With a full-time team of five, the social media staff spends all day online reading tweets, Facebook posts, blog comments and foursquare check-ins. Because of the urgent and sometimes desperate nature of people when they’re doing their taxes, the H&R Block social media team prides themselves on urgent and timely responses.

If you check out their Twitter feed, you will see that they are actually responding to people in real time. In some cases they literally know which H&R Block location someone is tweeting from because they have also checked in on foursquare.

They also have a very active blog and Facebook page because they get that people should be communicated with on their channel of choice.  And it’s worth mentioning that they have over 83,000 ‘likes’ on Facebook. Not to shabby for a tax preparation service.

According to Zena Weist, Director of Social Media at H&R Block, the goal with people who are using social media to complain is to take them offline with a customer service representative. Once this happens, most people’s issues are addressed, and a majority go back online to express their gratitude.

The social media savvy of the folks at H&R Block is worth emulating for a few reasons. Not only are they extremely responsive and on top of all channels, but they also know how best to respond. First, they show empathy. You’ll notice in many of the responses on Twitter, they first acknowledge that something is “unacceptable” or express that they are “sorry you feel that way.” Second, they provide a solution. Sometimes it’s a number to call, sometimes it’s a request for more information about which location they are in or specific person they’re working with. The idea is that they are going to do something to solve the issue. Lastly, they work to transform a bad experience into a good one because they know that good experiences typically result in referrals, which is just about the best thing you can ask from your customers.

It’s also worth noting that not only are they problem solving in the moment, but they’re also using Twitter as an early alarm system. If more than a few people are having the same issue, they make a change before it becomes a bigger problem.

Despite the fact that no one like doing their taxes, those of us in the social media trenches can at least admire this aspect of the season, thanks to H&R Block.

Maven Communications offers our insight and annual list of the top 11 news stories of 2011. These are the stories that captivated and fascinated the nation throughout the year.

#1. Gabrielle Gifford’s Resilience & Recovery (January 8, 2011)

#2. Arab Spring: A Path of Protests Throughout the Middle East (January 25, 2011)  

#4. Great Quake Shakes Japan (March 14, 2011) 

Undoubtedly the most well-known wedding of the year, the Royal Wedding garnered media attention around the world.  An estimated 2 billion people in more than 180 countries around the world were expected to see the Royal Wedding on April 29th.  The event was covered by more than 8,500 journalists in London alone. Facebook calculated that 2.8 million people in Britain and America alone had written status updates about the royal wedding in the 24 hours before the event began.

On May 1 at 11:35 pm, President Obama announced to world that the leader of Al Quada and Public Enemy #1, Osama Bin Ladin, had been killed. Even as traditional news outlets struggled to confirm the reports, the news became global instantaneously, bringing a surge of patriotism among Americans and an outpouring of global support.

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#7. Casey Anthony Trial (July 5, 2011)

Young mother Casey Anthony was charged with first-degree murder when the remains of her 2-year-old daughter Caylee were found in a wooded area near her home in Orlando, Florida. A jury found her not guilty of killing her daughter in a Florida trial that attracted immense media attention and top billing on many year-end search engine rankings.

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#8. 10 Years After 9/11 – Remember, Reflect & Never Forget (September 11, 2011)

It’s hard to believe that it’s been 10 years since the 9/11 terrorist attacks. 10 years later, the country is still trying to make sense of it. On September 11, 2011 remembrance events were held across the country. It’s clear that we will ‘never forget’ but it’s also clear that we have and will continue to move on.

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#9. The Occupy Movement Monopolizes Wall Street and Cities Across the US (September 17, 2011)

In the last quarter of the year protesters, beginning in New York and then spreading across the country, camped out (literally) in what was dubbed the Occupy Wall Street movement. While their message was foggy at best, the Occupiers maintained a nonpartisan focus on economic inequality and tried to connect a diversity of issues that impact the 99%. The target of their movement was at big banks, foreclosures, evictions, and housing. While they claim the movement is still alive, it’s on life support at best. Most camps have been evicted from their occupy spaces as cities cracked down on the protesters.

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#10. iCon: Steve Jobs’ Legacy (October 5, 2011) 

On October 5, 2011, Steve Jobs passed away at the age of 56. Even a long life would seem too short to hold the sum of his successes.  However, with his passing the world recounted and relived his achievements and legacy. As founder of one of the world’s most valuable brands, he revolutionized technology, communications, media, music, education and more. An outpouring of emotion and condolences resounded throughout the media, social media, world leaders, celebrities and Jobs’ peers.

“Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose.”

~ Steve Jobs, 2005

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#11. Penn State Scandal: Litany of Trouble for Nittany Lions  (November 1, 2011)

This will be a story that we will see well into 2012. The allegations are that former Pennsylvania State University football assistant coach Jerry Sandusky sexually assaulted or had inappropriate contact with at least eight underage boys on or near university property. The story hit the media on November 4th and within two days both famed football coach Joe Paterno and University president Graham Spanier were both without jobs. As this shocking and sad story unfolds, we will undoubtedly see more victims emerge.

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MAVEN’S FAVORITES: Our favorite stories of 2011 that did not make the list, but made it into our hearts:

Over the last few years, I’ve finally come to terms with the fact that I will never love networking. So instead, I’ve learned to network smarter.   Here are a few tips I use to help maximize the benefits of networking with minimum pain:

1.  Have a Game Plan:  Don’t go into these situations blind – have a plan and execute. Most networking events or conferences will publish a list of attendees prior to the event, so take advantage. Create a list of who you want to connect with and make it your business to talk to them at least once during the event.  If you don’t know the person, take a look at your existing contacts. Is there a client or co-worker who may be able to broker the introduction?  If so, tee it up ahead of time so it will appear seamless when you meet them.

2.  Make People Come to You:  One way to avoid being the stranger in a room is to make your presence known.  For me, one way to do this is to become a panelist, speaker or company sponsor of the event.  By putting yourself in the limelight, you create an opportunity for people to seek YOU out for a change. It also helps position you and your firm as an expert, which makes for easier introductions and follow up after the event. If you are sponsoring the event, ask for the opportunity to say a few words about your company – this will ensure other attendees understand your business and can follow up with you directly  if they are interested in learning more.  

3.  Maximize Your Opportunities: By way of illustration, I recently spoke at a large real estate association event that typically attracts around 3,000 attendees.  These big events are expensive and tend to me a little overwhelming.  To make sure I wouldn’t get lost, I worked with the event organizers in advance and secured a speaking slot on their social media panel, a topic I enjoy and am comfortable sharing my expertise.  Leading up to and following the panel, we promoted the panel via the association newsletter and social media platforms, along with Maven’s own newsletter, facebook and twitter feeds.  During the event, I connected with the association’s director of social media, who then asked me to participate in a video Q&A that would be posted to the national website, association e-zine and e-newsletter.  The panel ended up being standing room only, and afterwards I was able to connect with dozens of people I consider to be excellent new business leads.   By increasing my visibility and leveraging it for additional exposure, I was able to create new relationships with relatively few awkward introductions. 

4.  Play to your strengths:  Some people thrive in the large “cattle call” events, while others need a more intimate setting to shine. Personally, I get lost in the former and do much better in smaller settings – dinners, smaller cocktail parties and association panels and speaking events.  Know what format works for you and choose events that meet that criterion.

5.  Follow up in a Timely Fashion:  After you’ve collected that business card or had a particularly meaningful interaction, to send an email or thank you card within one week to those you were able to connect with.  Add them to your LinkedIn network and schedule time for coffee, lunch or an in-office meeting. Sometimes it’s hard to remember HOW you met the person, which makes follow up a little tricky.  To prevent short term memory loss, I jot down a few notes about them in my Blackberry or on the back of their business card (e.g. Jack Taylor:  met @ ULI social media panel on Jan. 1; knows Kevin Smith; has upcoming business event that needs PR support). These little notes make follow up a breeze and add a personal touch to your outreach.

The back story is that for “business reasons” the company decided to discontinue their “ultra” product, known for its high-flow absorbency. Over the past year, users of o.b. ultra were finding it harder and harder to locate their favorite tampon, until it was
eventually gone from shelves all together. Enraged and upset, o.b. ultra fans created an “I want my o.b. ultras” facebook page, (which I believe you have to be a true fan to like), and created a website to collect signatures. Now that’s a dedicated customer base.

Realizing that they had made a mistake, the folks at Johnson & Johnson (makers of o.b. tampons), announced that they would be bringing the product back next year. But just to show that they were truly sorry for their misguided ways, they also created an apology video, which can be personalized, and is overly dramatic and hilarious.

Kudus to the o.b. tampon folks for admitting they made a mistake and then doing something to let their customers know that they count.

Click here to watch your own personalized apology video.

Lately however, there has been a growing contingent who is getting a little sick of the pink ribbon. And I have to admit, I’m one of them. This month we are inundated with the color – from NFL players wearing pink gloves and shoes, to celebrities wearing pink on the red carpet to the fountain in LOVE Park spouting pink water – our landscape is saturated with pink. Of course I support breast cancer research and awareness, but I also feel that we are all very aware of it. What I’m not aware of is whether the fight against breast cancer is progressing.

Apparently, I’m not the first to feel this way. Groups such as Breast Cancer Action in San Francisco and the National  Breast Cancer Coalition in Washington, DC have created campaigns demanding more action. The head of the National Breast Cancer Coalition, Fran Visco, in a recent e-mail to her membership, called for a “solution,” such as the development of a breast cancer vaccine, rather than just more hope. “We have to stop celebrating breast cancer awareness months and begin pushing for the end,” she wrote.

Amen to that.

Another element of the awareness campaign that barely makes sense to me is the Facebook meme that happens this time of year. Last year it was women telling everyone where they like it. “I like it on the floor,” “I like it on the couch,” “I like it in the closet …,” with the “it” being their purse. The previous year women were declaring their bra colors to show solidarity for the cause.

What does this have to do with breast cancer awareness exactly? Nothing.

I’m not ready to proclaim a boycott to everything pink, because these campaigns do raise billions of dollars each year for the cause. What I would like to see is more messaging about what is being done. What progress have we made? How are the millions wearing pink this month really making a difference, if at all? Over 40,000 women will die from breast cancer this year in the US. Let’s start drawing attention to prevention and progress in the fight… now that we’re all aware.

To recap:  after being fired from his job on Two and Half Men, Charlie Sheen hit bottom after issuing violent torpedoes of truth at the public while bathing us in #tigerblood, goddesses and other strange twitter phrases that fueled a media feeding frenzy.  In a matter of weeks, Sheen went from being TV’s highest paid actor to D-list sideshow most likely to be featured on Celebrity Rehab.  In the process he lost his kids, his family support, his job and seemingly, his sanity. (To see my NBC10 commentary on the meltdown, click here.”

Fast forward to this month’s Emmy Awards, where Charlie Sheen went prime time to present the Lead Actor in a Comedy Series award – his old category – to Jim Parson’s.  Sheen was visibly humbled, even going so far as to extend his well wishes to his colleagues at Two and a Half Men.  Following the warlock-free presentation, Sheen posed for pictures with his replacement, Ashton Kutcher and tweeted that the premiere without him was “Odd, but cool! So far a ton of laughs!”

The former rock star from Mars then appeared on “The Tonight Show,” and the “Today” show, where he talked about his “manic period” and said that he was mellower now.  “Looking back on it…there’s portions of it I might have amended a bit.  It was just so silly and people took it so seriously and I figured ‘all right, I continue to give the people what they want.”  He’s ditched the goddesses, made inroads with both of his ex-wives, and sees his kids more often.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

So which Sheen is the real deal?  Only time will tell.  But the warm reception Sheen’s received proves that words matter, even for mortals with Adonis DNA.  Whether Charlie will be remembered for his erratic behavior or serious comedy chops remains to be seen, but he’s making all the right moves for a comeback.

If you don’t have a policy, or are looking to improve your current plan, click here to download Maven Communication’s social media policy template.

In its most basic form, a corporate social media policy is a set of guidelines that employees can reference when navigating unfamiliar scenarios online.  To be effective, we recommend a carrot vs. stick approach: rather than reinforce what employees can’t do, the policy should offer guidelines for what they can do and outline best practices for how to do it.  The goal is not to hobble employees, but educate and empower them to participate with guidelines and proper training.

There are two schools of thought for developing a corporate social media policy:  The Kitchen Sink or A-La-Carte.  In the first approach, the company develops a comprehensive policy that addresses all available social media food groups outright.  In the second, the company develops specific policies based on current involvement, creating new policies as the need arises.  (If your company uses Facebook, but not YouTube, it may not be necessary to include a comprehensive YouTube policy just yet).  Your company’s size, scope and involvement online can help determine which approach is right for you, but keep in mind that both will evolve as new platforms and rules of engagement emerge.

Regardless of your approach, below are a few things to consider when developing your own social media policy.  Prior to launch, we recommend familiarizing yourself with the company’s employment agreement and local state laws to ensure the policies are consistent.

- Be Transparent:  When participating in any online forum, always disclose your identity and, when appropriate, company affiliation.  Never post anonymously or create an alias for any reason.  Be  truthful and accurate in all communications.  If you are not sure about the accuracy of a statement, confirm the information with the appropriate resource.

- Use Commonsense and Exercise Good Judgment:  Never post comments that will cannibalize goodwill or be construed as racist, insensitive or generally malicious.  Case in point:  As Japan reeled from the impact of a Tsunami and pending nuclear meltdown, former Aflac spokesman Gilbert Gottfried tweeted a series of insensitive missives poking fun at the plight of the Japanese.  This is clearly not a good judgment call.  He was fired the following Monday.

- Be Respectful: Common courtesy and good manners go a long way in diffusing a potential volatile situation.  Be courteous and thankful for customer feedback, even if you think the person is wrong.  Avoid being overly defensive or rude when handling a potentially antagonistic situation.  If you feel a situation is escalating quickly, ask a superior how to proceed and determine the most polite way to address it or appropriately disengage from the discussion.

- Post Relevant Content:  Post content that adds value to your audience.  Avoid posting spam or off-topic discussions or photos.

- Follow Copyright Laws and Trademarks:    Seek and secure approval before posting anything that contains company logos and trademarks.   Make sure you have the right to publish content before posting and always site proper sources when using other people’s work.

- Protect Confidential and Proprietary Info: Employees have an obligation to protect the company’s proprietary and confidential information.  Do not publish or disclose any proprietary information with a third party or online.  Employers should reference their state’s laws governing trade secrets and include these measures in any policy they develop.

- What Happens in Vegas Stays on Google:  Very simply:  Think before you Tweet.  Google can archive news for years, so think about your content carefully before posting.

- Assign Responsibility to Someone who Understands your Company and Customers:  Many companies hand over the keys to the kingdom to interns, since they are often younger and more familiar with using social media.  However, inexperienced staff members may not recognize inappropriate content before blasting it out to thousands of people.  Assign ownership for your company’s social media initiatives to employees who you trust to be the gate keepers of your brand.  While this role often falls to someone in the PR or marketing department, it doesn’t necessarily have to.  Regardless of who bears ultimate responsibility, make sure there is an approval process for reviewing posts about the company or industry before they are sent.

When creating your own policy, don’t be afraid to solicit ideas from other companies in your industry.  For examples of other corporate social media policies, including IBM, Ford and the American Red Cross, the Social Media Governance website offers an online database complete with company policies and templates.

Posted by @rebeccadevine

To learn more about Maven and our services, including online reputation and social media management, please contact Rebecca Devine at 215.434.7190 or rdevine@mavenagency.com.

Social media will play an integral role in getting out the vote in 2012, mainly due in part to social media outreach. Although the 2008 Presidential election may go down in history as the first “official” social media election, 2012 candidates are more educated than ever on the power of social media and plan on connecting with voters (both young and old) through a variety of social media platforms.

In 2004, political campaigns began to realize the important correlation between internet usage and reaching voters.  One of the main focuses during this election was the use of blogs.  Both John Kerry and George W. Bush actively took to blogs to reach their voters, writing about their campaign views and plans for the United States moving ahead.

In 2008, candidates took to facebook, myspace, youtube and twitter to get their message across and reach as many voters as possible. Although social media was still somewhat “new” to political campaigns, Barack Obama managed to dominate the social media platform.  According to a snapshot that was taken on November 3, 2008 (Election Day) Barack Obama had 380 percent more supporters on facebook and myspace, 905 percent more views on Youtube and 240 times more followers on twitter than John McCain. This alone can arguably be one of the main reasons, along with historically high new voter registration statistics, that won Barack Obama the election.

In the 2010 midterm elections, social media played a major role in how voters received and shared information about the election.  To get a better sense of exaclty how effective social media was, below is a chart issued by PEW Charitable Trust highlighting political social networking activites by age group:

Since 2008, twitter has become a social media game changer for political campaigns. With twitter receiving on average 460,000 new accounts per day, more people will turn to this social media platform for up to the minute campaign news. Although not very popular four years ago, Barack Obama now has almost 10 million followers (in ’08 he only had 112,474) and this number is expected to grow in the next year.  @BarackObama recently announced that he will be tweeting regularly while on the campaign trail. In addition, he will be utilizing foursquare and facebook where he plans to check in and share tips with voters along the campaign trail.

Social media has been so influential that the @Whitehouse even has its own Department of Social Media. Recently, President Obama made history by hosting the first ever Twitter Townhall. During the event, President Obama made the first live presidential tweet ever and the highest trending topic that day on twitter was #askobama. Below is footage of President Obama making history:

While the use of television was a huge way to reach voters for the likes of John F. Kennedy, social media will be the driver for 2012 candidates as they begin to launch their campaigns to the White House. Come 2016, social media will continue to evolve and dominate voter outreach efforts. Who knows, with additional technology advancements and support from Congress we may just be able to cast our vote online by then!

We have seen time and time again that people resort to social media to check out what’s going on and who else is talking about it. While it is an effective way to spread false information, it is also an extremely efficient way to get information fast. It is so fast that it is possible to see a tweet about the earthquake before you feel that same earthquake.

This was my first time experiencing a social media melt down, but I can’t say I didn’t enjoy it. It was a little shaky at first, but then I enjoyed the ride. My phone wasn’t working initially, so I just sat back and followed the hashtag #earthquake. Twitter was chirping away during the crisis.  Just check out this awesome map that shows all the tweets from the time the quake hit through 30 seconds after.

Social media gives people the information they can’t get anywhere else, including rumors, lies, personal accounts and jokes, such as photos of quake casualties like water bottles and lawn chairs. If there were real casualties, there would not have been any humor in the situation, but since this is the East Coast, we were lucky and yes, a bit dramatic.

The entire West Coast is cracking up over East Coaster’s shaking in our shoes over a 5.8 magnitude earthquake. However, that’s why I live in Philadelphia and suffer through four seasons including the seismic snow storms and wicked hot summers; I don’t want to live in fear of earthquakes, tsunamis, tornados or wild fires.

Now excuse me, I have to go prepare for Hurricane Irene.

Like many people I know, I have three social networking accounts, which at times can be hard to manage.  I use Twitter to keep a finger on the pulse of entertainment, government and multiple industry trends, Facebook to keep up to date with friends, family and some people I hardly know (and would avoid if I saw out), and LinkedIn to network professionally.  Google’s answer to juggling multiple social networking sites is that online sharing can reflect that of your real-life relationships with “circles”.

With circles, Google+ allows you to share your party photos with your college friends, your brother’s graduation with your family and information on your next networking event with your work friends.  It also gives you the option to cut out the “news feed” noise by choosing from people that you actually want to hear from. Girls like Regina George from the movie “Mean Girls” would love the concept of Google+.  Allowing you to put your friends into categories, naming them whatever you want and sharing (or not sharing) what you want with them. Once a connection is established, all you know is that you’re in someone’s circle, but have no idea which one or what it is called. 

Google+ is a social media game changer.  It takes sharing information with your network to a whole new (and more secure) level.  The Google+ approach to friend-ing is a combination of both Facebook and Twitter. Friends are not only in an interactive category, as they are on Facebook, but they can also be one-way, like Twitter.  For example, a Google+ user can easily follow and view his or her posts (much like a person would on Twitter), instead of automatically establishing a two-way link as one does on Facebook.  In turn, it allows users to have a greater ability to control and personalize their online social networking.

Although Google+ is not even close to the 750 million users Facebook currently has, it is definitely picking up momentum. Currently available by “invite only”, just like gmail was at one time, this new social networking site is definitely putting the heat on Facebook. 

Here’s a quick look at the new Google+:

Here are some tools Google+ offers that are sure to spice up the competition:

Google + Hangouts – This feature is a basic video combination of skype, video conferencing and Google talk.  You can start a Hangout or join a Hangout room with up to 10 people at a time.  Talk about keeping in touch!

Google + Huddles – This feature is basically a long ichat conversation with multiple people. Instead of texting your individual friends, you can create group chat sessions very easily and in real-time by accessing the Huddle application.

Google+ Sparks – This is the most interesting feature from a search perspective. You have the ability to “add an interest” by simply typing criteria into a google search. Once you add that interest, you receive real-time news on your homepage.

Google+1 –Receiving a +1 is similar to that of a Facebook “like”.  In regards to SEO, the more +1’s you have  the more likely your content is going to show up in google searches and it gives people more reason to +1 your content. 

Another feature I am a big fan of is having the ability to type in a person’s name to view what they see about you from their perspective. I’ve often wondered what my facebook profile looks like to my friends after editing my security settings, which Facebook changes unexpectedly sometimes. 

This phenomenally successful search engine did not get to where it’s at without taking a few risks. Google has come out with several flops in the past, including Google Accelerator, Answer, Buzz, and Wave (just to name a few). Although Google+ will have some challenges ahead, it’s up to us to determine if Google+ will be another “flop” or the next social media game changer.