samir balwani

With the breadth and depth of social media services out there, it’s no wonder that we often find ourselves lost in the vast array of services. Further, those who are seasoned may seem at a loss in the apparent “simplicity” of it all. I took the opportunity to contact some of my esteemed friends and colleagues who are experts in their field and asked for their advice on their favorite little known social media secret and social media tools, including their own if they had them. Here’s what they told me:

Shannon Paul

Shannon Paul is a social media manager at the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and blogs on social media for business at Very Official Blog.

Shannon’s Little Known Social Media Secret: One of my secrets is to be a fierce editor. I’ve edited a lot of blog posts and with new writers especially, I almost always invariably move the third paragraph to the top. I still do this with myself much of the time. That way I give myself permission to get out all of the thoughts that eventually lead to a good opening paragraph. We know people read much differently online and we have little time to grab their attention. Moving the third paragraph to the top of the post almost always makes for a better lead to get readers working their way down the page.