by: Shelley Ross

Walking into Likeable Media is unlike any typical office.  On the very first day, and every day since, I’ve found myself in a bright orange room full of friendly smiles, laughter and greetings.  Everyone is happy to be there, no matter how tired they are or what mood they’re in.  Everyone is exploring social media platforms, engaging fans in client pages and creating likeable buzz.  As the semester now comes to a close, we can reflect on how much we’ve learned- and it’s overwhelming to realize how much that is!

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                                            By Alyssa Storm @alyssamstorm

Last week I had the opportunity to meet Brad Blake, VP of Social Media Strategy at Hill Holliday. Mr. Blake’s whole presentation was very engaging, but one specific point he made has stuck with me:

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By Valerie Pritchard

Right before I left home to move up to the Big Apple, I had the opportunity to catch up with a good friend of mine. At some point, the conversation came around to my impending Buzz Buildership and what exactly it is that one does in the social media industry. I spared her the talk of SEO, ROI and every other acronym we’ve managed to come up with, cut through the jargon and said, “well, I’ll be managing Facebook and Twitter stuff for brands so they can communicate with their customers.”

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By: Eric Abrams

Note- please have the following youtube video playing in the background as you read this article: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_h7Lm7C9Nk

Welcome to the official Social Media Power Rankings.  Who is on top this week?  Which social network is climbing the ladder to prominence?  Which ones are falling from grace?  Read the rankings below to see which networks matter the most.

Rank this week: 1

Rank last week: 1

Current Estimated Value: 98 Billion+

Facebook

Facebook is #1 and doesn’t look like it’s slowing down one bit.  There are some big changes on the horizon that only promise to make Facebook an even more powerful social network for users, marketers, and brands.  Brand pages will soon be getting the Timeline makeover, ads will be rolling out to Facebooks mobile platforms, and the new Gestures will allow users to update their friends on what they “watch,” “listen to,” “cook,” or “read,” rather than only what they “Like.”  Facebook is looking awfully comfortable at the #1 spot.  Will it ever have any real challengers?  It doesn’t look like it, but nothing is certain in the world of social media, so we’ll just have to wait and see.

Rank this Week: 2

Rank last Week: 5

Number of Users: 10 Million+

Pinterest

Pinterest is the fastest website to reach 10 million U.S. monthly unique users in the history of the internet – not just social media, but the entire internet.  Just let that fact settle for a moment, and you’ll see why Pinterest deserves the #2 spot on this week’s Power Ranking.  It’s kind of difficult to wrap your mind around the sheer speed of Pinterest’s rise to fame; it came out of seemingly nowhere and has been growing ever since.  People seem to just love the act of pinning their favorite photos and making custom pin boards of their favorite foods, fashions, pets, toys, books, music – the list goes on and on.  Look for Pinterest to settle down towards the middle of the pack in the next few weeks, but it’s going to watch as Pinterest finally rolls out a revenue plan involving ads on the site and how its users react to the changes.

Rank this Week: 3

Rank last Week: 2

Latest Member of Significance: The Pope

Twitter

The ever-popular microblogging site may have descended to the third rung of the Power Ranking ladder, but it’s still impossible to deny the incredible impact that Twitter has had on the world.  Remaining a [mostly] reliable source of breaking news in both sports and politics, Twitter is a staple among social networks.  Twitter currently doesn’t have any public plans to tweak its network, so be on the lookout for a possible stagnation.  Will people get tired of the old formula?  Or is Twitter just so important to those who use it that it would be impossible to take a true backseat to networks like Google+ or LinkedIn?  We’ll just have to wait and see what this battle between Pinterest and Twitter turns into and which network will rightfully own the #2 spot.

Disagree with my rankings?  Think G+ or Tumblr belong in the top 3?  Let me know in the comments!

By: Jenny Xie

When I was in elementary school, the coolest thing on the Internet was Neopets, “a virtual pet community” where we can “adopt” non-existent fantasy creatures and conduct a full range of hyperrealistic activities from collecting interest in a bank account to buying furniture for a house to setting prices for items in a shop. That was my first social network, you could say.

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By: Marissa Breton

Before creating a new Facebook page, a Twitter account, or even creating a new status update, a true social media pro will consider something important. What is our voice?

We all have a voice, even in our personal social media presences on Facebook, Twitter, and blogs. Are we professional and verbose, succinct and informative, or carefree and silly? By looking at your own page, you can quickly determine what your own voice sounds like, and what impression that conveys to others.  This is important, as it quickly lets others what to think of us through our simple choice in words. This can be helpful, or damaging. If I use a voice that expresses my personality, while still being professional, that’s perfect! But if I start letting my humor or sarcasm come through too much, my voice might start to sound unreliable or even rude. It’s important to monitor what exactly your voice is conveying to your readers and fans. These same ideas we use to monitor our own personal voices translate to our work with brands.

Working in social media, we know that our clients should have human like traits, like empathy, humor, and emotions. To help convey these traits, you need to understand their voice. Much like a personal voice, this can be professional, silly, maternal, or casual. This voice should be clear and consistent through every piece of content you post, including every reply, status, or contest. Voice is an important part of maintaining a consistent brand.

If you are having a hard time figuring out what your voice should sound like, try this. Picture your brand as a person. Are they a middle aged business person, a new mom, or a teenage boy? This should also reflect what you know about their audience. If you picture your brand as a 16 year old girl, your posts should sound much different than a 45 year old man, or even a 25 year old woman. Who are you trying to be, and who are you appealing to?

Having a consistent voice should help your fans understand who you are as a brand, which will help them connect… and helping your fans feel connected to your brand is what it’s all about, isn’t it?

What kind of voice does your personal brand convey? How do you keep your brand voice consistent? Share your thoughts in the comments below! 

By: Kristi Bergeron-Hayes

My first experience in Social Media Management happened while I was working for a small public relations firm on the east coast. Most of our clients were small businesses and their social media plans were nothing more than an after thought. When I came to the company, I was handed the task of heading up our social media department. I had NO IDEA what I was doing, but I knew how to use Facebook, so I was granted the responsibility of making a social media splash in the name of twenty plus clients. 

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By: Kristi Bergeron-Hayes

When I showed up at Likeable Media for The Buzz Builder orientation, I was excited, a little nervous and on a mission. My mission was to make a splash and get noticed. I dreamed of being the smartest, most impressive and most social media savvy Buzzie Likeable Media had ever come in contact with. My fellow Buzz Builders can laugh at my transparency, but if they are all honest, they were all on the same mission and daydreaming the same dream.

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By: Jonathan Silvestri

While I have been only with the Buzz Builders for about a week now, I have noticed that the culture at this company greatly reflects the medium through which Likeable Media produces its marketing. I am talking about social media, of course.

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