Taking the Time to Focus on What’s Important in Social Media
When I first started writing this column more than six weeks ago, I thought the toughest challenge was going to be finding interesting things to write about. I couldn’t have been more off base. I now have a multitude of little scraps of paper — each with a column idea scrawled upon it — scattered about my desk.
Now, my biggest problem is finding the time to convert these ideas into blog posts. Social media is great at exposing individuals and organizations to new ideas and building our networks — we just have to remember to slow down every so often, to make sure we don’t let too many good ideas slip through the cracks. We must also frequently pause to make sure we’re still on the right track. There are a great many shiny objects out there in social media land — and I can assure you, they’re not all gold.
One of the things I’m always trying to bring to this column is information and ideas that can help individuals and organizations build communities through the use of social media. On several occasions over the past year-and-a-half, I’ve recommended classes taught by Westchester’s Gerald Stern, owner of WOW Productions, LLC. Gerald is a knowledgable “techie”, who is also blessed with the uncommon ability to break down complicated information in a way that makes it easy to understand for even the most tech-phobic among us.
On Monday, March 21, WOW Productions will be offering Facebook for Business — a hands-on workshop, at Fordham University’s West Harrison campus. What makes this class special for me is that I will be co-teaching it with Stern, the guy who taught me many of the finer points of Facebook at a similar class just a little less than two years ago.
Stern’s classes feature interactive classrooms, and participants have the opportunity to set up their own business or organizational Facebook pages right there in the classroom. This class will cover all the basics of Facebook for business, including the recent changes Facebook made to its pages.
Speaking of Facebook, I’ve been noticing more and more local businesses setting up pages. Once local communities pass a certain threshold of business participation, I believe that many customers will make Facebook the place they turn first when looking to engage with their favorite businesses. In Pleasantville, the community where I spend most of my work week, there are now well over two dozen businesses using Facebook pages. Similar things are taking place in every town, village and city across Westchester.
Beginning in next week’s column, I will highlight the social media efforts of local businesses and organizations, in a number of categories, including: best overall use of social media; best Facebook page; best social media promotion; and best single post. I invite reader submissions. You can e-mail me at: Chris@WestchesterSocialMedia.com.
Chris S. Cornell is the Director of Social Media at Thompson & Bender — a Westchester-based PR, advertising and marketing firm. He manages several online communities, and consults, speaks and writes about social media. He is also the owner of Cornell Gallery, a custom framing business in Pleasantville. You can follow Chris on Twitter.
Adam has worked in the local news industry for the past two decades in Westchester County and the broader Hudson Valley. Read more from Adam’s author bio here.