Posts filed under 'Social networking'
I’d venture a guess that whether our clients are conscious of it or not, what they really want, what they’re looking for, and what they hope we can provide, or more accurately, facilitate in them is TRANSFORMATION.
So I’d like to ask you, “What leads to transformation: more information or more interaction?”
Because I know you’re a wise coach or consultant, I know you said “Interaction,” right? You want to become known as the expert whose interaction lead to breakthroughs and transformations, don’t you?
Then why are so many coaches doing free teleseminars that only offer more information?
This is a wake-up call. While many of the new things that available to us are positive tools, techniques, and strategies, one approach to how we coaches used to get prospects to know, like, and trust us was through interaction.
Remember those wonderful teleclasses that were a combination of information and interaction?
I know I want to experience someone leading a lively discussion or leading an individual through a breakthrough to transformation before I’m going to pay them big bucks for a course that promises to do that. How about you?
Yet every time I download email I get one or more opportunities to get more information. Sometimes it’s in the form of an e-book, sometimes an audio, sometimes a video. It may be a webinar or a teleseminar (talking heads only these days – no interaction please – it may reduce the quality of the recording, you know.) Sometimes the information is right there in the email.
I don’t know about you. I know more than enough to accomplish everything on my project and my task lists. And anything I don’t know, I can find out by picking up the phone, sending an email or an email blast to my own network, or getting on Google. And I’ll bet the same is true for your prospects and clients, too.
What I do want and need is more interaction.
I want to talk about my ideas and hear about yours. I want to commit to you what I’ll do today or this week and I want you to feel free to do the same. I want support and encouragement when I’m facing a challenge, sorting out what I believe from what I was taught to believe, and especially when a light is dawning within about a pattern of thinking, feeling, and/or behaving that’s limiting my joy, my inner peace, and my success. And I offer you the same.
I want interaction because interaction leads to collaboration.
More important, I want interaction because interaction leads to transformation.
I believe with continued transformation, I create more inner peace, love and joy. I create energy and momentum. I create space for being more creative and innovative.
Truth be told, through interaction, I can admit to a trusted friend or adviser that my quest for more information is in part fueled by my fears and insecurities. In part, it’s fueled by my hopes that in this next offer I’ll find the key that shuts of my negative self-talk and delivers that missing piece so I can quickly, easily, yes, and finally achieve the success I dream of and work toward.
I sure wish more information could do all that for me. Yet I’ve gone down that path enough times to know it’s a delay, a detour, maybe even a dead end. Still I know more information isn’t the key to my success. So during my interaction, I can agree to gently and lovingly set aside my quest for the holy grail and spend the time and energy I’ve freed up to do something that will contribute to my joyfully making progress on my journey toward success.
Now, from my new perspective, the information I already have within or is already at my fingertips may become useful. I can see it in a new light, use it in a new way. If I need something new, I’ve got the juice, the motivation to find, experience, and integrate and apply it.
So, if you’re in information overload and you are looking for relief, do an experiment, take a risk, and delete all your new emails offering you, promising you your missing keys. Take that time to tackle the project or task that’s been standing in your way blocking your progress. Take that time to be still and connect with your Source, or to exercise, or to spend quality time interacting with that someone in your life who is there for you and you for them, that you might move beyond information into transformation. The treasures that await you will delight you.
And who knows, you may serendipitously pick up a gem of information or two along the way. Happy journeying!
P.S. I hope you find this blog post isn’t just another bit of information. I hope it inspires you to interact with someone close to you, or to interact with your prospects and clients instead of ‘just’ offering the more information.
And if you’d like to participate in some juicy interaction, I encourage you to join Christine Laureano and myself on Wednesday, December 23, 2009, at 12 noon Eastern. I’ll be her guest on her Internet radio show, Coach in the Moment. You can listen at www.blogtalkradio.com/Coach-in-the-Moment or on your phone at (347) 215-8095. That’s the same number you’ll dial to talk with Christine and me. I hope you’ll join us.
Guess what we’ll be talking about? You got it. Does Information vs. Interaction Lead to True Transformation?
If you miss the call, come back here. I’ll post a link to the recording in a few days, so ‘ya all come back now.’
To your ever-expanding Joy and Success,
The Energizer Bonnie
Tags: Become an Expert, Develop Your Audience, Marketing for Consultants, Marketing for Professionals
December 21st, 2009
My buddy Jim is a member of the First Collaborative Credibility Cluster, the very same CCC I’m in, the very same one that’s one of many brainchildren of Russell Cox, who’s… you guest it, another member of CCC#1!
Jim wrote a post at Community and Business on the CCC’s shared community website. Jim’s got a great sense of humor and he loves puns. In this post he’s asked, “What is the Web 2.0 Refrigerator Magnet?”
Great question, Jim. And I’ve got an answer for you…
Ah, Jim, there will always be a place in the world for ‘old fashion’ marketing! The answer to becoming known as an expert in your field or an authority in your niche is not an either/or, yes/no answer. It’s “Yes, and…” You want what I call a “HI-5 Marketing Message.” Imagine you could ‘Hi-5″ all your ideal prospects and clients in all your communications with them. Imagine you could deliver a message that’s Heart-Inspired, Integrated, interactive, Internet and Information-based.
How does HI-5 messaging relate to Web 2.0? For Jim’s post, the key word in the explanation of what a HI-5 message is Integrated. An integrated message platform weaves together traditional media channels with ‘old’ Web 1.0 tools, techniquest, technologies, and winning strategies with the new Web 2.0 and the coming Web 3.0 ones.
I want to get back to answering the question Jim asked in his post: “What is the Web 2.0 equivilant of the refergerator magnet?”
Hey, I think this is a great question to ask the LinkedIn community. We’ll get great ideas. And we’ll be building the web of links we’re weaving in Web 2.0.
By the way, in the spirit of taking a HI-5 message to the next level, I’d trade my refrigerator magnet in for:
- a bumper sticker with a URL that’s easy to read from the car behind
- a series of Tweets and re-tweets
- a conversation in Facebook or in your vibrant online community
- a continued asynchronous dialog among members of our CCC and anyone else who wants to participate
- a banner ad on your site and those of your strategic alliance partners and raving fans
- a real time conversation…
- on the phone, of course, as we live thousands of miles apart.
- We’ll record our conversation so we can turn it into
- a podcast which we’ll submit to podcast directories so anyone can find it and listen to at their convenience.
- an audio on each of our websites and our community groupsites.
- We’ll also transcribe the audio track and turn it into an article, a blog post, an e-book or e-course.
- a YouTube video of two or more someones who looks like a present day average Joe or Jane. In fact, they’re wearing T-shirts with the refrig magnet’s message on the front and back, with logos, of course.
- First this person goes to their mailbox to get and open the envelope with a refrigerator magnet inside, then
- Then he walks to their refrig where they place the magnet.
- Then she walks to their computer and looks at the banner ad, the blog post, and clicks on the audio play button to listen to the conversation.
- Then they walk to their car, T-shirts clearly visible and read-able, they get into the car, and as the car drives away with them waving, the camera zooms in to focus on the bumper sticker.
- What’s the bumper sticker say? You guessed it. The same message that’s on the magnet!
So, all of the above are my suggestions for the Web 2.0 equivalent of refrigerator magnets.
What are your ideas?
And what about your suggestions for what would appear on those magnets, bumper stickers, T-shirts, titles, and such?
Here are a few of mine:
“Want to make more money? HI-5 your audience.” www.MarketingToYOURworld.com
“Want to grow your business? Trade your refrigerator magnet in for a bumper sticker.” www.MarketingToYOURworld.com
What’s your HI-5 marketing message? Share it here and you’re building your audience. in Web 2.0. In fact, you’ve made your Web 2.0 refrigerator magnet. Now pass it on wherever you’re communicating with YOUR ideal clients and prospects.
“Whether you’re doing business around the corner or around the globe, take YOUR message to YOUR World!” www.MarketingToYOURworld.com
Tags: Develop Your Audience, Hi 5 Marketing message, Information Marketing, Internet Marketing, Web 2.0
December 21st, 2009
You know how NOISY it is out there, don’t you? If you’re like me, you’re always receiving incoming messages via email from people you know and even those you don’t know, AKA Spam.
You can’t switch on any kind of media, surf the Web, go to the grocery store, or drive your car from one place to another without being bombarded with advertising.
The trouble is, you as a professional, author, entrepreneur, or business owner ~ someone with a message ~ also need to get YOUR message across, don’t you?
So, how do you spread the word about YOUR message out there in a world that is absolutely saturated with messages?
How do you make sure YOU’RE SEEN and HEARD above the din?
I believe there is a very effective way to get people to listen and even buy what you have to offer. But it means embracing a new approach.
You’ll find out what that is in the article “Cutting Through the Noise So You Can Be ‘Well Heard’”: http://www.publishingcoachweekly.com.
The article was written by Your Publishing Coach, Diane Eble. Diane, Russell Cox and I are going to be co-teaching the interactive teleclass program “Design Your Village” that starts Thursday June 11, 3:30 – 4:30 pm Eastern.
Why would you want to design your village? The village is the infrastructure upon which you build your online community.
Today, having a list of email addresses is no longer enough. While having a group, like yahoo groups, is better, Web 2.0 and Social Networking have been around too long. People are too used to connecting and communicating with others to settle for less.
And now with online software platforms like CollectiveX, Ning, and iGroops, you can build your own online community.
An online community is the perfect place for like-minded people can get to know, like and trust each other. And CollectiveX is the perfect platform for members to come together to learn, collaborate, co-create, and more in the spirit of cooperation.
A Groupsite powered by CollextiveX is also the perfect place for an instructor and students to gather to share supporting class materials, new ideas, questions, and to share with others the projects they’re working on for feedback and praise. That’s exactly why we have our own Groupsite for our class Design Your Village.
If the Design Your Village program sounds like interesting, remember we start on Thursday, June 11. There’s an early-bird special going on through midnight EST on Monday, June 8th, so check it out today!
More about that here: http://www.designyourvillage.com.
The next time this program will be offered is late September, 2009.
Having your own online community is a great way to be well seen, well heard, and well paid. And isn’t that what we all want!
So visit http://www.designyourvillage.com and decide for yourself if you’re ready to have your very own online community. You’ll be glad you do!
Tags: Collaborative communities, CollectiveX, Design Your Village, Develop Your Audience, Groupsites, Ning
June 5th, 2009
Patricia Weber is a new cyberfriend of mine. I ‘met’ Pat years ago when I was signing up for every newsletter and teleclass I could get my hands on. I was impressed with her work and what she stands for ~ helping introverted sales people and other professionals be successful in business and in life by leveraging their true nature to their fullest advantage. Yet Isomehow lost touch with Pat along my journey.
I’ll let you in on a secret: the phrase Marketing Resistance Syndrome, which I coined and helping professionals overcome Marketing Resistance Syndrome is one of the cornerstones of how I serve them, was inspired by by Pat’s phrase “reluctant salesperson.”
Then a few months ago, I got an email from Pat telling me about this new networking thing called BlitzTime. It’s the coolest new virtual networking gig in town. You can click on this link if you just can’t wait for me to tell you more ~ which I promise to do in tomorrow’s blog. For now, back to our story.
I accepted Pat’s invitation, LOVED my experience on my first BlitzTime session, I joined immediately and have been attending BlitzTime sessions every week ever since.
Anyway, Pat and I ended up getting paired in our private BlitzTime sessions. While we talked we could see each other’s profiles on our computer screen. How cool is that!
This happened a few times. We decided to read the handwriting on the wall and connect intentionally outside the BlitzTime setting. And we’ve been connecting ever since. We’ve become part of the Fabulous Four ~ four like-minded professionals who met on BT, resonated together, and decided to support, encourage, cross-promote, and share tools, tips, and trade secrets ~ well, maybe not secrets ~ how to use certain social networking tools better, how to cross-promote each other, and things like that.
So thanks, Pat for showing up in my life!
And here I am cross-promoting and commenting on your blog post Introvert Tip – Three Ways Introverts Can Draw Boundaries.
Pat, as always, your posts inspire self-reflection, and I always love what I discover… even though I’m a flaming extrovert. Actually, I swing both ways. I, too, need my alone time ~ to connect with my deeper self and trusted higher source, to just be. I think is just that I also get LOTS of energy from people, too.
The thing is that this extrovert, and I’m wondering how many others would do well to take these 3 boundaries to heart ~ to practice and live by them:
First, am I going to let myself be fooled into thinking that I’m not good enough as I am? For any reason – for me it’s from being prone to sudden bursts of enthusiasm… even in business settings, oh my!
Second, I have some traits that could be helpful if everyone had them! Passion and compassion, energy, ideas, creativity to share and joyfully do, the ability to connect heart-to-heart with friends and strangers…
Third, there are certain skills that we are all smart to learn. How to play fair and care, how to cooperate and collaborate, how to co-create win-win resolutions to conflict, how to take good care of ourselves, how to shift our attention from what we don’t want to what we want, how to be grateful and appreciative for what we have and for what we’ve asked for and yet to see evidence of.
So thanks, again, for bringing to the forefront of my consciousness who I am and what’s really important to me.
The Energizer Bonnie
http://MarketingToYOURworld.com
Tags: Information Marketing, Marketing for Professionals, Social networking, word of mouth marketing
June 3rd, 2009
The need to connect and to belong is part of human nature, and is balanced by the need to be independent.
For a long time we here in the US prided ourselves in being “the Rugged American,” the individual who could do anything including survive on their own even in the wilderness against all odds.
Many of us self-employed professionals and solopreneurs adopted the version of this posture known as “The Lone Ranger.” We did everything from soup to nuts on our own. Speaking from personal experience, that’s a quick path to burn-out regardless of how much you love what you do.
And there’s more competiton today than ever before in just about any field, certainly the ones in high demand.
It’s becoming more important than ever before for us to come together to cooperate and collaborate, to leverage our passions, talents, gifts and strengths.
Jayesh Badani posted this question on the Discussion section of Innovative Marketing, PR, Sales, Word-of-Mouth & Buzz Innovators’s LinkedIn group.
He went on to say, “I believe it is ‘duality’ which is fueling collaboration.”
He included a link to his blog post from which I exerpted these comments:
“Most of the people on this planet cannot afford to do what they love to do, for some it’s the daily bread, for others it’s equated monthly installments. And there are too many mundane things to be done to keep the world spinning….
People are slicing their time, and some slices are being used to do what one loves to do intellectually. People are increasingly becoming dual.
It’s this duality which is fueling collaboration in this age. An hour of intellectual fulfillment is giving a day long high and we love it. When we collaborate; a little contribution can make us feel part of bigger achievement. Collaboration facilitates the variety of part time intellectual fulfillment which otherwise was not available.
Erma Bombeck once said … “When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, “I used everything you gave me.”
I believe more and more people are feeling what Erma felt, and duality is the means for some people to “go get it.”
Here’s what I wrote in reply:
The need to connect and to belong is part of human nature, and is balanced by the need to be independent.
For a long time we here in the US prided ourselves in being “the Rugged American,” the individual who could do anything including survive on their own even in the wilderness against all odds.
Many of us self-employed professionals and solopreneurs adopted the version of this posture known as “The Lone Ranger.” We did everything from soup to nuts on our own. Speaking from personal experience, that’s a quick path to burn-out regardless of how much you love what you do.
And there’s more competiton today than ever before in just about any field, certainly the ones in high demand.
It’s becoming more important than ever before for us to come together to cooperate and collaborate, to leverage our passions, talents, gifts and strengths.
And with Web 2.0, we can do this quicker, easier and more effectively than ever before. Isn’t that what many of us on LinkedIn for… the opportunity to meet and get to know others with whom we resonate AND have common interests. I know that’s one reason I’m here… to share my thoughts, to contribute to discussions so you, my fellow professionals and entrepreneurs might discover that you don’t need to fly solo any longer. There are folks like you looking for each other to co-create, cross promote, support, and encourage each other.”
To which Jayesh replied, “Bonnie, I love the sense of pride you showcase. Last time I heard similar one was in Amsterdam, when the city guide proudly said, “God created the world. We created Netherlands!”
What are your thoughts?
Are you being well used? Are you sharing your strengths, gifts, talents and expertise in ways that are serving others and fulfilling you? What one thing can you do to share more today? What can you stop doing or do differently so you have more time to do and whare what you love?
Equally important, who do you know who’s also into what you’re passionate about? Have you told them of your common passion? Even better, are you exploring how you can cooperate and collaborate?
Post comments on someone’s blog. Say something encouraging and acknowledging on their social networking page. Retweeting their tweet. These are great places to start. They’re quick and easy to do.
Remember, we who are playing in cyberspace are sitting someplace, probably alone. Your comments and words of support mean so much. They’re as close as we can get to real human interaction. And that, like the need to belong and the need to feel appreciated and acknowledged, are basic human needs we all share.
So let’s collaborate! We’ll all feel better. And those who do stand a way better chance of being well seen, well heard, and well paid.
To your ever expanding success.
June 1st, 2009
As I’ve mentioned in earlier posts, I’m pretty active in a few groups in LinkedIn. It’s a great place to find like-minded people for support, encouragement, guidance, new ideas, and for doing ’soft’ marketing of your expertise and your products and services.
So this post is about a segment of a discussion in Linked Businesses entitled “It’s time for small businesses to stick together and get the economy going again.”
Steve contributed this last post. My comment is below his.
Lori, You are singing our song. Local B2B can have a great impact on our economy but it takes the right mindset to use local resouces if at all possible. COSE’s IbuyNeo is one! We at SJK have expanded our service offerings using ONLY local small businesses and just in 09′ have inserted over $80K in project work to local businesses-the economy. I find it disappointing to see out of town contractors working in our backyard – don’t people see the impact?
Here’s my reply:
Steven, I hear and understand your frustration. Sometimes I get into that space too. Then I realize that energy and attitude don’t serve anyone, least of all me. Here’s how I deal with anything any time I find myself looking outside myself and blaming others, the economy, etc. and even when I’m looking inward and blaming me.
Once we’ve realized something’s happening that we’d rather see be otherwise, once we’re clear on how we’d like it to be, shame, blame and guilt don’t help anyone, especially the person who’s feeling that way.
I use these feelings to remind me of a few things:
We’re all human. We’re all always doing the best we can with what we’ve got at the moment. In this challenging time of constant and rapid change that’s rocking us to our core, it helps me to remember this. Then I can find something to appreciate which is uplifting to me and puts my attention back on what I want instead of what I don’t want.
I also look within and see where, even in some small way, I’m doing something similar to what I’m complaining about. I always find something. Like I buy my produce at the local produce store, yet I still go to Walmart for things they don’t sell. Could I go to a few stores and buy those things elsewhere? Sure, except many of them are chains, too, and WM is literally just around the corner. And I know I’m doing so many other things, playing full out where I can. How I spend my time and money is part of the mix that allows me to do my work, life on purpose, contribute to the success of professionals, small business owners, and entrepreneurs. Running around town isn’t always the best use of my time. I have to make these and other decisions throughout my day and week.
Again, I remind myself I’m always doing the best I can with what I’ve got at the moment. I do what I do and do my best to minimize the shame and blame that’s part of my negative unconscious programming which I’m becoming more and more conscious of so I can change it.
And I can take the energy I would have spent blaming and shaming and put it into action that’s aligned with my vision, mission, and purpose.
So let’s continue to unite, to talk to others who have yet to see the wisdom of “think globally and locally, and act locally.”
Here are my questions to you:
Can you relate to what I’ve written? Can you apply these principles about honoring yourself and others for we all are doing the best we can to yourself?
And do you have any suggestions for how are you thinking globally and locally and acting locally?
Is there anything you’re not doing now that you can do? Anything you’re doing you can reduce, modify or stop?
And how can we professionals, entrepreneurs small business owners band together to support, encourage, and guide each other through this transition in which it is we who will once again be the economic backbone of this country.
Comments? Thoughts?
May 31st, 2009
You know the importance of social networking and you’re actively engaged in the world of Web 2.0. Congratulations! You’re playing in the big league. Social networking is becoming more and more a critical part of your media mix for taking your message to YOUR world.
There are lots of social networks where you could already be a member. The top ones I’m in are LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook.
You may be a member of one of the many more niched ones, like these for professoinals, business owners and entrepreurs: Think Big Revolution, Biznik, StartUpBiz, to name a few.
And there are thousands of others to choose from. For example, CollectiveX and Ning are the popular platforms for creating your own network. Each has their place in your media mix.
Your presence on any and all of these sites is only as powerful as your profile. Here’s why:
1. Your profile is where someone gets to know you and discover what you have in common.
- Maybe you are interested in the same subject, you have friends in common, you live in the same town, city or state.
- You could have gone to the same school, be a member of the same organization, or be in the same or complimentary businesses.
The richer your profile, the more likely someone will discover what you have in common. This is a great starting point for building relationship.
2. Your profile includes your picture, right?
You’ve heard the saying your eyes are the windows to your soul.
You’ve had the experience where at first glance you know you like someone ~ this could be from seeing someone in person or looking at their picture. This works both ways.
So choose a picture that captures and shares your special energy.
3. Once someone knows about you, they can choose to reach out and engage in dialog with you. At first, this may only be via emails on the social network. That’s okay. This conversation builds trust.
4. Trust is the prerequisite for taking the conversation to the next level. The next level might be sharing private email addresses and writing without having to go to the network’s site.
5. Many online asynchronous dialogs on social networking sites and email will lead to phone conversations.
6. And guess where some of these phone conversations lead? To face to face meetings, of course!
“But we live thousands of miles apart.”
Who knows! You may travel to each other’s location on business or to attend a conference. And if the connection is strong enough, you may plan a trip just because you have to meet!
7. Once you know, like, and trust someone, you’re ready to explore how you might help each other.
- You could become a client of theirs or visa versa.
- You might have a referral for them and they for you.
- You could cross-promote each other’s products, programs, or services to each other’s lists and communities.
- You could comment on their blog posts or retweet their tweets.
- You might even create a joint venture project together.
These are real possibilities. How do I know? I’m doing all of the above with people I’ve met in the strangest of ways… on these new and unusual social networking sites.
So here’s my recommendation, my ‘Call-To-Action” for you:
If you’ve joined a social networking site and have yet to create a profile and upload your picture, do it ASAP!
Even if you created profiles when you joined your groups, I recommend you revisit and update them on a regular basis.
I’m always amazed when I read what I posted earlier. I’ve gotten clearer, more concise and compelling in the way I tell my story. I’ve got a new picture, or I’m just ready to see a different one, so probably are others. Each picture tells a different story all by itself, doesn’t it?
And be sure to be active in the communities where you’re a member. That doesn’t mean every day. Show up and partipate on a regular basis. Maybe rotate among them and spend 15-30 minutes becoming part of the buzz.
- Answer a question or ask one.
- Comment on someone else’s good news or information they’ve shared.
- Share a link to a resource you found helpful.
- Lend support and encouragement to someone in need.
And of course, mix in an update about what you’re working on and what you’re offering that might be of interest to them. Just don’t get pushy or self-centered. People will unfollow, un-friend, unsubscribe, and delete faster than you can say just about anything you could say 
People want to spend time with and do business with people they know, like, and trust. In the world of social networking, this starts with your profile. So make sure yours is powerful. It’s the key to the city. It’s the invitation to your party. It’s your song from the mountain top.
Tags: Information Marketing, Marketing for Professionals, Social networking, Web 2.0
May 30th, 2009
I love following relevant discussions on my favorite social networking and group collaboration sites.
I know it’s easy on LinkedIn and sites built with Ning and CollectiveX. With discussions on these sites, I see all comments regarding one discussion below the initial post. It doesn’t matter how long it’s been since my last visit. It’s all in one place. I don’t have to go anywhere else to follow what’s been said or to post my own comment.
So far from what I’ve been able to figure out, the discussion threads on these Facebook and Twitter are spread out on different people’s profiles/sites. Things don’t seem to be archived for a long time either.
Is there any way ~ especially an easy one ~ to follow the threads of a discussion on Facebook and Twitter? I’m hoping I just need a few tips here and there to do this, right?
Thanks in advance to any of you who can help me (and I’m guessing many others) follow and participate in the great conversations happening out here in cyberspace.
P.S. Learning things like this one step at a time is one winning strategy for overcoming Marketing Resistance Syndrome. It helps so much to have specific know-how to take the fear out of jumping into the deep end. Having someone teach us how to swim or throw us a life preserver ~ either way we all win!
Tags: Information Marketing, Marketing for Professionals, Marketing Resistance Syndrome, Social networking, Strategies for Success, Web 2.0
May 25th, 2009
I just read a post on Patricia Weber’s blog. Patricia is a Sales Coach for the Introverts, Shy and Reluctant. Her most recent post, Social Networking Tip – Top 4 Energy Vampires for an Introvert, contain gems of wisdom whether you’re an introvert or an extrovert. Click on the above link and see what you think.
I agree with what Pat said and I’m an extrovert. Pat and Jim are wise to recognize that we can get sucked in, only to come up hours later to ask ourselves, how have I benefitted from the time I’ve spent. I am reconnecting with old friends from school, work, and life. I’m meeting great new people whom I’m getting to know, like, and trust. I want deep, meaningful conversation online just like I do offline. We all need to find balance which is dynamic making it a bit tricky to plan.
That’s where Pat’s second tip comes in. Listen to your inner guidance… follow your heart. That goes for who to connect with and follow. I’m imagining myself an introvert and thinking it also depends upon my energy level and mood. I may want to connect… after I recharge from within. Listening to that inner voice is key here. Oh, that applies to me as an extrovert, too, now that I’m thinking about it.
Another tip is to put social networking into perspective with everything else on your plate, personal and professional. How often I start my day with email and social networking, only to find the business mission critical tasks and projects have been untouched. Social networking is, as one of my mentors Bonnie Dillabough, The Web Woman, says The Internet isn’t instand pudding. That includes social networking. Make sure you’re putting important, though maybe not so urgent tasks and projects on your plate and spend some time every day working on these, too.
Bottom line, whatever you’re doing, if it’s aligned with your vision, mission and purpose, if you’re enjoying the work when you’re doing it, if you’re showing up and doing your best, that’s what really matters. All roads lead to Oz as long as you’re looking toward Oz and moving in that direction.
What do you think? What’s your experience been? Do you have any other tips that have helped you manage your social networking? Please share them with us. We’re all learning in public and can use all the support, encouragement, and guidance as we co-create this new world of Web 2.0.
Tags: Social networking, Web 2.0
May 10th, 2009
Facebook is one of the primary social networking sites on the planet today. Unfortunately, the website address for your page is long and does nothing to brand YOU! It’s just a bunch of random numbers and letters.
I just discovered how people are getting recognizable URL addresses and it’s pretty easy.
Click here to go to the website.
Here is the copy you’ll find there:
So that you can return to this application to choose your address and your friends can see your new memorable web address, you need to click the button below to install an ‘Info section’ for this application on your profile. Following that, click ‘Add’, then ‘Keep’. This is instead of the profile boxes you had on the old Facebook.
Once you have added the section to your profile, you will find it at the bottom of the ‘Info’ page on your profile. You can then click on it to choose or update your memorable profile web address.
Honestly, I wish I could give you the step-by-step instructions to get this done. I just followed the instructions on the few screens and now you can find me at http://profile.to/bonniedubrow. Doesn’t that look better than http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1115706861&ref=name?
So click to here to make yourself more memorable today!
When you’re done, add your new URL to all your profiles on all your social networking sites, put it in your email signature, your blog, article signature box… everyplace and every chance you get!
And I’d love for you to go to my Facebook page and ask me to be your friend. Thanks in advance for becoming my friend. I look forward to becoming yours.
April 29th, 2009
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