3 Free Social Media Tools Worth Checking Into

One of the great aspects about working in social media is the discovering new creative resources for your "social" toolbox. Over the last few months, I’ve found three in particular that are certainly worth looking into.

Woobox

Facebook tab development for your fan page can be a hassle. This typically involves developing a specific Secure Page Tab URL which drives back to an external HTTPS address your content is housed on. This usually involves having to work with your IT department, web developer, website hosting company or any combination of the three. For some smaller companies/non-profits with little time or resources, this can be detrimental in the creative process.

Thankfully, there is the free Static HTML Facebook Page Tab developer app from Woobox. With even a little HTML and/or CSS knowledge, this app allows you to create a custom tab within Facebook. You can also use image hosting sites like Photobucket for any graphic source coding you might implement on your tab. I can say first hand that Woobox is an exceptional tool.

Additionally, if you do have the funding, Woobox also provides tab development for coupons, photo contests and other giveaway campaigns you may want to provide on your fan page.

Razoo

If you’re looking for an easy resource to help your company raise money on behalf of a non-profit (must be an approved 501(c)3) or as a non-profit, Razoo has you covered. I recently did some social responsibility research into crowd sourcing donation tools and this hidden gem took home the gold. Razoo charges the least in transaction rates compared to competitors and there are no additional set up or annual fees so this resource is essentially free to use. The transaction rate comes directly from the donation and the giver is receipted 100 percent for his or her contribution.

BONUS: Razoo’s capabilities come with a donation form widget that can be embed on your website or even your Facebook fan page (Hint: See the awesomeness of Woobox above). The widget allows donors to completely fill out the form without leaving the current page they are visiting.

Woobox also comes with a specific Facebook tab widget you can use, but (for the more innovative challengers) you can also embed the basic HTML widget coding which allows you the ability to place the form where ever you choose in the tab. This provides you with the freedom to implement additional creative copy however you choose.

Twitchimp

Simply put, Twitchimp is a unique list curation tool for Twitter that, unlike Twitter, allows users to organize their lists in any order/ranking. This web application is designed to help Twitter users find the right people to follow and learn more from the ever expanding dialog underway in the Twitterverse. It provides additional features like directories and content summation as well as easy ways to curate and offer recommendations to other lists in the community.

Using Twitchimp is easy, integrates with your company, non-profit or personal branded Twitter account, and provides you with the ability to share the list externally. As a free user, you are restricted to use up to 100 people per list. If you choose to upgrade to Twitchimp’s premium plan, you will be able to build larger lists and integrate analytics which is a pretty nifty feature. For my company it's been an excellent way to increase exposure for the software technology vendors we serve.

Early Adopters and the Social Web

Early adopters have held an important stake in cultural acceptance of new innovations throughout history. And with the extensive growth of social media over the course of the past few years, these influencers’ “phenomenal comic powers” have become paramount in the success of a brand’s marketing strategy.

What really made me think about this was the hilarious example this past Friday by comedian news anchor Stephen Colbert with his endorsement of the new iPad II on Twitter. His tweet garnered over 100 re-tweets in less than an hour. It doesn’t get more influencer relevant than that.



Since social scientist Everett Rogers’ 1962 study developed the four acceptance categories that early adopters belong to, they have continued to play a key strategic role in product marketing and brand development. The powerful influence of the early adopters often sways the early majority and combined, the two groups can account for half of a new product’s sales. The success or failure of a brand often relies on their influence.

The Anatomy of Early Adopters

So what does an early adopter look like? According to a 2010 report from Advertising Age called Shiny New Things: What Digital Adopters Want, How to Reach Them, and Why Every Marketer Should Pay Attention, a study by Forrester Research coupled early adopters “technographic” profiles with psychological theories and found that three key drivers compel them:

1. Risk Taking - A desire for novelty that exceeds caution and reflects a “universal openness to new experiences, including new products. They are willing to take a chance on a product with little to no market history.” There is also a desire to be first.
   
2. Information Gathering - “There is an informational burden that needs to be overcome for new products, and early adopters are more likely to seek out the information needed to inform their adoption decisions.” But they also “seek to mitigate risk through information.”
   
3. Status Seeking - Early adopters take pride in showing off their purchases. Early adopters choose products that represent them to the world—their preferences as well as their social status.”

In another study by Nielsen and Mindset Media, early adopters of new technology scored high on certain personality traits in regard to purchasing habits:

1. Leadership - 68% are more likely to have purchased three or more computers in the past two years.
   
2. Dynamism - 58% are more likely to have purchased three or more flat-screen TVs in the past two years.
   
3. Assertiveness - 62% are more likely to purchase a new cell phone when the latest and greatest model hits the streets.
   
4. Modesty - 45% are more likely to upgrade when a new model is available.

Finding Success in Early Adopter Outreach

Influencers are unique individuals who require personal strategies of communication. According to iMediaConnections’ C.C. Chapman, there is no science to finding the right influencers because there are far too many factors in play for it to be that easy.

“I've used many services, companies, and other outlets to assist in compiling influencer lists,” Chapman said in a blog post. “But I have yet to find anything that works better then good, old fashion networking and research.”

As an influencer and early adopter, Chapman recently published a list of four ingredients for successful influencer outreach at iMediaConnections.

On the social web, researching and approaching these influencers isn’t easy. Mere friend/follower counts and profile views fall short of accurately measuring and identifying true influencers. Simon Dumenco with Ad Age Digital set out to further debunk that perception by analyzing the supposed top Twitter influencer rankings on several subjects provided by a marketing firm that specializes in this type of research. The results showed ineffective accounts with limited influence.

That is why it is important to perform intricate research into who a brand or product’s target audiences are and cultivate sincere relationships with them. Social media based influencer relations is critically different from traditional PR methods and requires varied tone, purpose, and understanding. When you apply that philosophy you’re sure to see a higher Return on Investment.

An innovative way to help generate early buzz from adopters and continue to nurture personal relationships is to conduct one-on-one briefings with them via Skype. This insightful idea from Ogilvy’s 360 Digital Influence team gives influencers an exclusive first look at the product even when a brand has a limited number of prototypes available.

Innovating with Facebook's New Fan Pages

Facebook released new design and feature changes to its fan pages two weeks ago, Feb. 5, bringing them up to date with a layout that now provides improved engagement with fans, features photos and offers better analytics for page administrators. This new version comes after Facebook’s redesigned profile pages launched last December.

After I switched the Society of Professional Journalists fan page to the upgrades, it sparked the idea to use this latest version as an opportunity to have some fun while creating a new Facebook branding strategy for SPJ. A week later, we’ve now converted the photos displayed on our fan page as promotional space to showcase various programs provided by SPJ.

As you can see above, the first set of promotions feature SPJ’s additional communications vehicles so we can better help our members and followers stay connected with what SPJ is doing in the journalism profession. Once clicked on, the description for each image provides a brief overview of that topic and additional links to those resources. In the coming months these placements will cycle and alternate with other themed placements to help SPJ’s Facebook fans with awareness of other programs such as our professional development, ethics and FOI resources.

Of course there are some limitations to this new strategy that brands will encounter. Unlike some of the creative ideas that have been spawned by their profile page alter egos, fan pages’ photos are continuously randomized and do not maintain a specific order of placement. Given the 25 possible screen display outcomes, this specifically prevents any synchronized efforts to create one consistent, single promotion that spans across all five spaces.

Another constraint I tweeted about with Washington Post Live intern and Media Bistro 10,000 Words blogger Kevin Loker concerned what happens next when an image is clicked. Images that are larger in scale than the exact size displayed on a fan page’s main wall will create an off-centered image when viewed on the wall. However, not enlarging the image means that it will remain that smaller size once it is clicked on. Deciding how to proceed given both constraints largely depends on personal preference.

As Facebook makes further advances, these factors will hopefully be taken into account and these problems may dissolve themselves over time. Until then, we are not the only ones who aren’t letting that stop us from experimenting. Kevin tagged me in on another conversation where USA Today College also had some fun with the new upgrades this past Friday.


When using these types of promotions for fan pages it is important to do so ethically and legally. Be familiar with the Facebook Advertising Guidelines.

Want to know more about the process that went into creating SPJ’s new Facebook promotions? Read a more in-depth entry by following this link to the SPJ headquarters blog where you can learn about the behind the scenes perspectives that went into this project - the ideas, failed concept work and a sneak peek at our next series of promotions.

35 Big Twitter Hashtags for PR Pros

Twitter is an exciting place for new and seasoned PR professionals to come together and share ideas and opportunities in the profession. The key to optimizing your Twitter experience is to take advantage of its hashtag resource which links related topics together with a simple # at the beginning of a word, acronym or phrase.

Over the past few days, I've researched some of the top PR related hashtags and their benefits. For the new Tweeters out there, or those still thinking about taking the plunge, I hope you'll take advantage of these 35 big Twitter hashtags for PR pros!

Most Common:
#PR – Obviously one of the two most encompassing tags, it's the most optimal for 140 character tweets. Great for mixed industry related posts.
#publicrelations – This tag may be the same concept as #PR, but the tweet results are hardly the same. Great for mixed industry related posts.

Practice & Expertise Focused:
#branding – Lessons for #corporate or #smallbiz related work.
#personalbranding – Perfect for learning to promote your self.
#mediarelations – Helps develop stronger relations with news media
#reputationmanagement – Tips/case studies for building and maintaining reputations.
#marketing – Industry news and strategies.
#crisismanagement – Trends, strategies and case examples of good/bad crisis work.
#CrisisPR – Like #PR/publicrelations, this tag is just as effective while diverse.
#publicity – Often sporadic in content value when searched, the worth while tweets make up the difference.
#advertising – Great techniques and trends.

Social Media Focused:
#socialmedia – Great for most trends and strategies for social media.
#SM – A second social media tag.
#digitalmarketing – Great for emphasis trends, news and some job opportunities.
#SEO – Search Engine Optimization related content.
#SMO – Social Media Optimization related content.
#smcedu – Weekly chat (Mondays, 9:30 am PST) devoted to ensuring that college grads are media literate and capable of applying emerging lessons from social media in organizations.

PR Jobs:
#prjobs – The definite way to find career opportunities and advice.
#prjob – Despite the one character difference, the opportunities and advice often vary.
#EntryPR – A specifically important tag for finding entry level jobs that are available and additional advice.
#happo – Help A PR Pro Out constantly provides job seeking advice, internships, and job opportunities with a focus on networking. The next organized chat will be on Wednesday, Dec. 8 from 8-9 pm CT.

Professional Development:
#PRadvice – A pretty wide spectrum of content with direct advice tweets and URL links.
#prtips – A pretty wide spectrum of content with direct advice tweets and URL links.
#pr20chat – Weekly chat (Tuesdays, 8 pm EST) discussing public relations social media related issues for the future.
#u30pro – Weekly chat (Thursdays, 8 pm EST) focusing on issues surrounding PR professionals under 30.
#solopr – Weekly chat (Wednesdays, 1 pm EST) designed for independent PR professionals and those interested in learning more about this career emphasis.
#measurepr – Bi-weekly chat (Tuesdays since 2/2/10, 12-1 pm ET) focusing on all things measurement in public relations and social media measurement too.
#brandChat – Weekly chat (Wednesdays, 11 a.m. EST) with focused topics about branding and marketing strategies.

PR Students:
#PRstudents – Mostly for building student's credentials and a frequent source for internships.
#prstudchat – Monthly chat (different days and times) focused on students and professionals coming together to share thoughts.
#PRintern – Learn about current student internships that are available.
#prssa – The Public Relations Student Society of America.

PR Organizations:
#prsa – The Public Relations Society of America.

Journalism Related:
#journalism – Great for most journalism related posts.
#journchat – Weekly chat (Mondays, 7 pm CT) between journalists, bloggers and PR pros.