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How I lost my Facebook profile (and how you can avoid doing the same thing)

So six weeks ago I lost my Facebook profile. The one with more than 700 friends and scores of carefully chosen and shared bookmarks—designed to position me as having a real grasp on how to use social media marketing to build business. You know the one. You may even have been one of my friends.

It happened because I was moving too fast, trying to be overly helpful to a client and not thinking. I had read the terms of service. I understood them yet, in my haste to be helpful, I deleted my own email. In that moment my profile disappeared. Poof! Gone.

I was mortified. Until I learned how many others have lost their own Facebook profiles and pages–and then I felt less alone. I emailed Facebook. I contacted every department I could think of. After about 3 ½ weeks I received an email from them to which I responded eagerly. That was 2 ½ weeks ago. I am still waiting to hear back from them.

Last week I decided to start over again. I am fortunate to have backed up my friend list (thanks to Mari Smith who showed me what to do) and am methodically rebuilding my Facebook network. Unfortunately, I cannot replace the bookmarks. I am not aware of an application that saves Facebook posts and bookmarks-yet.

How can you prevent this from happening to you? (Other than not deleting your own email, of course)

Start by reading the terms of service. Seriously. Facebook states very clearly what they will and will not allow. Make sure you, or your social media consultants, understand the rules. For example, you can’t create a profile for your business. If you have, you are in danger of having that profile removed without warning. You can (and should) create a Facebook page to promote your business.

Be careful how quickly you build your Facebook network. Don’t send out hundreds of friend requests at the same time. Some big names in social media have had profiles and fan pages deleted because they sent out too many emails and were perceived as spamming.

Finally, use the Facebook application Friends Backup to back up your friends list. The application still has bugs but I have used it successfully for myself and my clients. Rebuilding will be so much easier if you should lose your profile or page.

Have you read the terms of service yet? Is your company in compliance? Take a moment to be sure.

And join me on Facebook at http://facebook.com/allenmireles. I look forward to connecting with you

Early morning thoughts about social media marketing, PR and strong coffee…

Tuesday, May 12, 2009. This morning I’m thinking about people’s reactions to Twitter. Last week I used LinkedIn to promote an upcoming event in our area and was surprised at some of the negative responses I received. On Thursday, May 14^th, I will be speaking to the Association of Women in Communications about effective use of Twitter for business. I received several sarcastic and dismissive responses; messages filled with criticism of Twitter and denigrating its value.

Twitter, a micro-blogging service that enables its users to send and read text based updates of 140 characters or less, seems to elicit passionate responses from people. It is alternately praised to the skies as the fastest growing and most powerful tool in social media or as a fad and the most over-hyped topic of conversation. My experience is been positive and I recommend Twitter as an effective tool for business.

I joined Twitter in December of 2007. I have been in business for myself and using the Internet to market and communicate since the early 1990’s. When I joined Twitter I had been involved in social networking and social bookmarking, fascinated by its potential for business use and interested in trying something new and different. However, I didn’t understand Twitter at all, found it really confusing and left almost the same day. It made me feel silly.

Several months later I returned to Twitter and began to follow people who were passionate about it. I read everything I could find including an advance copy of Twitter Revolution by Deborah Micek and Warren Whitlock. I experimented with tweeting and started developing relationships and having conversations with other Twitter users. It took several weeks for me to feel comfortable in the Twitterverse and several months to feel like I had a handle on how to use Twitter effectively.

So my voice is one in the chorus singing Twitter’s praises. I use Twitter for business as a tool for:

• Building my online presence
• Networking
• Communication
• Fundraising
• Customer service
• New business development
• Research
• Reputation management
• Monitoring industry trends

I also use Twitter for fun and have met people from all over the world who are morphing from Twittermates to close friends in real life. I have introduced it to clients, colleagues, friends and family; I have watched with amusement and pleasure as many of them have discovered the power and the magic for themselves. Just this morning I discovered one client’s tweet listed on Guy Kawasaki’s Alltop.com (a site that aggregates all the top stories from sites across the Internet). This client is someone who only started using Twitter about six weeks ago. Now she is gaining major attention for her brand through her use of Twitter.

Are you using Twitter? What’s your take on it?

Thanks to Randa Clay Design for the Twitter image. Visit her site for free downloads of Twitter graphics.

The Association of Women In Communication’s May luncheon will be held Thursday, May 14th, from 11:30-1PM at The Waterford at Levis Commons. Contact Melanie Allen today to RSVP.

Early morning thoughts about social media marketing, PR and strong coffee…

Thursday, April 30, 2009. This morning I’m thinking about our area’s growing interest in the social web and its impact on business.

We will have another Toledo Tweetup and tomorrow we will host the second Social Media Breakfast Toledo. Both events attract people who are already engaged in using the social web as well as those who are interested in learning.

The Toledo Tweetup, to be held tonight from 6-9 PM at Nick and Jimmy’s on Monroe, gives NW Ohio and SE Michigan Tweeps a chance to take their conversations offline. It’s been interesting and entertaining meeting some of the people in our area who share my passion (some might say addiction) for Twitter. The Tweetups serve more than a social function: I have met talented people I hope to be able to work with as I start putting together teams for upcoming projects.

Our second Social Media Breakfast Toledo will be held tomorrow morning from 7:30-9:30 AM ($20 cash at the door if you haven’t reserved your seat yet). The event will be held at the Toledo Elks Lodge #53, 3520 Holland-Sylvania Road, Toledo. Our speaker is Aaron Newman, founder and president of Techrigy, a leading provider of online and social media monitoring and measurement tools.

Aaron Newman will discuss the social media platforms and monitoring tools available; brand names, trends and other examples of what can be monitored; ways to measure and analyze your results and related topics. Monitoring your online reputation is critical today—people are talking about you or your brand, whether you know it or not. Learning to understand and use the tools to monitor your company’s online reputation allows you to respond quickly to discussions that relate to your business.

Will you join us for the Tweetup at Nick and Jimmy’s? Or perhaps for the Social Media Breakfast Toledo tomorrow morning? Hope to see at one or both of these local events.

Early morning thoughts about social media marketing, PR and strong coffee…

Monday, March 30, 2009. This A.M. started as a study in contrast. My first email was from a friend and colleague who is critical of my passion for social media and declared herself “not interested in all that social media stuff”. This is the same person who wonders why she is struggling to attract new clients.

In the next moment, as I read my Facebook messages, I learned of a new shareable media database available for Twitter users. This free resource allows you to follow and sort media by beat, location, name or media outlet. MediaOnTwitter is populated by Twitter users, vetted by editors and FREE to the entire community. Developed by Sara Evans (@prsarahevans) and partners (known on Twitter as @skydiver, @melissahourigan and @edunigan), the MediaOnTwitter wiki can only help the public relations community by making it easy to follow and communicate with journalists using Twitter. Great example of innovation in our industry—one that will benefit all of us.

Next I stumbled upon a blog post written

Jennifer Willbur, a PR pro some 10 years younger than I, who cautions her colleagues not to become “PR Geezers”, saying the time to learn to use social media effectively is now. She makes the point that her reader may be comfortably employed right now by a company who is considering social media involvement but not making it a priority. How long will it be, she wonders, before the competition gains traction using social media marketing? Where will her reader be then? She closes by reminding us that none of us can afford complacency or fear of the new and unknown. Things are different now, which means WE have to be different. If we don’t make learning social media a priority right now, we’re going to be left behind.

I agree with her.

So where do you stand? Are you interested in learning about social media for your business? Wondering what that even means? Wondering where to start?

Start by attending the first Social Media Breakfast Toledo, which will give you an overview of social media and social media marketing and offer you a chance to network with other business people. The event is scheduled for April 3^rd from 7:30-9:30 AM at the Elks Lodge 53 on Holland-Sylvania Rd in Toledo. Tickets are $10 (payable by cash at the door) and advance registration is required because seating is limited. Register online here.

We hope to see you there. We hope you make learning about social media a priority for your business too.

Early morning thoughts about social media marketing, PR and strong coffee…

I started this day like I start most, at my desk with a strong cup of coffee beside me, reading the most recent blog posts relating to social media marketing and PR. Mark Aaron Murnahan writes about the dilemma that social media poses for business: weighing the cost of participating versus the risk associated with not embracing social media marketing. Murnahan concludes that leaving it up to your competition will be the greater cost: missed opportunities. He makes his case well and it’s a good post for anyone in business contemplating involvement in social media.

The buzz about social media marketing is certainly growing louder these days.

In our area, we just held our second Toledo Tweetup, a networking event for users of the popular microblogging site, Twitter. The Tweetup gives you a chance to meet face-to-face with the people you communicate with on Twitter. Organized by Damian Rintelmann of Hart Associates, the event drew Twitterers from many different industries. I enjoyed the networking and got a sense of the real talent available locally. Important to know, as I start to put together project teams for new business I am working on. I may need help from some of the people I have just met.

Several of us are also working on presentations for the upcoming inaugural Social Media Breakfast Toledo, which is scheduled for April 3^rd from 7:30-9:30 AM. The Social Media Breakfast series originated in Boston in 2007 and has spread to more than a dozen cities in the US. Social Media Breakfast Toledo offers participants a chance to network and to share information about the rapidly evolving idea of social media. Toledo’s first event will be held at the Elks Lodge 53 on Holland-Sylvania Rd. Michael Temple, of Temple Development Company will serve as moderator. Panelists, Dave Rigotti, of Freezing Hot, Damian Rintelmann, Victoria Kamm, of BizTube 24/7, and I will answer questions from attendees.

Patrick Giammarco, of PWG Marketing, is responsible for doing the legwork to bring the event to Toledo. and put together the planning committee. Each of the committee members has particular expertise in, and passion for, social media. Most of us are using social media marketing with our clients and in our own businesses. Members of the Social Media Breakfast Toledo’s planning committee include:

• Patrick Giammarco, PWG Marketing
• Mike Driehorst, Public Relations Consultant
• Kevin Cesarz, CZ Speak Social Media
• Janeile Cudjoe, McGowen Properties
• Julie Cantu, 360° Graphics
• Tim Langhorst, Lauerer Markin Group/Thread
• Steve Robison, West Printing Company
• Michael Temple, Temple Development Company
• Damian Rintelmann, Hart Inc.
• Allen Mireles, Allen Mireles Marketing PR
• Victoria Kamm, BizTube 24/7 and IdentityCred

What are you doing with social media now? Do you have any questions? Why not join us on the 3^rd? Register online here. Hope to see you next week at the inaugural Social Media Breakfast Toledo!