Bridget Willard | SaaS Marketing Agency

Author: Bridget Willard

  • Curate Content by Curating People

    How do you curate content to share online? You do it by curating people. Be a people broker.
    Is your Twitter feed worth reading by you?

    Would you like your own Facebook Page?

    Let me tell you a story.

    Let’s go back to the summer of 2004 when my sister and her friends came to visit me here in Southern California. They were curious about the Southern California lifestyle.

    “Where do you want to eat?”

    “Anywhere but a chain,” they said.

    Now, there’s nothing wrong with the Cheesecake Factory or Pizza Hut, but they’re the same here as they are in Northern California, that’s the point of a chain. They wanted local flavor.

    “What about Wahoo’s?” I asked. “It’s a local chain.”

    That phrase “local chain” got them curious. So we went to Wahoo’s who started here in Orange County in 1988 and they loved it. They had a great meal and got to experience part of Orange County’s local culture.

    Fringe Players

    Chris Brogan, in a Women in Business Today video said:

    “All of the experts… we all see it all. … If …300,000 people are tweeting Mashable. Who cares? You know what? Go find interesting fringe players that no one’s ever heard of and treat them like they’re the experts. You’ll have more fun.”

    Curation Tools

    Now, I’ve talked about being a people curator before, so if you’ve followed quality people, why not use that to your benefit?

    You don’t need a third party tool to tell you what to tweet. You’re better than just another account that tweets Mashable, BuzzFeed, or TechCrunch.

    Don’t get me wrong, you’ll see Gary Vaynerchuk, Ted Rubin, Mashable, and other well-known people in my tweets. But you’ll also read from Carol Stephen, Ruby Rusine, and Amy Donohue.

    I’ve found some of my own gems, “local flavor,” or “fringe players” as Chris Brogan calls them. They’re on my “Social Friends” list on Twitter. I know, if I want reliable content to share, I can go right there. I don’t need some fancy tool to curate content other than my own Twitter lists.

    Win-Win-Win

    When you curate people and share their content, it shows that you’re a social person. It shows that you reciprocate. It helps promote your new connections. Your audience benefits from another perspective and a local flavor.

    That’s a win — times three.

    Content curation is as simple as curating people.

  • What’s the best practice for social media?

    The best practice for social media is to be a polite human being. Yes. It really is this simple. If someone compliments you, respond. Ignoring people is the best way to alienate your potential audience.

    Be a polite human.

    Yes, I’m Captain Obvious today. Or am I?

    Many of us in geekland have immersed ourselves in social media and you can be blinded to those things that seem obvious.

    Let me digress.

    When I was in college, the “science for teachers” course was so easy, having already taken AP Chemistry in high school, that I couldn’t believe we had to take it. But I’ll never forget what my professor said to me:

    “You’ll have a hard time teaching math and science, Bridget.”

    “Why?” I asked.

    “Because you won’t get why they don’t get it.”

    That became a driving factor in my mind for years to come. In fact, when I was a student teacher in the second grade, I was given the remedial math group. Our task: to learn to read an analog clock.

    When I was a kid, people didn’t all have digital, so the only choice was analog (and, to be totally honest, I read it best to this day).

    I tried EVERYTHING I could think of to teach these kids how to read the clock.

    One day, I had an epiphany.

    We became the clock.

    How? I made two sticks, one longer than the other, to represent the clock’s hands. The kids sat down in a circle, twelve of them, and each held a number. When the short hand pointed at a person, they announced their number, followed by the long hand who announced the minutes represented by their number and position on the face.

    It worked.

    What seemed obvious to me was a challenge to that group.

    Fast forward to 2013 in my first social media panel and questions and answers. I was, honestly, aghast that after the three presentations a person asked what the best practices are.

    Off camera, I answered:

    Excerpt (watch video):

    It’s a social network. I cannot tell you how many times I’ve had to tell people: “You should thank somebody for talking to you.” Like he tweeted to me something “Oh I’m really excited” and I responded.

    Because if David said something to me like “Oh, I really like your necklace” and I just turned around. How rude is that? Do you think David’s going to want to be my friend anymore? We don’t do this stuff in real life! Right?

    And he’s like “Dude. She’s wacked.” But I’m saying… (laughter) …That’s not how it works.

    But that’s how people do it on Twitter all the time. They’ll say something, “@David Oh I really like that color blue on you.” (Which is a great color on you, by the way.) And then he just …ignores me. How do you think we’re going to have a relationship? We’re not going to have a relationship.

    The next tweet is going to be “@David is a jackass because he’s not responding to me” or I’m going to be thinking it in my brain. Or you won’t respond at all. But it’s sitting out there on the internet… on the interwebs.

    “So, the most important thing is for you is to be a human being.”

    What we do online, we would never do in person. Would you walk away from someone who was talking to you? Would you parrot back what someone said? Would you bully someone in person?

    Derek Sivers has a video called “A Real Person, A Lot Like You” that I’ve watched nearly a dozen times. He says that the internet or computers has a way of dehumanizing us. We feel more bold to antagonize or be mean. We need to realize that on the other end of the internet is a real person, a lot like us.

    So what’s the best practice for social media?

    Be a polite human being. It wins every single time.

    I’ve broken down the Keys to Being Social by topic or characteristic in this book available on Amazon. 

  • What Should You Expect From a Social Media Manager?

    Updated 2/21/22

    It drives me nutty when people expect a social media manager to also be an expert in SEO, have a communications or journalism degree, be the PR person, create infographics, and design and update the website.

    Small businesses often want a one-size-fits-all solution. I would, too. However, the technical depth required for design and SEO may not even exist in the same human being. Many of us social media managers have varying degrees of expertise in these fields, but should they be required? I say no.

    The person at the wheel of social media shouldn’t be in charge of the entire marketing car.

    A racecar driver isn’t in charge of the funding or building of his car. He isn’t even in charge of the maintenance nor is he responsible for pit stop tire changes. Certainly, he doesn’t have to book the race. He has a team for that. He has to arrive, make appearances, connect with the crowd, make fans, drive the car, and win.

    Social media management is just part of that winning team.

    It’s always nice if a manager understands the parallel fields because they work better together. Having a conceptual understanding of search engine optimization (SEO) allows a writer to include key phrases in the blog posts. Understanding YouTube captioning and how it helps you rank higher in search motivates us to use it more frequently. Understanding the importance of visual elements relating to our social posts to reinforce the overall message matters.

    So, if we now agree on what shouldn’t be required for a Social Media Manager, then what skills are important?

    Seven Things A Social Media Manager Should Be:

    1. Organized

    An organized person is usually routine-oriented as well. Checking up on comments and following up on tweets should be part of a daily routine. The closer to real-time a brand responds, the better it reflects on the brand.

    2. Responsive

    Being ignored is one of the most offensive things to fans. I’ve had tweets that were not responded to for a year. A year. I mean, if you’re not going to respond then why are you on social media?

    3. Polite

    “Please” and “thank you” never go out of style and this goes hand-in-hand with being responsive. It’s just polite to respond in a timely manner. And having good manners is even more important when the comment is a complaint.

    4. Engaging

    Asking questions, responding to comments on blogs, tweets, or other social media posts in a creative way furthers the conversations that you’re facilitating on social platforms. Do more than just say, “Thank you.” Are you wondering what social media engagement looks like? This blog post may help.

    5. Creative

    Being able to draw is not the prerequisite to creativity. Trying new ideas and thinking differently is creative. A social media manager should be able to craft posts natively on each platform in a way that speaks to each platform’s culture.

    6. Collaborative

    If you’re not doing all of the “digital marketing” then you’re collaborating. Maybe you have to get ideas approved or gain approval for blog post drafts. Being flexible with your creative, engaging, polite ideas is part of that collaboration.

    7. Discrete

    So many people these days lack the moral compass to know what is offensive. Being wise enough to think out how people will respond to your post, no matter how great the pop culture reference is, will separate you from the Social Media Winners and Losers.

    See: Social Media: New Ways to Fail by Carol Stephen and Social Media Managers: Top Ten Questions to Ask When You’re Looking for One

  • Everyone Starts on Social Media for a Reason: This is Mine

    Everyone starts on social media for a reason. Like many of you, I had something to sell. But I found a community. I found several. And, so, I stayed. Now, it’s my livelihood and my tribe.

    Let me tell you my story in the video below and, hopefully, encourage you, too.

    My Social Media Origin Story

    But the gist, if you just want to read is here:

    Originally with my CD release in 2004, I sought to promote and sell (MySpace etc.).

    In 2007, I started my original Twitter account after hearing about it on Leo Laporte.

    It was fun to talk with people who had similar interests as me: music, the Bible, politics, dogs, etc.

    I started social for my work in 2009. I was already ahead having practiced personally for two years.

    Since 2005, however, I had been struggling with illness. In 2009 that was finally diagnosed as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

    What brought me to social was something to sell, like many of you. What kept me was different.

    Social Media Community

    What kept me there was the community.

    I’m fortunate enough to still be able to work full-time with my illness but, like many chronic illnesses, you have to maintain your health. For me, among other things, this includes bed rest. Before I started on antidepressants in 2017, it meant I was bed by 7:00 PM every night and spend most weekends there, too.

    This is how I had time to develop my skills, start blogging, and even the most daring and physically challenging, the videos.

    One thing I’ve learned is that the more you open up, the deeper your connections will be.

    Sure, I’ve heard, “Why are you online so much? Why don’t you get a life?” more times than I should, and, I’ll admit, it hurts. The upside, however, is the world that was opened up to me in spite of the physical isolation of my illness.

    Being vulnerable is a risk. Telling my story is a risk. Though I’ve wavered many times before hitting “post,” “tweet,” or “publish,” I have never regretted it. Why? Most people thank me for telling my story.

    The 2020 Update

    I have had much success managing my illness since this post was written but most of it is still true. Being on antidepressants has helped my pain levels so much that I forget I’m a person who is ill. I push myself too hard.

    Being a full-time freelancer for the last two years and a remote worker for the previous two years has given me the freedom to produce work when I feel well. I have the freedom to take naps at 2:30 PM in the afternoon which is a life saver.

    When I go out to meet my friends at the pub for karaoke or whatnot, I take naps. Twenty minute naps are my lifesaver along with more protein in my diet and turmeric.

    But, I still have reminders. I’ve been pushing my exercise level a bit too hard. As I update this post today (1/29/20), I do so after sleeping until 2:00 PM in the afternoon, about to order food, and go back to bed.

    Tell Your Story

    What I’ve learned is that we all have a story. We all have value to add to this world. Sure, I can’t gig anymore. I can write. I can’t go to every Meetup. I can do Google Hangouts. I can’t tutor all those who ask for my help. I can make videos.

    I used to feel really bitter and sad. And, there are days when I wish there was a solution to my disease (today included), but I wouldn’t have this career if I hadn’t become ill.

    https://twitter.com/gidgey/status/1222590770185568257

    So, what brought you to social media? What’s keeping you here?

  • Do I want Facebook or The X Platform (Twitter) for my Business?

    It’s a tug of war of sorts.

    Facebook copies Twitter. Twitter copies Facebook. This goes on and on. Call it competition, tug of war, or innovation. Regardless, it’s good for the consumer.

    Who has the bigger audience? Who has the most spam? Who’s trying to pry into your personal details?

    So, I’m a business, which should I use?

    I’m always amazed at this question. Why not both?

    But if you really have to choose, ask yourself this:

    • What do you want to achieve?
    • Who do you want to reach?
    • Do you want to build up one and then the other?
    • Can you devote the time to doing them both simultaneously?
    *Disclaimer 1: Twitter and Facebook could change any of what I’m about to point out at any time. This post was written on August 19, 2014.
    *Disclaimer 2: It’s hard for me to be objective. Everyone who knows me knows I favor Twitter and my own numbers support that. This is my best effort to present objective pros and cons.

    Below I compare Twitter and Facebook by feature. I apologize for the length, but every business has different needs, people who will be using the platform, and how (mobile or desktop) they will use it. You’ll need to consider them all to choose.

    First Things First

    Facebook and Twitter have entirely different cultures and different rules, protocols, or expectations.

    Respect each platform for its own benefits, audience, and culture. I beg you not to connect the two so that you Tweet to Facebook or Tweet from Facebook. Just because something is easy, doesn’t mean it’s good.

    You will be judged for being lazy, disregarding either audience, and people will wonder if you’ll ever respond. (Ya, I said it.)

    Read: “Social Media: Different Platform, Different Language” by Carol Stephen

    Audience Size

    According to Facebook, they have “829 million daily active users on average in June 2014.” That’ too large of an audience to ignore this platform. A lot of people have recently said it’s not worth posting on Facebook anymore. I disagree.

    Twitter has 271 million active users.

    They both have massive, growing audiences. This won’t change. They haven’t jumped the shark or lost out like Myspace. (more…)