Zorka Marketing + Promotion: Social Media: The "Tic Tac Toe" Method

Welcome to the first "Blog A Business Card" Blog!

I am pleased to present Bryan Ricard and his extremely well thought-out piece, "Social Media: The "Tic Tac Toe" Method". Here, he outlines a great strategy whether you're contemplating your next, or your very first social media campaign! Social media is both fun and profitable and Bryan certainly lays out the ground work for how best use these three important and free tools!

See below to learn more about Bryan.

Social Media: The "Tic Tac Toe" Method

The game of Tic Tac Toe, or Naughts and Crosses, has been around for a very long time and is a key part of my strategy to pass time during not-so-exciting classes. While I’m sure you know how to play Tic Tac Toe, what you may not know is how it relates to your social media strategy and gaining a respectable on-line presence.

Whether you’re just getting started or you’re not seeing the results you’d like, I present to you the Tic Tac Toe Method.

In order to be victorious in this game you must get your 3 X’s, or O’s, in a straight line on the 3×3 grid before your opponent:

When it comes to building your on-line identity, your opponent is yourself.
Don’t worry about competition, worry about your own practices hindering your progress.

Let’s say you’re playing as O’s (only because I don’t want to put 3 X’s in a row here and let Google get the wrong idea about this post).

What do your 3 O’s represent?

Blog
LinkedIn
Twitter

Yes, there are many platforms and resources to consider when putting yourself on the social media map, but in my opinion these three are the most effective when used together.

The following is merely an outline of how you can create a strong on-line presence.

Please understand that social media is ever-changing and there is no one right way to approach it; experiment and find out what works best for you.

1. Blog

Use your blog to discuss topics that are important to you and that you are passionate about.

Why?

It will allow others to get to know you through your writing and they can also converse with you on topics that interest them as well.

Your blog, or website, should also be your anchor on the web; your brand hub. Don’t just blog to show that you have experience or expertise in some industry, do it to get people involved and get them thinking.

Additionally, link to other pages, such as an About Me page or a portfolio, because you never know who will want to know more and contact you.

2. LinkedIn

First and foremost, before providing any links to your LinkedIn profile, fill it out!

LinkedIn even gives you a status bar to tell you if you are only 75% complete in filling out your profile. Don’t just list employers, give insight to what you did there. Give a brief summary about yourself and inform people of what your specialties are.

Why?

LinkedIn is the professional Facebook. I see it as a glorified resume. It allows others, potential clients or employers, to learn about your business and you.

Join groups and follow companies!

Why?

By joining groups that interest you or are in your particular industry, you are that much closer to connecting with people you can relate to, learn from, or teach.

You are also showing people who view your profile your willingness to connect. And by following companies, especially for those who are on a career-search, you get e-mail updates about what’s going on within the company, new hires and departures; very useful.

Answer questions!

Why?

By participating in LinkedIn Answers you are not just helping others out, but you are displaying your expertise, ideas, and personality to people you may want to connect with.

3. Twitter

Here is a brief set of rules to go by on Twitter: Use WeFollow and Twellow to find people you want to connect with, tweet about and link to things that your followers will enjoy or find interesting, give credit where credit is due, don’t be a robot tweeter…converse!

Why?

Twitter is an amazing platform. The number one activity you should be doing is connecting and conversing with others.

Explore twitter directories and search for the people you’d want to talk to (e.g., if you are into branding you might want to search for brand managers).

Make use of Twitter’s search engine. If you just saw a funny commercial, search for that company’s name + the term commercial and join or start the conversation. It’s amazing, but Twitter is as simple as it is powerful – connect and converse!

Now what do you do when you have your 3 O’s in a row?

That’s right, with a victorious smirk on your face you connect them all with a line. In the Tic Tac Toe Method, this line represents your collective inbound marketing efforts.

With your 3 O’s in a row, you want to make sure they overlap each other. Your Blog, LinkedIn and Twitter accounts are not to be separate identities. Blend them all together and cross-promote when you see fit.

Use your blog to write about what interests you and allow readers to get to know you more than they can on LinkedIn

Use your blog to write about topics that need more than 140 characters
Use Twitter and Linkedin (when relevant) to inform people of new posts on your blog
Use Twitter to connect with your LinkedIn connections on a more personal basis
Use Twitter to engage with your blog readers and subscribers while actively connecting with potential clients/readers/followers
Use LinkedIn Groups and Answers to show off your expertise and show why you are a valuable part to your industry
Use all three to tell people all the ways in which they can contact you

Final Tips

Be Brief – Attention spans are extremely short when it comes to social media. Brevity in your writing takes practice, but will yield greater results.

Be Humble – It’s important to be confident, but no one likes a bragger.

Be Yourself – Don’t hide your personality – it is a driving force in making your content enjoyable and your image respectable.

Here is a list of link resources that will help you learn more:

LinkedIn

Twitter

LinkedIn Answers

Facebook

Twitter: WeFollow

Twitter: Twellow

Free Inbound (Internet) Marketing Course

ABOUT BRYAN RICHARD in his own words:

"A motivated college graduate who aims to exceed expectations at every opportunity.

With a strong passion for branding, advertising, marketing, and social media, I want to use my creativity and diligence to be an influential member of the marketing industry.

I have held four different intern positions that have varied in responsibilities, work environment, and job focus. These experiences greatly expanded my knowledge in different areas of marketing and contributed to the sharpening of many skills.

Played a large role in the design, presentation, and execution of two booth exhibits for the AMA's National Collegiate Conference ('09, '10).

Created, implemented, and maintained Rhode Island College's AMA Chapter website.

Experienced with multiple business simulations; Capsim, LINKS and SABRE. Collectively, these simulations feature and challenge teams on many aspects of business and marketing. Performance includes 3rd place honors at the AMA's 2010 National Collegiate Conference."

To learn more, visit Bryan's website: http://bryanricard.com/about-bryan/

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I CAN HELP: Sometimes you just can't do it all by yourself. If you need help with your writing, blogging, web/blog creation and maintenance, or assistance with your social media efforts, I can help. Write (or call 1+ 347-291-1367) to discuss potential, possibilities and prices: ZorkaKovacevich@aol.com

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Please allow me to introduce you to your next customer:

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Here's How To Reach Me:

Email: ZorkaMarketing@gmail.com

View My Calendar To Make An Appointment To Speak By Phone or In-Person: http://www.snapappointments.com/listing/18l

Call My Office: 1+ 347 291 1367

Zorka Kovacevich is a social media and internet marketing expert.