Ahh.. one of those dreaded moments for the guys.

We all know the pressure here. Oh yes, we’re tricky. But you know what? A little wisdom can definitely save you off the hook. But first, you need to know your partner better- the ground rule before all tips and tricks.

How does this have anything to do with social media? Every bit of it – urgency and the consequences of a reckless response. Regardless celebrities or politicians, even us normal people are responsible for the words we blurted out in the open. You’ll be surprised a simple joke can either build you or crush you, especially when we’re networking with users from different cultural backgrounds and status.

Art Of Communicating in Social Networks

In order to interact better with people from various social networks, identify:

• Who are they – readers, followers, business partners, potential customers, random chatters ?

• What are their backgrounds ?

• Where is the boundary; When shall the line be drawn ?

• What’s the amount of ‘Trust’ built or given to both sides ?

• What are the possible conflicts that may be or had already existed? If none, will you continue to avoid it ?

• What is your personal branding in the public eye ?

Cautiousness in social networking does not forbid you to express freely, but the courtesy to think twice before responding. Our mind reacts quick to disagreements, fast to defend and attack. Self-protect instinct like this can easily blur our judgments. Ask yourself,

“Is building credibility important to me? Am I encouraging it or another way around?”

Let’s brainstorm based on some possible answer(s) for your partner below:

1. Silence : “… …”

In Social Networking:

Social networking does not tolerate silence. If you’ve spent 5-10 minutes on a post surely there’s something about it that triggers your interest. Share your thoughts in the blog comment and create continuous conversations with other commenters. Hitting that ‘close’ button is easy but not if you wish to make all your blog visits worthwhile. Do SOMETHING.

For the guys:

Silence does not always mean safety. Advisable to have the ‘response’ ready if you are not prepared with the answer. Prevention is better than cure. Appear doubtful and troubled may sell you out at that instant.

2. Diversion: “Ah, It’s late! I’ll tuck the kids in bed. KIDDSS.. !! ”

In Social Networking:

Diverting people’s attention to our network seems logical, but not always welcoming if you hard push it. If you think people shall read your work, state out why and be convincing. Never flood people’s Facebook Wall and inbox with self-promoting post links for it is rude. You can easily jeopardize the friendship and trust people have in you.

Another kind of diversion is to run away from problems. I remember there were times I had trouble with the comment form in Blogger platform. Never occurred to me in trying out other commenting systems before I finally decided to move to WordPress from Blogger. Now I only regret for not doing it sooner, same thing with DoFollow.

For the guys:

Yes, temporarily this may solve your problem but don’t grumble if the question pops up in some most unlikely moments. The earlier to deal with it the better.

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3. Honesty: “Then mood swing it is !”

In Social Networking:

There’s nothing wrong with honesty but mind that virtue involves. It is one of those ironies that got people wondering why it sounds much better in theory but not in practical. Going through the questions again and weigh in the consequences of each possible actions. We are not talking about your family members or closed friends who have known you for years but acquaintances who just shared a few conversations with you. Take into considerations all factors and risks involved. Shall this be done in private emailing or out in the open? The impact may cost your digital footprints and branding so you need to think twice.

For the guys:

Gals dig that, Right? For some lady friends I know, this can both be a straight forward question or a tricky one. Sometimes it is not just about the honesty alone, but the way you respond to the question. For some who can accept honest feedback, a little tip: no ‘must be’ or ‘it’s KILLING me’. Don’t forget you are being honest to help her, not trashing her self-esteem.

4. Skillful: “I love you just the way you are!”

In Social Networking:

Be thoughtful. You don’t add burden to an already troubled-mind. If you’re commenting on a site which the author talks about bankruptcy out of a poor judgment, don’t say ‘Stupid! I wouldn’t do that if I were you’ but be compassionate. There’s a line between hypocrisy and skilled communication, so make sure you know where to stand.

For the guys:

So far this has been chosen as the best response according to my female friends. Safe, they say, and can be the honest truth. You can’t really change anything, can you?

How To Deal With Tricky Questions?

There’s no definite answers on how to deal with tricky questions. It’s all about the art of communicating, how you willing to give and take in different situations. Perhaps it’s not common for us to face tough questions but someday when you do,

• Understand the question thoroughly. It’s easy to ‘assume’ and misinterpret so always be SURE you know what exactly is in demand here.

• Test the water with a brief remark; or provide scenarios (if needed) to understand the motive.

• Be thoughtful. You can’t please everyone but don’t blind yourself with self-absorption.

• Try to know your readers/followers personality through their writings or on social media connections.

• Listen more.

• Consider the consequences of each action.

Now It’s Your Turn…

Have you ever encountered any tricky questions? How do you deal with it? Kindly share YOUR art of communicating in the comments below.

If you like this post, a little sharing would be nice.

~Check out the Latest Review of MarketMe Tweet V2 or MarketMeSuite here: Tweet Branding, Scheduling and Reply Campaigns with MarketMe Tweet V2.~


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Remember Tweetbrand that wowed us with the tweet-branding feature awhile ago? Since then, I have been captivated by the branding concept that made me all the more interested in the release of their main product named MarketMe Tweet.

Just a few days ago my wish fulfilled by an email announcing the big launch of MarketMe Tweet along with a download link. I knew the best way to satisfy my curiosity is to give it a complete run through. So I did. What you’re about to read next is the review of MarketMe Tweet based on personal experience and has nothing to do with any sponsorship by MarketMe Tweet whatsoever. Feel free to comment on the features as we go through them.

What Is MarketMe Tweet?

MarketMe Tweet is a marketing tool that equips with Twitter management ability. Easily put, the combination of Tweetbrand, basic Twitter client and a marketing control panel presents you the below interface (Adobe Air application):

Who might be interested in MarketMe Tweet:

• Marketers / Promoters / Surveyors for a service or product
• Individuals who are tracking progress and potential audiences based on particular keywords
• Individuals who are looking for Twitter network expansion
• Individuals who are focusing on branding development over multiple accounts

I am no marketer but a couple of its characteristics impressed me. How about a little tour exploring the key features MarketMe Tweet possesses:

7 Features to Brand, Market, Manage with MarketMe Tweet

As of today, MarketMe Tweet is consisting of below key features:

1. Support Multiple Twitter Accounts


MarketMe Tweet allows multiple Twitter accounts be added. Log in the application with your registered details with MarketMe Tweet, authorize your Twitter account(s) integration via OAuth security encryption which is said to be a compulsory for all Twitter applications prior to June 2010. MarketMe Tweet is developed in compatible with the mentioned requirement so it’s a big plus. If you’re interested to know more about this issue, kindly head over to their post about the OAuth security feature.

2. Branding Management


Assign branding to your Twitter account(s) before tweeting. For those who have created the branding applications during Tweetbrand tryout, you only need to copy and paste the Consumer & Secret Key in the fields before clicking ‘Add’. Otherwise, kindly refer to step 3 of branding application setup for details.

To Setup Your Brand: Go to Step 2 ‘Create Your App’ > Sign in to Twitter account > Go to Brand app > Retrieve the consumer and secret key > Step 3 to fill in fields.

MarketMe Tweet has recently reached an agreement with Twitter regarding the branding issue, make sure your brand name does not violate Twitter’s terms & conditions. Here’s what MarketMe Tweet has to say about this:

Extra:

Differ from Tweetbrand, now MarketMe Tweet users can shorten their URL links easily within tweet box (default URL-shortener ~ bit.ly) :

3. Reply Campaigns (Keyword tracking)


I’m sure you are familiar with Tweetbeep or Feed subscription for a particular Twitter search term that alerts you whenever it is mentioned on Twitter. With MarketMe Tweet, not only you can track multiple keywords at the same time (and filter out unwanted terms for accuracy using ‘Negative Keyword’ option), but also include reply templates for targeted users. The replies can be in various forms and randomly picked to be delivered. Here’s the overview:

After you hit ‘Run Campaign’, a display box will show up consisting the people who tweeted the keywords. Hover your mouse over the image thumbnail, the word ‘Reply’ appears; click at it will send out your reply template.

Wait! Didn’t we just go through the discussion last 2 weeks about automated status updates and how much we despise auto messaging? Well, good thing is this option is not compulsory. For those who dislike automation, you can reach out by sending manual, real time tweets while flipping through the list of potential audiences. Bear in mind this is a marketing tool, we all have own theories how things should work around social media but in the end, it’s all about ethical marketing that works in long term.

4. Scheduled Tweets
This scheduler is only available for Twitter updates.

Extra:

While MarketMe Tweet is still working on other network integrations, you can still schedule status updates to Facebook through Selective Twitter Status or Twitter application as shown in the video (Thanks to Tammy):

5. Conversation Thread


The conversation thread keeps track of your recent conversation with selected Twitter user. Just click the ‘Thread Conversation’ button beneath each tweet (in @mentions section) to reveal the thread in ‘Conversation’. For example, if I was to trace my latest conversation with Michelle, I only need to click the thread button and voila! :

6. Follow/ Unfollow Users

Follow – suggesting users to follow based on your keyword campaigns
Unfollow – shows the people who do not follow you back

However, this monitoring feature may requires a long time to load based on your account conditions (number of followers/following etc).

7. Others:

Locations and Languages – to narrow down your results in keyword campaigns and search terms.

Grouping – to tidy up your contacts. In order to group, make sure you are following the user. (Twitter Lists integration is on the way)

Search Flags – to enhance the accuracy to your search terms.

Is MarketMe Tweet the Evolution of Social Management / Marketing Tool ?

Could be. On-going Business competitions and social media time suck challenge marketers to think out of the box. Personally I see great potentials in branding management and keyword campaigns. It’s a relief to see that MarketMe Tweet has resolved a minor conflict with Twitter about branding and maintained the feature as promised.

Overall MarketMe Tweet has started fresh with innovative ideas, but with rooms of improvements. I’m hoping to see more features be added for advanced network engagement: Facebook/LinkedIn and Twitter lists integration, clickable links in tweet (*updated with ver.1.1.4*), spelling check etc. Also, I hope analytical feature be added so users can monitor the effectiveness of chosen brand name, monitor while making adjustments.

Is MarketMe Tweet F.O.C?

MarketMe Tweet is no free application, currently a 1-time fee payment of $39.90 is needed. According to the latest updates, some added features are on the way to existing users (free upgrades). At the same time, MarketMeTweet offers affiliate program to whoever is interested in promoting the application.

Now It’s Up To You…

What do you think about MarketMe Tweet? Could this be a marketing and management tool of your choice? Kindly share your expectations and suggestions in the comments below.

The commenters rocked the house in previous post discussion about automated status updates!  It’s a controversial subject but I’m pleased with the constructive opinions given by all individuals. Whether to love or hate the service, it has much to do with the user’s networking ethics. Regardless which side you’re on, I’m grateful for your participation in making this post quite a hit last week! So here’s to:

This week’s Twitter #MustFollow list: Bloggers who treat comments seriously & provided insightful feedback:

@ConnieFoggles @marketmetweets @Jan_ Geronimo @KiwiGordie @aks2008 @esther96 @Happymaker @TwtrCoach @PetLvr @virtuosoblogger @FreemanLegacy @FamousBloggers @AussieSire @Elmot @SoftwareCritics @Anklebuster @InfozBlog @arafat21 @Anneonline @IntrovertZone @JimiJones @Zeenatsyal @Mitch_M @GrowMap @Janniefunster @jenaisle @HereWeAre_wLuci

(Hullbert, kindly provide me your Twitter acc)

** Starting this week, I’ll be acknowledging commenters for their valuable feedbacks on written posts. More about this soon so do keep the quality comments coming.**

Two weeks ago, a reader brought up this question in his comment for 3 easy ways to share selective tweets on Facebook Page:

I emailed George personally suggesting some tools that may fit his needs. After seeing how ugly mass-scheduling can get, I figured there’s a need to keep a clear conscience with 6 Points to Ponder before using Automatic Status Updates. I was deeply encouraged for most commenters are into building genuine networks, but thanks to Cindy’s Tweetplan to grow a quality Twitter following, it shows us another perspective of how social media strategists can incorporate status scheduling as part of their out-reaching plan. With proper moderation and control, it can still be accepted to some extent as one of the communication methods.

But what suggestions can we provide George here in deciding which tool to use?

6 Status Updates Scheduler for Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn

In order to find out, I had been experimenting status updates (STRICTLY NO auto-DMs) from a few web applications available. All reviews are written based on personal experiences. If the results vary from yours kindly point out in the comments for further discussions. Most of these web applications are designed to integrate with multi-social media sites but here we will be concentrating on 3 that are most widely discussed – Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

1.

Twitter: YES

Facebook: YES

LinkedIn: YES

Hootsuite is a powerful Twitter web client. I was absolutely blown away with the ease to setup and its efficiency to avoid clutter with customizable interface: Multiple columns with naming feature, integrations with multiple social media sites…  More on the features will be covered in future topics but first, we’ll be focusing on its capability to schedule status updates.

Why is Hootsuite Powerful?

Not only it stands alone as a perfect scheduler but as a free Twitter web client, it is capable of delivering updates to various social networking sites. Thanks to its integration with Ping.fm., you can gain access to all the social networks covered by Ping.fm here.

Hootsuite supports multiple Twitter accounts; enables status updates to be sent to Facebook personal account and Facebook page respectively. It even shows you all the pending status and ability to edit them however, whenever required.

i) Click ‘Add Social Network’ to include your desired social media profile,

ii) After authorizing access to these networks, you can schedule status updates at will (synchronize or separately):

Pending Status Updates for Facebook Page:

New Status Published on Facebook Page as Scheduled:

Suggested Read: HootSuite Integrates Lists, Facebook and LinkedIn

2.

Twitter: YES

Facebook: YES

LinkedIn: YES

Sendible is a management tool. It’s not a Twitter client, neither will it flood your streams with live feeds nor real-time tweets. It’s all in your hands to plan and manage your contacts via all sorts of planner, scheduling and task reminder features available. Since no live streaming involved, you can minus distractions and PC memory consumptions during social media profile setups.

However, Sendible has one tiny downside for free account holders: all your tweets will end with ‘via Sendible’ or ‘#Sendible’ for all status updates. In order to eliminate that, you need to pay to upgrade your Sendible account.

Extra: Interesting find: when my tweet exceeded 140 characters it splitted into multiple tweets. What amazed me was the tag for ‘#sendible’ did not show at all!

Since I’m all about keeping tweets succinct within 140 characters and avoiding ‘#Sendible’ at all costs, I’ll keep this application at the back seat for the moment.

Suggested Read: Sendible Relaunches; Now a Powerful Social Media Marketing Tool

3.

Twitter: YES

Facebook: YES (only available after paid to upgrade)

LinkedIn: YES (only if collaborated with Ping.fm which is only available after paid to upgrade)

For SocialOomph (used to be known as Tweetlater), it’s all about boosting productivity online. Unfortunately, in order to integrate Facebook and Ping.fm (for Linkedin) you will need to pay for the upgrading. As for free account holders, you can have all the access you need to schedule tweets/feeds, monitor @mentions, RTs and manage follower list – it’s all Twitter-friendly here in SocialOomph. Even so, you are given the option to choose free trial of 168 hours with Professional account.

Suggested Read: Opt Out of Auto-DMs Using Social Oomph (good news for SocialOomph users: if you hated Auto-DMs)

4.

Twitter: YES

Facebook: YES

LinkedIn: NO

A simple, web application that’s still in Beta version, offering status-updating solely for Twitter and Facebook. Status updates consisted with links will be published alongside with bit.ly as the default URL-shortener service. After several trials, I found the scheduling worked out fine but might be slightly delayed from the actual timer. For those who have tried this service your feedback is very much welcomed for a more accurate comparisons.

5.

Twitter: YES

Facebook: YES  (only if integrated with Ping.fm)

LinkedIn: YES (only if integrated with Ping.fm)

A web interface for Twitter. More towards business support-customer interaction purposes, one general CoTweet account for multiple Twitter users. One impressive feature that beats out existing desktop/web clients is the ability to schedule tweets. View your pending updates and edit them if needed. If you’re a Tweet-scheduling maniac, here’s a bunch of Twitter applications to choose from.

6.

Manual Configurations for Status Updates

Why manual? Because even auto cars can put you in trouble if the battery is dead.

Automatic scheduler may have its limitations, try not to be overdependent on a particular application. For precautions sake, better equip ourselves with manual configuration back up plan (just in case). I’m going to keep this brief but I’m sure you’ll get the idea:

i) Combination of Hootsuite with Ping.fm (Preset the following features in Ping.fm before setup the Hootsuite scheduler)

ii) Combination of Hootsuite / SocialOomph with Selective Twitter Status

Now It’s Your Turn…

Which status updates scheduler do you like best and how does it fulfill your needs in social networking?

If you’re not into scheduling, kindly share how do you make up for the time lost in social networking during absence or offline hours?

How important is networking to your blogging career?

There have been continuous debates on how one shall use automated messaging in their networks. Having bombarded by auto-direct messages before I was never too keen into making this part of our discussions here. However, recently I was triggered to view it differently because I’ve seen how automatic scheduling can be a blessing to some when it is used wisely in social networking. After giving this a good thought then it hits me…

It’s All About Personal Ethics

Let’s try look at it this way…

Link droppers constantly messed up our comment boards, did it stop us from commenting seriously? No, it didn’t.

Spam bots misuse Twitter to spam our streams with useless info, did we stop using Twitter then? No, we didn’t.

Some said do-follow will encourage spamming on blogs, does it mean do-follow blog directory is to be taken down? Heck no!

Seriously, if one tends to misuse the scheduling feature solely for Me!Me!Me factor, there’s much to concern about his or her network ethics. Blaming the application for the wrongdoings is far fetched. Since personal reputation is at risk here so I wouldn’t suggest you to jump into scheduling whirlpool before knowing what to expect.

Are We Encouraged to Try Automated Status Updates?

Again, we can’t control how one is running his social networks. Automated Status Updates is a feature, a CHOICE, not a must. Don’t use it if you don’t need it; but if you insist, then take responsibility and revise your purpose before doing so. Bear in mind that if you despise spammers, people will too. Knowing what to avoid and don’t get dependent on it will be a good start.

I have met several people who are using status-scheduling under special circumstances. I didn’t bias to shut them out before I get to know them better in person. They have the decency to not overuse but keep everything moderated. I agree that it helps in both productivity and online presence. It suits their purposes well and so far, no one is complaining.

So what else you need to consider before using automatic status updates?

6 Points To Ponder Before Using Automatic Status Updates

1. Moderate Your Scheduled Status Updates

More doesn’t mean better. Recurring updates are to be handled with care or it will hurt badly. Do not suffocate your followers with endless info, separate them into different time slots if must. It’s tiresome to filter our Twitter streams and live feeds, don’t make us annoyed and shut you down for good. We’re not saying you can’t promote your own stuffs, but keep them moderated at all times. Here’s a clear example by Chris Garrett just how ugly it can get in real life.

2. Don’t Put Others’ Reputations At Risk Just Because You Can’t Follow the Rules

Some people are using it in special circumstances: getting messages across about rescheduling a tweetup, alerting others to beware account impersonations, call to actions in meaningful causes etc. Just because you’re desperately to be heard, sabotaging your chance with repeating self-centered updates can alter people’s judgments for both the application and the person who uses it. Do not force the spamming marker to be placed on others simply because you can’t follow the rules.

3. Avoid Self-Promoting Link(s) in First Direct Message to New Friend or Fan

It’s the same nature why people dislike salesmen, they have only one purpose – to sell. If you’re not, why rushing to push products? Take time to engage, find out what your followers truly like. Wouldn’t that be a much better approach? Think ahead and don’t limit yourself shortsightedly. Sometimes it’s not just about the revenue, but the word of mouth, long-lasting trust and friendship that worth so much more in social networking. First impression counts, don’t ruin it.

4. Personalize and Edit Your Automatic Status Updates According to Relevancy

Sometimes  a pre-scheduled updates can be outdated or irrelevant. Make corrections and add values to them if needed. It should be as genuine as your other live tweets or news feeds. If the purpose of using online scheduler is for productivity, it shouldn’t be a problem for you are just as enthusiastic to enhance them for more retweets and bookmark-friendly. Make your updates count or no updates at all.

5. Knowing the Acceptance Limit of Your Audiences

Always, the acceptance limit of your followers or fans, not your own. Think on their behalf of how many updates are going their ways and how you shall engage with them during intervals. Many people forgetting the need to follow up and connect but depending lazily on online scheduler. People don’t want to talk or listen to a robot. My advise is, do not schedule too much updates before you  manage to get in and start conversations or reply to a feedback. A stream without engagement is monotonous. That’s the last thing you need in social networking.

6. Personality and Sincerity of Wanting to Connect Should Be Well Delivered

Forget about affiliate links, ‘visit me’ blog links, help-me-to-help-you type of messages. These will turn people off before they get to know you, which is a pity. It’s not too late to change, try apply a mixture of scheduling of post-sharing for blogger friends, collecting data from poll questions dedicated to people from different timezones, offering freebies or job positions that will end someone’s misery. It doesn’t sound all that bad now, does it? Good things do happen if you know when to use automatic status updates, and when to stop.

Special Tip:

You can even add a special hashtag as in offline or a short message indicating you’re currently unavailable for chatting. Making it clear that it’s a good information you think worth a look, even you’re not there in person. In that case, no misunderstandings will put you in a difficult position but people will aware of your absence. Promise to feedback to them when you get online and keep your word. I have yet seen this been done anywhere but thought could be a considerable thing to do.

Now It’s Your Turn…

What advises do you think people need to hear before using automatic status updates? Kindly share your experience and constructive suggestions (no hate messages) in the comments below. We’re in this together to make our network a better and reliable place to be in, encourage correct mindsets and reduce unwanted noise with social media applications.

A review is coming up so stay tuned for next posting.