The Value of Social Media Connections Hits Home

August 22, 2012Joanne CostinLeave a comment

When my 27-year-old stepson went missing in the desert after his car broke down on Aug. 6, our hearts sank with the news. Law enforcement began their search on the night of the 7th and did not find him. Our friends at Randall-Reilly, publishers of Overdrive magazine, quickly sprang into action, spreading the news through their blogs and social connections. Truckers everywhere, asked the question: Had anyone seen Bryan or his dog?

I posted a release on Patch.com and emailed it to friends, and family. I shared it using LinkedIn Updates, LinkedIn Groups, Twitter and a PR distribution service. Through Twitter others reached out to us, including @missingincalif who lives near the Mojave Desert. Her husband was on the team that searched for Bryan that first night. She saw our story and offered help. Ideas were shared, along with helpful connections.

My husband left Chicago for Barstow, Calif., to meet with law enforcement and to help find Bryan. Meanwhile relatives phoned hotels and faxed a description. My niece and others helped locate Bryan’s California friends on Facebook in hopes that someone could provide a clue.

My husband asked truckstop managers to post flyers. No one refused. Many truckers offered to help spread the word themselves.

Prayers came our way through every possible medium– from friends, family and complete strangers; from a woman whose daughter had gone missing years before near Ludlow, Calif.

On Friday night, the search resumed in temperatures well over 100 degrees. Hours later, in the last attempt to find him early Saturday morning, the body of Bryan and his beloved dog Ruff were recovered.

Our hearts are broken and lives changed forever with the loss of our kind and loving son. But while we did not get the safe return we all prayed for, there was an ending to Bryan’s story, something many others with missing loved ones do not have. Others must go on living not knowing what happened to their son or daughter, their father or mother, sister or brother. Thousands go missing each year. To those who shared the news about Bryan in every way they knew how, we are so grateful for your efforts, and for your social connections. Without this influence, we truly believe the search may have ended days earlier, before Bryan and Ruff were ever found.

The next time someone dismisses social media as stupid, or inconsequential, tell them this story. Social media is powerful and the connections very real. Websites and social media activities help keep missing person stories alive, long after the police give up. Build your connections and use them wisely. You never know when you may need them for something so important.

One way to help find missing persons is to sign a petition in favor of Kelly’s Law. If passed this law would require law enforcement to enter the information of missing adults into a national database of missing persons within 12 hours.

Thanks for sharing and connecting.

How Content Writers Find Real-Time Industry News In One Place

July 24, 2012Mary KlestLeave a comment

Finding real-time industry and product news from multiple sources in one place is a massive time saver. It allows content writers to work smarter. With no fees or even login requirements, I find a treasure trove of news by industry, company or product using Yahoo! News. That’s right. Yahoo! At Content For Biz Inc we deliver content marketing programs for companies mostly in the Transportation, Food Service and Construction industries. Content writers do more than write content. They optimize for search engines and market what they write. They research, listen to and understand the environment in which their clients compete. Here is one way to stay on top of the news.

Begin at this Yahoo! page (http://biz.yahoo.com/pr.html). I am including the whole link here because it’s not easy to find and can be confused with less robust pages on the site. Enter a keyword in the Search News box. A single listing of what news is being distributed via press releases, wire services and other reputable sources appears.

One of the great features on this page is Filter By Source (something Google News does not have). All Sources is the default. Select Yahoo! Finance to see press releases. Select the New York Times for easy access to their articles. Don’t be surprised if your local newspaper appears as a source. In fact, put in the name of a product or company and the Source options change. This is a good way to target publications and writers interested in your kind of news.

The next best feature is the Filter By Time. You can see a single listing of press releases, wire service stories and other news in the past hour, day or week. Yahoo! In the same left column under the Filter By Time, Related Concepts generates suggestions for other keywords to use in your search.

With the information I gain I can do the following:

– Write blog posts related to current issues

– Add relevant links to social media posts

– Comment on articles pertinent to client audience

– Target press releases to relevant publications and sites

– Find journalists who write about the industry, product or company

– Gain business intelligence on competitors

– Create website content that positions client as thought leader

– Find sources and conduct research for white papers & webinars

Having multiple sources of real-time industry news in one place is a time saver for transportation content writers and marketers in all industries. Finding such news by media source can serve your clients well.

Any thoughts on how you navigate the Internet for relevant information?

What’s Behind the Drop in Blogging … Not the Results

May 18, 2012Joanne CostinLeave a comment

92% of survey participants said blogging was successful

“More Companies Quit Blogging, Go with Facebook Instead,” read the recent USA Today Headline.

When I read this headline I made a note to myself to take a closer look at the University of Massachusetts study on which the USA Today article is based.

I was puzzled by the findings. In 2010, 50% of the nation’s fastest growing private firms were blogging, up from 45% in 2009 and 39% in 2008. In this new 2011 study, the use of blogging dropped to 37%.

A note in the copy alludes to a changing mix in the Inc. 500 over the past two years.

“Changes in industry composition of the Inc. 500 over the past two years are reflected in our sample and have impacted our overall statistics in distinct ways. There has been an increase in companies providing Government Services (a result of some of the Obama initiatives). These companies increased their presence in the Inc. 500 in 2010 and again in 2011 and are less likely to use certain social media tools.”

Would an apple-to-apple comparison by industry would reveal the same kind of decline as the total sample?

The death of blogging may be exaggerated. Adding credence to this is the fact that in the very same study, blogging is rated as successful by 92% of those who utilize this tool. Among companies not currently using social media, 56% plan to add a blog.

Look who’s blogging.

Even with the recent decline, the nation’s fastest growing private companies are still “out blogging” the Fortune 500 by a considerable margin. Only 23 percent of the nation’s largest firms maintain a blog, compared to 37% of the Inc. 500. Do an analysis within your industry. If your competitors aren’t blogging it could be a huge opportunity for you to increase your traffic and raise your rankings. If they are, you had better be prepared to step up your marketing efforts, because successful blogs are proven to generate traffic and sales leads.

Professional business blog writers can ease the burden of creating quality content for your audience. Give us a call if you’d like to learn more.

Results of blogging and other social media 2011

Source: University of Massachussets Darthmouth

Social Media Lessons from Mom

May 12, 2012Joanne CostinLeave a comment

My Mom’s not on social media yet, but she’s made a lot of friends in real life. She hated growing up as an only child, so she had eight kids and hundreds of friends. Her social graces are second to none. These are the social media lessons I have learned from watching my Mom be SOCIAL.

1. Always carry a smile

My Mom loves to be around people and she always makes people feel welcome with a warm smile. The world is filled with bad news, but she fails to let it ruin her day. My friends always ask, “Has your Mom ever had a bad day?” I am sure has, but she’ll never let the world know. Keep your outlook positive in all your social interactions. Do your social media interactions show a smile?

2. Give to others

When God blesses you with good health, a comfortable life and a wonderful family–or even just one of these things–you have a lot to be thankful for. Giving your time, talents and abundance is the best way to say thank you for what you have. People remember your kindness and they remember you. My Mom’s in her eighties now and still driving people to the doctor, singing in the choir, and bringing communion to home bound parishioners. Now walking with a cane, she still never goes empty-handed anywhere.

3. Write a thank you note

Acknowledging the kindness of others is important. A handwritten note still stands out. Don’t forget to say thank you for comments (both positive and negative) and social media mentions.

4. Get out of the house

Nothing drove my mother crazier than kids moping around the house watching TV. Grab a friend and do something, or head out to a networking event. There’s nothing like meeting people face-to-face to enhance your online networking and your life.

5. Share what you love

My Mom loves dessert and she always shares. That makes me happy. What do you love that you can share? There is value in sharing your work, and the work of others you admire.

6. Take time for friendship

My Mom always makes time for her friends. She has a high school club and a college club and a line dancing group and choir and they all plan regular get-togethers. Somehow she always finds the time. I wish I was better at this. Staying connected takes a little bit of work, but it’s worth it.

I hope you enjoyed these social media lessons I learned from my Mom. Happy Mother’s Day!