I need your help.

Most of you know about my book – The Zen of Social Media Marketing. Currently available at http://ZenofSocialMedia.com in eBook form. Many of you also know that I confirmed a deal with a traditional publisher for a print book (probably due out next Spring). I will be pulling the eBook shortly.

I recently found out that my eBook was given away at a workshop without my permission. This is the email I got from a participant (name withheld)-

Hi Shama-

Someone gave me a copy of Zen of Social Media. I’m assuming she had permission because it was included in a package of information at a workshop. Can I send the file to someone else? I know someone who would like to read it.

Thanks.
XXXX

This person did not feel comfortable sharing which workshop this happened at. However, I think that using the power of social media – we certainly can.

Some of you may wonder – why should this irk me? Or, even venture to say – well, this is expected when dealing with e-products. But, there are 3 reasons I feel so strongly about this

1) I put a lot of value into the book, as do most authors I imagine. I don’t like the idea of someone “stealing” when so much value is readily available for just 27 bucks…AND

2) Because I have already made it free for non-profits and given away many copies to people who have emailed me with reasons they needed a copy – but couldn’t afford it. Yes, I get that times are hard. I am happy to give back in any way I can.

3) This was done at a workshop. I think organizers of workshops should have a high level of integrity. If this was a random case of a book being forwarded – I could overlook it. But, in this instance, someone deliberately gave away copies to the audience. I expect integrity from people interacting with groups of people.

What happens now?

Well, if you know anything about this, please contact me. I am not looking to berate the person who did this. I am looking to handle this in a legal and amicable manner. And – make sure it doesn’t happen again.

I also think this would be a great case study in how social media can effectively stop (or hinder) piracy efforts.

This post is brought to you by Click To Client's Online Marketing Blog.

Don’t think, though, that just having a Facebook page is enough. With the sheer number of people on Facebook, it’s going to take more than a plain, boring page to not only attract people, but to get them to stay, or even better, come back. Here’s a few tips on creating an interesting, dynamic page that encourages people to linger and learn all about you.

The Basics:

There are some basic elements that, when used on your page, will set you apart from everyone else. If you’re planning to start social marketing, hopefully you’ve already got your brand identity pretty well determined, and that includes an image (or images) that represents your brand, and any phrases, keywords, or tags you’ll be using on your page. Don’t forget that a picture is worth a thousand words and can really go a long way to increasing your brand’s popularity.

If you haven’t gotten that far in your marketing plan yet, you may want to take some time to refine your brand identity before you start social marketing. Just because it’s called social marketing, don’t forget it is still marketing. Treat your Facebook page like you would your website. You want to draw people in, keep them interested, and get them to come back, and the new, revised Facebook makes that easier than ever.

New Features:

The revised Facebook pages have been designed with better functionality in mind. There’s a new interface, new applications, and older applications are easier than ever to use.

The New Tabbed Interface – allows you to group your content and applications any way you like. You can add and remove tabs as you like, moving a tab is as easy as dragging and dropping it where you want it to go, and they are completely customizable.

Unlike the previous Facebook, almost any application – even most 3rd party apps – can be integrated into the new tabs. This allows you to create almost endless tabbed variations for your page.

Audio and Video Integration – with unlimited audio space available to you, and the ability to upload an unlimited amount of video files (up to 1gb in size!), your wall will soon become one of the most important marketing tools you have. You will be able to post marketing videos, podcasts, audio interviews, instructional materials, and anything else your customers, fans and viewers may want or need. Take a cue from the popularity of YouTube in marketing. Video is king.

Discussion Boards – the more interactive your page is, and the more dynamic and interesting a person finds it; the more likely he is to stay. Eye catching headlines will draw him in, and good, regularly updated content will keep him coming back.

Events - will keep viewers updated with new happenings and offers, and will help expand the reach of your page. If you create an event, and a fan RSVP’s to that event, it is visible on HIS page. His friends can then see the event and may choose to RSVP themselves. The more popular your event, the more possible fans you can acquire.

Third Party Applications – are a great way to increase interest in your page. Most applications are easy to use, functional, and work well. A trip the applications page in Facebook may surprise you. There are tons of applications available to customize your page, and you can add anything from a module to use html in your page to an rss feed box for up to date news or other tidbits. There may be even more applications available from the developers forums.

One application allows you to generate a Custom Page URL and is a great way to make your page easy to find – and remember. Instead of a long URL full of numbers and weird symbols, you’ll have something easier to remember, and ultimately, easier to market. With a simple URL, even the most rushed or impatient viewer will be able to find your page quickly and easily.

With all these new updates, Facebook is a marketing force to be reckoned with. You may be able to reach people you never would have networked with before. Keep these few final tips in mind, and you may increase your marketing success a great deal.

General Page Tips:

1. Do not change your brand image drastically from your other marketing images. You may end up creating opposing images, instead of unifying your marketing efforts.
2. Keep your discussion board up to date and updated regularly. Keep your eye on what people are saying, and keep your presence obvious.
3. Update your photos, audio, and videos on a regular basis.
4. Keep your tabs simple. Don’t put tons of applications on each tab. It becomes confusing and can be annoying.
5. Resist the desire to load up your marketing page with non-professional applications. Mob Wars is undoubtedly cool, but may not set image you want for your page.
6. Always, always, always keep your page updated and answer any posts, requests, or messages that are directed directly to you. Nothing drives people away faster than feeling like you’re ignoring them.

A little time and thought, and you can have an excellent Facebook page that will not only entertain your visitors, but will increase your network – and your customer base.

This post is brought to you by Click To Client's Online Marketing Blog.

So, you’ve Twittered about 20 times today, updated your Facebook page twice, LinkedIn on 10 groups and generally increased your marketing circle four fold. Excellent. You’ve got the communicating side down to a science.

Now what about the reciprocal side? How are you at receiving information from all these shiny new contacts? If your marketing plan is rock solid, chances are pretty good that at least some of the chatter going on in the ether (-net, that is) is about you and your brand. What are you using to monitor this invaluable feedback?

Here is a list of some of the top applications you can use to keep track of who’s saying what – and if it’s about you:

1. News Alerts and Feeds

Though all major online news outlets have monitoring applications, Google is by far the leader in targeted keyword monitoring. With your choice of Google News or Google Alerts, you can easily pick keywords that are important to you and your brand and receive either streaming or batch email reports depending on how timely you want your results.

2. Blog Monitoring Applications

While the news outlets are one of the best sources for information on your brand or company, they are often not the first to be “in the know”. Bloggers don’t just have their fingers on the pulse of the world, they often seem to be downright psychic in knowing things long before they happen.

Technorati is the leading blog monitoring application, and can alert you the moment your company name or brand is mentioned in the blogosphere. Combine their services with those of a comment monitoring system like co.mments, and a trend tracker like Blogpulse’s Trends, and you’ve got total coverage of the blogging world at your fingertips.

3. Forum and Discussion Board Monitors

Bloggers aren’t the only people that may be talking about your brand. Forums and discussion boards are popular places for people to share praise for companies – and air grievances. Sites like Boardtracker, though, are easy to use monitoring applications that will show you what’s being said about the keyword or topic of your choice.

4. Video and Image Tracking Applications

With the growing addiction to video sites like YouTube for marketing, your brand or company can just about show up anywhere. Subscribing to video rss feeds (either those from individual sites like YouTube or larger search engine’s like Google’s Video feeds) is an easy way to keep from being surprised by an unexpected video you never thought would see the light of day, or to see just how popular your company or brand has become.

Even if you’re sure your company isn’t likely to show up in video, there’s a very good chance you could end up tagged in online photos. Our world has become very transparent, and more and more people like to document their lives in pictures – and post those for the whole world to see. The better known picture hosting sites like Flickr also offer rss feeds to give you easy access to what’s being said (and shown) about your company.

5. Individual Social Marketing Site Tools

For every social marketing site, there are plenty of tools you can use to get the most out of them. Want to keep track of everything going on in Facebook? Lexicon is only one of many keyword trackers that look at Facebook walls and other areas to see what people are talking about.

If you, like many of us, are hooked on Twitter, there are tons of applications you can use to make your Twittering easier and more effective. Apps like Twhirl and TweetDeck use searches to keep you on top of the Twittersphere, while Monitter goes even more in depth to provide you real-time monitoring.

Tweetburner makes it easy to track clicks on all those shortened (and non-descriptive) links – giving you additional numbers you might have missed out on before.

Twendz is a monitoring site that allows you a more complete snapshot of what’s being said about you and your company on Twitter. It allows you to see up to 70 tweets at a time, which can give you a better handle on exactly what public sentiment is about your company or brand.

Most of these tools are free, but there are also some great paid services out there that offer premium value. If you go this route, I recommend Trackur. If simply because the guy at the helm (Andy Beal) is a social media genius himself.

Don’t make the mistake of neglecting the other side of social marketing.  You work hard at creating all those contacts. Now keep track of how well you’re really doing. You may be surprised what everyone is saying.

This post is brought to you by Click To Client's Online Marketing Blog.

While I have commented on these posts and many others like it, I thought it was time to explain my take on expertise.

I am an online marketing expert. Whew. There I said it. I wasn’t the first to choose that title for myself though. It was my clients. I’d refer to myself as a “business consultant” (blah!) and they would introduce me to others as their online marketing guru…the one who helped them grow their business by leaps and bounds. There was a disconnect!

At first the term “expert” made me uncomfortable. Sure, I could get results for my clients. Sure, I spoke on social media and online marketing around the country. Sure, I had colleagues who respected me. And yes-I was one of the first folks to have a real Facebook profile (they were only open to college students at the time!). AND yes, I even published a book on social media marketing. But- was that enough? What is the true measure of an expert? I played around with many terms: specialist (not a doctor!), consultant (but we also take over online marketing), strategist (but we also do marketing implementation), adviser (of course – but also so much more than that when we swoop in and start making things happen). None of these terms fit.

Then I started really looking at my background, my current work, and the time I was putting into all of this. I live and breathe online marketing. It is my passion. It may seem dull to some, but I do a happy dance when someone emails me that my book helped them finally “get” social media or my client tells me we have had 23 sales record setting months in row. This stuff makes me happy! Deliriously happy even.

But, the question remains. Where do you draw the line between expert and novice? Especially for a field as young as social media. And even more so, when everyone who enters the field comes into it with this title.

After much thought, I propose to you the 5 c’s of expertise. This is by no means a final definition of an expert, but my proposed definition.

1. Content: In the academic field, there is a famous saying: Publish or Perish. Those professors or academics who do not publish creative thought-ultimately perish. I think this is true of any industry. You either create or you copy. It can also be argued that every creation starts with some copying. This is called a literature review in academic terms. Sonia Simone, Robert Middleton, and Maria Reyes McDavis are three experts who are consistently coming up with great content. One of the top complaints is that most experts “rehash” what has already been said. This is some what true, but each provides their own viewpoint to the content and hence, we have the beginnings of something fresher. An expert creates content. Period.

2. Community: Where there are experts, there are fans. The beauty of this is that you can be a fan and an expert at the same time. I follow the works of many in my own field. I am always in awe of their work, but I also know for a fact that many of them seem to admire and respect my work.  Ultimately, this breeds a community based on mutual respect and sharing. In any field, an expert is one who has a community. The more solid the community, the stronger the expertise. My good friend and pseudo-elder sister, Pam Slim, serves as an excellent example for this category.

3. Consistency: An expert is consistent in their work and message. They aren’t focused on the “next hottest thing” but have a true set of guiding principles in their work. The new tactic must first fit their strategy. This doesn’t mean that they don’t test and admit when something didn’t work. It means they tirelessly stand behind their brand and message. Joe Pulizzi and Newt Barrett are consistent in their message of content marketing. Chris Brogan and Jason Falls stick to their message on the importance of community. Dave Kaminski is tireless when it online video. Gary Vaynerchuck sticks to his message on the importance of passion and hustling. Nancy Marmolejo is all about online visibility. I am consistent in my belief that online marketing can be classy and comprehensive.

4. Commitment: An expert is committed to their work because they love it. This can also be bunched together with passion. When we are passionate about something, we commit to it. We find the time to do it. If someone is doing something because they think that’s where the money is-you can bet that at the end of the day-they will chase something else. Those whose commitment comes from the depth of their passion, that’s expertise. Dave Taylor, Jonathan Fields, and Sherman Hu are gleaming examples of this aspect of expertise.

5. Cutting Edge: No expert can be defined as someone who knows is all. Because…no one knows it all! Every field in the world today is evolving at a dramatic pace. It isn’t the person who has been in the field for 30 plus years, or was there at the start of the internet. It is the person who keeps up with the changes that is the expert. My friend and colleague, Suzanne Falter Barns, is always interviewing experts in other fields and learning from them. Her work continues to help thousands of people brand themselves online. Curiosity and keeping up is another hallmark of the expert. My friend, Vik Duggal, strikes me as an expert. He is like a sponge around people. His ability to keep up with a million different ideas is impressive. What now? is more important than How long?

I strive everyday to do a little of each: create content, honor my community, be consistent in my brand, let my passion propel my commitment, and continue to learn new things. And hence, I do not shy away from the term expert. When I see others do the same, I respect them as experts.

I look forward to your thoughts on this!

This post is brought to you by Click To Client's Online Marketing Blog.

1) Send email. Don’t wait for the next day or the next week. Chances are you won’t get around to it-and even if you do-they may not recall. Send an email to everyone you took a card from. Even if you don’t see an immediate connection, just say thanks.

2) Connect on Facebook. My favorite strategy. I look the people up on Facebook using their business cards and add them to my network. Now, I know their birthdays, their occupation, and their day to day status (literally!). Best Rolodex in the world.

3) Put one thing into action. Too many people walk away from networking events feeling good, but doing nothing. Take one decisive action from what you learned.

4) Introduce two people to each other. One of my colleagues, Jim Penny, is a master at this. He finds one person at each event and introduces them to someone else he thinks they should know. Now, where those two people take the relationship is up to them, but he is always remembered as the guy who made the introduction!

5) Contact one PRP (Potential Referral Partner). One of the best ways to grow a business is through collaboration with others. Joint ventures can be amazingly powerful. Whenever I network, I try to seek out one referral partner. This can be someone that I can send business to or someone whose clients we can help. The best PRPs are those who can figure out a win-win situation. Example: A web designer sends a printer work, while a printer recommends the designer to their clients.

6) If you took pictures, put them up on Facebook. Tag them whenever possible. Pictures are best posted when the memory of the event is still fresh. If you follow #2, then you can also tag people you have added as friends. Pictures are a great way to attract people to your profile as well.

7) Blog or write about your experience. Whenever I come back from events, my mind is spinning with new ideas. If I don’t get them down, they are lost. Bullet point ideas or write them across your white board. Just get them down!

Make sure your website is working well. If you met a lot of people, the chances are that they will check out your website. Make sure that it is up to date and a good representation of who you are.

9) Thank the host – if applicable. This especially applies to local events which are put together by one individual. A quick note thanking them will go a long way.

10) Check networking supplies. Yes, check your stock of cool business cards, pens, and stickers after your event – and before the next one. I can’t tell you how many times I have had to order cards overnite before I learned this lesson. Check your stock after each event, and you will thank yourself later!

This post is brought to you by Click To Client's Online Marketing Blog.