Due to a recent social media blunder, Chrysler has dropped New Media Strategies(NMS) as their designated social media company. Chrysler’s Twitter page “has been compromised,” stated a Chrysler rep. It was reported that an employee of NMS posted a tweet to what he thought was his personal Twitter account…while it was actually posted to the Chrysler Twitter page.

You might think that one wrong tweet wouldn’t be that big of a deal – until you see it. The tweet posted Wednesday read: “I find it ironic that Detroit is known as the (hash)motorcity and yet no one here knows how to (expletive) drive.” Needless to say, Chrysler has removed the post and posted their own response to the situation on their blog.

NMS has announced that the employee was fired from the company due to the incident. Whether it was an accident or not, this story should make you ask yourself, “Does my company have a social media policy in place?” If not, you might be susceptible to the same disaster. The purpose of the policy is to designate guidelines and rules for companies and their employees to follow while taking part in social media. It answers questions such as “Who is allowed to speak on behalf of the company?” Also, “How do we handle a social media crisis?” For legal purposes, having a social media policy in place is key. That way, if an employee from your company made the same mistake, he or she would have signed the policy and would be fully responsible for the consequences.

How do you think Chrysler handled the crisis?

Time magazine recently announced that their 2010 Person of the Year is Mark Zuckerberg, 26-year-old founder of Facebook. The reason for choosing the social media phenomenon? It’s for “changing how we all live our lives,” reported the Star Tribune.

Zuckerberg follows a long line of influential figures who have previously held the “Person of the Year” title for Time, including Queen Elizabeth II, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Charles Lindbergh, and President Obama. The award was originally started by Time in 1927 and was then known as “Man of the Year” award until 1999.

“It’s great to see the award given to such a young person who truly revolutionized social networking online,” said Chelsea Janke, Social Media Administrator. “Zuckerberg is proving that he’s not just in it for the money, but to create a major, positive impact on global communication.”

So what do you think about Zuckerberg receiving the award? Is he worthy of the title?

Setup an account on Twitter… it’s as easy as 1, 2, 3!

1. Go to www.twitter.com and click Sign up now

2. Enter all you information, Full name, username, password, email. Remember to choose a username that you want to be found with. You can use your first and last name together or company name but whatever you choose is permanent so make sure you choose wisely. Then click Create my account.

3. You are then able to add your address book or else you can skip those steps and you are DONE!
There are so many ways to customize your twitter sites that there are endless possibilities. Get your twitter account today, it’s as easy as 1,2,3!

Planning, implementation and measurement of your success!

With today’s social media tools, access to communities of prospective buyers is at the fingertips of small organizations – something that In the past has only been accessible to larger companies with multimillion-dollar budgets. However, the challenge for most organizations is managing the execution of social media in
a manner that is relevant, measurable and effective. Not any more – you can cross it off you list and mark it “done” when you enroll in the Social Media Incubator™.

We utilize Web 2 0 social media tools such as blogs, Linkedln and Twitter with a plan in place and a team to manage and ensure success. Our team unleashes the power of social media FOR YOU while researching and developing best practices.

Social media is getting as hot as a high-efficiency furnace, blowing steady streams of information everywhere.  The fear of losing control keeps them bound within their normal marketing box. That fear could be keeping your company from using one of the best marketing tools out there; the internet. If you don’t know where to begin, there are three easy steps to follow as you dip your toes into it.

Start with your website.
In order to be effective, you need to have a well-designed, user-friendly web site.  Think of it as your marketing and social media headquarters where everything begins and eventually returns.

Start a blog.
Start small with a few entries and work your way up. If you don’t have time to do it, consider working with a company that can do it for you.  Plan on updating the blog entries at least once a week and increasing it as you feel more comfortable.

Start social networking.
Many feel that social networking is only for teens and college students; a place for them to share pictures of parties and keep in touch with friends, but in actuality it is becoming a valuable networking tool. A Nielsen study revealed social networking sites’ traffic increased at a rate of 47% over the last few years.

Social media and internet marketing can be a scary and complex thing, but partnering with the right company and starting out slowly at the beginning will give you the best chance at using the tools effectively.

For a more indepth look at social media and internet marketing check out the full article published in HVACR Business September Issue.

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Do You Fear Internet Marketing and Social Media?