Social Media Relationships

There are two kinds of relationships people can have. Close real relationships like with your family and friends; the people you have to face in person. Then there are the weak relationships, or “weak-links.” Weak-links are the online relationships with people you may never meet. It’s like scores of “digital pen-pals” called “Friends.”

In general, people trust advice from their weak-links more than their real friends, family, and peers. You can ask 100 online friends if you should buy “those shoes” in one click. That’s instant gratification to help you make decisions. This is also called “crowd sourcing.”

Social networks are communities of people; people who may share a common interest or just the same friends.

In Facebook they’re called “Friends.” In Twitter they’re called “Followers.” In LinkedIn they’re called “Connections.” What ever you call them they’re your personal community of weak-links. When these communities are interconnected between several online sites it’s called “a Social Network.”

Your business marketing challenge is to tap into these interconnected communities. Get them talking about your products and services. Convert them into fans and get them to buy!  Then get them to motivate their friends to buy too!

Turn your biz around

Pull in new customers with Social Media Marketing!

Traditional advertising methods don't bring in sales like they used to. With the volume of media coming a today's consumers, so many have simply 'tuned out'. Utilizing a diversified SMM plan will enable the ROI your business needs to THRIVE in today's over-crowded market ~ bringing potential customers TO YOU.

Effective Social Media Marketing requires a two(2) hour minimum commitment per day. Allow me to help optimize your marketing presence with a free, no obligation consultation and evaluation. I bring over 20 years of hands-on experience as a printing and Media consultant to help create and manage your media presence ~ for less than a (one month/6 month?) local Clipper ad!

LikeCatcher Social Media Marketing utilizes a solid combination of timely social media (Facebook, Twitter, videos, blogs, press releases, back-links) to bring renewed excitement, on-going credibility to your brand and ultimately, increase sales.

Businesses don’t know why they want a Facebook page

Some businesses don’t know why they want a Facebook page.

Stan is one of my newest clients. He’s really old school. He’s not “low-tech,” he’s “no-tech.” His desk is devoid of any computer. Funny, he has an iPhone. He totally relies on his assistant, Liz, to do all his on-line chores.

Still, he insists he needs a Facebook page for his business. Why I asked him. “Because everyone expects me to have one” he defiantly states. “I’ll have Liz run it for me.” Liz butts in, “But I can’t speak for you. I’m not licensed to give insurance advice.” Stan says, “just call me when you need help.”

This is no way to run a Business Page on Facebook. Facebook is Social Media. “Social” is the operative word. What’s the point of having an assistant faking for you? People aren’t that stupid. Then can tell when you’re not real. All you will accomplish is alienating your fans and losing the whole reason for having a business presence on Facebook in the first place.

Business owners have to unlearn the old ways of "one-way," or "out-bound," 
marketing. Facebook is not a billboard or a glossy brochure. It’s not a web site either.

Let me explain further…Billboards and brochures serve to spark initial interest; they move people to learn more about your business. Your website serves as a place with detailed information. People go there to learn more in depth information of your goods and/or services. Their purpose is to motivate a potential customer to convert to a real customer. Information flows outward from these things. This isn’t always enough to close the deal.

Now lets give the potential customers a tool to engage with us, ask us questions, chat with your “raving fans.” Give them a place to know, like, and trust you. People ultimately buy from people they like and trust. That’s the power of the Social aspect of Facebook! You see, the static’ness of billboards, brochures, and web sites can’t replace human interaction.

I go to several networking club meetings each week. I go to make friends with other small business owners and reps. There we learn each other’s business, and usually buy from our club friends because we have a personal relationship with them. And also recommend them to our other personal friends. It’s the oldest viral marketing system. Facebook simply does this on the net. That’s it. Facebook is people connecting with people.


Be real everyone... Joel

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Joel Lukacher’s is a Facebook specialist for business. His MO is "LikeCatcher" as in LikeCatcher Social Media Marketing of Fort Lauderdale, FL. He’s available for speaking engagements and consults. Give Joel a call you’re disappointed with your results from social media, are curious about it, or are ready to dive in. You can find Joel at Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

How Puke made me love my computer

How Puke made me love my computer

We’ve been married 26 years now. I still am up late night on the computers, now far from the TV, and she yells at me… “Stop it.”

The night my computer grossed-out my pregnant wife and made me laugh so hard I fell out of my chair with tears of childish joy. It is my first and fondest memory of early PC’s. Sure, for kicks in the 70’s I hacked D&D games in my buddy’s attic all night on an Apple II. But to have your computer eject a floppy disk and howler “Uoo-Waa-Ack” is just sick fun.

We were living in a low rent controlled apartment in Boston. At 28, I was working at a big quick-printing business helping customers with their art and printing. Wang word-processing and photo-typesetting was state-of-the–art. Desktop publishing was in version 1.0 .

The year was 1987. I have a new Apple Macintosh SE computer, with the 7 inch B&W display, and an Apple LaserWriter II. My wife was 4 months pregnant with our first child. I convinced my Dad to “loan” me $10,000 for a Desktop Publishing business to keep my wife busy at home. But, it was really for me!

I really wanted a new thing called a “Modem” to explore this “Bulletin Board Systems” (BBS) phenomenon. The Internet wasn’t even conceived of yet! I found a used 300-baud (top speed then) Hayes Smart Modem for $300.00, that was so cheep! I was up all night for weeks reading, posting, learning, and collecting sound files. I loved sound files!!! I amassed megabytes of sounds. Why, because it was cool.

My favorite BBS “Sysop” (BBS owner) sent Kudos for my “Herculean” effort to upload a special 13MB collection of my best sound. That upload took all night and into the next day!

One Saturday night, my pregnant wife was sitting on the couch while I sort of crouched on my knees in this odd 70’s computer chair in front of my Mac. It was almost midnight. While we were watching Saturday Night Live (SNL), I was downloading an “Init file” called “MacInPuke.” It was suppose to add some personality to my computer.

At midnight, MacInPuke was installed, and SNL was doing “Weekend Update.” The volume setting on the computer was very high so I could hear the beeps and clicks over the TV. I inserted a 3-inch floppy disk into my Mac, and it popped-up on the desktop. I dragged it to the trash. Then magic. As the floppy ejected this roaring upchuck exploded… “Uoo-Waa-Ack, Uoo-Waa-Ack, Uoo-Waa-Ack.” My wife yelled at me “That’s disgusting!” I couldn’t help my self. I had to keep pushing that floppy back in and ejecting it. Tears were streaming down my cheeks. I was laughing so hard I couldn’t see. I found my self-lying on the floor, on my side, legs still locked in my computer chair. My wife was still yelling, “Stop it, That’s Disgusting!” But, I had to get up and push that floppy disk back in a few more times.

We’ve been married 26 years now. I still am up late night on the computers, now far from the TV, and she yells at me… “Stop it!”