10 Foolproof Steps to Writing Hot Social Media Content
Post by Eric Brantner
Are you tired of your content not getting the attention you desire? Do you try in vain to hit the front page of Digg or Reddit or even niche social media sites? While much of it has to do with knowing how to properly promote the content, the truth is you have to know how to write hot social media content if you want consistent success. You have to understand what social media users crave.
Follow these 10 tips to help you write social media content that consistently goes popular.
1. Do Your Research- No matter what you’re writing, the first step to crafting a piece is to do your research. For social media content, that means understanding the type of content social media users desire. Determine who your audience is—are you going for success on big social media sites like Digg and Reddit or on niche sites within your industry? Understand which type of content seems to consistently go popular, and write about a topic that hasn’t been exhausted.
2. Write a Killer Headline- Your headline plays, perhaps, the most important role in determining how popular your social media content gets. Social media users have thousands of submissions vying to capture their attention. How can you stand apart from the pack? By creating a compelling headline. You don’t have to reinvent the wheel with your headline. You just have to make it enticing enough for people to click on it.
3. Follow with a Great Opening- If you’re lucky enough to write a headline that attracts readers, you better make sure you start off on the right foot. You only have a few seconds to convince the visitor to keep reading. That’s why it’s crucial that your opening paragraph sucks the reader in. A lot of times, your opening paragraph is what will be used as the article description on social media sites. Make sure it cuts straight to the core of what your post is about. Which brings us to the next point:
4. Eliminate Fluff- Web readers have no tolerance for fluff. Don’t try to pad your content with non-essential text that doesn’t further your points. Online readers already have a short attention span; so it’s crucial to make sure you keep it focused.
5. Be Conversational- The key word in social media is “social.” Get rid of the stiff, boring content that lacks personality. Bring your readers into the conversation. Talk to the readers just like you would if you were sitting next to them face to face. An interactive, personal tone will generate buzz for your content.
6. Don’t Be “Salesy”- Don’t shoot yourself in the foot by trying to promote yourself in your social media content. Social media users will bury any content that displays ulterior motives. Your blogs need to add to the online experience by being useful and educational.
7. Stand by Your Opinions- Aren’t you tired of all the “me too” blogs crowding the internet? Doesn’t anybody have a new opinion anymore? While it can be scary to go against popular belief, you’ll never gain any respect if you don’t stand by your opinion. “Me too” content has been done thousands of times before, and that style of writing severely limits your chances of penning a popular piece.
8. Use Pictures- Well-chosen pictures act as a great supplement for your social media content. Let’s face it—no matter how great your writing is, few online readers want to be greeted with a long block of text when they click on your post. Pictures are great because they make your content easier to scan and they add another aesthetic to your piece.
9. Be a Resource- In a way, this goes back to point #7. If you want your content to rise to the top of social media sites and to generate inbound links, you need to write pieces that act as a resource. How can you do this? By going deeper. Provide detailed analysis that can’t be found anywhere else. Imagine you’re writing a post about free online tools for web designers. While this has undoubtedly been done before, the way you can make your piece a leading resource is by including the most tools and links to some hidden gems that others have overlooked. In short, you want your content to be a piece that someone can learn all they need to about a particular subject from.
10. Keep Trying- Social media marketing requires a long-term commitment. You have to keep trying to write hot social media content. The best thing you can do is to learn from your mistakes and to keep tweaking your approach until you hit on a formula that works for you. It’s a learning experience, and you just have to be willing to stick with it.
Would you add any tips to this list? Share your favorite social media content writing tips in the replies!
65 Fake Twitter Profiles With Hilarious Tweets
It’s interesting to see the way that Twitter is used by various users. It should then be no surprise to find that people are snatching up almost every profile name of celebrities, politicians, musicians, athletes, and even fictional characters. What follows is a list of some of of these profiles. There are funny profile pictures, funny bio’s, funny Twits, and funny profile background pictures. Enjoy.
Click on a category or scroll the list.
- Name brettfavre
- Location Green Bay and Kiln
- Bio What I’m thinking when I’m not saying it.
- Sample Twit “I wish I was on the couch, watching monday night football.”
- Name Roger Clemens
- Location New York
- Bio I am the greatest pitcher in baseball history. The Rocket. The Texas Con Man. Fat Billy. Do you know where I can find some STEROIDS?
- Sample Twit “About to inject Miley Cyrus, I mean MYSELF with steroids.”
- Name Vladimir Putin
- Location Ленингра́д
- Bio KGB and some other stuff…
- Sample Twit “just added @oskarlafontaine remember him, but don’t remember where i met him last time…probably cuba.”
- Name Mao Zedong
- Location Beijing
- Bio I’m living in The Chairman Mao Memorial Hall. Welcome!!!
- Sample Twit “30 more days to go before The Games. The whole nation is going crazy. I love chaos!!!”
- Name Osama bin Laden
- Location Afghanistan
- Bio Leader, al-Qaeda
- Sample Twit “Door-tag from UPS Ground says hazardous materials can’t be delivered — curse the infidels! Off to UPS depot…”
- Name KimJongil
- Location Pyongyang, North Korea
- Bio i like bugs bunny and cognac
- Sample Twit “Off the terrorist list for the second time. w00t!”
- Name Condoleezza Rice
- Location Global
- Bio Aspiring NFL Chairman or Concert Pianist
- Sample Twit “Counting my frequent flyer miles. Huzzah!”
- Name Rudolph Giuliani
- Sample Twit “I’m considering referencing 911 on the campaign trail. Would you be more likely to vote for me if I continuously reference terrorism?”
- Name Bill Clinton
- Location NYC but always on AR time
- Bio PISSED OFF!
- Sample Twit “John Edwards…why did you cheat on your wife that has cancer, you’re a dog! If Hillary gets sick, that’s it, no more Hoochies! FAMILY FIRST”
- Name George W. Bush
- Sample Twit “i can write boobies on a calculator!”
- Name Dick Cheney
- Location Washington, DC
- Bio Vice President of the United States of America. Hobbies include listening to Toby Keith, shooting stuff, and maintaining a heart healthy diet.
- Sample Twit “Won a baboon on eBay. Condition as-is, but I’m going to use the little guy for parts anyway. Never know when the ticker might blow a valve.”
- Name Stephen Colbert
- Location USA!
- Bio Just been polishing my Peabodys and Emmys, working on my books, and uncovering the truth!
- Sample Twit “There’s nothing wrong with stretching the Truth. We stretch taffy, and that just makes it more delicious.”
- Name David Letterman
- Location New York City
- Bio Hi, my name is Dave and I’m running for president.
- Sample Twit “Just got back from seeing Regis at the hospital. We compared scars. Pretty similar, of course..I had the quintuple bypass so I win.”
- Name Albert Einstein
- Location Beyond
- Bio Looks like we got a regular Albert Einstein on our hands here.
- Sample Twit “When you kiss a pretty girl an hour seems like a second. When you sit on a red-hot cinder a second seems like an hour. That’s relativity.”
- Name Lindsay Lohan
- Location Hollywood, CA
- Bio Yes, it’s really me.
- Sample Twit “@molls - you should stop taking xanax and switch to cocaine.”
- Name Adam Sandler
- Sample Twit “If peeing your pants is cool, consider me Miles Davis!”
- Name David Hasselhoff
- Location Hollywood, California
- Bio Star of stage, screen, and song. You love me.
- Sample Twit “Deciding which leather jacket to wear”
- Name MacGyver
- Location Mission City
- Bio Call me Mac….but don’t ask me about my first name!
- Sample Twit “I want to blow something up! It’s a boring weekend. Give me some hair spray and a lighter!!!!”
- Name Fry
- Sample Twit “Wow, Bender started snoring like a construction robot, not just a bending robot. This sucks.”
- Name Bender
- Location 41.927429,-87.707366
- Bio Follow me, jerk! I may not be the real Bender, but that doesn’t mean I’m not great!
- Sample Twit “Man, this economy IS getting rough; the Floozie Bots aren’t raking in nearly as much cash. I might have to switch to Duff!”
- Name Homer J Simpson
- Location Springfield
- Bio I work at a nuclear power plant. Married with two kids and a baby.
- Sample Twit “Homer got a donut
Homer not angry anymore.”
- Name Lisa Simpson
- Location Springfield
- Bio The smart daughter of Homer and Marge Simpson. Maybe I was adopted?
- Sample Twit “I’m glad Mom named me instead of Homer who wanted to name me Bartzina!”
- Name Ralph Wiggum
- Location Springfield, USA
- Bio My cat’s breath smells like cat food.
- Sample Twit “I ate too much plastic candy.”
- Name Peter Grffin
- Location My house?
- Bio if i had job i would not know it
- Sample Twit “alright, should be going to sleep, we got some bad stuff coming out at night, don’t wanna see them”
- Name Stewie Griffin
- Location Quahog
- Bio I am Stewie Griffin, YOU WILL BOW TO ME!
- Sample Twit “Aha! So they do make bigger diapers! That deceitful woman told me I’d have to learn to use the toilet!”
- Name Lost
- Sample Twit “4 8 15 16 23 42″
- Name Sawyer
- Sample Twit “Checking out Kate’s ass”
- Name Chewbacca
- Location Rome, Italy
- Bio hnnnhrrhhh awwgggghhh wrrhwrwwhw!
- Sample Twit “AAAAAaaaahurrrrrrrrrrrrrrrnnnn! WWHheeerrrrRRRRrrrrn”
- Name Han Solo
- Location Free space.
- Bio Don’t get cocky.
- Sample Twit “Sorry I haven’t updated in a while, carbonite kinda restricts the typing fingers. 200 followers! I got more while frozen than I did thawed!”
- Name Luke Skywalker
- Location Yavin 4
- Bio Jedi Master. Husband. Father.
- Sample Twit “Solo wants to chat. I’ll bet Leia’s been giving him jip again.”
- Name Obi-Wan Kenobi
- Location Jedi Temple, Coruscant
- Bio Life is stress.
- Sample Twit “Anakin botched his waffles. Said, “They’re a bit on the dark side.” Ahahaha. Haha. Ha. No, I didn’t think it was funny, either.”
- Name @-_-@ Princess Leia
- Location Aldera City, Alderaan
- Bio @-_-@ Teenage rebel. Interested in hair maintainance and *really* fabulous up-dos. Solo heiress of the Alderaan Organas (daahling).
- Sample Twit “@-_-@ This is like my most desperate hour, evah. Help me de-Nerf my updo R2, you’re my only hope.”
- Name r2d2
- Location Tatooine
- Bio beep boop beep beep squawk wheet
- Sample Twit “*bloop doot deet doot doot…SQUAWK!*”
- Name C3PO
- Location Some dusty hell hole.
- Bio Hello, I am C-3PO, human cyborg relations. How might I serve you?
- Sample Twit “Trying to loose this stupid little droid that just beeps and whistles. Figured I would try stairs seeing as he doesnt have any legs.”
- Name bob
- Location refueling in Wellington, NZ
- Bio put captain solo in the cargo hold
- Sample Twit “Just as I thought, Google Tatooine is somewhat lacking in detail. Put Captain Solo in the cargo hold!”
- Name Darth Vader
- Location Empire, CO
- Bio Evil Orphan Annie™
- Sample Twit “Heard through the Imperial grape vine that Dick Cheney is going as me for Halloween. Funny ’cause I’m planning on going as him.”
- Name Darth Sidious
- Location Coruscant
- Bio Dark Lord of the Sith. Tyrant of the galaxy. Sometimes I feel misunderstood.
- Sample Twit “Dark Lord is back. Now to decide which of the ninkinpoops to choke. As an aside, it sure is hard to type properly with these long nails.”
- Name The Emperor
- Location Coruscant
- Bio Sith Master. Ruler of the Galactic Empire.
- Sample Twit “A note for would-be emperor McCain: Do not trust your young apprentice.”
- Name Admiral Ackbar
- Bio Mon Calamari. Supreme Commander of the Rebel Alliance Fleet.
- Sample Twit “Just received transmission from an old friend. I can get a free Y-wing if I signup for a few free trials and get six friends to do the same.”
- Name Lieutenant Worf
- Sample Twit “Washing my hair and getting ready for my date with @DeannaTroi. Brut or Old Spice?”
- Name Jean-Luc Picard
- Location USS Enterprise, NCC-1701-E
- Bio Starfleet Captain. Donut Fiend.
- Sample Twit “Captain’s Log: What is this Stardate revision stuff? Daylight Savings Time doesn’t work in space!”
- Name Deanna Troi
- Location U.S.S. Enterprise
- Bio I’m in ur mind empathing ur thoughtz.
- Sample Twit “@Will_Riker My mother is coming aboard at our next stop and would like to have dinner with you. Please be punctual. *wink*”
- Name William Riker
- Sample Twit “Running a level 3 diagnostic comb of my beard”
- Name Borat Sagdiyev
- Location Kazakstan..Very Nice!
- Bio I make Sexy Time!
- Sample Twit “Justine..Wow wow wee waa! Sexy Time??”
- Name Terminator
- Sample Twit “@Cvalenti Possible response: Yes/No Or What? Go Away GIVE ME YOUR ADDRESS Fuck you Fuck You Asshole”
- Name Indiana Jones
- Location Around the Globe
- Bio Archaeologist, Professor of Archaeology at Marshal College, and Obtainer of Rare Antiquities
- Sample Twit “Saw the new documentary for the first time this weekend at Cannes Film Fest…. I Have to say… I still got it!”
- Name Deep Thought
- Location Earth
- Bio 42 is the answer. But what is the question?
- Sample Twit “mmmmmh… maybe 6×7?”
- Name Marvin the Robot
- Sample Twit “here I am, brain the size of the universe”
- Name Aragorn
- Bio Still not King
- Sample Twit “Got a job offer from Sauron. Considering it - Think I would look good on a dragon. Still not King.”
- Name Frodo Baggins
- Location The Shire, MiddleEarth
- Bio Legendary Hobbit from Middle-earth
- Sample Twit “We have now departed from Lothlorien after recieving a gift from Lady Galadriel…she wants me ;)”
- Name Sméagol Hobbit
- Location Subterranean Lake
- Bio Hello precious
- Sample Twit “Oh twitter! Me loves me loves! It’ll lead me to my precioussssss!”
- Name Tony_Montana
- Location Miami, Florida
- Bio Say Hello To My Little Friend!!
- Sample Twit “The cops didn’t believe me when I said I was a baker, man. It was flour in my trunk, I’m not lying, man.”
- Name The United States
- Location US of A. Heard of it?
- Bio 232 year old warrior-poet.
- Sample Twit “Yeah, hi. Wal*Mart customer service? Yes, I’d like to return this economy. Receipt? Well, uh, it was a gift.”
- Name The Earth
- Location Sol
- Bio What are all of these apes doing on me?
- Sample Twit “I feel like I’m taking on a lot more water than I used to… wonder if that has to do with all that gas inside me… where’s the Pepto?”
- Name Uranus
- Location Outer Sol
- Bio Whoever named me is getting a foot up the ass
- Sample Twit “So you think my name is funny? You suck.”
- Name Santa Claus
- Location North Pole
- Bio I LOVE Christmas all year long. And I hope YOU still believe in Santa
- Sample Twit “My, I have really fallen behind in email. I thought the elves were kidding me when they told me I had 3 months worth of email to read!”
- Name ebenezer scrooge
- Sample Twit “humbug”
- Name thegrinch
- Location In that black place in your he
- Bio I’m kind of a big deal.
- Sample Twit “@santaclaus and what are you doing twittering and driving a sled? is that safe? Nice role model…seriously.”
- Name God
- Location heaven
- Bio Hells yeah, it’s me!
- Sample Twit “Palin follows me. I don’t follow her. She is a good mom, but she is unfit to lead the country. Me as my witness, I am supporting the Dems.”
- Name Satan
- Location Hell
- Bio fallen
- Sample Twit “a big question on my todo list for today.. making google more evil or helping microsoft buy yahoo!?”
- Name Batman
- Location Gotham
- Bio Dark Knight. Superhero.
- Sample Twit “Last night’s patrol was quiet. Tonight should be the same. I keep hearing about a guy flying around in red and gold armor. Must investigate.”
- Name Metallica
- Sample Twit “Shopping for extra-small jockstraps.”
- Name Michael Jackson
- Sample Twit “Heading off to McDonald’s playland”
- Name Master Chief
- Sample Twit “My other car is a warthog.”
- Name Sanjaya Malakar
- Location Burbank CA
- Bio I am a singing wonder
- Sample Twit “devistated…heading home now - thanks for nothin’ america”
I’m sure this list reflects only a small fraction of the phony/fake profiles out there. The not so phony profiles of the two guys that created this list are Schooley02 and Netgeek06. Let us know what you think.
Don’t Believe these 10 Social Media Myths
Post by Eric Brantner
The importance of establishing a strong social media presence has been discussed to exhaustion. You know that you need to be an active user on these sites because social media can produce numerous benefits for you and your brand. Of course, as the bandwagon for social media has filled up, many myths have been spread.
That’s why I’ve created this list of 10 social media myths to avoid buying into.
1. Great Content Always Goes Hot- This is one of the biggest mistakes social media newbies make. They automatically assume that a good article will catch fire online and spread throughout the Internet. It’s simply not true. Great content doesn’t always get the attention it deserves. It’s not enough to simply submit a good article. There are tons of other factors involved—who is submitting it, if it’s targeted at the right audience, and how well it’s promoted (to name a few.)
2. There are No Rules- Another misconception is that there are no rules to social media. Some people believe they can do and say whatever they want without consequences. The truth is the community knows what everyone is up to. If they see you’re a shameless self-promoter, you’ll be buried. You’re better off following the rules of social media etiquette.
3. You Can’t Build Quality Relationships Online- I’ve heard numerous people suggest that it’s stupid to connect with people online that you don’t know in real life. They believe connecting with others is pointless and doesn’t lead to any lasting relationships with your brand. I couldn’t disagree more. Social media gives you the chance to be face to face online with your target audience. Even if they don’t go onto become paying customers, you still get valuable insight into what they think and what they react to.
4. The More Friends, the Better- On the other end of the spectrum, there are those who think that added everybody as a friend will get them social media success. Just because you’re connected with thousands of users, doesn’t mean you’ll build a strong connection with everyone. Remember, quality trumps quantity every time.
5. Social Media Marketing is Easy- This goes back to the first myth. Those who don’t understand how social media works assume it’s as easy as starting up a blog. They subscribe to the ‘if you build it, they will come” mentality. Fast-forward a few weeks when no one is visiting their blog or promoting their content, and they then swear off social media forever.
6. Social Media Won’t Last- There are numerous skeptics out there denouncing social media marketing as nothing more than a fad. They believe to get involved with it would just be a waste of their time. This couldn’t be further from the truth. While the face of social media will certainly evolve in the future, conversational marketing will not vanish. The internet is an inherently social platform. It’s this ability to connect with people throughout the world that makes it so appealing.
7. Social Media will Replace Traditional Marketing- At the forefront of the social media bandwagon are those who ignored the “don’t put all your eggs in one basket” advice. While I’m certainly a huge proponent of social media marketing, I’m not foolish enough to ignore the value of traditional marketing techniques. The best marketing strategy is a well-rounded one.
8. Social Media is a Cure-All- While social media is a great tool for online reputation management, it’s not a cure-all either. Again, don’t get so drunk on the idea of social media that you ignore the other problems of your marketing strategy. Social media is not a cure-all; it’s just another in a long list of tools you should be using.
9. Social Media is for Kids- When most people hear about social media or social networking, they instantly associate it with some 14 year old teen’s Myspace page. That’s not what social media is about. The fact is sites like LinkedIn are a prime example of social media’s relevance to the adult crowd. Trix are for kids; social media is for everyone.
10. Digg is All that Matters- I love Digg, but it’s not the be-all end-all of social media. If Digg is the only thing you focus on, you’ll end up being sorely disappointed. Again, don’t put all your eggs in one basket. There are numerous social media sites out there for you to take advantage of. Find the ones that fit best with your niche.
What social media myths would you add to this list? Share them in the replies.
Is Twitter Rank a Phishing Site?!
Twitter Rank has been get a sizeable amount of tweets lately. Whether Tweeples are just fanning their egos or checking to see how their profiles stack up, Tweeples are turning over their user names and passwords to Twitter rank - all to get a statistic.
Oliver Marks posted an article about this here where he says:
I picked up on this after seeing Tantek Çelik retweet:
@t RT @brianoberkirch Twitterank is a vast conspiracy I created to steal all of ur passwords + shame Twitter into OAuthing. + make u look vain.
Check out this screenshot of the source code captured by @nateritter:
When reading the Tweet and the comments in the source code, it hints that the developer has a chip on his shoulder with Twitter’s API policies.
Having been told that Twitterank.com is stealing passwords and has potentially stolen yours; coupled with the above evidence; it would be easy to get worried and start to warn others. Does this mean that Twitter rank is guilty of anything bad?
The comments in the source code never claim that there is anything harmful being done with the passwords. In fact, the text on the actual page says the exact opposite.
It seems that Twitterank.com had the viral effects of the social web help it’s blazing speed growth, and consequently, the spread of rumours and fear among twitter land in the worst possible way…..virally.
Adam Ostro wrote a great article on this: Twitterank Might Not Have Been A Phishing Scam, But It Sure Was Intersting
The 11 Rules of Social Media Etiquette
Post by Eric Brantner
Since social media is, well, a social medium, it’s important that users understand the proper ways to behave online. No, just because you’re behind a computer monitor in your mom’s basement doesn’t mean all social etiquette goes out the window. It’s quite the opposite—following proper social media etiquette is a key to being successful online (and to making sure you don’t make a complete idiot out of yourself.)
1. Give More than You Receive- If you want to receive attention from others online, you have to be willing to give it first. It’s the old “I’ll scratch your back if you scratch mine” routine. You can’t bust onto a social media site with a sense of entitlement thinking you should be a top user immediately. You have to earn respect from others. How do you do this? By giving more than you receive.
2. Don’t be a Keyboard Gangsta- Probably the worst thing about the Internet is the keyboard gangstas. You’ve surely run across at least one of these in your lifetime. They sit at their keyboard talking trash to everyone they encounter. They say things online that they would never have the nerve to say to a real person’s face. Don’t try to ruin everyone else’s online experience because you don’t have any friends in real life.
3. Add Value to the Site- At the end of the day, the thing that will earn you great connections with others is if you add value to the community. This means not submitting content that nobody cares about and not constantly promoting your brand. Before you ever submit anything to a social media site, ask yourself “Does this article really add value to the community?” If not, reconsider submitting it.
4. Don’t Sabotage Other’s Efforts- This is self-explanatory. Drop all of your e-beefs and hatred. Don’t try to bury others just for the sake of getting ahead. Making enemies on social media sites will get you nowhere fast, and you really do reap what you sow.
5. Remember that Cheaters Never Win- Instead of trying to game the system, why don’t you focus on building a successful social media presence the right way. Sure, you might be able to get some amazing results by cheating, but eventually, you will get caught. And once everyone sees you for the cheater you are, you can’t un-ring that bell.
6. Build Quality Relationships- People are more willing to help those who they really know. By building quality relationships with other users, you’ll always have someone in your corner to back you up. Remember, relationships require the participation of both parties; so, always be a good participant in your social media relationship.
7. Stop Pushing the Envelope- One of the fastest ways to alienate people online is to constantly flood them with requests for helping you out. Whether you’re constantly shouting your content or always Tweeting asking people to comment on your blog, eventually, everyone will lose their patience with you. It’s like the boy who cried wolf. People will tune you out if you’re constantly pushing the envelope.
8. Respect the Community- This might be the most important rule of social media etiquette. Show respect to the community. It’s not that hard to do. Just make sure you don’t step out of line, and always treat everyone the way you want to be treated. These are simple social skills you should already be following in real life; now, you just have to follow them online too.
9. Listen to Others- Your first reaction whenever someone disagrees with you online is probably to tell them how wrong they are. Instead of constantly fighting back, take the time to listen to what they’re really saying. Listen to the people commenting on your blog or Tweeting at you. Understand where they’re coming from. You don’t know everything, and you can learn from others if you take the time to listen.
10. Be Accountable for Your Actions- Because of the anonymity the Internet allows, there is little to no accountability online. People say and do whatever they please without facing any repercussions. Don’t be that guy. Instead, try to be honorable by taking responsibility your actions online. By being accountable, people will respect you, whether they agree with you or not.
11. Be Nice- All of these points add up to one thing—just be nice. Is it really too much to ask for people to be kind to one another? Call me old-fashioned if you like, but there’s nothing wrong with being nice to others online.
What rules of social media etiquette would you add to the list? Share them in the replies!