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So, tell us, Rob, what’s your favorite part of working in social media?
RH: I love the unique opportunity that social presents. You have a canvas to create something special and hustle to watch it gain traction. A current example would be how A$AP Rocky leveraged a passionate tumblr following into a multimillion-dollar record deal. It's so organic, and it's centered on relationships. I love that challenge.

Fill us in on your day-to-day activities.
RH: My time is split between designing content for my clients and working on strategy to help them accomplish their goals. It gets exciting when the strategy starts producing results based on the content I've created. It's a great feeling to go back to a client and say our plan worked.

What did you do before you entered the social media arena?
RH: It's hard to even remember a life before social media, but I have been an athlete my whole life. I played basketball in college and was fortunate enough to play after college as well. I remember being the first one of my teammates with twitter/tumblr/youtube/linkedIn. But I guess I was just a sports-crazed college student before social.

What made you decide to go into social media?
RH: I've always been an early adopter, so when I got Twitter in 2008 I was just fascinated by how brands were leveraging it as a part of their marketing strategy. I read a lot of blogs and articles, and when I was an intern at USA Karate, I just asked to take over their social networks… and the rest was history.

What do you do in your spare time?
RH: I've been getting into Improvisation a lot lately, I really love being on stage and making things up as I go. I also play basketball, listen to hip-hop, thoroughly enjoy an amazing burger, being active outdoors, and hitting the town with my friends.

Can you share a social media win or strategy that has worked well with your clients?
RH: There's a lot of literature out there about getting more engagement with images on Facebook, and it's 100 percent correct. But be sure to brand those images, so when people share them, you get those extra eyeballs on your logo.

What some of your favorite brands to follow through social media?
RH: Nike. HBO. Complex Magazine. NBA. LeBron James. HBO Boxing. GQ also does a great job across multiple platforms. All that stuff.

What's your favorite hashtag?
RH: I think my favorite hashtag is #barves … which is the misspelling of Atlanta Braves. I don't really follow baseball, but a couple of the basketball bloggers on my timeline do, and the snarky community of Braves fans use this hashtag whenever the Braves mess up at the end of games or blow the wild card race after having a commanding lead.

Social media marketing is as much art as it is science, and businesses will have to find their own way to get their message across and connect emotionally with their target audience. However, there are building blocks, like the Tactical Wheel, that will help you build a solid foundation. There are also important pitfalls to avoid.  

Lack of Social Media Strategy

The old adage “failing to plan is planning to fail” could never be truer in social media. Without a plan you will not be in a position to:

• Connect social media activities to corporate objectives.
• Determine appropriate key performance indicators.
• Set realistic goals for each stage of maturity.
• Identify what social sites to leverage.
• Maximize resources.

This is why we dedicate an entire course to developing a successful strategy. Our goal is for you to help businesses identify:

• Their social media purpose.
• Their target audience.
• What actions and value to provide to their customers through social.
• Specific goals, milestones, and dates.

Cross Functional Marketing

Is it social + traditional, social vs. traditional, or social AND traditional marketing? The answer is obvious, so why are there so many turf wars and silos still around? Part of your job will be to break down silos and get social to permeate through the organization. This will help your company produce great benefits:

• Extend marketing dollars
• Increasing reach and awareness
• Relationship nurturing
• Improve customer service

Social can turbocharge investments in marketing, HR, and customer service by extending the conversation, building relationships, and meeting the customers where they are.

Monologue vs. Dialogue and Brand Transparency

Some companies think they can engage in social media without being social. They expect the conversation to be a one-way communication, NOT a two-way dialogue.  As soon as their community starts to speak up and try to engage in dialogue, one of the following poor choices occurs:

• The brand says nothing; silence is the deadly killer in social media. Not responding to comments in social says more than you want and never says the right thing.
• The company chooses to delete comments that are not “favorable.” This is more deadly than silence. This tells your community that you are Big Brother and don’t want to hear from them. It’s basically the same as saying “Shut up and buy my stuff or move on.” We can’t be the soup Nazi in social; it will always go bad.

Remember, social media is an investment. It is not set it and forget it. Nurturing is required. Having a plan and consistently working the plan is the key to success. At the end of the day you own your success or failure. So remember to avoid these mistakes, leverage the Tactical Wheel, and be human.

Do you remember how terrifying it was the first time you got behind the wheel of a car? Think about all those things you had to remember to do. What pedal makes you go forward and which one causes you to slow down and stop? How do you signal a left or right turn? How about learning to parallel park? It was the most deadly of all elements of the dreaded driving test at the local DMV. Now think about how easy it is to drive today, and how quickly it became second nature to you. Also consider that today you can grab the keys to any car and know exactly what to do behind the wheel, even if you’ve never previously driven that particular model.

Learning social media marketing can seem equally daunting, and without learning the universal elements that are the foundation of success, businesses will have a high probability of failure in the online world. The Tactical Wheel is the proprietary method Splash Media University has developed that will empower students to navigate the social media waters regardless of platform. By implementing the Tactical Wheel, students will be ensured that they are not only setting businesses up for success but that they will also be implementing social media best practices in a consistent manner. The Tactical Wheel provides:

• A set of universal actions you will take, regardless of social media platform.
• The best way to learn and understand social media marketing and how it’s going to benefit businesses.
• A method that ensures the implementation of social media best practices.

This proprietary social media marketing method is core to each of our courses with specific modules, lessons, and homework assignments that cover how the Tactical Wheel applies to course topics, and then how to apply each step of the Tactical Wheel within the platforms covered.

The 5 Steps of the Tactical Wheel:

1. Listening
   1. Identifying potential customers
   2. Identifying influencers
   3. Identifying relevant content
   4. Monitoring conversations
2. Building Community
   1. Getting social media users to friend, follow, or like a business in social media
   2. Building awareness and exposure with new potential users
   3. Providing a platform for customer service
   4. Providing a platform for purchase decisions
3. Broadcasting
   1. Communicating effectively with social media users
   2. What, when, and how to communicate with social media users
   3. Scheduled and opportunistic posting
   4. Building traffic through broadcasting
4. Content
   1. Building effective content around the marketing funnel
   2. Leveraging archived knowledge
   3. Discovering your key message and unique selling proposition and weaving this into content pieces.
5. Conversion
   1. Understanding buyer behavior
   2. Using Calls to Action: Active vs. Passive
   3. Determining fair exchange of value

This concept integrates the tactical techniques you need to get a campaign up and running and to sustain that campaign to deliver value on an ongoing basis. The different stages of the Tactical Wheel can be implemented across all social media platforms. Just like driving a car. All cars have the same pedals and the same signals. When you learn how to drive one car, you can pretty much drive them all. Other schools may teach you about platforms, but at Splash Media U, we teach you how to drive for success. 

You know customers don’t want to be kept on hold; nor do they want to repeat their issues each time they are transferred to another department. Unfortunately we have trained our customers that getting good customer service through traditional channels is a painful process with a low probability of making them happy. This is one of the main reasons why companies seem to receive so many negative comments online. Customers are trained to go online to complain rather than to seek help. However, you can turn this negative into a positive by meeting them where they are and actually delivering good customer service right then and there through social media.

This is where community management becomes so crucial. You must listen for opportunities to help and encourage users to bring their customer service issues to you via social media. By turning your social media platforms into customer service environments you’ll have plenty of opportunities to answer questions and provide support. Once these types of conversations start occurring, your community will begin to take part in the conversation, too, by answering questions other customers ask. Now all of a sudden you have this unpaid resource that’s out there using your product(s) every single day and helping your other customers deal with their issues.

Customers helping customers right before your very eyes for the whole world to see is what I call incredible customer relationship management. There is no advertising in the world that can deliver this type of goodwill for your business.

Marketers who think that social media integration with traditional marketing strategies is pointless are in for a very rude awakening. There is no denying that social media is here to stay, and businesses are well aware of that fact. According to Social Media Examiner's 2012 Industry Report, 94 percent of businesses are using social media marketing as a tool in their marketing plan. However, while social media is currently the belle of the ball when it comes to marketing, traditional marketing remains a powerful tool that, with social media integration, can achieve optimal results.

Traditional vs. Social Media

Successful social media integration with traditional marketing starts with understanding the differences between the two mediums.

• Where traditional marketing announces, social media marketing engages.
• Traditional marketing starts conversations, while social media keeps them going.
• Social media is often online to the public, and therefore inherently broader; traditional marketing is by nature narrower in scope.
• Social media is typically less expensive to initiate than traditional marketing.
• Results are tracked differently through traditional marketing than through social media.

Integrating Two Marketing Types

Social media integration into the traditional marketing plan is not always easily understood, despite their very obvious differences. But the most important aspect to remember is that no matter how different they are, with the right strategy—and execution—social media and traditional marketing can work together beautifully.

The first and most important step in the process of integration is to determine the overall goal of the business. What results are you ultimately attempting to achieve? Marketing and sharing the wrong message rather than making sure everyone is on the same page can be costly and detrimental to the brand.

Then, consider your audience when choosing the most effective voices to deliver your message. Most people assume that young people only connect through Facebook and similar social networks, yet a study by Millard Brown in 2012 reveals that people are more affected by media that they can physically see and touch. Furthermore, the results transcended age.

Finally, create a cohesive strategy that implements social media marketing in its areas of strength, and uses traditional media in the ways that it is effective. Use direct mail to lead audiences through a landing page online where you are generating leads. Invite your online Twitter fans to participate in a contest at their local restaurant. As long as their overall message is on par with the company's marketing message, the vehicles to deliver the message can vary.

As a certified social media marketer, you will be able to effectively deliver a brand's message and expand it to the realm of traditional marketing. To learn more about becoming a certified professional in social media marketing, visit Splash Media U today!

Social media trends can sometimes feel faster and more convoluted than the storylines in a reality show, and learning how to keep up with the latest changes, among other things, often feels close to impossible. But you're not alone. Today's social media marketing tools, while extensive, provide much-needed relief from the madness. Still, everything moves pretty fast and, if you're not looking, you could miss it—and then your brand misses it.

Keeping Up With Marketing Trends

How to keep up with social media in a rapidly changing landscape? The key is to stay ahead of the curve. As a marketer, it is your job to monitor the latest marketing trends so that your clients can reap the benefits of your expertise.

There are many tools that can help you get the job done, but really it's all about planning. Follow these useful tips to take advantage of the knowledge readily available and don't get left behind.

1. Schedule time each day to check out your social media channels. Find out about new changes to rules, changes in design, or what's buzzing around the networks.

2. Become friends with your feed.  RSS feed extensions like Feedly can help you stay on top of industry-related blogs by putting everything in one place. Organize by topic and find more blogs that have to do with your industry.

3. Organize your social media channels. Each of your social media channels has ways to create lists so that you can follow the people and pages that most interest you. Organize your lists under topics like “marketing” and “social media.”

4. Follow key influencers and industry's top dogs. The best people to learn from are those who are already in the industry. Whether you feel like you're stagnant in social media marketing or just traditional marketing, keeping up with those who are already succeeding can give you the motivation and the knowledge you need to keep going. Start with this KISSmetrics post that outlines some of the best and most helpful Twitter lists for marketers.

5. Use your downtime wisely. Learning how to keep up with social media doesn't stop when you clock out of work. When you're not on the clock, when you're on break or you're just hanging out at home, you can still check out articles in your favorite online magazines, podcasts of your favorite marketing shows and generally just continue to make an effort to learn all you can.

If you haven't considered getting certified in social media marketing, now is your chance to learn more about marketing, the latest social media marketing tools and how to stay informed in a fast-paced industry. Visit Splash Media U today to learn more about how you can become a certified social media marketer!

We spent some time talking with Account Manager Carrie Pinkley about her early entry into social media and how she views the "new frontier."

So, tell us, Carrie, what’s your favorite part of working in social media?

CP: Working in social media, to me, is kind of like traveling west to find gold—it’s a new frontier. Every day there is something new to learn or adapt to which makes going to work each day exciting and fun! I love the idea that we are creating the next big move for brands in media.

What are some of your favorite brands to follow through social media?

CP: Ritz Crackers can always make me laugh; I am inspired by their visually branded strategy. To me, they are proof that people who love your brand DO want to interact with you; you just have to give them something shareable and engaging to do so. GoGoSqueeze is another brand that I follow for ideas; they post similar content to Ritz and run contests across different platforms.

Fill us in on your day-to-day activities.

CP: Just by the nature of the word “Manager” you can define my day-to-day activities, but underneath it all is a strategic mind at work. Every day I strive to find ways to push my clients’ brands to top of mind for their audience.

What made you decide to go into social media?

CP: I’m a firm believer that social media is the next big media platform. There is a place for brands within this social world we all live in, and I want to be a part of finding just the right cadence, visibility, and creative formula for brands to succeed in the social realm.

What do you do in your spare time?

CP: If I am not out taking the dogs for a walk or working out at my CrossFit gym, I am usually planning a trip to somewhere. Last year I traveled to six new countries and I am currently trying to find the best time of year to visit Iceland.

Can you share a social media win or strategy that has worked well with your clients?

CP: Not all clients are always the most glamorous. My team and I work on multiple Trucking Industry clients and it is sometimes tough to put on our trucker hat and think like a driver. We started a series of posts with “CB Lingo” which has garnered a lot of comments and engagement from the community. We are excited to attend an industry conference this summer to further delve into this unfamiliar world of trucking.

What's your favorite hashtag?

CP: Well, I recently conjured up my own for the pictures I take and post of my dogs (Oso & Ava) on Instagram, #instaoso & #avagram. I think the personal ones are the most endearing, though #girlproblems #tbt etc. are definitely entertaining to search.

What did you do before you entered the social media arena?

CP: I have to brag just slightly … I was an early adapter of Facebook back when you had to have a certain “.edu” email address to join. So, I would say I’ve been in the social media arena from the start. Professionally, I come from a big agency background. I entered the ad business after college as a Media Planner. My clients had “Super Bowl-size” budgets, so it was incredibly fun to dive in and strategically think about the most creative ways to reach their targets.

Rhea Thomas is the Blogger Manager at Splash Media and part of the Content Creation and Script Production team at Splash Media U. You can find her on Twitter @TexasRhea.

In Part 1, we talked about the advantages of Master Social Media Certification for students in a full range of social media marketing positions. Hiring Splash Media University Certified Professionals is also beneficial to employers. 

For employers: If your company has decided to hire a social media marketing manager, you should select candidates that have a Master Social Media Certification for the following reasons:

1. Certification provides confidence to your company and its stakeholders (customers, prospects, employees, etc.) that you’ll be implementing best practices in social media marketing.  Consider this scenario. You have received a resume from a person who has 2-3 years’ experience. What does that really mean? What have they really done for other businesses? How do you ensure that this person has the skills and knowledge to work within the social platforms?  If their experience does not convince you, then you have to look for relevant certifications as the most telling evidence of a candidate’s knowledge.

2. Reduce your risk of getting a social media “black eye.” We have all heard about businesses hurting themselves through poor social media engagement. Hiring a Splash Media University graduate will ensure that they have the skills necessary to properly communicate with the general public on your behalf. 

3. Financial benefits. Our graduates have the knowledge and skills necessary to build effective social media communities and produce leads and new customers with a lower cost per acquisition. Lowering your marketing costs will improve your bottom line.

4. Our certification proves a graduate’s ability to apply their knowledge and skills to comprehend and analyze real-life situations and make good choices for your business.  Someone may pick up these skills on the job, but with our certification examinations actually testing students, you can feel comfortable that they are capable.

5. Dedication is just as important as experience. A strong indication that a candidate will be a dedicated employee is if they have spent the time, money, and brain power developing their skills and achieving certification from Splash Media University. 

Speak with a Program Advisor to learn more about Master Social Media Certification at 877-930-9180.

Our Master Social Media Certification provides students with breadth and depth in the full range of social media marketing job functions. Because our program is job-focused, employers can be assured that a Splash Media University Certified Professional has mastered the full range of skills required to be successful in complex multiplatform environments.

Certification Is Important For Students and Employers

For the Student: The Master Social Media Certification Program involves the successful completion of six courses and their associated assignments and examinations. The completion of the program will help you by: 

1. Proving to your future employer that you have the desire to start and go through this program. This shows employers that you have the determination and ability to complete a complex process. It also shows hiring managers that you have made an investment of time, effort, money and brain power to pass a series of assignments and exams to validate your skills and knowledge. 

2. Improving your marketability. You should want to prove you’re at the top of your game. Our certification helps prove that your skills are valuable and relevant.

3. Providing an unbiased barometer of your skills. Our certification is an inexpensive way to prove that you’re an expert and that your skills are up to date.

4. Gaining practical skills you can use on the job. Through our program you will develop the skills needed to perform real-world job responsibilities.

5. Becoming more effective. When you use our program for your own professional development, you will acquire the skills you need to stay competitive, to maximize your time, and to produce real value for the company you choose to work for.

6. Standing out from your peers. Nothing will make you stand out to management like taking on additional education and certification. 

Speak with a Program Advisor to learn more about Master Social Media Certification at 877-930-9180.

The top social media news stories from the past couple of weeks seem to fall into one of two categories. There were security issues like the AP Twitter hack and Facebook’s new account protection feature. Then there were software updates like the new ad manager from Salesforce and a completely redesigned LinkedIn app. The Weather Channel’s Twitter-generated wind tunnel is in a category all its own.

1. Keeping Up With the Dow Joneses

The fact that on May 3, the Dow Jones Industrial Average hit a record 15,000 is itself newsworthy, but the social media story came ten days earlier when a false tweet from a hacked Associated Press Twitter account caused the Dow to plummet 130 points. It was a brief tumble, but a sobering reminder for businesses that online accounts need secure password (and user) protection.

2. Social.com is Ad Management from Salesforce

More and more app developers are taking advantage of ad APIs to create paid campaign management tools. Translation: Similar to social media publishing software (like Spredfast or HootSuite), you can now manage ad campaigns across different platforms with a single app. Software giant Salesforce is getting into the game with Social.com, and combining social media ad management with Salesforce’s powerful CRM and listening tools could be a major advantage for brands that know how to use it properly.

3. The New LinkedIn Mobile App

I have to be honest. I loved the old LinkedIn app. The design was part travel, part stylish desk set. But I’ll admit the totally redesigned version has a lot to offer. Stories and news are front and center, which is consistent with LinkedIn’s recent pushes to become the leader in professional content distribution. In some ways, the app is more intuitive than the website, a clear reflection of how social networks are adapting to the upward trajectory of mobile use.

4. I Trust You and You and You

I’ve never understood why some of the security questions used to recover passwords are subjective. What if my favorite color changes? What good is it then? Facebook has a solution called Trusted Contacts. I can designate three, four, or five friends who will each be sent codes they can give me if I’m locked out of my account. For pages, the best security measure is to have multiple admins, but if that’s impossible and you can’t get into your own account for some reason, Trusted Contacts might be the way to go. Just be sure to choose people who aren’t likely to be out of touch for long periods of time.

5. Tornado Week at the Weather Channel

It’s no exaggeration to say that people were tweeting up a storm last week. Weather Channel interns created a Twitter-powered tornado for Tornado Week, and with every mention of #TornadoWeek, they turned up the wind power in their office. I guess you can be blown away by social media. Who’s looking forward to Hurricane Week in August?