It’s Happening: Facebook’s 4.74 Degrees of Separation

Posted on May 17, 2012 by Dorien

It’s Happening: Facebook’s 4.74 Degrees of Separation

Unless you’ve lived under a rock, you’ve probably heard of ’6 degrees of separation’ a term coined in 1929 by Hungarian author Frigyes Karinthy.

Six degrees of separation refers to the idea that everyone is on average approximately six steps away, by way of introduction, from any other person on Earth, so that a chain of, “a friend of a friend” statements can be made, on average, to connect any two people in six steps or fewer.

In a recent study by Facebook (conducted in early 2011, released Fall 2011)  a much narrower 4.74 degree rule was found.

“the scale and international reach of Facebook allows us to finally perform this study on a global scale. Using state-of-the-art algorithms developed at the Laboratory for Web Algorithmics of the Università degli Studi di Milano, we were able to approximate the number of hops between all pairs of individuals on Facebook. We found that six degrees actually overstates the number of links between typical pairs of users: While 99.6% of all pairs of users are connected by paths with 5 degrees (6 hops), 92% are connected by only four degrees (5 hops). And as Facebook has grown over the years, representing an ever larger fraction of the global population, it has become steadily more connected. The average distance in 2008 was 5.28 hops, while now it is 4.74.”

I have had the privilege to witness this amazing phenomenon in action and would like to share the story of Sherrie and Susie, two strangers separated by 3000 miles who found each other through Facebook and had so much in common!

HERE IS THE STORY

Last year, October 2011, I was co-moderator of an online game called Game of Like.  Find more about his great event here.

One of my friends was kind enough to ‘play along’.

This story is Sherrie Glensky‘s story. Continue reading →

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Taking Control: Convert Your Facebook Community Page Back!

Posted on May 16, 2012 by Dorien

Taking Control:

Convert Your Facebook Community Page Back!

 

Something is happening  to many Facebook Pages this Spring, as Timeline has rolled out and it is confusing Facebook Admins:

Facebook Business Pages are being converted to Facebook Community Pages!


In 2010, Facebook automatically created 6.5 million Community Pages.  

 

Mashable published an article on Facebook Community Pages on April 1, 2010 and had this to say:

The new feature looks a whole lot like the Facebook Pages businesses and brands create, but there’s one key difference: It’s for the hordes of “unofficial” Pages that have been created by users in support of topics or causes.

There’s a big difference in functionality too –- Facebook says that if a page becomes popular enough, administration will be handed over to the Facebook community. In other words, Community Pages become a whole lot like a wiki once they reach a certain threshold.

If you want to learn more about Facebook Community Pages, follow this link to Facebook.

Social Media Examiner dove even deeper into the subject and classified Community Pages as either user-administered Community Pages or Facebook-administered Community Pages.  Find a very comprehensive blog post about Community Pages.

Oh oh!  Seriously?  I admit I wasn’t paying much attention when this feature came out in 2010!

So fast forward 2 years and the roll out of Timeline for Pages…

Here is what made me pay attention to this feature real quick! Continue reading →

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S(t)weet Tip: How To Find The URL of Your Tweet

Posted on May 10, 2012 by Dorien

S(t)weet Tip:  How To Find The URL of Your Tweet

 (for easy sharing and easy re-tweets)

 

Have you ever been asked to share a specific tweet?

Maybe for  a friend, colleague or collaborator?

All you had to do was copy and paste the link they gave you, right?

I bet you’d like to know how to get that URL link!

Here is a quick way to get that URL link for a specific tweet you’d like retweeted.

Step 1 Continue reading →

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Online Longevity: an Oxymoron?

Posted on May 7, 2012 by Dorien

Online Longevity an Oxymoron?

Recently, as in two days ago, my husband and I celebrated our 23rd wedding anniversary. While thinking about both my marriage and my business today, I wondered if lessons learned in a long lasting and happy marriage would directly apply to online relationships.

I think so.

The strength of online relationships have not yet been tested over a long period of time due to the nature of these relationships: The internet only just emerged in the 1990′s. Even if early relationships in the online world were formed at the beginning and sustained, in comparison to a 60+ year marriage those relationships are fairly new.

With continues development and tremendous growth in blogging and social media, ‘online relationship building’ has become an art in itself.  I do think lessons from real life relationships can directly be applied to online relationships.

If you’d like to explore more about building online relationships with your clients and customers, I recently wrote about customer engagement and building relationships online in my blog post: Cruisin’ The Information Highway.

So here we go: Relationship advice from an ‘old’ married couple. Continue reading →

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If You Could XeeMe Now – A Video Tour

Posted on April 24, 2012 by Dorien

If You Could XeeMe Now – A Video Tour

 

I frequently sign up for emerging and new-to-me social media platforms.  As a social media manager, I want to stay on the cutting edge of all things social media. When I hear of a new platform, I usually will meander over and make a profile.  I then monitor activity and engagement to see if it takes off, or tanks.  Being on the forefront of a new social media platform has many advantages and I’d like to have a whole bag of tricks up my sleeve in order to give my clients the best possible outcome on the best possible platforms.  Social Media Management and Strategy is certainly is not one-size-fits-all. To get more insights on where you should be and where you might want to have a social media presence, complete this social media self audit.

Let me reiterate: one-size-platform-fits-all should not be anybody’s approach to social media.

I find and sign up for these emerging platforms via different avenues.  Here are some ways I find them:

  • Via personal invite from a trusted social media manager colleague
  • Via an online ‘buzz’ or ‘frenzy’ surrounding a new platform
  • Via an online search
  • Via a client request
  • Via a friends’ blog post
XeeMe came into my line of vision about two months ago via a friend on Triberr. As with several other platforms I’ve checked out in the past year or so, I made an account, updated my profile, played around a tiny bit, joined a Facebook Group of XeeMe Power Networkers and left it at that.

 

It was on the far, far back burner and I’d nearly forgotten about it (and certainly wasn’t using it), when Karleen Harp of Resume Smith posted something on Facebook about how much traffic she’d gotten from XeeMe.  My ears immediately perked up and I thought…

“What’s up with MY XeeMe account?”

Turns out, not much.  Not much at all!

So last Sunday, I set out to ‘learn XeeMe’.  It’s been a little over a week and I’ve decided to make my own video tour about XeeMe.  I see huge potential and have seen an increase in traffic and connections.

Check out my XeeMe here.

If you are serious about connecting with new people on-line and want to expand your network, as well having ONE  simple link to give to people to connect with you, watch this video.

YOUR TURN

What do you think after seeing the XeeMe Video Tour?

Might it be worth a look?

Want your own?

Here is my referral key, in case you want to check it out.  It’s very easy to sign up and I encourage you to take a second look!

A quick note:

Last week was Twylah week on XWeek.  XeeMe hosted a great webinar with Twylah founder Eric Kim.   Next week will be Qwikr week.  Learn about this new emerging platform and get the inside scoop.  I hope you will join me and 1,000,000 other XeeMe users.  I am looking forward it!

Dorien

 

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Cruisin’ The Information Highway

Posted on April 23, 2012 by Dorien

Cruisin’ The Information Highway:

Do You Stop When No One Is At The (Social Media) Shop?

 

 

During a very stimulating Skype chat with my friend Rich McElany last week, we were discussing ‘how to break through the fear/doubt/reluctance barrier many small business owners have (concerning social media) with stories, case studies, analogies and situational constructs’.  Being who I am (female, visual learner) I love visuals, stories and analogies.

Rich continued talking and used a great analogy which made me say to him:

You are writing a blog post about this, aren’t you, because if you are not, then I am!

He didn’t hesitate. He ran with it, pushing out a blog post at 6:22 AM the next morning.

Here is one of his two analogies, the one that got me so excited right away:

‘If you opened a retail sporting goods store would you for one moment consider scouring your preferred market for just the right location, signing a long-term lease, agonizing over every detail of signage…

and then completely skip connecting your utilities, selecting, hiring and training staff and stocking your store with the perfect mix of the most coveted brand name products?’

I couldn’t wait to read his blog post!  Loved seeing it written down even more than listening to it on our chat and so that same morning I tried out the following take on his analogy during a networking meeting:

You have a website, right?  (most hands in the air)  Your website is sitting on the Information Highway.  I imagine you’ve got bells and whistles and flashing neon signs to get people to your store.  If you don’t have those (great url, SEO, blog, content, graphics, business cards), your store is  really on a dead end street, off the highway and will never be found.

Enter Social Media!

Social Media is another way to get traffic to your website.

But what happens if potential customers follow your directions off the highway to get to your FB site, your Twitter account or your YouTube channel and the lights are turned off?  No personel is there to greet you?  Dust on the counters or worse, the door to your store is locked?

Your potential customer is not only lost in the dark, but has wasted their time as well!

That’s what happens when you ‘do’ social media’ but forget the engagement!

HOW ABOUT YOU?

Is this an eye-opener for you?

Are you getting it?

This all ties in with a blog post I recently wrote.   ’5 things you do not need for excellent Facebook engagement’ and in it I wrote about all the things you do not need, but more importantly, I wrote about what you do need, which is to BE THERE.

What a waste in effort, time and money if you build it, invite people to come join you on your social media platforms but then forget to be there!

If you can not commit to being there, that is, engaging on your social media platforms daily, outsource it to someone who can and will!

I can tell you honestly:

–> If I get to a Facebook Page with the ‘latest’ post being one made days, weeks or even months ago, I do not hit ‘LIKE’.

–> If I follow a Twitter account and it quickly looks like a robot account, I unfollow.

If you are going to invest time, money and effort into Social Media and you are worried or concerned with the ROI, know that all your resources are wasted if you have no engagement!  Your ROI is what you put into it AFTER you build all your platforms.

A Few Social Media ‘Building Relationships’ QUICK TIPS

  • Building an audience is a long-term job.
  • Being there and answering questions shows you care.
  • Providing great information, motivation and engagement is what keeps people coming back for more.
  • Address concerns and complaints.  Do not ignore.  Provide a resolution and apologize.
  • Reach out to customers and build a customer base by adding value each and every time you interact.
  • Build a trust relationship takes time and patience.
YOUR TURN

 

How is your personel situation?  … Need to Hire, DIY or Outsourced?

Got someone manning YOUR store?

Is your electricity turned on, your counters dusted and did you unlock the doors today?

 

I invite you to leave a comment and engage!  I’d love to hear your thoughts on this analogy.  Talk to me.  Talk to Rich, too.

Dorien.

 

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Celebrating 1001 Facebook Fans on More In Media

Posted on April 19, 2012 by Dorien

Thank you!

A heartfelt ‘Thank You’, with gratitude and ♥, goes out to

and many, many more friends

In my video, I issued a new challenge:  

What should I do when I reach 2000 fans?

 

I hope this milestone might not be so far off.  Help me think ahead…

Tell me:

‘What would you like to see me do at 2000 fans?’

♥, Dorien

 

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Want Social Media Engagement? R-E-A-C-T!

Posted on April 16, 2012 by Dorien

Want Engagement?  R-E-A-C-T!

 

In preparing for a speaking engagement at CreateSouth, I stumbled upon this acronym as I was preparing a PowerPoint slide about engagement.  When I say ‘stumbled upon’ I do not mean ‘that social media platform’, but really…as I was typing in all the important keywords of engagement, I saw this word appear on my screen.

R-E-A-C-T

In talking about building an audience, the verb ‘react’ is relevant.

From Merriam-Webster Dictionary

re·act

verb \rē-ˈakt\

1:  to exert a reciprocal or counteracting force or influence
2:  to change in response to a stimulus
3:  to act in opposition to a force or influence
4: to move or tend in a reverse direction
5: to undergo chemical reaction

        Synonyms of React are:

1:Reply
2:Respond

 

Apply any and all to Social Media Engagement!

R-elate
E-ngage
A-cknowledge
C-ompassion
T-rust

Let me show you the presentation first:

Hands On Workshop: Online Engagement

As a business or brand, present on social media sites, you have to ACTIVELY BUILD AN AUDIENCE or REACT in order to expand your reach to include a new and always growing audience. ~Dorien

HOW?

Relate – Find your target market.  Know what makes them tick (react).  Know what’s important to them: Issues, information, causes.  Then engage your audience in online conversation about those issues, the information you’ve provided and the cause they care about.

Engage – Go out and find new fans, followers and subscribers: After an in-person networking event, connect with people on-line, too.  Ask questions, evoke emotion, start a discussion.

Acknowledge – If you get a new fan or follower…acknowledge them and thank them! ‘Like’ their posts and comments on your page.  ’Highlight’ and ‘Feature’ special fans and businesses who engage with you.  Reward those who engage with attention, special shout-outs and engagement.

Compassion – Be compassionate and show it. Even though many connections on social media are with people you might never meet in person, be a true friend.  Friendships do blossom online and showing compassion for a friends’ cause or business goes a long way in cementing a relationship.

Trust – ‘What goes around, comes around.’  Trust in the good of people.  Trust that you will be respected because you are showing respect for others.  Let your actions speak louder than your words.  Be trustworthy in your business, online and in your friendships.  Remember that trust is earned!

YOUR TURN

 

Are you REACTING?

Are you ENGAGING?

How do you actively engage your audience on social media?

I’d love to know your take on social media engagement.  Please comment and join the conversation!  To make it just a bit easier to connect with me – and engage – I invite you to check out my XeeMe profile.

 

Dorien@MoreInMedia.com

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Super Tip for Facebook Timeline Engagement

Posted on April 10, 2012 by Dorien

Super Tip for Facebook Timeline Engagement

 

I am confident you’ll love this tip and you’ll want to use it right away…and I can’t even take the credit for it.

This tip came straight from Facebook!

A post rolled through today from Facebook:

Well… here I am.

What is an Interest List?

According to Technorati

Interest Lists are curated news feeds you can create and share with others, based on aggregating Facebook pages surrounding a particular area of interest, such as a company, artistic endeavor, hobby, industry or whatever you’d like. The list can be subscribed to, just like an individual member’s feed can be followed. With Interest Lists, however, you’re following any number of feeds brought together by the whim of the List creator, who can continue to add (or remove) as desired.

I love the new ‘Interest List’ function on my personal profile and I have used the new feature right from the start.

I had, however, overlooked its power using it as a page admin!

No more.

From your Personal Profile, you can add any page you’d like to your ‘Interest List’ as soon as you go to the Timeline of a Page.  Look at the next image for location.  You just click on the toggle arrow next to ‘Message’ and scroll down to ‘Add to Interest List’

As a Page Admin, you can encourage all your fans to add you to their ‘Interest List’ with the click of a button.

Now you want to know the why?

Melissa Agnes describes in her post:

Through the new Facebook Interest Lists, you now have the opportunity to monitor  pages and industry leaders alike, without the need to be subscribed, friends, or even fans of these pages. For all of you social media monitors out there, Facebook has given us a gift that grants us exclusive access to a pool of engagement and conversations that has never before been able to be monitored in this direct way.

So there you have it!  Time to make lists, subscribe to them AND encourage your fans to list you!

I’d love to be on YOUR Interest List.  To add More In Media, simply follow the link to find my Timeline here.

Here are some lists I’ve made.  You can subscribe to these if you’d like.

Hand On Networking Myrtle Beach

Myrtle Beach Facebook Pages

Social Media Managers

How does all this ‘List Building’ add up to ‘Super Engagement’?

By creating lists, you create new news-feeds, with very specific posts.  It’s simple to make it a daily habit to go to each list and interact with each specific audience.  It filters out the ‘junk’ and the ‘nonsense’ posts and at the same time highlights those posts you might want to see, read, like, comment and share.

Encourage your page to be listed, encourage your audience to engage.  Simple as that!

YOUR TURN:

Are you using Interest Lists?

Have you listed any pages yet?

Are you using your lists to filter your news-feed?

I encourage you to engage with me by leaving a comment or by adding me to your list!

Dorien @MoreInMedia.com

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The Timeline Crunch – Are You Feeling It?

Posted on March 26, 2012 by Dorien

The Timeline Crunch – Are You Feeling It?

No need to admit to feeling the crunch right now…read first!

Even though Facebook ‘announced that an announcement’ was coming, no one ‘expected the unexpected’:

Facebook rolled out Timeline for Pages hours before the official announcement was to be made on February 29, 2012.

Since then, many front-runners have converted to Timeline and so far, most love what it has to  offer brands.

But another whole group of Facebook admins have stalled and I think I know some of the reasons why.

Are you one of these people?

  • You don’t understand and don’t quite believe Timeline for Pages will be an improvement to what you have now.
  • You’ve let fear of the unknown keep you from taking action.
  • You lack clear information on new features.
  • You do not have the resources or knowledge to install/order/design a new Timeline Cover for your page.
  • You might not know it’s inevitable.  And it is!
Do YOU fall into any of these categories? Continue reading →

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