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Finding Momentum – Why You Need A Social Media Strategy

by on May 6, 2010 in Best Practices, FaceBook, LinkedIn

Looking at the Cleveland Clinic on FaceBook today, I am convinced they do not have a Social Media Strategy focused on growth. Why? A quick check on LinkedIn indicates they have approximately 37,000 employees, yet only 10,588 people “Like” the Clinic on FaceBook. How many clients/patients does the Cleveland Cinic have? How many Vendors? These are all potential fans of the Cleveland Clinic.

When I think of the Cleveland Clinic, I think of it as Cleveland’s Google. Google once said they could not do a Beta test of a product without a million people signing up (these are problems to have, right?). With respect, the Cleveland Clinic should have 10,000 people “Liking it on FaceBook” just because they opened a Page (just like your small business should have 25). Developing a strategy to find momentum is critical to growth, it is unique for every company/organization. Think about your business, find the stopping point, organically grow your network. If the Clinic has 10,000 people without a strategy, you can have 10,000 with a strategy. Put that in your pipe and smoke it.

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LinkedIn – The Core of Your Social Media Strategy

by on April 27, 2010 in Best Practices, LinkedIn

I went to a presentation on Social Media today hosted by the Web Association, it took every ounce of self control to save this post for tonight (rather than baiting the panelists with a loaded question). As I watched the panelists discuss very intelligently how they have used social media I was generally impressed. However, the only reference I heard to LinkedIn was for “building your personal brand.” I felt like I was the crazy person in the room, how can we ignore the goldmine right in front of us?

Every single company MUST have a strategy for LinkedIn. First of all, your employees must look like the qualified, intelligent people you hired. Their profiles should be flush with a mix of personal and professional information that establishes their credibility and gives people ways to connect with them. Second, every employee must be connected with each other. Your web starts with your employees, build from within. Third, each employee needs to have goals for numbers of connections and recommendations given (these will vary by the employee). Finally, the employees MUST be taught how to Phish (build connections), in general use the site/software and most importantly turn this online activity into real world meetings and sales.

This is a Back To Basics approach on LinkedIn. Yes, we will figure out details for your company. Yes, we will fine tune the strategy 6 months in to maximize the effectiveness of your strategy. However, LinkedIn MUST be a part of every social media campaign. Why, because we are going to find gold on LinkedIn. We are going to get the short term return that enables our overall strategy to establish a Return On Investment that justifies the time and effort we put into FaceBook, Twitter, You Tube and Blogging. If you don’t have a strategy for LinkedIn, you don’t have a strategy for social media. I have said it before and I will say it again: I will NOT hire anybody that is not on LinkedIn…and you shouldn’t either. LinkedIn should be the core of your social media strategy. Know Your Network, get LinkedIn.

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Joining Groups on LinkedIn – Just Do It

by on March 1, 2010 in Best Practices, LinkedIn

How is LinkedIn working for you these days? Have you gotten your profile up to 100%? Added your core connections and even a little fat? What kind of Groups have you joined?

Groups are simple – Join at least 5. Start with high school, college, professional. Then move onto the good stuff. You MUST join a few “Passion”Groups. What is a “Passion” Group? Basically your hobbies! If you are a runner, find some groups of runners. If you are a Chef, groups on cooking or restaurants. You will find more business in your “hobby” groups by participating, being yourself and sharing your passion. Start today! ( code for Technorati 2N8U3NCHVX4Q )

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Kick The Door Wide Open

by on February 27, 2010 in FaceBook, LinkedIn, Twitter

Lately, I have been thinking about what you should do when someone shows you where a door is: “Kick that Sh1t Wide Open.” Exactly. If you are the proverbial horse that has been led to water, then drink. There are a lot of companies sitting on the sidelines. Waiting to find out who is making money with their social media marketing efforts before they invest any of their marketing dollars in this area. As my mother always said to me, “do you want to be a leader or a follower?”

To continue with the cliches, “the ship has left the port.” If you want to get on board, you are going to need to row out to the boat. Is it too late? No!!! But if you want to do anything interesting this year, you need to have your FaceBook Fan Page, LinkedIn and Twitter in order. You must cover the basics if you want to do anything interesting. Would you hire an intern to launch your TV commercial? It is 2010, GET REAL!!!

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Status updates – Keep your voice authentic to your network

by on January 10, 2010 in Best Practices, FaceBook, LinkedIn

Recently I have been thinking about status updates. When should they be automatic and when is it inappropriate? Basically, as long as you keep the voice of your status update authentic to each network you are updating, then be efficient and update multiple networks at once.

Should you be posting #jamierocks on LinkedIn or FaceBook? No! That is not authentic, to those communities. Keep the Twitter lingo on Twitter. Have I made this mistake? Yes. As I look at how the Twitter and LinkedIn integration has gone, I rate Tweets in LinkedIn status updates as generally a fail. I like knowing your Twitter handles and following you, but the extra noise degrades the already weak LinkedIn newsfeed.

Find the balance and update your networks in your voice as is appropriate on each network. I suggest updating LinkedIn every 2-4 weeks. Twitter, as often as you can (daily?). Facebook daily, at the least check in daily and like or comment (I check into FaceBook every few hours). Depending on how many networks you update, you may need to automate the process. If it is only a handful, take the time and engage with each community. Keep your voice authentic to your network.

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Pictures – the best way to increase your foot print!

by on January 7, 2010 in Best Practices, FaceBook, LinkedIn

Looking at a friend’s profile today on LinkedIN, I was surprised to see she did not have a profile picture. Pictures are the key to growing your presence online, networking effectively and growing your revenue! On LinkedIN this is easy, pick a decent profile picture that shows your eyes and communicates just enough of who you are. There are enough suits on LinkedIN already, find a picture that keeps you looking like the professional you are and encourages people to do business with you. Being memorable is difficult, but rewarding. If you have a great headshot, use it. You want people to recognize you and pictures are the key.

FaceBook, welcome to the largest photo sharing website in the world! Start taking pictures and adding them to your personal page and Fan page if you are a business. Tagging people in pictures is the key to growth! Why, because when you tag someone it hits their news feed, anyone who is friends with them may potentially be exposed to your pictures, brand, fan page. If you have your personal privacy levels too strict this will not do much for you (I suggest friends of friends for pictures and videos), Fan pages do not have this issue. You can take pictures with most phones today and easily load them into FaceBook, if you don’t know how get a tutorial (there are lots of ways to do this). For as little as $100 you can get a shockingly respectable point and shoot from Nikon or Canon, upgrading the quality of your pictures and even taking video. If you really like taking pictures, DSLRs are amazingly inexpensive today. You too can play with the big boys.

Everywhere you go, snap pictures and start sharing. Just like you enjoy looking at other peoples’ pictures, others will enjoy looking at yours. If you have a Fan Page, make the leap….the more content you have that can be shared, the more people will see your page and engage with your brand. Start today…

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Going Mobile – From FaceBook to LinkedIn

by on January 6, 2010 in Best Practices, FaceBook, LinkedIn

It is 2010, the year of the Mobile Web…are you ready for it? From a social media perspective, your phone can be a photo, video, audio, text gathering tool. I am a long time fan of Apple and use an iPhone daily to gather media and stay in touch with my networks. The FaceBook application on the iPhone is one of my favorite mobile applications, period. I use it all the time to check in, comment on a friend’s update, upload a video or picture and check my FaceBook email (I do not receive any notifications via email from FaceBook as I am a daily user). As reported today by MG Siegler (Go Blue!) on Tech Crunch, the iPhone app for FB just got a major upgrade letting you sync contacts from FaceBook directly into your contact address book. Besides pictures connected to contacts, this will make it even easier to communicate with your people. Using your phone to get your email is very 2003, updating your FB status and loading video and pictures fom your mobile phone is now officially standard in 2010!

Who is up for the most improved mobile app award? LinkedIN. Yes, they finally have evolved their application to be useful. A slick interface with relevant buttons, it is now easy to stay in touch with your LinkedIn network while on the road or traveling. The new application let’s you “reconnect” or find people you might be connected to, process invitations, update your status (of course), view updates, see who has recently updated their profile and most importantly view profiles(profiles are easy to view now and look great). The “recents” button is useful, saves you looking someone up again (even someone you are not connected to). What is missing? Questions and Answers. This is a little surprising since it is a great resource and very important part of LinkedIn. You also do not see Recommendations given or received on profiles. It is hard to give the LinkedIn App an “A+” without these features, especially as I think Recommendations are critical to the value added by LinkedIn as a social and professional networking tool. Still even with a “B+” – LinkedIN has earned the most improved mobile app award. If you do not have this App on your phone, you are not using LinkedIn enough.

I use Echofon to update my Twitter status, I rarely if ever use the mobile phone to read Tweets (too much information). Is Echofon the best? I doubt it, but it is free and it does not crash (also does a great job with handling pictures and links). I do experiment with other Twitter Apps occasionally, but have not been willing to pay for any. I do believe Seesmic will bring a great application to market this year, if you have blackberry or Android they already have a mobile application for you.

With all of the hype about the Apple Tablet (yes I want one) and the prevalence of net books, screen size is going up and it will be even easier to use the mobile web. Admob (recently purchased by Google) has released statistics all year showing mobile web usage sky rocketing, mainly due to the iPhone and iTouch (approximately 50% of all mobile web traffic). Based on my recent testing of the Motorola Droid, we are going to see even more growth. The Droid is a great mobile phone for people who refuse to have an account with ATT or hate Apple. Is it an iPhone, No! But it is a great substitute and will force Apple to continue to innovate (competition is great).

As you look to grow your business in 2010, evaluate how your employees are using the mobile web and include social and professional networking on the mobile web in your social media strategy. In 2010, the mobile web is alive and growing – how will you participate?

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Listening Better – What We Need To Do in 2010

by on December 13, 2009 in Best Practices, FaceBook, LinkedIn

My cousin Jesse told me this summer that I need to listen more, hear what people are saying and avoid being condescending. Somewhere along the line I lost some of my sensitivity, my filter, that keeps me from acting like a know it all. This was hard to hear, because it was personal and honest. I swallowed my humble pie and started thinking about what this means in the big picture of social and professional networking.

Listen More. Hear what people are saying. Whether you are meeting someone for the first time or they are an old client or friend, listening for the conversational cues that communicate what you need to know. When somebody says “call me,” they mean it. Avoid being the person who always says “let’s get lunch sometime,” and never follows up with an email or phone call. Be the person who calls, asks people to get together, stays in touch.

Listen More. I have a lot of information to share and I love to talk with people. This is a dangerous combination. I am committed to listening more, hearing what your ideas and/or problems are and finding out what kind of solution you are looking for. Remember, people generally know their business very well, they hold the secrets you need to mix in with the tools you bring to the party. In the best situations conversation is natural, this means we need to pay attention more to listening and identifying exactly how we can be a resource to someone. In the worst situations, you need to ask questions and get people talking. Find out what rubs them the wrong way and get yourself some material to engage with.

Why is this such a funny topic for social media? Whenever we post a status update or tweet, we are talking. Listening has become harder and harder. Easy ways to listen are as follows:
1) Search your name on Twitter (really easy thru the Twitter site or any of the software programs). Are people talking about you?
2) Read your friends posts on FaceBook, comment, “like” stuff, engage their media. FaceBook will become a lot more fun. and interesting. You will need to implement and fine tune your Lists on FaceBook if you are going to do this.
3) Check LinkedIn daily and see what kind of updates are coming thru your network. Read your connections recommendations, answers and their updates. Occasionally comment, always participate.

These are three easy ways to start listening more on your social and professional networks. As you listen more, you will get better at it and it will become easier. Listening Better – What We Need To Do in 2010. Start Now!

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Thanksgiving – The best time to lose some “friends”

by on November 24, 2009 in Best Practices, FaceBook, LinkedIn

This is a post that hurts me write, but I have been thinking about it for awhile. Once a year you need to parse thru your friends and connections on your various networks and cut some fat. Delete or remove some of the random people you have connected to that have not enhanced your online experience. Maybe that person on FaceBook who you hid, now is the time to simply remove them. Start now and finish your clean-up by the end of the year. I started last night with one on FaceBook and one on LinkedIn.

Yes, I understand some of you are going to drop me after reading this post, I know I am fat to some of you (more ways than one). Yes, I will miss your status updates on FaceBook and recommendations on LinkedIn, but if I annoy you or simply don’t add value to you, then now is the time to cut me. Our social and professional networks have grown dramatically over the last two years. You are being overwhelmed by information and have to learn how to manage it. I think it is natural and healthy to add some random people over the course of the year. With trees and plants, sometimes you have to cut them back for them to grow, this is true for your networks as well. Open up some space in your life and then fill it with some new people.

I understand this may appear on a superficial level to be anti-effective networking. Fahgetaboutit. Yes, you should be using Lists on FaceBook and have edited your options at the bottom of the newsfeed so you can see more than 250 people. Yes you must check-in on LinkedIn regularly and look at your connections regularly. Still, you need to trim that 10% fat and add some new fat. Your online life will be more interesting as a result. If you dump me after this, no hard feelings – hopefully we can connect again in the future. See you on the other side.

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Meeting People is Easy – Getting to know them takes work

by on November 17, 2009 in Best Practices, FaceBook, LinkedIn

As I wind up my second night in a row of getting out to events and engaging with people, I am reminded that meeting people is easy, getting to know them takes work. The reason I am so passionate about networks like LinkedIn, FaceBook and to a lesser extent Twitter is that it makes it so easy to get to know people. All you have to do is put in the work.

In FaceBook, I use Lists to make it easy to keep up with all of my friends and connections. By managing my Lists effectively, I can slowly get to know as much as you share about yourself with me. I still have to check FaceBook regularly to keep up with the flow of information. On LinkedIn, I have to look at profiles and learn what you have done or are doing. I have to read the answers you post to questions and the recommendations you write. This is how I get to know you better. Twitter, I have to look at your links, analyze your content and get you offline and into the real world for coffee or wine…otherwise my memory does not retain enough information to match the face to the person.

Why is this important? Every day there are opportunities to connect people and make introductions. The better you know people the easier it is to see how you can help them. I put the work in to try and get to know you better, because I want to make the world a better place for all of us. This means looking at business cards at 11pm, following up on that email from this morning, commenting onthe micro level news occurring on various networks,  as well as sharing the seemingly boring details of our lives. Talk with me about food, wine, sports, politics and life. Share your pictures, passions, successes and failures. This is the only way we will get to know each other better.

Put the Work in. Grow Organically.  Develop deep strong roots. Bend – Be Flexible, it is better than simply breaking. Whatever you do, participate. We are waiting for you.

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LinkedIn to Twitter – Not Exciting Yet

by on November 11, 2009 in Best Practices, LinkedIn

Today was a big day for me on LinkedIn. First, I noticed I have 500 connections, some sort of strange marker that I have now reset – next stop 1,000. Second, I noticed under Edit Profile, the first integration of Twitter, widely reported with scant details. Upon adding my Twitter account there was a quick Twitter connect approval and just like my Website, my Twitter account is now a link in my LinkedIn Profile. I had to make a choice, Do all Tweets update my Status on LinkedIn or only Tweets with the Tag #in attached. I choose to use #in because there is no way in the world I want all of my wine related posts and in general griping and promoting to hit LinkedIn every day. Generally, I advise people to be more selective in updating their status on LinkedIn. Every 2-4 weeks unless something special is happening or you are traveling frequently. It will be really exciting to see what this collaboration brings in the future, for now the most exciting feature is a Link in my Profile, whatever.

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Why do you need a strong and deep social and professional network?

by on October 14, 2009 in Best Practices, FaceBook, LinkedIn

Last night I presented and discussed Twitter & LinkedIn with Professor Elad Granot’s marketing class at Cleveland State University. We covered a lot of ground in a short period of time. I realized halfway thru the night, that we rarely discuss why you actually want to build out your connections on these networks. Why do you need a lot of connections? Let’s look at this from a few different angles.

1) Your potential on these networks is limited by your number of connections. There is a fine line between finding the right amount of kinetic vs. potential. Too many connections and you will have a hard time getting to know them and listening to them. Too few connections and you will not have access to the resources you need as situations arise. Generally speaking, more connections is a better problem to have. Why? Because these sites are adapting to these problems and letting you filter your information. On FaceBook you can keep lists of friends in categories, on Twitter using Seesmic or Tweetdeck you can create lists to track people, LinkedIn is rolling out a new paid feature for lists as well.

2) Access to information, knowledge is power. As your network grows you will see more information. On LinkedIn your search results improve as you have more 2nd degree connections, on FaceBook you start to see trends and can participate in conversations, on Twitter you need the excess overload of content to discover what is happening right now. You need to be connected to people to see information.

3) Touch your network. How often do you call your connections and/or friends? Practically speaking I contact about 20-35 friends a year as a normal activity. Is that how many people I have known and would like to stay in touch with? No, that number is closer to 400. By staying reasonably active within your networks you can keep your network up to date with your social and professional life. This is why we will have strong bonds in the future with people we do not speak with regularly. We will know each other, it is easy to speak candidly with people you know. Make sure your network knows you. Check  out some of my earlier posts on how to “touch” your network.

4) Ok, I’m connected to everyone I know, now what? Start talking, start listening. Participate in the conversation. As you find people that are interesting, take the conversation offline – to email, phone calls, and coffee. This is where you will find the most success. Some of my most interesting live meetings this year have come from Twitter conversations. LinkedIn should be the first place you search for information before meeting that person for the first time. Invite a FaceBook friend to coffee, try and figure out how you can help them. Transition interesting people and opportunities to the real world. It is a lot easier to talk with someone in the real world when you know them from one of your networks, you have ‘stuff” to talk about.

There is a random side to Twitter and even LinkedIn. People you connect to that you do not have a history of school, work or friendship with. Why should you connect to new people you don’t really know? Because each connection brings you closer to your potential. Each connection is an opportunity to lend your skills and knowledge to someone else. I encourage you to be a bridge builder, a resource. You have developed fantastic skills over the course of your life, share them with your network. Extend your network and more people will benefit from you as an information resource. Be the valuable resource you are.

Remember, social and professional networks online are just an extension of what we have been doing our entire lives, Networking Effectively. Like the old MaBell commercial said, Reach Out and Touch Somebody.

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7 Tips for How to Use LinkedIn Effectively – Reach Out And Touch Someone

by on September 30, 2009 in Best Practices, LinkedIn

LinkedIn is the most obvious of the social/professional networks for many people to join. Why should you become an active user, rather than simply passively accepting invitations to connect? Because if you are not an active participant you don’t know what your potential is. It is that simple. You have to have a complete profile and a broad network. This is when LinkedIn opens up and search becomes very powerful. The following Tips assume you have filled in the missing details and enabled LinkedIn to parsed thru your emails contacts, generously inviting your people to connect on LinkedIn.

1) If you have email lists you can upload these into LinkedIn and very effectively find more connections. This is a great tool for organizations and teams to work together to expand their connections and strengthen their base.

2) When you participate in a Group related to your business, you will find people you can contact directly. This is particularly useful as you focus in on your niche product or service. Open the conversation and be personal, avoid canned letters – they will get you canned responses.

3) Engage in Groups related to your passion, potential customers in these groups may be more inclined to talk business with you based on your mutual interest.

4) Going to a conference? Research the speakers and published attendees on LinkedIn. This is a great way to find out if you are connected with any of them, find potential avenues to connect with them (if you are 2 away from a speaker can you get an introduction- yes), arrange meetings prior to the conference, and find common ground to connect with attendees. Doing the leg work before the conference makes your attendance that much more effective. Do you still need to follow-up after the conference? Of course, but hopefully you are meeting for coffee or drinks at the conference rather than simply collecting a card.

5) Traveling for business or pleasure? Invite some of your connections to get together for drinks or breakfast. This is a great way to get together in the real world with people you are connected to on LinkedIn. Make introductions to people you are connected with and be the valuable asset you are. When you build bridges for others, the same will happen for you.

6) Search for a business and job title of a potential customer. Look thru the profiles and identify specific potential contacts. Do your research, maybe you are connected to them or share a mutual connection. Pick up the phone and call them, tell them how you found them and why you are calling. This kind of transparency opens the door to further communication and follow-up emails, potentially an invitation to connect on LinkedIn. Never make a cold call again.

7) Write an unsolicited Recommendation regularly. Why? Because you can. If this is your only activity on LinkedIn you are doing Great! See my previous posts on this if you need help.

*Remember, you must have a complete professional profile and a broad expanded network for the above information to be useful. Reach Out and Touch Someone.

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The Importance of Travel

by on August 26, 2009 in Best Practices, FaceBook, LinkedIn

Travel, whether it is for business or pleasure is an incredible opportunity to meet up with people. I was reminded of this as we took our annual vacation to San Francisco. Between colliding schedules and activities it was impossible to see everyone on our “field trip,” as my 6 year old Alex referred to our vacation. The highlights we breakfast, lunch or simply drinks with people all over town. People I keep in touch with mostly via FaceBook or LinkedIn. I did a good job of reaching out to about half of my people. Where did I fall short?

I should have made a bigger effort to organize a happy hour with people I know only thru LinkedIn or Twitter. My good friend Mike Davis does this when he travels and he has forged new and improved relationships as a result. What if you don’t travel, or you do not want to “work” while on vacation? Do you travel locally? Do you head to the West side for breakfast or any of the local special interest group meetings within a reasonable proximity of your home or workplace? It takes effort, but it is worth it. Look thru your list of contacts on LinkedIn or even Outlook and contact 3 people for meet-ups next week. Whether it is coffee or lunch or good old fashioned alcohol, we all have to reach out into our networks and see each other face to face.

I truly appreciate the effort people made to see me out West. For some it was easy, others made time and got to odd locations at odd times. I have regrets for all of the people I missed and will put them at the top of the list next year. Are you making the effort to share your life? Do the hard work building up your presence and connections on your various social networks. Do the even harder work of getting together in real life. Find someone interesting on Twitter and meet up. If you want to dig out of this recession, you must practice and experiment more. Believe.

sf

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Updating Your FaceBook Profile- Relatives?

by on July 28, 2009 in Best Practices, FaceBook, LinkedIn

Not sure when this feature rolled out, but I just added my parents and sister under my FaceBook profile. Why is this important? FaceBook is starting to do more mapping. I am a little surprised they did not add cousins. I like my cousins a lot and want to add them to my profile.

Why is this important? I would not have noticed this feature if I did not decide to update my Profile on FaceBook.  How often is appropriate? Whenever you want to. New favorite book or movie, or maybe you just got a new Google phone number like I did. Whatever the reason, keeping your profiles updated is important. Like Nike, Just Do It!

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Social and professional networking and the Generation Gap

by on July 23, 2009 in Best Practices, FaceBook, LinkedIn

Recently, I was told by a an older gentleman that social and professional networking sites are not for finding jobs and that a generational gap exists between us and them. I was somewhat disappointed that this comment came from a man who has the power to hire people into a great local organization. I was also a little shocked at his resistance to social and professional networking online using technology like FaceBook and LinkedIn.

Why? Because we were at a networking meeting for starters. Also, because I see all of our online networking activity as a great extension of that rotary phone we grew up. Only now, that phone travels with me everywhere and is used to update my Twitter account, FaceBook status, track my calendar, email, play games and of course capture media to distribute on my social networks.

Maybe if I was a little more present, or less interested in being diplomatic, I would have responded with my usual response. “You’re right, LinkedIn and FaceBook are not for finding a job, they are for growing revenue and increasing profits.” I say it because I believe it.

If you learn how to use the social and professional networking tools available, you will accomplish increased sales. You will never need to make a call again. You will also become a valuable commodity as an educated, technically savy employee who is ahead of the curve. This might not help you find a job, but in a traditional company this may wind up saving your job.

I do not believe there is a generation gap in the world of FaceBook, LinkedIn and Twitter. I believe we have an obligation for “each one to teach one.” Find someone you know and share what you know. Invite an old or young person to FaceBook or LinkedIn and invite them to get together and show them how to use the software. Every time you do this you will grow the strength of your own network, accumulate social capital and share an experience with someone who has something equally valuable to share with you. Be a Guru, a Teacher, a Student. Be Yourself.

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Opening Up A Can Of Worms

by on July 9, 2009 in FaceBook, LinkedIn

wormsWhen is it appropriate to open up a can of worms on your social networking sites? Business people will tell you to stay away from extremes, never open up a can of worms. Stay away from politics and religion. I suggest you do not listen to them. When you are bored, open up a can of worms!

You can’t do this every day, it will lose it’s impact. You must be tasteful and respectful as your friends weigh in with different opinions. Sometimes this is challenging… By using your ability to moderate and encourage people to have an opinion, you will get to know them better. I know, that is not always a good thing ;-) .

At the heart of it, I want you to know that if you find FaceBook boring, take a look at the man in the mirror and make a change.
michael jacksonI am choosing to remember Michael Jackson as a humanitarian and talented artist. Rest In Peace MJ.

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Are you spreading the love on LinkedIn?

by on July 7, 2009 in LinkedIn

Have you written any recommendations on LinkedIn this week? Why not? It is easy, tell the truth and keep it short and simple. Three lines is perfect, five lines means you better have a lot to say.

Why? Because it is the easiest way to strengthen your connection with people you know and have worked with. You show up on their page as someone who has recommended them, taking a higher priority over all of their other connections. They are listed on your page as someone you have recommended. More importantly, your recommendation hits both of your news feeds.

Giving a recommendation is better than getting a recommendation. My suggestion is you should try and give at least 1 recommendation per week for the rest of the summer. If you do not have 10 people you can write recommendations for, then you need to add more connections. Spread the Love on LinkedIN this summer.

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Big Changes coming to LinkedIn

by on June 19, 2009 in Best Practices, LinkedIn

While you were busy building your network, LinkedIn was busy making a tiny but significant change. Your LinkedIn home page has taken on the newsfeed like quality of FaceBook and FriendFeed. This is a tiny change that has a huge effect. What is the big change? Gone are the neat sections dividing your content into groups, status updates, connections, etc. We are in the age of information overload. Welcome to the News Feed.

Why? LinkedIn is becoming an information resource, a tsunami that will overwhelm you if you do not pay attention. The center section of LinkedIn is now a running feed. As changes and updates occur in your network, they will “feed” into your center news section of LinkedIn. I haven’t figured out whether LinkedIn has changed they algorithm for how your activity is broadcast to your connections. What will remain true, is the more active you are within the LinkedIn ecosystem, the more likely it is your network will see your activity and remember you are “alive and kicking.”

If you are in 50 groups you may want to consider dropping the groups you do not participate in, or the ones that other people are “over-participating” in. People with spammy activity are going to have a rough time. If you take away one thing from reading this post, LinkedIn requires 15 minutes of your day, every day. More than ever, the asthetics of how you run your business will shine thru your LinkedIn activity. Be yourself and stay active within your network.

**Note – Navigate to settings in the top right and you can adjust your member feed. I set mine to my network, you may want yours to be set to everybody or simply your connections. If you do not want anyone to see your activity, then LinkedIn may be the wrong network for you ;-)

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High Percentage Shots – Another Cavs Playoff Post

by on May 11, 2009 in Best Practices, FaceBook, LinkedIn

Lebron Shoots High Percentage ShotsLebron James and the Cavs just swept the Hawks, winning their 8th playoff game in a row. Why are the Cavs playing so well? High Percentage Shots. As you can see above, Lebron is taking a fast break opportunity to elevate his game and dunk the ball. The goal is unobstructed and Lebron floats as close as possible to the hoop, using his power to guide the ball forward. Lebron’s eyes are calm and focused, completely present in the moment.

I have been looking at how people answer questions on LinkedIn and a divide is growing faster than I expected. The leaders are providing great answers, focused on their areas of expertise, citing sources and presenting information, not simple unsubstantiated opinions. These are high percentage shots and you need to take a lot of them to get your game where it needs to be. It takes time, but each week it is worth the effort to dedicate 15 minutes to answering a question on LinedIn.

This is a slam dunk for you. You can research your answer, copy and paste links, even spell check. While the others are missing wide open 3 pointers, you can score consistently and look good doing it. Be present, Live in this moment. Your focus will breed clarity. When you take high percentage shots, everybody wins.

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The Assist – Building Social Capital – Playoff Post #3

by on April 28, 2009 in Best Practices, FaceBook, LinkedIn

jamesassist

The Cavs have had a phenomenal season for one reason, LeBron James…Wrong! It is because they have worked hard at becoming a team! The Cavs play hard together and it shows on and off the court. LJ has been an amazing player for years, but it takes a strong team to win together, on good days and bad days. LJ has been criticized for passing the ball too much, sometimes even I want him to just dunk the ball or miss the shot rather than dishing the ball to anyone else on the team. That said, LJ is an unselfish player and it is a critical part of his game to get the ball to the player who has the best opportunity to score.

In the above picture Lebron James is completing a no-look pass. This is one of the beautiful moments that occurs in basketball. He draws the defense with his drive and completes a pass that results in an undefended shot. This is not just an “assist,” this is a “bonus assist.”  Why? because Lebron didn’t simply pass the ball, he opened up the shot by attracting multiple defenders guarding against his shot. Lebron made it easier for his teammate to score. Any assist builds Social Capital, a no-look pass builds double the capital.

As we build our team, we create Social Capital. Connecting to an old co-worker or school mate is a compliment, “liking” a picture or writing a recommendation builds social capital, joining a friend’s group and even posting a picture of someone is building tiny bits of social capital (association is a compliment). Think of ways that you can share with your network.

When a newbie joins a network do you “suggest friends” or “re-tweet” or “comment” them? When your friend launches their new website, did you “post-it” on FaceBook?  You are only as strong as your team is, meaning helping your people and interacting with them builds strong bonds that support your entire network. Emailing a few people a link to your friend’s site is an assist, posting the site on FaceBook with an endorsement from you is a no-look pass.

Recently I was asked, what is the proof of value in having a large network? As I listened to the sound of the Cavs fans in Detroit chanting “MVP” for LeBron, I was reminded of the value. A large network will answer the call for support. When the Pistons realized they had extra tickets left over and offered them to Cavs fans, the network responded by buying tickets and driving to Detroit to support our team. We see this same concept come across in Verizon commercials and the “large network following you everywhere.” More importantly, you will see the value of a large network when you ask a question on FaceBook or LinkedIn or even search for someone. The larger your network the more likely you are to find the help you need or want. Work efficiently, strengthen your network, earn social capital.

Looking at the picture below, Lebron is making a spectacular dunk, he broke away from the crowd and let loose demonstrating his power and technique. Yes Lebron is special and yes it may be due to his extraordinary talent. What I see in this picture is Lebron releasing and using some of the social capital he built up during the game. Lebron “earned” this dunk, but it took a large strong network (from teammates to family to fans) to make it possible. Build a strong foundation of social capital, and while you may never get a break away dunk like Lebron, you just might”get what you need.”

jamesdunk

*All of my Cav pictures are coming from a Google Images search, sorry they are not mine.

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What Basketball Teaches us about Social Media Marketing

by on April 21, 2009 in LinkedIn, Random

cavaliers team photoThe Cleveland Cavaliers are a text book example of how teamwork is essential to winning. The picture above shows the energy and humor the Cavs have played with this year. If you want to win a championship, you need to build a great team and work together. When I look at the above picture, I see Delonte West being lifted up by his teammate, LeBron James leaning into the group, and a group enjoying themselves.

A team helps each other, in social media marketing this is essential. If your friend or co-worker is lingering on LinkedIn with 20 connections and an incomplete profile, lift them up and enable them to use the tools effectively. If your relative is not on FaceBook, invite them and help them get started. If your company does not have a social media presence, organize a committee to explore the options and opportunities. Your network is only as strong as the bridges you build, help your teammates even if it means lifting dead weight.

Lebron James may be the best basketball player we have ever seen, yet he is truly a team player and his passion for the game pales in comparison to the little actions he takes to support his team. As Lebron leans in to pose with his teammates, he shares his fame and limelight with them. He could have been standoffish, one foot out the door, basking in his own glory. A team player lends his star power to the group. For you, this could be making an unsolicited reccomendation, posting a link on your FaceBook to someone’s website you work with and want to support, bringing a “guest” to your blog or video show, suggesting friends or forwarding a profile, even commenting on a status update. How can you lend your personal star power to the team?

The Cavs are having a great year ad it truly looks like they are enjoying themselves on the court. Social media marketing is fun! You have the opportunity to engage in discussions and participate in a community of your peers. This is a treasure that may be the most enjoyable work you will ever do. This is not about engaging with a website or software, you have a real opportunity to contribute knowledge and converse with your network, connections, friends and family. As you reach into your network, share your life and work, enjoy it, live in this moment right now.

The Cavs have been playing all year with the confidence and joy that comes with being on a team. As you look at the social media sites you participate in, remember…we are on your team and we are in this together.

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Filling in Your Profile

by on April 9, 2009 in Best Practices, FaceBook, LinkedIn

This week I have talked with a lot of people that are on FaceBook and/or LinkedIn and we have sat down and looked at their profile. It is surprising how dynamic, smart, creative people have a boring profile. When I am feeling kind, I recognize this is a lack of committment to the social network. They probably signed up reluctantly and slowly embraced FaceBook or LinkedIn without ever going back to flush out their profile. When I am feeling cruel I say, Do Not Be Lazy! We may only know you by your profile and what you post.

Take the time to fill in your profile. Don’t know what to do? Look at my links at the top of the page on the various networks, follow the rules. Then look at your friends, people you know, people who scare you (could be me ;-) and do what they do. Start by copying, then be a leader. Do it better, do it in your voice. Be true to yourself, but do not remain aloof. The cold hard truth is that FaceBook and LinkedIn are worthless without you. It is not the features that define the social networks it is the people, we are the people.

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Links to You in your Email

by on April 7, 2009 in Best Practices, LinkedIn

“You can lead a horse to water, but you can not make him drink.” This saying plagues consultants. In the end, our success is dependent on you listening and trusting our advice enough to implement the critical features (drinking the water). Yesterday, I got an email from someone I have been consulting with. My eyes blurred as I read his short email and suddenly focused on a series of links at the bottom. Awesome! Not only did Scott register and start using all of the social media outlets suggested, he grabbed the low hanging fruit. Adding links to himself and his groups on LinkedIn and FaceBook at the bottom of his email. Example of my signature below.

links in your emailIt is critical to embrace traditional marketing in your social media marketing. This means pasting social links on your website, email, and business cards. Printing new envelopes or letterhead? Add your social media links. These are not as easy for people to click on and follow thru as in an email or web site, but it is a critical reminder that you are reachable. As you look at the various ways you contact your friends, family, clients; think about how you can integrate in your social media (FaceBook, LinkedIn, Twitter, FriendFeed, YouTube etc.). Do not keep your presence a secret. Place links to you every where.

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