I love social media. When used correctly, social media can help businesses multiply their impact and create the brand image that they desire. Social media used correctly is the difference between a retail store with a professional sign, and a retail store with a 8x10 piece of paper taped to their window.

That said, there are a few companies that stand out with their social media presence. Some companies just do things right. I'm starting a new blog series where I'll be highlighting brands that have great social media marketing. These companies make their social media sites look like a cozy place for their customers to sit by and rely on. There's probably a fireplace and a cup of coffee waiting for them there...

1. Starbucks. If you guys follow me on Twitter (If you don't already follow me, here's a shameless plug to my profile: @Elysia_Regina YIPPEE, let's tweet together!), you know that I'm a Starbucksaholic. I will openly admit this, and I often post on Twitter about strange things that I see at Starbucks. For example, today at Starbucks there was a man with a trash bag full of wool socks. Trust me, I don't make this stuff up. 

Anyway, Starbucks's Twitter presence is impeccable. Their social media team responds to nearly every tweet, and honestly does their best to resolve issues and offer a humorous response when appropriate. They offer suggestions on food choices, and answer questions about their drinks (For example, what their new Flat White drink is).

How to be like Starbucks if you're looking to improve your social media presence, particularly on Twitter? Here are a couple helpful tips:

1. No inquiry is too small. Someone tweets at you saying that they were dissatisfied with the music played in your restaurant. You may not want to respond, because if they don't like your music, then why not just go somewhere else? You should respond, because every customer is important. Sure, they could go somewhere else, but why not WOW them with your public response? Here's an example (I'll be using @ThatSandwichPlace as my business example. I don't know any restaurant named that, and it is purely for example purposes):

HATE TWEET: @ThatSandwichPlace, your music reminds me of a scratched cd playing in my eardrum. Sincerely disappointed, @RestaurantHater123: 

YOUR RESPONSE: Dear @RestaurantHater123: , we're sorry to hear that our music wasn't to your liking. We'd love to make it better next time. Any suggestions? Sincerely sorry, @ThatSandwichPlace

First of all, @RestaurantHater123 will probably be shocked by your response. Let's keep going:

HATE TWEETER: @ThatSandwichPlace, I don't know, some Sinatra? 

YOUR RESPONSE: @RestaurantHater123, We love Sinatra, too! Come by next time, and we'll do our best to get him on the playlist. 

HATE TWEETER: @ThatSandwichPlace Thanks! I'll be back.

Hurray, you have turned a mad customer into a return customer! This may not work in every circumstance, but see how that was turned around? One customer is sometimes worth a hundred customers. If you honestly can't solve the situation, an apology often fixes a multitude of issues. Apologize, and say that you hope their next experience is better. My point is this: someone saying that something wasn't what they expected doesn't seem like a big deal, but it is. If you respond in a timely matter with either help or an apology, most likely that upset customer will turn around and tell their friends how you fixed the issue. Sometimes the "smallest" issues have the biggest impact.

2. Be fun. This is a subjective suggestion, because I know that some brands seek a highly business-like approach to social media. That is fine, but Starbucks isn't like that. I love social media brands that lean toward the light side of things. Are you funny? Be funny! Respond to people with humorous interjections such as Starbucks offers. For example:

CUSTOMER/ TWITTER USER: @ThatSandwichPlace Your sandwiches are cool.

YOUR RESPONSE: @RandomUser, Gee thanks, we think you're cool, too! Come again and we'll be cool together? 

That response is relaxed, fun, and suggests that the customer comes back. It gives a face to your brand. It's not mechanical, it's real. It's sincere, and I love brands and companies that are sincere. It creates a sort of trust between business and customer. Some companies may be scared to be a customer's friend--they may think it's unprofessional--but I disagree with this. Be their friend. Smile, act goofy, shake their hand and if you're That Sandwich Place, make them the best sandwich they've ever had.

In summary, if you want your business's Twitter presence to be similar to Starbucks's, then be fun and treat every inquiry like it's a big deal. This will please your customers and show them that you're real, which are two huge points in this internet age. Until next time!

Connect with me on Twitter where I try to be funny and post helpful things, and follow me on Instagram where I post random photos and lots of selfies. 

Twitter: @Elysia_Regina
Instagram: @ElysiaWalton

Sorry it's been so long since the last post...life has been crazy since starting college. My professors are great, and I love my classes. I'm learning a lot and looking forward to what's to come. If some of you don't know, I decided to attend school in my home state (AKA, Maine), and I'm glad I made that decision. Besides the unfortunate cold weather, it's nice to be close to home.

As far as my novel goes, I've been editing since finishing the second draft. I finished my "by-line" edit at 1:30 in the morning. Basically what by-line means, is that I implemented all of the grammatical edits that my beta readers pointed out, and made a list of all the plot points and additions that I need to make. Four pages of plot additions/changes stand between me and a finished third draft. After that draft, I'll do another read through, implement any changes I see that need to be made, and give it to a few final beta readers. Then I'll implement those changes and do a final read through. After that? Submission to literary agents! This is my sixth novel and the first one that I'm publishing (fingers crossed). It's a long journey, but I know it'll be worth it. I look forward to what the future has to hold, and won't stop believing (don't stop...believin') in my writing. 

Until next time,

Elysia

Chat with me on Twitter.... @Elysia_Regina_

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Twitter is all about the relationships. My Twitter Tip for today is how to build a dedicated following by building relationships with people. In regards to social media, Twitter in particular, when you talk to other people, encourage them, and interact with them, you're more likely to build a dedicated following. Like I said in my previous Twitter Tip, a lot of celebrities manage their own Twitter pages, however very few of them actually interact with their audience. What about the ones that do interact with their audience? Their fans LOVE them. When a celebrity or public figure interacts with a fan, it shows that they are human. The interaction makes the fan feel special. I can pretty much guarantee you that the fan will be spreading the word about the celebrity that interacted with them. What if you're not famous? Well, most people on Twitter aren't famous. However, whenever you build a conversation with another person on Twitter, your conversation will show up in all of their followers's feeds, which builds your brand and exposure. 

So how exactly do you interact with your audience? Talk to your followers. If someone follows you, they obviously respect you enough to have done so. Give them credit and shoot them a "Thanks for the follow" tweet every once in a while. You'll be amazed at how much less often you'll lose followers if you interact with them. Someone responds to your tweet? Tweet back. By creating engaging conversations and interactions with your audience, people won't just pass by your Twitter handle, they'll remember you, and they probably won't unfollow you. Trust me, there's nothing worse than gaining a few hundred followers in a day, and then losing fifty the next week because you didn't interact with any of them. 

Some people that are great examples of public figures that interact with their audience, and that I've been able to interact with, are Eric Hutchinson, Raviv Ullman, and Gary Vaynerchuk. Give them all a follow, because they post great content. 

In summary, don't just float in Twitter cyberspace with a profile that just sits and does nothing. Take advantage of the great social media tool that Twitter is, interact with people, get to know them, and in turn, you and your brand will benefit from it. Plus, it's pretty neat to know people all over the world through 140 characters. Have a good night, and have fun tweeting! 

If there are any of you that don't already know, I'm a huge fan of Twitter. It's my favorite social media platform, and I use it more than any other social media site that I'm on. I have about 12,000 followers on Twitter, and am working steadily at growing that following. The thing I love about this platform, is the accessibility that anyone has to most anyone on the planet. Celebrities have Twitter profiles, a lot of whom manage these profiles themselves, as well as up and coming artists, musicians, business people, etc. With a strong base, you can contact CEOs of companies, people you're a fan of, and much more. To me, Twitter is like opening the door to networking. With the right tools and ways of use, you can build your Twitter following to several thousand as I've done. This is the first of a series of articles I'll be releasing explaining what I do to be successful on Twitter, and how you can do the same.  


My first tip in the series is something that I learned from Gary Vaynerchuk, a lead social networker and businessman, and someone that I admire. His article was titled, The Number One Mistake Everybody Makes on Twitter. This little tip helped me out substantially in my Twitter career. Here's the tip. When you're addressing someone on Twitter and use the @ symbol, you're talking directly to them. Right? Right. They get a notification that you tagged them in a post. Now, what if you're writing to someone, but you want the whole world to see? If you simply post something like this:


@Garyvee, I love your work. 


Only people who follow @Garyvee, and yourself, will see that post. What if you want the whole world to see the post? Put a measly little (.) in front of your post.

.@Garyvee, I love your work.

Now, not only will @Garyvee and anyone that follows the both of you see your tweet, but everyone who follows you will see it in their feed. Magic! Now you'll come up in your entire followings feed, not just the people's feeds who are both connected with you and Garyvee. 

Read Gary Vaynerchuk's original article HERE, and check HIM, and I, out on Twitter.

Thanks everyone, see you next time!