Monday, October 17, 2011

#OccupyWallStreet

Whether or not you agree with the #OccupyWallStreet movement, one thing is clear: they are using social media to the utmost. Twitter has played an integral role in organizing events, and Facebook pages have been created in abundance.

But what exactly are the OWS protestors...protesting?

I went down to the heart of it all on October 15th: Zuccotti Park on Wall Street. I interviewed about 10 different people, and I approached it all from a non-partisan curiosity. I wanted to know why each individual was there. And as a result, I got a myriad of answers.

Check out the video below. Feel free to share your thoughts here, or by commenting on the video.

Also, here's a fascinating article on what started it all: a hashtag.



Colin

Q & A from the Austin Hill Show: Small businesses on Facebook?



Yesterday I was on the Austin Hill Show. Austin and I had a great discussion about the role of social media in small businesses. He asked me three key questions. Below you'll find his questions, followed by my responses.

Q) Why should a small business owner or even a self-employed person be marketing themselves on social media websites?  What are they missing if they don't?

A) Social Media services are, first and foremost, a way to connect with people. If you are looking to connect with your customers, provide an easy way to get information to your consumer base, or even get feedback from people who use your service or company, social media is the way to do it online.

 Q) What is better for our businesses - Twitter or Facebook?  How do these two things work in conjunction with one-another?

A) Facebook is, overall, better for businesses. As far as sheer numbers go, Facebook’s user base is far larger than Twitter’s. That being said, they are two different tools.

Facebook is an ideal tool for creating events for your business, sharing videos and professional photos, as well as being a hub for connectivity with your customer base.
Twitter is ideal for sharing short updates, uploading pictures on-the-go, and personally connecting with individual customers.

Q) On Facebook, specifically, what "type" of page does a business need? Facebook offers personal pages, "fan" pages, "group" pages,...when we go to Facebook.com, where do we navigate from there to begin marketing our business?

A) To create a page, go to Facebook.com on your internet browser. If you do not have a Facebook account, creating one only takes a few mintues. From there, on the left of your facebook home screen there is a “pages” sub-header. Click the word “pages.” This will bring you to a list of all the pages you have created. On the top right there is a large button that reads “create a page.” Click that to get started.

Facebook separates their types of pages into six categories: local business or place, company organization or institution, brand or product, artist band or public figure, entertainment, and cause or community.

Local businesses will want to  choose the “local business or place” category. Facebook will then ask what kind of business you have, what its name is, where it is located, and a phone number where your business can be contacted. After filling in this information, you will be prompted to upload an image to represent your business, and to invite Facebook friends to “Like” your page.
 


Colin