Social Media and Privacy – A Simple Solution

This week, I spent a lot of time setting up various methods of communicating with people. I probably spent at least 5 hours just making it easier for people to find me and talk to me online. And of course, I already had all the common utilities like Facebook and Twitter. And as I did this optimization, I started thinking about privacy concerns on Facebook and other sites, especially after Mark got hacked.

A lot of people have multiple concerns about privacy on Facebook, Twitter and other sites, calling for more stringent protection. They are consumed with the thought that people might be able to see them. While Facebook has several different levels of privacy settings, they’re not good enough for a lot of people.

Online Privacy: An Oxymoron

I don’t get it. You’re online. It’s the internet. Were these people raised with no common sense? How can you expect privacy when you have no direct control over the medium? Much like celebrity sex tapes, once you put it down in a format that can be distributed easily, there is no realistic guarantee of privacy. It’s a shame, maybe, but it’s the truth.

So I propose a very simple solution. Don’t put anything private online. If you don’t want anyone else to know, then don’t say it or show it, especially not on service that is designed to share info, like Facebook.

My Facebook account is wide open to everyone. Anyone reading this can go to Facebook right now and see everything on my wall and all of my photo’s. Why? Because there is no info on there that I wouldn’t tell you anyway. So I don’t really care who see’s it, and anything I don’t want available to everyone, I share either in emails or in person. And I certainly wouldn’t put anything that might be embarrassing to me on there.

Of course, that’s just me. But I encourage you all to do the same. My grandmother, God rest her soul, always said “Fools names and fools faces are often seen in public places.” And my grandma didn’t raise no fools.

Social Media Guerilla brings tips and tricks for effective social media marketing, as well as social commentary to anyone who is interested, or will at least listen. We are waging a war on traditional marketing techniques. We are the underground. We are the future. Enlist now.

For privacy in a more personal setting, you should hold your next big event at The Grande Ritz Palm, the top Outer Banks wedding venue.  The Palm is large enough for an extended family reunion and secure enough to let you feel safe.  With just a short walk to the Albermarle Sound, the Grande Ritz Palm is the perfect event site for you.

Would You Like to Play a Game? – A Social Media Contest

Good morning, Guerilleros! It’s another fine day in paradise! Actually, it’s really cold outside. Winter has finally hit the island, and I am really glad I don’t work outdoors. Thankfully, those days are over. And today, I can turn up the heater, forget about the cold, and focus on social media, and writing for you, my fellow guerrillas.

And speaking of you, the reader, I have recently noticed an upswing in membership on the Networked blogs. That is a great app. The Chefe has almost all of our blogs on his wall with it.

We’ve been getting a steady stream of new readers coming on board, and I want to welcome them to the blog. I also want to thank whoever turned them on to us, because that is social media marketing at work. Especially on this blog, which is much like the shoemaker’s children, always going barefoot and without any marketing.

The Challenge

And in honor of all the new readers, today I have a challenge. It’s a simple one, so I hope you’re up for it. And it’s going to tie in to next weeks post, so I hope you do it.

Two of the main concepts behind Social Media Guerilla are stealth and networking. Have you read the About SM Guerilla page? It’s all of about five sentences, so do so if you haven’t yet.

The best social media marketing strategies should not even look like marketing campaigns. To quote the Guerilla Chefe, “Guerilleros are sneaky.”

The second part is networking. You need to have a network of friends in order for social marketing to work. Otherwise, who’d spread the news?

The Guerilla Chefe embodies these two principles. He has stealth so down pat, his name doesn’t even appear on this entire blog. And yet, you are all still part of his social network. Nice, huh?

So here is the challenge. I want all of you to find the Guerilla Chefe and friend him on Facebook. Make him part of YOUR network. This is just a simple way to flex your deductive reasoning  prowess, plus, it helps you become a little more stealthy tracking someone down.You probably won’t have to think real hard, but you’ll have to think a little. And if nothing else, haven’t you ever wondered who the Chefe is? Heck, he wasn’t even the Chefe until I started writing here.

And really, this is super easy. I gave you a clue on where to start already, and your choices are seriously limited. Really, the more I think about it, this is almost too easy.

Just make sure that when you friend him, you put the name of the movie I got the title of this post from in a message. And if you didn’t know what movie it was immediately upon reading it, then you must have completely missed the 80’s. Google it.

Next week I will explain why we’re doing this. That’s right, this does all have a purpose. But you’ll have to wait until next week to find out. So this challenge is only good until next Tuesday.

The Prize

Oh, and what’s the point of a challenge without a prize? I have no idea what to offer as a prize though, so here’s my proposition.

If you friend the Chefe, friend me, as well. And in return, I will write one blog post, masterfully crafted for your blog, free of charge. I will also put your name up here so everyone else knows how cool you are.

I would like to point out that I am a professional writer, and I do get paid well for what I do, so this does actually have some value. 🙂

I am a REALLY busy guy, though, so this is only eligible to the first five people who friend the Chefe AND me, so you have to friend us both to get it. Once you find the Chefe, finding me is as easy as saying “Oh look, there he is.”, so I don’t feel this makes the challenge any harder. Plus, for as long as it’s going to take me to write 2,000 words, I feel I deserve to be friended.

I will write it about any topic you like, up to 400 words minimum, and it will have my own distinctive flair. 🙂 SEO and keyword usage is a given.

If you don’t have a blog, then I don’t know. I have trouble believing that anyone who cared about social media marketing could not have a blog. That’s like trying to fly by flapping your arms really fast.

Just don’t forget to put the name of the movie in a message when you friend the Chefe and when you friend me.

And that’s it Guerilleros. You have one week, so get a move on, and good luck. I hope you all have a merry Christmas, and I’ll be hearing from you soon. Don’t forget to tune in nect week, when I explain how this all ties into social media marketing, only on SMG.

For an example of my writing, check out some of the content at OBX Master Builders, the site for the best Outer Banks contractors.  The older blog posts are mine along with all of the page content.  If you like what you, take your spot at the table and try to win my services!

30 Rock Drives Home the Necessity of Mobile Media

Hey Guerilleros! I’m a HUGE fan of NBC’s 30 Rock, and I often have repeats playing while I work. I find Tina Fey’s glib show a constant reminder to write better and more personal. And occasionally, something happens to remind me of work.

Last season, one of the episodes had Jack, Liz (who I always think of as Liz Lemon, thanks Tracey) and Cerie all in Liz’s office. Jack is upset about a post on YouFace, a Facebook clone, and wants to check it. Both Cerie and Liz rush into action, Cerie on the smartphone, Liz on the desktop. Before Liz can even finish entering in the sites name, Cerie announces she has the relevant post. And this scene is clearly meant to be a joke on Liz.

But this innocuous little scene really hammers some facts home. It clearly demonstrate that Lemon’s generation of 30-40 year olds has  already been left behind in the IT field. Tech is advancing so fast, that people who were not brought up with this constant race are not adapting as quickly as younger people.

Of course, we all knew that. What’s more interesting though, is that Cerie went to her smartphone first. And this is the most common way to get on the web if you just need something quick. I’m on my laptop, and out of habit, I still used my phone to find out how to spell Cerie’s name properly. A vast majority of younger people get there main exposure to the internet through their phones. Google Mobile Search has drastically increased this year, no doubt in part because of the slew of new smartphones that really cater to the tween crowd.

But we knew this too. So what did I learn from that episode of 30 Rock? The fact that everyone already knows these things so well, that 30 Rock had a throwaway joke about it.

This is a quickly changing world Guerilleros. But you knew that.

But you can at least stay up to date on Social Media Marketing information with us. So sign up to get us everyday. Or at least as often as we post.

And now for something completely different.  The Williamsburg Wedding Guide is up and running with the goal of helping people plan their marriages in the Colonial Williamsburg area.  They have some great vendors and are going all out to be the best in the area.  If you are looking for a great place for your wedding, you should certainly check out the Guide.

Google Maps Moved!

The truth behind Google Maps!

The truth behind Google Maps!

Hello Guerilleros! It’s another beautiful day for Social Media Guerilla, isn’t it? And today, let’s talk about some of the changes Google has been doing. Specifically the Google OneBox, and a little about the preview function. The OneBox, and its Google Maps results is the big one though.

OneBox results are when Google shows information within a special unit, often with images associated with them. OneBox unit often appears to highlight news, shopping, image and other results that are blended into regular listings using Universal Search.

One of the best results you can hope for with your brick and mortar store is to get it to list on Google Maps. These results are above the organic results even, and are ideal placement for a web listing.

But how you get on there is a mystery. Yeah, there are theories, but no one knows the exact formula, probably not even Google. Even if you’re number one on the organic results and PPC, there’s no guarantee you’ll even be on the Maps.

Now though, Google has moved the OneBox results for the Maps to the right side of the page, by the PPC ads. In fact, as you scroll, the map covers the ads. Really Google? Thanks. However, this really does take the focus off the maps and back on results. And it seems they are better integrating Map results with organic ones. But that’s just my observation.

Another cool little feature I’ve noticed is the preview function. Beside the result is a little magnifying glass icon, and if you hover on it, you’ll see a small image of the website before you click on it. It’s nice, but really I’m not sure of the function. It’s too small on my monitor to really make anything out, but I guess if you have a larger monitor than mine it’s more visible.

These changes are not effecting everyone, and to be fair, I can’t even always get it to work for me. So your results may differ, and this may not even be permanent. You know how Google like to play around.

Well, that’s it today Guerilleros. I’ve had a long day, and I think I’m going to get some dinner. But if you need more help with your social media marketing campaigns, make sure you browse the site for more SMG tactics.

How to Boost Your Facebook Fan Page Using Tags!

Hello Guerilleros! Today is a lovely, cool day on the Island; much preferred over the sweltering heat we usually get.  It’s a perfect day to wear the new shirt the Guerilla Chefe got me. It’s from one of our clients and I’ve been wanting one for a while,  but since it’s long sleeve I had to wait for it to get a bit cooler.

So this morning I put it on, and it looked really good on me, so I took a picture of myself wearing it. Naturally, I uploaded it to my personal Facebook.

From here, I wanted to show all the people involved how well it fit. We all know that tagging the photo itself puts the picture on the persons wall, but you can’t photo tag with a fan page and I wanted the clients fans to see the pic as well.

So I put a message with the photo and I used the @ to tag people. When you type @, followed by whoever you’re trying to tag, Facebook will pop up a little selection of your friends and pages you like. Just pick who you’re looking for, and you’re good to go. But to tag someone, you have to be friends with them, or Like them.

Clearly, this is incredibly useful. If you have a company that sells kitchen furnishings, why not talk about Vetrazzo counter tops and tag Vetrazzo in your update? Then your post will appear on both your site and the Vetrazzo site. And, generally, there are more followers on their page who will hopefully follow back to your page and become fans.

I would warn you though, don’t abuse it. It has been my experience that other pages will take offense if you start blowing them up with your posts.

So thats this weeks update. The Guerrilla Chefe is beckoning, so I best be wrapping this post up. And of course, don’t forget to search the rest of the site for more social media guerrilla warfare tactics.  See you next week, Guerilleros!

The Impact of Google TV on Social Media Marketing

Hey Guerilleros! I was browsing through my email, and I got a message from the Guerilla Chefe about Google TV.  I watched all the videos, and I have to say, it’s an ambitious project, and it sort of reminds me of MSN’s WebTV and Apple TV in certain ways. Of course,if anyone can finally break down the barrier between TV and internet, Google can.

I don’t plan to talk about what Google TV is, you can find that on your own. I want to talk about possibilities. Ways to take advantage of a new technology. Several different ideas come to mind pretty quickly.

PPC based on TV

This is a no brainer. If PPC ads can read your search query, it can read what you’re watching on TV. Instead of basing your ads on keywords, in the future you may need to think about the TV that your potential customers are watching. This could be very interesting.  If you have a bakery, and someone sets their Google TV to record Cake Boss every week, possibly they would like your product.

Oh look, it already exists.

Direct Fan Interaction During Television Shows

Imagine watching the newest episode of The Big Bang Theory, and Chuck Lorre pops up in a little live chat on the side of the  screen and talks about the episode your watching. And not only that, but since it’s a live chat, you can interact with him. Awesome right? So how is this marketing? Well, imagine if you offered a similar service. Nice, right?

Community Building

If you have a way to tie your product to a TV show, you are golden. Find a way. You have a chiropractor for a client? Hey, Alan on Two and a Half Men is a chiropractor. It’s a valid enough connection. Start basing your communities around TV shows, and the clients will come from the fan base. Most popular shows have viewers in the millions.

Pulling it all Together

Let’s say I Like House on Facebook. I find an ad asking me to join a specialized House fan page run by a doctor who is local to my area.  I do, and the next time I’m watching House, I have the opportunity to chat with other fans as the show is playing. I eventually become a regular member of the community, because I am interacting with fellow fans as the show is on. This is the key time to catch me being receptive to a House community. And of course, the next time I get sick, guess what doctor I’m going to see? The one running the fan community I belong to.

Yeah, that was a pretty contrived example, but you can see where it’s going. This opens a whole lot of ways to interact with your community, and we didn’t even talk about apps yet. Google Tv apps open even more doors.

Well Guerilleros, that’s about it for me today. I have a few fan communities of my own to go take care of. And remember, for more guerilla marketing how-to’s and such, keep coming back to Social Media Guerilla!

Custom Landing Pages on Facebook

Good morning, Guerilleros! It’s about two in the morning local time, and I’m getting pretty tired. I’ve been up half the night playing Halo:Reach, and I think it’s about bed time. However, I have a ritual I follow before bed, and I wanted to cut you in on it.

I like to check out the blogs and sites I follow, as well as Facebook. You know, like Copyblogger, Mashable, and Techcrunch. They’re all kind of industry related. However, sparked by a Monster-fueled Halothon, I decided to pop in on the Xbox community over on Facebook.

I had never been to their FB page, and it was nice. They have 3  custom FBML pages. One for everyone, one for the hardcore gamers (like me!), and one for the new Kinect. Of course, even though it has a separate tab, the “All” page had the Kinect, as well. And that was also the landing page.

Just recently, I had to ask the Guerilla Chefe how to set my custom FBML page as the landing page for everyone. It’s so simple, I felt dumb for not knowing. So just to keep you from feeling dumb, here it is really quick.

Go to a page you admin. On a page you admin, click “Edit Page”

See? I even highlited what to click.

See? I even highlited what to click.

Click “Edit” under “Wall Settings”

Select which landing page you want from the drop-down.

That’s it in it’s entirety. I told you it was pretty easy, and for some reason I even included pictures. So hopefully you guys learned something, and now, I have a few more Covenant to kill before bed.

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