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Archive for January, 2009

Beginning Social Media – Part 5

Monday, January 19th, 2009

We’ve covered quite a bit on social media, but this post is going to talk about being genuine, being yourself and how that can help, and sometimes hurt you in social media.

Let’s face it, we all have a personality, we all have quirks and we all have that which is desirable and that which is not….showing that to the world via social media and networks can either shoot you to the top, or bury you in the mud. While reading and finding out more about social media and networks, I found a great post on how to socially network if you’ve been laid off over on Scobelizer.com. The unfortunate truth is, I left a job in September, found a temporary gig in November and was laid off from that temporary gig in December, it didn’t last quit as long as I wanted, but that’s a different story all together.

The article details ideas on what to do and what not to do when using social media to enhance job seeking. Mainly, there are a lot of things people have on the web about themselves that really is not professional: drinking photos, slams towards others, slams against companies, child-like behavior, rude, crude and you name it. Unfortunately landing a job, wherein HR managers and other execs are getting more “social media savvy” this can spell doom. But what about if you are not looking for employment? What impact does anything have then? One word could be used to solve both situations and scenarios: Genuine.

We have all seen the “Only use XYZ components and accessories with your XYZ Gidget” from product manufacturers. But when we talk about being genuine, being yourself, that’s different to a whole new degree. The one thing I have noticed is too many people have an “online alter-ego” that is different than they are in person. Why? Anonymity? Privacy concerns? Who knows…. When we are in social gatherings in the real-world, how many times to people (either ourselves, or people we meet) put on a front, or become someone for the setting? You look at some of the people I have mentioned during this series of articles, and you will find out from reading their blogs, watching their videos, seeing their tweets etc that they remain pretty consistent and constant across the board, no matter what the social setting online is. I would venture to say they are the same in person, and if they were not their peers would probably have well pointed that out to the world now, because that is what people do.

The important point here is: WHO ARE YOU?

Figure that out, and then stick to it. If, as pointed out in the article on Scobelizer.com, you are a programmer, blog about programming, tweet about it, setup your LinkedIn to be that. Be who you are. Better, Say who you are and Be who you are. Above all, stick to it, no matter the medium: online, offline, on the phone, in email, on Twitter. Why? Because people can see when you are not who you say or claim to be. Example: I am a web developer, I blog some about web design, web development, PHP programming, Images and graphics and social media because it all ties to web development. The occasional post, such as this one about getting my first Harley seems okay because it lets people, such as future employers, know that yes I am a rounded person and do have hobbies outside of sitting in front of a screen. But much of the truly personal stuff is kept elsewhere separate, and much of that is highly moderated as to what is actually in the “wild” for the web to see.

So in keeping with being Genuine, I have started to make a more concerted effort in keeping all my social interactions, blogs, comments, tweets, and so on, centered around who I am, what I do and why. Is that so difficult for people to do? I think sometimes it is, because in any social setting it is easy to let those who know us least think we are better, stronger, faster or whatever than we really are. Unfortunately in social media, this is found out fast and furious and it can kill any chance of successfully taking advantage of all the promise new media holds. You may say something at a small party to gain attention of another person, you might try the same in social media online. Either way, you are bound to be found and bashed later for it. It’s the simple fact that social media can move this finding and bashing to a speed at which you will shudder next time you feel to “exaggerate” a little or smudge a “little white lie”.

The next article in this series is going to do a wrap-up by presenting a nice list of things social media can do for us as individuals, and maybe a bit on what it can do for businesses. Then comes the wrap-up of ideas discussed throughout the series, kind of a check-list if you will.

Tags: be yourself, Blog, genuine, LinkedIn, New media, Social Media, Twitter
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Beginning Social Media – Part 4

Monday, January 19th, 2009

So we have looked at social networking and decided we must provide value, and must get value from those around us on our networks, whether it is a Blog, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn or whatever combination we are using. What about the key ingredient to “social media”?

Defining Social

Again I use Dictionary.com to define a word: pertaining to, devoted to, or characterized by friendly companionship or relations

Friendly companionship or relationships. Social defined.

Throughout using various social network and media tools I am sure you have noticed things that I have noticed. People hating on others, derogatory remarks, rude and crude. People are people after all, and all you have to do is go into any largely populated area, whether it is a store, restaurant or city and you will see how people really are, and social media and networks are not immune to the human factor. Taking this into consideration, I found a great post by Jeremy Shoemaker, a.k.a. Shoemoney, that talks about the Seven Deadly Sins For People Trying To Make Money Online. While this post of his is not necessarily geared towards social media, we can learn to apply some of the principles to what we want to get out of this new paradigm and maybe make better choices and gain better results.

He talks about ENVY – do you envy the people I have posted about in this series? Their success? Their followers and network size? Their interactions? Why? Envy does not make you strive harder for success in the right way, no it makes you strive for success by doing that which is not your best. How is that? If the simple drive mechanism to your social media use is merely to top and best those that are already there, your drive train is weak and underpowered to keep up, let alone surpass them. These guys get the social media tools, they understand the “social” and the “value” side of it. They have been building faster engines, stronger transmissions and an all-around better social media drive train, probably for longer than you have been. They are using top grade tools and parts, called vision, value, intuition, experience and knowledge to revamp their social media processes and they have filled their tanks with high-octane fuel – fuel that is the quest to be the best they can be. What is your drive train consisting of? A Ford Pinto? By using envy as your drive, that’s exactly what you will be driving trying to surpass them in.

PRIDE is another big one in social media and networks. How many tweets do you get that are self-centered, egotistical and generally all about “me” type? I used to get quite a bit until I un-followed some annoyances in my network. All about me belongs on “MY”space, you know the name implies it’s all about me, my, and I. Does it mean you can never say, “Hey, check this out and let me know what you think?” No, but don’t ask what people think just to look good and not look all self-promoting….ask it because you truly value what your network, friends and followers think and feel. Trust me, they will sniff you out, smell you from a mile away and mark you with “stench” if you are not genuine in that interest, and your network and social media experience will suffer tremendously.

Being a SHOWOFF is one last point I want to apply to social media. How many people boast about the number of followers they have on Twitter? Too many. How many have so many connections on LinkedIN you know there is no way they are doing anything other than building as much as they can in hopes for as much exposure as possible, and possibly just to say they have that many in their network. In some cases, you will find those who have successfully made money from social media, and they will tell you how much they made, not once, not twice but usually repeatedly….not once do they share a tip, share a process or anything about what works or doesn’t work. Now, I am not saying we should give all our secrets away, no way, and neither does Shoemaker. But helping others achieve their goals is one aspect of social media that fits within the idea of “friendly companionship and relationships”.

Now, we also need to realize that this doesn’t just apply to what we do using social media. It applies to those in our network, friends list or followers. If you are following people who are envious of you, what do you gain? The ability for them to throw bashes at you, and yes you need thick skin in this business, but why force that ability on them? Un-follow them, remove them as a friend….let them go elsewhere on their bashing, ranting and cursing sprees. If you are following someone full of pride, always self-boasting – are you getting value from them? Probably not. Lose them, and don’t worry about it, the world is full of people using social media that can positively impact your experience. And the last one, seeing someone showoff can be fun, amusing, insightful and sometimes inspirational. But too often the showoffs do it repeatedly and their message never changes. Do we need that in our networks and social media experiences? I don’t, how about you?

The next part of this series will look at making yourself be yourself in social media, and how being genuine is the best policy. If that’s not enough, how about being yourself so if a potential employer sees your social media activities (blogging, commenting, twitter, facebook etc) they are genuinely impressed with you knowing who you are, doing what you do and being genuinely who you are.

Tags: LinkedIn, Online Communities, Social Media, Social network, Twitter
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Beginning Social Media – Part 3

Monday, January 19th, 2009

Value Defined

Dictionary.com defines value as: relative worth, merit, or importance

Social Media Value

One thing I have noticed in social media is that there are two general trends. The “look at me” trend a.k.a. “it’s all about me, what I am doing, what I can do, what I have done” syndrome. The second is the “what are YOU doing” trend a.k.a. “what have you done for your friends, followers, what can you do for them, what help do you have”. Don’t believe me? Pay attention to your networks, to those who you follow or are friends with. How many of them simply broadcast their latest and greatest? Probably too many, and you are probably just as guilty as they are. Oh, did that hurt? Hey, I have been there, done that and still do it at times so I am not just calling you on your game, I am calling myself on my game as well.

I take a look at some of the more popular blogs about making money, gaining success via social media and I keep finding some common trends, and I am going to focus on one common trend started last post – value.

Chris Brogan blogs very well about value, and I believe he provides value through social media. I have been following him on Twitter for some time now, though I have not truly interacted with him yet. Many of his blog posts speak for themselves so you can head over and read them. Four posts I would like to bring to light, and what, at least from my perspective, they try to accomplish in the social media field, considering each one was tweeted and I am sure brought out through other social media outlets.

Small Town Superheroes – Chris highlights a small business owner, local and known to him. Why do this? First, Chris has obvious good traffic and good rapport with the shop owner both. So by noting this small business owner, effectively Chris is helping spotlight and maybe drive some traffic through the door of the business. Chris also links to some articles he wrote before, such as Three Goals for 2009 maybe gaining more readers of that post. But it is what is at the end of the post about the small shop owner that most people just skip right past, and unfortunately miss: “And you? Have you written about the stars in your town?” Here Chris challenges his readers to provide value to those in their local town, city etc. By blogging, tweeting, or using other social media, can you make a difference in the life of someone? I get the feeling that Chris Brogan thinks it’s possible.

Another thing Chris does is have a links page called Rockstars. Basically he allows people to add a link to their site here. Why? Why not do it…it is empowering people, making them feel like they do matter to him, plus it helps gain them exposure. The list is long, and I am sure it gets pruned now and again, but hey why not. Calling it Rockstars gives a warm and fuzzy feeling, even though we all know we are not rock stars, but that is not the important thing here, the fact that he tries to grant exposure for others says something about who Chris may be.

Darren Rowse has several blogs and each one is merely about doing a task better. Whether it is digital photography, blogging or using Twitter. He shares this value, gets value back from the comments and creates a nice atmosphere to share in. That’s value, in addition the value extends from the blog to other social media.

The main point here is, and yes I know I used Chris Brogan, Darren Rowse and Chris Garrett quite a bit in this series, is they all seem to focus and hover around creating value for those around you, helping those around you and sharing enough to help others. That is value to most people, since value doesn’t have to always mean something monetary.

Tags: Blog, Business, Small business, Social Media, Twitter
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Beginning Social Media – Part 2

Monday, January 19th, 2009

Soon after becoming unemployed, and Tweeting about it I began to realize that Social Media could have the effect to change lives, to change people and to change a story. I began to finally search out those who have been using it that are finding opportunities in it for personal and professional growth, finding ways to exploit it for business purposes, finding ways to monetize and earn from it, finding ways to change peoples lives with it and telling others their views on what works best.

It started by interacting with people such as John Reese, Chris Garrett and Darren Rowse on Twitter and other places. First, I mentioned that I was thinking of starting a business again, and John Reese stated it was a great time to do so. Then with Chris Garrett we discussed saving the weekend and doing other activities offline. That led into some discussion about guitar playing with him….Darren and I have emailed a few times, and I even was able to write a guest post on his TwitTip blog and am very thankful for that opportunity.

That leads me into this idea from Chris Garrett – he had tweeted to make one think, “Thought for the day – Before un-following a bunch of people, ask yourself if your own tweets have been good value lately” to which my reply was, “good though – of course my tweets are rarely of good value.” Chris’s response to that (along with to a few others), “That’s partly my point – you have attention, what DO you provide to make people want to listen?”

At this point, something started to click. I had been merely broadcasting on Twitter, and not very much, didn’t have many followers (still don’t, and I am okay with that) and really was not being “social” nor caring if what I was writing had any “value”. Value…….

At any point in our lives, we are interacting with people since most of us have family, friends, associates, colleagues and what not. So the interaction with social media takes place online, that’s about the only difference. In the real world, do we keep friends that are of little to no value in our lives? For how long? Do we continue to interact with the associate or colleague that does nothing but whine, promote how awesome they were on the last project or try to destroy other colleagues out of jealousy, envy or plain meanness? Not really, most people I know don’t anyway. Do we stay in contact with those who are always trying to get us to try something new, say AmWay, Quixtar or some other “latest, greatest make money” pyramid? Not usually, not unless they add “value” in some other form or area of our life.

And so it goes with social media, Twitter in particular being the one focused on here. Blogs, and other media will be discussed later. But that simple comment by Chris Garrett made me think – what value to I provide to the people following me on Twitter? Up until that point, I can say I probably didn’t provide much value at all….in fact Chris Garrett is not following me, though others in the industry are. Hmmm…you see I follow Chris and reply when I the following occurs A) his tweet hit a nerve in me B) I fell I can provide value in a reply to him C) to simply interact to learn from him. I don’t care that he doesn’t follow me, nor should you care about who follows you, but you should care about WHY they follow you, and WHY you follow someone else. You should also care WHY people don’t follow you, simply because if you are not getting followers as you would like, you are probably not providing any value to potential followers.

One great article I read this past week by Ben Bleikamp, was How and Why I Use Twitter to Build Relationships. He starts the article by talking about what Seth Godin says about networking – that it basically comes down to helping people achieve their goals. He then talks about why he follows a smaller number, and that unfollowing on Twitter should and can be done. Why keep following someone if they do not provide value to you, or as it was put, help you achieve your goals? It is mud in your lane on the road of life, and nothing more at that point, and will do nothing but slow you down.

Twitter is just one tool, albeit probably one of the more popular tools at this time, for social interaction on the web. How can you harness it to expand opportunities? I have been able to write a guest post, have that post tweeted to many thousands of followers, which then has lead to more traffic to this here little blog I attempt to operate. I have interacted with several of the top people associated with social media, even though I am a little person, a nobody. The fact that several of the “big dogs” have interacted with a little dog is amazing, yet is it really? That topic is coming next – a look at social media value networks – what is value as we talked about in this post, and how to you create value, and how do you find value? I have several resources lined up for the next in this series about value, and what it really means – and helping people achieve their goals without giving away all your secrets, something I have recently learned I am far too guilty of doing.

Tags: Blog, Chris Garrett, Darren Rowse, Seth Godin, Social Media, Social network, Twitter
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Beginning Social Media – Part 1

Monday, January 19th, 2009

Over the past year I have been, off and on, trying to wrap my head around this phenomena we call “Social Media”. At my past employer there were talks of how to incorporate social media, and sadly I left before anything moved forward on it. However, in the past few months I have really tried to take a look at this and grasp what social media truly is, why it is important to individuals, and businesses and how to capitalize using it. In this post, I am going to look at several popular social media technologies, sites and products, as well as examine the writing of others who are very active in social media, providing links to their ideas that have inspired me to take a deeper look into “social media”.

I first started to blog, half-heartedly, haphazardly and very much pointless in late 2005. I started a small little blog called South Platte Enterprise Notes – it was to be short postings about the business I was operating at the time, in an attempt to gain traffic to another web site, and potentially more clients/customers. Yeah, I made one post on that blog, and let it die. Then a few months later I made another post, and let it die again. I was a blogger, right? Wrong. I am still not a blogger, even though I have four or five blog properties.

I started this blog soon after moving and taking my last position as a web developer. I was going to blog about web design, modern techniques, PHP, Apache, give tutorials and all kinds of great information was going to be posted. Umm…yeah, Ok. I posted a few times….then let it die. Then posted some more, and let it die again. Do you see the pattern of death here? I do. Explanation comes later.

I had been using MySpace for a good number of years, but seen little value outside of entertainment and the ocassional reconnection to a friend from long ago. I still don’t see MySpace for much good outside of that. There are other tools that are much better for a number of reasons, the list is too long for this post, that’s for sure. Somewhere in there I started using Del.icio.us for saving my favorites online. Then came StumbleUpon. I didn’t even realize that these were considered part of the “social media” atmosphere, yet they allow a creation of a network, or groups, or followers…..hmm…community maybe?

Twitter was an accident for me. I believe I found it through reading Darren Rowse’s Problogger blog, regardless, he was the first person I followed. I then added my worship pastor and wife…though they don’t update much and since I see them face to face so often, it is kind of pointless, but I digress. Twitter, in the past two months, has really come to make more sense. A few short tweets about being unemployed had me several replies from users who have searches setup for keywords…they found me, provided some resources and I evaluated those resources. Even if I didn’t take advantage or use the resources, they still had my attention, and I was seeing their message, their product, their service. Interesting….

I also have had a Facebook account for a number of years. Do you remember back when you had to have a qualifying .edu educational institution email even to be able to sign up? Yeah, I don’t think it has been that way for a while now….I have done absolutely nothing on Facebook – and I mean nothing. Do I even remember the password? Do you know my password? Another item to update, keep track of and follow along with….now it’s just getting to be too many.

So what is all this social media anyway? Find out in part two.