them out as the due date draws near. ( this post is proof of that!)

 Peg Fitzpatrick is a planner and I have found a number of her Pinterest pins and ideas to be wonderful and have started to use them as a guide to create a template that works for me and MY brand.

Last step is “Go to Market” outlining the best time to share on each platform in the last few days leading up to your launch... now all that you have to do ( and me too!) is make it happen, which should be a whole lot easier with this arsenal of tips at your disposal

Chapter 11 sees one of Guy & Peg’s more indepth chapters giving the reader tips on how to make the most of each platform ensuring you can maximize the benefit for your product/business. 

A number of tips for Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Slideshare, YouTube that even a seasoned pro might appreciate helping you navigate the always changing waters of the social media universe.

There are a TON of tips here as they detail each different platform, waaaay too many to cover in detail. One of the things I love is they admit to basically having no idea how to optimize Facebook posts..( so it’s not just me!)

As I start my blogging journey and the process of “upping” my Pinterest & Instagram game I loved the detailed points they gave on widgets for these 2 platforms

Chapter 10 discusses what we all want to know... how to AVOID looking clueless when it comes to Social Media! A number of great points are covered in this chapter such as don’t tell people what to share... a basic tenet of social media is if you don’t like what someone is sharing then DON’T FOLLOW THEM! Another point stressed is don’t buy followers... many companies can be tempted to do this for the mere purpose of saying “ Yeah we have 100K following us” but WHO are those followers? Are they people that use your product? are they interested in what you have to say? people that will share what you have to say or your product with others... NO they are just a +1 because you paid them to be. One great quote in this chapter I love is :

“ You may never be caught buying your way into social media, but to do so is pissing on your karma, and karma is a bitch” ~ Guy Kawasaki

Other paragraphs touch on not announcing your unfollowers or asking people to reshare your posts, don’t delegate your SMM to an intern this is the public face of your brand, your message you are relaying. You need to ensure the people handling it take social media seriously and understand the impact 1 misstep could have.

Another good point is to understand how the medium you are using works. The Town I live in tweeted this out, and my perception of it is that they don’t understand how Twitter works and it makes them appear like they aren’t interested in engaging with their citizens... they have improved slightly since then but they have a long way to go...

The next 2 chapters were interesting reads and informative..Even I an avid Twitter fan learned a trick or 2 to put into my arsenal when it comes time to rock my next twitter chat.

I have never done a Google Hangout so loved this chapter as it was really out of my wheelhouse . The dedicated an entire chapter and go quite in depth on Google Hangouts on Air (HOAs) and even include a link to show you how to self publish. It also provides details on how to start an HOA and have it broadcast through your Google+ page and YouTube channel and have it automatically archived to your YouTube channel for later (score!)

One thing I appreciated was the amount of detail they provided in this chapter including getting the right equipment, creating an event page , create a trailer ( this can help promote your HOA , wear solid colours ( not 1 I would have thought of) and the best 2 points 1) Send a checklist & 2) Rehearse & Start Early.

Guy & Peg provide you with a detailed checklist that ensures chances for glitches are kept to a bare minimum even reminding people conducting the chat to ensure ringers are turned off on their phones so they don’t ring during the broadcast interrupting the discussion, have you installed the Google + app? He even includes a humorous example of where he was trying to guide someone thru a HOA and advised him to clicking on the window to which the person replied they were in an office without any windows ( SERIOUSLY!!?LOL)

They then move on to Twitter chats providing some great resources for making your hosting or participating in them easy, quick and effective . Utilizing such tools as TweetDeck, Twubs or Tchat allows you to hide retweets, make columns,to track @mentions . There are few social media platforms I have experienced that move as quickly or chaotically as a twitter chat so when one provides tools you can use to successfully navigate it I am definitely of the “ The More the Merrier “ mindset..

Chapter 7 brings a list of tips for how to socialize your event like a Rockstar. Guy & Peg point out that many organizations don't utilize social media to effectively promote events ( or at all) Some basic tips the provide are 1- Produce an evergreen hashtag . This is a hashtag that will last after your event . Adding dates or destinations can make it relevant for only a few days. Other points they make are to wallpaper that hashtag , put it EVERYWHERE : email signatures, promo flyers, posters ,websites ,programs etc. and then make sure everyone involved is aware of it and uses it in all their posts, tweets and blogs. There are a few other points covered such as the importance of having a dedicated person for social media, live streaming when possible and when the event is over basically post all the media from it on every social media platform possible . People will want to see themselves in photos videos etc. & share that info . They will want to tell everyone .

One of my fave chapters of The Art of Social Media has to be Chapter 5 “ How to Integrate Social Media & Blogging” I don’t know if it’s because I have just started by blogging journey or if because this chapter seemed to be more “Peg” than “Guy”.... There again are some basics such as the importance of curating yourself, adding drama be it through a photo , video etc. but they also review some great tips that some people may not have considered, simply overlooked or perhaps meant to but just never got around to it.

Add Share Buttons

Add ClicktoTweet Link

Pin every Blog post

Add a Pin if for Later option

Join Blogging Networks ... and my personal fave:

MEET PEOPLE IN REAL LIFE

It’s all too easy to fall down the rabbit hole that is social media so we have to remember that nothing resonates quite like putting a face to that twitter handle or FB page etc. it helps build on that relationship. One of the final tips in the chapter gives you the 10 step process to “Peg your Post” which in a nutshell is integrating social media & blogging. Peg Fitzpatrick explains how she promotes one of her blog posts ( which of course involves using Canva one of Guy’s projects) it is a very in depth process but for anyone committed to becoming a blogging success I think it sets a good foundation to try and cross promote it in order to increase views, clicks followers etc. It is obvious that Peg is knowledgeable about blogging, Instagram, Pinterest and a myriad of other platforms and has successfully found a formula that works for her .

Truth be told The Art of Social Media has been an enjoyable quick read. If you go in with an open mind and accept that this is another platform that Guy can use to promote his many interests ( Canva, Alltop, Holy Kaw etc) you can look thru that to some very astute tips that give the social media newbie a road map or even the seasoned vet a few new tricks. I really like the fact that they divide the chapters up into tips that can work across all platforms as opposed to having 1 chapter :Twitter or Facebook etc. as I think the best way to approach social media is as a “big picture” instead of treating them all as separate entities.

In the section on perfecting posts Guy & Peg start with a basic premise 

“ At its foundation, social media is simple: if you share good stuff, people will reshare it, and you’ll get more interaction and more followers.” ~ The Art of Social Media

The rest of the chapter is dedicated to “BE” points... 

BE Interesting, BE Valuable, BE Bold, Thankful, Sly, or a Mensch. I particulary like the “ Be a Mensch” entry...” If you share purely for the joy of helping others, the amount of goodness & reciprocity you’ll receive will surprise you” ~ The Art of Social Media

One point I found interesting in this chapter was the BE DEFIANT entry where they go on to state that most SEO is bullshit..and point out the thousands of highly educated experts creating and running the Google think lab and ask the very logical question... if you are trying to outsmart them who do you think is going to win? Instead they advise to not waste your time and energy trying to beat the system but instead use Google to it’s advantage and have it do what it does best... find great content. Another good point that they raised and that has been reiterated thru my Social Media course is that you need to BE VISUAL and that every post should contain what they like to call “eye candy” According to a study by Skyword total views of content increase by as much as 94% when there is a relevant photograph in the post.

The Art of Social Media has an entire chapter dedicated to (and rightly so) “Feeding the Content Monster” One of the most intimidating things about creating a blog/brand/website can be...”What do I post?” How many new ideas can I come up with? How can I keep it interesting?

Peg & Guy take steps to educate you on the 2 ways to feed this monster

CONTENT CREATION

CONTENT CURATION

Creation involves just that creating your own original content... be it a post, a photo, a guide. It is your own personal decision as to how to create content, how often you create it & how to sustain that.

Curation helps you feed the monster but without expending the same time & energy as creation. Instead you search out others creations that you find interesting or informative and share it with your readers/followers.

In this vein , the book offers a list of where you can source such articles/posts . First and foremost no surprise is Alltop which is a “Guy Creation” as he is one of the sites co-founders. One thing is for sure you don’t earn the title “evangelist” without mastering the art of self promotion. 

There are several other sites which are offered as great resources to source content ( Feedly, Buffer, Facebook What’s Trending, Ted , Reddit & Holy Kaw - a branch of Alltop) and even ideas that people may overlook like tying your posts into the holidays ...for example sharing a list of top 10 “stay-cation” destinations in your provide or state a few weeks before summer holidays start or a post on Guinness recipes a few days before St. Patrick’s Day

Also touched on in this chapter of the book is how to stay organized... helpful for any newbie ( or unorganized pro!)  They offer an overview of different types of editorial calendars listing pros and cons to help the reader decide which would work best for their purpose. Another way to tap into good content is through lists, communities and groups a few of the examples listed include

Twitter Lists

Facebook Lists

Google + Circles

Google + Communities

Linkedin Groups

Google + Search

Collaborative Pinterest Board ( this one is all Peg Fitzpatrick and I love it!)

The first few chapters of The Art of Social Media might seem remedial to the savvy user but it is advice that bears repeating and review. 

* Optimize for 5 seconds he likens it to the online dating account TINDER, people will look at your profile and make a snap judgement

* Focus your avatar on your face ( tips on how to take the best profile pic) and then use that pic on all forms of social media so that your followers know that you are one and the same on all the platforms

* Craft a mantra that you can use to explain your missiion. Guy’s mantra is “ I empower people” and use this mantra across all platforms like your profile pic

Tips like "pick a neutral screen name" seem obvious but are sometimes overlooked

Yes, when you picked the Twitter handle winomom1 it may have been hilarious to you & your girlfriends you need to stop and consider what perception of yourself it conveys. 

Especially in today's world where a job interview will most likely include a detailed review of your social media accounts what image do you want to create?

I recently had the opportunity to read The Art of Social Media by Guy Kawasaki ( former Apple evangelist)  & Peg Fitzpatrick ( a Canva colleague of his) The premise of this book “Power Tips for Power Users” is a nuts & bolts “ how to “ guide. Both Guy & Peg pride themselves on “being in the trenches” of social media opposed to being those sitting in a corporate office trying to dictate how those on the front lines should act.

 I found the quote that they open with under the section “ READ THIS FIRST” very appropriate as it seems to be one that Guy has taken to heart and used as his own personal road map 

Be Thankful... “When you find content because of someone else’s post, use this protocol : compose and share a post with a link to the source and then add a “hat tip” (h/t) to the person that brought it to your attention” .. ~ The Art of Social Media , Guy Kawasaki & Peg Fitzpatrick

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