I’ve taught Facebook marketing. I’ve blogged about it. I’ve helped businesses with their Facebook presence. I’ve bought ebooks, I’ve spent hours in the HELP! section and reading many blog posts but you know what? I should’ve just bought Joan Stewart’s Facebook product instead.

When I first started reading it I didn’t think that much. Then I went to the handouts at the end and that is exactly what I was looking for.

I’m printing it off and keeping it as a reference. Even the best teachers forget how to do things on Facebook. This will be my reference from now on. It’s up-to-date and helpful. Other people might know just as much but Joan has a way of making the information accessible.

I’ve bought other guides and read many blogs and this has more helpful, clear instructions than ANYWHERE ELSE I’ve looked.

Why?

Because it’s written in an easy conversational tone.

Because it’s easy to skim if you’re impatient like me and just want to get to the information you DON’T already know.

You learn how to do these things on Facebook:

• Announce on your profile that you created a Page and how to find and link to that Page.
• Keep up with what’s happening on Facebook - I should’ve thought of that!
• Facebook group or fan Page? and why
• How to find your pages once they’re set up (it’s confusing!)
• Delete “friends” without them knowing it (we’ve all wanted to do this!)
• Get good content for your Facebook Page
• Use the tagging feature
• Quickly learn how to do something you don’t remember or know how to do on Facebook
• Use events as a promotion tool for more than just events
• Avoid getting overwhelmed by Facebook

And…

What are “highlights” and how do they work?
Adding, deleting and customizing tabs.
How to get your URLs to promote off of Facebook (this can be tricky)
Facebook badges step by step
Examples of effective pages and how to set one up
How to use the “share” button
Promote other people’s fan pages (what goes around comes around - I’m sure you’d do this for me, wouldn’t you?)
Making your event invites look nice
Import your other social network sites onto Facebook

At the end she gives a lot of links to other internet marketing resources. Skip to the end first. It has the notes with screenshots.

Missed Opportunities - even if you know a lot this reinforces and reminds you of key parts of Facebook marketing.

My missed opportunity on Facebook?? Video! Did you know that when you update your wall, click the video link and you can record directly from your laptop webcam or upload a YouTube video.

So my post sounds like a sales page and yet I’m sincere when I say I recommend that you buy this right now, print it out and read it.

Oh, and if you’re a Utah blogger, please join my Utah blogger’s fan page here: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Utah-Bloggers/96701207442 or if you’re interested in my new book become a fan here http://www.facebook.com/pages/Online-PR-Book/113709178083

Get the Facebook Tips transcript or audio file here. Make sure to order the transcript for $10 more or just get the transcript. I’m having mine printed and spiral bound.

I’d rather have affiliates selling my product for a commission than paying for an ad. I’d rather work with someone who has a strong following online.

I hear the success of working with bloggers and it’s usually where I start when I trying to think of ways to market a business. I started a Facebook Page for Utah bloggers precisely so local businesses could pitch us, like this local chiropractor (but I hope they’ll get people who want to try the service and write about it with a keyword rather than an ad):

Hello! We are looking for Utah bloggers to advertise with. If you are looking for advertising please send us a message and we would love to check out your blog.

Best Wishes,
Alisyn Shepro
Marketing Director
Hansen Chiropractic
www.thebackdoctors.com

Smart!

Seth Godin said:

“Visa…spent a million or more dollars on a very expensive, complex and largely ineffective online promotion last month–not because it was likely to work, but because it was well sold by persistent and effective salespeople. They should have sponsored your blog and 400 others instead.“

Favorite quotes:
“Brilliant academics are not necessarily brilliant businessmen.”
“In lieu of a partnership, first consider licensing deals or strategic partnerships.” (I’m not sure what the difference is between strategic partnerships and partnerships.)

My advice… The quicker they are to offer ownership in exchange for payment, the more doubts I have. If you’re really going to make money you don’t want to bring on more partners to share the profits with. I’ve never seen this work.

The types mentioned in the article ring so true that it’s funny!

We also discussed business to business sales and how when working with potential clients avoid those who don’t return calls or emails. They aren’t ready or aren’t interested. That sounds obvious but it’s my first weeding out.

Example (for some reason I hear more examples of PR firms this year so I’m using them in this example but it applies to all kinds of partnerships):

PR firm: Let’s work together! Send us everything (many requests follow).

Me: Send something, get no response. Or get response months later at the last minute.
Message: We’re too busy to talk to you.
Me: Stop all work.

I’m often jealous of people who have good business partnerships because it’s something I haven’t been able to pull off. I always attract the same sort of person. Maybe it’s a reflection of my own weaknesses! But starting next week I’m going to work for my husband part time and it’s our first anniversary. The marriage partnership is going great - hopefully this new one will too!

Any advice to share from your partnerships?

Email Newsletter Tips

• Spend time looking at newsletters you like and borrow elements that you like.

• Consider running a design contest to come up with an effective design. This usually involves having a design made then someone to mark it up (coding). I like Digital Point Forums or 99 Designs. I’m horrible at design and picky (a terrible client) and this helps me get a broad range of designs to choose from. It’s also more fun. It’s also great when you’re on a budget.

• Reuse content as much as possible (from your blog, what people have said to you on twitter, customer comments and questions, etc). This blog post came from a question I answered by email and I just expanded it into a full post.
• Do you currently capture email addresses for newsletters on your blog and web site? Remember that your own list is more effective than one you buy. Also consider asking another company who has a complimentary but not competitive position in the market  if you can write something for their audience. In return put a link to sign up for your newsletter.
• Promote your social networking sites where people can interact with you (places to find products, featured product testimonials, video and photos). Link to your Facebook Page, your YouTube channel, your Twitter account, your blog, etc.

I like the idea of a giveaway for those who sign up for your newsletter and/or post to you on a social network with a story, a photo, video, etc relating to your company. I need to do this (give away copies of my book).

I also found this advice about newsletters:

Give readers actionable content - information they can use right away to solve a problem. You just need to know what your readers’ problems are.

How do you find out what’s on your readers’ minds? Survey them. You can ask, “What is the one problem that’s nagging you that you really want to solve?” If you ask that kind of question, then you’re going to get a variety of answers, and you’ll know what you should be writing about.

I’d probably go with Aweber for its solid reputation but I’m also an affiliate of Constant Contact (free 60 day trial) which is probably the easiest to figure out. Aweber though is known for being whitelisted (less email providers marking your newsletter as spam that goes straight to trash). Since you share the same server with groups then a spammer can get the entire group banned.

Since email newsletters are not my expertise I’d like to hear what you think. Comments?

The blog post says: “We expect to offer even more ways to use your Facebook username in the future.” More details please!

Here’s the old style URL (tough to remember and share) and what it could look like after Saturday:

Start thinking about this now - what usernames you’ll choose. You can’t change or transfer it. If you signed up for a Facebook Page after May 31 or a user profile after today at 3 p.m. EDT, you may not be able to sign up for a username immediately because of steps we’ve taken to prevent abuse or “squatting” on names.

Questions? here’s their FAQ, if you’re an administrator of Facebook Pages, get more details here. If you want to learn how to use many of the features of Facebook, check out this guide to Facebook.

Make sure that you do this and you claim your name before someone else does.

I respect the work Angela has done and asked her to share some tips with us. Her rules apply to any type of online community: engaging with others on Facebook, Twitter, etc. This is a valuable skill to have if you’re in this game.

Thanks Angela for sharing:

Top 5 Rules of Running an Online Community

Have you ever struck up a conversation with a complete stranger in the checkout line at the grocery store once you both realize the line hasn’t moved in the last ten minutes?

Perhaps you’ve locked eyes briefly with a parent as you both painfully watched another parent manhandle their screaming 3-year-old at the park.

The connections you make with strangers in these types of situations are based on a shared experience. Something that affects you both and has no bearing on whether or not you were previously acquainted.

These are the same connections we can make online, and sharing personal experiences is one of the most effective ways to engage an online  community.

As a community manager, I have employed many tactics to engage members and encourage participation. Some work better than others but nothing seems to resonate more than a personal story. When you share something personal, it evokes emotion and prompts others to share similar experiences.

When I blogged about the anniversary of my father’s death, stories about dad’s who’d died too soon poured in and the level of sharing was unbelievable. The same thing happened when I recounted a time in high school when I almost froze to death while waiting for the city bus. It was as if there was suddenly a competition to see who had endured the worst winters and could recall all of the gruesome details.

If you ever want to start a conversation fast, sharing something personal will get the job done. If you share something from your own life, it is almost certain others will follow suit.

It is what I consider one of the top five rules of community engagement.

Here are the other four:

Stroke a few egos
Flattery will get you everywhere. It is imperative that you go above and beyond in this department. When you have constant contributors, and people who are vested in the best interest of the community, you have to express your grattitude. and tell them how much you need and appreciate them.

Ask questions
Never underestimate the power of a question. Ask members what they think about current events, or potential changes in the community or forum.Find out what they think about local and national issues. Ad don’t think your questions have to be intellectual. Sometimes something as simple as “What are you cooking for dinner tonight?” can create a major dialog.

Acknowledge good work
See, “stroke a few egos.” Acknowledging good work publicly is good for everyone. It encourages the contributor and shows your appreciation of their time and efforts

Accept and respond to criticism
This simply shows that you’re human. Building an open honest relationship with your community is key. When people know that you are accessible and available and willing to hear them out and respond, you build a level of respect that cannot be bought. It also illustrates your commitment to the community and how much you value their presence.

Today’s consumers are faced with infinite choices, and if you don’t provide an experience worth their time, they won’t be back.
Remember, we are living in the conversation age, where the number of choices online are infinite and the audience that was once easily bought must now be earned.

You can find out more about engaging online communities in Angela’s new book, “18 Rules of Community Engagement: A Guide for Building Relationships and Connecting with Customers Online.”

On Amazon: 18 Rules of Community Engagement (Happy About, May 2009)
@communitygirl on Twitter

Blog: Online Community Strategist

Forward by Peter Shankman

Afraid of being criticized.
Afraid that no one will read it.
Afraid it will suck.
Afraid it won’t sell.
Afraid it’s not good enough.
Afraid I don’t know enough.
Afraid people will ask me to speak about it or they won’t. Or that I’ll suck at speaking because I’ve become such a writer.

The anxiety surprises me because I’m a writer! So it has dragged on and on. Part of that is because nothing is ever enough. I’m so self-conscious that I sabotage completing it. I can’t make up my mind. I keep adding to it like writing another entry in my blog. But it really is closer. But I’ve learned something and gotten something from writing this book than anything else I’ve ever done - and it’s not even published yet.

Just the process of writing a book has brought a lot of focus to my work. I’ve revisited blog posts and organized a lot of information that is otherwise buried and unconnected. This helps me see how the pieces fit together. I’m also constantly on the lookout for new information and examples for my reader. I have a reason to continue researching.

I bookmark several web sites on Delicious each week, sometimes several a day. I plan to write a post about each page I’ve bookmarked in my onlinePrbook blog. My bookmarks are my collection of resources and will always have new information. I love that I can put notes about each page I save.

I want to present the information in various ways (anyone know of a company that produces preloaded or branded iPod shuffles?)

Here’s another lesson: Writing a book gives me a reason to get to know people and to form new relationships with organizations and people I have followed for years but never reached out to. I ask them to write a blurb for my book or to review it. I’ve found no one reads it (we have no attention span) but they have other ideas on how we can promote it.

Amazingly the biggest group I’m reaching right now are women. This is a first in my career. I love reaching women because I feel less intimidated by them. I know that sounds ridiculous. Maybe it’s because PR people tend to be women or men who like working with women. Or maybe I’m just attracting women with the content I present and the way I present it. It’s given me a chance to network with women who are great mentors and some are even cheerleaders (or in other words, evangelists).

Too often I try to do things by myself. It’s opening up new possibilities as I continue this process and meet people who I respect but never had a reason to contact. Now I do.

My publisher is Happy About. I like them because they get the ISBN and into Amazon and have an affiliate program so other people can promote my book. Built into the system. I’m quite sure I’m one of the highest maintenance first time authors. But I think the payoff will be worth it on both sides. And if I ever publish another book I’ll have it down.

How about writing a book? Ever thought of it?

What has really been impressive though is how Sharpie is using social media, (though being a somewhat boring product). They are getting raving fans instead of people like me who simply liked their products but never evalangelized them. They had a lot of passionate Sharpie lovers out there so they just joined the existing conversation.

Examples:

1. They set up a celebrity booth in LA with camera crews and PR attention for a new stainless Sharpie pen (I learned about from David Meerman Scott’s Facebook update). They keep you updated on their blog and social media sites. Think about this: could you get that kind of buzz for a new pen?? If you’re Sharpie, yes!
2. Celebrities and bands get involved.
3. They talk about different unique ways to use their product, like how to decorate a basement with $10 worth of Sharpies (great discussion during a recession!) and making wrapping paper. Their pens are an artist’s tool for kids and adults alike.
4. Sharpie is an example of a trusted brand with a great image and decided to join the conversation with videos on YouTube, Twitter, Flickr, a blog, and a Facebook fan page. They fan the fire that was already there (another good argument for building trust with your customers over the long haul).

Sharpie started social media marketing less than a year ago. From the slogan: Write out Loud! To the spend: $2,000. All with one woman: Susan Wassel, social-media manager for Sharpie (fun job!). She says:

“Everybody owns a black Sharpie, we want to give them a reason to own the rest of the colors.”

I love seeing the fun and creativity Sharpie brings to their marketing. Follow them for inspiration!

To be fair I’m not entirely sure it was TwitterOnlineSystem.com but it is the most suspicious thing that’s happened to my account. My friend Jenny from Cheeky & Swank also had a similar experience and she’s still not back on Twitter. It’s been several weeks. It seems that any program that tries to increase your followers could put your account at risk.

This is the worst year I’ve ever seen for spammers. I’ve been online starting in 1996 (for hours a day) and I have done everything online and I’ve never had it this bad. Is it the bad economy? Is it that they suddenly figured out how to spam even the most secure sites? Are they getting smarter? It makes me want to quit my profession. I deal with it every day in my inbox. I’ve spent time and money getting it off this blog and my client’s blogs. It comes back again.

Whatever has happened, Twitter has posted something about how if your account was just suspended they are working on it. I would post the exact comment but Twitter is down.

Here’s my wish for Twitter: I wish Twitter would stop making us go to other sites to find Twitter tools to manage groups, keywords, scheduling tweets, managing multiple accounts and other features we want. Just charge us for it. And have a service that lets you backup your account. And maybe get priority customer service.

So many of us depend on Twitter and we’re practically powerless when it comes to managing our accounts. Here’s hoping it won’t be a long wait.

If this is ever a problem again I’m switching to www.twitter.com/NewspaperGIRL - with an I in GIRL.

UPDATE: My account is back up! It’s not totally normal though. It re-added people I’ve followed for months. I get DMs from different people telling me that TwitterOnlineSystem has gotten me 20 more followers. I’d rather just have my account be stable.

This issue gets really messy (read this post about conflicts of interest by Penelope Trunk, warning: the post has some overshare that can be offensive to some readers, but otherwise does a good job at illustrating the point).

For example: how do you disclose that your link on twitter is an affiliate link - in 140 characters or less? Does it really matter? Do I care if someone makes money recommending someone if it’s a recommendation from someone I trust? NO. If they’re like me they won’t recommend something just to make money or their reputation will be shot.

However, there are some accounts that the only purpose is to make money and they use affiliate links to do that. I’m surprised again and again just how much MLMers are using Twitter and how much they advertise but people still subscribe.

Same with Guy Kawasaki who I recently called out for marketing a car on his blog. Do you really think he would’ve taken the time to write a post this involved on his own? And how exactly does it change the world? Thankfully he has Prius ads on his blog to redeem himself to environmentalists. He’s quite open about marketing and we still follow him (Alltop is a great resource I recommend to find places to guest post or find bloggers to involve in your social marketing strategy). He just markets well.

I just talked to a group of affiliate marketers yesterday about techniques affiliates are using to make sales from Twitter.

I’m already promoting PRWeb and now that I’m an affiliate I can make money doing it. That’s fair. It motivates me to find time to seek out and answer questions people have about PRWeb which I would do anyway. (disclosure: the PRWeb link is an affiliate link, so is this one for my most coveted gift: an Amazon Kindle - and if you buy one using this link I’ll make $35).

Here’s an excerpt from Jeremiah Owyang who has been posting on this topic.

How to make affiliate links work on Twitter

• Make sure it lines up editorially with your personal brand, promoting a product that people don’t associate you with will raise eyebrows.
• Disclose it’s an affiliate link, perhaps with a hashtag #affilliatelink.
• Be sincere about your recommendation. If you truly love that product you’re promoting, perhaps write a review on a blog first, explaining why.
• Be fully transparent before people follow you: Create a link from your Twitter profile page that is up front about how you use Twitter, and explain your intentions when it comes to product recommendations and affiliate links.

What if you send links directly to the merchant and don’t have room for a long hashtag like #affiliatelink? What if you have no personal brand (like most affiliates I know)?

Twitter is a blog post so it shouldn’t be any different when it comes to disclosure. When I’m flat out paid for a sponsored post - I state that. I obviously got some swag for blogging about a local jeweler. I have affiliate links on my blog and they are the same as my ads.

Jeremiah’s post goes into the legal issues and you should read all of it.

Oh, and the next time you talk to me and I recommend that you attend Smart Media 2009 - remind me to disclose that I have a financial stake in the conference. I’ll be there. I’ll present with my friend Nate Moller about how to use Twitter for marketing. I hope you’ll be there.