WanderingSalsero

What could a Social Media/Public Relations Manager do for you?

Image via CrunchBase

I've been trying to crystallize the answer to that question in my mind lately.  It's of concern to me first of all ...'just because' I'm a naturally curious kind of guy.  But secondly, because I'm kinda getting 'ants in my pants' to get outta the English teaching business and start using some of the skills I've developed (some more fully than others) since I've been over here in Korea.

As I've said several time before, I because aware several months ago about this field called 'social media management'.  As you'll recall, "social media" refers simply to user generated content shared with other....e.g. Facebook, Twitter, LinkeIn, Digg, Posterous, et.al.

I read that more and more companies, from big to small, are spending money and lots of it on social media.  It's spent in a variety of ways that are sometimes pretty simple and other times very sophisticated.  But what I wanted to know was, "What exactly do these 'Social Media Managers' do?"

Well, how 'bout things like these?

• Set up any important social media platforms you don't have yet...e.g. Facebook, Twitter, LinkIn and possible others.
• Clean up social media sites that you have which might be perhaps kinda neglected and junky by now.
• Help you with growing your follower list through selective targeting and inviting...and maintaining those relation ships through constant communication....e.g. 2 status posts/tweets a day on each of your major platforms.
• Help with reputation management....e.g. monitor the 'net' to immediately catch anytime somebody says something good or bad about you/your company/your brand.  And respond accordingly.
• Function as a first-line of customer service(especially valuable if you have actuall products to sell)
• Function as your eye on the market...e.g. monitor your industry and keep you advised of any new developments you need to be aware of.
• Function as the publics eye on you.....e.g. as you become better know, people are curious about what you're doing.  You might not be comfortable with the task of telling people what you're doing......you might be reluctant to toot your own horn.  So let somebody do it's who's presumably better at it that you are.
• As you get more successful and your goals get larger, you can use your social media/PR manager to actually generate more extensive 'content' for you....blog post, reports,  make appointments, etc.

Undoubtedly there's other things that go on too but these things listed above should serve to illustrate that there's more to it than maybe you realized.

So let's go to the dance business that I know a little bit about because I've been a serious 'social dancer' for a long time. 

There's no doubt that the dance business is just as competitive as anything else.  There's still a lot of money to be made.  But I don't see much, if any, high powered 'social media' in it. 

What I do see is inward oriented....i.e. to the people who already dance.  They're 'preaching to the choir.  In my opinion, very few of the major players in it think as big as they could and use social media to expand their market.

Should you be thinking bigger?

Well, I don't know for sure.  But ask yourself this question:  "Is there anybody else out there who doesn't know how to dance but would probably like to learn?"

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Cha-cha....is it 'on1' or 'on2'?

Image via Wikipedia

In the process of doing something else, I found this Youtube video about cha-cha.  I realized while looking at it they they weren't using the timing that I learned back in Houston.  I'll always remember the night at one of the social dances at SSQQ when I asked Jill, one of the nicest and coolest instructors there, to dance a cha-cha with me.

I was very surprised when she told me that she couldn't because I was doing it 'on1' whereas she was accustomed to doing it 'on2' (at least that's the way I'd explain it).  It wasn't till a little later that I realized what she meant and since then I've been doing it 'on2'.

But I noticed on this video that this couple, who are obviously 'professional' types, are doing it 'on1'.  So my question is, "Which way is correct?"

Or is it a case of one style being 'club style' or perhaps 'traditional' and the other style being 'professional' or 'competitive' style?

I'd appreciate somebody's insight into that matter.  Here's the video I saw:

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Good reason to go to Palm Springs!!

It looks like you've got a good excuse to visit Palm Springs, California.  On August 13-16, 2009, there's an event that looks like it'll be a winner:

Palm Springs Salsa & Rueda Congress!
Aug 13-16, 2009

Wyndham Resort & Convention Center

I spent some time looking over the schedule and it's for sure something I'd like to go to.  The schedule indicates an exciting and equal mix not only of salsa (lot's of on1) but also casino rueda.  Enough said, eh?

Seriously, it looks like a lot of thought went into making the event something that beginners and intermediate dancers would not feel left out at.  Here's the URL:

http://www.peoplewhodance.net/summer/salsa/

Toys........? Not!

Ever heard of "RC"?

It means 'radio controlled' and it's a very diverse and expansive genre of sport for individuals around the world.  I'm not really into it myself but I sorta know what it is and it's my understanding that the biggest activity within it involves racing.

In the 'radio-controlled' field, you'll find miniature models of various kinds of vehicles.  These vehicles have motors....sometimes electrical and sometime actual miniature gasoline engines.  The vehicle models themselves might be cars, boats, airplanes,  monster trucks(?) and........virtually anything that moves on wheels, treads, in the air or on the waves.  Whatever the vehicle is, RC fans really get into it and in fact it is very exciting as you'll see on the following video.

BTW.......can you think of any niches and domain names here that might be good for a 'parked' domain or a quick-flip website?  I can :-)

The race you'll on his video takes place in Thailand.  You may not know it but racing of all kinds is very popular in Thailand.  I remember noticing that when I visited Thailand several times while I was in Vietnam several years back.

RC Racing Series 3 Episode 3 from Nick Daman on Vimeo.

Don't forget that if you have any particular hobby you might be surprised to learn that there's always room for one more well made site any popular niche.  And if you do it right, there's substantial and residual money to be made in internet marketing of this type too.  

You can learn how to market successfully on the internet at several excellent online training sites around the net and here's two that I know of:

• Lead Generation Portals
• Wealthy Affiliate

They're both very good.  I'm a member too.

Another announcement:  I'm soon going to be unveiling a content service for dance related (primarily salsa, casino rueda, and bachata) websites and blogs.  It'll be a monthly service.  Each month you'll have access to several unique, fresh, new, key word rich articles designed to add value, and Google attention, to your website, your blog, your studio, and your services.  And money to your pocket.

Using these articles on your website or blog is guaranteed to

• Increase your search engine position
• Add valuable information and credibility to you and your brand name
• Increase site visitor retention (i.e. make your site 'stickier'), and
• Put much more money in your pocket than the cost of the service.

This new service will be very reasonably priced even at 'full retail' but, heck.....who wants to pay 'full pop', right?  I'm offering a limited number of reduced priced, early bird memberships.  So, if you're interested, shoot me an email(use the 'contact me' link on this site or a Skype call at 'wanderingsalsero' and we can discuss it.

And think of all the time you'll save by outsourcing this kind of work to me.  I'll be busily burning my fingers away at the keyboard into the dead hours of the night while you're either out dancing or at home playing with your RC formula 4 racing car :-)

Who's pushing the envelope nowadays in Latin Dancing?

I was just wondering today, 'who's pushing the envelope lately in the world of salsa, bachata,  and cha-cha?'  Who's doing the old stuff well but adding new flavors to make it more interesting?

I remember that there was a couple of dance companies in San Antonio who did some stuff I thought was nice.  But I've been away for a couple of years and I don't know what's going on now.

If you have any thoughts on who you think is creative and innovative nowadays in the dance business....I'd sure like to know who it is.  If possible, I'll follow up and write more about them.

You can leave a comment here if you'd like. 

Nice cha-cha move, Mike and Johnathan!!

This news only applies to people in the Houston, Texas area but I still think it's noteworthy.  One of the studios there is paying attention to something besides salsa.  I'm all for that.

It's cha-cha.

I get emails from Mike Rodriguez.  Mike is Cuban or X-Cuban or somehow related to Cuba and he's been around the Houston salsa scene for a long time.  He's a nice guy.....drives a motorcycle, has long hair, talks a mile a minute and is never shy about telling everybody within earshot what a great dancer he is.  That can be a little annoying sometime but, in fact, he is a very good dancer.

Even though Mike is a very good dancer, up to the time I left Houston in May of 2007, Mike hadn't done much in the arena of competitive salsa.  I don't know exactly why.  It just wasn't his thing I guess.  But he always did have a pretty busy schedule with his students and classes. 

What has gotten my attention over the last couple of years has been that Mike has become very innovative in how he merchandises his product....i.e. his lessons and packages.  I've also noticed that lots of his web copywriting is very good.  I don't know if he does it himself though.  Maybe not.  There's nothing wrong with outsourcing and, in fact, it's actually a smart thing to do.

But I digress.........

Mike and some guy named Johnathan Rodriguez (maybe that's Mike's brother) have just recently teamed up to do a super-class on cha-cha.  I think that's a good thing.  I've always liked cha-cha and I don't think it's played enough in clubs.  I think it has a lot of untapped potential in the social dancing market.

Mike and Johnathan's class is going to be 120 days in length and it's priced pretty much at the standard rate of $10 an hour.  It seems to me that that will give everyone in the class more than adequate time to really absorb the stuff they learn.  Oftentimes students don't get enough time to really learn, at the subconscious level, what they're exposed to.  I think they should.

Mike used to have a dance partner named Tali.  Tali is cool too but I didn't see her named mentioned in the email I got.  I remember Tali from my days back at good ol' SSQQ (Houston's oldest, most successful and probably best social dancing program).  She was always incredibly calm, cool and collected no matter how much she was getting stepped on and jerked around by clumsy beginners.  I don't think I was too rough on her myself.

Anyway..........I'm glad to see somebody doing more with cha-cha.  Now, if Mike or somebody will start teaching Kizomba I think that would really 'put the cherry on top'! as well as put Houston on the international dance world map.  Kizomba....yeah, there's another bird's-nest-on-the-ground I think.

Mike and Tali opened up their own studio almost a year ago.  I don't recall specifically where it is but I know the website is http://www.omnisalsa.com .  Actually a pretty good name I thought.  I'm sure you can get more information about this upcoming cha-cha class there and I'm sure it'll be a very worthwhile class for those who can attend.

(Mike........you ought to come over to Korea!  I think you'd be pleasantly surprised at the scene over here.)