No, social media is best done in house. The principal reason for this is that social media allows others to gain insight into what actually happens in your business. Social media is all about personality and celebrating your company’s culture. This is very difficult to achieve when the initiative has been outsourced to someone who is not in tune with what makes your company tick.

2.       Should your name be the same on the Fan page and your personal profile/life page?

The Fan page is named after your business (ie. RIGHTSLEEVE) while your personal Facebook profile page is named after you (ie Mark Graham).

3.       For each of the panelist, do they have a social media person working for the company full time taking care of the social media.

It’s shared activity at RIGHTSLEEVE. I drive the social media strategy and spend the most time using the various platforms, but everyone at the company participates on the platforms of their choosing. We actively hire people that are web and social media savvy to begin with as technology is a key differentiator for our business.

4.       Are the panelists using a tool to push tweets, linked in and facebook from one place rather than each one individually?

There are tools available to accomplish this task. I use Tweetdeck to accomplish this, but you can also setup LinkedIn to push content to the other platforms as well. As I treat each of the main platforms differently (Facebook. Twitter, LinkedIn), I do not automatically push content across 3 platforms. I choose to post my content separately so will simply do so on the individual platforms.

5.       How do you add the facebook link to your signature line of emails?

It depends on your email service. If you use Outlook, you go into Options/Signatures and simply add the link there. If you use Google Apps, you select Settings and then scroll down to the Signature section.

6.       How should we use our company Facebook page vs. our Personal Facebook page?

Facebook pages reflect our company culture and philosophies so we will post things we find interesting as a company (articles on the rising cost of cotton, contests, fun videos, educational content, etc).

Facebook personal pages are used for everything. In my case, my work  is a very important part of my life so I am quite open about my work adventures (this is helpful for me as most of my friend network does business with me). In addition to this, I will post personal content like family photos, etc. My Facebook page is a summary of my entire life – work and personal.

7.       Do I follow other companies like a SnugZ USA from my personal acct or business acct?

You follow everyone on Facebook via your personal account (by “liking” the page).

8.       As for a distributor… what are your thoughts about “friend requesting” clients from your Like Page? Does that look bad since you are searching them out?

This is legitimate and most clients on Facebook are pretty open (after all, they’re on Facebook which says something about them to begin with). Sending them a direct message with a request to Like your page is less intrusive than friend requesting them as some clients might prefer to keep their personal life separate from their work contacts. Their “liking” your page is a less intrusive request.

9.       When you send a message on facebook does only that person get to see the message? What does it mean to poke someone on facebook?

When you send a “message” on Facebook, it’s like an email in that only they see it. If you post something to their “Wall”, everyone in your network and your friend’s network will see the message. If you poke someone, everyone in your network and yout friend’s network will see the message. Poking someone is not appropriate in the business context. To be safe, avoid poking altogether as it sends the wrong message (if you know what I mean)!

10.   What’s the plan to migrate from “outreach” to “monetize”? IS there a plan? Or are we going to create a “soft” marketing outreach that MAY become something later?

Social media is an indirect sell. It takes a while and people looking for a quick sell will be frustrated. Social media has been very effective for us as we have it to establish ourselves as thought leaders in the space. This has been very good for business as we have become very influential within our market segment because of the relationships we have nurtured over the years.

11.   How can I keep an end-user out of my supplier Facebook page? We don’t want the end user contacting us or seeing pricing.

Social media (web 2.0) is no different than when web sites (web 1.0) started popping up in the early 2000s. End users visit supplier sites all the time and if the supplier site is there to educate and shows only retail pricing, then one could argue that this helps the distributor. Smart suppliers are using social media in the same way. Raising awareness, educating the customer and ultimately creating demand for the products. The real question is whether suppliers are directing these leads to distributors.

12.   Would you send a personal message to all people that like your page?

Sure, it depends on the reason though. Facebook’s interface has improved considerably in recent months so the information is easier to find for your fans (ie. content is simply served to their newsfeeds). Most content is distributed via newsfeeds now, so most people avoid direct messaging.

13.   Do you think it’s ok for a supplier to advertise they are on Facebook and Twitter in their 2011 catalog? Or would they have issues with the end-users seeing that?

This is no different than a supplier advertising their web site address.

14.   Is it necessary to set up a social site first, before a business site is created?

There are no hard and fast rules anymore. Some people feel that Facebook is replacing the traditional web site altogether. Having said that, I personally feel that an effective web site is critically important as that’s where you are ultimately directing people to from these social sites. My answer might be different in 3 years.

15.   How do I make a nice image landing page on by business Facebook page? Example: http://www.facebook.com/#!/protowelsetc

Setup the welcome tab http://www.facebook.com/welcometab
The page is designed using Facebook’s custom code, FBML. This is like HTML, but it’s been adpated for the Facebook platform. Most web designers know how to use FMBL to adapt your design for Faceook.

16.   Please explain how to use Social Media as a customer service response tool? (Mark-the piggy bank story)

The piggy bank video can be seen here

Using social media for customer service is not much different than using other channels. It ultimately boils down to (i) quick response (ii) acknowledging the customer’s issue (iii) communicating clearly and consistently with the customer about your plan to resolve the issue and (iv) solving their issue.

If someone calls us up to complain via the telephone, we respond in the exact same fashion as we would if we received a complaint to Twitter or Facebook. The wonderful thing about social media is that you can respond in more creative ways (like we did with our piggy bank video). The other unique thing about social media is that everyone is watching so you better make sure you have a good response, otherwise you can do a lot of damage to your brand.

A great customer service about an issue I had with an airline can be found here.

17.   Have any of you been able to track the effect/increase on sales from your Facebook postings?

It’s very hard to pin a specific ROI to social media. This is also a topic that would take a lot longer to answer

The short answer is that we have been able to track very specific customer acquisitions to social media. Examples includes – referrals via social media, prospects that come to us via our blog, word of mouth. The longer answer is that our investment in social media has translated into a significant awareness of our brand within our market segment. Social media also drives a considerable amount of traffic to our site, something that is very important given the online nature of our business.

18.   How can I improve my Facebook exposure?

(i) Know your audience (quality better than quantity)
(ii) Develop great content for your audience (remember, it’s about them, not you)
(iii) Be consistent

19.   What is the difference between a Facebook Fan page versus a group?

Groups was Facebook initial product and they have since migrated this to Fan pages. Today, groups are generally intended for a organization that wants to limit its membership vs a Fan page which is open to anyone.

In other words, a Fan page is much like a public web site whereas a group is more closed as the communication is really intended for its members.

You can see more on the distinction here

20.   What are the pro’s/con’s between a Facebook Fan page versus a group?

See above

21.   I am torn between having a personal Facebook page and having a business Facebook page. What’s best?

They serve two different purposes. A personal page is about you, the individual (and your life and whatever you want to share about your life). Think of this as your personal web page where you talk about your life – your hobbies, work, family, interests, etc.

A fan page is more business in nature as this is where people come to learn more about the company which is made up of several people. A fan page is generally not where people post a picture of their newborn baby (unless there was some relevance to the business). A fan page tends to be more professional in nature.

22.   As a distributor, I have not “friended” customers because I don’t necessarily want them to know my personal business…how do you get around that?

This is completely up to you. Personally, I am flattered when a client connects with me on facebook as it implies a closer relationship. As selling is so relationship focused, I don’t mind sharing information about my personal life with my clients. In my view, this creates an even stronger bond. Mind you, if I did things in my personal life that I felt may offend people then I might not want to accept these client friendships. However, if this were the case, I probably would not be posting controversial and offensive content in the first place.

The #1 rule when it comes to social media is “exercise common sense”.

23.   What is the Posthelper application on Facebook and what are the benefits?

Ask Dana!

24.   Give me something measurable to show the impact social media has had on your business?

Our business is up 70% this year. A good portion of our active clients regularly engage with us on our social media channels. Our social media channels do a good job of directing clients back to our web site which is the central hub for our entire business.

25.   Do you send your friends/family and business contacts all to one Facebook page so that it is all mixed together or do you have separate pages?

I have 2 pages (i) Personal page (ii) Business Fan Page

26.   Do you think you would need a dedicated employee to work just on social media to be effective? How much time do you invest?

We use social media as a relationship building platform. In my view, anything that develops and fosters relationships is a very good thing to invest in as this generally leads to sales. While we invest a lot of time in social media, it has come at the expense of more traditional sales methods (golf, lunches, cold calls). We find that our target demographic responds less to these traditional relationship development methods.

27.   As a new distributor in the industry which platform should i start with first? Twitter, Facebook, Linked In?

It can be overwhelming at first. While we are active on all major platforms, it took a while. I would recommend starting out slowly and mastering the one channel that resonates the most with you. Facebook is the largest social media platform in the world so this is where most distributors start.

28.   I’m a Facebook/Twitter user struggling with the combining of personal and business on my personal pages. Should I be?

It all comes down to personal style and the makeup of your audience. If your audience is very formal and made up of business contacts, it probably makes sense to stick with the professional content. If your audience is younger and generally responds to fun content about culture and personality, then it’s a good idea to mix up the content.

The most important piece if advice I can offer is to be yourself on social media. People will be able to tell pretty quickly if you are pretending to be someone you are not. Marketing the personality and culture of our business is critical so we make sure to mix up the content so we can really connect with our audience.

29.   I don’t really “get” the whole tweet thing. How is this type of tool used to expand exposure?

We use Twitter in 3 main ways – (i) customer service tool (ii) to promote our culture and (iii) to solidify our position as a thought leader in the promotional marketing industry. Twitter is most effective if you use it regularly (5-10 x per day) by posting interesting content, responding to customer questions and interacting with other members of the community. Things move very fast on Twitter, hence the need to be a regular user.

30.   It seems like all of these platforms would be a full time position to keep on top of them. How much time is spent on a daily basis?

We spend 25% of our day on social media. This has come at the expense of more traditional selling methods like cold calling and face time with clients. We have found cold calling to be ineffective and that many clients don’t have the time to meet face to face any longer. This is why we are starting to engage them in different ways.

While the amount of time we spend on social media is increasing, it’s simply in response to where our clients are spending their time. We go where our clients are.

31.   When you have your business set up as a Page on Facebook, rather than a personal account, you cannot make Friend requests… so what is the best way to get followers?

If you only have a Page, your “friends” are defined as “fans”, or as people who “like” your page. Instead of sending people “friend” requests, you send them “like” requests.

32.   Do you all have dedicated resources who monitor and respond to comments or questions real time?

Yes, as I play the role of chief social media strategist I monitor the comments as this has been a wonderful way to stay on top of the business. In most other companies, the individual who owns social media would be responsible for monitoring comments.

33.   Are there people who you DO NOT accept a friend request from?

I will not accept friend requests from people I do not know (ie. an unsolicited friend request from a total stranger is something I will ignore). I will also not accept friend requests from people who will not add value to my network.

34.   I am on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. I don’t seem to have any ‘back and forth’ on Twitter or LinkedIn. Facebook seems to be much more interactive. Where is the interaction on LinkedIn and Twitter?

It’s all about the content. The interaction generally comes when you celebrate other people, ask questions, solicit feedback or provide a piece of very interesting content that others will benefit from.

35.   How much time do each of you spend per day on posting to the social sites?

25-30% of my day is spent on social media (twitter, youtube, facebook, linkedin, slideshare, blogging)

36.   Is there a way to switch back and forth from different Facebook pages of OURS or do you need to log in each separately?

If you are the administrator of the pages, then you simply access these pages by searching for them in the search bar. You do not need to logout if you are the admin.

37.   How do you balance Social Media time at the office when an employer does not see it as “work related”?

This is very difficult. If your employer does not value social media as a productivity or business development tool, then you have an uphill battle ahead of you. You have 2 choices (i) make a case for your employer that social media can be an incredibly effective business tool (and not just a place where employees pilfer away company time) or (ii) suck it up and play by their rules.

My personal view is that employers that ban social media sites in their offices are missing the boat as they have not educated their workforce on how these sites can grow business. This is your job to convince your boss with a business case. Or come to talk me.

38.   Does anyone in the group use LinkedIn as a tool? Do you think you should keep some social media activities separate, like keep friends and family on Facebook and business relationships on LinkedIn?

LinkedIn is predominantly about business relationships. Having said that, as an entrepreneur, the line between personal and business is very fuzzy. What I mean by this is that my personal relationships are often the source of my best referrals so I think it is very important to keep my personal contacts up to speed on what I am doing with my professional career.

LinkedIn is also about connections. If I have a personal friend connected to me on LinkedIn who happens to be best friends with a key buyer at a company I want to sell to, then LinkedIn facilitates this connection for me in a way that would not have been possible before.

39.   For a Distributor, could you please explain how we can get started i.e How do I set up a Facebook page for business as opposed to a personal page? I’m not incorporated. I work for Geiger. I’m looking for a detailed answer.

There are many resources online that can answer this question. For instance

Setting up a personal profile http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4yu1XJQP50

Setting up a Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/create.php

40.   Where do you get the Facebook custom tabs, if you don’t know html?

This is something most web designers can help you with (assuming you have no working knowledge of html, fmbl or iframes)

A good overview of the process can be found here

41.   Facebook just announced that they are offering email addresses to users, and now a majority of suppliers are using Facebook to get product information out to distributors and our customers, do you foresee a paradigm shift in our industry by using Facebook as a main line of communication between suppliers, distributors and our clients?

It’s early days at the moment so it’s hard to tell at this stage. I am not sure that people will migrate from their current email address to @facebook.com. However I do see a huge paradigm shift in the industry over the next few years from a industry that is largely closed to one that is much more collaborative between suppliers, distributors and clients.

42.   How should you respond to these types of Facebook requests? “Someone you don’t know,” “LIKES” a company “you don’t know” and suggests you “LIKE” it too. In the Social Media world, doesn’t “LIKE” suggest an endorsement of some type…or is a “LIKE” really a meaningless term?

Personally, unless I know the company or person who is asking me to “like” something, I will often ignore it. The reason for this is two fold (i) if I “like” something, then I will start receiving posts in my newsfeed and (ii) this implies I endorse this organization which I am uncomfortable doing unless I know the organization. My reputation is also on the line!

43.   What elements make up an effective fan page?

Solid, captivating and consistently posted content