G Social Media References

If you know anything about increasing your media, you will take the great things people say about you and your business and create a blog post or web page such as this. Some of my anti-fan club are asking right now "How does he get all of these great references?" For one, I work my ass off doing successful social media for my clients. Next, I ask people for recommendations on LinkedIn. Lastly, I use them here to market who I am and what I do. Now go ahead, stop hating, and get some of your own. Be fruitful and multiply. Haha, I feel great! Listen to what folks are saying about me. It's pretty good...

“I can't think of anyone I enjoy writing a recommendation for more than Gary Charles. I first worked with G Social Media in 2010. Gary is Mr. Social Media.to me and you He lives, breathes, and eats it. He has deep technical understanding of the different channels available to promote a product or service, and how each will impact a campaign.

But plenty of people can execute a good social media campiagn. What Gary brings to the situation is a business person's drive and determination. Gary is a business professional and understands that it takes constant improvement to be the best. He was always on top of every detail and prompt to answer questions and deliver solutions. He is a business man's social media Guru, and I would work with him again in a minute. In fact, I am at this very moment working on a new campaign. I have no doubt the results will be fantastic.”  -Kirk Adcock, ConnectMe QR


“Gary's results speak for themselves. He knows what he's doing and delivers the goods! thanks for the great work Gary. Would hire him again in a heartbeat.”  -Jennifer Losch, Red Dog Digital


“Gary has been a HUGE help to us in getting our social media marketing program off the ground. His expertise coupled with his well established connections and his askasheville.com site are a huge reason to work with Gary. He will jump start your marketing program. On top of that, he is a great guy and a pleasure to work with. Highly Recommended!”  -Chip Murison, WNC Insider


“It is a joy working with Gary - he does great work, is wonderful to work with, he's super nice, and he's a social media marketing guru!”  -Linda Titus, Net Site Marketing


“Gary Charles is a valued business partner to RelyLocal Asheville. His enterprises, G Social Media & Ask Asheville, have been integral parts of our strategic growth. Through assistance in developing our Social Media platforms and providing additional platforms to distribute our message, Gary continues to bring value to the table as we work together to grow our respective businesses.”  -Choya Harden, Rely Local Asheville


“Gary and I recently both spoke at a marketing communications class at UNCA. He is incredibly knowledgeable about social media and using it as a tool to market businesses. I look forward to doing more teaching events with him in the future and will certainly be recommending him to my clients. Social media and email marketing can go hand in hand so well...especially when you have a professional like Gary to help you do it the right way.”  -Kelly Denson, Lush Life Today


“Gary is THE guy for social media marketing and growing your business online. He's passionate and truly wants to help people in new and innovative ways. Embrace the future of marketing and networking with help and direction from G Social Media and Gary!”  -Gabe Fore, New Restaurant Logic


“After reading the many recommendations for Gary, all I can say is "all true, and then some"  -Bill Hodges, Expressions in Design


“Gary Charles is taking the lead in Asheville for connecting businesses to the world of social media. Nobody in town knows the business like Gary does. Not only that, he has an enormous amount of support from the community already, thus creating an air of credibility for others to see from you once hiring Gary. Any hesitations? Don't bother with them--just trust your gut instinct. I did, and found my business in a much better position because of it.”  -Sonia Hendrix, Push Asheville Fashion


“Gary is a highly motivated, social network guru who works tirelessly for his clients. Gary gets real results for the multiple small businesses he works for. His business is innovative, as well as a real step forward towards the future of social media.”  -Chris Hart, The Garage at Biltmore


“Gary is so passionate about what he does! He loves connecting with people and helping people. I would highly recommend Gary. I've seen the results of what he does for companies. No one will regret working with Gary if they want results and want their company to flourish. I have taken numerous classes with Gary. He has great examples and real life stories that people can relate to. We even asked him to help us teach a series of classes for the PWB and he did so willingly. Gary is genuine and personable and has personal qualities that are so valuable in his line of work.”  -Maria Aponte, Salon Blue Ridge


“Gary of GSocial Media is an expert social media networking advice and services in the Asheville, NC area, I highly recommend his service. Gary is very personable, easy to communicate with and truly enjoys what he does. He is very skilled and and creative. Very reliable, practical, attentive.”  -Chris Hanson, A Good Plumber

From Twitter, to Foursquare, to SCVNGR

The evolution of social media is taking place all of the time. New ways to reach out and communicate with others are being created daily. The revolution is past and we are here.

The great rave is Twitter and how we can share a simple sentence or two, be a part of a growing online community, and get amazing results. The same way we do in speaking. We break paragraphs into bullets and get straight to the point. Well... I know that some people do not try to consolidate the conversation and could use 5 minutes to tell you what they could have said in 12 seconds, but that is not "green" communication. Why waste a word when we do not need it. Why type a few extra characters that end up being useless to the convo? Tweets make us keep it simple.

Then Foursquare was the hot item on the social media market. Location Based Social Networking. We could base our interactions on where we actually were. So when I am at restaurant, I could check-in, let others know where I am, and make a comment whether good or bad about the place or experience. Facebook even copied success and created "Places" into their social network site. Fun fun for everyone.

Now the bonus comes, and SCVNGR is the key. They took the location based social networking to the next level where they give you simple challenges that sometimes force you to interact, but add bonus rewards for doing so. I call AWESOME!!! Anyway... I am currently working with the Asheville North Carolina team managed by Brett, and bridges are being built! People are stepping into the game and offering great incentives for playing at "their place" of business. Now, we finally get a bonus for this type of social media networking. Your return on investment (ROI) is already in place!

Game On!!!

Social Media & Twitter Tips

Here is an outline I used recently at a social media class presentation at UNC Asheville. I am thankful for the opportunity to share what I know and help the current generation learn and the next generation grow in their new media efforts.

Everyone needs to establish their brand in these online communities:

1. Gmail - email account - The King of Emails!
2. Blogger (Wordpress, Typepad, Squarespace) - blog website - this allows you to easily update information about your business while keeping your main website focused.
3. Feedburner - really simple syndication - rss feed
4. Picasa (Flickr, Photobucket) - online photo album - perfect for showcasing products, events, staff, etc.
5. YouTube (Vimeo) - video channel - a video presence allows you to reach a whole new community and share your vision.
6. Twitter - status updater - simple updates about your business, life or both
7. Twitpic - photo updater - picture updates - great to use to upload a pic from your smartphone
8. Friendfeed - social media compliation platform - post to Twitter tool is awesome, it allows you to add your other social media sites and then auto updates out to Twitter when you post something new.
9. Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace - social networking communities are the new "social clubs" as we knew in previous years, but these are online
10. Foursquare - location sharing social network - tells connections what venue you are at and allows you to post to Twitter, add tips, etc.
11. Su.pr (bit.ly, ow.ly, ht.ly) - link shortener / tracker - shortening your urls will allow you to have more writing room in your Tweets!



Twitter Tips -

1. Make an account
2. Go to “Settings” and fill out all of the information for your profile etc.
3. Send out a sample tweet like “Hello, good morning”
4. Find people to follow searching and by looking at other’s lists.
5. Check the people that are following you - and follow them back if they are not spam or porn. If you want to focus on a certain group of people, make a list and check that list frequently.
6. Use a social media management tool like Hootsuite to ultra manage your Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.
7. Watch your “At Replies / @Replies” - that is where people are talking to you, with you, or about you publicly. Reading these and giving a response is your 1st priority!
8. Check your “Direct Messages / DMs” - these are your private messages. This is where people usually thank you for following them and send a link to their website.
9. A tweet a day is great practice, no matter how unimportant it may seem. Share something.
10. If you are promoting a business, a minimum of 25% of your tweets should be sociable, personal, humorous, quotes, etc. Just tweeting about your business is unsociable.
11. Check the people you are following and if they do not reciprocate and “follow back” - cut them off and unfollow them. (Maybe put them on a list if you need to track them, but do not let them stop you from growing your followers, network, audience)
12. Do not become a Twitter police officer - people from many different niche groups are on Twitter. Some of them may be selling something that you do not like. Do not waste your time chasing them down. Live and let live; Tweet and let tweet.

GSocialMedia

Why marketers should love G Social Media

I do social media. I have been in this field for years. I practice this lifestyle in person and online. I do it for myself and I work it for my clients. I love to make connections. In my industry, and among a lot of my local peeps, there is a consistent sense of unwarranted competition. There need not be. I compliment business in general. I do not "steal" clients and I am supportive of the work of others. Here is why Marketers should love me:

1. I do balanced and correct social media, for my clients, your clients, and/or by being a ghost marketer.. where I do the work for your clients, for you, behind the scenes, never disclosing myself if necessary.

2. I do not compete - Loyalty is big part of what I do. Some marketers already have their clients in place and it would be unethical to solicit them directly. Sometimes marketing experts want me to be in direct contact with the clients, sometime they don't. Either way my commitment to my clients, your clients, and project as a whole is the same.

3. I love to train and empower - Sometimes marketers and PR experts do not want to give away "marketing secrets" to their clients, and put the power in their hands; but if you want me to set up your social media and then you take it from there, it is fine with me. I can show you have to maintain or you can source it out to me. The choice is yours.

4. I am a freelance agent, not looking for a job - Job security is important, especially in these tough economic times. When I come on the scene and their is already a marketer or marketing team in place; their job is never in jeopardy. Everyone likes to tell their client they "can do everything" so it is hard for marketers to reach out and source out for help when needed sometimes. I come in, reinforce, rebuild, and train you how to be more effective doing your job... not taking your job.

5. I will make you look good - Social networking and media is no longer a pastime game. If you are going to use it; use it right. Make it fun and profitable for you, your business and your clients. I can help greatly in this area. I love teamwork and would welcome being a part of your team. I can be your social media man!

6. Your company will do better - Everyone wants results. I can make it happen for the company in need. Social media is the way to initiate and build connections; leading to business. If used properly, all of us will do great.

7. We will all win -  And we will all live happily ever after. Doesn't everybody love a happy ending? I know I do.

Asheville Social Media School - City Crawl on June 18, 2010

It is time for some "Hands On" social media and training in Asheville. We are meeting at the Hotel Indigo on June 18th from 5pm - 8pm and maybe later for those who wish to keep going.

We will have several people leading the group. We will be taking pictures, tweeting, fourquaring, taking videos, writing, blogging, etc. Come as you are, ready to chose and use the medium of your choice or several.

A few ways to build your media during this event:

1. Bring a pen and pad and write down a few sentences of each place we visit. You can then put this online via a blog or Facebook note.

2. Bring your Blackberry, I-Phone, Droid or whatever Internet enabled phone you have to use for Foursquare, Twitter, Facebook Updates, Twitpic, 12 Seconds etc. Make sure you sign up for Twitpic and 12 Seconds if you plan on using these platforms. You can easily make an account on these sites with your Twitter login. Then once you are signed in, go to "Settings," and there will be an email where you can send your 12 Second videos or Twitpic photo uploads online while you are mobile.

3. Bring your cell phone. Set up your regular cell phone by going to Twitter, then to "Settings" and add your cell phone to connect it. No Internet required. Standard text messaging rates apply, and if you have unlimited texting, you are set!

4. Bring your camera to take pictures of all of the stops we make. Maybe take notes of each place. You can use these pictures to create a Picasa, Flickr, or Facebook photo album and name it "Asheville Social Media Crawl." You can upload these pics from your Internet enabled phone or from your computer to Twitpic, with a short description. You can also use these photos to add to a blog post about the evening when you get back home.

5. Bring your video camera and take videos of everywhere we go. You can then make a movie out of them and showcase the crawl!!

6. Bring yourself - the most important part of this mix. Without people like you, who pay attention to media and life, and then go the extra mile to share it; social media would not be anything. Even if you do not have any media platforms and just want to tour and have some fun with us, we welcome you.

The places we plan on stopping by are, but not limited to: Hotel Indigo, Bruisin Ales, Royal Peasantry, Drum Circle, Grove Arcade, Downtown After 5, Barley's Pizza and many more. We will be experiencing and covering each place through our unique views and platforms. No Experience Necessary. Come to have fun and learn with us, as a team!!

RSVP requested, but not necessary. See the Facebook event by clicking HERE or email RSVP me along with any questions. My email is listed on the right column of this blog. Thank you.

Asheville's Free Social Media School - May 10th - All About Blogging!

Okay, we are back on track after we got a "surprise" visit from the President of the United States. Of all the places to choose from, he decides to go to the same venue where we were supposed to hold the last social media school. We have rescheduled and we are now having the next class on Blogging, and it will be on Monday, May 10th at the Grove Park Inn (in the Elaine's Piano Bar area) from 5:00 pm - 7:30 pm. (Note to self: Afterwards we will be going upstairs to the Great Hall Bar area to mingle, listen to some music. Food and Drinks are also available until 9:30 pm)

You are going to hear from many local blog pioneers and experts including Jen from Blog Asheville, Anne from Edgy Mama, Felicia from Go Graham Go, Jason from Ashvegas, and of course me... Gary, the main contributor on the AskAsheville blog and I also build blogs for many businesses. Justin from Social Village will also be there to team up with G Social Media!

Blogging has changed the online community greatly in the Asheville area and around the world. Find out how these bloggers use it to create a strong network. Also, learn how you can use it to increase your visibilty and raise your voice online. You can email me, or RSVP on Facebook. See you there. Thanks!!

***PS: The next Asheville Free Social Media School after this one is May 27th. This will be the make-up class on Video Social Media. Same place, same time! But the "After-Party" will be staying down at Elaine's Piano Bar! Then on Friday, June 18th... we are going to have our 1st Asheville Social Media City Crawl where we meet at a location, discuss some of the ways social media can be used, and the take a tour of Downtown Asheville together, learning how to use new media. Lots and lots of fun to have and connections to be made. We are going to have a blast!!

Class #4 - Free Asheville Social Media School on Videos - May 27th

This event was originally planned for April 23rd, but the Presidential family was in town so it was postponed. The new date for this event is May 27, 2010 at Elaine's Piano at the Grove Park Inn. Video taking, making, editing, uploading and marketing.

In Asheville North Carolina in a few weeks, Social Media School takes a nice topic on.. when we talk about using video production and marketing to truly advance your business or person in this new media society. The class is going to be held at the Grove Park Inn 290 Macon Ave Asheville NC 28804 on May 27, 2010 from 5 pm - 7:30 pm with some music and an after party beginning around 8pm. RSVP on Facebook or email me.

Your words are worth something, but add a picture to those words and I heard it is worth 10,000. Add a video to the mix and WOW, you can really get your message across to a whole new audience. Videos are and important part of your social media package and strategy. Who doesn't like movies? And who does not like to watch a short movie about the topic they are interested in? Businesses who have not taken advantage of the YouTube and Vimeo scene are already behind in their efforts. Learn what to do to pick up your pace and get effectively involved.

G Social Media will be teaching along with Asheville Video Productions, Bourne Media, Rev Pictures, and PSAV. This is an important class that you do not want to miss. I know I will be there! Lol.

Asheville Social Media School - Questions and Answers Class #1

1. Is it okay to tweet about your business? It is definitely okay to tweet about your business as it is a part of your life. I tell my clients to do approximately 75% business and 25% personal if it is a business account, and approx. 40% business and 60% personal if it is a personal account. Be not afraid to sell and promote yourself. If you do not do this, who will?


2. How does someone write a tweet that references other tweets and/or other users? There are buttons that appear when you hover over them to the right of each tweet where you can retweet what that person has written. You write other users on Twitter by writing their name in the update box like “@GSocialMedia Hi Gary, we would love to talk to you about social media” and then hit the update button. This would be a public message. You can only send a private direct message to people who are following you. You can do this from the update box by using a “D” before the tweet like “D @GSocialMedia We need to talk” and hit the update button. Always make sure that you have a space after the name and a space before if there is any type of writing prior. You can also use a Twitter management platform like Hootsuite or Tweetdeck to manage your Twitter account better.

3. How does someone answer a question on a tweet? There is a reply button that appears when you hover to the right side of the tweet that was sent to you.

4. What kind of commitment is needed to effectively tweet? If you prepare correctly, you can effectively tweet in 5 minutes a day. Do not make it a burden commitment. Learn the ropes, have fun, and make it a part of your daily life.

5. How can I get people to connect with me in person after they friend/follow me on Twitter? You have to build the relationship comfortably to bring people to that point. It takes planting the seed, watering it and helping it grow. It is not a “get rich quick” scheme where you meet people on Twitter and they run to you.

6. Is there a particular form of social media more effective than others? I promote a balance of social media platforms which connect with the many groups of media networkers. Each platform has its own specific purpose.

7. What about identity theft with social media? Identity theft is always an issue. Limit the ultra-personal information shared.

8. What phone do you have for social media? I use a Blackberry for my social media and networking. (and I love it)

9. Pros and Cons of different phones when doing social media? Most use Blackberry for business and IPhone for biz mixed with more apps and some fun.

10. Will future meetings be more focused on the nuts and bolts techniques for Facebook and Twitter? Yes, this next meeting on March 23rd will deal with Twitter and Facebook for beginners and some pro tips as well.

11. Benefits / Negatives of Blog vs. Newsletter? A blog is online permanently with your content always available and working for you constantly. Newsletters are great for establishing following and keeping fans via the email platform. Even if people send out a newsletter, I recommend that they take the articles and post them to a blog after.

12. Blog or Newsletter more beneficial for which type of business? Both are used for their specific purposes and niche. Blog takes the priority with me because it is online forever, visitors can see your other content and other sidebar info that you wish to keep in front of them.

13. What is the main difference in Facebook and Twitter? Facebook is used for a closer relationship with more personal information. Twitter is used to get straight to the point and make smaller comments. Twitter technically took the “Status Updates” model from Facebook and made a platform of “greener” communication.

14. Why should I do Twitter? Think of Twitter as a social club where there are millions of people who are members. If you want to make connections, get business exposure, reach out… Twitter is the hottest platform on the market today.

15. How does my business become a fan of other businesses on Facebook? Only people (or personal pages) can become fans of business fan pages on Facebook.

16. What percentage of “no shows” can you expect from Facebook event invitations that RSVP? This could vary. Some people just RSVP yes so they can get some picture and profile exposure. Of the serious people, it could be anywhere from 25-75%. A follow up a few days before the event could prove to be very helpful.

17. When I am on a site and it has a button for Facebook, is there a way to have it post to my group directly instead of profile? No, you have to copy the URL and paste it to your Facebook group page.

18. On Facebook, how do I control the stupid stuff that I have to read? (Example: Jerry is preparing dessert) You don’t control it. You are exposed to the people that you are connected with. There was a button that said “less of these” that will show you less of another users updates, but as of now all I see is just the “Hide” button.

19. Our company has employees in 7 States and the Caribbean. What is the best way to engage employees in all locations, destinations and departments in social media to reach company goals? Both train and assign one person in each State, or each facility to be in charge of the social media. When corporations handle the social media from out of State, it sometimes becomes very impersonal and unsociable. You want to have someone close to the action promoting these individual places. I can help. Please send me to the Caribbean first and I will get them started. Thanks!!

Asheville... Let's Face It, Twittering Away Your Time Can Be Profitable

Everywhere you turn you hear stories about Facebook, Twitter, and something called "social media." If you've wondered what all the buzz was about, if it is all just a passing fad, or even wondering if social media might just be the silver bullet to solve your challenges, then there's a free school for you in Asheville NC.

On March 23, 2010 at Free Asheville Social Media School at The Garage at Biltmore from 5:00pm - 7:30pm, several social media enthusiasts will share what they're learning so you can confidently launch your own social media effort. One presenter, Trey Pennington, who has over 75,000 followers on Twitter and is at the Facebook friend limit, will outline a comprehensive model showing you how to use social media tools to meet friends, potential friends, and prospective clients and customers online. More importantly, he'll share a brief overview of the foundational principles necessary for making meaningful contacts through social media.

"Believe it or not," Pennington says, "social media is being used right now to breath new life into an industry on the 'endangered industries' list—textile manufacturing!" Trey will share this story, plus other real life examples of social media in action. When you leave, you'll have a solid framework for venturing into the new social media territory.

Trey Pennington is a marketing pro, business connector, and storyteller for business who’s passion is helping folks uncover their hidden treasures and put them to work. He uses social media to connect with audiences around the world. HubSpot ranks his Facebook profile as one of the most influential in the world and his Twitter profile in the top 0.01%. He's helped start ten Social Media Clubs in the US, UK, and Australia and routinely speaks to groups using social media to make connections and have conversations leading to commerce.

His book, Spitball Marketing: Using What You've Got to Get More of What You Want is due out in early 2010.

You can RSVP by sending an email to G Social Media (email on the site) or RSVP on Facebook. Thanks.

THANKS for helping with Asheville Social Media School - Class #1

First of all we would like to thank the Downtown Market in Asheville North Carolina for giving us the space to hold this 1st event. Josiah Hyatt, Pepper Parris, and the many vendors allowed us to make this class possible. Oh... and thanks for the raffle items!

Local Guys Movers of Asheville were also on the scene helping out in any way possible, make sure we had the chairs set up properly, and they were very helpful to everyone there. Their whole crew was wonderful. Thank you.

David Bonyun of Asheville Video Productions did a great job taking video of the event and we are going to have some clips for you really soon. Thank you for your video production work in Asheville NC!

Rev. Jeffrey A. Hober of Cornerstone Church gave us the 125 chairs for the social media event last night and we want to thank him and his congregation for helping us out.

Thanks to Maria Aponte of Hi Tech Systems in AVL let us use that wonderful Panasonic projector to show our presentations and was helpful throughout the night in so many other ways.

Jay Kirk of PSAV Presentation Services in AVL helped us out with the speaker system to go with the projector and a few other gadgets. Also thanks for helping us get back online when we had a glitch in the system!

Thx to Amanda Ballew of More Space Place Custom Closets and Murphy Beds in Asheville NC for providing the literature and paper needs, and also for helping moderate this whole event.

Bill Nixdorf of PaleoSun Web Design showed us a great presentation of how the search engines meter people, human behavior, and index websites. Thank you

Christopher Smith of Asheville Discount Card was very helpful from the moment he showed up on the scene. From helping move chairs, to getting things in order while we had to run and get some copies and more. Thx!

Thanks to Asheville Maid Katie Crisp for helping us with the registration, raffle tickets and making sure everyone had everything they needed.

Thank you to Polly McDaniel from the Asheville Citizen Times for coming to this event and talking about the newspaper, social media, and the local WNCLINC efforts!

Thanks to Jose Ibarra of Applied Solutions for presenting the push for Google to come to Asheville North Carolina. You can find more info about it on Google AVL.

Ryan Izon of Mother and Son Bistro in North Asheville / Woodfin donated gift certificate for a special occasion cake to the raffle items and also spoke about his business etc. Thank you.

Sandy Eha of Rolf Experience in AVL spoke about her business and also donated a gift certificate for a free Rolf session during the raffle.

Thank you to George Zhouf of Jump Wedding Photography in Asheville for dropping in and taking a photo shoot of the Asheville Social Media School event.

Al Lorenzo assisted the event by getting the cloth up to shoot the projections onto. Al is a General Contractor in the Asheville area 828-201-6581.

It took all of us working together to make this event a great success. Thank you so much to everyone; the people who helped and the people who attended the free Asheville Social Media School.

Notes from Asheville Social Media School - Class #1 - Feb 25, 2010

Here are the recap notes for the Asheville Social Media School – Class #1 by G Social Media that was held at the Downtown Market. Please review these before the next class we will be moving onto setting up a Twitter and Facebook account and also a Facebook Fan Page. We are going to learn the do's and dont's and some great tips to help you grow your network! We are also going to hear from some great guest networkers.


1. Class Rules –

a. Meet a minimum of 5 new people or businesses each time you come. Document these people in one way or another. Maybe make a list of “New people I have met in 2010” etc. This will show you how to network. Also, reach out and meet someone totally opposite of your niche, someone you can never imagine working with, and someone who you may have thought “I will never need that service or person.”

b. Ask Questions! Some cards are available and you can ask any questions you may have about social media and networking. You can also ask them via my email. We will either answer them in class, online or both.

c. Try to take notes. Even if you never look at them again, notes provide more retention.

d. Try to be sociable – This is the beginning of social media.


2. Little Intro about me – I set up and train people and businesses on social media and networking. I run a company called AskAsheville.com which is actively involved in the social media scene, and I network with everyone – Open and Closed Networkers – Community – We do this together, nobody owns it anymore.


3. Social Media has been around forever - But the methods have changed some. (Mail, Telephone, Art, Television, Cell Phones, Internet, Email, Instant Message, Websites, Texting, Social Networking, Social Media)


4. What is Social Media –

a. Being sociable, open, and accessible. A sense of humor or event attempt is great too.

b. How many of you watch Deal or No Deal? You cannot being the banker, live up in your tinted glass room, and be sociable.

c. The old way of making connections was that you connected with those who were applicable to what you were trying to accomplish.

d. Today, we connect with everyone knowing that everyone is a potential client, knows a potential client, or has a voice somewhere.

e. Before we just connected with those that “applied” but now we connect with everyone and take the “better” relationships deeper. Also know that every one person has at least 5-10 close connects.


5. Who created Social Media?

a. I want you to write “G Social Media” here…. And then after that write “did not invent social media.”

b. Al Gore didn’t, and not talking politics, but Obama’s campaign made the whole world more aware than ever about it. People started paying attention. From hobby to essential.


6. Why is Social Media Important –

a. The term “friend” has changed. You are my friend if we only met on Facebook. You are my friend if you are connected to me on Twitter. I think of my friends first when making choices, gathering information and making buying decisions.

b. This is the current way to maximize your communication and mass communicate. Versus Instant Messenger, Email, One on One,

c. It levels the playing field with the “Big Boys” – Everyone is somewhat equal, has a voice, and is accountable to each other. Great for handicapped people… or businesses that may have a handicap as far as certain limitations.

d. People listen more to people in their networks, not search engines or blatant advertising.

e. Crowd sourcing is awesome. Ask the multitudes! Get answers and opinions.

f. Without it, both you and your business are mute. We cannot hear you.


7. How can I be sociable? - Start simple – (Being Sociable & Taking it Online)

a. Respect others for who they are, their niche, their mission

b. Respect humanity – Know that people are different. In race, religion, employment, activities, lifestyle, etc. You need to be open to everyone to maximize the effectiveness of your communication. Understand that social media has no room for exclusion and prejudice.

c. Be transparent – Using social media allows others to come into your world. Make sure you have clarity and direction when they enter. This is where you need to show yourself sociable. Be real, be friendly, and be positive. Then process them kindly.

d. Be personable – First name basis is great!

e. Learn how to open the conversation. About you… who, what, when, where, how. Then listen to them when they speak the same information. Document it!

f. Be cool. Folks will be quick to call you out and label you (@%*^!+) if you do not have the common respect expected. Not telling you to walk on eggshells, but “Just being Yourself” sometimes does not work for everyone. Learn to be flexible, get on our level, and be cool.

Asheville Social Media - Free School Coming Soon!

I have initiated a social media school in Asheville North Carolina beginning on February 25, 2010 and it is going to continue indefinitely in the months to come. Each class will provide important information to help you understand, initiate, and use social media effectively. Some people are simply coming to the classes for information. Some are coming to learn how to aggressively use it for their businesses and promotions. While some want to learn how to get started, others may want to make sure their marketing company is up to par. Many businesses are led into a weak form of social media because the media companies that are leading them do not completely understand it themselves. But all of us like to say "we know it all and have it covered." This is many times not the case. We are going to try to help everyone from the common social media and social networking user, to companies that are trying to assist their clients with new media.

The Asheville social media class dates for the next few months will be February 25th, March 23rd, April 23rd, and May 10th from 5pm-7pm, with social hours after on some of these days. We have a nice curriculum planned for all of these dates with great information and guest speakers coming in. We are going to answer any and every question you have concerning Social Media, Websites, Marketing, and Social Networking. You are going to be trained on how to start social media for fun, for your business, and keep it simple. More maintenance means more of your time, or more of your money if you are hiring someone to do your social media. We show you how to eliminate a lot of this time or expense by connecting your social media together properly.

These Asheville classes are going to be fun fun for everyone. We are planning several outdoor activities and even a social media retreat for the Summer of 2010. We are going to be meeting several businesses in the Western North Carolina area and learning how they connected with their audience before, and how they are currently connecting. You will learn effective change. We are going to learn how to make connections with businesses ourselves and how to extract the important information we need from anyone. We are going to learn some simple lessons that we should have learned in the playground as children... to big corporate business strategy. All of your social media needs will be covered in this free school in Asheville NC.

The 1st Class on February 25th will be at the Downtown Market at 45 South French Broad Ave Asheville NC 28801 from 5pm - 7pm and there will be some great food and drinks available for a small cost ($4 - $5) from the vendors. It is located right down the street from the Asheville Federal Building, across from United Way.

You can email me to reserve a free spot by clicking HERE or you can visit the Facebook event page.

Social Media is the Wave of Now, and the Future

We cannot believe what seemed to be a pastime hobby, has now turned into an essential for business. This "New World" and society is reaching out and meeting clients in ways never imagined a few years ago.

This could be dangerous for your company if you think you are already established, because the companies, old or new, that focus on this new conduits will be the first to rise to the top if they do it correctly. May I say "First Come, First Serve"? Yes.

Getting on board with Social Media allows you to keep up with "State of the Art" communication and networking. In many cases, it is much more important than all of your company telephones put together.

Social media and marketing is much more than just joining a social network. Doing it correctly and using these avenues to their full potential is Key! This is where we come in. Here is a sample description of a Custom Social Media Package and how we are available to work with you.

1) We evaluate your existing web presences, if any, and start with a simple paid consultation of your business. ($50 hr consultation pricing)

2) From there we get to know you, how you work, what team members you have, what time your have available, and how to best use it to accomplish your goals and end results. (consultation pricing)

3) We then put a "Social Media" package together showing you what we recommend to get you on track and start pulling your business ahead of the competition. ($100 hr development pricing - usually 2-4 hours)

4) Upon acceptance of the proposal, we will begin working on your own personal Social Media platform. (Per Bid)

5) We are available to train and consult individuals or a complete staff on Social Media networking and marketing. (Per Bid)

The other factor you must consider is your website and making sure it is built with the best backcode, it is a clean site, and has the proper tags, titles, etc. to make it both search engine and user friendly. My people can do a full evaluation, let you know some "Website Insight" and truth, and then you can decide if you need help. No pressure at all. We know websites and real time marketing / relations. When you finally realize how important it really is, at least you know who to go to (Me). Let me set up these platforms for you (8 in the beginners package), add your little niche and watch it explode with some really simple instruction. You have to make the next move. Let us show you how to have multiple platforms, and make them work for you like you never imagined. This applies to any industry, easy.

Contact us for a full evaluation of your current platforms and websites... or to get started and trained from scratch, no problem at all for us. We absolutely love to show people how to change over from what they knew before (as far as marketing and relation building), to the new standard.

Our home base is located in the mountains of Asheville North Carolina, and we service Globally. Thank you. AskAsheville@gmail.com Attention: Social Media Dept