Here I am ratting myself out on the WORLD WIDE WEB. The other week I was bringing groceries in, and left the door open. After a few trips in and out, I shut the door, locked it then proceeded to put the groceries away.

About a half hour later I heard a bark coming from the front yard, the same bark I have heard for over 8 years. My throat tightened, and I felt so sick as I ran to the front door. I opened it, and there sat my four and half pound best fur-end Sissy. She must have gotten out when I wasn’t paying attention.

After I tore myself a new one, I sat quietly with my heart in my hand, and reflected on what had happened.

How often do we get in a hurry and let something slip? While accidentally leaving my dog outside might seem like a strange comparison, it is often the simple things we miss, when we get in a hurry.

“Take time for all things: great haste makes great waste.”
-Benjamin Franklin

Distraction is described as: when your attention is divided and it is the Achilles heel of almost every active and/or creative person I know.

It might be that you are unable to pay attention, not really even interested in the object of attention; or something else is just plan more attractive. Distractions come from inside as much as outside. I read that multitasking is considered a distraction. Distraction is also a  major factor in procrastination, though it is possible to be diligent and concentrate on what is valuable.

Most Social Media participants are great mulitaskers. Is a world that arises from distraction. The craze of Social Media has amplified our distraction.  There are several small things that we often overlook.

-Are you monitoring what people say about you or your brand?  This is the easiest opportunity for you to connect with fans/listeners organically. Use a Google alert, create a column in Hootsuite or Tweetdeck with your name, any nicknames, names of products you market, etc. For my high profile clients, I never get tired of seeing people write, “WOW I can’t believe ____just retweeted or responded to me”

-Don’t forget to list a website on all your Social Media profiles! I see this EVERY day. I MEAN EVERY DAY. Even some of the BIGGEST names with MILLIONS of followers don’t have a link to their website or itunes, or to Twitter from Facebook, or Facebook from Youtube etc. This is the perfect way to advertise YOU to YOUR fans. I have even seen people make a special page on their websites welcoming followers from Social Media, and giving them some info or a free song download. Make sure you test the url link to see that it works and sends people to a place where someone can get more information about you.

-If you high profile or selling a public product, “Protect My Updates” should never be checked on Twitter. If you are using a personal Facebook page be sure that people can subscribe to you or even make sure Google Plus is public, unless you want to protect your updates. This is Social Media and “protecting” updates, to me looks likes you have something to hide or you overlooked making it public. Obviously if you have Public Relations policies that say otherwise, that is what it is.

-Write a bio that includes keywords strategic to the market you are trying to grow you or your brand too. This is like the old elevator pitch or 30 second commercial we were learned in Marketing 101. This will different for everyone but if you are Country Music artist, put “Country Music in your bio.”

-On Facebook, Google Plus and Youtube channels there are many ways you can spruce up your sites. Sterile looking pages are boring. If you are on Twitter , I DEMAND you ditch the default Twitter Egg Avatar and Cloud Background. Just kidding, but it really does say to me, “I don’t care about my stuff,” and my response is, “why should I either.”

-Cross promote your Social Media Network platforms. I like to change the content to fit the network. You can post to your blog/newsfeed/RSS feed and then, re-share on various platforms like Twitter, Facebook, Google Plus, or even industry specific community platforms.  Lately when I post photos on Facebook or Google Plus, I create a bit.ly url link, and re-share to Twitter,  to send eyeballs back to my sites and track links.

-Make sure you are talking about your Social Media participation when you are out in public. Concerts, t-shirts, on your website, business cards, banners, onstage lighting effects, vehicles. I even noticed a business that used window painting (kinda like a Christmas) to write their FOLLOW US @__ on the side of their building near a major road. It was classy. Just like you ask for the sale, ask for the follow.

-Be grateful to people who do nice things for you. I can tell you that I have promoted and helped out certain people over and over again, and never received a thank you. Needless to say, I don’t promote them anymore.  Even the BIGGEST fan in the world will get tired of a one-way relationship. Keep your fans, evangelists, followers, P1′s in radio close! If you don’t have time because you are so busy, it might time to hire someone!

-Use the same Public Relations rules you use for yourself or your company. Never forget that Social Media is MEDIA and everyone who follows you can see what you are saying including family, employers, future employers, competition, frienemies, children, ex wives/husbands, relatives, neighbors, celebrities, brands. Don’t “let the dog out” especially when you have been drinking or are having a bad day.

I am PAWSitive I probably left some things off this list.  What do you see people leaving on their front porch?