In the realm of social media, it is important to remember that social is the key word. If you apply the same common sense rules that you would use in any other social setting, then you’re on the right track. For instance, if you were talking to a group of co-workers, would you tell them your yodeling club is singing Friday night, three times in a row, without listening or responding to what they were saying? No, you wouldn’t. At least we hope not.

Although social media isn’t rocket science, it isn’t for everyone. You don’t need a degree, but you do need to know who you are targeting and what kind of conversation they want. Our tip is to listen to what people are saying about you and watch what others are doing, before you jump in.

There are simple social rules that need to be followed – listen to what others are saying about you, add to the conversation and don’t constantly post about yourself or your company. If you want people to join in the conversation, you need to ask questions and post material that is interesting or will cause a reaction (Twitter Etiquette).

Social media is simply a new form of communication that happens to take place online.

This form of media is still new and evolving, so there are many misconceptions and myths floating about what it is and what its purposes are. Many see it as a paradigm shift – the way we view the world and our communications with others is changing. We no longer take hours to draft a letter to send to someone. In five minutes we shoot out a quick, colloquial email – no matter the recipient.

Hopefully through these blog posts, we will debunk some of the worst social media misconceptions for you.

Worst Misconception #1 – It’s a Fad

By far, the worst misconception of social media is that it’s a fad that will be gone and replaced before we know it. Social media and social networking has introduced a new form of technology that has marked a paradigm shift in our world. Our communications with others are changing – we no longer take hours to draft letters to mail out, we take five minutes to shoot out a quick, colloquial email.

Social media is not a fad. Humans are social people that have been socializing as long as we’ve been around. The difference now is that our social interactions occur online, instead of face to face.

Social networking has been going on much longer than many people realize. Web portals, email, ‘BBS’, internet games played against real people, chatting – are all different forms of social networking. These days we have Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn as our means to communicate, socialize and share information; like we have been doing for years.

Did you know: 25% of search results for the World’s Top 20 largest brands are links to user-generated content?

Here’s a video showing how social media has already changed the way our world connects. Social Media Revolution

If your company does not yet have a page, you will need to work internally to choose one person to create and maintain the company page. If you are connected to the Company Page, there will be a clickable box after your company’s name (in “Current Position”) that will direct you to the page.

If you are not yet connected to the page, you will have to go back to your profile and retype the company name. Then it should auto populate and you will have to select the company from the list that scrolls down.

Of course, if you think you’re in over your head when it comes to LinkedIn, contact Holland and we can help you build your name on LinkedIn! We know how much time and resources it can take to maintain a name on social networks; time and resources you may not have. So, let us help you make a name for yourself on social networks like LinkedIn!

It is important to receive solid recommendations, so chose wisely when you request a recommendation. You’ll also want to make sure to thank the person who gives you the recommendation afterward! A recommendation is still seen as an important representation of your work, and this should not be taken lightly just because it is given through an online outlet.

Joining in discussions is also a great way to stay social. Hundreds of questions are asked daily and we’d bet a few of those questions are about your field. Many times groups will have on-going discussions that you can join, or you can search for questions on your homepage. By answering questions and joining in discussions, you are presenting yourself as a leader in your field while also opening yourself up to future opportunities.

While quality is better than quantity, the number of your connections on a social networking site can say something about you. If you have 25 or less connections on LinkedIn, it can look like you’re a novice who created the profile and forgot about it. On the other hand, if you have more than 25 connections, it gives the impression that you’re invested in not only the social networking of LinkedIn but also in building and retaining those connections.

If you give the impression that you are invested in LinkedIn and those connections, it will also seem as though you are more likely to engage with your connections. This is very likely to make people want to connect with you. This does NOT mean that you should connect with everyone you’ve ever heard of. If you do, you will lose respect within the community and your connections.

You will also want to add an avatar (profile picture) to your profile. It is important remember that this social network is for professional use, and add a professional headshot or appropriate picture. It is also important to keep your profile open. The purpose of LinkedIn is to connect with people, and if you make your profile private, you are deterring many possible connections. If you are nervous about so much personal information existing on a social network, you can go to your privacy settings and choose certain aspects (I.e. past positions, groups, interested in, etc.) that people who are not connected with you cannot see. However, it is important to show your name, industry, picture and current position if you are looking to use LinkedIn to build professional connections.

Lastly, but certainly not least, check your spelling. Just as you would check and double check the spelling on your resume, do the same on your LinkedIn Page. A personal page on LinkedIn is really becoming more like an online resume and you want it to reflect you in the most positive light.

If you are unfamiliar with LinkedIn, take a few moments to look around the site:  http://www.linkedin.com/

The following are interesting Christmas facts as related to advertising offered by muse.jhu.edu:

• Since television became an advertising medium, the sponsorship of seasonal specials has a targeted segment for delivering commercial messages at Christmas time.
• Advertising is responsible for the development and ongoing specials that we know and love that appear on TV each holiday season. A Charlie Brown Christmas was suggested in 1964 by the McCann Erickson Advertising Agency as a means of promoting Coca-Cola products.

• Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer hit the screen in 1934 and was originally sponsored by General Electric. It included product placements just as the Charlie Brown Christmas special had. “Nowhere is the role of advertising in the development of Christmas traditions more apparent than in the case of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.”
• Sponsoring a holiday special enables advertisers to encourage buying gifts for loved ones while basking in the sentimental, “non-commercial” messages of the holiday story.

• Christmas cards became popular during the late 1920’s and they helped establish the popular visual imagery of Christmas that continues to be used today, such as peace on earth, mistletoe, and Santa.
• “The role for advertising in all this is clear. It must promote shopping as well as the idea of imbuing goods with social significance.”

More than the Christmas tree and mistletoe, with the coming of Christmas come the nostalgia for “old-fashioned celebrations”. “Ask people what they mean by ‘old-fashioned’, and they will talk about age-old practices handed down through the generations, about families gathering to celebrate the holidays together, and about their dreams of a snowy Christmas that is free of commercialism.”(www.aef.com)

Several things changed along the years that essentially changed the way we do Christmas now. The first thing is the rise of consumer advertisement and the credit card!

Before the current age of “plastic credit”, saving money in a special account for Christmas started in 1905 and was called “a Christmas club”.  A “Christmas club” was a savings account that a person could deposit a fixed amount of money on a regular basis to be used for Christmas gift shopping.

What are some of your family’s Christmas traditions?