If you’re familiar with tools such as TweetDeck, EchoFon, or HootSuite, you’ve most likely encountered the ability, or at least heard about it, to schedule tweets. For those of you unfamiliar with the process, these Twitter profile managing tools allow for a user to compose a tweet and then decide what time it will hit the ‘net. For example, if I wanted to wish my followers a happy New Year but would be at a networking event on New Years Eve, I could schedule a tweet to post at 11:59pm on 12/31. As you can see, this would be very useful to someone who has a strict schedule but still wants to remain engaged with their followers.

You thought that was good? It gets better.

With one of the latest versions of HootSuite, users are now able to schedule up to 50 tweets at one time instead of having to enter and schedule each post manually. Basically, a ton of legwork is removed and people can be more efficient with their posts and time management.

Interested? Read on. Interested and not using HootSuite? Go sign up today and then read on! (Author’s note: It’s well worth it!)

Here are the step by step directions to bulk scheduling your tweets using HootSuite:

1. Open your spreadsheet program (even Google Docs will work for this) and save your document as a CSV file (.csv extension) with a descriptive name.

2. In column A, enter the date and time that you’d like to schedule a tweet. In accordance to HootSuite protocol, it needs to be at least five minutes from the time you’ll be scheduling it. Enter it in dd/mm/yyyy hh:mm format. For example… 31/12/2011 21:59 (Depending on the autoformat rules of your program, it might reformat the date for you. If this happens, simply right format the date back to the desired format using the Format Cells option.)

3. Next, enter your tweet text in column B on that same row. The message can be no longer than 135 characters (no link included in the tweet) or 115 characters (link included). If you are including a link, you don’t need to include it in this cell; we’ll get to that next.

4. If you are attaching a URL to your tweet, place it in column C. You don’t need to send it through bit.ly or ow.ly beforehand; the HootSuite Magic Scheduling Tool Thingy will do that for you.

It’s really that simple! At this point, we’re going to import our one tweet into the bulk scheduler so you can see how it’s done. Obviously, if you’d like to do 49 more, you can but since I don’t want you to read those four steps 49 more times on this blog, I’ll cut to the chase.

5. Log into HootSuite and click into the Compose Message… window. Select the Schedule Message icon at the bottom of the window and then hit Schedule In Bulk.

6. Find your CSV file on your computer or network and then select the Twitter profile you’d like to have the tweets scheduled under. If you’re using Google Docs, just hit “.csv file” from the Download As… menu just find that file on your computer. Warning: Be SURE to select the correct profile if you have more than one. I’ve made this mistake before and, unfortunately, there is no “Unschedule Multiple Tweets” button in HootSuite. Be triple careful!

7. Just hit Submit and you should be rockin’ and rollin’! If HootSuite doesn’t like something, it will spit it back to you and give you a descriptive (shocker!) error message. Fix what needs fixing and do step six again.

Again, it’s that simple! I have found that this saves me about four to five hours in a week. It’s great what you can do with this tool. Kudos to HootSuite for making it available and kudos to you for reading this article to figure out how it’s done!

Questions? Problems? Just let us know!

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Eric Alpin is the Associate Editor of Folk Media and works for a telecommunications company in Baltimore, Md. He is a social media enthusiast, blogger, writer, and student with a passion for leadership and self-development strategies and techniques. Find out more about Eric on Twitter.

*Photo by shadowkill

Facebook fan pages are a great marketing tool. With a fan page, you meet your customers where they are–on Facebook–and you engage with them in hopes of making them a lifetime customer. Sometimes, it isn’t always that easy.

Just as any other marketing campaign, you need to make sure that your Facebook fan page is aligned with your priorities and strategy. Are you setting out to honor your fans by giving them great Facebook-exclusive deals? Make sure your fan page reflects that purpose. Are you trying to build an army of advocates that will help your business grow? Organize your fan page to accomplish your goal.

There are two parts to a fan page, the design and the content. To make things a little easier, I’m going to provide you with two awesome posts about this topic, one post for each part.

Let’s cover the design aspect today and we’ll hit the content portion at the beginning of next week.

The design of your Facebook fan page speaks volumes about your commitment to your online marketing campaign, so make sure it’s what you want to portray.

Here are four design tactics you need to consider when constructing (and reconstructing) your fan page:

Profile Picture – Your “default” profile picture is uber-important when designing your page. It is one of the most critical aspects of your page because it is what draws users to you and your business, no matter your purpose.

If I am searching “Bob’s Plumbing” or “Chicago’s Best Pizza,” the only way I will know that I have found the correct company is by looking at the images in the search result. If your logo or face isn’t prominent and easily recognizable, I’m not going to find you. It’s like finding Nemo in the ocean; it can be done (obviously) but it’s going to take a lot of hard work.

Do you want to put your potential fans, customers, or clients through that tough search?

Text Box Blurb - Facebook gives you a small section of retail space below your profile picture to put something about yourself or your business. Most people underestimate the great value of this space. In essence, this is your 30-second elevator pitch to anyone visiting your page for the first time.

Make your words count and allow them to authentically tell what you’re all about. If you’re about gaining more customers, talk about your wonderful food, catering, or roofing work. If you take pride in supplying your customers with sweet deals on your stuff, say so in this box.

Use this box to amplify your business and to alert customers of your purpose for the fan page.

Tabs and Applications – Facebook and developers have provided a boat load of content that can be added to your fan page to boost your image and the page’s functionality. The applications you have enabled will tell users exactly what your intent is on Facebook.

By default, you are given the option to include various applications, such as media sharing and customer reviews. Depending on your choice of add-ins, viewers can tell the main purpose of the fan page. If you are including the Reviews application, you want to give customers or clients a place to brag or diss your company or product. In the customer’s mind, you’re focused on customer service. No matter your enabled applications, your viewers will be able to tell your goals and focuses.

It’s also important to note that if you want to give off the image that you’re more than just a once-a-week-fan-page-administrator, include applications that ARE NOT automatically enabled when you sign up for your fan page. This shows initiative and customers love it.

FBML (Facebook Markup Language) - FBML is a great way to take the next step in managing and improving your fan page.

FBML is a programming language that Facebook uses to create its pages. With certain bits of code, you can customize your fan page to really have an impact on your visitors. With FBML, you can do some interesting things, such as include an email opt-in form on your page, track your fan page using Google Analytics, and post additional media, such as Flash videos. If you’re looking to take the next step and WOW your visitors, upgrade your page using FBML. It speaks volumes when you take initiative and show that you are dying to interact and engage with your audience.

Here are some pages with free resources regarding FBML:

7 FBML Examples To Rock Your Facebook Fan Page
How To Customize Your Facebook Page Using Static FBML

Your fan page is a critical marketing tool to manage. If you don’t advertise and present it appropriately, you and your reputation will suffer. In today’s world, it’s critical to ensure that your online presence is saying the right things about you.

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Eric Alpin is the Associate Editor of Folk Media and works for a telecommunications company in Baltimore, Md. He is a social media enthusiast, blogger, writer, and student with a passion for leadership and self-development strategies and techniques. Find out more about Eric on Twitter.

*Photo by stucklo6an

I get a lot of questions from people about the relevance of social media in their particular industry. I often hear, “Well, since I work in XYZ field, do you think it’s really necessary?” and “We have a certain niche of customers and I don’t think they’re looking for us on Twitter. What should we do?”

At some point, every business, no matter the niche or industry, should attempt to use social media to reach new customers.

Many people think that social media is some new and improved form of marketing but it really isn’t. The use of social media is just marketing where your customers hang out, just like a radio ad, billboard, or sign. There are no special tactics to use or algorithms to recite; it’s marketing basics using a different medium.

However, I will tell you that social media isn’t right for every business. There are some businesses that aren’t ready to take the dive into Facebook, Twitter, and a blog. How do you know if you are ready to engage with your customers through social media?

Question 1: What is driving you?

The first question to determine if you’re ready to embrace social media is, “What drives you?” This question is simple enough but is deeply powerful, as it is used to shape your entire philosophy on social media use.

If your answer to the question was something to deal with being like everyone else, you need to stop reading this article. Using Facebook and Twitter just because it’s the “cool” thing to do isn’t going to increase your sales or triple your customer awareness.

You need to have a passion for people and for growing yourself in order to focus your talents on using social media. You need to realize that the journey will be tough and unrewarding at times, just like any other marketing system, but in the end you will learn how to grow your business and influence customers. If your car isn’t in the right gear, you won’t move in the right direction, as it is with your drive for social media success.

Question 2: What is your plan?

Once you have determined if your motives are correct, it’s time to envision a plan of action.

Social media IS NOT something you can begin and then forget about; it’s not a static webpage with just informational content. The purpose of social media is to interact with customers and just like any speech or presentation, you need to develop your plan of attack. Without this plan, your run at social media won’t last long.

When you formulate your plan for social media integration, remember to think about all perspectives and viewpoints. How do you want your customers to perceive your company when you join Facebook? Are your competitors on Twitter or blogging? What affect will social media have on your finances and hours worked? There are many questions you need to answer before you click the “Sign Up” button.

Question 3: What are your goals and expectations?

Measurement is key.

I’ll say it one more time for those of you who missed it a few seconds ago–measurement is key.

The way you plan to measure your social media campaign is almost as important as planning your customer interactions. You NEED to measure yourself in order to gauge your progress, successes, and failures.

A good strategy is to measure your company and your key objectives before launching your social media campaign and then re-measure in certain intervals. This will give you a great taste as to what your company was doing before social media and how things are progressing after Facebook, Twitter, and blogging.

Ensure you’re measuring relevant data and not only page views or fans. Dive deep into the conversations you have with customers and determine what you could have done better. What seems to be attracting the most content on your pages? How many new followers are you gaining on a weekly basis?

Not every business should sign up for social media today; some businesses aren’t ready. If you are ready, I would encourage you to begin to explore your options and plan, as it will generate some serious thoughts on how to move forward. Also, if you’d like a free consultation about the landscape might look for your company’s social media presence, please email me (or call 410-701-0322) and I’d be happy to help.

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Eric Alpin is the Associate Editor of Folk Media and works for a telecommunications company in Baltimore, Md. He is a social media enthusiast, blogger, writer, and student with a passion for leadership and self-development strategies and techniques. Find out more about Eric on Twitter.

*Photo by Oberazzi

Facebook recently released it’s new and improved Groups system, improving a stone-age feature into a more robust and advanced system. The premise behind Facebook Groups is that a user can create a group for friends, family, or co-workers, and that can serve as a meeting place on Facebook. Instead of using messages and comments to organize events or discuss certain topics, a group makes it easy for like-minded people to communicate. A Facebook group gives those people a central location, which spurs on more organized conversation.

Just The Facts, Please

The premise and usability of Facebook Groups is pretty basic. Unlike it’s more public counterpart, fan pages, a Facebook group requires little to no maintenance. You simply type in the name of your group, a brief description if necessary, and whether your group will be public, private, or secret. After you create your group, you may change any of these options.

When a group is formed, the creator adds people to the group. Once the creator adds an individual, they are in that group but can opt to leave the group. This can be done at the bottom of the left column, by clicking “Leave Group.” (Image 1) If you are the creator of a group, this option will be at the bottom of the right column. (Image 2)

Image 1

Image 2

A group functions much like a fan page–videos, pictures, and even documents can be added. Unfortunately, Facebook does not allow you to upload your own documents (ex. Word files) but that may come in the future. The documents section of the new Facebook Groups reminds me a lot of Google Wave (R.I.P.) and with later developments, it may get to that point, too.

What About Old Groups?

If you were a member of a group before the revamping of the Facebook Group layout, the group will remain in the older format. Facebook did not migrate formats when they made the most recent improvements. That would have simply taken too much time and resources.

If you’re looking to access your older groups, click on the “See All…” link in the left side navigation pane. (Image 3) Any groups doting the newer format will appear in your navigation pane in their own section and will appear next to the group icon.

Image 3

Other Notes

I like the way the new improvements to Facebook Groups; things are much easier to use and appear less cluttered compared to older formats of the Groups function. I think that Groups have a lot to offer, especially to teams of people and individuals who need to collaborate on documents and don’t want to use a Google account.

I’d like to set the record straight–a group should be created if what you are attempting to do is private or conversational, such as a class reunion page or high school science group project. If you are trying to gather a lot of support for a cause or a silly concept, go with a fan page. This will make your life much easier and will gain you a lot of exposure.

I think that Facebook has made great strides in reorganizing and updating Groups. The updates might make more people aware of the potential of groups and subsequently cut back on a lot of the fan pages that are created for private groups or organizations.

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Eric Alpin is the Associate Editor of Folk Media and works for a telecommunications company in Baltimore, Md. He is a social media enthusiast, blogger, writer, and student with a passion for leadership and self-development strategies and techniques. Find out more about Eric on Twitter.

You’ve heard it said many times before–social media is here to stay. The personal interactions that come from social media are what customers are now craving. Big businesses, call centers, and the “everyone is the same” approach is getting less popular as time moves on. It’s time to revolutionize business and gear your business toward a more personal approach and right now, social media is the way to accomplish that task.

However, have you considered mobile social media? Have you, or your bosses, even considered Twitter and Facebook applications for mobile devices, mobile versions of your blog or website, or giving your employees access to company accounts from their mobile devices? If you’re sheepishly shaking your head in confusion, you’re in good company. If you have thought of those things before, props to you. Either way, this post will help you gain traction in the mobile social media market.

Where is this coming from?

Big businesses and “experts” are showing us that you need to have a social media presence to stay in new age customers. Subscribers are no longer picking up to phone to have their issues fixed; they’re expecting someone to help them when they gripe about service on Twitter or their blog. So why do we now need to take it a step further and go mobile?

Recent studies have found that more people are beginning to use mobile social media applications, such as the official Facebook application for the iPhone and the many Twitter apps. When your customers change the way they contact your business, you need to follow suite. Since people are no longer waiting until they get to a computer to reach you, your business needs to make a concerted effort to meet them where they are.

If you don’t reach your customers when they need you, they will take their business to someone who will.

What can I do?

It may sound like the entire world is changing and that you will need to revamp your entire social media process but I’m fairly confident you have most of the elements in place to take your social media campaign to the next level.

First, make sure that you have decided on a timetable for addressing customer issues. If you are a smaller business, chance are that you don’t need to give an immediate response to inquiries. However, if you’re a larger business with many clients or you provide a service that people need (plumbing repair, roofing repair, etc.), you want to make sure that you can respond to customer when they need you. Design a plan for responding to customers in a timely manner, both phone and via social media.

After you have established this timeframe, begin to take steps toward actualizing this goal. For example, if you decide to respond to any customer inquiries within 24 hours, what do you need to make this happen? Do you need someone checking voicemails and Facebook each day? If your response time is 12 hours, who do you have to respond to issues in the middle of the night? Lay out a plan to make your timeframe a reality.

Finally, turn your timeframe into a guarantee for customers. Advertise that you respond to customers within 12 hours, no matter their form of contact. Make them aware of your dedication to them. If they don’t know how you can serve them, they won’t come to join your team.

Further Action Steps

Here are some additional steps for you to take in order to make the most from mobile social media use:

• Design a mobile-friendly website. Most sites have plugins that you can install that will do this automatically for you. If customers pull you up on the go, make their experience easy.
• Look into gaining access to company social media accounts from a business mobile device. If you’re the head of the social media marketing department, it might be best for you to have a way of responding to customer inquiries when you’re at off-site meetings or visiting clients.
• Respond to this post with any comments you may have. We’d love to hear your thoughts!
• Share this article via your favorite social media site.

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Eric Alpin is the Associate Editor of Folk Media and works for a telecommunications company in Baltimore, Md. He is a social media enthusiast, blogger, writer, and student with a passion for leadership and self-development strategies and techniques. Find out more about Eric on Twitter.

*Photo by cyrillicus

The folks over at Twitter have recently made some changes to the .com interface, bringing more user functionality to those who choose to use the browser-based version of the service. With the recent improvements, I’m sure the Twitter execs would like the capture some of the tweeting population who use applications, such as HootSuite, Seesmic, and TweetDeck, in order to publish their thoughts, manage their profile, and track certain data.

But are the improvements really going to make a difference? Are dedicated application users going to “make the switch?” Probably not. However, users of the browser-based version of the service can now sleep a little better know that they aren’t missing out on as much as application users. It’s all about control and .com users have more of it now than ever before.

Here are some of your thoughts on using applications over the browser-based version of Twitter…

Question: Which do you prefer, the browser-based version of Twitter or a third party app.? If it’s an app, which one? Why?

@curtmoss – “Apps! Still love Twhirl, but like Seesmic too. Use HootSuite also. Twitter for iPhone for the mobile choice… Can keep them running in a column on 2nd monitor, sound alerts for replies/DMs, automatically refreshes, more like IMs”

@KristerDunn – “I use the Twitter site or via Tweets app on LinkedIn. My phone is basic so no mobile other than texting in tweets/pics/vids… I do use Hoot to preset some things. LI app is what’s on during day (only way i can access). Browser at home bc straightforward”

@Iceman2343 – “tweet deck… it lets me view fb and twitter at the same time”

@For_Keeps – “I’m with [Iceman2343]! TweetDeck… tbh, it’s the only Twitter app I’ve tried but it’s easy to navigate and I never have any issues w/it crashing.”

No matter what the perspective, all points and reasons are valid. If one version of Twitter fits your needs more than the others, go for it. I think that there is a market share for both applications (super users, businesses, mobile devices) and the browser-based version (regular users, firewalled or locked down users).

Do I think that the .com version of Twitter will recapture some of the market that currently uses applications? No. Do I think that the web designers have improved the lives of people who use Twitter.com on a regular basis? Yes.

What are your thoughts on the latest Twitter improvements? Do you prefer to use the website or a third party application? Why? We’d love to hear your thoughts!

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Eric Alpin is the Associate Editor of Folk Media and works for a telecommunications company in Baltimore, Md. He is a social media enthusiast, blogger, writer, and student with a passion for leadership and self-development strategies and techniques. Find out more about Eric on Twitter.

*Photo by lakelandlocal

To capture the main happenings in the social media world, let’s take a look at some quick blurbs of need-to-know information. We aim to give you as much information as possible in one shot so here it goes…

A new study finds that while social media use is increasing, content creation has reached a plateau.

Mark Zuckerberg, founder of Facebook, is getting a lot of publicity these days, including his own comic book later this year.

You can kiss blogging service Windows Live Spaces good-bye; it’s being replaced by WordPress.com via a recent deal between Microsoft and Automattic.

Trying to find a job via social networking can be tough but here are ten tips to help you land a new gig using Facebook and LinkedIn.

If you have a brick-and-mortar storefront, it is possible to use social media to boost your influence and customers.

The new version of the Twitter web interface has a lot of people talking; find out the changes.

Celebrities on Twitter have little influence over their followers, finds a new study conducted by Northwestern University.

If you’re looking for a way to gain Facebook fans, read how one band gained over 3,000 fans by spending only $250.

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Eric Alpin is the Associate Editor of Folk Media and works for a telecommunications company in Baltimore, Md. He is a social media enthusiast, blogger, writer, and student with a passion for leadership and self-development strategies and techniques. Find out more about Eric on Twitter.

*Photo by Rosaura Ochoa

“You get the best out of others when you give the best of yourself.” – Harry Firestone

Being a successful person doesn’t revolve around money or commodities. It doesn’t even involve great accomplishments on the job or in your personal life. True success and leadership are developed when you take your relationships to the next level, serving others and committing to their success.

You read that correctly.

If you are bent on growing others, you will invest in growing yourself. This is one of the most critical and influential laws of leadership. And, the best part is the social media is specifically designed to help you master this principle.

Developing Others 101

We all play a part in the lives of many different people every day. Whether you’re a boss or a janitor, husband or brother, church leader or Girl Scout mom, you have influence in the lives of others every single day. However, most of us never harness this potential, at least not for good.

Whenever we think about people influencing others, we immediately assume it’s a bad thing. We think that one person is “playing” another and that someone is always getting the short end of the stick. Developing a person is certainly the opposite of taking advantage of someone.

When you are influencing someone to help them, you have their best interests in mind. You are giving your all–your mind, your attitude, and your experiences–to help them have a successful life. As you begin to develop someone, you grow closer to them and become a more significant part of their life. Once you have played your part in their life, they will most certainly reciprocate and help you when you need it. It’s simple; helping others helps yourself.

Social Media and Developing Others

The Internet is the perfect place to begin developing others in order to help you both grow. The advancement of peer-to-peer networking (P2P) has made this leadership principle easier than ever. Websites such as Twitter and Facebook connect you to others and provide you with the means of interacting, which is the fundamental key to developing others.

In order to properly influence and develop others so that you will also benefit, you need to be helpful and understanding in your interactions. Let’s dive into what this could look like…

• Make it a point to routinely connect with others for the sole purpose of developing a friendship. If you have hundreds of friend, connections, or followers, schedule time each day or week to reach out to someone and grow that relationship. Use a quick email, Facebook message, or DM to let them know you’re there.
• Not every attempt at communication is going to bud into a happy-go-lucky relationship so make sure you don’t neglect the people you’re currently close with. These people don’t plan to go anywhere; don’t give them a reason to leave.
• Connect with like-minded people through groups and fan pages. This is going to be critical because you are most likely to continue conversation with someone if you know you have something in common. In a group or fan page, you know what the common thread is and you can use it accordingly to generate conversation.
• Don’t be overly pushy or set on helping every person you contact. It’s not going to happen and don’t force it you don’t see a reciprocated interest. That person may still come around in their due time; don’t destroy that potential connection right now.

Action Steps

Here are three action steps for you to complete today or this week:

• Create a short list of people, maybe five or six, that you will contact to start growing your relationship. Don’t pick the most wealthy people or the most popular. Instead, pick the people who you will connect with the most.
• Determine your best mode of contact. Will you use a Facebook message? A DM? Will you just pick up the phone and call? Try to determine the best way for the other person to chat and use that method.
• Contact someone and begin to develop others. Take a chance and do it! You will begin to reap the benefits shortly…

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Eric Alpin is the Associate Editor of Folk Media and works for a telecommunications company in Baltimore, Md. He is a social media enthusiast, blogger, writer, and student with a passion for leadership and self-development strategies and techniques. Find out more about Eric on Twitter.

*Photo by svilen001

There may have been a lot you missed in the social media world in the course of the last week. To catch you up on the latest happenings, here are some quick one-liners.

“F**ck Cancer,” a non-profit organization determined to help others learn about the disease, has increased cancer awareness through donated Facebook status updates and tweets.

Although Facebook is about you, don’t make yourself look like fool with your wall posts.

An abducted journalist held in Afghanistan was able to tweet his location using his captor’s cell phone.

Reggie Bush and Activ8Social have kicked off a scavenger hunt through New Orleans that runs off of Twitter, Facebook, and Foursquare posts.

It’s important to educate yourself on Facebook Places, Facebook’s location-based check-in service.

If you’re having trouble thinking of things to share on Twitter, run through this exhaustive list to see what you may be missing.

Using social media to retain customers can be a tricky process so you must know how to measure your results.

Three new studies have been released that detail Facebook marketing trends and habits of users.

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Eric Alpin is the Associate Editor of Folk Media and works for a telecommunications company in Baltimore, Md. He is a social media enthusiast, blogger, writer, and student with a passion for leadership and self-development strategies and techniques. Find out more about Eric on Twitter.

*Photo by lilinhah

“Pain is temporary. Quitting lasts forever.” – Lance Armstrong

When things are going great, it seems as if you’re on top of the world. Nothing can hold you back and you can’t seem to do anything wrong. Your confidence is high and your ability to focus is hawk-like. You are leading your people in an extraordinary way, giving them what they want and need to be successful. You are crushing your goals and nothing is out of order. You’re truly the king or queen of the world.

Then something goes wrong and it all falls apart. You fall apart. Your team breaks down and the progress you’ve just made no longer exists.

What do you do?

Tough Times Make You Who You Are

When your world has seemingly come to an end, you need to step up to the plate and become a great leader. Leading when things are great doesn’t really show your character. Sure, it allows for you to exhibit qualities that show you’re a team player but none that make you a concrete leader. When things take a turn for the worse, everyone turns to you for advice, guidance, and navigation. Hard times require you to be decisive, encouraging, and humble–three great qualities of an expert leader.

In Robin Sharma’s The Leader Who Had No Title, he talks about this concept, stating, “It’s the most uncomfortable of conditions that can be the crucible that forges the best leaders.” Without a doubt, it’s time for you to stop playing the victim during change and be the catalyst to make great things happen.

How Does This Apply to Social Media?

We’ve all been there: someone decides to take a shot at your or your business, they get attention, and you’re expected to respond. You’re expected to engage in a war of words with this person or business because they just talked negatively about your business. Human desire tells us to keep up the fighting because we can’t lose our dignity.

Don’t.

Instead, be an authentic leader and speak respectfully about your competition. Make promises to your customers that you will give them the best service possibly. Kill the competition with kindness and with a respect that leaves them wondering what is happening.

How you react during heated moments, the times when things fall apart for you, is what will make and shape your business and clientele.

As a rule, don’t…

• Blast your competition on Facebook or Twitter. No one wants to hear (or read) a war of words via the Internet. Plus, it only shows that you stoop just as low as the other players in your niche.
• React to claims about your company. Instead, respond with authenticity and honesty. If you messed up and someone found out, own it. It will show you are in it for the long run instead of trying to scam others.
• Complain on Twitter or Facebook. If your competition releases a new product, don’t complain that they stole your idea. It will only get you in trouble.
• Deny change. Embrace it. Every business changes and when things begin to take a different shape, it’s the people who respond well that get considered for promotions and big customer contracts later.

Action Steps

Here are a few action steps in order to begin leading in difficult times:

• Think about what recent changes your business has gone through. How can you overcome adversity and lead through change?
• Begin to show “props” and kudos to your fans on Facebook and Twitter. This will show that you’re authentic and appreciate them. When the going gets tough, they’ll run to you and support you.
• Start responding to crisis situations versus reacting to them. Keep your calm and your cool in order to be the better person in the long run.
• Share this article with your network via your favorite social media website.

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Eric Alpin is the Associate Editor of Folk Media and works for a telecommunications company in Baltimore, Md. He is a social media enthusiast, blogger, writer, and student with a passion for leadership and self-development strategies and techniques. Find out more about Eric on Twitter.

*Photo by bjearwicke