We do a lot of how-to’s here on our little blog, but I like to think it’s just a little bit of what I’ve learned along the way becoming public knowledge. Whenever a business, organization, non-profit or individual starts a social media campaign, they have to build the thing from the ground up. There are things to do, those things that you shouldn’t do, and then there are those things that you wish you knew when you first started.

To me, being a human is one of the most important things, and Discovery will tell you that pretty much any time. People want to speak to people – not a brand. They want to be heard, and they want to know they matter. The same goes for social media. Here are my top seven tricks on how to better humanize your social media presence. Read more…

One of the biggest uses of social media for marketers and non-profits, alike, is for advertising events. If you’re active on Twitter, Facebook or more, you’ve probably been invited to multiple events, which is actually the basis of using social media for an event campaign. Believe it or not though, it’s important to remember that a lot more thought, time and energy needs to go into making a successful social media event campaign.

Some people aren’t exactly sure where to start when deciding to run an event campaign through social media, so we’ve decided to make it a bit simpler for you. Social media is free, and word of mouth is gold, so combine the two, and you’ve got a recipe for success. You just need to put it together.

Hashtags – These little tools are a social media goldmine if you know how to use them correctly. Using a series of hashtags for your events (keep it simple – too many and it’s overwhelming) consistently brand your market, your consumers and those you want to target for your event. Whether in print or online, remind your potential grassroots marketing team to use the hashtags you use. The more they’re used, the easier they are to find and the more effective your campaign can be.

• For example – When PETA is offering up an event to get people all over the country aware of the benefits of becoming vegan, they’ve used a hashtag like “#WhatVegansEat” garnering public awareness.

Social Home – Make certain there is a singular platform where your potential guests, fundraisers and attendees can go for information, Q & A and more. Whether this is your Facebook, your Twitter, your Google+ or any other thing you might deem relevant – make sure your audience knows where they can find that info and then consistently engage them across the board.

Collect Your Content – Pictures, comments, Twitter updates, Facebook statuses, videos and blog posts are invaluable to you! Don’t just gloss over them. If people are posting, they’re giving your organization a boost. Boost them back! Share it out, thank them, retweet it and be sure to publicize it in some manner. Their word of mouth is better than any marketing initiative.

Combine Traditional & Social – Social media and internet marketing are very often the ways to go today, but consider the impact of adding traditional on top of it! Create a pamphlet, an infograph, an invite or some sort of traditional piece that not only advertises your event and social media initiative but further brands your guests and attendees with the campaign and encourages them to get involved.

Using this blend of powerful social media tools for your event could very well have the effect that you’re looking for. It’s important to remember that social media is, quite often, trial and error. Find out what your target audience wants and adjust accordingly. A carefully managed campaign will be the most successful in the end.

When I was a youngster attending a parochial grammar school in the heart of Boston, we had televisions in every classroom. This was a big deal because I am talking about the early sixties, and using television as an educational tool was not all that common. I don’t know why some things remain with me and others do not, but I remember that the nuns in our school (St. Peter’s in Dorchester) always tuned in to a particular show on the local public broadcasting channel. The show featured a folk singer named Tony Saladin.

I remember one song in particular that he performed. It has stayed with me all these years and the wisdom of the lyrics that escaped me at such an early age have become the central tenet of my life today. He sang; “Love is something that if you give it away, give it away, give it away – Love is something that if you give it away, you end up having more.” Read more…