Social Media Etiquette for Everybody

Every day we make decisions about what to say, how to act and react, and whether or not to let that guy who’s honking his horn and flashing his headlights merge into traffic. We try to be polite-some more effectively than others. Why is it, then, that people are so often quick to do or say the wrong thing online? Etiquette is important, no matter the medium. Here are some basics to always remember.

Let people know who you are. Be sure your profiles are filled in completely, including a photo, bio and contact info. If you have a website, be sure to link it – and it never hurts to link to other social profiles as well.

Use names and @mention people. When you’re dealing with the public (assuming you’re managing social media for a business) saying the name of the person with whom you’re talking really goes a long way, both to endear you to them and solidify a connection. As an added bonus, using the person’s name helps you to remember.

Give credit to the original content creator. Not everything you share on the Internet came straight from your mind. Be sure to mention the person who did create it. It’ll boost your cred with others, and it’s good Karma too.

Don’t mass-post (also known as an instadump). If you’re managing social media for your company (or yourself for that matter) it can be easy to share several things you have found in mass succession. This crowds the timelines of your friends or followers. Do it a few times and some of them will almost certainly disconnect from your feed.

Don’t go #hashtag crazy. Hashtags are everywhere now: Twitter, Google+, Facebook, Instagram, Vine… you name it. They’re a great way to search through content, but too many of them in an individual post can be quite off-putting. As an aside, don’t hijack other’s hashtags. That is, don’t try to make a popular tag about you/your product.

Keep your privates private. If you’re having a conversation with someone via direct message or email, don’t share any portion of that conversation publicly Also, if a situation requires a delicate touch, be sure to handle it via private medium.

Don’t use social autopilot. There are some great social media management programs available. These will let you schedule your posts to go out right when you want them to, no matter when you actually enter the content. Don’t forget; just because the program will take care of the initial post, doesn't mean it can answer any questions or respond to comments. It can’t.

Don’t mix voices. If this is a social media presence representing a business, don’t use “I”, don’t talk religion or politics (unless that’s your business), and don’t alienate potential customers by posting a lot of opinion pieces.

Prooferad. Make sure your statuses are pithy and properly spelled and punctuated. Use the right words. People will notice. Also, we know we misspelled proofread. We wanted to be sure you were paying attention.

If you have anything to add or if you dispute any of these, let us know. Tweet us. Facebook us. Email us. Just be sure your spelling and grammar are up to snuff.

City Ogre, Country Ogre, Focus Ogre

Not actual focus group participants

Recently, some of the ogres had the opportunity to conduct a few focus groups. If you're not familiar with what a focus group is, fear not. Basically, it is an arena where a small group of people who have something in common are presented with topics for discussion. From this discussion, a group or individual hopes to gather some insightful data. Sometimes, the person moderating the group has to redirect the conversation, or summarize what's been said for clarification. Apart from that, the participants are the focus of the group. When more than one focus group is held, there is a bonus data set. Neat, right? The bonus data are the observable differences in culture across sample sets. Bet your bottom, it's neat!

What was cool about the focus groups we conducted was the sense that we were in geographically varying locations, when in actuality, we were in the Pensacola metro area.

One of the events was done in a town near Pensacola. The area was wooded and buildings were tucked in and among the trees. The whole feeling was laid back, natural, and welcoming. The people with whom we spoke used the words “open” and “family” freely. It’s safe to say we were taken in, openly, and treated like family. Participants in the focus group were eager to share ideas and willing to hear one another’s views. Information flowed freely.

Another of the focus groups was held in a central part of Pensacola. The tone of the event was quite different from the previous. People we met could be compared to New Yorkers. They knew what they wanted, knew where it could be found, and they didn’t mince words or waste time. Their interaction during the focus group was boisterous and varied. Some participants were lively and animated, while others remained mostly quiet. There was definitely a big-city feeling; not that we were concerned with getting jacked or anything. We were in amazement at the contrast between this and the previous group.

A third focus group was held in what could be considered a borough of Pensacola. Neither in the country or the city, this location proved to be a combination of the two others. Interesting. People were in a hurry, but not so much that they didn’t have time or interest in sharing opinions or giving direction. Participants turned out in overwhelming numbers. Though they clearly had somewhere else to be, they stuck around as long as their voices were being heard.

We’re always fascinated by different cultures, even if they’re subsections of the larger. We would like to hear from you. Have you had similar experiences when working with groups? Let us know here or on social media. We do the Facebookand the Twitters.

AAdvertising Dollars Well Spent

Have you gotten this phone call?

“Hello, may I speak with the business owner or whoever is in charge of advertising and marketing decisions?”

It’s the Yellow Pages or one of the other phone book companies, and they want your business to advertise in their publication. What to do? What to do? Well, you have two obvious options: buy an ad or don’t. It’s that simple. The decision, however, might make you want to commit hari-kari.

There are pros and cons with each. So what’s new? Everything has a dark side, even duct tape. A lot of businesses still advertise in these directories, and they’re one way to get your name out there. People will see your business name, and maybe a little blurb about what you do, but that’s it.

In the not-so-distant past, this ad space was priceless. If your business wasn’t listed in the yellow pages, then your potential customers couldn’t “let their fingers do the walking” and find you. Of course, if you operated Wilson’s Whitewash, your listing would be well below AAble Whitewashing Company. As a result, you probably got a lot fewer calls. So, even though it was incredibly important to be listed in the telephone directory, there were still drawbacks.

Fast forward to today. When was the last time you pulled out a phone book to look up a number? It’s more likely that you use the book as a booster seat at the Thanksgiving dinner table. It’s going away, and replacing it are Google rankings and search engine optimization. A well programmed website will go a long way to increase your chances of landing a job when a potential customer searches for a whitewashing company. The old trick of adding a couple of “A”s to your business’ name to beat out the competition are over. Good riddance to bad practices.

Even if you and your audience are not computer savvy, there are still better ways to spend those advertising dollars. Instead of buying a phone book ad, consider a billboard or vinyl lettering on your company cars. Remember, not everyone is going to see the van driving down the street with Wilson’s Whitewash emblazoned on the side, but a lot more will see that than the phone number buried under little Timmy’s tush.

If you want to explore your options, find the best place to put your money, contact an ogre for a free consultation. We have a phone. The number is 850.912.4203. We’re on Facebook, Twitter, and at cleverogre.com. You can even email us.

A Bite of Inspiration

It’s been sunny and beautiful in Pensacola the last, well, the last several weeks. Summertime is here and we’re enjoying it. The writing ogre (that’s me) was sitting at his computer trying to figure out what he would write. Sometimes inspiration is hard to find, so he went for a walk. Lo and behold, right there, beside the sidewalk was inspiration.

For those of you not familiar with fire ants, they’re a kind of ant found in the southeastern United States. They build big dirt mounds, or anthills, some of which are so big one might think they could be seen from space; oceans, the Great Wall of China, and anthills… yep. The thing about fire ants is that they’re extremely territorial and aggressive. The slightest disturbance to the hill and thousands of them emerge, looking for a fight. Their main goal is to defend the queen, so that she can produce more fire ants and grow the colony. The fire ant’s bite packs a painful and venomous punch. They’re not deadly, unless the victim weighs about a gram, or there are thousands of them biting a larger creature or person at once. The bite swells up, develops a red, itchy rash, and is dang near impossible not to meddle with. Their tenacity, however annoying, is admirable.

Here’s a short video of fire ants emerging from the hill, ready to attack.

Much like the fire ants, a good team - whether family, friends, or coworkers – will defend one another against intruders and unwanted outsiders. They work together, each one doing his or her job, and helping out as much as possible wherever needed, to perform each task to the best of the group’s abilities. These are the kind of groups we all seek out in life; others with a common interest and goal, who will fight for and defend one another and their collective task. Find these people, and you’ve found something special… something different.

At Clever Ogre, this is artistically illustrated. Ogres do what’s required, and then some, to produce the best possible product. Whether it’s a logo, a website, a blog or a full-on branding campaign; rest assured, they’re on it. Each one knows what is expected of the other and what the end result should be. When they’re working for you, you’re part of the group. You and your product or image will be defended just as vehemently as the fire ants defend their queen and hill.

Do you have questions for the ogres? You can find us all over the web. We’re at www.cleverogre.com, on facebook, and on Twitter. Say hi, let us know if you need anything, and we’ll be there for you. Don’t worry, we don’t bite.