The Social Media train left the station a long time ago. Stop chasing it. Stop trying to "decide" if its for you. 

A new train has been pulling away and it's headed everywhere. Everywhere consumers are that is. It can be in the form of Foursquare, Gowalla, Loopt, Rally Up, Whrrl, SCVNGR, MyTown, Miso, Mopho or Google's geolocation API.

Confused about location? Curious about it's utility? Simply tired of reading stale SM content? Here's a great presentation deck showing 20 excellent examples of brands leveraging location beyond a special for the Mayor. (Credit to: David Stutts - Digital Enthusiast)

OK, you joined Driving Sales, you've read everyone's blogs & discussions and you finally wrote your first blog post.

Then you waited anxiously for the comments; checked for email notifications and refreshed your browser. Nothing.

Here's 9 things to help you write an effective blog post and generate more comments and discussion around your topic. 

1. Add your picture to your profile - People want to see who you are - without it you're reduced to a witness-relocation silhouette outline avatar.
2. Complete your Driving Sales profile - Use your LinkedIn profile to copy/paste your info to your online bios, simple & consistent.
3. Write your blog post title in the form of a question or a numbered list - See above if you've already forgotten the title of this post:)
4. Share a tip, trick or a secret - Sharing great content is the basic premise of the Driving Sales community; everyone loves to learn something that can make them look good to other people.
5. Be controversial or contrarian - Offer an opposing view to stimulate a different way of thinking about something. This doesn't mean be a jerk - be tactful & professional.
6. Use bullet points, numbered lists & short paragraphs - Nothing scares off readers faster than a giant block of text. Look how quickly you got to item #6. Painless.
7. Reply to other people's posts - They're hoping for comments just as much as you are; they'll remember you the next time you post an article.
8. Add an image to you post - Simple, people like pictures. Make your post stand out.
9. End your post with a question - Easiest way to create interaction is a question. Think of yourself as a talk show host - ask good questions to get great answers.

What works for you?

OK, you joined Driving Sales, you've read everyone's blogs & discussions and you finally wrote your first blog post.

Then you waited anxiously for the comments; checked for email notifications and refreshed your browser. Nothing.

Here's 9 things to help you write an effective blog post and generate more comments and discussion around your topic. 

1. Add your picture to your profile - People want to see who you are - without it you're reduced to a witness-relocation silhouette outline avatar.
2. Complete your Driving Sales profile - Use your LinkedIn profile to copy/paste your info to your online bios, simple & consistent.
3. Write your blog post title in the form of a question or a numbered list - See above if you've already forgotten the title of this post:)
4. Share a tip, trick or a secret - Sharing great content is the basic premise of the Driving Sales community; everyone loves to learn something that can make them look good to other people.
5. Be controversial or contrarian - Offer an opposing view to stimulate a different way of thinking about something. This doesn't mean be a jerk - be tactful & professional.
6. Use bullet points, numbered lists & short paragraphs - Nothing scares off readers faster than a giant block of text. Look how quickly you got to item #6. Painless.
7. Reply to other people's posts - They're hoping for comments just as much as you are; they'll remember you the next time you post an article.
8. Add an image to you post - Simple, people like pictures. Make your post stand out.
9. End your post with a question - Easiest way to create interaction is a question. Think of yourself as a talk show host - ask good questions to get great answers.

What works for you?

Can Foursquare be an effective social media communications tool for retail car dealers?

Foursquare is a location-based social networking site which requires the use of your mobile phone or device to check in to venues.

To “check in” requires you log in to Foursquare, pull up a list of places or venues that have been added to foursquare.com by other users and use the Check In button. If the venue doesn’t exist you can add it by entering the name and address. Beyond the individual aspect lies an intriguing marketing opportunity.

I’ll share some of the activities used within the Auction Direct USA Foursquare Venue during the next AC Social webinar Thursday May 13 at 11:30am EST.

Some of the topics covered will be:

• New-school engagement using “location-based marketing” concepts
• Creating memorable, interactive experiences for guests
• Leveraging our networks w/regards to surrounding businesses for promotions & the breadth of our personal networks
• Improving brand recognition
• Driving traffic
• Creating sales opportunities

Join us on Thursday May 13 at 11:30am. We will begin with a brief orientation of the AC Webinar Series and Registration Process; the presentation will last around 30-40 minutes.

To register for this event use the button below. If you are already registered with the AC Social webinar series then there is no need to re-register. Likewise if you have an interest in this topic but can not make this particular webinar, click here to view our schedule of events or sign up to receive email and text alerts for all upcoming webinars.

Click here to register for the AC Video Webinar Series

Can Foursquare be an effective social media communications tool for retail car dealers?

Foursquare is a location-based social networking site which requires the use of your mobile phone or device to check in to venues.

To “check in” requires you log in to Foursquare, pull up a list of places or venues that have been added to foursquare.com by other users and use the Check In button. If the venue doesn’t exist you can add it by entering the name and address. Beyond the individual aspect lies an intriguing marketing opportunity.

I’ll share some of the activities used within the Auction Direct USA Foursquare Venue during the next AC Social webinar Thursday May 13 at 11:30am EST.

Some of the topics covered will be:

• New-school engagement using “location-based marketing” concepts
• Creating memorable, interactive experiences for guests
• Leveraging our networks w/regards to surrounding businesses for promotions & the breadth of our personal networks
• Improving brand recognition
• Driving traffic
• Creating sales opportunities

Join us on Thursday May 13 at 11:30am. We will begin with a brief orientation of the AC Webinar Series and Registration Process; the presentation will last around 30-40 minutes.

To register for this event use the button below. If you are already registered with the AC Social webinar series then there is no need to re-register. Likewise if you have an interest in this topic but can not make this particular webinar, click here to view our schedule of events or sign up to receive email and text alerts for all upcoming webinars.

Click here to register for the AC Video Webinar Series

Michael Stelzner recently published a new White Paper:  2010 Social Media Marketing Industry Report. 

The purpose of this paper was to understand how online marketers are using social media today. He does a nice job of digging deep into the activities, tools and other subtelties within this segment:

• The top 10 social media questions marketers want answered
• How much time marketers invest with social media activities
• The top benefits of social media and how time invested impacts results
• The most used social media tools
• Marketers future social media plans
• And much more!

For more info about Mark, check out his site here: SocialMediaExaminer.com

Michael Stelzner recently published a new White Paper:  2010 Social Media Marketing Industry Report. 

The purpose of this paper was to understand how online marketers are using social media today. He does a nice job of digging deep into the activities, tools and other subtelties within this segment:

• The top 10 social media questions marketers want answered
• How much time marketers invest with social media activities
• The top benefits of social media and how time invested impacts results
• The most used social media tools
• Marketers future social media plans
• And much more!

For more info about Mark, check out his site here: SocialMediaExaminer.com

Need another reason why your business should have a Foursquare Venue Page? Take this one to your boss, or whoever else is stone-walling your efforts to provide your company the most cost-effective methods of getting your business in front of more people.

Bing is developing a system to provide access to real-time Foursqaure check-ins and to-do lists within their maps feature. Now people will be able to see what others are saying about different places on the map. Bing is positioning this as: “An interactive day planner, designed to help find the best things to do in that area.”

Very interesting note: They’re also developing a way to rank tips based on the user’s reputation. Foursquare users unlocking more achievement badges and checking in more frequently will be able to boost their own authority.

Appears a deal like this will create more ways to connect with your network, better ways to find current user opinions & reviews and even more ways for businesses to leverage social media optimization strategies.

Does your business have a Foursquare Venue Page? How are you using it?