Father's Day Infographic: 7 Things Our Dads Taught Us About Social Media

Ever check your Klout score? Notice how it refers to people who influenced you? How come my Dad is never listed? He was one of my biggest influencers. Here's what he taught me.

How Our Fathers' Lessons About Life Influenced Our Online Marketing Strategies and Tactics

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1. "Play So They Can't Take You Out"

Like it or not, social media is now a customer care tool. More and more people will use your Facebook Fan Page or Twitter feed as an easy way to get quick help. Not only do you need to respond quickly to tweets and posts, you need to add real value so you can stay in the game.

Interesting Stats:

• 27% of time spent online is on social networking
• 50% of customers use social media to get a response about a service issue
• 70% of customer complaints on Twitter and Facebook are ignored

Dear Dad, 
Okay, I admit it. You taught me well. I did pay attention, even though it didn't seem like it at the time. 
Love, 
Your Bratty Kid

2. "Lying Creates a Mess"

Drama, drama, drama, who needs it? Nothing is worse than tweeting a lie and awkwardly standing by your dishonesty. Customers will find you out and call you out. You'll be a company no one can believe in. Choose to stay out of trouble: tell the truth, even when it stings.

3. "Enjoy The Little Things"

Good social media dashboards show how you're doing over time. But why ignore the daily gifts? Interesting retweets, faves, likes and shares can help you get through a long week. Remember to celebrate small wins to maintain enthusiasm.

4. "Competition Can Be Cool"

A competitive environment encourages innovation so use social media creatively. Compare your Facebook page or Twitter feed to the competition to better understand your audience. Now try something new with your SoMe presence. You will be energized, your customers will be intrigued, and your competitors? They'll be playing "catch up."

Interesting stats:

• 90% of marketers want to know which tactics work best
• 26% of marketers measure their social media activity
• 78% of salespeople using social media outsell their peers 

5. "Be Yourself"

You may be tempted to copy someone else's social media style. While it's okay to learn by example, it's not okay to be a clone. Imagine if Will Sasso used Vine to tell Joan Rivers' jokes. It'd be weird and fake, right? Yeah, don't do that. Do create a style guide around your own social media voice.

6. "Be Compassionate But Not A Pushover"

Use social media like you live in a glass house. Everyone can see what you're doing, so play fair, be nice and care about the customer. Learn to tactfully balance customer needs with business needs. Be extra thoughtful when responding to unusual customer requests.

7. "Never Stop Learning"

Launching a social media presence is rarely a single event. The landscape changes daily, so stay informed. Add RSS feeds to a reader to easily track news and build your expertise. At the very least, you'll discover your next social media opportunity that much sooner.

Thanks to Dads everywhere!

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Sources (in no particular order):

• "Experian Marketing Services reveals 27 percent of time spent online is on social networking," 2013 Digital Marketer Report, Experian Marketing Services (@ExperianMkt), April, 16, 2013.
• "Companies slow to use Twitter, Facebook for customer service, study says," By Heather Somerville (@heathersomervil), San Jose Mercury News (@mercurynews), March 18, 2013.
• "50 Customer Service Statistics, Trends, and Quotes for Social Media," ebook by Fonolo (@fonolo), April 2013.
• "How to Compare Your Facebook Page With the Competition," Social Media Examiner (@smexaminer), May 16, 2013.
• "Value of a Facebook Fan 2013," Syncapse Corp. (@syncapse), April 17, 2013.
• "18 Fresh Stats About the Current State of Social Media Marketing," by Ginny Soskey, HubSpot (@HubSpot).
• "Create an Unfair Advantage in B2B Social Media with Competitive Intelligence," Social Media B2B (@smb2b), June 3, 2013.
• Study: "78% Of Salespeople Using Social Media Outsell Their Peers," by Mark Fidelman, Forbes (@Forbes), May 19, 2013.
• "4 Life Lessons I Learned From My Dad," by Taryn DiMartile (@Totally_Taryn), CollegePlus.org (@CollegePlus), March 20, 2013.
• Father's Day: "5 Lessons Dad Taught Us," by Brandon Ferdig (@NewPlateaus), NBCMontana.com (@NBCMontana), Jun 03 2011
• "Life Commentary: Father-Son Lessons: The 7 Most Important Things a Father Could Teach a Son," AskMen.com (@AskMen) "
• "10 Invaluable Lessons Dad Taught Me," by Melinda Zupaniotis, WCAX.COM (@wcax).
• "Some Things My Father Taught Me," by BadKitties, Daily Kos (@dailykos) member, January 29, 2013.
• "Things My Father Taught Me," by Charlotte Genevier (@cgenevier), Charlotte Genevier (blog), June 17, 2012.
• "4 ways to create your social media strategy and wipe out 80 percent of your competition," by Laura Monroe, Inman News (@InmanNews), June 3, 2013.