Social media-loving poets, rejoice! The members of Tweetspeak have found a way to unite both poetry and tweets and even make it into a party. Can true poetry be limited to 140 characters or less? Well, in honor of National Poetry Month, why not give it a whirl? Here's how.

_This January, 2012, I am creating not only annual goals, but life goals. I got this idea from business blogger and Chairman of Thomas Nelson Publishers, Michael Hyatt. (You should read his blog. It’s good stuff. )

But something amuses me as I work through my life goals. I wonder why so many small businesses don't seem to have clearly-defined social media goals. Let’s take Facebook for example. How many times have you “liked” a Facebook fan page only to see 10 or more enthusiastic posts for the first week – mostly promotional and sales-related – and then a slow winding down to maybe a post per month?

But it's easy to let happen. And it likely has lot to do with the demands of managing a business offline. It’s a lot to handle.  However, an effective social media plan is not difficult. It mainly demands some serious thought and, above all else, the passionate man/woman power needed to keep social networking consistent. *

What does an effective social media plan look like?

If you find your updates and fan interaction on your Facebook page getting more and more sparse as time lingers on, consider taking time out to hash out your social media plan for the year. An effective social media plan aligns closely with your mission statement. Your goals should not only be sales-related but they should be relationship-building.  The three most general goals I recommend for clients are 1) keep your content shareable, 2) keep your content balanced, and 3) keep your content consistent.

How to implement a social media plan.

1.      Brainstorm. Study your mission statement and make a list of supporting share-worthy and relationship-building content categories. Rotating content categories are what keeps your page balanced and more inviting to your fans. (Nobody really wants a one-sided relationship and that's exactly what sales-only updates are). Categories I recommend range from amusing and insightful quotations,  trivia, special promotions, free wallpaper/printables to outside news stories related to your industry.

2.      Prepare a category schedule for each day of the week. Plan for at least three to five posts a week for Facebook and -- at the very least -- daily tweets for Twitter.  Try to alliterate if at all possible. For example, have Trivia Tuesday, or Freebie Friday. (This generates anticipation which generates brand excitement. This is what “viral” is made of. )

3.      Write as many of your first month’s posts as you can in advance.  It sounds cliché, but a strong head start really does pave the way for future success.

4.      Be consistent.  If the idea of checking into Facebook or Twitter multiple times daily is a daunting one, use scheduling tools like HootSuite or TweetDeck to post all in advance. (Just to be sure to check in to interact and respond with fans on a daily basis or your relationship-building efforts will be futile.)

* Outsourcing  social media marketing and management is one of the least expensive ways small businesses can ensure a continual social media presence. Email Kristen@zoetical.com to find out how you can have continual online presence at an affordable rate.

_As you likely know, Facebook Timeline has been greatly anticipated for months and among those drooling after it are mostly developers (who had early access) and social media gurus like myself. Yes, that's right. While gobs of users continue to leave complaints and are fighting tooth and nail, resenting Timeline to the extreme and wanting the "old Facebook" back, yours truly has been nearly jumping at the bit to get at it, but is among those still waiting, even after the widely broadcasted worldwide release. The irony! (*See bottom of the this post for more details regarding the glitch.)

That said, there are still some "rich" take-aways that even I can get while waiting.

Take-away 1.

Get your camera out and get your graphic design team ready. Your users' Timelines will look more like a magazine then a list of their activity. One user described it as looking like their own personal web page -- designed to showcase their style and online identity. The more they engage in your visual content, the more aesthetically pleasing their Timelines will be.

Take-away 2.

If you're in the publishing or media industry, consider yourself blessed. Well, that is if you have an app that 's integrated with Facebook. Now whenever a user reads, watches or listens to your content, you'll show up in that user's Timeline and "ticker", giving you an almost constant Facebook presence. Talk about viral. Don't have an app? Get one.

*(For those here looking for the solution to the problem, here's what I know so far. The green "Get It Now" button on the bottom right of the "about Timeline"page is missing. Some have suggested going to the "apps" link and trying that green button, but -- while that is visible to everyone -- it is not working for those like me who can't see the button on the Timeline page. I've been following the forum on Facebook and it appears to be a common glitch that Facebook has not addressed at all even five days after the launch. The best we can do now -- until we hear otherwise --- is to wait and see. )

UPDATE: The problem does seem to be resolved. If you are still having difficulties, be sure you are upgraded to the latest version of your browser

On one of my shelves is a Christmas CD I ordered a couple weeks ago and it remains unopened. An amazing feat for someone who likes to rip into a CD as soon it arrives and proceed to listen to it a million times before getting tired of it and finally moving on to another one.

But my motivation is strong. I love Thanksgiving and feel like it's been shown the door way too soon these days. Now I understand the reason to get folks feeling festive a couple months before Christmas. But who's to say the marketplace can't still honor one holiday at a time? Savor things a little more slowly, you know?

Nordstrom  does. Their door signs usually say something like:

“We won’t be decking our halls until Friday, Nov. 25. Why? Well, we just like the idea of celebrating one holiday at a time. From our family to yours, Happy Thanksgiving.”

And last I knew their sales were still going strong. Perhaps they generate even more Black Friday excitement. The longer you wait, the sweeter it is? Perhaps.

So Kudos to Nordstrom.

Oh, and to my insurance agent who sent me a Thanksgiving card.

And to the Des Moines Public Library folks who are currently displaying Thanksgiving books and even offering complimentary bookmarks featuring good Thanksgiving reads.

Lets enjoy Thanksgiving a little longer shall we? And the pilgrim hat can stay on our coat racks at least until after dinner, I  hope.

I was excited to see in my Mashable news feed on Facebook today that Google+ Pages for brands and businesses just launched today. (Update: Apparently it is not rolled out to everyone yet. So you may need to hang on just a little longer. Leave a comment below if you need an invite.)

Honestly folks, this means tons of extra, free marketing exposure for entrepreneurs, businesses, non-profits, etc.

During the Google+ media frenzy earlier this year, I eagerly jumped on the bandwagon, hoping to use it to connect with writing and media professionals under the pen name I use for much of my online writing.

To my dismay, I was only allowed to use my real name. No pen name. No brand name. Just my own, personal name. I gritted my teeth. And then I ground them once I realized that my entire Google account (Gmail, Analytics, Blogger, everything ) could be terminated if I didn't comply.

So, yes, I'm incredibly glad that this is finally available to brands and you can expect to see Zoetic Freelance on Google+ Pages soon.

By the way -- I needed to poke around a bit before I saw the sign-up page for Google+ Pages. Here it is to save you some headache.

How to use Google+ for Brands: Start here!
https://plus.google.com/u/0/pages/create

Each month I look forward to downloading fresh desktop wallpaper  submitted by readers of Smashing Magazine -- a great site for designers, coders and marketers.

And I feel it's only fair to pass this enjoyable resource down to you.

This month I downloaded one from the same designer I did last month without realizing it. And now that I look closer, I definitely see some similarities between the two designs. I guess my personal tastes also resemble those belonging to Design Bread.  So, hey, might as well check out their site, too -- good stuff!

Side note: This month, as usual, there are a wide variety of designs but if beggars could be choosers, I would definitely prefer more Thanksgiving designs. And I talk a little more about that here.

Thanks to Pinterest, taste-making is no longer solely the realm of fashion models, magazines and industry leaders.

Now Plain Jane, Young Jane, Old Jane and Crazy Jane can each pin an idea and watch each idea spread like fire in the pinning world. 

What kinds of ideas and why do they spread?

An idea can be almost anything and the reason it spreads is because the whole Pinterest culture is built around the idea of sharing. Users log in to Pinterest with the sole purpose of getting and sharing ideas. You can post an idea on your website and a reader might email himself the link to use later, but his first thought is not necessarily,  "Oh, I've gotta share this." With Pinterest users that's exactly the first thought.

So what to share? That's easy and can be answered with one sentence:

Share what you would at a dinner party.

1. Humor. A dinner party without laughter is a very dull one indeed. Funny thing is, nearly any organization can share humor. Bonus: It adds a transparent element to an otherwise impersonal brand. Humor Boards on Pinterest.
2.  Beauty. What dinner guest doesn't like to thumb through your coffee table book while waiting for hors d' oeuvres? f you're an author or publisher, share your gorgeous book cover designs. If you're a photographer, share that clever wedding pose or autumnal scene. If you're a retailer, photograph your stock in an attractive setting. People love the aesthetic and Pinterest proves that. Photography Boards on Pinterest.
3. Tips.  Dinner guests and hosts alike love to share new things that makes their lives easier or more interesting. "What is it that gives the kick in this marvelous dip?" "How did you improve your golf swing in such a short amount of time?" "Wow, you reupholstered that chair yourself?" Just like marketing copy should always stress the benefits over features to their customers, pins should do the same thing. Clever Ideas on Pinterest.

Pinterest is currently in beta and requires an email invitation to join. If you would like an invitation or want to learn how Zoetic Freelance can help you promote your brand through Pinterest, email me at Kristen@zoetical.com.

Part One | Pinterest Marketing 101: The Power of Pictures
Part Two interest Marketing 101: Pinterest Best Practices (Part Two)