If you haven’t yet heard about the most epic brand meltdown on Facebook ever, go ahead and read this.  No, really, right now.  We’ll wait.

All caught up?  Great, now let’s get down to it.

(Please note: I initially started writing this post with a “how they could have avoided this” perspective in mind. There’s not enough Internet for that, folks, so if you can’t see what they’ve done wrong, do us all a favor and don’t start your own business.  Don’t go into customer service, either.)

What Amy’s Baking Company Bakery Boutique & Bistro‘s business name lacks in punctuation, the owners more than make up for in crazy.  Scary crazy, not fun crazy.  They’ve got all of the ingredients for a big old bucket of hot mess.  I really don’t even know where to start.  Stealing tips from their own employees? Check. Yelling at customers?  Check.  Being such horrid people that Gordon Ramsay couldn’t even stand to work with them for what was sure to be a chart-topping episode of Kitchen Nightmares? Check.  Buying baked goods from other retailers and repackaging to sell as their own?  Check.  Stealing culinary photos to pass off as their own creations on social media?  Check.  Hiding behind so-called “Christianity” while tossing F-bombs at Facebook commenters?  Check.  Social media meltdown of historic proportions? Check and check.

Uh… I’m pretty sure even Walmart makes their own baked goods.

Amy and Samy Bouzaglo, the very interesting owners of the so-called baking company, are blaming both haters and bloggers alike for the horrible portrayal of both them and their business online during an insanely over the top mega meltdown on Facebook.  They said they’d be going after the “Yelpers and the Reddits” (whatever those may be) to put an end to their “WITCH HUNT” (their caps, not mine.)  The posts on their Facebook page ranged from angry to outright belligerent.  One commenter who asked if they were taking reservations for the following day was called a “fat whore” in response to her question.  Nice, eh?

Friends, it is very rare that I’m speechless.  Looking over the Amy’s Baking Company Bakery Boutique & Bistro Facebook page, speechless is exactly how I was left.  I cannot, for the life of me, begin to fathom who would ever have thought that the posts, responses, and outright rants were anything but grossly inappropriate and outright crazy.  And now, the beautiful little cherry on top of this insanity flavored sundae?  ALL of their social media profiles have been hacked, and these posts were made during a malicious attack!  Across a variety of social sites!  Of course they were!

Does anyone buy that malarkey?  FBI computer crimes unit?

If I’m being completely honest (which we kind of pride ourselves on around here) I’d venture a guess that this business did not have a whole lot of life in it before word got out about Kitchen Nightmares.  But this social media insanity?  I’ll be very surprised if they make it past the surge in business they’re going to get from the curious locals hoping to catch a glimpse of the nutters behind the counter.  If they have any staff left, I sincerely hope they’re being paid extremely well.  Apparently Samy and his little “jewel in the desert” do not agree with me.  They’ve hired a PR firm to help them through this.  Whoever signed that account is either very confident in their skills, or nearly as crazy as the Bouzaglos.  If I had to venture a guess, I’d say we’ll be seeing a very tightly managed press junket followed by a ridiculous reality show that will air just a little too long after they’re no longer relevant.  Hopefully Amy and Samy can use that downtime to learn how to prepare food, so if they have to change their names and open a new restaurant far, far away from the ill-fated Amy’s Baking Company, maybe they can fare a bit better than they did in Scottsdale.

My question?  Who was brave enough to take these two wildcards on as clients?  Brilliant, or equally insane?

…probably not as many as you’d think.

In fact, for some demographics the amount of purchasing decisions influenced by Facebook friends doesn’t even make double digits.

Surprised?

Via Marketing Pilgrim and PPC Associates.

There are literally thousands of articles out there expressing the importance of having a social media presence in this day and age. With the mobile market absolutely exploding and social networking becoming the biggest thing to ever happen to the Internet, it’s vital that brands—especially smaller and startup brands—get involved in social media. But what’s not spoken about enough is the importance of consistency with your brand.

Just because you’re getting your brand name out there often enough doesn’t mean that it’s sending a cohesive message. It might appear sporadic and sloppy from one social network to the next. So it’s crucial that you focus on brand consistency in social media.

1: Make Sure Everyone’s on the Same Page

If you, John Doe Businessman, have a plan for a new marketing approach, then other people within your company need to know about it. Unless you’re all on the same page, different departments and people with different duties are going to paint a completely different brand picture. James Smith Employee is bound to use what he “thinks” is wanted, but if you and Susie Q Partner had a different idea, then you’re at complete odds with one another. Consistency starts within.

2: Stay Open and Transparent Inside and Out

As mentioned above, it’s important that everyone inside of your company is on the same page. This is so nothing makes it out there in the public eye that you wouldn’t approve of. And the only way to avoid getting wires crossed, either with your employees, coworkers, partners, or with your fans, is to always stay engaged about the brand and what it is everyone wants and expects from it.

3: Strive for Consistent Engagement

How you interact with people is what puts a personality to your brand. You’re hoping for a happy face, of course, but what you don’t want is multiple masks. You don’t want people thinking that your brand acts differently in Facebook posts than in a Twitter reply. You want to come across as the same cohesive brand across every platform.

4: Be True to Your Business

A lot of brands end up appearing inconsistent because they’re going against their brand principles to placate an audience on popular social networks. They end up with a Twitter account that’s garbage and a Facebook account that’s nothing like their LinkedIn profile. This is an obvious side effect of trying to be a people pleaser instead of a legitimate brand. By remaining true to your brand, you can show consistency across different platforms.

5: Understand Your Market

Another great way to ensure consistency is to understand the market you’re catering to. When you have no grasp of the niche you’re targeting, you’ll be more inclined to try a wide range of marketing options, many of which are going to fail, but all of which will be available to the public eye. So, of course, you’re left with a lot of material that doesn’t at all represent the brand image you’re attempting to put forth.

6: Don’t Be Afraid to Hire Out

Professional writers and others you can outsource work to make it their business to keep your theme consistent, no matter what the product is. So if you’re having any trouble in the consistency department, for whatever reasons, outsourcing might be a good way to go here. Looking for a skilled writer can help you put out a consistent theme.

Most brands suffer a lot of ups and downs over the course of their lifetime, but brands that prove to be inconsistent will die on the vine long before their life span is up. This is particularly true with brands on social media, where a new startup is creating a Facebook brand page every hour of every day. So if you’re unable to appear consistent and reliable, you might not be competing for long.

Use the information provided above to help you maintain a consistent brand image.

Craig Robinson. A freelance writer from Qwaya.com – a facebook ad management tool and helps advertisers organize their campaigns. Craig also loves to participate at some social media communities and forums.

It’s that time of year again.  Flowers are starting to bloom, birds are singing, and allergy sufferers everywhere are running for the Claritin.  Spring is a time for renewal, freshness, and… Cleaning!  What is it about spring that makes us want to scrub the dust off of everything and let the sun shine in?  Whatever the cause, it feels good to freshen things up a bit, right?  This year, don’t stop at sprucing up your physical space, look to your online spaces as well.

Your social profiles are a look into your business’ personality.  Ensure that you’re giving the right first impression and putting your best foot forward.  Here are some quick and easy suggestions for getting some fresh air (and eyes) on your social spaces:

•  Facebook – Take a look at your interactions on your page, and think about what you could be doing better.  Fresh images, more conversation, and a great contest are all easy ways to increase traffic to your page.  The more eyes on your business, the better chance at conversion!
• Twitter – How long have you had that background?  Are you posting the same stuff you always post?  Switch it up a bit.  Make an effort to engage with your followers more, you won’t regret it.
• Blog - Even the freshest blog designs get a bit stale over time.  Give your blog an overhaul, and watch the page views start climbing.  Check widgets and links to make sure they still work properly, update images, verify that your code is up to date, and verify that email addresses on your site are all pointing to current employees.
• Image Sharing Sites – Whether you share business-focused photos and videos, or more personal images, get some new images out there.  If you want people to share your photos, make them worth sharing.  Great scenery, inspirational quotes, a fresh version of your logo, even pictures of your office space.  People want to see what you’re up to.  Show them. (Maximize your efforts by sharing the same photos here that you’re sharing on Facebook and your blog.)
• News – While you obviously don’t have control over news outlets, you can nudge them in the right direction when it comes to talking about your business.  Issue a press release talking about why your business is one to keep an eye on in the upcoming months.  Make sure it’s newsworthy to avoid annoying your audience.

Do you have any quick tips for cleaning up your online presence?  We’d love to hear them in the comments!

When I shared our $1M ROI infographic, I was asked if I could expand on how different departments and skill sets could benefit by using a social media monitoring tool such as Trackur.

I’m always happy to oblige!

So, up first, we’ll take a look at some of the ways HR (human resources, personnel, hiring managers etc) can benefit from monitoring social media.

Potential Employees

• Monitor the name of a potential employee and you’ll go beyond what they are saying, but what others are saying about them!
• With Trackur, you can monitor your company brand, but refine it to only show mentions that include the name of a potential hire. Are they bad mouthing your company before they’ve even started?
• Maybe you’ve not actually identified a candidate yet. Why not use social media monitoring to look for those discussing your industry and find candidates with the most influence and clout?

Existing Employees

• Do you have key employees that talk to bloggers and journalists on a regular basis? Get notified on anything they say and make sure they’re not overstepping the company line.
• Employees don’t like to be spied on, but employers shouldn’t have to worry about their public behavior having a negative influence on the company’s reputation. Small companies could monitor the online activity of all employees, but larger ones might have to pick those that have already been disciplined for unruly behavior.
• Why not monitor your company name for any signs of disgruntled employees? Or, look for updates from staff that mention taking a sick day from your company to go fishing.

Ex-Employees

• Look for any ex-employees violating any non-competes by monitoring the hiring news of your biggest competitors.
• Likewise, keep an eye out for any disgruntled ex-employees bad mouthing your precious reputation.

Industry News

• HR professionals would also be wise to monitor industry news and legal updates for the human resources industry. Stay on top of new trends and developments.
• Why not also keep a look out for any upcoming industry conferences that could offer a wealth of potential new hires.

As you can see, there’s a great many reasons why social media monitoring tools should be extended to your company’s HR department. With Trackur’s Premium or Ultimate plans, you can set up separate Profiles for your HR folks so they can track what’s important for them!

I'm an HR professional. Let me try Trackur!

If you have ever used any form of technology, there’s a good chance you’ve had a mishap of one sort or another.  Whether it’s a misfired tweet, a post to the wrong Facebook page, a technology hiccup during a presentation, or a misplaced email, it’s never fun when technology gets in the way of you doing business to the standard which your customers have become accustomed.  The good news?  You’re not the first to want to crawl under your desk in embarrassment, and you certainly won’t be the last.

Admit it, you’ve wanted to do this a time or two…

What do you do in the face of a technological oops?  Do you turn tail and run?  Not if you want to maintain the respect of your customers and colleagues.  Here are some surefire ways to get back on your feet after a faux pas of the electronic nature:

• Acknowledge the incident.  With any potentially damaging situation, be up front and above board with your customers.  Trying to bury something rarely works out for anything other than losing the trust of those around you and damaging your reputation.
• Apologize.  After letting people know that you’re aware of your error, apologize for any inconvenience or frustration they may have encountered.  This is especially important for technology outages – if email is down, your help desk is inaccessible, or your website is down, you want people to know that you understand the inconvenience caused by the problem, and you empathize with their frustration.  A sincere apology goes a long way, especially in this era of “not my fault” that we seem to be living in these days.
• Be honest.  Did you accidentally fire off a Tweet from the wrong account?  Hopefully you’d never post something overly rude or offensive from any account, but even if you caused some confusion, let your followers know what happened.  A sincere “oops, we goofed!” will go a long way in securing trust for your brand.  Everyone makes mistakes, it’s the way that we react to them that displays our character.  Show your customers and associates that yours is good.
• Make it right.  If your downtime caused a client to lose money, give them a discount on their service with you for the next month, or refund part of their most recent payment.  It will cost you a lot less in the long run if you can convert them from a disgruntled customer to a brand evangelist.  Make sure they’re happy and avoid them leaving you for the competition.  Don’t know what you can do to make right with a client?  Ask them.  Often, they’ll be happy to tell you what they need, and it is typically less than you’d imagine.  People want to know that they’re being heard, and that their opinion matters.  Show them that they are and that it does, you won’t regret it.
• Move forward.  What will you do to prevent an incident like this one in the future?  Better servers and hosting to reduce downtime? More efficient organization to ensure that emails get returned promptly?  Whatever type of problem you’ve encountered, take a few minutes to figure out how to avoid it in the future, and then tell people what your plans are to fix things.  It is surprisingly refreshing when brands are candid and transparent with their users.  Be that breath of fresh air.

Everyone knows that technology isn’t foolproof, show them that no matter what happens, your service is.  Be the brand that people are left feeling great about after they interact with you.  In the long run, it takes far less effort (and financial investment) to provide great service – why not set the example for the rest of the business world?

Do you have a memorable experience centered around a technology frustration?  Did it end well, or were you ready to take a baseball bat to a machine before it was over?

We could all use a few more hours in our day, right?

I know you’re all super busy, so here are 20 quick tips for improving your online reputation. It will take you less than a minute to get a great refresher on how you should manage your online brand.

If you like it, please bookmark and share.

Thanks!

After years of speaking at the excellent Pubcon conference, I felt it was time to introduce a brand new concept that I have been working on for a few weeks: congruent marketing.

The general concept is that you can no longer attain success in Google, search, social media, or internet marketing by using disparate tactics. Instead, you must bring everything together under a harmonious strategy. Not only does congruent marketing make your brand stronger, but it makes you less reliant on any one source of web site traffic and revenue.

Here’s the presentation I gave:

While social media monitoring is important for any industry, those in the legal profession–lawyers, attorneys, etc–will find many benefits to tracking online conversations.

Here are 5 reasons why attorneys should use social media monitoring:

1. “Ambulance Chasing”

Let’s assume discussions start spreading about lethal side effects of a prescription drug. Using social media monitoring, you can set up alerts that match any online conversations about those issues.

Or, why not monitor for tweets, posts or updates from those in a car wreck, employment dispute, or [fill in the blank]?

2. Trademark/Copyright infringement

Help your corporate clients out by monitoring for unauthorized use of a registered trademark. Or, take a snippet of text from any document or web page and get an alert if someone uses it on the web.

3. Litigation evidence & support

Let’s say you’re knee deep in a case where the plaintiff accuses your client of rear-ending them and causing immense pain and back problems. Fortunately, their friend just tagged them in a photo of them skydiving. How much stronger did your defense just get?

4. Competitor research

A little more of a traditional use of social media monitoring is to spy on your competition. Keep track of other lawyers’ efforts to promote their practice, using social media. What are they blogging about? What meetings are they attending?

5. Industry insights

Lastly, keep track of legal news so you don’t get blind sided by a new bill or legal ruling. Go one step further and proactively advise your clients of any industry updates that might affect them.

These are just five of many reasons why your legal firm should include social media monitoring as part of its daily routine. What others would you add?

I'm an attorney! Let me try Trackur