Social Reviews? Yes, reviews are huge. Google indexes them and attaches them to your Google Place Page. Depending on your industry, you may want to use a service like DemandForce, that will solicit reviews from your customer and publish them in a Tab on FaceBook as well as to a searchable resource such as your Google Place Page increasing your SEO ranking. LinkedIn enabled reviews/recommendations for services and products on Company Pages on LinkedIn. This may be the missing link companies have been waiting for to find value in their company Pages on LinkedIn. Are you getting ready for 2012?

At a little over 100 million users, I think LinkedIn has barely even started growing. Why? Because we are social creatures, given the opportunity to connect and talk, we do! Do you want to make LinkedIn more interesting? Start searching your LinkedIn newsfeed (top right of newsfeed). You can filter your feed by keywords and fine tune the posts you see by degrees of connection. If you are not listening to the conversation, you are missing opportunities. LinkedIn is HOT like New York City in August – Start listening and engaging in the conversation!

FaceBook is alive and kicking. People have said to me recently, “yeah FaceBook is boring and people are losing interest.” I remind you, we are FaceBook. If it is boring, you either need to make some new friends or start contributing more. FaceBook is here to stay! When I think about Jill’s question, I realize I can’t imagine a world without FaceBook. I would deeply miss my old friends who I have reconnected with, the updates from bands and pages I “like” and all of the people I have met and connected with who I get to know on FaceBook. The transition is complete, FaceBook is the medium communications classes should be studying and copy writers should be focusing on for figuring out how to communicate with people on behalf of the Brands they write for.

If FaceBook shut down tomorrow, would you care?

We are not chasing Rainbows here…we are looking for the Pot of Gold. Get in your car, buy your plane tickets, take the train or bus. Get together with your people in person and develop the deeper personal relationship that makes your social media come alive. This is going to take time, money and a commitment to being authentic in everything you do. Are you ready?

1) Update your company website in your profile so it is accurate. You can customize this by selecting Other as your type of website and putting in some details.

2) FIll in the description for your new job and update your summary and specialties as needed. yeah, this might feel strange as you have just started, but it is key for people to understand how and why you are a resource. Maybe even post a Status Update telling your network about your new position.

3) Connect to everybody you meet at your new job, better yet, continue to connect to lots of people just like you did when you were hunting for a job. Your network must NOT become stagnant just because you have a new job and are busy. You will always need a strong network/community. Continue to nourish and grow your network, it will make you a more valuable employee!

How can you use technology to create more intimate relationships, rather than create space and barriers between us? I am convinced FaceBook is the cream we all need to rub on more, the hug that is personal and engaging without being inappropriate. How do you hug more people on FaceBook?

Start with high fives. These are easy forms of personal contact that will not invade your space or make you feel uncomfortable. High fives are fun, quick little bursts of energy that will motivate you and somebody else. What is a high five on FaceBook? The “Like” button. Go ahead, try it. Clicking Like on one of your friend’s posts is easy and let’s them know you are there and you hear them. It is the most basic acknowledgement of your mutual existence, it is a high five.

If you are high fiving with ease, try hugging. What is a hug on FaceBook? It is a comment!!! Commenting on FaceBook is the way we create conversation, it is a longer touch that opens the door to deeper insight into each other, it is the Hug. Comment on basic banal details of life, from “I love that restaurant” to “I can’t wait for the sun to come out.” Commenting on the little boring details of life turns our black and white pictures into kodachrome. These gentle hugs are the glue that binds us together.

As you comunicate more on FaceBook, it will be easier to comment on more personal posts and even to make your own status updates.  This is where we can engage in public conversation and share our thoughts. Stop waving at people and start hugging people more.Get to know each other better today. I don’t want to be the guy spraying sun screen on my wife at the beach, I want the physical connection of rubbing the cream into her back. I don’t want to be the friend you wave at either, give me a high five or better yet a hug.

Be Social, Hug More People.

What does “reach out” mean? It can be calling, texting, an email (FaceBook counts) or simply liking or commenting on a post on LinkedIn or FaceBook. Can you call 1,000 people a year? Unless all you do is sales, probably not. It just takes too much time. Being personal and staying in touch with your network is not accomplished with a mass email or status update on one of your networks. You probably don’t have the time to meet people for coffee, breakfast or drinks 1,000 times a year either. Should you throw in the towel?

No! Start every morning by identifying 3 people (friend, cousin, ex-coworker, schoolmate) who you want to stay in touch with. Pick the network must appropriate and communicate with them. This should take less than 5 minutes total!!! Avoid excessive communication, make it simple and easy for them to reply to you or simply acknowledge your existence (think like button). Three is The Magic Number – Ignite your business with this daily practice.

1. Always Be Honest – Really, all of your credibility is tied into each recommendation you write.
2. Be Concise – Short and to the point. The point of negative returns sets in after 3 sentences. 5 minutes or less to complete, or write one for someone else.
3. Never Ask & Always Return – Yes, Giving is Better than Receiving! Just write recommendations, let LinkedIn encourage the recipient to write one back for you. If someone writes one for you, write one back for them the same day. If you can’t write one back for them, do not accept their recommendation. If someone asks you to write a recommendation, NIKE…just do it. Now you have an IOU with them.

Whatever you do, become an active engaged member of LinkedIn. We have been waiting for you.

1) Adopt a social media policy – This will give you guidelines to protect your staff and organization.

2) Select the Tools that are right for you – Every plan today HAS to include FaceBook, LinkedIn, YouTube and Twitter. Depending on the content you are creating you should also consider a Blog (This is a BIG Tool).

3) Develop Goals – You have to be able to measure success and return on your investment. Goals will help you monitor and adjust.

4) Create your messaging/content – Wow! Step 4 may be the most dangerous step! You are not creating “Advertising.” You are feeding a community! Put on your creative hat and figure out what your community wants to eat!!!

5) Implementation and Training – Some of this is easy, some will take some research and resources. Your distribution and/or publishing platform must work cohesively and your team must become experts. This is where training is critical to your success.