I’ve hit the Twitter wall! Apparently my ‘twitter ho‘ [warning! link NSFW] strategy of follow everyone is tragically flawed…

According to Twitter…

“We do not limit the number of people who can follow you, but we have put limits on how many other accounts you can follow. Every account can follow 2,000 users total. Once you’ve followed 2,000 users, there are limits to the number of additional users you can follow. This number is different for each account and is based on your ratio of followers to following; this ratio is not published. Follow limits cannot be lifted by Twitter and everyone is subject to follow limits, even high profile and API accounts.” Source: Twitter Help Center | I Can’t Follow People – Follow Limits

I have been using a cool new app called SocialBro [I don’t make these names up — I just report them] to aggressively follow more people. Even I didn’t realize there was a limit. Until now. I’ll have to consult with the great Twitter oracles in my network @tommytrc and @mmangen to see where I went wrong. This social media stuff can be tricky — even for an instructor that supposed to know it all [remember, all is a lot to know!]. I’ll report back on what I learn next Thursday — twitterday @ e1evation!

In the meantime, if you’re interested in Twitter trends, you might like this screencast I did a few weeks back on how I’m using Getting Things Done [GTD] principles for content marketing. Twitter has become an even more critical part of my social media strategy because of the way I use it now…

Here’s the roundup of the best Twitter articles I read in the past week…

http://storify.com/e1evation/twitter-roundup-for-2-9-2012

This week in Facebook @e1evation (e1evation.com)
This week in Google @e1evation (e1evation.com)
Ch-ch-ch-changes to the ‘e1evation workflow’ (e1evation.com)
The best of e1evation for the week ending 1/21/2012 (e1evation.com)

February 9, 2012 6

The Facebook IPO is now history and the dust is settling. How will the social media and the rest of the market react? How will the IPO affect social media trends? That story remains to be written…

I see two trends that may affect Facebook and social media long term; the occupy movement and privacy concerns. Let me explain…

I find it humorous in a way [sad in others] that some Facebook customers are asking for a cut of Facebook’s overwhelming profits. Is there another example of ‘products’ asking for a share of the producer’s profits? If so, I can’t think of one at the moment…

…but this is a world where the 99% rail against the 1% and question an organization’s right to make a profit. If you don’t want Facebook, don’t use it. Weigh the pros and cons and make an intelligent decision that you can live with. In the meantime, don’t be surprised that YOU are the pig in the picture…

The privacy issue is becoming more of a concern to me. I think one of the things that bothers me most about the Facebook IPO is that the overwhelming success seems to gloss over people’s privacy concerns. Has the market voted for profits over privacy? Perhaps…

Ponder that! In the meantime, here’s my weekly roundup of Facebook trends…

Is there life after the IPO?

Is there life after the IPO?

http://storify.com/e1evation/facebook-trends-for-this-week

The best of e1evation for the week ending 1/21/2012 (e1evation.com)
Facebook: Occupying Wall Street Might Not Be the Best Idea (blogs.imediaconnection.com)

February 7, 2012 2

Not all social networks are created equal. Knowing which one to use in order to reach your target audience is critical. This infographic may be of some help…

Visual Loop – A Who’s Who of Social Media

February 7, 2012 2

Image representing LinkedIn as depicted in Cru... — Image via CrunchBase

LinkedIn has been the ‘red headed step child’ i.e., the neglected tool in my content management and social media strategy for awhile. Thank goodness my class at Northeast Wisconsin Technical College forces me to get current at least three times per year! Where would I be without those students?

If you’ve been neglecting LinkedIn this social media news should make you think twice about leaving LinkedIn out of your social media strategy:

[blackbirdpie url=”https://twitter.com/#!/e1evation/status/164712758456221696″%5D

It will definitely have an impact on what I do and teach! It’s late and I’m kinda tired so I’m gonna stop here, but I’ll leave you with my LinkedIn roundup for the past week. Have a great weekend…

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2/3/2012

http://storify.com/e1evation/trending-topics-for-linkedin” target=”_blank”&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;View the story “Trending topics for LinkedIn” on Storify&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;]

Who’s Best at B2B Marketing: Facebook vs LinkedIn [infographic] (dailyinfographic.com)
LinkedIn Share Button Now On More Than 100,000 Websites (hubspot.com)
Tips from the LinkedIn Rockstars: Top Ten Annoying Behaviors of People on LinkedIn – Number 10 (linkedintelligence.com)
LinkedIn by the Numbers [Infographic] (hubspot.com)

February 3, 2012 0

Love it? Hate it? Facebook must be part of a complete social media tool kit. I originally started using Facebook five or six years ago to start keeping tabs on my high school boys — now I teach Facebook for Business as part of my social media certification class. I have to admit that while my love for Facebook is waning that is remains a social media tool that everyone must master…

You see tools are just that. Tools. You don’t have to love them. They don’t have to be fun. Some tools are just so important that you have to hold your nose and use them sometimes. Facebook has become sort of like that for me. It used to be one of my favorite places to hang out online — now every time they make an improvement, the improvement means Facebook has exposed more of your privacy. As long as you remember that you are not the customer, you’re the product — it is possible to have a fulfilling social media relationship with Facebook. Just be careful as to how you go about it and no one will get hurt…

Here’s my weekly summary of the best Facebook information I have found in this past week…

[View the story “Trending topics for Facebook on 1/31/2012” on Storify]

January 31, 2012 0

Image via Wikipedia

Sundays are all about blogging here at e1evation. My fundamental belief is that blogging is foundational for content marketing success and that a blog should be at the center of everything you do online. Why? Here are a couple of reasons that come to mind at the moment…

You own your blog. You do not own Facebook. You wouldn’t build your dream home on rented land — why build your brand on something you don’t own and control?
Blogs give you more control over how you express yourself.
Websites that blog actively get 7x more traffic than static sites.

It would seem that big brands are starting to get the picture…

The big three social media platforms, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, were the most widely used in 2011, followed by YouTube, and publishing a blog. Across the various platforms, brands cited the following adoption levels: Facebook (87%), Twitter (83%), LinkedIn (76%), YouTube (66%), and blogs (57%). In 2012, blogs are expected to gain the most ground: An additional 28% of brands that don’t currently publish a blog plan to do so in 2012—bringing the percentage of brands that publish a blog to 85%. Social Media – Blogs Top List of Social Media Investments for 2012 : MarketingProfs Article

To my mind, blogging is the ultimate ‘content marketing for thought leadership’ tool. Maybe it’s time you took a page from their playbook and started business blogging as well?! Contact me if you’re not sure where to start…

Here are some of the best blogging articles I found this week…

Sundays are all about blogging…

http://storify.com/e1evation/trending-topics-for-1-29-2012

20 Social Media Blogs You Should Read in 2012 (pamorama.net)
The best of e1evation for the week ending 1/21/2012 (e1evation.com)
The importance of choosing a niche (thesocialexchange.wordpress.com)
Social Media Tools & Tech – 15 Tips to Not Lose Your Mind! (pammarketingnut.com)
The 2011 Inc. 500 Social Media Update: Blogging Declines As Newer Tools Rule … – PR Web (press release) (prweb.com)

January 29, 2012 2

Focusing on LinkedIn…

Focusing on LinkedIn…

http://storify.com/e1evation/trending-topics-for-1-27-2012

January 27, 2012 0

Focus on Facebook…

Focus on Facebook…

http://storify.com/e1evation/trending-topics-for-1-24-2012

January 24, 2012 0

Social Media Demographics: Who’s Using Which Sites? / Flowtown (@flowtown)

Flowtown Infographic: What Mattered in 2011 for Social Media (columnfivemedia.com)

January 21, 2012 2

Cover of "Glengarry Glen Ross" — Cover of Glengarry Glen Ross

Looking to sink your teeth into some good strategic thoughts for a Saturday? Chris Brogan’s got you covered…

2012 is the year where social media oversaturation hits hard. We will scale back on our participation in social networks, and we will most certainly scale back who we choose to follow as sources. This won’t be because someone is bad or good. It will be based on whether the connection with that person adds value to the stream of information we’re cultivating or not.

In determining how to deliver value and stay relevant and visible in this new landscape, I’ve written down 97 ideas to help you build a valuable platform. Note: some of this thinking comes from writing a new book with Julien Smith that isn’t out until Fall 2012. Want some up front hints? Read this post.

Source: 97 Ideas for Building a Valuable Platform

Go to the source if you’d like to consider all 97 ideas. Me? I like #66: “The old “ABC” from Glengarry Glen Ross was “Always Be Closing.” The new ABC is “Always Be Connecting.” Networks are what make selling easier. Your platform is part of how you network.” This is the second time ABC has come up in a couple of days and I was surprised that the person I mentioned it to was not familiar with this scene. It won Alec Baldwin an Oscar… [Warning; Not safe for work!]

For me, ABC means “Always Be Content” marketing – the connecting comes later! Chris has the ideas. I have a repeatable workflow for implementing them. Comment, call or ‘connect’ so we can talk about how this applies to you and your organization…

7 Reasons You’re Not Generating Leads From Social Media (hubspot.com)
LinkedIn 101: A Critical Part of Your Inbound Marketing Strategy (weidert.com)
7 Tips for Stellar Social Media Community Management (hubspot.com)
Future of Marketing in 2012 and onward – Interview with Julien Smith. (ernestbarbaric.com)

January 21, 2012 0

You Know What To Do

You Know What to Do

You’re fat. You know what to do. There’s not really a new book that will change it. It’s you who will change it.

You’re unemployed. That’s temporary, even if temporary is stretching into 14 months. You know what you need, even if that means education, a move, a change of circumstances. But I promise you that you know.

You’re broke. Money exchanges hands every day. More money than we’ll ever earn in a lifetime flows all around you. You can find ways to have some of it. You know some of those ways. Very few books or speeches will amaze you and set you on a path to claim them all.

Then Why Do We Read and Overstudy?

Because we’re afraid, because we’re procrastinating, because we feel many emotions that “seem” like uncertainty, but are more often good old fashioned lack of self-esteem. Because we’ve tried and failed one too many times and we’re upset with ourselves for this. Because we listen to our Inner Critic and we believe that He or She is right (is yours a male or female?).

via chrisbrogan.com

Why do I read and overstudy? Because I’m not confident I’m good enough yet the things I read resonate with what I already believe. How short a distance would it be from consuming to producing with what I already know?

November 23, 2011 0

Is LinkedIn the ‘red headed stepchild’ in your social media arsenal? It is for me. Read on…

Not a day goes by when we don’t see Twitter and Facebook as being talked about as essential social networks for bloggers to be investing time into – but over the last few months I’ve been investing a little extra time into another social network – one that I wonder if some have forgotten about a little – LinkedIn.

I’ve long had a LinkedIn Account (I’d love to connect with you there) but I’ve not really known what to do with it for a long time – but lately I’m seeing more and more opportunities in the network. Let me quickly mention a few…

via problogger.net

You can follow the ‘via’ link if you want to know the 5 ways. Comment, connect or call if you’d like to talk about how this applies to your situation…

Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn can be overwhelming! (3dimensionallife.wordpress.com)
Visualize Your Career With LinkedIn’s Connection Timeline (mashable.com)
LinkedIn Users: You’ve Got Klout (mashable.com)

July 1, 2011 0

Image representing Apple as depicted in CrunchBase — Image via CrunchBase

Things we’ve been tracking in the past 24 hours…

The key feature that neither Google+ or Facebook really addresses June 30, 2011

Cause and effect June 28, 2011

Think Like a Rockstar: Create something amazing for the people that love you June 28, 2011

List Building with the Blue Sky Boys June 28, 2011

Google’s “What do you Love?” June 28, 2011

People Are Not Cogs June 2, 2011

Sell $20,000 Worth of Your Next Ebook June 28, 2011

Google+ A Game Changer? June 28, 2011

Google+ Breaks Out of the Social Box, Ready to Score Users June 29, 2011

Hootsuite Publisher Function June 29, 2011

The Secret Fairytale Magic to Irresistible Blog Posts June 29, 2011

Powerful Ideas That Will Bring Greater Clarity into Your Life June 29, 2011

2 Facebook Marketing Classes in Green Bay June 29, 2011

The secret to creating brand advocates June 29, 2011

11 Reasons Curation Is The New Killer Opportunity June 30, 2011

The Fallacy of Round the Clock Social Media June 30, 2011

From Inspiration to Process June 30, 2011

Three ways to keep your sanity when it comes to social media June 30, 2011

The Org Charts Of All The Major Tech Companies (Humor) (AAPL, GOOG, MSFT) June 29, 2011

7 Steps to Increase Facebook Fans June 28, 2011

June 30, 2011 0

Things we’ve been tracking in the past 24 hours…

Can You Fall In Love with This Beautiful Girl? June 25, 2011
Top 5 Google Panda Update SEO Survival Tips – Search Engine Watch June 20, 2011
10 reasons why Google’s Android powered smartphones can displace iPhone 5 – International Business Times June 21, 2011
Four things Google needs to do to beat Facebook on the social web – Fortune June 24, 2011
7 Food-Product Launches That Didn’t Go Over So Well June 24, 2011
Why Foursquare May Actually Be Worth $600 Million June 24, 2011
Conan O’Brien blasts Final Cut Pro X June 24, 2011
10 brands that will disappear in 2012 June 24, 2011
If You Do Anything, You Can Probably Dedicate it to Charity June 25, 2011
Why Your Next Post Should Be a Short One June 24, 2011
How to archive your tweets permanently June 24, 2011
Could the Chromebook Crush Windows? June 25, 2011
Facebook Shuts Down A Large Number Of Applications June 24, 2011
Apple makes more money from the sale of one Mac than HP does from selling seven PCs. [Factoid] June 25, 2011

– What more proof do you need that Macs are overpriced?

Osama wanted new name for al-Qaida to repair image June 24, 2011
Jon Pinette’s “Chinese Buffet” shtick… June 24, 2011
When To Post On Facebook June 24, 2011
From $0 to $1000 on a Blogspot Blog June 24, 2011
How to Buy a Laptop Computer June 25, 2011

– Don’t buy one. Get a desktop + netbook or pad + android phone for the same price…

How to Get What You’re Worth June 24, 2011

June 25, 2011 0

: Image via Wikipedia

Do you tweet? Or twitter? Victoria Harres does…

“The other day I sat down to write something about Twitter. I struggled with my thoughts, threw some words down, and came up with a question: “Why are you twittering?” I knew the answer people would give. I know Twitter, and I know the type of people who tweet. I know why my husband is on his iPhone flipping through tweets at 1:30 a.m. He insists on reading every tweet from every person he follows. Personally, I’m guilty of recently tweeting after midnight with a couple of people who tweet for major newspapers. So I know my husband and I are not the only ones afflicted with this social addiction.” Source: Why People Twitter – in one word.

So? Do you? Spill the beans in the comments…

Half of all Twitter users now have lists feature turned on (venturebeat.com)
Barack Obama now tweeting.. who’s next? (vodafone.com.au)
Aggregate All Your Tweets, Facebook Posts, Instagram Pics with Banjo (socialtimes.com)

June 24, 2011 0

Sorry for being so goofy lately, but after speaking on ‘Facebook for Fun and Profit’ for ‘Link Greater Green Bay‘ on Wednesday, I couldn’t pass this one up…

http://www.theonion.com/content/themes/common/assets/onn_embed/embedded_player.swf?image=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.theonion.com%2Fcontent%2Ffiles%2Fimages%2FE-Mom_article_9_1.jpg&videoid=97699&title=Facebook%2C%20Twitter%20Revolutionizing%20How%20Parents%20Stalk%20Their%20College-Aged%20Kids