Scenario (pulled from Reddit, with a few tweaks):

You are frustrated because you run a service business and now you require your associates to keep the Facebook Page updated.  You want all associates logged on, locked in, and engaged!  You want to set the system so that whatever they post or write in there automatically gets posted to the Facebook fan page, which has loads of fans but is so easily neglected.

Is this simple?

My Solution:

Totally understand the frustration.

First, I agree with the other recommendations about using Tweetdeck.  But ultimately, it’s time to consider what your business really needs.  Perhaps it’s time to consider a solution like what Awareness Social Marketing Software provides.  Check it out here.

However, here are list of other options:

1. I would also add they can can us ping.fm.  They just have to have access as a page admin, then they can add it to their status updates.

2. Hootsuite.com would be my first choice because you retain control of the account.  When an associate leaves or quits, you do NOT have to change your passwords.  Just remove them as “managers” from within hootsuite.  The beauty here, is as the account owner, you can “see” who posted what.  Yes, their icon is visible to you on posts and updates.  Manage both status updates and engagement for your facebook page. You can have as many people as you want to have access to your account in Hootsuite.  Just add them as a “manager”.

3. Leverage the Page Admin feature inside Facebook Page settings.  Here’s why this can be helpful:

• You retain control of the page, never having to give out the password!
• They can update the status of your fan page and just put who they are “Posted by Jonny @ Front Desk” OR “JP – Front Desk”…

4. Why not consider having them update their status from their own page, and “tag” the fan page in their post.  Lots more visibility created by allowing the associates individual communities to have visibility to the fan page.

5. You might also consider, depending on how many associates you have, adding different applications to the page and assigning one posting service per associate. Most apps only allow one instance of the app on your page (FBML is an exception to this rule). So in theory:

• Front desk manager:  Selective Twitter – assign to their Twitter profile.  When then add #fb at the end of a post, it will automatically update Facebook Fan Page.  That way, the associate controls which posts hit the fan page (again, tightly consider your company’s policies for associates using social media).
• Night clerk:  Ping
• Staff 1:  Tweetdeck
• Staff 2:  etc. etc.

Only challenge foreseeable with any of these options:  you must have a corporate policy for conduct so that your brand is not potentially embarrassed later.

Lastly, and I make this comment, because I see it often…and I know you probably know this:

Really hope this helps.  If you have found other solutions, please share them!

Toodles!

Tiffany-O

© 2010, TiffanyO.. All rights reserved.

The above might make you cringe, but it’s exactly the kind of thing you see in cyberspace!

Here are some ways in which you can play nice in the sandbox.

Social Media Etiquette – the rules of engagement

Be nice: Isn’t that easy? I mean being nice should be second nature to all of us, so, you’d think that this one was easy. In reality, it is one of the toughest things to be.

You see, to ‘be nice’, you have to act with a great deal of courtesy. For instance, you need to:

1. Listen first, talk later. To start off on the right foot, with your friends or your clients, you have to listen to them from start to finish and understand what is being said.
2. Allow others to finish what they’re saying before you dive in. A whole lot of misunderstandings can be avoided that way. Do not shout others down.
3. Say ‘Hello’, ‘Please’ and ‘Thank you’. You’d be amazed at the power of these words.
4. Send out replies in a timely manner. No one likes to wait on your good humor forever.
5. Take the time to greet people. Acknowledge their presence and let them know you’re happy to have them with you.
6. Speak positive. Others will love listening to you.
7. Avoid being a badmouth. Period.
8. If you have a different point of view, by all means express it. Just do so kindly; and never do it because you want publicity.
9. Be regular. You can’t post thrice an hour for a week and then, just disappear.
10. Never ignore a contact who takes the time to write to your personally. On the other hand, if someone sends you a message without any indication whatsoever of how they know you, then it’s alright to ignore them. You need to use your discretion here.
11. If you reject an invite, it’s always a nice idea to explain why you rejected them. Maybe a simple explanation like, ‘I do not deal in this kind of business’ would suffice.
12. If you are sending out a friend invite, be very specific about how you know the other person. Many people just cannot remember you even if they’ve been introduced to you.

Keep away from hard-core selling: Let us go back to the party situation above once more. Imagine, that instead of playing, you were to stand up on a chair, get everyone’s attention and ask them to line up and pick up a business card from you, one by one? Can you imagine what your friends would think of you?

Many small businesses are doing the virtual replica of this when they troll in targeted communities within social networks. When you try to sell your commercial interests without adding value in any way, your online presence becomes nothing short of obnoxious. In other words, you’re spamming and sooner or later, someone is going to ask you to ‘Get Out!’

Add value: Many people believe that it’s enough to participate in a conversation. Sorry, that is simply not true. You need to add value.

Your aim is to build a community that benefits from your presence. Figure out how you can become a resource. Earn respect. That’s one step away from earning their affection. It is also the easiest way to becoming indispensable.

Cooperate: ‘You scratch my back, I scratch yours’. That’s the philosophy. Social media gives you ample opportunity to build your business. You can use it to take advantage of people power. But, you need to do it in a direct and forthcoming manner. Ask people directly about what they want, what they think and how you can improve to help them. This is the best way to gain important feedback and valuable insight. They’re your friends. Let them help you – and thank them for helping you!

Social media is a wonderful tool that helps you extend your business network. It opens up the whole world to you. But, a lot of people make the mistake of looking upon social media success by counting the number of contacts they have. Actually, it’s not the quantity that matters. Quality is what counts.

If you want good friends, be a good friend yourself. It’s that simple! Or, is it?

Resource:

Dos and Don’ts social media etiquette

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© 2010, Tiffany Odutoye (@virtualpartner). All rights reserved.

A grocery chain in Ottawa fired several of its employees following negative comments on Facebook.

Even this:
Some Ontario schools have suspended their students after they found ‘offensive’ posts on Facebook about these schools!

What am I trying to say? You could lose your job or your school admission for something you write on social networking sites like Facebook. Seriously.

People are being penalized for what they are posting. Many are being denied jobs, dismissed from work and disciplined because of comments they have carelessly left lying around on social networking sites.

Why should you care?

Employers and hiring firms are increasingly using social networking websites like Facebook to check out potential employees and keep tabs on current employees. In the current social and political situation, you just cannot have anything working against you or diluting your prospects, least of all something like your Facebook profile.

Here are some ways in which you can protect your Facebook profile from the prying eyes of your boss.

Your Privacy setting:

A teacher in Charlotte, NC, was dismissed from work due to her profile on Facebook. Under her hobbies, she stated ‘drinking’ and ‘teaching chitlins in the Ghetto of Charlotte’. The teacher left her profile and her page open to public view. Keep in mind, this particular school is attended by minority students and is located in a low income neighborhood.

Who is viewing your profile at Facebook? Are you sure that these are people you have allowed access to?

If you go to the “Settings” page on Facebook and click on your ‘Profile’, you might see that more people than you have imagined are actually viewing what you have put up. You may have only a couple of friends, but what about your network?

If your profile is jam-packed with drunken quotes or if the pictures you posted are risqué, the first thing you do is limit access to the information. Make it viewable to friends only.

You do not want potential or current employers going through what you’ve put up.   Because they do check you out.

According to various surveys and reports, a good percentage of employers are checking Facebook before, after or during the recruitment process.

You don’t want to lose your job just because you were a little careless with your Facebook profile, do you?

Your content:

According to onrec.com, the top ten turn-offs for employers who go through profiles on Facebook include:
- Indecent language, vulgar jokes, unacceptable pictures
- Any evidence of substance abuse
- Criminal activity
- Fanatical views
- Membership to silly groups
- Bad mouthing of former employers or places of work

Interestingly, prospective employers do not stop with checking out a candidate’s profile. They also use what you’ve posted to find out more about your communication skills, general attitude and qualifications. So, if you’re really not what you claim to be, chances are, you’ve left traces of your lies in your conversation with others.

When your profile is subject to such minute inspection, do you need more reason to clean up your profile?

You can give your profile a swanky new look easily:
Get rid of silly quotes, inane or extreme views and distancing yourself from bigoted or pointless memberships.

Don’t forget to add some of your favorite books in addition to music and films. Employers love it when you appear well-read and profound.

Check closely for typos. Do not go for too much internet lingo. These might seem unimportant to you but your potential employers appreciate it if you can write ‘You’ instead of ‘U’ and stop using internet short forms.

Next, go through your photos – every single one of ‘em. Untag those that you do not want. That way, anyone snooping around cannot find that picture of yours.

- Remove pictures that look unflattering.
- Get rid of those where you’re doing something you shouldn’t.
- In case your friends have put in unflattering comments, remove those pictures too.

Your network:

Who’s on it? If your colleagues are a part of your network, be careful. Your boss might be friends with one of your colleagues.

Your posts:

You cannot always limit the people who see what you are writing. So, it makes sense to post the right stuff. Meaning, you don’t really want to shout to half the world that you’re thinking of throwing a sick leave so you can party at your neighbor’s house!

It’s not enough that the content on your own network is good, you must also take care while posting on someone else’s wall. Don’t throw out comments that you don’t want to be associated with.

Even though you delete content, it could remain on servers and be available on search engines. When such information gets into the wrong hands, it can cause major hiccups in decisions regarding a job, an admission or a promotion.

WARNING: Never post while you’re at work. The time of your post is plain to see. Ask yourself this: what will happen if your boss finds out you were updating your account while you were supposed to be working?

Why should you be so careful? The Police, hiring agencies, companies and schools are monitoring profiles at Facebook, MySpace and other such sites to uncover ‘improper’ content. What you write is a window to your private world. It’s like maintaining an ongoing virtual diary. How’s that for a thought?

User naivete combined with security gaps can ultimately lead to serious irreparable damage to your life.

Resource box:
1) Facebook can ruin your life
2) Employee uses racial slur in Facebook profile: Can you fire her?
3) Personal branding in the age of Google

© 2009, Tiffany Odutoye (@virtualpartner). All rights reserved.