I believe in free speech as much as the next guy, maybe more. But sometimes the comments that pass for fact on social media sites make me a little crazy.

Sure, the point of social media is to be social and it’s fun to comment back and forth as if we were smiling and laughing at a cocktail party or chatting to our neighbor over the back fence.

But online media adds another element. Depending on your privacy settings, what you post can also be public speech and a certain responsibility goes along with what reasonable people say in public.

Now, online exchanges venting about a product or service that isn’t working right or customer service that isn’t responding well may get you faster action. The same goes for word of mouth recommendations or warnings and that’s a good thing.

However, making up facts or passing along dubious claims is another story. We’ve all heard versions of the Big Lie Quote:  “Tell a lie often enough and it will become truth.”

Your opinions are your own, but facts are facts.   Yet I’ve done media literacy exercises with students who could not recognize the difference between fact and opinion.

Falsehoods spread on the Internet can be damaging as we witnessed with the recent twitter hack on the AP feed that affected the stock market. If a  news item on social media sounds fishy, pause before you pass it along.  (For example, people rush to post RIP’s for celebs who are  not dead, when two extra clicks would get them the facts).

Sometimes respected news organizations get their facts wrong too and I am not saying I go around acting like the fact police on social media or get into flame wars with people who express wrong-headed assertions as fact. (thought I am tempted at times).  I simply use restraint in my own social media activities.

A friend of mine said at a gathering of social media professionals that she views herself as “My Name, Inc.” in all her online interactions, whether it’s for business or personal purposes.

That’s a good practice for any expert who wants to establish and maintain an online reputation as a thoughtful, intelligent leader. Decide carefully what you will share in public.

It is similar to what I tell media clients. You cannot control what a reporter asks, but you can control what comes out of your mouth.

Beyond a quick Google search, here are some sites to help you “Check Your Facts:”

factcheck.org

snopes.com

politifact.com

What is your opinion?    Please leave a comment.

If you're stuck on what to tweet, here's help.  A Top 10 Topics List from the newsletter of Dr. Sarah David of Social Savvy Sarah (reprinted with permisson):

TOP 10 Topics to Tweet on Twitter for Brand Visibility! 

Twitter is an excellent platform to get your message out to the masses but it can be a mystery for those just getting started.  I know when I was initially introduced to Twitter, I was not sure what to tweet or how to tweet it so I did like most people, I had an account but with no followers or engagement.  Not to worry!  By adding in a few of my tips on topics you can tweet about you will flying high in no time! Here are 10 Topics to Tweet on Twitter for Brand Visibility to land that dream job or business client! 

In Closing…

Twitter may seem a little daunting at first but by implementing a few of the Top 10 Topics to Tweet you will be able to share your message, establish yourself as a thought-leader, gain followers and connect with other Tweeple in the Twitosphere to increase your Brand Visibility!  

So much to share…so little time so Get to Tweeting! 

Supporting You One "Savvy Step" at a Time!

The SoMeBiz Life conference is only 10 days away (Next Wednesday the 30th at Del Val College).

It's going to be a great day with dozens of experts and sessions to choose from!

Among the expert speakers are my friends, professional freelance writer Cookie Biggs, independent marketing and public relations professional Maria Martino Evans, and video expert Rick Toone in a panel discussion, “Making the May-September Relationship of New Media-Old Media Work for Your Clients.”

Special $55 tickets are available until end of day Wednesday, May 23. That's 20% off regular $69 rate!

Here's a link to the conference web site. http://socialmediabusinesslife.com/

In addition to a full day of learning and fun, this will be a tremendous networking event. Hope to see you there!

All this talk about Pinterest has me torn.  It's been around a few years but interest has heated up lately and I've heard both pros and cons. 

Initially, my thought was, Oh, no.  Not another social networking platform to learn! I am focused on changes at Facebook and the best use of Google Plus and now this?  Marketers I respect warned of copyright issues. Some even predict the pinning frenzy will be gone by the end of the year. 

Plus, people who are trying to sell you something – their secret sauce -  say Pinterest is "IT" and you are missing a huge opportunity if you don't buy their stuff.  That's fine – marketers will market.  I get that.  I just want to separate hype from reality, in my own mind. 

I had read the audience is mostly women and the most successful boards are big on social lifestyle content.  I enjoy collecting stuff personally in the real world and like to curate and share online content, but could pinning and re-pinning images help build my business?  It just seems like one giant "like" factory and I already have plenty of other social outlets for doing that. 

Then, last week I met a successful male author who said his website traffic and online sales took off when he started using Pinterest.  Hmmm.

I also attended an excellent meetup at Aweber about Pinterest and heard a lot of positive opinions from women and men using it.   In media, we like to stay ahead of the crowd.  Pinterest is all about visuals and I'm in visual communication.  It wasn't really set up for marketing a business but there's no question, it's getting the eyeballs and driving traffic right now.

Here are my thoughts, if you are on the fence.   If you already have a well-defined and established social media plan and Pinterest fits in, let the pinning begin.   If you are new to creating an online name for yourself and social media footprint for your business, start by putting up profiles and content on the main platforms first -  Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and LinkedIn and Google Plus.  

Once your foundation platforms are fleshed out, consider adding a new one to the mix.  If Pinterest is still of interest and of course, if it's still around, go for it.

Online Visibility Expert Denise Wakeman  pointed me to this new infographic from Hubspot about the power of blogging, social media and delivering great content to help you attract more clients and make more sales.

Are you ready to start marketing with Social Media but don't know how? Are you anxious about interacting online with potential prospects and clients?

My friend Jennifer Phillips April can help you harness the power of social media to spread the word about your business.

Her new group coaching program Social Media Training for Smart Business Owners is starting soon.  Learn how to get the Social Media Advantage for your business.

Click This Link to Find Out More!

Social Media Expert Shama Kabani does an excellent job in this live TV interview on the value of Twitter.

It's a journalist's job to question and this one challenges Shama at every turn. Shama keeps smilling, turns the negative questions into positive points and delivers a fun and informative segment.

I’ve spent most of my professional life as a TV storyteller.  Sharing  stories is one of the most effective communication tools around.  Now, it’s easier than ever to get out your story with online video, social media, blogging, etc.   Stories can inspire, motivate, entertain, teach – among other things.

Here’s a link to an excellent  New York Times article about Storytelling in Business and the reader comments also offer valuable insights and resources.

http://boss.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/03/17/trying-to-connect-with-customers-tell-a-story/

What’s Your Story?

Who are you online?  Do you know what others are saying about you, your business, your brand? Is it an accurate picture?

Shama Kabani is a renowned social media expert. In this TV interview she offers some great tips to clean up your online image.

Here’s the interview replay on Shama.TV

http://shama.tv/clean-up-your-online-image/

Here’s the links list – http://www.myfoxdfw.com/dpp/good_day/040511-clean-up-your-online-image

FBMARKETING.TK Dear Fellow Online Business Owner, It’s easy to feel discouraged when your marketing career seems to have slowed to a crawl. You have a good, basic grasp now of so many skills… but the whole social media thing hasn’t really brought results you’d been hoping for. (In fact, it’s a drain on your time, and you find yourself hooked on checking your Facebook account… well, it seems like ten times a day.) But you’re not the only person hooked on Facebook… …and you’re not the only person who ends up there when there’s no place else to go Some people love it Some people hate it But everybody checks it anyway. The bottom line is, Facebook is taking over the online world… and growing every day. That’s Why You Can Make Facebook Work For You — Not Against You First of all, turn your thinking around… It’s actually a benefit that there are so many people hooked on Facebook! If you could get a handle on what makes them tick — and really know how to use that knowledge – think what an edge you’d have over your competition. People are rushing off, looking for this week’s marketing Holy Grail… and ignoring simple Facebook facts and factors: Ones based on core principles, current trends and new Facebook features and information — not what was hot in Social Media 2 years ago. (We all know how quickly everything changes online — especially with the mobile phone explosion… making user social networking patterns and search engine algorithms change radically for …
Video Rating: 4 / 5