Social Media Calendar
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There are many aspects to success in social media. Having a solid goal, knowing your core target market and of course monitoring social media conversations and your brand. Producing great content and engaging community are also vital. All of this has to be grounded in a solid implementation plan in order to work over the long term. A goal, great content, and community engagement are not enough to succeed using social media as a marketer, sales person or entrepreneur. We also need to ensure that we are consistent in our approach, message and community involvement.
Today’s podcast is about the importance of a social media calendar for individuals and organizations. I have also provides a social media calendar template that Jay Levinson and I developed for Guerrilla Social Media Marketing.
Have a listen, download the sample social media calendar and then let me know how it works for you.
Download the sample social media calendar here in Word format and here in PDF format
Social Media Calendar
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Worthy Cause: Local Man is Fundraising for New Spandex Outfit
Just kidding… but he does need skates 
Ever thought of dropping everything to chase a dream?
We all would…. as long as it fit in to our busy schedules. BUT who has the time or the energy?
I was chatting with Steve Jagger, my co-author for Sociable!, and he shared the new adventure his younger brother Kevin has undertaken.
I had spoken with Kevin just a few months ago, at the time he was working for a US college media firm after putting in his dues on Bay Street as an investment banker. Turns out I was a little out of the loop.
After watching the Vancouver 2010 Olympics, Kevin has decided to quit his job and attempt to compete in long track speed skating with the ultimate goal of trying to make the Canadian National Team.
Crazy right?
What makes it only slightly crazier is that Kevin has never even competed in speed skating and up until the time of writing has yet to step on Oval ice!! Talk about bold.
One thing I did not realize is speed skating is not cheap – especially when you have to commute to Calgary to compete (the ice at the Richmond Oval has been removed), hire a full time coach and get custom made skates & blades.
As a way to support himself, Kevin has started a great blog that follows his journey from the cubicle to the ice. The blog is aptly named: Long Track Long Shot (http://www.longtracklongshot.com).
If you want to support Kevin on his journey he is selling t-shirts to help raise funds to buy his first pair of custom skates. For $25 you can help Kevin and even get the t-shirts delivered by Kevin on his bike! (for those of you living in the Lower Mainland). You can order for the next 48 hours if you want to support his vision.
Here’s a video of him training:
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Make a Wish Foundation 24 hr Online Fundraiser is Today
Anthony Caridi of KasuFunding.com met with me a month ago and shared with me a great vision. His goal was to run an online social media campaign to raise funding for the Make a Wish Foundation. Globally Make a Wish grants a child’s wish every 40 minutes. Most of these children are very ill, many of suffering from life threatening illnesses. The stories are both heart warming and gut wrenching for me. (See some recent wishes here) Being a parent and knowing the innocent bliss that most of our kids live in, it’s hard to see children live with such hard realities. I’d like to ask you to donate a small amount, the goal is not to have a few big companies cut big checks. The goal is for all of us just to donate $20 and invite a friend. Through the power of our online social networks, blogs and Twitter accounts we hope to prove that a whole bunch of little contributions by a large community can make a huge difference. Click through below to learn more:
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Guy Kawasaki + Olympic Hockey Tweetup in Vancouver Holy Kaw!
It started with a tweet from Jason Baker. He had been in contact with Guy Kawasaki and Guy wanted to meet the local twitter community at a Tweetup. Guy is here in town until Sunday morning enjoying a gauntlet of Olympic Hockey. Jason contacted Stephen Jagger and I and asked if we could put something together. A Tweetup is a loosely organized meeting of people who are connected on Twitter. (Tweetup in-depth explanation here) The purpose is to take all of those virtual online connections and meet offline to cement relationships, share ideas, or in this case cheer on Team Canada. We contacted several venues and found that the Caprice on Granville would host us and our Twitterati for a Hockey celebration — but we had to bring 200 people of course. With less than a week to plan Stephen, Jason and I enlisted the help of the International Internet Marketing Association and Social Media Club Vancouver. A couple people started the idea but once the ball was rolling the community really self-organized and we easily met and exceeded the 200 person number by the first period of the Canada-Switzerland game this past Thursday.
Although we invited the world, most people were local that attended; I have never seen a Tweetup of this size in Vancouver where everyone came out to connect in person. What the Olympics has done is give us Vancouverites a reason to relax, connect more often and have more fun. What was great of course is that Canada won (sorry my Swiss friends) and Guy Kawasaki the most Tweeted about personality online showed up after the game to say hello. Over all it was a fantastic demonstration of how social media and virtual connections can create real community and real relationships. For more Tweetups in Vancouver visit “VancouverTweetup.”
Victory Goal Video (by @jlate)
O’Canada Video (by @jlate)
Photos
The Fashion Police Were Obviously Not Present
Mitch Baldwin of Social Media Club Vancouver at the Caprice
Marc McPherson @marcmcpherson from Builddirect.com
Vancouver's Social Media Community Tweeting Up for Team Canada
@jason_baker @guykawasaki @shanegibson and friends
@cybelenegris & @guykawasaki
Shane Gibson is co-author of Sociable! How Social Media is Turning Sales and Marketing Upside-down and is an active member of the Vancouver Board of Trade and Social Media Club Vancouver. Learn more about Shane at http://ShaneGibson.tel or follow him on Twitter @ShaneGibson.
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A Big Thank-you for Helping Make the Sociable Book Launch a Huge Success!
A big thank you to all those that came out to the Sociable! Book launch party.
The event was a massive success with over 500 people through the door of the V Lounge in Yaletown.
Thanks You!
PHOTOS:
Have you seen the pictures from the launch party?
You can see them here – http://www.facebook.com/SociableBook
We will have a video from the event shortly, watch http://www.sociablebook.com for it!
Do you have photos you took at the party? We would love to see them, just upload them to our Facebook Fan Page
http://www.facebook.com/SociableBook
BUY SOCIABLE!
Didn’t Get A Chance To Buy Your Copy of Sociable! ??
You can buy Sociable! at:
Amazon.com – http://bit.ly/9OoplU
Hager Books – 2176 West 41st Avenue, Vancouver, BC – 604-263-9412
Bulk Purchases - http://www.sociablebook.com/BuyTheBook.ubr
SPONSORS:
The Sociable! Launch Party could not of happened without our sponsors. A big thanks to:
Event Sponsor:
Amuse Consulting – http://www.amuseconsulting.ca
Media Sponsors:
TechVibes – http://www.techvibes.com (marketing support)
6SMarketing – http://www.6SMarketing.com (marketing support)
Jeremy Lim – http://www.jeremylim.ca (photographer)
FreyBurg Media – http://www.freyburgmedia.com (video)
Cruiser Tables:
HootSuite – http://www.HootSuite.com
SplitMango – http://www.SplitMango.com
Mobio – http://www.mobioid.com/
SiTek – http://www.sitek.com
Kaerus – http://www.kaerus.ca
JustTheBill – http://www.justthebill.com
SPEAKING:
To hire Stephen and/or Shane to speak at your next conference or event please contact us at http://www.sociablebook.com
Thanks again so much for your support!!
It was a really fantastic night and we could not have done it with out you all.
Sincerely,
Steve and Shane
http://www.sociablebook.com
http://twitter.com/sociablebook
http://www.twitter.com/sjagger
http://www.twitter.com/shanegibson
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Podcast: 10 Things That Will Not Change About Social Media in 2010
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Today’s podcast is about 10 Things That Will Not Change About Social Media in 2010. There have been 1000’s of bloggers who have put fingers to keyboard and pounded out their predictions for social media in 2010. While there’s many predictions about future technology advancements, new demographics and debatable Twitter growth there are many things that are not going to change. So here is a summary of my thoughts that are on the podcast:
10 Things That Will Not Change About Social Media in 2010
- It’s about the conversation
- It belongs to everyone
- It can’t be controlled only lead
- It works best integrated
- It doesn’t fit in the marketing ROI box
- It’s an investment
- It’s never been about the tools but those who wield them
- It’s not going away, it’s not a fad
- Experimenting with your clients money is a bad idea
- Success belongs to the storytellers
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Two Leadership Seminars to Help You Compete and Prosper
I have two seminars coming up in Vancouver in the next 60 days. If you’re a manager, executive or entrepreneur these two sessions are designed with you in mind. Today we need solid relationship development and leadership skills that are honed for today’s hyper-connected stakeholders and team member. These are not old strategies dusted off, they are up-to-date, current and very applicable leadership and communications tools. Here are the program outlines:
Partnering & Stakeholder Engagement Strategies (Nov 5) &
Leading in a Hyper Connected Marketplace (Dec 3)
Click here for registration information (PDF)
Presented by Shane Gibson
President of Knowledge Brokers International (http://www.closingbigger.net).
Hilton Vancouver Metrotown, Burnaby
November 5th & December 3rd, 2009
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Partnering & Stakeholder Engagement Strategies: November 5th, 2009
In order to survive and prosper most major business, government or not-for-profit initiatives necessitate the support
of multiple stakeholders and stakeholder groups. It is about identifying the core needs, goals, fears, and
motivations of every key party and managing that information for strategic and tactical success.
You will learn the key strategies on partnering and stakeholder engagement including:
• The stages of relationship and partnership development
• Key steps in systemizing your relationship and stakeholder development planning (includes sample
planning charts and templates)
• Tips on handling and avoiding roadblocks
• How to map the Power Players in any business or organization
• How to persuade each Power Player
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Leadership 2.0 – Leading in a Hyper Connected Marketplace: December 3rd, 2009
With employees, customers and stakeholders equipped with technology that allows for mass collaboration and
rapid communication we as leaders need to understand how to harness this technology and the crowds we are
connected to.
Today’s workplace is not a homogeneous one. As leaders we have to lead teams that are made up of Baby
Boomers, Generation X and Generation Y. This coupled with diverse cultures and values in the workplace make
leading both exciting and challenging.
Key topics include:
• New rules for engagement in a digitally transparent era.
• Web 2.0 collaboration and learning tools.
• Creating an environment that is productive and engaging for the millennial / Gen Y.
• Tips and approaches for recruiting staff using tools like Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter.
• Using technology to break down silos and create collaboration within your organization.
• How to apply timeless leadership principles to this new work and business climate
Click here for registration information (PDF)
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25 Tips Sobre Medios Sociales
Esta es una colección de Tweets enviados a traves de la cuenta de @shanegibson y @shanegibsones. Son tips sobre medios socials con una longitud máxima de140 caracteres.
Aquí les present mis 25 Tips Sobre Medios Sociales (PDF):
25 Tips sobre Medios Social
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Shane Gibson on Social Media for Sales Organizations
Over the past 16 years I have done a lot of speaking on stages in Canada, USA, Southern Africa and South America. In the past 36 months more and more of my speaking, training and writing has been focused on social media and how it integrates (or doesn’t) with sales process and strategy. I have put together a 7 minute video with some excerpts from a recent seminar I did in Santiago Chile for Seminarium (and Bogota next month) on social media for sales organizations. South America has experienced a 103% growth [source www.analytics20.org] in social media from January 2007 to January 2008, this is an exciting market and the people there are eager to learn how to use social media. Here’s the video:
Shane Gibson Speaker Video
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What is a Tweetup?
Common Questions About a Tweetup
What is a Tweetup?
A Tweetup is:
- A gathering of people who use Twitter
- It can be a general geographic Tweetup like a Tweetup of people in Vancouver
- It can be a Tweetup for a cause where Twitter friends organize a get together to do something for the community
- It can be topical such as a Tweetup for martial artists, cyclists or people who are in the social media scene
- It’s about the fact that when we get offline and meet in person it cements relationships and builds community
- An Event that Usually lasts from 1 to 3 hours
- It is a great stewardship and community building tool (See Jeremiah Owyang’s Post on Tweetups and coverage of the Vancouver #TweetupHeatup by GillianShaw of The Vancouver Sun)
A Tweetup is not:
- An event where you pull people in from Twitter to pitch or sell them something
- A seminar event
- A tradeshow or multi-day event
- A general community event like a sports event, lecture etc.(it’s called a Tweetup because it’s people on Twitter connecting in real life)
Who Can Organize a Tweetup?
- Anyone with a Twitter account
- You don’t have to be a social media guru or expert, it’s about community.
- Usually one person will announce a Tweetup but many are involved in the organization and promotion, it’s a community focused event.
I have a big event happening already. Can I promote it as a Tweetup?
No. People who come to a Tweetup expect to connect with those who use Twitter as a networking and community tool. This would be misleading if a large portion of the people were not in fact on Twitter, people go to meet their online connections offline.
You can however create a special Tweetup within a larger event. For instance at a race, or something like Dragon Boat Festival you could have a “Tweetup Tent” for a 3 hour period during the main event where Twitter folk meet and mingle. If you’re doing a fundraiser at a pub or lounge, have the Tweetup for a couple hours before the main event, then let people know they can hang around later if they want to network with the rest of the community.
Who made these rules anyway?
Twitter, social media and etiquette attached to it are evolving constantly, this however is accepted practice right now. These answers are a summary of how the concept of a Tweetup is being used within the social media community. The majority of people attending or promoting Tweetups follow these loose guidelines. You can break these rules (or bend them) just realize that you may get a fair bit of negative push-back or even lose good Twitter connections.
If you’re in Vancouver join Vancouver Tweetup
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Social Media Marketing Colombia Interview
I’m doing a keynote seminar on Implementing and Integrating Social Media in Bogota Colombia for a marketing congress on September 28th. As a professional speaker this is one of my favorite parts of the job, getting to share my ideas and passions with people from all over the world. The seminar company’s Colombian office sent me these questions that they will be using as part of their marketing package for the event. I thought I would share them with my readers. Here it is:
Questionnaire for Colombia Newsletter
Shane Gibson Social Media Speaker
Q: How are Social Media turning traditional marketing habits around?
A: In the past we could dominate the marketplace with advertising, direct mail, and other forms of traditional media marketing. Today consumers are much more powerful marketers than companies are, with their ability to publish information to the web, they outnumber us. Their conversations about our brand, company, products and services are now “branding” us. They can blog about our company, they can share their opinion on our product on Orkut or Twitter, and they can post a Youtube video praising or condemning us.
Marketers now have to not just broadcast, they have to listen to what conversations are going on out there, and then they have to connect and interact with the marketplace in order to direct the conversations about their brand.
Today the customer owns our brand.
Update August 31 2009 (Watch a 7 minute speaker video addressing this question):
Q: Do you think these tools will replace well-known Marketing complex software such as CRM, for example? Why?
A: These tools are changing the way sales professionals and marketers interact with the marketplace. In the past we would build a database of customers in our CRM and proactively drive the sales process through constant contact. Social Listening tools that allow you to track conversations about your company or what your target market is doing are allowing marketers to pinpoint customers at the very moment they have a challenge or need for what we sell. There is also a new breed of CRM tools called Social CRM (SCRM) software that is just beginning to be available in the marketplace.
SCRM will allow you to pull in all the information about a contact, based upon permission from them (they tell you what data you will get), and your sales process will become driven by the daily activities and events in the lives of the customer. SCRM will make your database come alive with by the minute updates on what your best clients and prospects are posting on social networks and publishing in social media.
Q: What are the main benefits of including Social Media in Marketing and Sales strategies?
A: Social media success is built through a series of genuine interactions with the marketplace. The key is to create valuable content, resources, build community and connect in personalized ways with your market. Unlike traditional marketing and advertising most of the best social media tools are free. They need a time investment, and you have to train your staff to use them, but after that you can generate results with a significantly lower on-going investment financially. Also if used right, you can turn almost any staff member in your company into part of your marketing and customer service team, all they need is a Smartphone or a computer with web access. Social media expands your customer service and marketing capabilities.
Q: (Any real life examples as to how much money companies can save you can mention?)
A: My co-author Stephen Jagger (Sociable! Book Site) runs a company called Ubertor which has several thousand clients. His clients are real estate agents who use his real estate software to drive their websites. Steve was originally a client of mine. He had 10 sales people, and over a dozen other staff including computer programmers, management and support staff and a very large office. In order to service these clients he also needed a lot of telecommunications tools and phone lines.
Steve and his business partner Mike over a period of time began to replace telephone customer service with Web based Live Chat service and Twitter. He then decided to use Meetup.com to hold events with guest speakers on social media and technology use for his target market instead of sending sales people out top real-estate offices (he no longer needs salespeople). The next step was to close the office and have staff work virtually. They moved their phone system to Google Voice, which is free and use Gtalk and a tool called Yammer to communicate all day with each other. Steve’s blog and his Youtube videos are used to communicate to his clients, and post solutions to problems and information on the software updates and functionality.
The result? Significant business growth with a significant decrease in business costs. Steve is saving thousands of dollars per month in business costs, far fewer staff and has actually improved his customer experience.
Q: What are the main obstacles firms face when implementing Social Media in their Marketing and Sales strategies?
A: One of the obstacles is techno-phobia or as I call it Social Media Phobia. A lot of people don’t feel confident in experimenting or trying to use these new tools. They’re also worried about negative comments or someone using their blog or FaceBook to attack their brand. The reality is this technology is new, and we are all learning. Now is the best time to experiment and get good at social media, while your competitors are still watching on the sidelines. In addition to this, the only way we can insulate our company and brand from negative comments or competitor behavior online is to get involved in social media. Build a community of raving fans around your brand. You need to get social to win.
Related Posts:
Social Media Seminars
Developing a Social Media Policy and Guidelines
Social Media Speaker Shane Gibson on Social Media Etiquette
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Speaking and Training
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