5 Facebook Faux Pas to Avoid

Posted on July 11, 2012 by Malcom Chakery

Earlier this week, we talked about 6 things that can make your Tweets look unprofessional, but Twitter is not the only social media site out there, nor is it the only site that has certain “dos” and “don’ts” involved. Facebook, too has a some unwritten rules of engagement that businesses should keep in mind when using Facebook to [promote their social presence. Here are 5 Facebook faux pas to stay away from when promoting your business.

Not keeping up with interactions. Don’t just make post or ask questions. Take the time to respond to the comments left. This is a valuable way to get to know your customers and build a rapport.
Too many posts in a short period of time. People are busy and don’t have time to read every last item in their newsfeed, If you post numerous times a day, followers are most likely to block your post because they don’t have time to read all of them.
Excessive CAPS or Punctuation. Using these elements implies higher importance. If everything you post is in UPPERCASE or filled with exclamation or question marks then people will not be able to recognize the truly interesting news from the everyday information.
Talking at you customers, rather than to them. Releasing news of articles, recommendations and links does not encourage engagement. Without engagement, you have a mediocre, one-sided relationship.
Disrespecting and denouncing competition. You don’t have to go out of your way to promote your competitor, but it is not necessary to talk down about them either. Remember, if you can’t say anything nice, say nothing at all.

There are many other things to avoid in using Facebook to promote your business. Be on the lookout for additional posts that share tips for making the most of your social media pages.

About the author

Founder and President of Chakery, Malcom Chakery fully understands the workings of web based business operations. His expertise in marketing, SEO, web design and development, makes Malcom qualified and successful in handling the day-to-day operations, sales and support of his clients. Malcom has a clear understanding of operational procedures, all aspects of website design, seo and promotional activities. As a stickler for detail, Chakery believes in providing greater than expected support, superior customer service and innovative programs that exceed customer expectations. To learn more about Chakery please visit www.chakery.com or call 1-855-CHAKERY

Twitter: Things That Make People Go “Hmmm”

Posted on July 9, 2012 by Malcom Chakery

As one of the top 3 social media gurus, Twitter is definitely a site that the savvy business will be found on. Of course, you don’t just want to have an account, you need to be sure that you use it on a regular (read “daily”) basis. But even then, there is more involved than making random posts. You want to use your Twitter account to build customer support through your interesting, helpful and fun tweets. After all, you want your followers to impressed with what you tweet, not shake their heads in dismay. So, to help you make the most of your Twitter account, here are some things from Constant Contact that you should avoid doing on Twitter.

Not shortening your tweets by using bit.ly or ow.ly/ Using these tools will also allow you to track clicks as well.
Over-using #hashtags. If you hashtag everything it becomes distracting to your readers.
Too much dialogue, not enough content.
Tweeting without having all the facts.
Not responding. If someone sends you a tweet, respond as soon as possible. People like to be recognized don’t leave them hanging!
It’s not just about you! If all your tweets are about you, then people get bored. Be sure your tweets follow the 80/20 rule—80% should be helpful content, 20% can be self-promotion.

Of course, it’s not just Twitter that you want to avoid faux pas on, you want to be sure to make the most of Facebook as well. Check in later this week to learn how to evade errors on Facebook, too!

About the author

The Price of Success

Posted on July 6, 2012 by Malcom Chakery

“The price of success is hard work, dedication to the job at hand and the determination that whether we win or lose, we have applied the best of ourselves to the task at hand.” Vince Lombardi

Everyone wants to be successful at something! After all, very few people intentionally choose to fail. But what about that dynamic duo, determination and dedication? Without those plus the decision to work hard, success will be elusive.

So, what does this philosophical outlook have to do with your Web presence? Simple, it takes all 3 of these achieve that recognition as a leader in your field. So, how can you become a prominent member in your field? Here are a few tips to help you become successful in your organic SEO, social media, PPC campaigns or any other elements.

To thy own self be true – Don’t try to work on key elements such as organic SEO, blogging, etc. when you are low on energy. Most of us have a peak time for creativity. Schedule your day—as much as possible—so you can do these jobs when you work best.

Break it up – Great, you hit your creative peak and wrote a 1,200 word blog post! But wait! Don’t post it in its entirety , break it up into a mini-series, complete with cliff-hanger endings. Then use social media to promote each segment.

Show off – Have a website design you’re proud of? Did you have an article published in a magazine? Do a brief post about it and link to it. Did someone in your company get married? Have a baby? Get promoted? Announce it! People like to hear good news-and, if you can work in a few keywords as part of the announcement, even better!

Success-how you define it and how you get there is up to you. It will take hard work, determination and dedication but the result is worth it. What are you doing to be successful? Need help? No problem. Contact Chakery.com today.

About the author

The SEO and Social Media Routine

Posted on July 4, 2012 by Malcom Chakery

Social media and organic SEO can be viewed as two sides of the same coin. They are both intrinsically important in establishing you brand online, they both require time invested and the both take time to see a payoff-even if you spend several hours a week working on them! And, unfortunately, there are few –if any- “Get 100 followers Overnight” steps to help.

However, there are some steps and actions you can employ to improve both social media and organic SEO. One such action is to set up a routine. The routine may be based on number of posts, frequency of posts (daily, weekly, monthly) or even the type of posts made—it really is up to you! But, if you are looking for some ideas to help in your routine, then you are in luck. Here are some to get you started:

Develop contacts – Get to know your social media customer base by asking questions about who they are and what you can do to serve them.

Don’t just ask, listen and respond – Pay attention to what people are saying as well as keep them informed.

Share content – Be sure to use long tails as often as possible as part of your posts and include helpful user information. Don’t be afraid to reference other sites that can help your followers; you don’t have to mention your competition, just send your followers some support material.

Make it fun – Games, contest, company spotlights, freebies, surveys and other elements that encourage engagement will go a long way toward building brand awareness.

Don’t get stuck – Having a routine is great, but every now and then do something totally different and unexpected. That will help with the fun element and keep followers interested.

Having a plan and a routine will make it easier to maintain social media sites and make the more exciting for your guests. Yes, it can be time-consuming, but well invested time now means a better pay-off later. So don’t delay! Start using your social media platforms today!

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Making the Most of Your Social Media Sites: Part 2

Posted on July 2, 2012 by Malcom Chakery

Social media has opened many doors for the online marketer. After all, its reach spans the globe making this truly, a small, small world! But, social media is not just a boon to the Internet marketer, it is also a great tool for the average business owner who wants to get the word out about their product or services. After all, they can promote events or services engage with their customers and add new people to their customer base just by spending a few minutes a day making social media updates.

But, how can one know if social media is truly effective. I mean, if you are going to spend time making the updates, then how are you to know if the social engagement is actually working? Fortunately, there are some reports available through Google to help you see just how effective your time spent on social media really is. Let’s briefly check out a few of them.

The Overview Report – This lets you know how much actual conversion is derived from social media. It compares the numbers and value of all goals completed on a website to those that resulted from social referrals.

The Conversion Report – This is especially helpful for I-marketers as it measures the actual value of individual social channels by showing the conversion rates and monetary value that comes from participation.

Social Sources Report – Found in Google Analytics, this shows engagement and conversions for each social network so you know where your strengths and weaknesses are.

These are few to get you started. Others to check out are the Social Plugins Report and the Activity Stream Report. Social media is a valuable tool. Learning to use to your advantage will be what separates you from the others.

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Having an Effective Facebook Page

Posted on June 29, 2012 by Malcom Chakery

Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and all the other social media sites are only as good as the content you put on them. If your page is nothing more than a cover photo and a profile shot, then chances are you will not engage too many people. After all, would you want to tour a museum where the most exciting element is the doorway? Of course not!

When your guests visit your Facebook page, you want it to be something that encourages them to come back for more. Having a boring page is not going to work. You must take the time to not only have a Facebook page, but use the tools it offers to market your business as well. To make the most of the marketing opportunities on Facebook, here are 3 tips:

Using Facebook means that your customers have the opportunity to share their opinions and comments about work or services. Take the time to monitor these statements. Should there be any complaints, be sure to respond appropriately. Remember, 1 satisfied customers might tell 5 others about your company, but 1 dissatisfied customer will tell at least 10 others.
Be sure your Facebook page has interesting content. Whether is pictures, jokes, witty statements, etc. do something that keeps people coming back.
You can also post announcements of sales and use the Facebook features like costumed advertisements, special event settings, invitations and others to make your page exciting.
Use your SEO keywords in your posts as often as possible. Remember, FB is crawled by search engines and you want them to find you.

Having a Facebook page, or any other social media account, is not something that suddenly develops overnight. It does take time. But, with persistence and some patience, you can soon have that large number of “likes” that you are looking for.

About the author

The SEO Race

Posted on June 27, 2012 by Malcom Chakery

Using SEO to enrich your site and rank in the top of the search engine results page is not just a passing phase of website development. It is a more like training for a cross-country racing event where the ultimate prize is not a medal but rather a flourishing business where your name and product is at the top of the list. The SEO race include daily maintenance, intentional training exercises and, of course, the occasional hurdles to jump, but when worked on consistently you can reach those coveted top spot results. Here are a few activities and focuses to remember regarding your SEO training schedule.

Recognize the strengths and weaknesses of your current SEO activity. Build on the strengths and find ways to improve the weak areas. If you need help with this part, be sure to talk to Chakery.com to learn what to do.
Pay attention to your competition. Check out what they are doing on their site and note how you could apply t to yours. Of course, be sure not to duplicate exactly!
Consistency is the key. SEO is not something that you do once a quarter and forget about. Make it a point to set time aside each week to work on SEO elements, adding web content, linking, etc. When training for an event, the participant has to practice daily, your SEO needs to be just as consistent.
Take a break. Yes, consistency is a must, but don’t be too obsessed over it. From time to time take a few moments to assess and re-assess what is working (or not). If you are always looking at SEO methods, it is easy to overlook something important. From time to time, give yourself a break and when you come back to it, you will be refreshed and likely find new ways to improve your SEO.
Test yourself. Be sure to take some time—perhaps once a month- to run A/B test, check up on SERPs, track social media, etc. to see how you are doing.

Ok…use these steps will make a big difference in your quest for high ranking on a search engine result page. Contact Chakery.com today to learn more about bettering your site’s SEO.

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Protecting Your Reputation on the Web

Posted on June 25, 2012 by Malcom Chakery

If you interact with people, whether in person or online, you are building your reputation. Yes, that is nothing new, but what can you do if, despite your best efforts, you ultimately discover—either through your own searching or someone telling you about it, that your company’s integrity has been compromised. Argh!

Sadly, having one’s online reputation damaged occurs more often than one would like to think. Everyday accounts are hacked and negative reviews are given that cause damage to people and businesses alike. So, what can you do to protect your reputation on the Web? Fortunately, there are a variety of measures you can take. Here is just a few to get you started.

Go to Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and other social media networks and claim your name. Then, with as little as a visit to these sites per month, you can monitor what is going. Even better to do, is take some time at each visit to post an update on company happenings, sales, promotions, or celebrations. This way you will not only protect your reputation, but can create a bigger Web presence.

You may also want to purchase a domain with your/your company’s name. If possible, purchase as many of the extensions as you can get. Even if you do not do anything with the site, you have kept someone else from doing damage.

Be vigilant. Do frequent (at least once a month) Web searched so you can put out any flames, before they become wild fires that destroy you.

By employing these tactics, you can not only protect your Web reputation, but build it up, as well. Start today!

About the author

Your LinkedIn Company Page

Posted on June 22, 2012 by Malcom Chakery

What is your favorite social media site? Is it Facebook with all its apps and options for interaction; Twitter where you can be succinct, yet build a following with ease; perhaps, it is MeetUp or Google Plus? Regardless of the platform(s) you choose to use for your business, you want to be sure you are using them to their full potential.

Recently, LinkedIn, a longtime favorite of the business community, introduced a new feature that works in conjunction with the earlier introduction of the company page. The feature? A LinkedIn Follow Company button, which so far, has been well received. But what good is a LinkedIn Follow Button on your site if there is nothing of interest on your LinkedIn company page? You don’t want people to leave the page out of boredom, do you? Of course not! Here are 5 things you can do to optimize your LinkedIn company page:

Activate status dates by adding admins. Don’t forget yourself!
Commit to making at least 2 status updates a day.
Create a company overview that gives people an understanding of who you are and what you do.
Use your company’s keywords or long tails in your descriptions of products or services.
Link to your Landing Page, or either a page other than your home page.

These are but a few things to get you started. Take advantage of the various free tools your social media platforms offer. For just a little bit of time you can easily build a strong online presence.

About the author

5 Ways to Improve Your Klout Score

Posted on June 20, 2012 by Malcom Chakery

As one of the many social media site on the Web, Klout is one of the relatively new ones. It is designed to help users track their sphere of influence on other social media sites. And while there are those who may not view Klout as a vital element in social media, there are many others who see it as an important tool for everything from getting a job to even affecting one’s credit score! So, if you are interested in making the most of a Klout account, here are 5 ways to improve or increase your Klout score:

Build a network of people who are truly interested in you and your content.
Create unique and valuable content.
Interact with others on Klout, as well as on your social media sites. In regards to Klout, don’t just focus on those with high scores, interact with everyone!
Be sure that you have connected all you social media sites to your Klout account.
Be sure to post content often on your blogs, through RSS, etc… After all, the more you publish the bigger the opportunity to influence others.

Klout can be an important aspect of your online influence. Be vigilant in your posts, interaction and social media activity and, in time, you will find that your Klout score is steadily getting bigger! And, how can that be a “bad” thing!

About the author

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