It was a great week at The Social Latte so I thought that I would share a couple of the ‘first time’ accomplishments that made the week standout.

First and foremost was the launch of FoxPop with 20th Century Fox that coincided with the release of Night At The Museum 2 – Battle Of The Smithsonian on December 1st. It’s a great movie and lends itself very well to demonstrating the application’s features and adding to an already great movie-watching experience.

And just as exciting as the release was being contacted by Time.com and being asked to put content together for an article they released on the same day. Although the deadline was incredibly tight, working with Steven James Snyder of @Techland and is editor Stefania was a great experience and truly a pleasure.  They created a great video explaining how the technology works which can be viewed below:

But what was even better is that the article was actually featured on the front page of Time.com which was AWESOME! Everyone involved with Spot411 was very excited to see the article there and marks a great company moment.

So if you haven’t already done so, be sure to checkout FoxPop and Spot411!

Tweetsgiving Home

One of my favorite #Hashtags going around on Twitter right now is #Tweetsgiving.  You can find out more about the event at the Tweetsgiving site but the idea is:

TweetsGiving is a global celebration that aims to change the world through the power of gratitude.  You share your gratitude, give and then spread the love.

They also have a listing of their ‘Top Turkeys’ who have donated $100 or more.  So what I want to do is to say thanks ‘Twitter-Style’ to the 100 tweeps  who I am most thankful for this year and donate $1 in each of your honor.

You have all made me feel like a ‘Top Turkey’ in my world at different points through the year for different reasons.  Some of you picked me up when I was down, made me laugh when I was sad, celebrated with me, made me think in a different way, blazed a path where there had been none before or just been there when I had a question with a smile and a helping hand.  I get asked all the time about the ROI on Social Media and for some reason people can’t understand that on some days, my biggest return is being connected to you.

For all those on the list, thank you for what you have added to my life as I am truly thankful for you.  I hope that in some way I have given back or will have the chance to give back for all you have given me.

And to the rest of the people who I follow who are not on this list, I am looking forward to the next year and adding to my list!

@joanjakel – because behind every good man is a better woman.

@raillife –for being a great Tempe community member, social media & business advocate, entrepreneur, and most of all, a great friend.

@marismith –for being so amazingly gracious with your time, talent and treasures. How can you NOT be thankful for turquoise?

@phxreguy – whenever I am looking for a new toy to add to my blog, I go here first. Beer, blogs and real estate, – how can you go wrong?

@tempechamber –for all that you have done to support me as a person, a business owner and a community leader.

@cwaterhouse –for being my measuring stick of how to be nice and care about people at all times.

@spot411 @ageshah @shiftyz – for pushing me to work harder, think bigger and want it more than the next guy.

@tscu – for being a great learner and a cool person to talk with. I love what you guys are doing and the way work in the community.

@focuswebtech – for being a great sounding board, business partner and your encouragement.

@jennkaye – if I am ever feeling down, I just head to your twitter stream, read a few updates, and I feel better. You are the best!

@chatchew – for being who you are and inspiration to other women.  I am so excited for the places you are going.

@jenn_ex – we have different styles and I like that, ATA was a blast and I look forward to more fun.  Thanks for all you do.

@tdhurst – for always opening my mind to different view points. I may not always agree, but I admire it.

@realjoe – for creating places like @LibertyMarket where I can spend time with all the people on this list.

@redpear @bwilley @krysvs -for creating my home away from home, ideas, trust and adding music and humor to the office with style.  Thanks for being a sponsor for so many great events in the Social Media community.

@kconnolly @tomascorrillo @drewlesueur @jjmerrill – for being the best mashed potatoes on the Turkey Day Table.

@shannopop @ktvan – for being two very smart ladies that I look to when I have questions and two of my favorite people to run into at social media events and La Bocca.

@bretgiles – for letting me be part of the @agencyside team and being an awesome Tucson Tour Guide – it has meant so much!

@visualintent – for proving that you can teach an old dog new tricks.

@laceyfrench – for all you do @agencyside and all of your encouragement and creating my favorite event of the year Bolo2009.

@scatour – there aren’t words to thank you enough. All the best to you and @SitewireAgency.

@nchitel – for being a tireless example of how to network yourself to success and all of your help this year.

@stevengroves @lonsafko – for always having a great smile, a big hello and always being willing to offer your expertise and The Social Media Bible.

@nossmedia – if its technology, you’re the guy I am asking first.  Thanks for all your support and expertise over the last several months.  It wouldn’t have been the same without you around.

@jaybaer – Convince and Convert is one of my favorite blogs and the one time I was able to hear him speak at #SMAZ was great.

@deanouellette – for some hilarious sports tweets, Vegas times, and shared beers – fun times.

@jmchood – for being the smartest self-depricating person I know in a blue shirt.

@brucesand – for creating my favorite place to unwind and watch the game after a long day.

@dianewallace – for the amazing talent you have at capturing the essence of people and being a great friend.

@jmoriarty – for encouraging me to get involved and creating so many opportunities in Phoenix for me to do so.

@katiecharland – because nerdy smart girls are hot!

@garvee – for bringing the passion and the thunder. I am totally enjoying your book – Crush It!

@jpolish – for creating an example of what entrepreneurship can be and all of your awesome marketing ideas.

@paulvalach – for all your help at @PodCampAZ.

@ryancmiller – for your great insight and thoughts. Next time I need to go to New York!

@unmarketing – for being a great example of engagement – you set an amazing standard.

@losama & @beverlykidd – for the great example you set in using new media in TV News.

@chuckreynolds – even though I couldn’t be there, thanks for the work on WordCampAZ and being all things WordPress .

@ambercadabra – For being the community manager and person I aspire to be.

@amandavega – for fun times, great shoes and a great guide to giving. More martini’s please!

@angela_albright – because sometimes, things have to go wrong before you know how to make them right.

@austinmiles – for a whacked out sense of humor and a passion for cars.  Thanks for your input and ideas.

@mrsraillife – Dancefloor. Blog World. ’nuff said!

@bethcochran – for being a great PR gal and a good friend who always has a smile and a warm hello.  Thanks much!

@boldavenue – the name alone is enough as it makes me think about traveling life’s highways with the right attitude but the person behind it is just as cool.

@CenPho – for being a great neighbor at @PodCampAZ and to ladies following their passion around a great location.

@ChrisBrogan @problogger- for being a leaders in a new frontier, it’s not always easy to do and I admire how you have done it.

@YelpAZ – for always having time for a question and doing such an awesome job at what she does. YOU ROCK GABI!

@dhollings – for being one of the first tweeters I followed and setting me on the right path to grow.

@dlmoriarty & @jlknapp – because the IgnintePhx registration desk was so fun. One of my top events of 2009.

@dneighbors @conrey @strebel @gangplank – for being great contact points for  help with business and creating an awesome atmosphere to learn, aspire and veg.

@Drew_Alumni_GU – You and your Gonzaga spirit are contagious, rock on to you and Zags everywhere.

@durtbagz – how can you go wrong with a name like that, a great product and an awesome personality. Can you say Christmas present!

@LocalFirstAZ – for putting local first and providing the resources to help make it happen in AZ.

@sallywitzky – YOU HAVE A MILLIONAIRE MIND and are a great business partner, thank you.

@chrislee @gawthrock @matthewpetro @hepnova @dpatricklewis @halfacat @tysoncrosbie – for being cool people I have met over Twitter who are just as cool IRL.

@GilbertJenn – for your passion to lead at the city level and make a difference in your community while raising a family.

@GuyKawasaki – for a truly great Twitter session at Bolo2009, pressing the Twitter edge and being willing to share how you do it .

@jefftego – for being the biggest Cavs fan I know and a great friend.

@kinchie – for being one of the first people I followed and learned from. I have always enjoyed your work.

@coachjoelle – for being a constant source of Twitter sunshine.

@karriannGraf @amyporterfield @coachlaura @kickofftopic- social media friends who are walking the walk and rocking the world

@mashable – being a great source of information on all things social media and helping me stay up-to-date

@MsHerr – for having a style all your own and being so active in the community, as well as, being pretty amazing on the dance floor

@nickminer – the other half of the nick-nick duo, thanks for being a great friend, business mind and the opportunities you introduced me to this year

@pagely @hootsuite @lastfm @uservoice – for being some of my favorite tools I never would have known about without Twitter

@pearsonified – because #thesis rocks, can’t say that enough.  It’s been my favorite tool for myself and my clients.

@prestonism – it’s time to get together and catchup, thanks for all of your support throughout the year

@stevemacdonald – thanks for the trust, the opportunities and the crazy roller-coaster ride we have been on this year

@wholefoods – for being my favorite place for #EVFN, great eats and an awesome IPA selection.

@SouthwestAir @Comcastcares @Starbucks @DunkinDonuts – for being some of my favorite Social Media Brands to watch and learn from.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving Holiday filled with gratitude ~ JackAlert.

Image from Mashable

So I just read this article at Mashable on the Whole Foods ‘Brand Perception’ and the surveys done by YouGov (tagline – What The World Thinks – <whatever>) in regards to remarks made by John Mackey in The Wall Street Journal.  And guess what, if you ask people the question “If you’ve heard anything about the brand in the last two weeks, was it positive or negative?” a large number of people have heard negative things.  REALLY?

How could anyone have heard anything negative given the fact that our media is so concerned with only the positive stories and rarely reports the negative.  In story after story, rarely can you find a single mention of the people that support the opinions offered by Mackey – which there are just as many of, but for some reason they don’t get mentioned.  Amazing.

Whether you agree with his opinion or not, the fact that he has one and is not afraid to communicate it is something I admire.  If you don’t like his opinion, great – form your own and be ready to articulate it to others and enjoy the discussion that ensues.  However, there is no need to boycott the business, form a Facebook Group and create your own blog and Flickr page aimed at hurting his business or his employees through a boycott.  Have you forgot what this country is about?  What happened to freedom of speech?  Do I really need to start my own ‘Support Whole Foods’ movement or would it just be overlooked by the media?

I also like the statement the company released:

The consumer-driven boycott has already elicited a public response, albeit not an apology, from Whole Foods, that was shared last week via a Facebook note. It reads, “First off, whether you agree with John or not, our 50,000+ Team Members who live and work in your communities will continue to work hard every day to bring you the best natural and organic products available. We hope you will continue to give us the opportunity to serve you.”

As a business owner, I respect other business owners who have an opinion that is different than my own, especially when they offer me the chance to see the world in a different way.  I am also smart enough to distinguish between one man’s opinion and how he runs his business – yes, there is a difference.  And is it really any secret that Americans are pathetic in how they eat and treat their bodies?  We’re the worst in the world and Whole Foods is one of the few places that gives you better choices.

Will I boycott Whole Foods, you may have already guessed, but the answer is no.  I will go out of my way to shop there and support a business separate from the owner.  The media (social or otherwise) is happy to fuel this boycott with press coverage and yet wonders why jobs are hide to find – 50,000 Team Members!  If you are not careful my fellow Americans, your tax heavy policies, attacks on entrepreneurs/business owners and sense of entitlement may  lead you to a place where you find yourself asking, “Who is John Galt?”   You’ll miss us when we’re gone.

PS – This week’s #evfn is at WholeFoods in Chandler, you should go!

A cool follow-up article on what can be learned by businesses about Social Media from Whole Foods.

As with most things in life, paying attention to the details can make all the difference.  Now, I don’t confess to be the most detail-oriented person about all things, but if you are going to work in the technology field where one missed letter or change in caSe can ruin thousands of lines of code, you have to learn to pay attention.  So I have learned to pay attention to the details in Social Media, but my closet is a mess and when I can’t find something it can get ugly – trade-offs.

While working recently with a friend and answering social media questions during our complimentary 30-minute consultation I mentioned that I couldn’t find his name in Twitter.  I had just assumed that he had not yet signed up for an account, but it turns out he had.  Below is the screen shot of the initial setup.

Initial Twitter Account Setup

Notice that when you compare Matthew’s account to my account, the difference between the Name Field and the Twitter Handle.  My Twitter handle is ‘JackAlert’ but my name is entered as ‘Jack Smith’.  Matthew’s name and Twitter handle were identical.

Twitter Comparison

Consequently, when I searched for Matthew in Twitter, his profile was not returned.

Search Results Do Not Find Matthew Coates

When I contacted Matthew, I advised he make that one small change and the results can be seen below (special thanks to Matthew for letting me use this example and if you’re looking for a Realtor, you can find Matthew here.)

Matthew Is Found!

So be sure to pay attention to the details when creating your Social Media profiles.  For businesses, this should include:

• SPELL CHECKING-   Sounds basic, but there are thousands of profiles with typos.
• KEYWORDS – Your profile should contain keywords people search for when looking for your type of business.
• YOUR PICTURE – I believe social media is personal and even though you may be representing a company via social media, people want to talk to a person, not a logo.  So display the picture of a person rather than a log0.  Leave the logo and branding for your website, fan page design and twitter background (which we’d be happy to help with).
• MIX IT UP – I like to know a little business and a little fun/personal about people I connect with through social media.  If you can add a little personality and character, I think that’s all the better.

Thanks for stopping by and if you have any other social media questions, be sure to leave them on our Social Media Q&A page.  Has anyone seen my car keys?

One of the greatest things about Social Media and Web design today is that anyone can do it, which can also be one of the worst things for your image and brand.  Can virtually anyone find a site that offers some type of ‘FREE’ template for your Web site, blog or Twitter account?  The answer is a resounding ‘yes’, but the better question is, should they?

Without boring you with an exact stat, the percentage of consumers that are going to the Web first to research you, your product or your service before they ever meet you in person or visit your storefront has never been higher and shows no signs of slowing.  So with that said, your website, blog, Facebook Fan page or Twitter page is more and more often setting the first impression of you and your organization with your stakeholders.  Has it been hurriedly thrown together with little thought and expertise or is it part of a unified message and brand?

One of my favorite things about the work we do with our clients at The Social Latte is that it is more than just talking about social media strategy and teaching (although both are important), we actually build and execute on the strategies and advice we preach.  Sitting down and ‘getting dirty’ with the design and code of a site is one of my favorite things to do because that is the first place you start to see some tangible results.  And although a social media site needs to do a lot more than look pretty to achieve results, we all know how important first impressions can be.

Home Instead Corporate Web Site

As a franchise owner of Home Instead, one of our recent clients tasked us with creating their social media presence to match the new branding on their corporate site.  When their clients visited their social media sites, they wanted to make sure they were making the right impression and leveraging the work done on their brand by the corporate office.  Makes sense right?

We started from scratch with only a few personal photos and went to work and here are the results of our work.  First on the list was creating their blog, and of course we used my favorite WordPress framework – Thesis.  Notice the blog is a little less ‘formal’ than the website in look and feel, but still ties in all of the corporate branding and colors.

Home Instead Blog - Richmond Virgina

Next on the list was their custom Twitter background page created to match their corporate branding.

Teresa Steinfatt Twitter Page

When we presented our work to the client, there was actually some concern their clients would mistake their sites for the actual corporate sites (which we found flattering – mission accomplished!).  So we made sure to add some local photos, images and information about their Richmond, Virginia location.  And although a social media site is never ‘complete’ in my opinion because you should always be adding content and functionality to maximize its value, our client has a solid foundation to start from that professionally represents their them and their brand.

The Social Latte specifically focuses on creating your ‘online home’ and making sure the first ‘electronic impression’ of your business is the best one possible  Is it time for you to upgrade your corporate image?  I’ll be sure to post an update when we complete their Facebook Fan page.

Since I seem to get asked about LinkedIn all the time, I thought I would share some of the replies I often give.  Below are some quick thoughts and ideas to consider when reviewing and/or creating your LinkedIn Profile.

• Write a headline that draws people in.  Rather than displaying your job title, tell people what problem you solve or benefit you provide to them.  How can you help them in ways others cannot?  Here is mine, “Helping businesses understand, integrate, measure and maximize social media in their business.”
• Change the system-generated URL to be your name or business name.  Rather than being www.linkedin.com/pub/jack-smith/3/76a/8b5, you can be www.linkedin.com/in/thesociallatte
• Upload a professional-looking head shot.  I tell people all the time, that the biggest thing you can do to be successful in social media is to have a picture!  It doesn’t have to be straight out of Vogue, but you can do wonders with cameras these days.  And if you want to make sure you get the best shot at the best price, be sure to check out my friend Diane Wallace.
• Add Web sites of relevance.  Not only can you use your website home page, you could create links to your services, about us, or other pages.  What about a link to your Twitter account of Facebook Fan Page?

My LinkedIn Profile - JackAlert

• Include your contact information.  If you want to be contacted about networking opportunities, jobs or whatever else, be sure you give people an easy way to do so.
• Get endorsed by others.  How do you get endorsed by others you ask?  Simple, you give endorsements yourself when they are deserved and sincere.
• Join groups of interest and post and comment about topics in your industry.  Birds of a feather flock together which is great, but also be sure to check out groups in related fields or of personal interest.  You never know what you’ll find.
• Add your LinkedIn profile URL to your e-mail signature, as well as, any other social media sites you may frequent.  Invite people to connect with you in a variety of different ways.
• Update your status – Be sure to update your profile to let people who drop by your profile know what you are up to.  Updates can inluce books you are reading, projects you are working, issues you need help with or ones you can help others with and much more – get creative!

Hope you found a nugget or two to help with your own profile.  You can find my LinkedIn Profile here.  If you haven’t already done so, consider adding me to your network.  And for more great information on LinkedIn, check out this article on How To Build Your Personal Brand at Mashable.

As I prepare to teach another social media class, this time on Facebook, I am continually reminded of the far reaching impact of social media and the different ways different people adapt, embrace or reject. The class I am teaching tonight is for an organization called Boomerz, is aimed at that generation and is the second of a two-part series on Facebook. I will be teaching participants how to use Facebook for business by creating a Fan Page rather than for personal reasons – that was the first class on Monday. Before taking off for class tonight, I wanted to share some very serious and funny moments from Monday night.

To start with the serious and a concern that everyone should keep in mind is security. To some extent I, think Boomerz may be more aware of this concern than the ‘younger generation’ who are growing up in a world where sharing experiences that were once considered more private in nature is now expected rather than questioned. And although this concern came up last night, I don’t want to single out Boomerz as being the only group concerned with security and privacy. Everyone should have that concern and you will find people from all age groups concerned about safety and privacy. Common sense about what you post, how much you share and the level of detail provided is paramount but most of the information shared in a profile could be found by opening the phone book. Did people rise up when the phone book was published for the first time worrying they could now be found by ‘anyone’?

With that said, if you aren’t comfortable sharing some basic contact information, things you do or don’t like, or care to learn any of those things about others around you, then social media IS NOT FOR YOU! It seems every class has the person who is attending and has no intention of filling out a profile and sharing information and that is fine too. But if that is the case, know that you should stop your social media endeavors right now because it won’t be a medium that will work for you. Find a different way to connect with people or add someone to your team who is comfortable in this arena because if you are uncomfortable all the time, feel threatened or frustrated people will know it and your results will show it.

The funniest moment came towards the end of the class after we had completed account setups, reviewed security issues, added some friends and were about to break. One of the ladies in the class raised her hand and proceeded to ask if she was now ‘always going to see other people’s crap on her page’. I about fell down laughing. I told her that she would continue to see ‘their crap’ as that is, to some extent, the point of social media and that others would be seeing ‘her crap’ as well. To which she replied that she had none. Again, very funny and she was laughing as well. And again it highlights a point that if you are not interested in engaging with other people electronically whether it be through status updates, shared photos and videos, blog posts or any number of other ways, then you are again in the wrong place.

The slides used for the two presentations can be found below. If you are looking for a social media trainer or presenter, please feel free to contact me and if you just have questions or comments, leave them below as well. And lastly, are you comfortable with the level of sharing and security currently seen on sites like Facebook, LinkedIn or others?

Here is a great article from Mashable on Fan Pages as well

If you have been on Twitter for more than a day, then you have more than likely had a DM (Direct Message) sent to you by a site claiming something to the effect of ‘Get Thousands Of Followers In Less Than 30 Days’ or ‘Add 5,000 followers this month for free completely on autopilot.’ or something similar.  Although these may initially sound like good ideas, in most circumstances, they are not going to help you or your business and could actually do some harm.  Here is the latest example and my opinions.

The Site: NeedFollowers.com – best site online to get @twitter followers! (Really?  Says Who?)

The Promise: “Here you can get more followers on your twitter page! Its really simple, The 1st thing you will need to do is login your account above. After that you will be redirected to a page where you will click and follow all the vips and the last 20 regular riders then you are able to join and you will be place on the site to get TONS and hundreds of followers. Come visit us often! Enjoy, And watch your follower count grow!”

The Catch – Become a VIP member: “Want even more followers? Become a VIP member and receive 400-1300 followers a day, Our prices are the lowest around. How to be vip? Simply login above and at the bottom of the next page is where you will enter your twitter username and payments can be made by paypal, credit/debit. ”

The Rules: Pay careful attention to the second and fourth bullet.

* You have to add all vip users and 20 regular users to join the train.
* We may use your account to promote our services, with the exception of VIP account.
* An update will be posted on your account upon signing in, You can delete anytime.
* The fee for VIP is non-refundable.
* After payment, give us up to 6 hours to update your VIP status.
* Don’t want to use our service anymore? :[ All you have to do is sign in, then at the very bottom hit "close accout"

The Results: While reviewing my Twitter account this morning and checking out all the great comments and feedback from Ignite Phoenix 4 which was awesome, I get this tweet from a client -

Did you write this?

Thinking that it doesn’t sound like something my client would actually write, I sent a Direct Message asking if she wrote it.  Do you know the answer?  You guessed it, it was automatically generated by NeedFollowers.com and sent out through her account.  Here is another example with another client:

Four Updates Sent In Less Than 12 Hours

Did the company do anything wrong?  I guess not since it is in the ‘the rules’ that you agree to when you login.  But I can tell you that I don’t want to give access to other companies to use my account for their promotional activities.  If I like the service I’ll promote it and talk it up!  That is the whole point of social media in my opinion – the ability to provide and receive honest feedback about things I do and do not like.

I also don’t like this because it lacks integrity to me.  The way the messages are worded and delivered make it look like they are coming directly from the keyboard of the account holder, not the company.   All of these messages are short enough they could have easily added a ‘sent by NeedFollowers.com’ so at least it is clear the account holder didn’t actually approve/type the message.

The message that bothers me the most is this one:

Again, it is the integrity and authenticity issue that bugs me so much.  This one in particular is written as if the account holder is using the service AND seeing results when it wasn’t even created by the account holder. Not to mention that ‘LOOOK’ is obviously mis-spelled and the bad punctuation/grammar of the second line is an un-professional representation of both NeedFollowers.com and worse, the account holder.

When I am asked where companies make mistakes with Social Media, one of the biggest in my opinion is not being upfront about who you are and what you are representing.  Nobody likes being lied to, duped, being mis-represented or being played as a marketing pawn.  If your product is that great, there are better, and in my opinion more powerful ways to get the word out.  A great post titled Authentic Blogger Outreach by my friend Katie Van Domelen talks about just how to do that.

But of course, you can pay for the VIP Membership so they will not use your account for promotional purposes.  But what happens if the service doesn’t perform on it’s ridiculous range of followers from 400-1300/day?  Oh yeah, bullet number four, NON-REFUNDABLE.  To close your account you need to login first, and on the very bottom of the page buried in the footer, is the link to close your account.

Final Thoughts: Again, there are situations where this type of service is valuable and there are companies who do it well. However, I believe those situations are few and far between.  I do not believe that Twitter should be looked at as a popularity contest or that the number of followers makes your account any more or less effective – it all depends on why you are there in the first place.  I heard it said by Gary Vaynerchuk at the 140 Characters Conference, which focuses on Twitter, that people should be incredibly happy if they have even ONE person who cares enough to follow them and wants to know what they think and I agree.

For some truly great advice on how to grow your Twitter following, I suggest checking out this article from TwiTip – How To Increase Your Followers.

If this is something you think you really must do,

1. Be clear about your goals and the results you want to achieve
2. Be sure you research the company and that they are reputable
3. Get some feedback from people who have used it

Which are to me, some basic steps you should follow before using any new social media tool.