Skip Social Media Predictions – Focus on the Present

December 31, 2009

Over the last month I have been reading everyone’s blog posts on Social Media Predictions. You may have noticed I haven’t written one. This  thought actually went through my mind a few weeks back….

I better get busy blogging some predictions to show my expertise to everyone.

After a few days of dwelling on this topic, I thought better and decided it’s better for me to focus on the present, while keeping the future in mind. I am not psychic and can’t predict the future of social media. There are too many developers out there way smarter than me making new and inventive social media tools, networking sites, etc . . .on a daily basis. 

Here’s my take:

• My expertise is leveraging the developers’ social networking tools to build my brand and my clients’ build their brands. (I thoroughly enjoy the satisfaction I feel when I have helped a client get Retweeted, #FollowFriday or comments made on their status updates.)
• I enjoy teaching my social media consulting clients how to use the great tools developers have made to make social networking easier.
• I focus on advising my clients on proper etiquette, tactics and strategies for social media marketing.

With all this rambling on, my point is…

Focus on what you know! Build your brand! Develop a great strategy! Be a great person in the PRESENT and the FUTURE will take care of itself!  Do have goals and a business plan for achieving want to be in the FUTURE, but live in the NOW!

I do want to encourage you to post any comments, tips and your advice on this post! I love to learn from others and feel everyone has a value to add!  Thank you for an awesome 2009!  Let’s welcome in 2010 with a clear FOCUS and ACTION!

12 Tips of Social Networking

December 25, 2009

12 Tips of Social Networking: Singing this to the tune of the 12 days of Christmas would have been ideal, but since I don’t sing here it goes: Just the lyrics. You can put it to music in your head, as I did when writing it!

The 1^st tip of Social Networking the geniuses said to me:  Know your Brand and Have a Strategy!

The 2^nd tip of Social Networking the geniuses said to me: Write on your Blog to show your Expertise!

The 3rd tip of Social Networking the geniuses said to me: Use sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter to Implement Strategy!

The 4th tip of Social Networking the geniuses said to me:Use SocialOomph, Ping.fm, Hootsuite and Twitterfeed. They are FREE!

The 5th tip of Social Networking the geniuses said to me: Now have the Secrets. Get Busy!

The 6th tip of Social Networking the geniuses said to me: Follow these experts, as we all agree! (@chrisbrogan, @adamostrow, @mashable, @guykawasaki, @sethgodin and don’t forget @giovanni)

The 7th tip of Social Networking the geniuses said to me: Welcome new friends with Integrity.

The 8th tip of Social Networking the geniuses said to me:  Retweet your Friends, Share great Information and Don’t be Salesy!

The 9th tip of Social Networking the geniuses said to me: Check your Twitalyzer score, make note of your Influence, Signal, Generosity, Velocity and Clout score.

The 10th tip of Social Networking the geniuses said to me: Study the other cool Twitter tools like:  Tweetdeck, Twellow, Twitpic, Twitter Karma, Twtvite, Tweetboard, TweetBackup, TwitBacks, TwitterGrader and don’t forget Twitlonger.

The 11th tip of Social Networking the geniuses said to me: Don’t be Intimidated by the Experts, Now you know some of what they Know Too!

The 12th tipof Social Networking the geniuses said to me: You’ve Learned a lot, now Share with Your Friends and Help them Get a strategy!

A special thank you for this inspiration and my work goes to these @pattyfarmer, @careerdesign, @dorothybeach, @tonycecala, @mikedmerrill, @shama, @stephaniec2c, @jimibratt and @cyberdivaVA. Your are all awesome! I have many more friends I’d like to thank, but it is too many twitter id’s!

Thanks everyone for being great friends! Love you dearly!  P.S. Be thankful I didn’t sing this to you (@lissaduty)!

©LissaDuty.com 2009

Personal Branding – My opinion!

December 1, 2009

I follow about 30 different social media blogs and have noticed over time that everyone gives their opinion on personal branding – i.e. what to share, what not to share, the big sharing No No’s! I thought it was time I share my opinion. Here goes . . .

Frankly, I am tired of reading others blog posts, articles etc. . . .saying don’t tweet or update your status with what you are eating, how you are feeling, etc. . . I guess the authors of those posts where tired of reading these type of updates and decided to send their network an indirect heads up.

I think we all have common sense and know what we want to share with our network of friends, followers, connections.

If I decide to share the fact I am eating my favorite meal (Spaghetti or Cheese Enchiladas, double rice no beans) on Twitter or Facebook then I will do so. And I bet someone would comment on the update. It’s not so much what you share, but how you share it! See examples below:

I am sitting down to eat spaghetti that my sister @jimibratt prepared. She makes the world’s best in my opinion!

My purpose here would be to make my sister feel good and also let all of my followers know her Twitter id in case they want to connect with her.

Excited! Just met with a new client @careerdesign. They are working on revamping their website http://careerdesign.com!

My purpose here would be to let everyone know I was excited and why (i.e. new client), my client’s Twitter id in case they would like to follow and also about their website. Someone in my network may know a great connection or have some advice or words of wisdom for my client.

My point with all this rambling is:

It’s not so much what you share! It’s how you share it! In other words, Write it creatively! Make it interesting! Have a purpose! The little pieces of information you share about yourself is how you connect to your network and how they connect to you. Personal Branding after all is in essence who you are and what you want your network to know about you! Just be yourself, share great information and you will grow personally and professionally.

Personal Branding is a strategy you use to share information and your knowledge! Don’t let it intimidate you and by all means don’t let some other blog author tell you what you can and cannot share on Twitter, Facebook, or whatever social networking sites you like to use.

Please share your comments with me and the readers of this post! Everyone has a great perspective and advice to add to make us all better at Personal Branding!