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What’s the next BIG thing in social media?  Who knows.  I can, however, tell you that sites like Twitter and Google+ are growing while networks like Facebook are rapidly making changes to keep its spot at the top.   So where do you belong?  I can’t tell you that either. It’s a matter of personal preference and in the world of marketing, your target demographic and goals.

I can however tell you that Twitter is more popular than ever. Recently, the social network announced that it reached 100 million monthly active users worldwide.  Furthermore, in January of this year, roughly 100 million tweets were posted a day.  Now the site calculates that nearly 250 million tweets go out a day!

In my experience, news breaks sooner on Twitter and spreads faster on Twitter.  Something about a limit of 140 characters and trending hashtags, sends people into a conversation frenzy.

More and more, social media is about being the first person to break news.  Think about it; you know you love to be the first of your friends to post about a major event.  It happens so much faster on Twitter because you can have hundreds or even thousands of people voluntarily following you, no friend request necessary. Yes, not all of those who follow you are active or really care about what you’re posting, but many do. Check it out for yourself, but be forewarned, if you’re signing up on behalf of a company, be sure to check out Miss Ink’s 3 C’s of Social Media Marketing so you don’t wind up making your company look worse. True tweeps despise nothing more than to be sold or to tweet with an unresponsive brand.

To read more about Twitter’s growth, check out this article for Mashable.

Using social media to give your customers the gift of five-star customer service

The social media train is rolling along stronger than ever. Businesses are hopping on with much less hesitation than a few years ago. There’s just one problem: Many companies forget to buy their tickets and pack their bags.

Simply having a Facebook fan page or a Twitter account is like hopping on a train with a one-way ticket. Sure you’ll see the sites along the way, but you’re not going to get very far. You have to plan your route.

Many people regard social media as simply a promotional tool.  It’s not. Yes, social media can help raise awareness of your company, product, brand, etc., but social media savvy companies and individuals realize it’s purpose is much more powerful.

Take for instance The Greatest Customer Service Story Ever Told, Starring Morton’s Steakhouse by Peter Shankman. This story is incredible inspiring.  I’ll let you read it (and I hope you do) for yourself, but it goes something like this. Peter, during an exceptionally long day of traveling, was craving a steak from his go-to spot Morton’s The Steakhouse. He  jokingly tweeted the restaurant asking them to have a steak at the next airport he was landing at.  Well, guess what? His joke became a reality when he arrived at his destination to see a Morton’s waiter (tux and all) standing with Peter’s driver and a to-go bag packed with restaurant favorites.

Have you ever heard of customer service that amazing? Talk about five-star! So, maybe the restaurant wouldn’t go that far for someone like you or me (Peter is famous in the PR and social networking world), but check out Morton’s Facebook page and Twitter. It’s amazing. They listen–to everyone!

That’s how you provide exceptional customer service. No matter how big or small your company is, they key is to listen. That includes monitoring your social network accounts and providing timely response, which brings me to a couple of my top pet peeves.

It really, really bothers me when people link all of their accounts together so that they only have to post on one site OR when they schedule all of their messages. What’s my beef? Among the reasons that I rarely suggest using either of these tactics is, how do you know what people are saying if you never log into your account? (FYI, I do not follow companies or people on Twitter when they don’t interact with other Twitter users. What’s the point?)

If you’re a fan, you just want to be heard. Taking the time to monitor and respond is worth every second that it takes. It’s just that simple.

The world is abuzz with the news of Facebook’s live announcement this afternoon.  The result? Marketing gurus and social media nerds were sent into a frenzy catapulting “Zuck” and “#facebooklive” to trend on Twitter.

The announcement was regarding the new video chat feature in partnership with Skype. A Facebook spokesperson described the new feature by saying, “Your least technical friend can use this feature.” In addition, the company launched group chat and a redesigned chat interface.

Critics wonder why Mark Zuckerberg would go as far as to describe the announcement as “something awesome” when the information about the new features were already announced on Facebook through its blog. And for that matter, why the hoopla over a live announcement, which was broadcast through livestream.com?

Here’s what really caught my attention. A representative from Mashable asked Zuckerberg about his reactions to Google+. He responded by saying that now that the technology for such applications exist, he predicts we will be seeing more of them pop up in the future. In other words, he didn’t put down Google+ but rather recognized it as an app that is simply one of many to come based on the interface that has already been invented (I presume he means invented by Facebook).

More over, going back to the trending topics, this seemingly unimpressive announcement suddenly made Facebook more talked about than Google+. So, I ask you: Was Zuckerberg’s decision to live broadcast his “awesome” announcement so silly after all? From a public relations standpoint, I’d say it was pretty damn smart.

Social media is no longer an unfamiliar term, but it seems that most people I talk to still believe that the tool is reserved for the tech savvy.  Relax. True there are right ways and wrong ways to “do” social media, but social media rules are evolving.

There are basic principles that will assist you (check out “Miss Ink’s 3 C’s of Social Media Marketing”) along the way, but we all make mistakes. Here’s my list of the most common ones:

• Relying on spell check. I once posted a blog where I meant to write “public” but wound up leaving out the “l”.  Luckily, a loyal blog reader and Twitter reader promptly pointed out this mistake to me.  Lesson: Slow down before you communicate something unintended.

• Venting. I know many, many people who use Facebook and Twitter to vent about problems they are having with other people. While it may be momentarily therapeutic, the fact of the matter is that no one cares. It’s a passive aggressive behavior—and a really bad habit—that more often than not reflects poorly on you.  Stay classy people. Warning: Airing your dirty laundry can be addictive.

• There’s no such thing as private. This ties into the venting mistake, but save yourself some embarrassment and don’t post something if there is even one person you don’t want to read it.  Six degrees of separation is not a myth.

• Forgetting your manners. Social networking is integrated with business more than ever.  Your online personality is NOT different from your “real life” personality.  If anything, people see who you are on social networking sites as a true reflection of self because people tend to let their guard down.

• Unintended links. This is another mistake that I am guilty of.  I have posted an article and not included the correct link.  The links didn’t direct my readers to a scandalous website, but the power of the information I wanted to share was lost and I ended up looking careless.

• Sharing links without clicking first. Social networking is a competition of who can be the first person to break news.  When we’re trying to keep up, we may share or retweet something just because the teaser sounds interesting.  Click on the link first.  Make sure you know exactly what information you’re sharing.

• Posting only about you. Most people new to social media make this mistake. Social media is about sharing information that engages people in conversation.  Who wants to have a conversation with people who only talk about themselves?  I sure don’t and I can guarantee the people in your network don’t either.

• Auto posts. This is what happens when people automatically link everything they share from one site to share on another site. Many people make this mistake because they want a social media presence across several sites, yet they want to simplify the process.  The trouble is that people will feel spammed or if they comment or reply, you’ll never know because chances are that you rarely check up on your account’s activity.  To avoid this, only sign up for the amount of social media tools that you can give personal attention to.

• Auto direct message. A lot of people LOVE to do this on Twitter. They figure if they send an auto direct message to every new follower, they will be properly acknowledging them.  While it seems nice in theory, it rarely works. You’re better off sending a personal message to followers you want to build a relationship with.

• Adding every person you meet to your mailing list. Everyone wants to build their database, but no one wants to be spammed. Yes, I did use this tactic early on, but I quickly learned that it could backfire and actually annoy people in part because I don’t enjoy being on the receiving end of this tactic.  Always ask if people would like to opt-in to your email list. You’ll look more professional and courteous and you’ll know that you’re sending information to people are actually interested in what you have to send them.

MIAMI – May 9, 2011 – The Lingerie Football League (LFL) has announced that it has engaged Miami attorney David Forman to serve as its lead legal council. Forman formerly worked with the LFL as a legal consultant and will continue to represent the league under his firm David Forman, Esq., Attorneys at Law.

As lead legal council, Forman will work closely with the owner of the league in negotiating business options, drafting contracts and continuing to work on LFL television appearances.

“The LFL is a unique sports league and one that I am honored to represent as lead legal council,” said Forman. “The league’s growth has been incredible and I can honestly say that I look forward to assisting the LFL in its continued evolution. We have already accumulated a loyal fan base and expect that number to escalate, especially with the imminent NFL lock out.”

“David has been an invaluable counsel to our executive decision making process within the league. With early success comes more complex business models and potential pitfalls. It is comforting to know that we have someone savvy like David to guide us through those waters. When someone believes in our vision and places our business ahead of their own personal interests, you know you have someone rather unique and special,” said Mitchell S. Mortaza, Founder & Chairman, Lingerie Football League, LLC

The LFL is a nationwide women’s 7-on-7 tackle football league with 10 franchise teams. As a result of LFL’s growing fan base, MTV2 began airing condensed versions of the games during the 2010/2011 season in a series entitled LFL Presents: Friday Night Football. The show drew exceptionally high ratings and will return for the 2011/2012 season live and in full-length form for the first time, a deal which Forman helped negotiate.

In addition to working with the LFL, Forman advises individuals in their careers in professional sports and entertainment. He acts as a guardian for his clients in overseeing their current career, protecting them through legal representation, as well as advising them in developing a career with longevity. In addition to sports business, Forman’s range of clients also includes real estate investors and small businesses.

For more information on David Forman, ESQ., Attorneys at Law, please visit davidformanesq.com. Additional information on the LFL is available at lflus.com.

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About David Forman, Esq., Attorneys at Law

Founded in 2008, David Forman, Esq., Attorneys at Law is a full-service sports and entertainment law firm primarily focused on guiding clients to success. We provide our clients with the proper guidance, advice, protection, and education needed to establish and advance reputable, profitable, and fulfilling careers in sports and entertainment. Furthermore, we remain committed to our clients beyond their professional careers.

Many of our clients seek legal guidance and representation outside of their sports or entertainment career. In addition, David Forman, Esq., Attorneys at Law also represents real estate owners and small businesses on various matters. For more information on David Forman, Esq., Attorneys at Law, visit davidformanesq.com or call (786) 888-0367.

About Lingerie Football League, LLC:

The Lingerie Football League, LLC. (LFL) is an extension of the hugely popular Super Bowl halftime alternative called ‘Lingerie Bowl’ which premiered in 2004 and has become one of television’s most successful specials drawing millions of viewers and blue-chip advertisers. Due to the previous commercial and viewership success’ of the Lingerie Bowl broadcasts, in Fall 2009 the league extension called the Lingerie Football League or ‘LFL’ in (10) major US markets. The LFL features some of America’s most beautiful and athletic women playing fierce 7-on-7 full-contact tackle football on Friday nights at NBA and NFL arenas and stadiums as part of LFL, Friday Night Football shot in high-definition.

Despite a down economy in 2009 that impacted all major professional sports, the LFL was incredibly successful in 2009 drawing nearly 30% higher than projected attendance including several near capacity crowds, 2nd in Primetime television ratings (MyNetwork TV), record internet traffic, 2010 expansion markets (Baltimore and Orlando) and profitability.

In 2010, the LFL continued to thrive signing a national television deal with MTV Networks, drawing sell-out crowds and adding on expansion markets to include Las Vegas, Cleveland and Green Bay set to begin play in Fall 2011. The growth and business prosperity of the LFL through its first two years of operation are greater than both Ultimate Fight Championship (UFC) or World Wrestling Federation (WWF) through the same period of time.

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Last month, the Associated Press (AP) announced several changes to the widely adapted style.

Let’s see if you can guess the changes:

A. “Email” or “E-mail”?

If you guessed “email,” you’re correct!  That’s right, ladies and gents, the hyphen has, well, taken a hike.

B. “Cellphone” or “Cell Phone”?

Drum roll please…the correct answer is “cellphone.”  It’s now one word.  Get it right or pay the price. (Bonus points for anyone who can tell me what 1990′s TV show that saying was made famous on.)

C. “Smartphone” or “Smart Phone”

You didn’t think I would tell you the answer right away did you? Let’s think people! Okay, okay, the answer is “smartphone.”

Think of it this way: An email, a cellphone,  and a smartphone are all essentially one unit so why use two words or waste space with a hyphen?

You should also note:

Website: In 2010, AP announced that “website” will now be one word versus the old rule of writing it as “Web site.

Just what is AP and why should I care?

Below is the description of the 2010 AP Stylebook as included on apstylebook.com:

The AP Stylebook and Briefing on Media Law, a spiral-bound style manual produced by the world’s leading news  agency, is an essential handbook for all writers, editors, students and public relations specialists. The 2010 edition provides fundamental guidelines on spelling, grammar, punctuation and usage, with special sections on social media, reporting business and sports. Included is an updated guide to media law.

Why is this style important?

I’ll put it this way, every journalist follows AP Style and today’s  journalism industry is more competitive than ever.  If you’re trying to get a journalist to write a story, you need to make their job as easy as possible. This includes a well-written press release that uses AP Style.

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DESIGNER INDASHIO ROCKS THE RUNWAY AT FUNKSHION FASHION WEEK MIAMI WITH SPLAT HAIR COLOR & SWEDISH HOUSE MAFIA

Last weekend Miami set record temperatures outside and on the runway. International designer INDASHIO brought his hottest designs of the season to the main stage runway at Miami Beach’s famed Funkshion fashion tents.  Attendees included Grammy winner LAZEE, Swedish House Mafia, and recording artist Gia Bella, who performed to a packed audience in the chic white fashion tents on South Beach’s Ocean Drive.

Models strutted down the catwalk in INDASHIO’s Spring/Summer 2011 Collection dubbed “Klub Kid.” The collection features male and female designs in  bold prints, flirty cuts, and of course, the designer’s signature touch of multicolor urban flair to accentuate the extraordinary fashionable lifestyle. Models were also adorned in one-of-a-kind jewelry by LEOPARDS GEM and prismatic hair color courtesy of SPLAT! Hair Color. The show marked INDASHIO’s fifth show at Funkshion.

“Funkshion is one of the most fun fashion weeks it’s all about music and fashion. Teaming up with Splat! Hair Color complements my colorful collection perfectly! The one of a kind jewelry by Leopards Gem is like the cherry on top”

To view additional images of INDASHIO’s Funkshion show visit, www.indashio.com/blog. 

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About INDASHIO
TV personality, entrepreneur, fashion designer, and stylist INDASHIO is one of the youngest talents ever to show at New York Fashion Week. Since the 2003 launch of his self-titled collection, INDASHIO has dressed an avalanche of celebrities including Amber Rose,  Aubrey O’day, Adrienne Baillon,  Denise Richards,  Johnny Weir, Nicky Hilton, Kim Kardashian, Christina Milian, Shontelle, Vanessa Carlton and Vivica A. Fox.

His designs and dynamic personality have been featured in fashion print and TV, including articles and segments for WWD &MTV. INDASHIO was crowned “GLAM GOD” after participating in 8 weeks as a contestant on VH1’s Glam God hosted by Vivica A. Fox. INDASHIO continues to make his mark as an international fashion icon.

About  SPLAT

Created by Corona, CA-based hair color products company DeveloPlus, SPLAT™ is the new extreme, shocking, expressive way for teens and young adults to demonstrate their independence.

The SPLAT ™ “Rebellious Colors” include, “Blue Envy”; “Luscious Raspberries”; “Pink Fetish”; “Lusty Lavender”, “Aqua Rush” and “Multi-Color”.  It is the only product of its type to offer the complete coloring kit—color, bleach and peroxide.  Once applied, the color vibrantly lasts 4 to 6 weeks, longer than any other brand out there.

SPLAT™ is available at all major retailers and drug outlets across the nation, including Walgreen, Wal-Mart, CVS, Rite-Aid, K-Mart, Meijer and more.

For additional information on Splat™ and other DeveloPlus products including Color Oops™ and No Gray™, please visit www.splathaircolor.com or www.Developlus.com

About HOTEL BREAKWATER

Hotel Breakwater, the upscale oceanfront boutique resort located on Miami Beach’s legendary Ocean Drive, is set to re-open late spring 2011. Following multi-million dollar renovations by new parent company Jordache Jeans, the property will again capture the essence of the city’s glamorous lifestyle with its 100 sleek rooms and suites, chic lounges and “unfiltered” concierge services. For more information, please visit www.breakwatersouthbeach.com.

How one employee’s mistake cost a company hundreds of dollars in revenue

When people hear the term “public relations,” they often times associate it with celebrities, high-profile events, and glamour.  In reality, public relations (PR) is an industry that takes into account everything that affects the image that your company communicates.

From the words on your website to pitching stories to the media to social networking to creating events and promotions, PR aims to get your company attention and build a buzz with a message that is attractive to your target consumer.  But what happens when bad PR comes from within the organization?

We’ve all heard stories about executives involved in scandals that tarnish a company’s reputation. We’ve even heard stories about product recalls that send customers running to competitors. However, a loss in revenue is not reserved for large-scale blunders.

Recently, a friend of mine went from being a loyal customer of a boutique sneaker store to shopping online because of the way he was treated by an employee.  He lost respect for a store where he was spending an average of $150.00 per week.  This may not seem like that big of a deal, but when you consider that this person has a passion for limited edition shoes AND that the store is a small boutique that relies on every purchase, you begin to see the problem.  Factor in that my friend is now telling his friends not to shop there because of this experience, you have an even bigger problem brewing.

What exactly happened? In the “sneaker head” world, the release date of shoes is regarded as a major event. People will form a line outside of a store hours before it opens just to get their hands on the limited edition sneakers.

On the release date of a particular shoe, my friend was the first one in line.  Now, remember the he is a loyal customer and since this is a boutique store, the employees know him.  As soon as the store opens he asks an employee for the sneakers in his size.  The employee tells him that they are all out of that size.  Being that this is the first day that the shoes were released, my friend was confused so he asked how that could be.  The employee then tells him that the employees bought the store’s entire stock of that size.

My friend found the shoes at another store, but was extremely upset by the situation.  This was his favorite store and he was treated as if he didn’t matter.  To make the situation worse, when he commented about it on Facebook, they deleted his comment rather than responding to it.

Imagine this was your business.  You just lost a loyal customer and now he’s telling his friends about the situation.  None of them will shop at that store again.  How could this have changed?  In addition to the owner putting a policy in place to reserve shoes for the customer (what a concept), the employee should have used better judgment in serving the customer. More over, his comment on Facebook should have been given attention rather than being deleted. All this did was further cement that this store does not care about his business.

In public relations, there is a very basic principle that can trump every other effort you make to build a good reputation with the public.  How is your employee satisfaction?

If your company is failing, the first piece of the puzzle is the employees.  If the employees aren’t happy, chances are their customer service is going to reflect that attitude.  (I’m not saying this was the case with the sneaker boutique employee, but to say he needs a lesson in customer service is an understatement.)

So, are your employees happy? Have you used a secret shopper to get an insider view on your company’s customer service experience?  When a customer does have a negative experience, do you have a system for rectifying the situation?  Consider doing this.  It will make the difference between your company succeeding and your company failing.

BNI Coral Gables and I was told that it was very helpful to several people in the room.  I didn’t deliver a complicated presentation, however, I focused on three basic principles of effective social media marketing that I have dubbed “Miss Ink’s Three C’s of Social Media Marketing.”

These are very simple concepts that I have written about before, however, after the presentation, it was clear that many people can benefit from this information. Whether you’re new to the game, or have a daily social media regimen, these three concepts are the foundation of effective social media marketing.

So, just what are “Miss Ink’s Three C’s of Social Media Marketing”?  I’m glad you asked because here we go:

1. Content: What’s in it for me? This is the question that every single person asks before purchasing a product or service. Post information in your blogs and on your social networks that people will find useful and interesting.

For example, if I simply wrote “Buy from Miss Ink” as the title of this blog, would you read it? Yeah, I didn’t think so. However, you are reading this article because it provides information of value to you. Go ahead and get creative but post information that’s relative your business and expertise.  I love the Frosty fan page on Facebook by Wendy’s.  It focuses on something that is a popular item on the restaurant’s menu but it does so in a witty way that keeps people interested.

2. Consistency: If you have a Twitter account, but are only tweeting once a week or worse, once a month, you’re completely missing the boat. You have to be consistent.

The Internet world moves at a lighting fast pace. Status updates, tweets, blogs: they are all like flashes of lighting, here one second, gone the next.

Of course the information you post doesn’t just disappear, but with so much information being shared, your tweet may be washed away by someone else’s in a flash. That’s because new information is being posted every second of every day and the likelihood that someone will actively search out what you post is really low.

If you’re not sharing information on a regular basis, how can you expect to keep up?  It’s the tried and true marketing principle of repetitive communication.  I’m not saying you need to bombard your fans with new status updates, blogs or emails every 5 minutes. But, what I am saying is be consistent by logging on everyday.  I recommend making it part of your daily schedule.

3. Conversation: Third but certainly not last is conversation.  Let’s go back to the networking event example.  If someone stands up and gives you a testimonial, would you just ignore it or would you thank them for their kind words. I’m going to bet (or at the very least hope) that you said the latter.

This is the same idea with social media. If someone comments on a blog that you wrote or retweets one of your tweets, thank them.  Similarly, participate in the conversation by “listening” (i.e., reading) what others are saying and then respond. In other words, get involved.  Communication is the only way to build relationships and that has to be a two way street.

Of course there is much more to social media marketing than these three concepts, but if you can remember “Miss Ink’s three C’s of Social Media Marketing” you’ll be on your way to powerful results.

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