4 ways you're doing social media wrong (+ how to fix them)

as a blogger, i spend a lot of time on social media. my favorite platforms right now are twitter and snapchat (which is an entire other can of worms, by the way!) and i love connecting with other bloggers on both. on twitter especially, i see a lot of folks utilizing the platform in the complete and total wrong way - but of course, this applies to all other mediums, too.

it's important to be consistent and strategic with your social media. after all, you're among millions and millions of other messages going out at the exact same second. if you're going to take the time to write it, why not make it count?

check below for some common social media no-no's, + how to fix them.

not filling out your profiles completely

i see a ton of folks doing this. why?! i'll visit someone's twitter profile thinking they're a local business, and they don't have their "location" field filled out. so, i glance at a few tweets. i still don't recognize the area/relevance, so i shrug, click out of the page, and move on. what a missed potential opportunity! had i know this cute donut shop was definitely in birmingham, i would have followed them.

your profile, whether it's on twitter, facebook or instagram, is your first impression. people skim these pages quickly and make the decision to follow you in less than a few seconds. why not make sure your profiles pack a punch?! fill out every field - your website, your location, your bio. if you have something important to offer your readers (an important, must-read post, an e-book, an e-course, etc.) use a URL shortening tool like bit.ly to throw a link to your offer in your bio (see my pinterest for example).

linking up networks without customizing messages

i know, i know. this is such a timesaver, isn't it? if you're posting on facebook, for example, you can choose to have it automatically push to twitter, instagram, etc. - and wow, you've just covered all your bases in a few seconds.

for me, there's nothing more disheartening that going to a twitter account and finding it riddled with "fb.me" links back to facebook. customizing messages separately and thoughtfully for each platform is important. not to mention, users aren't always frequenting these platforms at the same time. you may be on facebook during your lunchbreak, but instagram users are going crazy liking/posting after 5pm. if you linked your photo to post on facebook, twitter and instagram at once, you missed some careful scheduling that could have yielded more likes and engagement.

tagging other users without an introduction

ah, the old "stand on the soapbox and yell into a megaphone" technique, i like to call it. if you're a small blogger tweeting at or tagging a large business, go for it. but otherwise? why not introduce yourself instead of prompting someone to see your tag/tweet/post and say, "who the hell is that?".

this does not apply if you're simply sharing a post you found helpful or interesting, nor does it apply to favoriting your blogger crush's tweets. nope. what i'm talking about is akin to posting an image from your latest blog post and tagging random bloggers in hopes they take a look at it. this applies to businesses, too, in the form of tweeting a copied & pasted message like "come try our pizza, 50% off on tuesdays!" to hundreds of local twitter accounts. o-m-g, please stop!

form a relationship. say hey to your favorite bloggers. promote their content, reply to their tweets. you won't have to stand on a soapbox and yell if you build relationships with your peers.

not focusing on where your tribe is

here's a secret: you don't need every form of social media. some mediums just aren't right for you or your brand. you may not feel like you fit in on snapchat. everyone who comments on your blog may have zero interest in twitter. and that's ok!

sit down and brainstorm your ideal reader. you could even conduct a survey! ask your readers where they hang out. focus your energy there! if none of your clients or readers are on facebook, then quit crafting messages for facebook and re-shift your energy. again, social media isn't just a big megaphone you're screaming into. be strategic with where your voice travels.

what are your favorite social media tips?

if you have any questions, please ask! while you're here, read more on social media & blogging tips with these posts:

3 ways to get the most out of social media scheduling
 
social media: scheduling vs. organic

overcoming blogging self doubt

blogger collaboration 101: part two

last week, i talked about how to get started collaborating with other bloggers. to read that post, click here!

collaborating with businesses is not always as intuitive as working with fellow bloggers can be. and honestly, it can be intimidating. i remember not having the slightest clue about how to work with a business. i learned the ropes gradually, and now, i'm a lot more confident. this post is mostly going to be about approaching businesses you'd like to work with.

• identify who you want to work with. start small. start local. is there a new local restaurant in town? is there a fabulous candle company owned by a friend of a friend? i fully believe in giving a voice to smaller, locally owned businesses. working with larger companies is ok too. just don't forget your local friends.

• have your list (yes, make a list!) of companies? get the right contact. it is so imperative to do your best to locate the name of someone at the company you can chat with. if it's a small company, odds are the person answering your emails is the owner themselves. find this information and address your emails accordingly. if you search to the ends of the earth and can't find this, double check your email and make sure you sound absolutely sincere in your pitch. when i receive emails that don't use my name, i tend to automatically assume it's spam/someone who did no research. add details to your email that assure the recipient you actually viewed their site and understand their business.

• here's the most important tip i have to offer: this collaboration is not about begging for products or asking to be recognized. initially, this collaboration is about how you can help benefit this business. keep this in mind. that's what you're here for. you're the voice. bloggers are the new media. do not ask what this business can do for you - ask what you can do for this business. i get it. you want the free eyeshadow. and while many companies are practically throwing samples out the window, a lot aren't. you need to build trust first.

• the initial email is not the time to play hardball. you're coming out of the dark, introducing yourself and establishing a conversation. wait until you receive an interested response from the company before getting explicit about what you want. once you've got a company's interest, this email is also the time to talk numbers if they ask - your blog stats, traffic and what sort of reach you feel you can provide. be honest. talk about your social media following as well, or any important roles you play in your local community that bring activity to your blog. stats aren't the only thing you have to offer.

• some businesses don't, well, "get it". many have not worked with bloggers or similar methods of promotion before. this is where you have to get blunt. ask for what you want after a few initial emails. "i am very interested in sharing _____ with my readers. could i try a sample so that i can adequately express my thoughts in a post?

ready? here's a sample "cold call" pitch email with an imaginary company.

dear ______,

my name is meredith davis and i blog over at www.meredithnoelle.com. i just discovered alabama candle company and have really enjoyed reading about your products on your website. as an alabama native, i am passionate about supporting all things local, and as a candle collector, you've kind of already got me sold.

my blog has a loyal readership of both alabama natives and other bloggers across the country. i would love the opportunity to help y'all get the word out about your endeavors, and would be happy to chat with you about promoting alabama candle company on my blog and social media. please let me know how i can help.

looking forward to hearing from you!
meredith

collaborating with other bloggers + businesses are two imperative skills for a seasoned blogger. do you have any other topics in this series you'd like to see?

further reading:

• helene in between's 'my answer to advertisers' - don't know what to say when you receive an email pitch asking you to work for free? helene handles this perfectly, and this is a must-read for all bloggers.
• feast & west's 'working with sponsors for a party' - these tips are applicable whether you're hosting a blogger event or just asking for sponsors in general.
• simply stacie's 'how to write a disclosure statement for your blog' - if you're accepting sponsored posts, you need a disclosure statement!

blogger collaboration 101: part one

at our birmingham bloggers coffee chat last weekend, we talked about our goals and resolutions for 2015. many people mentioned being interested in collaborating with businesses, events and other bloggers. this task can seem a little daunting if you haven't collaborated before. once you get into a good rhythm and begin to build relationships with the bloggers, creatives and businesses around you, you're going to feel like you're just talking to your friends. which is good, because these people should become your friends!

the first thing you need is a desire to get plugged in. in today's post, we're going to start with collaborating with other bloggers. 

• if you're a new blogger or a blogger looking to become more connected, this should be your first focus. the very, very first thing you should do is make sure you have an active account on the primary mediums bloggers use to connect - bloglovin', twitter, instagram and facebook.

• follow your favorite bloggers and bloggers in your area on all forms of social media. use blogging networks to locate nearby bloggers - start by googling "your area + blog" or "your area + blogging group". check out the southern blog society, the southwest blog society, blogher & more!

• twitter and instagram are my personal favorites for connecting with bloggers. on twitter, respond when they post links to their posts or articles. congratulate their successes. leave comments on their blog. these are the fundamental building blocks for creating relationships and partnerships in the blogging community.  

• but don't forget - maintain these relationships! there's nothing worse than someone leaving you in the dust, so to speak, after they've "gotten what they wanted", whether it be a social media shoutout or a guest post. it's obvious. it's shady. don't do it. you're either here to be a part of a community, or you're not.

• does your blog friend have a small business you'd be happy to support? did they write an awesome post on creating their own online book club, and you'd like to join? speak up! shoot them an email, reintroduce yourself if you haven't connected on twitter or instagram, and mention you'd like to find a way to work together. an easy way for bloggers to help each other out is to guest post. it starts with an email.

dear ____,

hi! my name is meredith davis and i blog over at www.meredithnoelle.com. as an avid reader of your blog, i truly feel like your content is something my readers would also enjoy. i really enjoyed your posts on ____ and _____, and would like to invite you to guest post on my blog. if you aren't available to guest post, i'd really like to find a way for us to work together. let's keep in touch!

looking forward to hearing from you!
meredith

that's it! if you like what they're doing, tell them so. be genuine. strive to create a connection as opposed to just a business transaction, and remaining transparent about your thoughts, intentions and stance are the best way to do that. you can even mention being a new blogger looking to get involved, and ask if they have any advice. bloggers love talking about blogging, let me tell you. chat them up! oh, and always attend local meetups! if you don't have a local community, click here to read a post on starting your own.

next week, i'll be discussing how bloggers can get started collaborating with both national and local businesses - how to pitch them, how to form relationships + more!

20 blog post ideas

good morning, y'all. we're halfway through the week & i've got so much on my plate. i haven't really made a post about it yet because our site isn't up, but i'm working with some lovely women to start a local blogging community here in birmingham - we're really close to having it all set to go, so stay tuned on that. otherwise, i'm plugging away at work, loving my beginner's yoga class & being a beast at kickball on thursdays. spring is upon us. i think this week was my last time wearing a sweater for quite a while. oh, and i've gotten into the habit of buying flowers every week - as you can see, this week, i picked up some pink + white carnations.

so are you super busy? feeling stumped lately with blogging? no muse? here are some prompts to get you going again. link me what you come up with, i'd love to see!

01. a lesson your parents/grandparents taught you.
02. your favorite weird food combination - and why others should try it.
03. photograph your city as it enters a new season. do you have distinct seasons? do you like it?
04. pick a food/product, and review 2 comparable products from different companies.
05. write about 3 things that piss you off. really piss you off.
06. do you collect anything? share your collection.
07. what's your favorite memory of middle school? worst? were you a "mean" kid?
08. any advice for college students? grad students? new grads? highschool grads?
09. gush about your favorite app.
10. share your favorite meal, step by step.
11. invent a cocktail. name it after your blog.
12. how do you take your coffee? do you think coffee is an acquired taste?
13. what food do you refuse to eat? could you ever be convinced?
14. write about a big decision you made. any regrets?
15. take a stand for something you believe in.
16. do you consider yourself a writer? what does writing mean to you?
17. do you believe in any conspiracy theories? state your case.
18. how do you feel about your home state? write an open letter. "dear alabama..."
19. what's your travel bucket list?
20. what's your "style"? do you fall into any stereotypes? do you embrace them?