See this? This is Twitter name vomit.

On Twitter, #FollowFriday is really a way for us to tell our friends and followers who we LOVE on Twitter and, of course, give props to those awesome Twitter rockstars.

Now, all #FollowFriday has become is a bunch of Twitter-name-vomit.

And that’s sad. When you rock out #FollowFriday with a gazillion (I still say that’s a real number) Twitter names, they all become lip-service and get lost in the mix.

How many times do you see a #FollowFriday on Twitter now and actually check out each individual name? I am going to bet that it’s not very often.

So here’s my tip this week: take some extra time with #FollowFriday and say no to name-vomiting. Instead, choose ONE person to give props to in each tweet and tell your followers WHY they are awesome.

Give your followers a reason to follow the people you love.

For example, I gave #FollowFriday props to two of my good friends Beau and Kristen. Here’s my tweet on #FollowFriday for them:

TELL your Followers WHY they're awesome!

Shameless plug? Sure, but the message is short, simple, and tells my followers why these people are awesome. Why not spread your #FollowFriday messages out throughout the day? Even more meaningful, write a blog post giving props to those people you love. That’ll really make them feel awesome and give even more credibility to your suggestions. Try it out this week. I bet you that people will be more likely to listen. Otherwise, it’ll be just a big jumble of names. Ya heard?!

So say NO to #FollowFriday-Twitter-Name-Vomit.

Love your followers and love those you follow and they’ll love you back. Word.

All for now.

SO, as a follow-up to my Fan Page vs. Group blog post from last week, I decided that I wanted to throw some of my ideas and things I have tried out there for how to promote your Facebook fan page. And since I like lists and simplicity, I figured I’d call this “The 5 sure-fire ways to promoting your FB Fan page.“

[These 5 things can be applied to business pages, artist pages, organization pages, or causes - and so I don't have to say all those words - I'm going to call it your ROCKSTAR page. Mmmkay?]

1. Suggest to Friends. (This option is located right underneath the fan page profile picture. Also, you can filter your suggestion by region – this is great especially for local businesses). This first step seems so simple and so basic, yet it is the most important. Some would disagree and that’s totally fine. Sure, your friends will love you anyway, and if you want them to be a fan of your ROCKSTAR page, they, for the most part will oblige. However, the fact is, to build a solid network you have to start from the ground up. Lay the foundation before you start on the mansion. Encourage your friends to suggest the page to their friends – and so on and so forth. You know 20 people, your friend knows 20 people, etc. etc…
2. Make It Easy Online. Yes, shocker, promote your page online. There are a few simple and easy ways to do this. (Yes, this one has sub-categories. It’s totes fine. They go together).
   1. Create a Fan box for your website – this can be done by clicking the Fan Box link underneath the Fan page profile picture. A few clicks, a copy/paste of the generated code, and you’re done!
   2. Put a link in your e-mail signature - by simply putting a little “Connect with me on Facebook” link in your email signature, you’re able to so simple promotion a couple (for me) hundred times a day. Okay, so you don’t email a couple hundred times a day, but most of us at least send 10-20 emails a day. That’s 10-20 more people who will see your link. And if they forward your email on to people they know, that’s 10-20 MORE people, and so on and so forth.
   3. Custom URL - I am shocked to see how many companies still don’t have a custom URL for their Fan pages. If you have over 25 fans, you need to get yourself a custom URL. DO IT. NOW! Leave this site. Go! DO IT! http://facebook.com/username. Seriously, do it.
   4. Newsletters - despite popular belief, not all newsletters are so 2008. Many companies are using email newsletters as a great way to connect with customers. Include a link to your ROCKSTAR page in your newsletter. You’d be surprised how many people will at least click it.
3. Twitter - okay, not everyone who is on Facebook is on Twitter, and surprisingly, not everyone who is on Twitter is on Facebook. But Twitter still is a great way to connect with a different demographic. If your ROCKSTAR page is super interactive, why not link to it in your Twitter URL/bio? Now, don’t spam your followers with “BE MY FAN, YO!” every 10 minutes. But it is totally okay to send out a message once or twice a week saying, “Hey, we’re on Facebook – be a Fan and get awesome updates, etc. etc. etc.” Let them know you love them. Love your followers. Love your fans. And in the end, they’ll love you.
4. Content. Shocker! If you don’t have content, you won’t have fans. Your content has to be as ROCKSTAR as you are. Be creative! Have fun! Change it up. Don’t do all updates, pictures, videos. Add variety. Encourage discussion and feedback. If a fan comments, reply back to them. Pose a question totally unrelated to your ROCKSTAR self – see what happens. Keep fans wanting more. Also, don’t update vomit. Try to spread your updates out throughout the day or the week. Don’t come to the page once a week and post 20 things at once. That will just be annoying, not engaging.
5. If you REWARD them, they will come. Choose a Fan of the week or Fan of the month. Give out freebies and goodies to those who are engaged. Play hide and go seek on your page – hide something on the page and give the first person who finds the hidden thing a prize. Don’t leave them hanging. People love to have their backs scratched – so scratch them, and they’ll scratch you. (Okay, that’s an awkward analogy, but you know what I mean). Give them FAN SPECIFIC offers and content – it will make them feel special and make others want to join in on the fun. When people come to your fan page, they want to see a party going on. Cause people want to be part of the party. Am I right?!

Okay. So I hope some of those things helped. And of course there are a gazillion (yes, it IS a number) other things you can do, but I’ve found, using these 5 simple things has worked really well for me and those whom I have worked with.

Tell me, what techniques, tips, or tricks have helped you out? Have you done any of the things I suggested here? I love to hear other ideas!

But in the end, be the ROCKSTAR that I know you are.

All for now.

I wanted to start of this week on a little bit of an inspirational note. I don’t want to sound like a motivational speaker, but frankly, I needed to talk about this topic: Enthusiasm and living your passion.

Last week, someone said made a comment in passing to me that made me 1. confused and 2. a bit miffed. So I love social media, I love networking, I love writing, I love Mexican food, and I LOVE comedy. For me, I get the most joy out of making someone laugh. Well, this person made a comment that I was “too enthusiastic” about my work and that I should “consider taking back my enthusiasm a notch.“

*CAR SCREECH NOISE*

What?!?!?! TOO enthusiastic about my work? TOO passionate about what I do? I get excited and my face lights up when I talk about the things I love? And that’s… bad?

That comment got me thinking. I really take criticism, especially constructive criticism to heart. I am always trying to better myself and improve every single day. (If you don’t try to get better at what you do and what you love, then why work at all?) So, I started to self-assess my work, my approach, and my goals. And I had just so happened to see that quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson in an e-mail a good friend of mine sent me. And I immediately knew that I was okay. I’m not over the top, I’m not in your face, I’m just passionate, and I love what I do.

Do you think Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin went all the way to the moon complaining?
Do you think Michael Jackson recorded “Got to Be There” and hated that it sold over five MILLION copies worldwide?
Do you think Julia Roberts would have rather worked at McDonald’s then star in Mystic Pizza?

Of course not. They loved what they did.

Why should I apologize for loving what I do? I may not have a full-time job, I may not make a million dollars a year, I may not drive a fancy car, but what I do makes me happy.

I want to know more, learn more, and improve. Because if I’m not going to be enthusiastic about what I do, then frankly, I’m going to be pretty B-O-R-I-N-G!

And Molly Buckley is anything but boring. Am I right?

So, I leave you with this: love what you do and be as enthusiastic as you WANT about it. Don’t let the cynics, the critics, and the grumps get you down. I hope your face lights up when you talk about what you love.

Emerson was right. [End rant.]

All for now.

TAG! You're it.

So what are we, as Facebook users to do, if we want to repost and/or share Facebook status update we like? I’m calling it now. Or at least I hope I am – I haven’t heard anyone else call this yet. I’m trying to get on the ball right away.

Instead of a RETWEET (RT: a reposting of a tweet on Twitter) from here on out, a post of another user’s Facebook status will be called the RFB – a REFACEBOOK.

Here’s how it works:

• Step ONE: You see a Facebook status you like. Identify said Facebook status
• Step TWO: Highlight Facebook status. COPY Facebook status by either using the “Copy” feature in Edit or by hitting Apple C or CNTL C on a PC
• Step THREE: Paste copied Facebook status in YOUR OWN PERSONAL status bar
• Step FOUR: Tag the originator of the post by tying the “@” symbol and identifying the individual (see aforementioned post about Facebook tagging above)
• Step FIVE: Say RFB to indicate that this is a REFACEBOOK. Example: RFB: John Smith said a really cool thing that I support and/or think is funny so I want to RFB it, yo.
• Step SIX: Be awesome.

It’s genius. I love it. Who doesn’t?

So, spread the word. See a Facebook status update you like? Copy and paste it, @ tag the person who first said it, and RFB it! YAY REFACEBOOKING.

It’s the little pleasures in life.

All for now.

The other awesome part about it is that it is a song by Rhett & Link. Rhett & Link are a NORTH CAROLINA based comedy-duo that have taken the internet by storm. Oh, and they also did a HILARIOUS furniture commercial that actually aired on TV. I’m just going to link to it here and let you see for yourself. But yeah, they’re awesome. And who doesn’t love a good parody?

I’m a comedian. I love parody!

All for now. Have a Thuper Thursday!

Now, this is, of course, coming from yours truly who is, by nature, a people pleaser and I hate disagreeing. What? Molly hates something? Yes, and that’s negativity and disagreement. I come from an uber-supportive family and I’m an improviser. In improv, we are told that disagreement on stage is nothing but wasted time. Our philosophy, “Yes, and…” tells us as improvisers that we support and we agree with our scene partner 100% AND to add new and interesting information. If you and I were on stage and you handed me an imaginary cat and I responded by saying, “NO! That’s a dog!” – then that would be disagreement and the audience would immediately check out and loathe what was happening on stage. So, what does this point have to do with Social Media? And why on earth would I tell you to do something I, myself, am not even good at. Because I can, that’s why.

Now, I don’t want you to go out there and disagree just to be a jerk or piss people off. My point is that I want you to form your OWN opinion and that you don’t ALWAYS have to agree with people. Discussion and dialogue are at the crux of building relationships and, ultimately, a strong community. If we all agreed 100% of the time, life would be pretty one-sided and a whole lotta tunnel vision would be going on.

It’s important to listen to other’s opinions and take in each other’s perspectives. I learned this lesson very early on. My mother was a very liberal democrat and my father was a very conservative republican – they might not have always seen eye-to-eye, but they always appreciated each other’s opinions and took their perspectives into account – this almost made their relationship stronger. But this isn’t a relationship blog.

So here is your challenge: the next time you read a tweet, a Facebook status update, a blog post, or check out an article – find a way to, politely of course, disagree. Challenge an argument. Start a healthy discussion and see what comes out of it. See what you can learn.

Now, don’t be a jerk and don’t fight with people. There is a point where you can go too far. But I believe you can always learn from people who see things differently than you. But, you don’t have to agree with me, of course.

All for now.

I'm on Facebook, too!

Here’s the lowdown/breakdown/411:

FAN PAGES:

• ALLOW for custom usernames above 25 fans
• Are BETTER for building a long-term relationship with users and allow for an easier connection
• CAN send updates to an unlimited amount of users/fans (no set number)
• CAN create, manage, and publish events
• CAN send updates to Twitter
• CAN import blog posts and write notes
• CAN create an advertisement on Facebook for Fan page
• All updates, likes, photos, videos, etc. ARE published on Fan’s news and mini feed
• Easier to put in search
• You CAN customize/code tabs on Fan pages to better suit your needs

GROUPS:

• Have ugly URL’s – they don’t allow for a custom URL
• CAN create, manage, and publish events
• CAN’T advertise group through Facebook
• Are BETTER suited for fostering a quick, active discussion, or a cause (they’re not set-up for a really active long-term connection with users)
• DON’T have note/blog capability
• CAN’T send updates to Twitter
• Updates DON’T appear on the news and mini feed of users
• CAN bulk-invite users (which is harder for pages to do… pages can only “suggest” to users)
• DOESN’T show up in search engines

Ultimately, in my honest opinion, it’s a matter of comparing red apples with green apples. They’re similar, yet they are still very different. I believe a Fan page really helps to foster a positive connection with users and a particular brand, idea, person, or campaign. Groups don’t foster this type of interaction and atmosphere. I advise you to look at some groups you are a part of and then look at some pages you are a Fan of, what is the difference that you see? Do you see more interaction on the Fan pages or within the group? Let me know what you think.

BTW: Here are some great Facebook Fan Pages (both large and small) that I think are really doing what works and engaging their audience (and I am definitely part of that audience, but regardless, what they are doing is still totally awesome):

1. Livestrong
2. Chipotle
3. Lilly Pulitzer
4. The Onion
5. Richmond.com

I hope that helps. At least for now, until Facebook decides to change their layout again…

All for now.

I can NOT talk about social media for a day.

I have been hearing some sad and somewhat disturbing buzz lately. In today’s technological society and with all this encouraged entrepreneurship, YES, many adults are throwing out the argument, “Today’s youth doesn’t need to go to college. A college degree doesn’t mean much anymore. It’s as common as a high school diploma. So just start your business, make millions, and forget about school.” Okay, that last part is an exaggeration, but definitely is not far from the truth of what many are arguing.

Right after I got my diploma. I was excited.

And many young entreprenuers themselves are starting to doubt whether or not they should go to college. The 16-year-old tech genius Daniel Brusilovsky wrote in a recent post that he was debating whether or not to apply for college. Brusilovsky was trying to decide whether or not college is the best four years of your life, or simply four years of wasted time. Especially considering how smart this kid is, it honestly bothered me that he would even THINK about not going to college. (Thankfully, he has closed the debate and he IS, in fact, going to go to college. PHEW!) Why would it bother me so much that a kid, one whom I have never met, is talking about not going to school? A lot of kids choose to forego college and pursue their dreams. Professional athletes (minus football players) are guilty of this all the time – especially in basketball and even young golfers.

So what do I really think? Now, I’m speaking from a place of being currently unemployed (except for doing freelance work and consulting when I can and my part-time retail job – which both combined don’t exactly pay my bills). I’ll be honest to say that it has been frustrating lately applying for jobs and either having “too much” education or “not enough” education. I feel like I don’t fall into the desired category. I’m in a category with the majority of Americans – I have a high school diploma and a college degree, nothing more, nothing less – therefore according to corporate America, I’m average.

Now, not to toot my own horn, but I don’t consider myself to be average. I worked really hard. I got really good grades in college. And instead of going to a party on Friday night, I stayed up late working in the Student Government (SGA) office trying to make a difference on campus (at Christopher Newport) and throughout the state of Virginia. I volunteered more than 10 hours a week and I even created an endowed scholarship in honor of my mother when I graduated. Immediately after graduation, I had the honor of being selected as a Governor’s Fellow and worked beside the Governor of Virginia for two months experiencing state government first-hand. After serving as a Fellow, I went on to teach high school English for two years. It may have been the most challenging experience of my life, but I learned some of the most valuable information I will ever need to know. Now I’m unemployed and I can’t find a job. But I am no where near complaining. Honestly. I wouldn’t change any of my experiences.

Okay, ultimately, what is my point?

Life is unpredictable. Your situation can change at any moment. And although things may be more difficult now, I know they won’t be like this forever. But if I ever decide to pursue further education, advance in my career, or even run for political office, I am going to be proud to know that I have my degree from Christopher Newport University (Go Captains!) to back me up.

The four (sometimes five, six, or sadly, even seven) years you spend in college are vital. Look, I’m not trying to sound like a Vitamin-C song, but truly, college is not just about the classes, or the number of hours spent in the library. I learned more information (that I’m going to retain) outside of the classroom than I ever did taking notes on John Milton’s Paradise Lost. The connections that I forged, the meetings I attended, the clubs I was a part of, and even the mistakes I made, all helped to shape who I am now. And that DOES set me apart from the masses.

So even if you’re 17 and you have a brilliant idea that is going to make you billions, go to college and hash it out there. Don’t gamble with your future, in that if you ever do fall on your face in your 30′s, you’ll still have that degree to prove you’re worthy.

I swear, if I hear one more man, woman, or teenager say college isn’t worth it, I’m going to have some serious words. (I’m not a fighter, so I’ll probably just give them a stern talking to. But at least they’ll be intimidated).

All for now.

There were Twitter-themed swag bags, free state fair food (READ: chocolate covered bacon = NOT okay), prizes, free L’OREAL Paris makeovers, and even Twitter-themed FACE PAINTING. Mimi the Clown was awesome and did a great job decking everyone out in sweet Fail Whales, Twitter birds, and even RSS Feeds (@WayneSutton “gotta sport the RSS feed”). I took a picture of some of the awesome face paintings that Mimi the Clown did! (I particularly love the little girl’s AWESOME @ symbol on her forehead). Check out some of them here:

Tweeple Pictured:

• @WayneSutton
• @GwenSutton
• @1918
• @mollybuckley (that’s ME!)
• @colettewh
• @ashevilleallie
• @JoyNatalie
• @EllenLynch
• @JennaFleur

…and more! (Sorry kids! I don’t remember everyone’s Twitter handle, if you’re pictured and I didn’t list you, leave a comment with your name!)

All I can say is, I can’t WAIT for next year.

All for now.