“Success, both in business and personally, is something that’s consciously created.” – Robin Sharma, The Leader Who Had No Title

Today’s culture revolves around titles and accolades, accomplishments and scoring the best accounts. We see celebrities praised for blockbuster movies and athletes remembered for show-stopping plays. Society is obsessed with achieving greatness and spending the most money.

“Leaders” are no different. Those in management tend to think that fancy cars and corner offices are the life. Dinners purchased with company credit cards and international business meetings give off impressions of leadership and success.

But true leadership involves nothing mentioned above. In fact, no one needs a title, or fancy car or wads of money, to be a leader. They just need passion, determination, and a commitment to make the world a better place.

Over the next few days, I’m going to be sharing with you how to manage your social media campaign like a true leader. The concepts in the series will be pulled from Robin Sharma’s The Leader Who Had No Title. You need no title to be a great leader. You don’t need to be chief social media marketer or manager of the IT department. If you are determined to change the lives of others, this is for you.

You and your social media campaigns can have an impact on the world; you just need to unlock your inner leader.

The Title Conundrum

Our culture is obsessed with titles. The person with the best or highest ranking title is usually considered the “winner” and will get praise solely the few words that follow their name. However, titles undoubtedly lead to trouble. When a person is given a high ranking title, they put themselves above everyone else. Instead of being the leader they are called to be, the employee walks around like a king or queen, expecting everyone else to wait on them. All of this because of a title.

Leading without a title means that you put away the notions that one person is better than another and you work to benefit others. You are humble in your daily work routine. Instead of serving yourself, you serve others. Your vision of the world is not clouded by thoughts of self; instead, you think about how you can help the world.

No Title = No Limits

One of the first objections people normally have to the leading without a title concept is the perception that if you have no title, you won’t get the glory and money and benefits of the “titled” positions. This is not the case. In fact, it’s about the furthest from the truth that you can get.

If you are good at what you do, people will notice. If you continue to be good at what you do, people will praise you. If you consistently go above and beyond in the workplace, you will receive accolades that will make others jealous. Your determination means and willingness to help others will set you apart from even the people who have the big titles. Do you know why?

You are committed to making the world a better place, which is something that most corner office residents don’t even think about.

When you have no title, there are no limits on what you can do.

Leading Without A Title in Social Media

Now that you have an idea as to how you can begin to unleash the true leader within you, let’s focus on how you can apply the leader without a title principles to social media and marketing.

First, put your customers and clients before your business needs. Want to impress your clientele? Bend over backwards to serve them. Bring them customer service like they’ve never seen. As Seth Godin states in Linchpin, “Customers…crave the unique, the remarkable, and the human.” Deliver them something that they can’t get from another company–above and beyond loyalty to their needs.

Next, offer your help and expertise to those who want to learn. You are a knowledge base full wonderful thoughts and ideas. Don’t hold them inside; instead, share them with the people in your industry who need them the most. Ideas are copyrighted. Be diligent in serving others because they will return the favor when you need it the most.

Finally, put your new and innovative ideas into motion. Have you figured out an easy and simple method for creating customer Facebook pages of Twitter backgrounds? How about an easy to use program that notifies you whenever someone mentions you on Twitter or writes on your fan page wall? If you have a great idea for process improvement or making your industry thrive, go for it. As a leader without a title, you’re more concerned about the well-being of the world itself than just yourself. Share your resources, ideas, and passions with others.

Action Items

It’s time for you to begin leading without a title and having a greater impact on the the world. Here are a few action items for you to do today:

• List three ways that you can serve your current customer base. How can you “wow” them? What needs could you meet that you aren’t addressing right now?
• Join a LinkedIn Group or message board in order to help people in an area where you are strong. Good with Macs? Join the Apple users group. Really good with web programming? See if you can help solve some code problems on a forum.
• Tease out one idea you’ve been holding inside for a long time. What do you need to do to set it in motion? Whatever it is, do it.

As always, please share this article on the social networking site of your choice. Also, if you haven’t connected with us on Facebook or LinkedIn yet, come join us.

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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 pnijhuis

We all want it–the opportunity to give less to a task or progress and to see results that can only come if we give 110%. No one would mind giving less sweat or hard work every now and then and still seeing the results unchanged.

What you think might be a delusional fantasy can actually be a reality, including when you’re working on your various social media marketing tactics. Yes, you can give less effort with the results, and profit, remaining unchanged.

It’s easy–get a team.

“Teamwork can make the dream work.” – John Maxwell

How many times have you thought that doing your job, and the job of everyone else, was too tough. In reality it probably is but that doesn’t mean you need to shoulder all of the burden.

When it comes to producing high quality results, the efforts of individuals are futile. The real action comes with teams of cohesive and highly functional people who are set on achieving a goal.

Charles Lindbergh didn’t fly across the Atlantic on his own; he had countless hours of consulting and navigators who showed him the way. Michael Jordan could never have been the greatest basketball player to set foot on an NBA court if he didn’t surround himself with team players like Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, and Phil Jackson.

Believe it or not, your success as the social media manager of a big business or Twitter account manager of a mom-and-pop grocery store hinges on working with a team of people who are dedicated to striving for success.

Your dreams and the goals of the company depend on teamwork.

Dissecting the Fundamentals of Teamwork

When working on a team, there are a few things that need to happen in order to spark success. Two, three, or eight people can’t just wear shirts with the same logo and call themselves a team. Critical changes need to take place before success starts pouring in.

Ego Adjustment – All members of the team must adjust their egos in order to work well with one another. A humble approach to every situation is a great quality of a team. If a member of a team feels more entitled than the other members, nothing good can come of working together. You can’t expect to hand off a Twitter or Facebook task and think that the person needs to do it your way. That’s not how it works. Remember, it’s not about you, it’s about the team and the end goal.

Free Thinking Environment – One of the best aspects of working on a team is the fact that nothing is off limits. No idea is stupid and everyone goes. Some of the best ideas come when nothing is ruled out. When working on a team, you must be open to new ideas and ideas that might now sound good at first. Have you written off SEO or Google Analytics? Don’t. Not a big fan of Twitter? Don’t exclude it from your ideas. No member of the team can judge another based on an idea because the ultimate purpose of the team is to achieve success, not cut others down.

Shared Workload – One of the primary reasons teams don’t work is because of an unequal distribution of work. In a team environment, one person cannot do more than the others. This will generate feelings of bitterness and resentment, which will poison the team. Don’t overburden others when you’re reaching out to them for help with social media management. If you’re the team lead, make sure that you shoulder most of the tasks.

Higher Desire – The most critical aspect of working in a team is the mentality of every individual. Each person needs to know that they are working toward a greater good or goal and not for personal gain. Yes, personal gain may be a result of working well in a team environment, such as a promotion, but it isn’t the sole reason for joining together with others. Everyone must be clear on your goals and dreams for your social media campaign and they must work toward that each day or you’ll be coming up empty.

Dispelling Your Doubts

Working with teams can create a lot of doubt. Heck, even setting up teams can cause tension, fear, and anxiety for everyone involved. You might even be thinking to yourself, “Eric, my company doesn’t have the resources to put more than one person on the social media team. We’re just not that big.” Sure, your company may not be able to assign anyone else the duty of managing Twitter and Facebook but that shouldn’t stop you from forming a team.

People fear teams because people fear open communication. With teams you need to be honest and you need to work together in a timely manner to produce a desired product or achieve a goal. This requires good communication and people fear communicating. Although communication can be scary, the end result is worth the effort. Remember, think big picture, not “me” picture.

If your company is like most, they don’t have the resources to have a big social media marketing team. They don’t need one. Instead, pull from the resources and connections you have already established. Do you maintain a blog? Could someone else write a post every other week to free you up to do something else? Do you schedule tweets in HootSuite or TweetDeck? Could someone else create the document of all the tweet you’ll send and you can put them in the application? Simple, little tasks can help facilitate a team. Not every member needs a title. If someone else can do something for you, they are part of your team.

Today’s Action Steps

Teamwork is the only way to success. History shows us that nothing great is ever accomplished by one person; instead, a team is needed to pull everything together and produce excellent results. To get you started on forming or managing your social media team, here are some action steps:

- Brainstorm at least 10 ways that other people in your business can help you manage your social media profiles more effectively? Start by thinking of their talents and areas or interest and then move to the skills they want to develop.
- Reach out to one person on your list and see if they’d be willing to partner with you in your efforts. Stay excited and see where the conversation goes.
- Pick up a copy of John Maxwell’s Teamwork 101. It’s a powerful read for anyone who is on a team or leading a team.
- Share this article with other people who can begin to produce the same results, or even better, with less effort.

I’d like to hear your thoughts on teamwork and hear any success stories or tips you may have. Feel free to leave a comment below or email me.

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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 lumaxart

A lot of things happened in the social media world this week and here are a few of the highlights:

Twitter Debuts its own Twitter Button – The ability to tweet and article or follow a business directly from the web isn’t a new concept but Twitter has finally released its official version of the tweet/follow button. Before Twitter was on the scene, most tweeting and following happened via TweetMeMe, a service that came to dominate the niche market. With the development of the official Twitter button, TweetMeMe is taking on a different role. Instead of directly competing with Twitter, they are striking up a partnership. TweetMeMe will offer technical support for Twitter and will link their tool to the official Twitter button.

I think the release of the official Twitter button is interesting to say the least. Although I think its good that Twitter is becoming more involved with user decision making, I have a few concerns. First, is this one of many moves to attempt dominating all things Twitter? What’s next? Also, the partnership between Twitter and TweetMeMe doesn’t seem right to me. I don’t know what is going on in the executive offices but I don’t think we’ve heard the last of this.

Delta Airlines Launches Ticket Sales Through Facebook – Delta has launched a ticket window for users of its Facebook application, allowing fans to purchase flights and share the information with friends. Delta is the first in the industry to have a booking application that keeps its users on Facebook and does not route them to a secure website. The ticket window has become popular since its debut and is even having trouble handling the load of people experimenting with booking flights. Its unclear as to how popular the tool will become in the distant future but for now, Delta is the king of airlines on Facebook.

This is a major step in innovation for the airline industry and any other online retailer. Since businesses can see that its possible to keep Facebook fans on the site while ordering, look for more retailers to move in the same direction. Its won’t be long before business giants Barnes and Noble or Wal-Mart give users access to check inventory and order via a Facebook application. This innovation only makes it easier for the customer to get things done efficiently and in a timely manner.

MySpace Relaunches User Homepage – Earlier this week MySpace redesigned its user homepage, the page where users are directed once they sign in. The once-so-popular social media company is hoping that the redesign will allow users to experience more with greater ease. The new site consists of a stream of information and gives users application and displays things like birthdays and recommendations.

Basically, MySpace just developed its page to look exactly like the Facebook homepage. Although I think its time for MySpace to join the rest of the world again, I think that this was a bad move. This doesn’t show anyone that MySpace is innovative or catering towards its users. They simply wanted to create a site that looked similar to Facebook to attract more people. MySpace better be careful because if they keep trying to play catch up and don’t show up, they won’t be around for much longer.

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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 spanishwor

Five years ago still seems like yesterday for me, although a lot has changed in my life. Five years ago I was single but now I’m engaged. Half a decade ago I was struggling to get through community college but I recently graduated with honors from a great university. In 2005, I had no clue how to effectively use social media and now I can’t get enough.

A lot has changed but that’s just how it goes. Don’t worry–it’ll continue to go that way.

Five years ago, MySpace was all of the rage. The social networking platform was peaking and it seemed like everyone had a profile. I don’t know about you but if I came across someone who wasn’t on MySpace, I was at a loss for words.

Fast forward to 2010. Facebook and Twitter are constantly fighting for the the prestigious title of Social Networking King. YouTube has a monopoly serving online videos to billions and Foursquare is becoming increasingly popular with every age bracket.

So, that brings me to my question:

Where will social networking be in five years? Will location-based networks be the rage? Will our social networking profiles become linked to our credit cards and key rings? Is it safe to say that Twitter and Facebook will be ancient websites with a small user community?

What do you think? What direction is social networking going to take in five years?

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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 guitargoa

At Folk Media, we want to think about you first. Because, in the end, without you we would be nothing. So, everything we do here is meant to be focused on you and your understanding of social media and business.

That said, we know that you don’t have much time. In fact, you probably only have about 15 to 20 minutes a day to browse the Internet while you’re not working, paying bills, running a family, or having a social life.

See? We get it.

In order to give you the social media nuggets that you want, we’re going to occasionally post some social media one-liners, quick hits of what is going on in the realm of social media.

We want to focus on good content, too, so we will include some food for thought, too.

Here are today’s quick hits:

• The Internet has over 26 million “mommy bloggers” and they play a pretty big role in the advancement of social media.
• If you think that Twitter cannot be integrated into business and personal careers, think again. Here are 10 professions that actively use Twitter for marketing and communication.
• Losing customers can really put a damper on your business. Have you tried implementing a social media customer retention program?
• According to a recent study by Oxygen Media, one in five young women check Facebook in the middle of the night. Are they addicted to Facebook?
• Do you want to be a movie star? Film your entire day on July 24 and upload it to YouTube to earn a chance to be in the movie “Life in a Day.”
• Mashable nicely summarizes the top 5 social media trends to watch. Read about mobile payment methods and more.
• Are you benefiting from making your customers smarter or dumber?
• Where are you on the ambition flowchart? What can you do to improve your life?

Stay tuned for more social media one-liners next week.

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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 magicmarie

Content is king. You’ve heard me say it before and I’ll say it again and again.

Without content, what is your website or Twitter profile or Facebook fan page? Nothing. Content drives and inspires your readers and visitors. Solid content leads to solid partnerships and reader dedication, which then converts into paid membership and consumer loyalty. So, if you had lackluster content, how would that model function to your advantage?

It wouldn’t.

The key to any successful blog or social media campaign is to create life-changing content that keeps your viewers coming back for more. Great content, not publicity or promotion campaigns, should be a main focus when publishing online.

Some would say life-changing content is nearly impossible to produce but I’d say it can be done in a matter of minutes. It isn’t hard to develop. In fact, it only consists of two elements – the why and the how. Once your deliver the why and the how to your readers, you’ve inspired them with a passion to do something, and oftentimes, there is no stopping a person with a mission.

The “Why?” Factor

It’s natural for humans to ask why something is the way that it appears. We start early, at around two years of age. We’re naturally curious and want answers. This basic fact of life doesn’t change when we graduate college, get married, start a family, or work our way up the food chain of corporate America.

People want – and need – a why.

If you’re going to create life-changing content, you need to first focus on they why. People, whether its bird enthusiasts or business people, won’t implement your words unless you tell them why they should. It’s the law of the land and you need to give this information in order to create change and to drive productivity.

Without explaining the “Why?” factor, your efforts will be wasted.

Explaining “The How”

There is another truth about human nature – we want to do something immediately. If we can’t do it right away, we don’t want to have any part of it. Some people can hold off and wait for results to happen but in a world where information is accessible instantaneously, waiting is not part of our personality profile.

Explaining the how is ridiculously important and doing it in a succinct manner is just as crucial.

You’ll notice that the content you read on this site isn’t excruciatingly long or wordy. Sure, some articles and content require a bit more time but for the most part, you can come and read a blog post in five minutes or less. How long is five minutes? A portion of your lunch break? The moments before driving your child to school? The time you have while your mate uses the restroom before you go on a date? Five minutes and it’s over. That’s what we like.

Also, sharing how to do something, whether its create a birdhouse or implement an SEO strategy, is what really gets the job done. You can dissect the “Why?” all day long but without explaining the process, your content is useless.

Down-to-earth, life-changing content is only a few minutes away once you understand the process. It’s simple:

Your words will carry greater meaning once you can meet the needs, both why and how, of your readers. Whatever you do, don’t think that you can’t make a difference because simple and powerful content is within your grasp.

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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 Markus Rodder

Yesterday was the first day of summer and it’s already been a hot one. It was only five months ago that the East Coast was covered in 20+ inches of snow and now some people are craving the white stuff again. Summer heat can be relentless. Even simple tasks, like going to the grocery store, can make you sweat.

As you find relief from the heat in your comfortably air conditioned home or office, you should seriously consider taking part in a few of these activities. The five tasks I’ve highlighted below will keep you cool and productive while everyone else manages to get through another scorching day.

1. Upgrade to WordPress 3.0 – The newest version of the WordPress blogging platform is finally available and word on the street says that it’s awesome. We haven’t had the chance to upgrade our Folk Media backend yet but we’ll get there. Check out more information about WordPress 3.0 from the official WordPress site. If you’re new to the WordPress world and want an all-in-one guide for your learning pleasure, check out Aaron Brazell’s WordPress Bible.

2. Track BP and their failures – I feel bad for always knocking BP but they really aren’t doing anything to help themselves. Well, their lack of action is your gain. Using hashtags and Twitter keywords, you can track their ineptitude real-time. How awesome is that? Some things to look for on Twitter would be #BP #oilspill #GulfCoast or (my favorite) #BPFail. Honestly, there is a lot to learn from the oil spill and BP’s lack of response.

3. Create a Facebook fan page – Everyone is on Facebook now and even with the new privacy controversies, Facebook is still growing. If you haven’t considered making a Facebook fan page, I would seriously recommend making it one of your top priorities. Having a fan page on Facebook can increase your business exposure and it can re-educate current clients and customers.

4. Keep tabs on your favorite sports stars – Since summer is a time where baseball is in full swing and football is gearing up, you might want to follow a few of your favorite sports stars on Twitter. WeFollow has a comprehensive list of players who use Twitter. Check them out if you want to cool off with your favorite players this summer.

5. Update your LinkedIn profile – Even though it’s nice to often update you LinkedIn profile, we forget. Since it’s summer time and you likely have some vacation planned or are shipping the kids off for a weekend at grandma and grandpa’s, you might have some little extra time to sit down and update your qualifications. Don’t forget to recommend a few people; those are critical in the eyes of potential employers.

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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 bodgie

If you’ve ever watched Napoleon Dynamite, you know that Uncle Rico is famous for his ideas.  In 1982, Uncle Rico planned to play pro football (and he would have had the coach put him in during the fourth quarter of the state championship) but he also thinks he can sell nylon polymer and female enhancement drugs for some hefty profits.  Without a doubt, Uncle Rico doesn’t put all of his eggs in one basket.  Well, neither should you.

[If you've never had a chance to check out the movie, watch the clip below to get a taste of Uncle Rico.]

Some companies take only one approach to social media, whether it’s blogging, Facebook, or Twitter.  Sure, having a Twitter or Facebook account is better than nothing but it’s not the desired plan.  It’s important to diversify your strategy.  If you want to have a solid plan for the future, be sure to invest your time into a diverse social media strategy, including blogs, social networking sites, and email marketing.

Why Diversify?

Good question and the quick answer is that it will meet the needs of your potential customers.  Normally I’m not the type of person to recommend doing many things at once but when it comes to managing social media profiles, it’s good to have a few.

Not every potential customer is going to be on Twitter or Facebook.  If you have a profile on each site, you can theoretically reach double the amount of customers.  Who doesn’t want to do that?

Instead of attempting to have a client create a Twitter account just to follow your updates, why don’t you meet them on Facebook?

Meet your customers where they are and they will listen to what you have to say.

Do It Well

Although he had a good idea to diversify, one of Uncle Rico’s many faults was the fact that he didn’t do anything well.  Take note; this is not what you want to do with your social media profiles.  Don’t become complacent with your Facebook or Twitter account.  If you’re going to be present on Facebook, make it known that you’re there.  If you’re going to tweet, distribute content that is worth following.

No one wants to know an Uncle Rico so make sure that you “do” social networking like the best of ‘em.

Displacing Your Doubt

If you’re about to jump into social media or only have one active profile, you’re probably thinking that I’m crazy.  And you have every right to think that.  In all honesty, I don’t have any solid proof or numbers to show you.  I can’t convince you with tangible data that says, “You need to have multiple social media profiles to be successful.”  And, to tell you the truth, I would think I’m crazy, too.

Fortunately for you, I’m not crazy.

The doubt that you’re feeling is natural.  You’ve been ingrained to resist change and new ideas.  You’re constantly bombarded with messages telling you that change is bad, safety is the way to go, and risks should be minimal.  However, that’s not the case and in life and it’s not the case with social media.

In order to keep up with today’s shifting culture – a culture that is focused on individuals and not corporations – you need to make an impact with your clients and customers.  Where are your clients and customers?  The Internet.  How do you capture their attention and make them lifelong consumers of your goods?  Meet them where they are and do it well.  That’s it.  If you meet a need, they’ll come back for more and right now, there are millions of people on Twitter and Facebook and YouTube that need your product.  You just need to find them.

My challenge to you is to subside your doubt and implement multiple social media profiles and to do them well.  If you aren’t effective with your profiles, take a step back, re-order, and try again.

Don’t be like Uncle Rico.  Don’t be a living-in-the-past, doubtful, and selfish social media manager.  Serve your customers and meet them where they are.  If you try it, you’ll wonder why you waited so long.

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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 scifisuzi

Have you heard the big news?  Yes, it’s really true – social media is tough to understand and grasp.  In fact, it’s even difficult for the “experts” to keep up with the advancements, new applications, and theories that are popping up around us.

What can I say?  Social media is confusing.

Well, I’m here to help you in your journey to understand social media a little better.  I’ve found five articles that have been published in the past few days that will help you grasp the concept of social media on a more fundamental level.  Sure, it might take some time to fully put these concepts into practice, and to grasp their power, but your exposure to them will help you exponentially in the long run.

The Social Media “Pro vs. Con” Argument

Engagement: Are Social Media Better at Destroying Value Than Creating It?

One of the toughest things to understand about social media is the classic “Pro vs. Con” argument.  You’ve probably heard it before.  It goes something like this…

“Social media creates a better connection with my customers but it also makes me vulnerable to critics and negative publicity.”

Yes, that’s true.  The key isn’t weighing the positive benefits over the negative implications that social media can bring.  It’s choosing which one you’re going to have for your business – positive PR or negative consequences – and getting there.

The article above states both sides of the argument but the author is quite bias toward the positive end of things.  Even still, it gives great information and allows for any one to understand the argument pressing between businesses and social media experts.

Social Media in Small Doses

3-2-1: My Quick Social Media Strategy

If you’ve ever researched social media strategy or what kind of actions to take to develop a high quality social media profile, you’ve probably been overwhelmed at your findings.  Most “experts” advise that a person needs to make social media presence their full-time job.

Unless you were hired as a social media marketer, that most likely isn’t going to be the case.  You aren’t going to have the time or resources to spend all day behind Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube.  You probably wouldn’t mind it but you’ve got a laundry list of other tasks to get done throughout the day.

If you’ve looking for a quick and effective approach to social media, the 3-2-1 social media strategy is a great place to start.  It lays a foundatoin for understanding social media presence and it gives you solid action steps developing a good name for your company or brand.

The Elusiveness of Trust

25 Simple Ways to Earn Trust In Social Media

Trust is important no matter what you’re doing in life but it is especially important as you engage your social media followers and friends.  If your potential customers don’t trust you, they won’t buy your product, visit your website, or pass your information on to friends.  See?  Trust is super important in the social media world.

Believe it or not, trust is easier to build than you think.  Using the 25 ways outlined in the article, you should be able to build trust almost immediately with the people you encounter both online and offline.

Trust is the key to social media success.  It is the foundation of everything – conversation, action, connections, purchases – and needs to be a priority for you and your company.

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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 clix

It is certainly true that organizations can, and do, revive dead products.  Case in point – Nintendo.  Before the Wii, Nintendo struggled to compete with Microsoft and Sony in the Game Console Race.  Microsoft and Sony burned Nintendo every year in sales, game production, and user satisfaction.  Until the Wii.

Once Nintendo’s revolutionary gaming console hit the market, the Nintendo empire regained its dignity and was finally able to complete with its rivals again.  Products that have gone by the way side or that have an associated stigma can be renewed but most product revitalization initiatives fail big time.  Most companies don’t get it right.  Most dead products don’t come back to life.

And Hotmail is one of them.

Hotmail, Microsoft’s web-based email system, emerged during the .com boom and was widely popular.  But then, something happened.  Somewhere during the late 1990s to early 2000s, Microsoft stopped caring about Hotmail.  They became static in their approach to email.  When Gmail hit the scene, Microsoft remained uncompetitive.  When Yahoo! revamped their web-based email client, Microsoft did nothing.  Sure, maybe Microsoft jacked up the storage space limit or added a small feature here or there but they did nothing to compete with the likes of Google or Yahoo!.  In fact, most Hotmail customers have stopped using the service as their primary email and, instead, use it as a spam box for online offers, newsletters, and junk email.

Basically, Hotmail is the trash can of web-based email.

Now, after the success of Bing, Microsoft has integrated a boat-load of features into Hotmail, ranging from social networking tools to email filtering.  The email service now can complete with Google and Yahoo! in the web-based email race.  Will Microsoft be the next Nintendo?  No.

Unfortunately for Microsoft, saving Hotmail is a worthless move that won’t pan out.  Fortunately for you, a few things can be learned from this last-ditch effort to save a dead product.

First, the lines have been drawn.  Internet users already have stereotyped Hotmail to be a tool for spam, hacking, and anonymity on the Web.  This isn’t going to change.  The Hotmail brand is forever regarded as the inferior product to Gmail and Yahoo! Mail.

This teaches us that once a customer or potential customer has a perception about your product, whether its real or not, its tough to get them to think anything else.  Sure, it’s possible but not common.  Take pride in the perceptions your brand sows and make sure that you address them in a timely manner – not a decade after the fact.

In addition, Microsoft’s attempt to revamp Hotmail shows that when the going gets tough, the mediocre join everyone else.  Microsoft isn’t doing anything revolutionary; they’re pretty much recreating the efforts of Google and other web-based services.  Instead of going along with the crowd, Microsoft should have reinvented web-based email, much like Nintendo did with gaming.

If you’ve fallen behind the competition, don’t join them to compete – outdo them.  Want to win back some of the market share?  Change the market.  Revolutionize your industry and exploit the weaknesses of your rivals.  Don’t just rebrand their product.

I could be wrong about this whole thing.  Microsoft might be able to regain some of the web-based email market with its new Hotmail.  But, I have feeling it won’t.  I have a feeling that Hotmail will continue to lie dead in cyberspace.  Why?  Because Microsoft isn’t offering anything new and Internet users have moved on from Hotmail.  That was so late 90s.

If you want to succeed in revamping your industry, go big and go different.  Don’t follow the crowd and make sure that they’re working for you, not against you.  No one else is going to make your brand successful.

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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 istartedsomething