SocialMediaI started my social media quest one year ago because I knew it was where the world was headed. I continue to be fascinated and confounded by its shear force. Anonymity no longer exists. We are out there for the world to see. Pretty scary, isn’t it? Social media plays a major role in us being so accessible and exposed. We are often judged based on what people read about us online, so best to be cautious and discreet when sharing on social media.

As I expand my reach into the print world with my SA Woman column, it only intensifies my position in the social media genre because they all morph together, only to be melded into a unified message via technology. This IS the wave of the future.

Many have asked how my social media campaign has fared. Generally speaking, it has gone quite well and statistically, much higher than the average. I bare my soul and share with you some of my statistics which come from Constant Contact analytics. Since I consider my followers my friends and confidantes, I share my actual numbers with you.

Date Mailings Opens Bounces Unsubscribes Click-Thrus % of opens
08/13 1,386 543 173 18 90 45%
09/13 1,299 500 91 6 66 42%
10/13 1,274 447 92 6 87 38%
11/13 1,280 395 113 3 65 34%
12/13 1,276 450 58 0 38 36%
01/14 1,260 439 54 9 57 35%
02/14 1,282 456 66 2 56 38%
03/14 1,293 436 47 5 56 35%
04/14 1,300 394 94 2 40 33%
05/14 1,309 380 54 6 41 30%
06/14 1,312 442 49 6 91 35%
07/14 1,291 382 62 5 81 31%
Averages 1,297 439 79 6 64 36%
Open Average for Marketing/PR per Constant Contact 13.25%

 

Of course, I wish I was in the 80-90% open category, but that category does not exist. I use Constant Contact to distribute my Linda’s Connection Corner. It is probably the most popular email marketing vehicle available. When I saw industry averages, I was definitely satisfied with my results. (FYI – the highest industry open rate is art galleries/museums at 24.66%.)

One must be tough-skinned when undertaking a venture such as this. Don’t take it personally when someone unsubscribes, unless it’s a close relative or dear friend! One person told me he really enjoyed my letters and blogs, to which I replied, “You certainly have a curious way of showing it because you unsubscribed!” He had pushed the wrong button in error!! Don’t be hurt when you see that people you were certain would support you and read your carefully crafted work never even opened it. In all likelihood, it got lost in the wild flurry of emails or was sent to a junk/spam file.

As usual, I like to share some savvy tips about my power-of-the-month. As most would do, I Googled to find some “trendy” tips to share with my readers. The very best were these clever tips for 2014:

  1. Eat it, think it, but please don’t post it…
  2. Could a pastor discuss this at his Sunday service?..
  3. Upload a professional profile picture…
  4. Tag your friends with consideration…
  5. Take your complaint offline…
  6. It’s not all about you!…

Check out the article in Huffington Post to enjoy the descriptive, witty and very sage advice. Very definitely worth the read! DianeGMuch to my surprise, when I got to the credit line, I discovered that my friend whom I featured in my August 2013 social media power blog actually wrote the article! I was dumbfounded by the coincidence!! It is none other than the Queen of Etiquette, Diane Gottsman, who owns The Protocol School of Texas based in San Antonio.

After all is said and done, I end with what I believe is reality: THE WORLD WE LIVE IN IS REALLY SMALL IN COMPARISON TO THE UNIVERSE OF WHICH WE ARE A PART! ONE CANNOT FORETELL WHAT LIES AHEAD!