All posts by Shari Weiss

I have been writing and teaching most of my life -- and have enjoyed both vocations. However, the advent of the Social Media Revolution has turned my life around in the most exciting fashion. Rather than think about retirement, I want to help change the world -- particularly the business world -- into a "kinder," more ethical, transparent, and authentic place to help solve people's problems.

It almost doesn’t make a difference where you are on the Social Media learning curve, there’s always more to discover and integrate into your strategy . . . even if you are just getting started.

"I am always doing that which I do not know how to do in order to learn how to do it." -- Picasso

STRATEGY is the key word of the day

i.e., what do you do first, second, third, and so on . . .

As a teacher for umpteen years, I subscribe to a learning philosophy, which is introduced to my students on their first day of class.

It’s so simple, I break it down to these Four Words:

Confusion
Silence
Focus
Effort

Confusion: Accept it. If you already KNEW what you were studying, you wouldn’t need to be in the class, workshop, consulting session, etc.

Silence: Stop worrying, i.e., quiet the FEAR [False Expectations Appearing Real] or you’ll never be able to Listen and Learn.

Focus: Multitasking is the ruination of perfection [according to Suze Orman . . . and me]. So concentrate on one thing at a time.

Effort: Without work and persistence, nothing will be produced or achieved.

Therefore, STEP ONE is to get past your feelings that there is too much to learn, and it takes too much time, and you’ll never get a handle on it.

You are correct: there is a lot to learn; it does take time; BUT you can get a handle on it if you can Listen, Focus, and do the Work.

So what should you do today?

Well, reading through the rest of this article could get you headed in the right direction: I’m going to list some of the “lessons” I heard in a webinar called “Capitalizing on the Conversation” that was sponsored by Social Media Magic, a firm that offers free webinars and fee-based courses and coaching.

Disclaimer: I was not paid to write about them, but I found their information extremely useful.

During the first 40 minutes of the online presentation, I tweeted many of the webinar insights under the hashtag #COC. [If you go to http://search.twitter.com/search?q=%23COC , you will find all of them.]

Top Ten Lessons from Social Media Magic Webinar:

1. Social Media is a complex Organic Conversation.

2. Your customers and prospective customers are “out there” talking — and they may be talking about you.

3. Not having a presence in Social Media means not having a Brand out there.

4. The three MAIN sites to establish a profile on are Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

5. Optimizing your profile on each of these sites will have a huge impact. What you say about yourself is one of the key ways that people find you and connect with you — and then buy from you.

6. Don’t worry about numbers. Instead look for targeted users and build relationships with them.

7. The most powerful way to build relationships is to be personal, transparent, and authentic.

8. Twitter has lots of value that people either miss or don’t understand. Twitter search offers Real Time results, i.e., what people are talking about now.

9. On Twitter you can share timely information, promote contests, spread useful links, personify your brand, follow competitors, and build credibility and influence.

10. Know the goals of your company and plan your strategies around them. Then find your target audience and create messages for them.

So now, what do you do first?

Get started.

Get started where?
How?
With what?

Okay, if you are still asking these questions, then my suggestion is to set up accounts on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter AND Optimize your profiles . . . then we’ll talk some more.

FURTHER READING:

9 Ways to Master Social Media Strategies

Twitter

What to Tweet? Yes, you can mix personal with business

November 25, 2009 Shari Weiss 10 Comments

I’m planning a Twitter workshop for some of my BabyBoomer friends, who are finally getting the idea that Twitter isn’t going away — and maybe they ought to jump aboard sooner rather than later.

There’s a whole lot of confusion out there: note the “Digital Divide” that Janis Johnson and I discussed in my last post Social Media has a PR problem.

How often do I tweet?
When do I tweet?
What do I tweet — business? personal?
HELP!

And, of course, the “help” abounds all over the Internet. I like my two posts

A recent “tutorial” brought to my attention by my student and colleague Zahid Lilani was a video featuring Social Media Thought Leader Chris Brogan discussing Social Media 101

In the last few minutes devoted entirely to Twitter, Chris describes his own Tweeting strategy:

He promotes other people’s stuff 12 times for every once he does his own.
He replies to Everyone [I think he says more than 80% of his Tweets are replies.]
And you should mix Business AND Personal.

Chris Brogan Shares Social Media Tips from Michael A. Stelzner on Vimeo.

Chris called Twitter “His Serendipity Engine” through which he’s met scores of people he’d never have met any other way.

NOTE: Super Tech Geek Robert Scoble said yesterday that Chris does Twitter wrong simply because he talks so much about other things and other people, and Robert wanted to read more about Chris.

But my post has had a “secret” agenda, which is now going to be revealed:

I wanted to mix personal with business.

So here are the latest photos of my “Buckeye Family”:

After all, People prefer to do business with People — when they have the chance.

Interview

Social Media Has A PR Problem

November 23, 2009 Shari Weiss 3 Comments

“Social Media’s PR Problem” was the title of the September 17 blog post by Janis Johnson, whom I met AFTER we both attended a panel discussion featuring four Bay Area social media practitioners in an event sponsored by the North Bay chapter of Women in Consulting (WIC), a San Francisco Bay area organization with more than 400 members.

Janis introduced herself to me online the day after the meeting when she posted a comment on my Performance Social Media Ning site:

“The panel discussion was both informative and provocative. I wrote my own blog entry. Social Media’s PR Problem, after this and a day of other social media online seminars.”

As an award-winning journalist and PR practitioner for many years, Janis recognizes the inevitability of learning about — and accepting — social media, but she sees a huge divide between Those Who Know and Those Who Don’t.

Here are some of Janis’ observations from her article:

“Social media has changed the business of PR and marketing, forcing countless communicators to jump on a fast-moving train without knowing where they are headed and lacking solid preparation for the unfamiliar new territory, customs, and language.”
“Clearly the biggest hurdle for the plunge into social media is how to get started. Next is the equally significant challenge of implementation — investing the expertise, time and resources for success over time.”
“As in any marketing initiative, a thoughtful analytical process should occur at the outset to determine what behavior a company or nonprofit is trying to drive and to define the desired endpoints of social media initiatives.”
“Social media to cultivate, grow and sell is not play, it’s a serious business of communications and relationship-building.”

Janis has always been fascinated by people and their stories

A born writer who wanted to be a journalist from an early age, she started her career on a medium-size metro newspaper. She earned the opportunity to join the staff of the Washington Post and later was a columnist and contributor for several Knight Ridder newspapers and the Knight Ridder Washington Bureau.

After 25 years as an award-winning journalist, she formed her own consulting firm, Johnson Consulting: Strategic Communication to help organizations tell their stories from an insider point of view, rather than as a media reporter.

“Technology has changed so much these days, but communications is still basically telling your story in the simplest way that you can. And there are many ways to do that. Of course, social media is a brand new way,” she said.

One thing has not changed, according to Janis, and that is the focus. “Most effective communication answers the question: ‘What does the audience need and want to know?'”

What does the audience need and want to know?

You cannot base the answer to this question on assumptions. You do need to listen. And that goes for people who teach social media strategies as well as other businesses and groups. The PR problem for social media is the Digital Divide, and this isn’t just a chronological thing. The Divide is about aptitude, interest, and time.

At the event Janis and I attended, the WIC members needed a more bite-sized, step-by-step approach. “This is a process, and a lot of people need everything broken down. You have to help people learn from the point where they are,” Janis said. When educators get hip to that, then social media’s PR problem can be solved.

What these consultants needed was the presentation on social media basics by Patrick Schwerdtfeger

Facebook, Interview, Sharisax Is Out There

Do we need an Emily Post for social media etiquette?

November 20, 2009 Shari Weiss 10 Comments

“To be or not to be . . .”
“To DO, or NOT to do . . .”

I got a “dressing down” the other day when I asked a question on various social media platforms.

This was my message:

“ARE PRESS RELEASES DEAD? I would like to publish an article on my blog,”

I received many relevant opinions and this surprising response:

“Don’t use my wall to promote your blog.”

Had I missed a rule?

Honestly, I was quite taken aback. What on earth had I done that was WRONG?

So I looked to the ‘wisdom of the crowd” and asked a few of my social media friends — many of whom had received and responded to my question: “What rules had I violated?”

Most said that they hadn’t been offended in any way, but one suggested that some people can get very “persnickety” about their Facebook profile — and that if I really wanted the Scoop on “Doing the Right Thing,” I should ask Etiquette Expert George Kao, a social media coach whose webinar I had attended and written about a month ago: The Circle of Reciprocity begins with Free.

“People are forgiving of your social media mistakes — if you don’t keep repeating them. Someone will usually let you know if you’ve done anything wrong.” — George Kao

George suggested to me that people should not be afraid of making mistakes. “The social web is so new, that the rules for etiquette may not be obvious,” he said. If in doubt, take action, he suggested.

“Focus on adding value to people’s lives and business.”

If you want to do the Right Thing online, then think of the Golden Rule: “Do Not do unto others as you would not have them do unto you.” AND “Do onto others as you would have them do onto you.”

Here are some of George’s suggestions:

Give others the experience you would want.
Be aware of actions that would be intrusive [like over promotion].
Build “Social Capital” [i.e. authentic relationships] before you spend it.
Duplicate the types of online actions that you like AND don’t do the ones you don’t like.
Be “Open Hearted.” We tend to be open-hearted with those who are open-hearted with us.

Facebook Walls: What to post and what not to post

Many people seem to be confused about Facebook Walls, George agreed. “Think of the Wall as someone’s Front Porch or a public office space,” he said. “Your Wall is where you post messages for all visitors. Your updates go on your wall,” he explained.

When someone clicks through to another person’s Facebook profile and writes on that person’s wall, it should be about that person — like a birthday greeting or an endorsement. The only people who see that Wall message, however, will be the Facebook friend and any mutual friends, according to George.

When you comment on one of your friend’s updates, it’s visible by all the person’s Facebook friends as well, so be aware of that.

“Everyone has a responsibility to manage his or her own Wall. If someone writes something you don’t like, you can remove it — and you ought to.”

George’s final caution: “When you are communicating and updating on Facebook, make certain that you don’t post anything you wouldn’t want the world to see.”

Do you have any online pet peeves that you’d like to share — or resources for rules? We’d love to know them and help spread the word.

728 FAQ’s for LinkedIn: Who Knew?

November 20, 2009 Shari Weiss Leave a comment

Getting your LinkedIn ???s answered is a piece of cake

It all started because I couldn’t “link in” to the new Twitter/LinkedIn sync.

I checked “here” and I checked “there” and VOILA, I found that Help [in the upper right hand corner of the LinkedIn home page] has 728 Frequently Asked Questions — and the Answers.

Here are the first 30:

. . . and 698 more. Check them out.

Unfortunately I didn’t get my Twitter situation fixed, but now I’ve got lots of homework to do to learn about hundreds of LinkedIn features I can take advantage of.

If you check out this section and find an answer to one of your questions, please share the experience; after all, I can’t get through all 728 of them on my own.

Photo by Susan Ambrosini

Guest Post, LinkedIn

So you’ve joined a LinkedIn Group . . . what’s next?

November 18, 2009 Shari Weiss 1 Comment

No matter what level of social media understanding you are at, you will ALWAYS find exciting new information and ways to get the most out of your online experience.

Sometimes it’s a matter of being READY to appreciate the information.

And I, personally, am ready to dive into Group conversations.

How about you?

Joined any groups yet?
Did you know what you were doing?
Are you in the right groups?
How are you participating?

All of the above are great questions, and I’ve now joined several groups on LinkedIn BUT I’m not so sure that I (a) knew what I was doing; (b) joined the right groups; or (c) knew what was expected of participants.

So when my SOCIAL MEDIA MAVEN group included a discussion on groups, I was really intrigued.

And then when I read Delores Wilson’s article, I thought “WOW, I have to share this.”

Delores was kind enough to allow me to re-post her article on my blog, so you can read her insights on HOW GROUPS WORK – AND HOW YOU CAN MAKE THEM WORK FOR YOU:

I’ve Joined a Group….Now What?

by Delores R. Williams:

http://www.socialmediadiet.blogspot.com
You’ve finally set up all of your profiles on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube and all of the other seemingly endless social media platforms. After wading through the plethora of applications, plug-ins, connections and friending, you suddenly find yourself in the world of Groups. You scratch your head, deepen your breath while you ponder this new social media frontier.
What the heck is this? Nobody told me about this “group” thing! Do I join a group? Host a group? Does this require more time? …I don’t remember signing up for this! Now what?

Understanding how communities REALLY behave is important to know BEFORE you either join or/and host a group.

People that join groups may have agendas/goals that may/may not align with those of the host or other group members. Making the mistake of assuming that community members are all on the same page – that once someone joins a community, they are going to abide by the rules & guidelines- could be further from the truth.

How do you get around the daggers that may put holes in the successful functioning of your group?

Best solution – a discussion of objectives, goal and rules for, both, the group and its community. In essence, what I refer to as – THE ROLL CALL. Short and sweet, this is it:

The Moderator:
aka, Host, Admin, Organizer. The Moderator is the ‘mayor’ of the community. It is the job of the Moderator to ensure that the goals, objectives and rules are abided by all of the community members. Monitoring and enforcing group guidelines ensures that the group runs smoothly and that community members feel ‘safe’ and have their basic needs met at all times.

The Influencers:
These are members who, naturally, take on roles like policing ‘bad’ behavior, welcoming new members, inviting other new members and attributing to group discussions. Influencers are self-motivated, enthusiastic community members who are invested in the success of the group.

Second Tier Influencers:
These are members who, through listening to the discussions and conversations from others in the community (usually The Influencers), are learning to appropriately utilize the group for its said purpose. Second Tier Influencers often times are converted into becoming Influencers themselves.

The Individual:
The individual, despite being aware of the guidelines, objectives and rules, has his/her own agenda for joining the group. Behavior is often times contrary to the rules set by The Moderator and results in creating discomfort within the community. These members push the envelope by constantly testing the rules (i.e., blatant product advertising instead of discussing brand/industry standards). The ‘Individual’ keeps The Influencers busy and definitely requires prompt intervention from The Moderator.

That’s it! Social Media Communities…in more than 140 characters.

Tell me your thoughts? Did I hit the mark? or am I way off?
I’d like to hear from the community….

Click on photos to link to other Howard Blum photos or go to his website

Sharisax Is Out There

Social Media Tools Week begins: 11 tips to get you started

November 17, 2009 Shari Weiss 1 Comment

The newest and most compelling Social Media tools from around the world — sponsored by Social Media Academy.

Social Media Tools Week – New Date 11/16 – 11/21

Highlights from the Welcome Keynote

Axel Schultze, Founder Social Media Academy

November 16, 2009

Educated purchasing decisions are changing business

Networks provide trusted sources of information.
Social media is where customers meet customers to share experience, to develop skills, to prevent failures.
80% of purchases are based on recommendations, and social media is the Number One Recommendation Engine.

Two objectives: Be a part of the Recommendation Chain and Create a better Customer Experience

The best salespeople don’t sell — they build relationships

No opportunity is ever lost: someone will always take it.

CHECKLIST for what to do to get started:

Look up your top 50 business contacts and find out where they have a presence in the social media landscape.
Create your own accounts where you find your customers, prospects, partners, and influencers.
Visit your sites regularly, at least every other day, if possible: Read posts; Comment; Care.
LISTEN to what’s on top of their minds and think beyond your product sale.
Be approachable and let your contacts connect with you.
Share your thoughts and interests . . . and get Social.
Take one of the reporting tools and begin to measure sentiments around your brand.
Tell your colleagues what you learn from customers and prospects. Encourage them to listen and learn as well.
Help customers with links; introduce them to existing customers and experts for your products and services.
Stay focused on people who are relevant to you — otherwise you get distracted and will be spending all your time browsing.
FINAL CAUTION: Do not waste time growing followers, editing videos, chatting with everyone who invites you. Rather, follow YOUR OWN business objectives.

. . . and tune in for more news and reports from Social Media Tools Week.

Facebook, Sharisax Is Out There

Facebook for Business, Blogging, Posterous and more:

November 12, 2009 Shari Weiss 3 Comments

Twitter is like my personal bookstore, but so is most of Web 2.0

Sharing is one of the amazing benefits of Web 2.0, so it’s no wonder that Twitter is so important to me — both as a source and a repository. Here are some of the articles I read and Tweeted and Re-Tweeted this week:

New York Times tips for Marketing on Facebook

Quick Tips worth repeating over and over [until people get them ingrained]: (a) Identify goals; (b) Share personality; (c) Engage, don’t shill; (d) Use Facebook data Here are some article highlights:

Be where your customers — and prospective customers — hang out.
Start small and add tools & apps slowly
Enliven page with photos and useful information
Buy-buy-buy messages do not work
Offer value and be patient

NYT article on Facebook for Business

Blogs are best HUBS for your content

Here are seven reasons why:

With a blog, you control the agenda, whether you’re communicating on behalf of a company, or for personal reasons.
Your blog can cater to a sub-group of your Twitter friends or a different audience altogether.
A blog is less dominated by spam than Twitter.
You can embed images, audio and video on your blog.
Blog posts can be of unlimited length. You can express yourself in more than 140 characters.
With some environments, you have almost unlimited control over the appearance, functionality and arrangement of your blog.
Many blogs include the ability to offer contact forms, polls, chat and other functionality. You can even embed your Twitter stream into your blog.

Blogs better Hubs than Twitter

Local audience — where the money is

Nope, even traditional media admits social media is NOT a fad. Local bloggers are being paid for page views. Viral nature of social media is fountain for success. Social media provides 2-way communication. Social media will be your local marketing tool

Facebook & Google win social network marketing race

“In the future, the Web you know will be based on the Web that knows you.”
“Social Media has simply become an unstoppable force.”
“Making special offers based on known behaviors and connections, will be automated.”
Future marketing outreach: “Maybe you’ll also reach out to one of the baker’s dozen’s worth of active baking-related groups on Facebook.”

Future of Marketing – PR Squared

Robert Scoble interview with POSTEROUS for the “GEEKY-ER” among you:

Top Geek-Thought-Leader Robert Scoble posted a video interview with the two creators of Posterous, a platform on which anyone can post content via email. Steve Rubel stopped publishing his highly regarded marketing communication blog Micropersuasion in favor of a Posterous stream. Video is 17 minutes long and features Robert’s questions for Posterous founders: Sachin Agarwal and Garry Tan. Highlights:

Purpose is to provide a simple, clean platform for rich media and mobile application.
Only four full-time engineers do all the work.
To serve 1.8 billion people who don’t want the hassle of a traditional blog
Future business model to offer Premium features — far in the future.

Check out more of Howard’s Awesome photos on his website: http://faces-and-places.net/indexa.html

Blogging

Use your Blog to become the GO-TO Source for Information

November 8, 2009 Shari Weiss 6 Comments

Lots of people considering social media strategies for business and personal reasons [like job seeking] may not fully appreciate the value of blogging.

the TIME
the SKILLS
the COMMITMENT

Is Blogging Worth all That?

Absolutely, according to Dean Guadagni, Social Media Marketing/Director at Inner Architect and source for two of my previous articles — Networking Tips and LinkedIn Profiles.

Dean recently conducted a workshop on the value of blogging for a Group of Marin Professionals. He began with his own experience:

“My own career really took off after I started to blog. It created a platform for me to position myself.”

“All consultants should have a blog,” Dean advised.

“Blogs are the Hub or Centerpiece of your online presence.”

He listed TEN BASIC REASON YOU SHOULD BLOG:
Publishing Platform
Control your Message
Delivery system for your Messages
24/7 Online Network
New Skill Development
Increased Perception through Web 2.0 Sources
Visibility
Reputation Management [your silence allows your critics to win]
Build Google Presence
Research required increases your Expertise
Here is my representation of a diagram Dean offered to represent the BLOG ECOSYSTEM:
Dean also described six common myths that hold people back from blogging:
Length: Some people think you have to write a lot. But the truth is that blog articles can me any size that a writer wants or needs to share the message.
Daily consistency: Mistaken impression that bloggers all write every day. Some may, but most don’t. [See previous article with report on how often people blog.]
Fear: Natural human feeling: “You’ll get over it,” Dean said.
Resistance to new technology: Much easier than people think.
What to say?: “People wonder what’s new that they can say. Probably not much, but it’s how you say it. What is your differentiating factor?”
Who will read my blog?: Good question — No One unless you promote it.

For help in starting your own blog . . . from scratch, check out my two earlier articles:

How to start a blog – step by step

Choose a design for your blog

BONUS: Here are six of the most popular type articles:

How-to’s
Top Ten Lists
Case Studies
“Best of” Lists
Interviews
Breaking News

JUST DO IT — and when you have, please send me a link!

FURTHER READING:

Blogging Basics

Blogging, Facebook

Let’s get the blogging story “straight” — a glimpse of the Technorati report

November 7, 2009 Shari Weiss 10 Comments

Just over six months ago [in April 2009], I wrote my first blog post with the announced intention to aim for “A-List status.”

Four months later I wrote an article about the “day I thought I’d died and gone to Heaven” — it was actually a report of a panel discussion headlining Steve Rubel among other social media thought leaders discussing a Roadmap for the future.

How very exciting it had been to introduce myself to Steve, who’s been a role model.

I told Steve of the lofty goal I was working towards, and he said,

“You might want to reconsider, Shari. Blogs are losing their status, and you might aim, instead, to be an A-List Thought Leader,” he advised me.

During the panel discussion Steve elaborated on this view:

I do subscribe to Steve’s Posterous stream, but that’s in addition to more than a dozen other blogs I keep up with pretty regularly. [Check my blogroll on the right hand sidebar.]

So . . . every time I read a headline like Brian Solis’ “Rumors of the Death of the Blog are Greatly Exaggerated,” I am encouraged to keep on “keepin’ on,” i.e., BLOGGING towards the A List.

Commentary on the PR 2.0 summary of Technorati’s State of the Blogosphere report

Technorati is a search engine for blogs, and it catalogs more than 112 million blogs. Every year the site comes out with a State of the Blogosphere Report and this year’s findings include information about these topics: professional blogging activities, brands in the blogosphere, monetization, twitter & micro-blogging and bloggers’ impact on US and World events.

The report also includes interviews with more than a dozen well-known, well-respected, and well-read bloggers including Steve Rubel.

Brian Solis’ blog PR 2.0 featured an indepth view of the report

This article will pick out and share pieces of the report that I found interesting and helpful to me as a fairly new blogger.

Brian’s post included color-coded charts recording responses from four categories of bloggers: (a) hobbiests; (b) part-timers; (c) corporate; and (d) self-employed.

1) About 70% of all bloggers felt that “Blogs are getting taken more seriously as sources of information” while 60% agreed that “More people will be getting their news and entertainment from blogs than from traditional media in the next three years.”

HOWEVER

2) Fewer than 40% agreed with the following two statements:

a) “Newspapers will not be able to survive in the next ten years.”

b) “Blogs are often better written than traditional media.”

Re: “Prolificness”

Brian wrote that “those bloggers who rank among the highest according to Technorati Authority post nearly 300 times more than the lower ranked bloggers.”

One Technorati survey question asked “How frequently do you update your blog?

20% post once or twice a day
27% post 2-3 times per week
33% post at least once a week
Interestingly, 3% of self-employed bloggers post 10 times a day or more! AND 7% post 5-9 times a day.

Why do bloggers blog?

“Self expression and sharing expertise are among the primary motivations for bloggers,” Brian wrote.

To measure the “success” of their blogs, survey respondents chose from the following ten factors, ranked from the most popularly selected to the least:

1) Personal satisfaction

2) Number of unique visitors

3) Number of posts or comments on the blog

4) Number of links to my blog from other blogs

5) Number of RSS subscribers

6) Accolades from other media

7) Number of people favoriting you

8) Blogger’s Technorati authority number

9) Number and quality of new business leads

10) and, finally, in last place for hobbiests/corporate bloggers was revenue; HOWEVER, 39% of part-timers admitted that revenue was an important measure of their success.

What activities do bloggers participate in to attract visitors?

The four most popular activities included (a) Listing the blog on Technorati; (b) Tagging blog posts; (c) Commenting on other blogs; (d) Listing the blog on Google.

Other activities were the following [from more popular to least popular]: (e) Getting listed on a blog directory; (f) Produce content for other blogs or websites; (g) Create a blog on a broader blog network; (h) Attend conferences for bloggers; (i) Pay for online advertising.

The future of Blogging

Here are the eleven blog ideas and tactics proposed for the coming year [from most popular to least]:

1) Blog more frequently

2) Expand some of the topics already blogged about

3) Publish a book

4) Begin using the blog to get speaking engagements

5) Add advertising

6) Begin guest blogging

7) Add video

8) Blog through mobile device

9) Start a new, independent blog

10) Start a new blog on a blog network

11) Blog less frequently.

According to Brian:

“Technorati believes that the next generation of blogs will be more action oriented, not just documenting real time happenings, but driving actual events.”

If you’re a blogger, how would you have answered any of the Technorati questions?

If you don’t blog yet, has any of this information convinced you to “dive in” and start expressing yourself?

FURTHER READING:

Blogging Basics

Sharisax Is Out There

Follow Friday? :-) Forgive me this digression :-)

November 6, 2009 Shari Weiss Leave a comment

Hi Folks,

I’m certain you’ll forgive a new grandma her digression once in awhile, but here’s what greeted me in this morning’s email box:

Tyler greets mommy Karen — Tyler says HI, Mom

Hey all, see how pretty Mommy made my room!

Sharisax Is Out There

All posts by Shari Weiss

What to Tweet? Yes, you can mix personal with business

HELP!

But my post has had a “secret” agenda, which is now going to be revealed:

I wanted to mix personal with business.

After all, People prefer to do business with People — when they have the chance.

728 FAQ’s for LinkedIn: Who Knew?

Getting your LinkedIn ???s answered is a piece of cake

Here are the first 30:

Photo by Susan Ambrosini

Let’s get the blogging story “straight” — a glimpse of the Technorati report

How very exciting it had been to introduce myself to Steve, who’s been a role model.

“You might want to reconsider, Shari. Blogs are losing their status, and you might aim, instead, to be an A-List Thought Leader,” he advised me.

Commentary on the PR 2.0 summary of Technorati’s State of the Blogosphere report

Brian Solis’ blog PR 2.0 featured an indepth view of the report

Re: “Prolificness”

Why do bloggers blog?

“Self expression and sharing expertise are among the primary motivations for bloggers,” Brian wrote.

What activities do bloggers participate in to attract visitors?

The future of Blogging

“Technorati believes that the next generation of blogs will be more action oriented, not just documenting real time happenings, but driving actual events.”

Follow Friday? :-) Forgive me this digression :-)

Hi Folks,

I’m certain you’ll forgive a new grandma her digression once in awhile, but here’s what greeted me in this morning’s email box:

Going BEYOND the Social Media Revolution

It almost doesn’t make a difference where you are on the Social Media learning curve, there’s always more to discover and integrate into your strategy . . . even if you are just getting started.

STRATEGY is the key word of the day

Therefore, STEP ONE is to get past your feelings that there is too much to learn, and it takes too much time, and you’ll never get a handle on it.

You are correct: there is a lot to learn; it does take time; BUT you can get a handle on it if you can Listen, Focus, and do the Work.

So what should you do today?

Top Ten Lessons from Social Media Magic Webinar:

So now, what do you do first?

Get started.

Get started where?

How?

With what?

HELP!

But my post has had a “secret” agenda, which is now going to be revealed:

I wanted to mix personal with business.

After all, People prefer to do business with People — when they have the chance.

Here are some of Janis’ observations from her article:

Janis has always been fascinated by people and their stories

What does the audience need and want to know?

“To be or not to be . . .”

“To DO, or NOT to do . . .”

Had I missed a rule?

“People are forgiving of your social media mistakes — if you don’t keep repeating them. Someone will usually let you know if you’ve done anything wrong.” — George Kao

“Focus on adding value to people’s lives and business.”

Facebook Walls: What to post and what not to post

“Everyone has a responsibility to manage his or her own Wall. If someone writes something you don’t like, you can remove it — and you ought to.”

Getting your LinkedIn ???s answered is a piece of cake

Here are the first 30:

Photo by Susan Ambrosini

And I, personally, am ready to dive into Group conversations.

How about you?

I’ve Joined a Group….Now What?

Understanding how communities REALLY behave is important to know BEFORE you either join or/and host a group.

How do you get around the daggers that may put holes in the successful functioning of your group?

The newest and most compelling Social Media tools from around the world — sponsored by Social Media Academy.

Highlights from the Welcome Keynote

Axel Schultze, Founder Social Media Academy

November 16, 2009

Educated purchasing decisions are changing business

Two objectives: Be a part of the Recommendation Chain and Create a better Customer Experience

The best salespeople don’t sell — they build relationships

No opportunity is ever lost: someone will always take it.

CHECKLIST for what to do to get started:

Twitter is like my personal bookstore, but so is most of Web 2.0

New York Times tips for Marketing on Facebook

Blogs are best HUBS for your content

Local audience — where the money is

Facebook & Google win social network marketing race

“In the future, the Web you know will be based on the Web that knows you.”

“Social Media has simply become an unstoppable force.”

“Making special offers based on known behaviors and connections, will be automated.”

Future marketing outreach: “Maybe you’ll also reach out to one of the baker’s dozen’s worth of active baking-related groups on Facebook.”

Robert Scoble interview with POSTEROUS for the “GEEKY-ER” among you:

Why I LOVE Social Media & Yoga

They are gathering places for like minds, hearts and souls.

Someone gets up on a platform, and people follow.

I stretch myself.

Participation allows me to “touch” — and be touched.

They are both quite in vogue these days.

I can capitalize on the “moment.”

Something new is learned every time.

The benefits intensify as my involvement increases.

They are both Addicting — but in positive ways.

AND . . . I’ve made some Great New Friends!

Is Blogging Worth all That?

How very exciting it had been to introduce myself to Steve, who’s been a role model.

“You might want to reconsider, Shari. Blogs are losing their status, and you might aim, instead, to be an A-List Thought Leader,” he advised me.

Commentary on the PR 2.0 summary of Technorati’s State of the Blogosphere report

Brian Solis’ blog PR 2.0 featured an indepth view of the report

Re: “Prolificness”

Why do bloggers blog?

“Self expression and sharing expertise are among the primary motivations for bloggers,” Brian wrote.

What activities do bloggers participate in to attract visitors?

The future of Blogging

“Technorati believes that the next generation of blogs will be more action oriented, not just documenting real time happenings, but driving actual events.”

Hi Folks,

I’m certain you’ll forgive a new grandma her digression once in awhile, but here’s what greeted me in this morning’s email box:

Going BEYOND the Social Media Revolution