Some of my best clients are friends – a disclosure, of sorts
It’s common practice in the social media space to be transparent with respect to your clients and vested interests. I’ve wanted to write this post for some time. It’s part disclosure and part ode to some of the remarkable people I call clients – and friends.
My work with the following individuals and organization spans a wide range of services – from social media training and coaching, to blog design and content development, to online personal branding and content marketing. Some engagements have been modest, while others involved more significant time and resources. In all cases, I feel I’ve received as much value as I’ve (hopefully) delivered.
Evolution of my use of Twitter tools for content curation
Twitter has evolved into it’s own universe – the Twitterverse, if you will – and with it comes a wide range of tools.
To anyone trying to get into Twitter and understand what it is and how it works, I recommend starting slowly. Walk before you run.
For instance, start with the Twitter client itself. Available on the web and on mobile devices, Twitter.com does a good job with the basics – following, direct messaging, making lists, and checking who has mentioned you or retweeted your tweets.
3 tips for setting up your own web or blog site
This question gets asked lots of times, so I will try to shed light on how I do it and why I do it that way.
1. I would strongly recommend that you use WordPress for your web site and blog. It can easily function in an integrated way as a blog and a traditional web site, so that’s all you need. And here are 8 more huge reasons why WordPress is a great choice.
2. There are many professional WordPress theme designers who are offering top-notch designs that can be customized to your needs very cost-effectively. For example, see WooThemes, Obox, Elegant Themes, BizzArtic and ThemeForest, just to name a few.
6 ways for busy professionals to make time for social media
While the case for getting engaged in social media is growing more compelling each day, significant barriers remain.
Chiefly among those barriers are the following two:
- Knowledge – How does it work? What am I supposed to write about? How do I promote myself? (And if you’re a regulated professional, you might be wondering: What am I allowed to say, do, and write?)
- Time – Even if I know what to do, WHEN am I supposed to find time to do it?
This post is about overcoming the second barrier to social media engagement: time.
Professionals and the new culture of social media networks
Last week, I had the pleasure of presenting a keynote talk to a group of financial advisors from Peak Financial in beautiful Victoria, BC.
My presentation focused on the new culture of social media networks and offered some key insights and strategies for advisors wishing to engage in this space. Being a long-term relationship person myself, I focused on how to build trust online (and why you want to) as well as authentic personal branding and the rise of the influence economy.
These concepts apply to virtually any professional – not just financial advisors – whose business is based on their specialized subject matter knowledge, a reputation for being trustworthy and just doing good work.
Always interested in feedback.
Getting your social media footing
After reading Evan Zall’s article Traction on a Slippery Slope, I’d wished I had written it. Zall captures the unique predicament in which regulated financial advisors find themselves regarding their use of social media and he offers some pragmatic advice: engage proactively, but do so with caution.
In this post, I will build on Zall’s advice and offer some clarification from my perspective on how to implement it. To do so, I will borrow his four pillars framework and trust he will recognize that my imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
Evolve your use of social media tools
Mitch Joel recently opined that he felt Twitter had become a distraction. Many of the responses to his post echoed this sentiment and advocate for “all things in moderation”, yet the conversation as a whole points to a fact about social media that is often overlooked.
Social media use and habits evolve over time. Tools come and go and are upgraded and enhanced. And our awareness of tools and strategies and what works best for each of us is constantly evolving depending on many factors.
A micro-manifesto on personal branding for practice professionals
Personal branding is one of the most important marketing strategies for practice professionals in an age of social media. Business has always been built on relationships – especially in professional services where your client is buying your knowledge, your reputation, and your commitment. Your personality informs your brand.
The proliferation of social media spaces and tools are changing the business communications landscape and how we market ourselves. Here are two significant changes:
- Access to our target markets is more direct and less mediated through established media platforms with every passing day. That is not to say that traditional media platforms are not important, but rather that you should use these channels to build your own direct channels to your clients and prospects.
- Success in social media is measured in terms of influence – number of followers, reach, size of network, etc. – a concept that has evolved out of the mass media notion of celebrity. Yet, at the same time, social media tools allow you define communities of interest on a smaller scale, thereby lowering the bar for what constitutes celebrity or influence.
In other words, there are more tools available than ever before to build and extend relationships. And those relationships can have a greater impact on your business success than ever before.
Your business needs YOU to have a personal social media strategy in 2011
I remember the day I purchased my first Fast Company magazine. The cover story featured a piece by management consultant Tom Peters called: The Brand Called You. That article inspired me to build and sell a web development company and invest in several other businesses.
Almost 15 years later, Tom Peters’ call to action is more relevant than ever before. Social media tools coupled with wireless mobile technologies are revolutionizing our communications landscape. And it’s changing how we market and advertise our businesses, as well as how we engage, support and retain our customers.
Business has always been about relationships and it is no less so today. What is changing profoundly today is how and where we conduct those relationships.
Social media for business presentation
I often have a need for a good social media presentation in business settings – a presentation that provides an overview of the topic, communicates clear messages and is well designed.
This presentation hits the jackpot! If you are looking for an overview of what social media might mean to your business, here’s your presentation.