Being Social #5 - The art of the introduction

Welcome to the latest issue of Being Social. This is the fifth issue and I'm looking for feedback. How do you like Being Social? All feedback is welcome. You can email me or comment on this blog post. Thanks!

I'm going to change things up and make this issue all about tips and resources. So here we go!

1. We all believe that we're memorable and assume that a person whom we want to connect with online will know who we are. We might also assume that a person will be willing to connect to someone even if they don't know us. Let's not assume. If you really want a person to accept your invitation to connect, take a minute to write a note of introduction. Tell the person where you have met or why you want to connect. If the person, who is receiving your invitation, cannot tell quickly why you want to be "friends", your invitation may be rejected.
2. In most cases, there is no reason to tell a person why you don't want to connect with them. However, I often feel that it is appropriate in LinkedIn to write a brief note of explanation, especially if you really do know the person. For example, it could be that you know the person but not well enough to feel that you should be connected in LinkedIn. (Remember that in LinkedIn, you should feel comfortable referring your contacts as well as having them refer you.) If you don't feel a strong connection at this time, tell the person and say that you would be willing to establish a LinkedIn connection once you know each other's work better.
3. Are you connected to people in LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook or on some other site that you don't want to be connected with (for whatever reason)? It is okay to remove them from your friends list AND they will not know. Yup...I've tested it. They don't receive any notice that you've dropped them. By the way, it really is good to clean up your friends list occasionally since it is easy to accept an invitation that you later regret.
4. A good use of social media is for marketing. A business should include social media as part of its marketing mix. Twittown has written The Marketer's Social Media Cheat Sheet. I wouldn't consider this the last word on using social media in marketing, but it is helpful. The chart will definitely be useful for anyone that hasn't considered what's possible.
5. Wondering still about fitting social media into your day? If you haven't done the rock-pebble-sand time management exercise, try it out. This version of the exercise doesn't have you assign time for work and it doesn't ask about social media, so remember to think about both. Is social media a rock, pebble or sand in your life? Or maybe in ranks with water and surfing the net?
6. Want to be a social media champion at work? Jason Falls has written a good article on the topic which contains six times. The best tip is to "illustrate the benefits". If you can use social media and reap demonstrable benefits, then others in your office will be more willing to follow your lead.
   

For Your Information & Entertainment: When most people think of social networking, they think of the consumer products that are always in the news like Twitter, Facebook, etc. However, there is enterprise software that can be run behind a firewall which will bring in-house the ability to connect, share and collaborate in a social way. An excellent article on the subject is "Can Enterprise Social Networking Pay Off?" (InformationWeek, March 23, 2009).

Of course, there are books on this topic, although you may find most of what you need through magazines like InformationWeek. One book is Enterprise 2.0: New Collaborative Tools for Your Organization's Toughest Challenges, which has received positive reviews.

Burson-Marsteller did a Fortune Global 100 Social Media Study and found that "Twitter is the social media platform of choice among the Fortune Global 100. The study found that 65 percent of the largest 100 international companies have active accounts on Twitter, 54 percent have a Facebook fan page, 50 percent have a YouTube channel, and one-third (33 percent) have corporate blogs. Only 20 percent of the major international companies are utilizing all four platforms to engage with stakeholders." The full report is available online (13 pages).

Cisco commissioned a study that "reveals proliferation of consumer-based social networking throughout the enterprise and a growing need for governance and IT involvement." Cisco has published highlights from the study. I've heard that a report from the study will be available this month.

Comments? If you have a comment about this issue of Being Social, please email me or leave a comment in the blog. Thanks!

Look for the next issue of Being Social in about two weeks. Until then...!

Being Social #4 - How Millennial Are You?

Welcome to the latest issue of Being Social.

The European Network and Information Security Agency (ENISA) has released a 49-page report entitled "Online as soon as it happens". The report raises a number of concerns about privacy online. However, what it doesn't acknowledge is that we are becoming more willing to give up our privacy if we see a benefit. This is what drives some people crazy about millennials and others who are using social media. We see them give up their privacy and wonder if they recognize what they are doing.

The rule, when I was growing up, was "don't tell everyone your business." Now the rule seems to be "tell everyone your business!" Privacy was something to be cherished, now privacy is something we give up IF there is a benefit. Those benefits can be very personal. For example, a person on a business trip may be willing to update his status constantly in order to keep his family in the loop. Those updates, however, may be unwanted personal chatter to others in his network.

Another example...I've been using a site called Four Square that allows me to tell my Four Square friends where I am and track where they are. While I don't broadcast where I am all the time, I'm willing to announce many of my locations. This trivia allows my friends to get to know me better. The benefit - as more information is shared, richer friendships - and spheres of influence - develop. [BTW There is also a game element to Four Square, which helps people stay involved with the product.]

The other benefit of Four Square users giving up their privacy and announcing the locations they visit is that it creates a trail of popular spots. Businesses are even using Four Square to attract people and promote what's interesting and unique about them. The benefit - information about products/services/locations leads to increased foot traffic.

Many of my friends on Four Square are not in Syracuse, but they are people I'll be attending conferences with later this year. I'm already looking forward to how we'll use Four Square to find each other, coordinate our activities, and exchange information on worthwhile sessions.

In that last paragraph is a point that's worth discussing. While I'm having fun using Four Square here in Syracuse, I know that the real "bang" will come when I use it at a conference with hundreds of people. I'm getting used to it now...building my network in Four Square now...knowing that it will pay off later. Meanwhile, as more people in Syracuse begin to use it, I'm see benefits. For example, yesterday I sat in a pizzeria and looked at all of the tips (things to do) people have placed in Four Square for the locations around me. Imagine if I had been a tourist or someone new to the area? Those tips might have led me to explore the neighborhood and find products/services that I would not have found otherwise.

For all the information I put "out there" on the Internet, it might surprise you that I'm really a private person. However, I've learned that balancing what I need to keep private and what I'm willing to share is very d0-able. If I can do it, you can too. Remember to create your rules about what you want to share and with whom, then use them!

By the way, I know you are frustrated with the growing number of social media tools and sites. You want to know which ones to use and which to ignore. Use the ones that your audience is using. Yes, what they use will change and you'll have to change with them. There is no getting around that.

Tips: Last year, Mashable published "7 Secrets to Getting Your Next Job Using Social Media". These tips are definitely not what your parents told you!

1. Conduct a people search instead of a job search
2. Use attraction-based marketing to get job offers
3. Be proactive on Twitter
4. Capitalize on LinkedIn
5. Advertise your brand using AdWords and Facebook Social Ads
6. Construct a video resume and upload it to YouTube
7. Subscribe to blogs that have job listings

I know! Some of these seem very unusual, but if you read the article, you'll realize that some of these aren't that odd (or hard).

For Your Information & Entertainment: According to research by the Pew Research Center, millennials are "confident, self-expressive, liberal, upbeat and open to change." The report overview states that "It's not just their gadgets -- it's the way they've fused their social lives into them. For example, three-quarters of Millennials have created a profile on a social networking site, compared with half of Xers, 30% of Boomers and 6% of Silents." Pew has created a quiz to let you see how "millennial you are". The 14 question quiz is fun and will get you thinking about how similar or different than you are with the generation that grew up with computers.

By the way, I -- a baby boomer -- scored scored 69 out of 100. A typical baby boomer would score between 11 and 33.

And...looking for a book for your nightstand? Try:

Here Comes Everybody: The Power of Organizing Without Organizations which talks about the changes that people are adopting with web 2.0. For example, chapter 4 is entitled "Publish, then filter". Web 2.0 is allowing everyone to be a publisher of content. People are publishing content for their friends, colleagues and even people they don't know. With so much content being created, what is important is how we filter through it all. This is very different from the models (e.g., newspapers and broadcast media) where content is filtered before it is published. That change is what causes stress and confusing for many people, yet for others -- millennials and those who act like millennials -- publishing, then filtering is normal.

Comments? If you have a comment about this issue of Being Social, please email me or leave a comment in the blog. Thanks!

The next issue of Being Social will be published in two weeks. Until then...!

Being Social #3 - The Rules

This issue of Being Social is about creating rules.

Are the core of web 2.0 is the ability for our lives and organizations to be more transparent. This comes at a time when we seem to value more transparent companies, government agencies, etc. Transparency means that more of your decisions and activities are known to those around you. In web 2.0 terms, that means that your putting more of "you" (or your organization) out on the Internet for others to discover.

Whenever I talk to a group about social media, there is always someone in the audience that is afraid of this transparency. They believe that social media makes everything known to everyone, and that you cannot control what information is shared. They see an out-of-control environment that will lead to a lot of bad things happening.While we have never had complete control over how information is shared, belief is that web 2.0 and social media makes it worse and thus magnifies people's anxiety.

I believe the way to combat this anxiety is to mirror what we do in our day-to-day lives and organizations; have rules about what is shared (or not). Those rules may include how we share information about family, friends, relationships, work, clients, etc. The rules may be different depending on the situation. For example, I may talk about family with my close friends, but not with people I meet on the street. And the rules will definitely be different from one person to the next. None of us look at transparency and its opposite - privacy - the same way.

This week, I want you to work on your own rules about transparency and privacy. Please write down your rules, even if its on the back of a business card. If you write down your rules, you will spend time thinking about them and you'll be more likely to follow them. As you do this, questions to ask yourself include:

• What information about myself and my personal activities do I want to share online?
• What type of information do I want to disclose about my family or home?
• What would my employer feel was appropriate for me to share about work?
• What don't I want to share?
• Given the level of transparency that I'll have online, who do I want to have as friends in the social media?
• Who would I want to keep out of my online social circles?
  

Notice that most of the questions as positive. It is more powerful - and helpful - to think of what you want, rather than what you don't want.

BTW I've written about privacy before, including some of my own rules. Considering that I and my friends/colleagues use a wide variety of tools, there is a lot of information about me online including photos. (Yup, even photos of me singing karaoke.) Thankfully, I've never found anything posted online about myself that was harmful. Humorous - yes, harmful - no. If I did, I know that there is a way to handle it - ask that it be removed. I know...the Internet has a long memory, just like many of my friends. What I hope - just like you - is that the good that is known outweighs any negatives.

If you are in the position of creating social media guidelines for an organization, also use this week to work on those guidelines. Those guidelines should reflect your corporate values. For more information setting guidelines for your organization, look at:

• List of corporate social media guidelines, including IBM, GM, Yahoo and BBC, http://socialcomputingjournal.com/viewcolumn.cfm?colid=826
• Understanding Social Media Guidelines for Employees, http://tinyurl.com/ksvz8d
• Global Study Reveals Proliferation of Consumer-Based Social Networking Throughout the Enterprise and a Growing Need for Governance and IT Involvement, http://newsroom.cisco.com/dlls/2010/prod_011310.html

Tips: Here are links to 24 tips from other people that I know you'll find useful.

• 14 Tips to Use LinkedIn More Effectively -- The questions that Pete Kistler asks will be easy for you to answer and take action on. The first one - "Is your headshot up to date?" - implies that you should have a headshot. It doesn't need to be a professional headshot, but it does need to be appropriate AND up to date.


• 10 Ways Facebook Pages Can Help Local Governments Better Serve Their Constituents -- Even if you're not in government, you will find these tips to be very appropriate. For example, "Provide useful profile information." That may seem obvious, but it's definitely not obvious to everyone.

For Your Information & Entertainment:

Written by Seth Godin, Tribes has helped many people think about the groups they are forming and the movements they are creating. Some consider this a book about unconventional leadership. The premise is that tribes (groups) form around shared interests and communicate in a variety of ways (as appropriate for that tribe). Leaders emerge that can help with the communication and that can harness the energy of the tribe.

I've read the book and really enjoyed it. It's a "quick read" and contains nuggets that will give you an ah-ha moment. From reading reviews, however, it seems like a lot of people didn't like this book. I guess liking it is in the eye of the beholder.

One thing that everyone should be intrigued about is how the book was marketed. Before Tribes was published, Godin created a tribe focused around the then upcoming book. That tribe became a community that was given access to excerpts from the book. As members of the tribe, they could also exchange ideas and learn from each other. Best of all, they were able to become part of the companion to Tribes called The Tribes Casebook (pdf). As the Casebook says, "The Tribes Casebook was written (or cheered on) by more than 3,000 people. Each case had a lead author, and the community at www.triiibes.com contributed advice, examples and encouragement."

In order to become a member of the Tribes tribe, people had to pre-order the book. What was interesting is that Godin then - unexpectedly - sent every tribe member a free copy of the book and asked that they share that copy with a colleague. Not only did he pre-sell thousands of books, but then he used that network to get more books out into the hands of potential readers (at his own expense). Can you see the benefit? Would you do something like that? Would your company?

Comments? If you have a comment about this issue of Being Social, please email me or leave a comment in the blog. Thanks!

The next issue of Being Social will be published in two weeks. Until then...!

Being Social #2 - Making Connections

Welcome to the second issue of Being Social. Based on the feedback you have sent my way, Being Social is providing needed information. I hope you'll continue to provide comments, as well recommend Being Social to your colleagues.

Six Degrees of Separation: I remember when the trivia game surrounding the actor Kevin Bacon first appeared. It was fun to think about which actors has a connection to him through their work with other actors. (Who has worked with someone who had worked with Kevin Bacon?) It then became fun to think about ordinary people who were six connections (or less) away from a famous individual. For example, I know "C" who knows Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who knows President Barack Obama.

Making those connections visible and more usable is what LinkedIn does (for free). The mission of LinkedIn is to connect you with the colleagues that you respect and trust. With over 55 million members in more than 200 countries and territories around the world, it is likely that there are several people using LinkedIn that could be important contacts for you. They could help you advance an idea, locate a supplier, find a new opportunity, or remove a career barrier. Some industry associations are encouraging their members to join LinkedIn, in order to become more visible. The more visible you are, the more likely opportunities will come your way.

If you haven't joined LinkedIn, then you need to sign-up (free) so you can take advantage of the extended network that is awaiting you. You'll need to set aside time to create a complete profile on LinkedIn. Yes, the profile asks for a lot of information! But the more information you put in LinkedIn, the easier it will be for other people to find you. In addition, once people in your extended network find you, they will be able to see your accomplishments and capabilities. You are then no longer an unknown entity. Keep in mind that that you're not creating a classic resume in LinkedIn. Instead, you are writing prose to explain what you have accomplished as well as the positions that you have held. You want to include those words and phrases that will be meaningful to others in your industry. Those that see your LinkedIn profile should be able to understand what "you bring to the table" and why you matter.

One of the powerful features of LinkedIn is to ask colleagues to write recommendations for you. You need to ask people for recommendations. Don't assume that they will do it without being prompted. The more recommendations that give information on your successes and skills, the better.

If you are a member of LinkedIn, it is likely that you could be doing more to interact with your extended network, as well as those who are in your area of interest.

• Using the Network Update feature, tell people about a recent success or provide a useful tidbit.
• Use the message feature to send messages to some of your connections. Do more than just say "hi". Tell them something that will pique their interest or give them information that you know they can use.
• Join a group that is focused on your area of expertise and then participate in the group discussions. Yes, some people use the discussions to post self-serving advertisements, which can be annoying, but you can be different. Ask meaningful questions and engage the group in worthwhile discussions.
  

Like nearly every social site, LinkedIn has privacy setting. Take time to review and update your settings. While you may want to keep some of your information private, keep in mind that the more visible you are, the easier it will be for people to find and engage you.

By the way, here is my LinkedIn profile. I consider it to be a continued work-in-progress. Like my resume, it is never finished.

Tips: So the obvious tip for this week is to join and be active in LinkedIn. In addition, implement these five ideas:

1. Add your photo to your LinkedIn profile. Profiles that contain photos are viewed more frequently. If you don't have a recent photo, you can easily have a friend take a photo that you can use. For a more professional photo, hire a photographer to do a headshot for you that you can use online (and offline).
   
2. Connect only to people that know you and your work. Your direct connections should be able to recommend you. Don't connect to people that you don't know as a way of increasing your connections. People that don't know you are not likely to make the introductions that you need or pass along the information that you require.
   
3. Weed your connections. Undoubtedly, you've added people that you really don't know. Take time to review your contacts and delete anyone whom you don't recognize or remember. Hint - they will not know that you've ended your connection with them.
4. Get in the habit of providing a Network Update weekly, if not daily. If you are unsure about what to share, read what your colleagues are sharing. Keep your Network Updates positive. No need to have any negativity associated with your LinkedIn profile.
5. Include the URL to your LinkedIn profile in your email signature, on your business card, or on your web site. Since you can have your profile viewable by anyone (whether or not they are a member of LinkedIn), it can be a great way of sharing who you are with others.
   

For Your Information & Entertainment: Here are two books that I think you'll find useful.

Steve Tylock wrote The LinkedIn Personal Trainer in 2007. I read my copy on a cross country flight and then couldn't wait to implement was I was reading. Tylock does a wonderful job walking you through what you need to do to setup your LinkedIn account. Completing your profile can seem like a daunting task, but with Tylock's help, it becomes much easier.

Read This First: The Executive's Guide to New Media-from Blogs to Social Networks was written by Ron Ploof (2009). Ploof began this work as something to use with his clients. He wanted a paper that he could give to an executive to read before their first meeting. Feedback told him that more people could benefit from a work like this and the book was born. If you are an executive or if your pitching social media to an executive (e.g., your boss), this book could be very helpful.

And here is a video, provided by LinkedIn (via Youtube), that helps to explain its usefulness. If you're trying to convince someone to join LinkedIn, this video may be very useful.



Comments? If you have a comment about this issue of Being Social, please email me or leave a comment in the blog. Thanks!

The next issue of Being Social will be published in two weeks. Until then...!

Being Social #1 - Starting the Conversation

Welcome to the inaugural issue of Being Social. Being Social is a new twice monthly feature of eNetworking 101: The Blog. The name - Being Social - reflects the core value of social media. While we want to use social media to promote our endeavors, find clients, sell products, etc., the goal of social media is to give people the opportunity to:

• Connect with others
• Be in a community
• Be involved in social activities
• Enjoy the companionship of others
• Share information
  
• Collaborate
  

Or in other words, to be social. Of all of those, the first thing that happens with social media is connecting with others. Being involved in social media is not a solo activity. It is through the interaction with our connections that we become more proficient in using social media. You may have noticed that most sites have limited or useless help screens. While that can be seen as a flaw, the positive side is that you are then reliant on your connections (friends) to teach you the finer points of using the technology. Being in the "same boat" can be a powerful bonding agent, so don't be afraid to dive into a tool like Twitter with the vow that you and your friends will figure it out together. (Don't worry - I'll be giving you tips too!)

But I Have Nothing To Say: Connecting with others is more than just "friending" the person; you need to engage that person in a conversation. I'll admit that some of tools, like Twitter, don't seem like places for conversations, but they are. The give-n-take can feel disjointed, like two people talking while jogging on a track but going in opposite directions. There can be a lag in the conversation or the conversation can feel one sided...just like two people exchanging words as the pass each other twice on each lap. While that is something you'll have to get used to, the bigger problem is that people feel that they have nothing to say.

I run into people all the time that say they don't want to use social media because they believe that cannot contribute anything to the conversation. For some, the "nothing" is because they cannot talk about their work. For others, it's a belief that nothing they are doing would be of interest to others. However, we all have interesting personal and professional lives that should give us much to talk about. For example:

• The title and URL of an interesting article that you read
• Information on an event that you're involved in
• Pointer to something that is occurring that concerns you
• Heads-up about a networking opportunity ("Anyone attending XYZ Conference want to meet for coffee?")
• Something you did that you're proud of (e.g., big contract, running a marathon, staying on track with your goals, giving good customer service)
• A tidbit of information that you believe should be shared (e.g., new product announcement, local news story, a piece of wisdom)
  

Since the idea is to converse, you can -- and should -- also respond to what some of your contacts are saying. That response can be an answer or just giving more information. Sometimes it is just a "me too" or an message of support.

But you want to influence and sell and...! I know. But as any salesperson will tell you, the conversation comes first. It is through the conversation that you learn who that person really is and what his needs are. Talk and listen, then the rest will follow.

Notice that I haven't said which tool this conversation should happen in. It is not the tool that's important, it's what you do with it. Conversations can happen in Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Friendfeed to name a few. If you're using enterprise social software (or Enterprise 2.0), it can happen there too. So if you're using a social media tool today, start talking to those that you're connected with. If you're not using social media, ask your colleagues what they are using and then select one to join. You'll automatically know at least one person there that can help you learn "the ropes" and introduce you to others.

By the way, this morning I've already shared two book titles with my contacts (or followers) that I knew they would appreciate. I can see from the interaction that followed that indeed people did like them.

Tips: Our communications are becoming shorter in length. Consider that Twitter allows for messages of 140 characters. Although that is more restrictive then other sites, it is clear that being long-winded isn't valued. Sean Branagan, founder of Communigration, said that we need different versions of our elevator speeches, including versions that are 10 words and 3 words in length. Sean told a story about a plumbing company whose 3-word version was "We Show Up". When you have to call a plumber, it's likely an emergency, so showing up is vital! With social media, a 3-word version would definitely work no matter which tool you're using. So...

• Take your personal or organizational elevator speech and rework it. Get it down to 10 words. Then find the essence and phrase that in 3 words.
• If you're using a social media site where you can have a brief profile, use the 10-word version there. In LinkedIn, consider making it your "professional headline".
  
• When someone asks what you do, have the 3-word version ready to go. With only 3 words, you'll be able to respond to the person quickly not matter what keyboard or social media you're using.

For Your Information & Entertainment: In each newsletter, I'll highlight a few resources that might intrigue you. Since some of them will be less than serious, I'm titling this section appropriately!

There are an ever increasing number of books about social media and today I'm highlighting three. Digital marketing guru Mitch Joel bundled his knowledge normally reserved for his blog and podcasts into a book called Six Pixels of Separation: Everyone Is Connected. Connect Your Business to Everyone. I listen to many of Joel's podcasts and have heard him say that the book is available for those that want it, but that much of the same wisdom is in his blog and podcasts. He knows that some people just want "the book", so he wrote one. Yes, he's definitely worth listening to or reading (blog or book).

While Joel's book provides advice on reaching your global audience, The Twitter Book is geared towards making anyone a power Twitter user. Co-authored by Tim O'Reilly, this could be him just jumping on the Twitter bandwagon, since thousands of people are power Twitter users without reading any books.

Finally, Twitter Wit: Brilliance in 140 Characters or Less is a compilation of fun tweets. It's a nice reminder - if you need one - that social media can be a pleasant diversion.

Comments? If you have a comment about this issue of Being Social, please email me or leave a comment in the blog. Thanks!

The next issue of Being Social will be published in two weeks. Until then...!

I don't want to keep this secret! (Launching something new just for YOU)

In one week, I'll be launching a series here at eNetworking 101: The Blog on how to use social media more effectively in your daily life, both personally and professionally. The series will be newsletter-style blog posts, meaning that each Being Social blog post will contain tips, an article from me (or a guest columnist), and links to useful resources.

Over the last year, I've seen a number of resources on social media -- and so have you. They either talk about how easy it all is OR give you a supposedly tried-and-true series of steps that will guarantee you phenomenal results. The truth is actually someplace in the middle and it is a middle that I will explore twice a month with you.

Twice a month, Being Social will help you understand how to use social media to put yourself and your business in front of the people that need you.

You will hear from those -- people like you -- that have found success through social media and learn what they did that has made a difference. You will then be able to improve your social media practice by following in their footsteps.

Being Social will also talk about specific tools, tips and techniques that can improve your social media practice.

If you are not subscribed to automatically receive eNetworking 101: The Blog automatically, then sign-up today. The first issue of Being Social is coming soon! Make sure you will receive it.