This interview is part of our Expert Advice series, where CEO's, CMO's and best selling authors share their expertise.
Amber Mac is the author of Power Friending. She recently took a few minutes to respond to a Q&A with contributing writer, Dena Haines.
1. Who is this book for?
The book is for anyone, either a business or individual, who is interested in social but needs help to get started. If I had to peg a more specific audience, I would say it is for marketing managers and associates.
2. What motivated you to write Power Friending?
When I was speaking to a group of bankers, a woman in the audience asked me how the Internet is changing the definition of a friend, and how it will affect businesses. For me, a light-bulb went off in terms of realizing that the web had definitely affected how we form relationships and the business world needed help understanding this.
3. Why should someone buy this book? What benefits will they gain from reading it?
Someone should buy this book to get a social media presence or campaign up and running. It's a quick and informative read, and provides all the resources and strategies needed to succeed in the online space.
4. Many people feel that social media is too complex to master. What advice would you give them?
I wrote an entire chapter in the book about how people are afraid of technology. I urge individuals in the social media space to focus on how to interact, versus getting bogged down with the tools.
5. Which tools do you recommend for businesses just getting started?
For most businesses you can use five tools to get your social media campaign up and running. I'd recommend Google Alerts to track conversations, HootSuite to measure traffic, and Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube or push content and build community.
6. What percentage of your success can be attributed to the skills you teach in “Power Friending”?
I think that much of my success is due to my networking strengths online. There is not a day that goes by that I don't meet an interesting new person on the web.
7. Social media can be addictive. How can businesses keep it from taking over the workday?
I often advice businesses to set aside certain times in the day to manage social media conversations. A half hour in the morning and a half hour later in the day can work out well, so you can engage on a regular basis.
8. Is there a favorite experience you have had personally using social media?
When I first started using Twitter I had this A-HA moment. I was looking for a good hotel in the DC area and I asked my online friends for recommendations. Within 15 minutes I had dozens of great options and reviews, and I realized that this - not Google - was the future of how individuals decide where to spend their money.
9. What is the most powerful experience you have heard, in regard to success with social media?
In the book I often refer to a blender company called Blendtec that show some YouTube videos of their CEO blending pieces of wood and other odd things to test the strength of their products. Within a few weeks these videos went viral. The investment was just a few hundred dollars but the company has reported that sales spiked 500% thanks to all the exposure the "Will it blend" videos got online and offline.
10. What is the worst mistake a business can make when using social media?
The biggest mistakes businesses make with social media is that:
- they aren't authentic
- they aren't original, and
- they aren't consistent.
11. When communicating through social media, what do followers or friends respond to best?
When communicating through social media followers or friends respond best to a balance between pitching products or services and personal information. It's important that you don't simply broadcast what you do, but instead have conversations with people and provide them with valuable content. If you run a golf resort, for example, don't always try to sell packages, but instead give readers golf tips.
12. How do you manage your accounts?
I use HootSuite to manage all my accounts. It's a free tool that lets you update multiple social media sites at once, and you can even schedule messages. Most importantly, you can use this web service to track your traffic and success.
13. What is up next for you?
As for what's next for me, I do a lot of speaking about social media and have a business year ahead. I would like to write another book down the road, but for now I'm focusing on getting Power Friending in the hands of everyone who needs it.
