• 5 things every social media marketer needs to know…
• 10 things to make you rock on Twitter…
• 8 social media rules to live by…

Blah, blah, blah…

It’s all the same. What happened to the real reason why we love social media in the first place? Because there ARE NO RULES! Sure, we all learned some type of etiquette (hopefully) as we grew up…please, thank you, excuse me…all of which are part of being human and communicating in a way that makes other people feel that you’re not all about you. (Some are better at this than others, would you agree?)

I mean, social media isn’t some grand, “need to know the rules” kinda thing, is it? Did I miss that 101 course somewhere? Did I miss THAT blog? Everyone has their own style and take on things. Social media is just another way to get it all out there. It’s like one big conference call that everyone’s involved with…some are paying attention, others are wondering what they’re going to have for lunch.

Republished with author's permission from original post by Lindsay Manfredi.

Okay, I get it. People want followers. Tweeters/Twatters/Twitterers, whatever you call yourself if you’re on Twitter, and most want to feel they’re being heard. Some may find comfort in the amount of followers they have (why?). I’ll be honest; part of my job on the social media front of my business is to gain fans and followers for some of my clients. I understand why people decide to utilize programs for Twitter management, especially when you manage multiple accounts AND those accounts are not in your area. A popular application for this is Tweet Adder. There are others, but this is the one I use when I need to. (NOTE: For those of you who are like, “what the heck is Tweet Adder?” It’s a downloadable program that can allow a keyword search of all twitter profiles, make a list of those people, and you can automatically start following them. It allows you to schedule tweets and so on.)

Republished with author's permission from original post by Lindsay Manfredi.

I began to write this post last week after hearing some disturbing things. Then I read Kyle Lacy’s post on a Checklist of 25 Reasons Not to Hire a Social Media Consultant.  In light of the mood I was in, I decided to play very loud music with my band and ride the weekend out to gather my thoughts. So, here goes.

I don’t know about you, but I thrive on lifting people up, especially those who are in the same industry as me. It really bothers me when I hear someone is undermining the work of others when it pertains to social media. In short, it is downright WRONG to go to a company who is working with a social media consultant/manager/ghost tweeter…whatever title one gives them self, and say “So and so is not qualified to be doing your social media.” (Note: this was not said about me, rather someone I care about and respect.)

Republished with author's permission from original post by Lindsay Manfredi.

Not that I want to open up with a cheesy line from a film or anything, but as I’d been thinking about what I wanted to write about today, what keeps coming up over and over and over again, is: “If you build it, they will come.” The popular line taken from 1989 hit film, Field of Dreams…starring Kevin Costner, is something that often comes to mind when I am wondering about an idea, thinking about what to say, putting something out there…whatever.

I’m a big dreamer/thinker. I believe people can do anything they want to if they put true intention behind it. I’ve been that way my entire life. I’ve heard people say I’m crazy, or unrealistic, and I’ve always thought to myself, “They have no idea who they’re dealing with,” or “It must be so sad to be so closed-minded and un-ambitious.” The list could go on, but I’m sure you get the point. This could tie into one of my favorite quotes by Oscar Wilde: “Those who live within their means suffer from lack of imagination.”

I look at social media the same way. I believe HUGE things can happen when small or large businesses begin to build with social media. The key word here: BUILD.

Republished with author's permission from original post by Lindsay Manfredi.

Call me a ghost. Call me a copywriter. Call me an editor. (And thank you, Entrepreneur Magazine for the mention in your February issue.)  I’ve heard it all, and the debate over this thing called ghost blogging still continues, right? But really, in my opinion, that’s okay. For those of you who don’t write for a living, it takes time.

For those of you who DO write, you get that. One of my problems is actually taking time out for myself to write because as a business owner, my clients get first priority.

I’m always amazed at how authors seem to consistently blog. My friend, Chris Brogan is always writing, always on the road, and always doing amazing things for people and organizations. How he does it, and still manages to knock out a great blog nearly everyday makes me pretty much look up to him in awe. (auhhhh.)

Republished with author's permission from original post by Lindsay Manfredi.

Do you know how many times I have heard that one of my favorite bands has been in town and I had no idea? It’s always the “next day,” and I’m like, “What, how in the heck did I miss that?” A lot!

Well, first off, I don’t put myself in the ‘tech geek’ category (no offense anyone), because I don’t consider myself one. I’m not the ‘all-knowing’ Foursquare girl either. I’ve just begun playing with it. I immerse myself in social media because I love people and creating relationships. Much of my world is online. I’m writing this because it makes sense to me.

Secondly, if I want to find out if a good band is playing in my area, sure, I could pick up the local alternative newspaper, NUVO, and see what’s happening. I typically have one each week. The problem is half the time, I don’t read it. This is mainly because I’m crazy busy with writing, working, and playing in my own band. I typically hit up the local music scene once a week, but I hear about these happenings from my friends, bandmates, and Facebook.

Republished with author's permission from original post by Lindsay Manfredi.