Cute little guy.

A new guest post by Mindy Byers, Business Growth Strategist, Coach and Consultant in the greater Seattle area. Ms. Byers will be a special presenter at Bigfoot – the Northwests social networking/social media conference

One of the most important things in social networking is WHO YOU KNOW!

The good thing about Social Media is that it is really easy to meet a lot of people quickly on the internet, as long as you do it the right way.

Social Media is all about creating relationships.  You want to connect with as many like-minded people as you can within your niche.  You want to make sure that you find people who already have:

* A massive presence on the internet in your niche

* Large followings on their blogs

* Lots of friends on Facebook

* Tons of followers on Twitter

* A message that you agree with and can relate to

If you have spent any time on the internet, you can probably think of at least a few people who meet these criteria already.

If not, that is ok too. I encourage you take out all those business cards you have collected over the years and add them to your social networking sites. (Like Twitter, Facebook, etc.). Spend some time on their sites, learning as much about them as possible. Send them a direct message, and start to build a relationship with them.

Then take it one step further.

Start connecting with other people that have developed a relationship with them.  Read the comments that have been left by other people.  Follow any links to other Blogs that you find on their website.  Follow the people that they are following on Twitter.  Send friend requests to their Facebook friends and fans.  It is important that you send personal messages to people you are trying to connect with so you can start to build relationships.

Don’t forget that this is a public forum. This means that the key “don’t” when it comes to social networking is to not post anything you are not ready for the entire world to see. You certainly should not hesitate to personalize your online profile, yet it may be beneficial to your career and reputation to limit photos to a G-rated level and keep off-color hobbies and comments off of your page. If your mother would not approve, your employer probably would not either.

Do be selective. You should be selective not only when it comes to content, but also in regards to who you allow in your network. While the goal of social networking is to build a large web of friends, family, and colleagues with whom you can stay connected, the company you keep, even online, is a reflection of you. Be sure that the messages and photos that your contacts post are in line with the image and reputation you hope to portray.

Don’t be negative. Everyone understands that you will have bad days. And while it is certainly okay to share that things are not going well for you or ask for help from your network to solve a difficult problem, don’t make a habit of being negative. Just as being overly negative and pessimistic can be a turn off in an in-person social situation or interview, being overly negative online can be a quick way to alienate people.

Do update often. If you make a habit of updating your profile with new information and photos, you will become a more valuable to your network. Have a blog? Post a link and short blurb about your latest entry when you make a new post. You will stay active on everyone’s newsfeed and top-of-mind when they are looking for a new employee, contact, or resource.

Don’t forget the privacy settings. While some people are comfortable with the whole world having access to all photos, notes, and posts, others tend to be a little more conservative. On sites such as Facebook® or LinkedIn®, you can use the privacy settings to limit how much of your personal information is available to people searching for you. You can also designate that certain people can only see specific portions of your online profile. Spending time reviewing your privacy settings is time well spent.

Do think before you post. While it should go without saying, be careful that the information you post is neither inaccurate nor offensive. You want to become noted in your network, not notorious. It is also important to consider in what context your message will be taken. Will your attempt at sarcasm translate well through the Internet? Is the topic that you’re commenting on a sensitive subject area for some of your contacts? When in doubt, do not post. You could ruin relationships – both personal and professional if you do.

Don’t forget to continue to add new contacts. Along with updating your information on a regular basis, you should seek out and add new contacts regularly as well. You can request introductions from current contacts to help build your network or initiate contact on your own by writing a note explaining why being a part of one another’s networks might be mutually beneficial. You should also be sure to update your online networks with people you meet in person – the two worlds of networking (on and offline) are not mutually exclusive. Furthermore, building a network online gives you the advantage of being able to view your friends’ contacts – and easily learn about connections to potential clients.

While this is just a brief overview of the many do’s and don’ts of social networking, the best guide to social networking is your common sense. By posting, networking, and participating in a way that is reflective of your personality, intelligence, and respect for others, you are likely to have few problems when it comes to social networking. And without obstacles in the way, you can use your social network to build your business, enhance your career, and enrich your life.

Mindy Byers is a Business Growth Strategist, Coach and Consultant in the greater Seattle area. Clients and friends alike describe Mindy as a Team Centered Leader a Passionate Catalyst for Transformation, Authentic Living and Renewal. Mindy is committed to exposing the power of possibility in individuals, organizations, and communities while building personalized growth strategies that profoundly affect the future success of her clients.

At the W.A.C.E. conference that I attended this past week, we heard from Barry Moltz, author of  Bounce!: Failure, Resiliency, and Confidence to Achieve Your Next Great Success. He talked about the necessity of working through your failures to find your successes. It was an excellent speech and I highly recommend retaining Barry for your next conference.

At one point, Barry asked if anyone in the audience had a failure they wished to air out so they could put it behind them.

A very brave friend of mine went up in front of hundreds of his colleagues to share that he had almost been fired over the financials of his chamber. This “failure” had become a lodestone around his neck that he couldn’t shake. I hope and expect that by airing out this “failure”, and realizing that nobody has uninterrupted successes, that this fine fellow has put this behind him.

Through his challenge, he gained wisdom that he could never have had without this event. His chamber also gained because they now have a wiser employee. As others have said,

Failure is an event, not a person.

The person with no failures also has no successes.

Celebrate your failures just as you do your successes,

perhaps even more so.

In light of what I have written above, here is a video that reinforces the concept.

Our association has a members-only social networking site called “Myno”, short for MyNorthMasonChamber.com.

It has been a boon for our Chamber of Commerce.

Here are a few of the many reasons why.

• It is a “Velvet Rope” site. By definition, this means you can’t participate if you are not a member of our Chamber. We know that part of being human is wanting what we can’t (or shouldn’t) have. Because our site is cool, fun, valuable, active, etc……people want to participate. They can’t (unless they join the association). It is a big reason people are joining our chamber. If you run an association of any size you should have one of these sites and make it members-only. Ours runs on the Ning platform. By the way, it needs what I call “nurtured” because just creating it isn’t enough. But once it hits a tipping point, it becomes self-sustaining or perhaps even a living organism.

• “One of Us” – This came from Chris Brogan’s book Trust Agents – I think of it this way…..If you were wandering in the desert and came across a tribe or village, they would probably feed you and put some shelter over you but you wouldn’t immediately be “one of them”. It takes time, trust, effort, relationships, etc….before you are fully accepted. In some groups or communities this could take years and years. But, once you are accepted….o the joy, the comfort, the bliss of knowing you have found a group that cares about you, validates you, understands you, looks out for you…..you get the idea. “Myno” brings new members much more quickly into the tribe.

• Retention – We have found that once people join the site and participate, they don’t quit the Chamber. The site acts as a powerful retention tool. Friendships are made, relationships are strengthened. New members become “One of Us” more quickly. If you drop from the chamber, you drop you from the site too.

There are many steps involved in getting your association up to speed on your velvet rope site. Email me at frank@frankkenny.net if you need help or encouragement.

I am eager to share part of my Online Personal Branding presentation with you.

I have given this presentation several times recently and, from the feedback I have been receiving, it seems to be timely and valuable to the audience. I hope you too find these points useful and helpful.

What is your brand?

I usually start off the presentation by reminding the audience of the old and proven sayings that “first impressions are lasting impressions” and “you have about two seconds to make a good impression”.

The impression you make is your brand.

In those two seconds, people are using every clue at their disposal to categorize or make a judgment of you. You can be a victim here or you can take control.

When someone comes to your blog or sees you on a social networking site, you have the power to influence how they perceive you. You are in control. For better or worse.

That is very powerful.

I also like to remind the audience, which lately has been business people, that the opportunities that come your way will be greatly influenced by how people perceive you. If you are branded in a positive light, you get the call or the benefit of the doubt. If not, crickets.

These following points are what I urge my audience to consider.

1. The name you choose – use your real name. Always.
2. Your photo or image – it is very important that you take control here. You will be judged. Be thoughtful about this.
3. The bio – be real but tell us your dreams. We want to know the real you.
4. Your email signature – use this free email tool. It is a big mistake not to.
5. Using professional templates – are you so cheap that you can’t afford to pay for a template?
6. The words you choose and how you use them – take the time to spell correctly and choose your words carefully.
7. Your demeanor – don’t come across as a crazy person – people read what you post. They read your rants and your brand takes a dive. Don’t be a crazy person.

It is commonsense but we see people violate these rules all the time.

If you are interested in the entire presentation you can view the PowerPoint here:  http://tinyurl.com/y9k8hdt

It takes about an hour as a keynote.

I keep seeing people on Facebook, Twitter, and such promoting themselves too forwardly.

This is a mistake. Don’t be like that.

If you are going to promote yourself or your business directly, make sure you promote or support somebody else online 10 times for every time you mention yourself. That is a good rule of thumb that I picked up from Chris Brogan.

I am seeing people come off as desperate or “all about me” even when I know these people and I know they aren’t that way. They just haven’t figured out yet that social networking is all about relationships and a good relationship rarely includes “all about me”.

We doubled membership of the Chamber in the past 2 years.

Internet social networking has been a key factor in our growth.

Way to go 2009 Trustees and award winners.

Do you like to meet and socialize with fascinating new people?

When you go to a conference or event, are you open to meeting the most successful people in the room?

If the keynote speaker were to come up to you and strike up a conversation, would you be happy about that? I bet you would be.

What about if you happen to be in a conversation with a colleague and the keynote speaker comes up to say hi to your colleague and you are drawn into the convo? Score.

That is one of the reasons why we go to conferences, right? To meet new people.

We all know how good it can be for our career and life to have relationships with industry giants, organization leaders, talented authors, and such.

Heck, you might even have your photo taken with them and then be able to tell the story back at the office or to the grandkids. Even if they can’t help your career, but are just plain good people and you become friends, that has improved your life.

Would you consider a conference a success if you became friends with some of the top dogs in your industry?

If it is so cool to do that at a conference then why don’t we want to do that online?

I personally know people that have been on Twitter for months and they still only follow 45 people, for instance. They say that they believe in quality over quantity. I think this is a false choice.

If someone advocates for following complete strangers that are boring, geographically far removed, have no redeeming qualities, etc….then I guess that is right. You don’t need those people clogging your Twitter feed.

But what about top people in your industry? What about the author of the book you just read and loved? What about the top thought leaders in your field? Why wouldn’t you want to be available to be friends with them?

Think about this.

Let’s assume, for the sake of argument, that the top 1/10 of 1% of Americans are very cool. Personally, I think the % is much higher but let’s be conservative here.

Since there are more than 300,000,000 Americans, 1/10 of 1% is 300,000. That means that there are at least 300,000 cool people right here is your backyard that you are closed off to if you won’t reach out to strangers.

What is the risk?

If you reached out to one of these people every so often, the worst thing that could happen is that you would now be following someone exceedingly cool. If they don’t follow you back you haven’t lost a thing. If they do decide to follow you back and you provide humor or other value, or you make yourself helpful to them by retweeting their posts, or wish them a good day when they need it, all of a sudden you might have the spark of a new friendship. It won’t happen day one.

But it does happen over time.

I can tell you without hesitation that I have done this successfully many times. I have reached out to multiple nationally known speakers, authors, and leaders. I have established relationships with industry leaders that I wouldn’t have gotten to know otherwise.

This applies to Facebook too.

There is nothing wrong with accepting the friend request of a fascinating stranger on Facebook or LinkedIn. At the same time, it is smart to reach out to the people you find the most interesting in your field or hobby.

A future blog post will be about people that go to networking events and then just sit with and socialize with co-workers. I hate that!

Uggggg.

Do you ever get frustrated that your friends and colleagues don’t seem to get it?

Social networking that is.

I have heard from some very smart people that social networking is a waste of time, a fad, wouldn’t work for their business, didn’t work for them, yada yada yadidida……

I just secretly smile to myself and say, “OK”.

The truth of the matter is, at least from my point of view, so plain that I am incredulous that smart people don’t see what I see. How can they not see it? I sometimes have to ask myself if I am the one that is the fool. Then, once I clear my head, or hop back on Facebook, I come back to the comforting realization that nope, this is the real deal and they just don’t get it.

Doesn’t make them bad people. They just don’t have the vision.

Then I smile again. Real big.

I smile because I just love it that so many some others don’t get it. If everybody jumped aboard, then my Chamber, my members, and I wouldn’t have the edge. As it is, we stand out. That is a good thing.

The fact is, even some of the believers are not jumping in with both feet. Most believers are at least using Facebook to stay in touch with friends and family. Some are Twittering. Some might have even filled out their LinkedIn profile.  Few, very few, have an active blog that they faithfully post to. Only a small percentage of people can honestly say they have dedicated themselves to being successful in this space.

As a believer, what does all this mean for you?

The field isn’t crowded. You and I get to stand out. In case you haven’t noticed, the vast majority of people don’t stand out in any way. They may try to. They work really hard. They show up everyday and do their level best. They stew about work issues after they go home and on the weekends. They may even lie awake at night over work. These are good people who have hopes, goals, dreams, and a solid work ethic. They want success so bad. Yet they don’t stand out.

Then take an Internet true believer. Me, for example. I jumped in with both feet and dedicated some time to it pretty much every day. What have been the results? At the Chamber of Commerce where I am the CEO, we doubled membership of a 45 year old organization in 18 months. I created enough buzz about myself through personal branding that I was chosen to be on the Association of Washington Business (State’s Chamber of Commerce) Executive Committee after just a few years in the career. Out of 200 Chamber execs in the State, they chose me. Why? Because I stood out. I made a name for myself through social networking. Even more, the branding is national. I am speaking at 2 national chamber conferences in the next couple of months. Who the heck am I to be this far so fast? Just a guy that stood out. Good thing I didn’t listen to the skeptics.

The point of all of this is, if I hadn’t jumped into Internet social networking with both feet just 2 short years ago, I wouldn’t be anywhere near as visible in the community or the industry as I am. You can do the same. Jump in. You will stand out.

The fact that others hesitate should make you smile too

Are you a business person?

Have you adopted Internet social networking?

It is a very powerful combination. Not so much for yourself, at least directly. For others first….and then you.

Think with me for a second on just how powerful a combination this can be. You go to the local store, for instance, to pick up a few things. A clerk at the store asks you if you need a little help. Great service, you are thinking. This will save me time because this person is going to help me. Badda bing badda boom you got what you need and are heading home to relax.

Here is the powerful thing…..you pull out your Blackberry and Twitter out to your 243 local followers, “Great service at ……”. It gets Retweeted a few times over the next several days. By the end of it, over 600 people are reached about the store. I swear it works this way. I was sitting in Les Schwab and Tweeted out (2360 followers) about the great job they were doing taking care of my problem. Before I got home, my message was Retweeted (thanks @DrEhresman)

Word of mouth is the most powerful form of advertising, right?

You feel great because you rewarded the store with your Tweet. They feel great because the owner uses Google Search to see whenever anybody mentions the stores name. The store prospers, people keep their jobs, the owner smiles whenever she sees you, and everybody wins.

How about this?

You are a contractor. You are doing a remodel for so and so. So and so happens to have 800 friends on Facebook. You used your Flip camera to take before, during, and after videos. As the job is completed, you present the video as a gift to so and so. So and so shares it with all 800 of her friends on Facebook.Now that is a testimonial (actually social proofing as I have written about before)!

You are golden. You feel great about providing great workmanship at the right price plus you shared the video as a gift. The customer feels great because she gets to show off her new kitchen through video and knows the joy of helping you out by saying how pleased she is. Two of her Facebook friends get to thinking about the bathroom remodel they have been thinking of doing. You are the go-to guy now.

Jayson from TN Miller posts lots of in-process work on his website

How often does this happen now. Not much. Yet. It is coming.

Give great service……think through ways to make it easy for your customer to brag about you (video, photos) and get local word of mouth about it through your customer’s social network. Give horrible service and the same thing happens. Maybe only with a vengeance.

As I said, I have already taken to this. I Tweet out as I leave stores now when I am particularly pleased or displeased. Stores should start hanging signs, “Tweet about us”, “Follow us on Facebook”. I could go on and on about this but I think you have the idea. Word of mouth is being put on steroids. Embrace it by making videos for your customers, Facebook friend them, grease the skids by asking them if they wouldn’t mind posted photos of the project on their social networks.

Don’t wait for this is be the regular thing. Be first. Lead. Make it your edge now!

How would this apply to your business?

Old school networking and modern Internet social networking from Frank Kenny on Vimeo.

I will be hosting and creating a series of webinars concerning modern business tools.

Helping others.

Feels great, doesn’t it?

It is smart business too.

Some people seem to think the best way to get ahead is to keep all their money hidden away under the mattress. Business wise, they think they need to keep their ideas secret so no one can steal them. They make sure no one takes advantage of them, especially at work, so they may demand their 15 minute break even if the place is crazy busy. They don’t trust the mechanic because they think mechanics are always looking to make extra money from them. They even scrimp at Christmas just so they don’t expend more of their precious money than others. They are coming at life from a sense of lack and suspicion of others. They are dead wrong in their thinking. And there are masses of people who think just like them.

How about this as a different strategy?

Share your ideas freely, with the knowledge and trust of knowing that no one gets there alone. Wisely invest your money in good people with promising ventures and watch it grow and expand. Selflessly pull that extra shift so that a co-worker can stay home with a sick child. Trust your mechanic, banker, lawyer, and accountant to do a great job. Give generously at Christmas time and throughout the year. See what happens when you come at life with a sense of abundance.

Might you get burned from time to time? Sure. Let it go. But more often than not, your friends, accountants, bankers and lawyer will come through for you. Especially if they consider you a friend. Your mechanic will give you good advice. Trust. Have faith. Share. Give.

Please remember, you don’t get anywhere in this life that is worthwhile, all alone. When you give of yourself freely, the world opens up to you and gives back. Try it. Not only will your attitude improve, you will gain materially. It is not a bad deal.

This is a guest post from local Realtor, North Mason Chamber member, and social networker Dinah Griffey of Allyn.

Why use Social Networking?

Social networking is a new media for business that is catching on at a rapid pace. Most people in the beginning questioned the relevance. They ask, “What can it do for my business”. Some wonder if a tool that is free, readily available, and easy to use has some sort of a catch. The truth is that it does…It catches business.

Social networking is an easy way to promote yourself as the expert in your field and it can be used in any field. It is a way to get in touch with people you do not talk with that often and it is a way to open a door that you may not have accessed in a while.

Facebook is a tool that I like to utilize. Not only have I found lost friends and family but I have been able to reconnect with clients from my past.

In 2006, I was working with a couple to buy a home in LakeLand Village. We looked at several, and had it narrowed down to one they loved. The day following our showing I followed up with them and was hoping to set up a time to write an offer. The call did not turn out as expected.

The phone rang for a while and when the husband answered I could sense that something was off in his voice and I could hear crying in the back ground. I was informed that their son had been killed the night before. What do you say to that? I spoke my condolences and kept in touch via mailers every so often.

This past year I found them on Facebook. We talked and they are once again looking for a home in LakeLand Village. He still needs to telecommute and our area is perfect for those who want to enjoy a beautiful rural setting and work from home.

I have also met other Agents that through building a relationship online have referred clients to me. Social Networking can be the key to a very successful business. While social networking is a great tool it should not be the only one in your tool box. Follow through and consistency are essential to achieving success. As in any marketing venture you will get out of it what you put into it.

Dinah’s Bio:I am well known in the web 2.0 marketing world and I know how to get results. I have attended many intensive training seminars and every time I am amazed at what this new world offers. The sky really is the limit. If you can dream it you can make it a reality.I am readily available and I enjoy sharing all that I am learning. You can reach me -Dinah Griffey today at 360-551-8888 or visit me on the web at TheNorthwestLife.com. I would be happy to answer any questions you might have, or spend some time showing you around our beautiful region!

Is Internet social networking today all that different from old school networking?

I have been doing a lot of Internet social networking training lately. I have noticed that some of our clients seem really insecure when it comes to tackling online networking. The more I work with them the more I realize that online networking really isn’t that different from the old school networking.

Here are the facts as I see them:

1. With old school networking, you had to give before you could expect to get. Same thing online.

If you go to a networking event with the sole idea of, “what’s in it for me?” you are going to get your answer fairly quickly. NOTHING. People will smell your selfishness a mile away and you will get nowhere. Give first. Give again. Give again. Repeat. Give some more, etc…I am not talking about money necessarily. Give your time. Give your attention. Give your ear. Then guess what? Over time, or all of a sudden, you will get. And get. And get some more. In a generous life, you will get more than you could ever give. It is one of the laws of life. Live by it.”

2. With old school networking, you had to put regular and repeated effort into getting to know people. Same thing online.

You would never expect to attend your first After Hours event and walk away with a deal or referrals. It takes time and effort. You have to establish relationships first, right? It is exactly the same thing online. Don’t give up after three posts just because you don’t have a buyer. Sheesh.

3. With old school networking, it was best to spend part of your time talking to strangers who might become friends. Same thing online.

If you traveled to a conference and spent all of your time mingling with your office-mates, that would be pretty senseless, right? Then why do people spend 99% of their online time socializing with current friends? A big part of networking is making new friends. Get out there and say hello. It isn’t rocket science and they won’t bite.

4. With old school networking, it was important to keep the conversation short and sweet. Same thing online.

At a social event, you wouldn’t drone on and on about everything under the sun while your victim looks like a coyote stuck in a trap, would you? Then don’t write a thesis blog post or take up a page on Facebook on one post. Keep it short and sweet. Give the other person a chance to talk. And respect that they are busy and don’t have time to read your dissertations.

5. With old school networking, it was wise not to bad mouth someone. Same thing online.

It is a small world. You rarely know all of the connections in the community or your industry. The best policy is just to keep your opinions to yourself if there is any chance that what you are going to say might get back to the person you are bad mouthing. If you are like me, you will feel guilty the next time you have to be around that person, not knowing if they know what you said about them. The best policy then, and now, is just to keep it to yourself. This is more important now that things can be eBlasted and they last forever in cyberspace.

6. With old school networking, it was important to touch base from time to time. Same thing online.

In the old days, you would pick up the phone from time to time just to touch base. A snail mailed card with a hand written note worked wonders. Same thing nowadays. Send an email twice a year to see how a friend is doing. Send a Linkedin message. If you really want to blow them away, call. They would probably have a heart attack if you wrote them a letter so save that for your best clients.

7. With old school networking, you had to think about making a good first impression. Same thing online.

You would never walk into an important cocktail party with ratty old shoes and in a cheap sweatshirt, would you? Then why in the world do some people have the cheapest looking blog templates that look like they cost less than nothing? Why do some people not care that every third word is misspelled in their posts? These things are a stain on your brand and it causes a horrible impression. When networking online, put on a nice clean suit, comb your hair, brush your teeth, and splash on a little cologne. By that I mean have a professional looking blog, use an appropriate picture that reflects how you want to be perceived, take the time and make the effort to spell correctly, don’t use foul or vulgar language, don’t be a loud mouthed nutcase, etc…

8. With old school networking, you had to keep track of your contacts. Same thing for online.

In the old days you would have a Rolodex on your desk. In some businesses, your success could be measured by the size of your Rolodex. Now, you might have a Blackberry or maybe your contacts are in Outlook or Constant Contact. There is usually a direct correlation between the number and quality of your top contacts and the opportunities that come your way. Every time you throw away a good contact’s info, you are throwing away a potential opportunity.

9. With old school networking, you had to come out of your shell. Same thing online.

Again, make the effort to reach out to strangers and be continually looking for new contacts. How else are you ever going to meet people at the top of your industry or new contacts that could provide years of referrals?

10. With old school networking, you would get the best results by becoming part of the leadership. Same thing online.

In the old days you would join the Rotary and the Chamber and eventually get on the board of directors. Pretty soon you are rubbing elbows with the big wigs. Today, you create a “Tribe” Velvet Rope networking site for your industry or community and take a leadership role. It has never been easier to be a leader. Do it now.

11. With old school networking you had to build trust. Same thing online.

This goes back to some of the other points already covered. Show people that you aren’t “all about me” by giving first. Put time and effort into developing relationships. Once you are “One of the Group”, people will start to trust and like you. People like to do business with their friends. They will pay more than market price to a friend that they trust. And  they won’t pay a dime, no matter how good the deal is, if they don’t like you. Trust is everything, both online and old school.

Is it really that hard? You have been networking your whole life.

Now, just shift it to online.

What did I forget?

Personal Branding…..My take.

We have all heard that we have about 2 seconds to make a good impression. We know that people are quick to judge us based on our appearance, circle of friends, car we drive, our clothes, money we make, our vocabulary, etc…..We also know that the first impression is a lasting impression. Within those first few moments, impression by impression, with any new contact, branding of you has begun and maybe even finished.

Your personal brand determines a lot about how many opportunities are going to come to you. For instance, if people have the impression (or you have been branded) that you are smart, hard working, have integrity, and know how to get things done, then you may be given extra consideration for advancement, employment, credit, etc…Conversely, if your brand is that of slacker who is always looking for a fast buck and that you never follow through, then your opportunities will be much more limited.

How does that apply to social networking and social media?

It used to be, in the dark ages about 5 years ago, that you were a “victim” of people’s first impression and branding. They would have all the control.

You could do your best to convey a good first impression but really you had little control and few tools to brand yourself proactively. It was really hard to purposely brand yourself so the world would have the exact impression of you that you wanted them to have. I guess you could have gamed the system for a time by renting an expensive sports car for that date, or buying one really nice suit for special occasions, or spending all your income on a big beautiful house in that special neighborhood, or acting or speaking in certain ways that lead others to believe you were successful. With work and a little manipulation, you could create an immediate impression or brand as something different from reality, but it wasn’t easy or cheap. It wasn’t completely honest either. Rarely would the impression last for very long.

Now, through Internet social networking and social media, it can be different. Here is how.

Online, people come to you. Hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands of them over time. They are strangers to you and you to them. They may have found your blog, stumbled across your tweets, saw your web page, friended you on Facebook, linked with you on LinkedIn, etc…What is the very first thing they will do? That we all do. They will try to get an impression of you. Brand you. After all, they aren’t going to waste their time if they have a negative impression or brand of you. Is the page design clean, are the posts well thought out, are the tweets spelled correctly, are the LinkedIn fields complete, is the photo appropriate, does the bio show likability and respectability, etc…?

If they have a bad impression of you, if they don’t like you, they won’t do business with you. Get it?

It is that important!

In about 2 seconds (I am guessing), they have their first impression. Within a few minutes you are branded. But guess what……you are in charge a whole lot more here. You decided what photo to post, you decided what design to use for the blog, you decided if you would use correct spelling, you decided everything. Now, the question is did you take the time and make the effort to make sure you created the right first impression? If you didn’t then you are again on the victim side of the ledger. But if you did, then you took control of the situation. You created a brand for yourself that will open the doors of opportunity.

Creating your personal brand…….

Take action now:

1. Use a great photo of yourself on all your social networking sites. Use the same photo everywhere so people keep coming across it. Use a photo that expresses how you want to be branded. Some people should do a three piece suit (lawyers or accounts) and some should have more casual looks (programmers and surfers). Don’t ever, ever, ever use a logo or anything that is not a picture of you. You are unique in this world. People want unique. You are your most valuable asset.
2. Never ever ever post things that make you look like an uneducated, hot tempered idiot. It does no good to rant like a lunitic online because you just branded yourself as a nut case. People are judging you by this. Once branded a loud mouth nut case, the doors to opportunity slam shut. Remember, 10 years from now, that ranting post will still be available through Google.
3. Use professionally designed templates for you blog and spruce up your Twitter screen. Stand out. Don’t ever use the default setting on the free blogging software. This brands you as broke, cheap, and not smart enough to fix up your page. Show that you have put a few dollars where your mouth is. If you don’t believe in yourself than why should we?
4. Create a bio for all the sites. Use basically the same bio. Remember, you are branding yourself. Repetition is very powerful. The more times people read your bio the more they will agree with what it says. If you dream is to be a public speaker, and you, from time to time, do some public speaking, then for God’s sake, put that in there. You don’t have to have had a book published for you to write that you are an author. If you consider yourself an author than you are an author. Don’t get me wrong though. Don’t lie in your bio. Don’t lie anywhere. That will brand you as lacking intregity. But, if you can put your inspirations and achievements in there, then great. Here is my bio from Twitter: Passionately focused on your success as an entrepreneur. I speak and write on using modern business strategies and tech tools to help you to live your dreams. Here is my bio from my blog: Passionately focused on your success as an entrepreneur. I speak and write on using modern business strategies and tech tools to help you to live your dreams. Our organization doubled membership in 18 months using these modern business tools, including social networking and social media. Our team will show you how. Here is my bio from LinkedIn: Passionate Chamber CEO – I speak and write on using modern business strategies and today’s tech tools. All pretty much the same with some variations depending on audience and allowed length.
5. Update you social networking sites often. This shows that you can start something and follow through. Don’t let you blog sit un-updated for months. You are better of not having a blog than having an abandoned one.
6. Give, give, give…..Don’t use the social networking sites to toot your own horn too much. It isn’t all about you. Share. Help. Give. Repeat. If you are doing social networking entirely for selfish reasons, people will smell this a mile away and brand you as a user. As Zig said, “If you help enough other people get what they want, you will get everything you want.”

There are probably dozens of more ways to brand yourself online, both good and bad. This is just a start.

Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments section. You will be branding yourself as thoughtful, caring, and smart….

Have you heard about social proofing yet?

It is a big deal, especially when multiplied by social networking/social media.

Here is how I think about it.

It is human nature to care about what other people think. One of the reasons we care so much about others opinions on things is because we don’t always have enough information to make great decisions on all topics. However, if we know and respect an expert on the topic in question, we can go with what they think and often make a better decision. It simply helps us to make better decisions.

It makes perfect sense, I think,  that we look to others who, because of their experience or training, should make better decisions on certain topics.  They are expected to be  much more familiar with whatever it is we are deciding on. After all, we can’t be experts in everything. Simple enough.

No expert in sight? This same thing works with groups of strangers.

Suppose we need to make a decision/judgment call on something that we are totally unfamiliar with. Suppose further that there isn’t an expert to rely upon. What can we do?

Stick with me here.

We can gain a lot of insight and information by checking with groups of non-experts.

For instance, suppose you are thinking of downloading a piece of software you are unfamiliar with. You are not sure how great a purchase decision it will be. What do you do? If you are like most people, you look to see how many people have downloaded the software and how they rated it. If it has been downloaded lots of times and the rating is high, you buy. If the opposite is true, you run.

That is social proofing.

Social proofing x Internet social networking is very powerful.

Another example. Think of the way newspapers are now allowing comments. If the vast majority of the people are against something, and you didn’t already have a firm opinion, it would be human nature to go with the crowd. What about when you see someone post something about a business and all the comments come back very positive. You go with it. That is incredibly powerful. It is social proofing.

We know that “word of mouth” is the very best form of marketing.

Social proofing is a very close second.

You should be using it in your business.

Her are some ideas for applying this concept. Hopefully other will add more…..

• Comment on Facebook or Twitter about your business from time to time. Others will start commenting, proving you short testimonials. If two or three friends say nice things, then others will assume you have a reputable business. If dozens of people say nice things….you are golden. If the comments are negative, you have lots of work to do. But at least now you know the truth.
• Comment on a friends businesses. Start to provide social proofing for them. They will really appreciate it.
• If you read an article in the online newspaper that mentions a business you are familiar with, comment. Get the ball rolling. Other will comment too and all of a sudden social proofing is taking off.

What other ways could you put this concept to work?

There are a few social networking books that I have recently read that are so good that I felt I just had to tell you about them.

Don’t worry, I don’t make a dime for recommending them. I just want you to know which ones I have found the most valuable.

When you do decide to get them, please go to Sage Book store in Shelton, or call them at 360.426.6011 to order. Support this local book store, great community partner, and Chamber member.

Order Seth Godin’s “Tribes”. Great short read that will explain the new opportunities to lead in your field and build your own tribe. People crave leadership. Lead.

“Crush it!” by Gary Vaynerchuk. Took a 4 million dollar business to 60 million by using social networking. Heard of the Wine Library? That’s Gary.

“Book YourSelf Solid” by Michael Port. Fantastic book that will help you follow your passions by choosing the right target market and finding your niche. Step by step guide that will change your life. Really.

Chris Brogans, “Trust Agents“. I use concepts from this book in every speech I give. Get it. Order it for yourself or anyone that wants to ride the Internet social networking wave.

Again, I don’t make a dime from any of these recommendations. I do hope you buy from North Mason Chamber member Sage Books in Shelton. Tell Carolyn I sent you.

Frank

At our Chamber of Commerce, we have 63 members using Twitter (the list is here). Actually, they are signed up for Twitter and have posted a few times, but most aren’t really using it much. I think the main reason is because they give up before the value sinks in. Don’t give up. You will find Twitter to be a huge benefit to your business and your life.

Using Twitter well is like having your own broadcasting station. Would you like that for your business? For free?

Here are some tips and more reasons

why you should be using Twitter vigorously.

Tips first:

If you haven’t done so already, sign up for Twitter. Its free, of course. Use your real name as your user name. Then download and install TweetDeck. It is also a free program and it makes Twitter much more valuable and user friendly.

Now that you have signed up for Twitter and installed TweetDeck, you need to do a few more simple things.

First, make a few short posts on TweetDeck or Twitter.com, such as, “Cool Internet social networking Tools at http://bit.ly/8hksXa“. I posted that Twitter to send people to my recent blog post. Do a few more posts to Twitter. Things that your customers would appreciate like, “Interest rates are going up. Here is some info xxxxxx.com”, or “I took some great shots of the Hood Canal. You can view them here xxxxx.com”.

The reason we are doing this before you even have followers is because you need to seed your Twitter history before reaching out for followers. Once you have made several interesting (or even boring) posts, then it is time to go out and find some followers. I have 2300 followers. That gives me reach. That makes me like a media company. Don’t you want to have your own media company?

If you are local to our area, Mason and Kitsap county, WA, then you should follow the folks I have listed at http://twitter.com/FrankKenny/Mason Kitsap. Those 350 folks are your potential customers, if you like local customers. You should also follow all the North Mason Chamber members that are using Twitter. That list is here.

OK. Now that you have followed dozens and dozens of local folks and chamber members (or if your not local to our area, you went out and followed folks local to your area through TwellowHood), it is time to start sharing and building relationships in earnest.

Every day, or several times a day, start reaching out to people on Twitter. Tell them about your business. Ask them about theirs. ReTweet what they post. Recommend them to your followers. Think about ways you can help them to get what they want.

One of the keys to Twitter, and all social networking sites, is to give, give, give. You must give before you get. Once you have established relationships, then you will receive. Big time.

Another key to Twitter is to follow people in fields that you find interesting. If you are trying to stay up to speed with the Global Warming Debate, put those words in TweetDeck as search terms. You will find more current information, instantly, than you will believe. Same with anything else you care about.

Search Twitter about whatever you are passionate about and you will find a treasure trove of current and useful information. It is better than Google for searching, in my opinion. Follow the top experts in your field and associate with them. If you do this well you will develope relationships. Then just wait till your next national association meeting and you may be amazed at how many top people come up to you and say hi. Love that.

Has this been too much information or just too confusing? I feel bad because it can be complicated until you get the hang of it. And, you can’t just say, “forget it”. You don’t have that luxury if you want your business to stay current.

I teach classes on this monthly at our Chamber of Commerce and am available to teach groups. Email me at frank@frankkenny.net or frank@northmasonchamber.com. You can learn all of this through your own research and trial and error too. I did. It takes time though. Your call.

Hope this helps. Let me know if you need help.

Frank

I am often asked which programs or tools I am using that have increased my reach, branding, or productivity.

Here are a couple for today.

• First, I always use FireFox as my browser. I find it much more user friendly and useful than the other browsers. I love finding the widgets and tools that add to my productivity. They are easy to install on FireFox. I will let you know when I come across great new ones such as AddThis (see below).

• Second, I use tabs. Lots of tabs. Often, I have had 20 or more tabs opened at one time.

As an example of how this makes my life better, in the morning I launch my browser, click on the bookmarks icon at the top, pick a bookmarks folder such as Social Networking, choose the “Open All in Tabs” option and immediately my 12 social networking sites that I am active on pop up. While they are loading for a minute, I an grabbing a steaming hot cup of joe (with vanilla creamer and blue sugar). I come back down and everyone of my social networking sites are pre-loaded, waiting for my attention.

Here is a partial screen shot of what that looks like for me when I open my social networking tab.

I simply go from tab to tab, seeing what my friends are up to, sharing what I am up to, commenting on their walls, posting to Twitter, promoting chamber members and events, etc….No random hunting a pecking of social networking sites that I am going to look at that day. The same set always pop up and I begin networking.  This creates a lot of consistency in my efforts. That is very important. It doesn’t do much good to randomly visit your sites. Much better to do fewer sites with consistency than a plethora of sites every so often. The best approach is to do all of the important sites consistently.

Some more tips you might consider:

• Try to comment/interact 20 times each day on your sites. It can be as simple as a “Like” click  on Face Book or a full response to a blog question. I first heard this goal from Mindy Byers at one of her Internet social networking classes and I loved it. She made it a point not just to lurk but to interact. Her style of interacting usually brings a smile or a laugh to a friend. Try it. Interact daily with 20 different people by commenting on their posts. There is a reason she had more than 800 friends on Face Book.

• Get the AddThis widget (orange icon with the + symbol on screen shot). It will allow you to post to Twitter, Facebook, Blogger, etc….hundreds of social networking sites, with just a click of your mouse. Come across a cool article that you want your friends to see, simple click the AddThis icon on your browser and it gets sent to Twitter, for instance. Very powerful tool. Totally free, of course.

• Did you know that by holding down the Control button when you click on a link you will launch a new tab? It makes you much more productive. I sometimes launch more than 20 tabs of my chamber members pages so I can get caught up on what they are up to. Productivity.

What programs, widgets, tools, etc…are you using to increase your productivity or social networking success?

Every so often, you you need to relaunch yourself. Times change. You change.

Are you marketing and branding yourself now with these new social networking tools? You should be.

I will come back to the branding topic often. I will also cover things like motivation, networking, positive thinking, etc….All of these personal development tools are still relevant today. Maybe more now so than ever.

Follow this blog and I promise to share everything I know and learn in my research on entrepreneur and organization success.

Thank you,

Frank

Frank Kenny on Facebook

A volunteer trustee recently brought up at a Chamber Board of Trustees meeting that the Chamber has become a media company.

By that, she meant that with all of the Internet social networking, sponsorship and marketing opportunities available to the members, our chamber now has, as known in the marketing world, REACH.

We use that REACH to promote the community, advocate for our members, pump up our networking activities, and contribute to the local economy.

Our Chamber has 2250 followers on Twitter, 1400 folks on the eBiz email blast list, hundreds of friends on Chamber’s Facebook fan page, a Youtube channel, an active blog, hundreds of members using “Myno”, and more….

We have REACH. Another way to think about it is to call it VISIBILITY in the community. By being a member, you immediately have access to this VISIBILITY from your media company.

Would you please do all of us a favor? Shop Local first. Browse through local merchants and you will find everything you need for the Holidays. The money will recycle throughout the community, supporting the jobs and services we depend upon. Plus, it builds the local economy which completes the circle. Will you commit yourself to this?

Following up on my presentations to the Washington State Chamber of Commerce Executives (WCCE) at the technology summit in June and the annual WCCE conference in October, I have scheduled a series of training sessions for organizations that want to take the next step in Internet social networking.

The schedule is being filled. Get up to speed quickly on these important new tools. Your Board and your members will thank you.

• Executive Director Internet Social Networking Workshop – I will share with the exec and staff what our organization has tried that has worked and what has failed to work. I have spent many hundreds of hours testing and using various ISN sites with a focus on usability and Return on Investment for chambers of commerce and members. Learn from our success. Your board, tech committee, and members are invited to participate. – 2 hours

• Member Internet Social Networking Workshop – Two hours of hands on member training on Twitter, LinkedIn, FaceBook, and others….All focused on return on investment and business. Your organization doesn’t need to be 100% up to speed for you to facilitate this training. You will be offering real value that your members are looking for! – 2 hours

• Complete Internet Social Networking Workshop – Up to 2 hours with the executive and staff with the remainder of time in workshop with your members. Get you and your organization up to speed quickly and gain all the benefits of being a leading chamber. This will jump start your involvement in ISN while saving you countless hours of frustration and learning from mistakes. – 4 hours

• Regional Internet Social Networking Conference - Are you a leading organization? Are you capable of organizing a regional ISN conference that would brand you and your group as visionary and effective? Can you bring together your surrounding groups and take on the role as the lead organizer? This is your chance to lead! Conferences such as these are selling out nationwide. We will help you to organize the event including multiple professional speakers and trainers. Lead your community into the next big thing.

• Other – What do you have in mind. Frank is available for ISN training or speaking on various topics. Let’s talk about your ideas.

I have been really working the social media angle for my Chamber. I have recently created a package of marketing opportunities that includes Internet social networking and geo-targeting. I can’t role it out yet publicly but I think it might be a big deal for associations.

Stay tuned.

The videos I have been shooting have also been a big hit. Here is one I posted recently. That is representative Fred Finn of Washington’s 35th district being interviewed.

I have been busy lately creating videos from still shots. It really is amazing what a lay person can do with some good software and quality photos.

Your organization may have the best networking events around but if only a relatively small amount people know about it then you have a problem. Same with a beautiful area that tourists would love but nobody knows about it.

Some months ago we hired a professional photographer to attend all of our luncheons, after hours events, grand openings, etc….Steve Zugschwerdt is that photographer. We also hired him to take tourism photos.

This first video is of Mason County tourism sites and our urban growth areas (UGAs). We sent him up in a helicopter to capture these shots. With these video tools and Internet social networking, we can get the word out far and wide.

The second video is of our networking opportunities. As I keep saying, people love to do business with friends. Attending Chamber sponsored networking events is the best way to meet new business minded friends and get those relationships started.

I feel so fortunate to have these tools that allow us to tell our story. Organizations that aren’t using these tools are missing the boat, imho.

Frank

I have been blessed to be nominated to Chair the Chamber Council of the Association of Washington Business (AWB), our state’s Chamber of Commerce. This is a big honor for me as I have only been in Chamber work for three years.

First, my heavy and early adoption of Internet social networking has allowed me to brand myself as a leader. I am highly visible on many sites, teach association management and ISN widely, and love to share what works. It has contributed to our 92% membership growth in the past 18 months.

Second, I have a first rate board of directors. They are total pros. My Chairman of the Board is an especially talented leader.

Third, my chamber has invested in my success through association training. I recently graduated from my 3rd year of W.A.C.E Academy.

Forth, I have amazing staff.

Finally, I have a loving and supportive family that allows me the freedom to dream. Thank you Margi.

In this quick video, my Chairman of the Board, Mike Boyle, reads the nomination letter from the AWB. Thank you Mike and all the membership.

I was recently asked about our membership growth and our Internet social networking strategy. Seems many organizations still haven’t jumped in for various reasons. This is how I answered that question.

Concerning launching Internet social networking (ISN) for our Chamber, what we did first was to decide that this is where the puck is going (reference to the Wayne Gretzky quote). Clearly this is a big idea that is only getting bigger. It is not a question of “if” your organization will be using these tools, it is “when”.

Once I knew that we would be doing this eventually, I kindly informed our chairman of the board that we were doing this. It wasn’t a question so much as a statement. He said OK.

First thing I did was create the Chamber’s Blog. I originally used the Blogger platform but our technology guy on the board thought Wordpress would be much better. It is much more powerful but also more complicated to set up. Get help with setting it up. He was also concerned about our branding strategy and how that would be diminished by having two websites. I stood my ground, asked the chairman to trust me, and created the Wordpress blog.

Then I created my personal blog for thoughts that I didn’t want to put on the official Chamber Blog. This is also where I could build my personal brand and express my personal thoughts and interests. I never take off my chamber hat though. In this job if you say it, even personally, it appears to be the chamber position.

Soon after, I launched the North Mason Chamber member-only site at MyNorthMasonChamber.com on the Ning platform. Here came our tech guy again saying we were dividing our branding three ways now and really put some pressure on the chair to slow me down. My chair stuck with me because I earnestly believe in the power of Internet social networking for our organization and because I hadn’t stubbed my toe when blogging. I fought to keep up the momentum and to make this happen.

I believe those three basic tools are the absolute foundation of a chamber ISN strategy. Quickly adding Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin, Youtube, and your eMail blasts rounds out the program. They are all RSS’d back and forth. They are posted to daily. The member-only site on the Ning platform will be the anchor with 25 to 35 percent of your members joining in the first few months. They will post dozens of times to your one time, keeping the site active. You must also nurture the sites by seeding them, reinviting members to join, engaging them, friending them, coaxing them along until they have a habit of contributing. This is all new to them too.

You will need to teach classes on all of this to get your members up to speed. Remember to teach them about being “One of us”. We hold free monthly ISN classes for our members.

Our membership has grown from 210 members in April of 2008 to 395 September 2009. I attribute more than half of that growth and retention to using the sites to create and build relationships, promote events, spread the word about members and programs, etc….You will get very favorable press and your organization will look modern and effective. If you don’t do this soon, you will look outdated and slow.

I tell organization executives to just do it. If you feel you have to crawl on your knees to ask permission they are going to sense that you see too many risks and dangers. That you don’t understand the technology. Or that you aren’t 100% convinced. Don’t be like that. Announce at your next board meeting that your are launching ISN for your group. Period. Or, announce that the sites are up and running and you would appreciate them contributing (chances are few of them will right off).

And, if you just aren’t going to do it, that it fine. Somebody in your town will launch “Internet social networking for your town’s businesses” or for your organizations target market. You will have lost one of your niches, creating networking opportunities, at least online networking. Business owners don’t need multiple ISN sites for your town. Organization members don’t either. If you aren’t first you may not even be necessary.

All that being said, you know your organization best. In my chamber I was able to just do it. Your situation may be different. Then again, it may not be. Maybe you just need to lead.