Facebook, Friend or Foe to Investors?

WSJ - - Google+ vs Facebook: It's No Contest

Linkedin is not like Facebook.

Message to College Juniors and Seniors: Linkedin is not like Facebook.


I've talked to quite a few university students and others who need or will need a job in the near future. Some are college students about to graduate. Others are already in the workforce and looking for a new job. All of them must jump into a very tough job market.


The first thing I ask someone is if they have created a Linkedin Profile. To my constant surprise, around 90% give me a puzzled look and said "No, I don't have one. What is Linkedin? Is it like Facebook?".


There are a surprisingly large number of people out there who haven't heard of Linkedin, or think it is a social media website like Facebook. The short answer is No. Linkedin is not like Facebook. For your work career, Linkedin is vital. 


Linkedin and Facebook are not the same. They perform very different tasks. One is primarily Social Networking (Facebook). The other is primarily Professional Networking (Linkedin). My advice to Juniors and Seniors in College is don't ignore Linkedin. 


Get your profile up and running ASAP. Start building your professional network and profile while in school - - you'll be very glad you did when your graduating and looking for that dream entry-level job!

Content is Still King - - Social Media Doesn't Change That.

Content is Still King - - A Classic Truth Worth Repeating.


Just like a whipped coffee latte, a foamy ice cold beer or a towering root beer float, to capture the maximum value in Social Media, one has to dig below the marketing 'froth' and 'fizz' to find the ultimate reward... Social Media Lead Generation.

Yesterday I attended a web marketing conference in Houston put on by the Online Marketing Institute. Social Media Marketing was emphasized, rightfully so, as the number of people using Social Media platforms explodes in the USA and the world. I came to learn more about applying social media tactics to my business.

But I also heard confirmation that what was true 3 years ago, 6 years ago, 9 years ago, is true today: Your Content Matters. Content is Still King. Without good Content on your websites and company blogs, all your Social Media tools and all your efforts will disappoint, or worse, backfire. Good Content that works for your business is needed before going 'crazy' with Facebook or Twitter.

And Blogs? They are, according to the experts I heard on Social Media yesterday, your most effective Social Media lead generation tool. Good old-fashioned, taken-for-granted, Blogs... your 'mini-websites'.

Social Media tactics will be very important to your success, but pay attention to your content... it is the foundation which will drive your success. Social Media should orbit your content like the planets around the sun.

I picked up great information at the OMI conference. The presenters were informative across all subjects. For me SEO and Usability were very useful. And there was considerable expertise on ideas and best practices for Facebook, Twitter, Blogs etc. Observations and predictions were made that Social Media will "change the world", "destroy traditional institutional hierarchies", and cause "marketing mayhem". Social media trends will accelerate as further adoption of mobile smart phone and 'tablet' technologies continues, and people under the age of 25 ("digital natives") move into the work force. I'm going to apply what we learned yesterday... to better exploit today's world and prepare for tomorrow's.

But I will remember this basic, classic, truth: Content is King. To which can be added: Company websites and blogs are the most important "Social Media" platform assets we have.

Regards; Erik Holladay

Learn more about Social Media, Web Marketing and applying it to your business:
Arnie Kuenn, President, Vertical Measures
Brad Kleinman, President, eMarketing Techniques
Thanh Nguyen, Senior Usability Engineer, BusinessOnline
Maria Pergolino, Director of Marketing, Marketo