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Social Media, Women and “Little Ol’ Me” Syndrome

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LinkedIn Speaker, Networking, Social Media Strategies

September 15, 2009

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September 15, 2009


First off, let me say – I actually like men.  I get these stats from another source.  That being said:

According to mensightmagazine.com: men resist intimacy, are active,  independent,  objective, logical, detached, manipulative, ambitious, intimidating, visual, and aggressive.  (Hey – I’m not the one who said it!)  One might postulate that – traditionally – the business world has been very “masculine” in nature.  It’s had to be to find success in our culture.

But with the onset of social media – well, the times they are a’changin!

Here are some more facts.  According to Stephanie Holland of She-Conomy.com, its boomer women that are gaining ground as the most powerful consumers:

  • Boomer women are more financially empowered than any previous generation of women (Mary Brown)
  • Senior women age 50 and older control net worth of $19 trillion and own more than three-fourths of the nation’s financial wealth. (MassMutual Financial Group-2007)
  • The 55 to 75 year-old female has seen her role change from homemaker to purchaser of security, convenience and luxury items. – Barbara Kleger, president of 55+ Consulting

More facts?  According to SocialNomics.com, Women are also the fastest growing population on Facebook, and other social media sites.

And what is even cooler?  Social Media responds best to feminine traits:  Authenticity, integrity, connection, genuine communication, listening.  (Also from mensighmagazine.com) So ladies – WHY ARE YOU NOT USING SOCIAL MEDIA AS EFFECTIVELY AS YOU COULD BE?

I have a few ideas on that which I would like to examine more closely over the next few months.

But for right now, let me tell you, it’s time to speak up!  Social media allows us freedoms and opportunities we have never had before.  But in order to make the best of a phenomenon that has a lot of “feminine traits”, we need to lose some of the typical female responses. (Yes – I have heard every single one of these)

  • “Oh, I could never do that.”
  • “But technology is a guy thing, it’s too overwhelming”
  • “But that would be bragging!”
  • “I’m too private a person”

I’m here to tell you – GET OVER IT!  Women are the fastest growing demographic in the fastest growing cultural phenomenon.  And Social Media by its very nature is supportive or our “natural traits.”  It’s absolutely our arena to shine and find success.  Do not let “The Little Ol’ Me” Syndrome keep you from finding that success.  Social media is easy, it’s accessible, and it’s a forum for sharing and listening and helping people.  What could be more natural?  Hesitating from entering this amazing new world IS KEEPING YOU FROM OPPORTUNITY!

But don’t worry – I’ll be there with you along the way.

And for those women who are already on social media, (and LinkedIn in particular) but are not getting any business from it, I’m going to help you too.  This is absolutely the time to let our voices be heard, express our knowledge, and expertise.  As my friend Joel Comm says, if you are not out there sharing your gifts with the world, then you are doing it a disservice.  So join me next time – and let your voice be heard!

Next up:  Extreme Makeover, LinkedIn Edition.

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The Good the Bad and the Stalker-y on LinkedIn

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Networking, Uncategorized

August 17, 2009

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August 17, 2009


OK – you just read me complain about the fact that LinkedIn has taken away your ability to send a customized invite to an individual.  That still sticks in my craw. (The Bad)

But I do like LinkedIn’s attempts to make themselves a more sociable site.  For instance, on the home page you can now get ALL kinds of information about your connections.  (Of course – this is much more useful to someone who has a small and strategic network).  So this is a good thing.  Especially if you like facebook.  You can see things like your connections’:

  • Latest tweet
  • Latest update,
  • Latest groups they joined
  • People they connected to

As well as what people think about them!  Wait a second – that’s a little stalker-y if you ask me!

LinkedIn Home Page is much more social now

LinkedIn Home Page is much more social now

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Permanent link to this article: http://linkedintobusiness.com/the-good-the-bad-and-the-stalker-y-on-linkedin/

LinkedIn Expert Asks: Glitch or Another Way to for LinkedIn to Restrict its Own Growth?

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LinkedIn Inviations, LIONs, Networking, Social Media Strategies, Social Media Strategists, Uncategorized

August 17, 2009

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August 17, 2009


Oops – they’ve done it again.  LinkedIn has taken away another one of its tools that helps people to connect. Was a time (like last week) you could send a customized invitation to an individual (you can still customize an “imported contacts”  invitation).  That meant just in case you didn’t know which John Smith you were connecting to, you could write:

“Hi – we met at Joe’s Bar and Grill and had that great discussion about LinkedIn.  I forgot to get your business card, but would love to connect to you.  Please accept my invitation to be a part of my LinkedIn Professional network.  If this is the wrong John Smith, please archive this message.  Have a great day.”

Ah – but now that little “custom invite” button has been removed from an individual invitation – if you don’t have their email address – and we can only send the default “Please join my professional network on LinkedIn”.  Where we met, how we know each other, the fact that I admire your work…. No longer can we say these things to prospective contacts we want to connect with.  Sigh

no-custom-invite

What does it mean? Who cares if I just have to use the default text?  Well, chances are the people you send a default invitation to – unless they are LIONs or know better, will IDK you. That means they will click on the button:  ”I don’t know… Joe Shmo” and YOUR ability to utilize LinkedIn will be restricted.  Once again – limiting the use of an awesome tool and making it not as valuable.

So seriously – why would you do something to inhibit the growth of your membership when the worth of your social media company is exactly correlated to the number of its members?

And the answer is…. Well, I’m sure the party line is that they don’t want you connecting to anyone you don’t know on LinkedIn.  (Which makes me ask – then why not stick to Outlook?).  My cynical self expects it’s because they want to drive people towards their paid account so that you have to use InMail and upgrade to 15 Introductions. But maybe I’m just cynical.

What can you do? I would recommend seeing if you can contact the person you want to invite FIRST through a group.  Right now (although this is likely to change too) you can send an invite or message to anyone you share a group with.  You might look at groups like Invites Welcome, LIONs, TopLinked and OpenNetworker to connect to a bunch of people.  Also choose groups that support your industry, and groups that support the industry of people you want to connect with (clients, employers, contracts, employees).

It takes longer, but you are less likely to get IDK’d AND it’s a good way to create a meaningful connection.

So there you have it… today’s “What were they thinking?!?”  or WTF!?! Moment.

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Permanent link to this article: http://linkedintobusiness.com/linkedin-expert-asks-glitch-or-another-way-to-for-linkedin-to-restrict-its-own-growth/

Social Media Strategist and LinkedIn Expert shares tips on growing a network

Categories:

LaMBs, LinkedIn, LinkedIn Connection Tags, LinkedIn Expert, LinkedIn Inviations, LIONs

May 18, 2009

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May 18, 2009


By BRIDGET CAREY AND NIALA BOODHOO

poked@MiamiHerald.com

Viveka von Rosen considers herself a promiscuous LinkedIn Networker:  She always says yes.

The LinkedIn strategist is what’s called a LION, which stands for LinkedIn Open Networker. Out of her 5,500 (now 7000+) connections on LinkedIn, she estimates she personally knows only about 10 percent of them.

She runs the site linkedintobusiness.com and is chief social media officer at Integrated Alliances in Colorado.

We came across von Rosen and the term LION last month when we saw her promote a chat for social media enthusiasts on Twitter. But connecting with thousands of people you don’t know seems like it’s against everything we stand for in this column.

By being a LION, however, von Rosen has access to more people to promote her events. She says sharing on LinkedIn is like dropping a pebble into a lake: Having about 5,500 connections is like having 15 million people in her network.

Here’s the key: She doesn’t contact each person. She describes that as ”absolute abuse.” But if she’s looking for a speaker for her events, and finds someone who is related to a direct contact of hers, she doesn’t hesitate to reach out.

Many people don’t want to connect you to their contacts. But von Rosen increases her chances by providing as much information about herself up front. The more open and detailed the message is, the better. And she has learned that telling someone you want to connect because a friend wants a job is also not very enticing.

By connecting with a super-user like von Rosen, you’re more likely to get in touch with a helpful source you never met before — but a LION probably doesn’t know the connection well enough to help make introductions. We realized that we fall into the category of ”LAMBS,” i.e., ”Look At My Buds.” LAMBs are people who actually know all of the connections in their network. And combining the power of a LAMB to a LION can sometimes result in a useful connection.

But she warns against being a LION just to spam your contacts.

”Don’t be a salesman,” she said. “Nobody’s going to buy from you if you’re going to be That Guy.”

Like us, von Rosen thinks the best way to make new connections is to give and offer help and services to others. And if you want to promote things, use LinkedIn’s tools to post an event or send a message to your network. ”Being a LION is a privilege, and treat it as such,” she said. “Don’t take advantage of your contacts. They’re precious. They can be an avenue to great riches.”

Whether you are a LION or a LAMB, you can send us your social network questions and concerns at poked@MiamiHerald.com or check out the blog at http://miamiherald.typepad.com/poked.

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Social Media Speaker Reveals: The Tweet In

Categories:

Building your Network, Mari Smith, Peggy Dolane, Small business resources, Social Media Strategies, Social Media Strategists

April 5, 2009

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April 5, 2009


Social Media Marketing Strategies:  The “Tweet In”

  • When:  May 20
  • Where:  Twitter.com   (or www.tweetchat.com)
  • Time:  8 Eastern, 6 Mountain, 5 Pacific
  • Hosts:  @LinkedInExpert, @FreeRangeMom, @MariSmith
  • Hashtag: #tweetin

Michael  Stelzner (http://twitter.com/mike_stelzner) in his “Social Media Marketing Industry Report”  set out to understand how, why and where marketers and business owners  were using social media.  His findings reflect that 88% of the participants are either using social media to market, or plan to shortly.   That leaves only 12% who will not be your competitors in the social media marketing world.

Social media either already is, or will shortly become an incredibly important aspect of your marketing plan.   Michael writes, “it is the nature of social media to share”, and so it is our desire to help you increase your company’s social media footprint by sharing some of the social media strategies we have used ourselves to increase our networks and monetize our presence on the holy triumvirate of Twitter, facebook and LinkedIn.

If you don’t already know Peggy Dolane (@freerangemom) Mari Smith (@MariSmith) or Viveka von Rosen (@linkedinexpert) by all means, check us out.  Together we hope to share with you some of the powerful strategies we’ve developed and utilized over the thousands of hours we have spent online.

The Tweet  In

The first strategy we will share – and utilize – is a Twitter strategy coined “The Tweet InTM” (since tweetup, TweetGrid and tweetchat were already taken).  The Tweet In looks like any “chat” on Twitter.  Using the hashtag#  to define your topic to your followers, you can all chat about the same subject, gaining information and positioning yourself as a thought leader in your industry.  Of course I have done this with other social media strategists, but it works just as well for wedding planners, veterinarians, health care practitioners and industrialists (all clients of mine who have had success with the Tweet In).  For a quick video on how to actually do this, visit @FreeRangeMom or @MariSmith’s for great youtube instructional videos.

What differentiates the Tweet In from the fabulous tweetchats already practiced on Twitter (#gno, #followfriday, #walmartmoms, etc) is the pre and post production.

Pre-Production

  1. The first thing you will want to do is find some amazing strategic partners to create your Tweet In with.  I was a relative newbie on Twitter when I first connected with @MariSmith and @Freerangemom.  Obviously having the weighty presence of two social media stars can help elevate the significance of your Tweet In.  Also, it’s nice to have someone to share the load with.
  2. Choose an interesting subject and have opinions about it
  3. Choose a date – and you might want to make it a recurring event.
  4. Create a post to share on your individual blogs to tell your followers a little bit more about the upcoming Tweet-In.
  5. Start inviting people to your Tweet It up to a month ahead of time (we are all busy people who need to schedule)
  6. Create a “guest list” or  “resource list” (perhaps list them on your blog as well)
  7. Tweet about the event
  8. Ask others to RT the event.

Post-Production

  1. Record (by cutting and pasting) the relevant tweets from your Tweet In
  2. Write another blog and highlight your findings
  3. Use information from you Tweet In to create a webinar, seminar or blog (make sure you get permission to use Tweets if you are going to quote anyone)
  4. Post results on a blog, or invite those who attended the Tweet in to you webinar or event (you might offer then a discounted rate, or event give them a promo code to get in free).

So what are the benefits of a Tweet In?

  • Build your network
  • Make strategic connections
  • Spread relevant information
  • Gain testimonials
  • Increase traffic to your blog and/or website
  • Gather information for your own business (webinars, events, blogs, white papers)
  • Increase business
  • Attract potential clientele
  • Attract PR
  • HAVE FUN

Some Social Media Marketing Folks You Might Want to Follow:

  • @KevinHouchin (Lawyer for Social Media Stars – an not too shabby himself)
  • @MilesAustin (CEO of Integrated Alliances – premier social media training site)
  • @LaurieMacomber (The Google Guru and SEO copywriting queen)
  • @SMBizGuru (Small Business Guru)
  • @GMarketingGuy (Guerilla Marketing dude and social media marketing evangelist)
  • @Michael_Stelzner (King of the white paper and author of “Social Media Marketing Report”)

When is our Tweet In

We’ll be tweetin’ about out “Tweet In” Tweet In on May 20th.  Our Tweet In won’t be just about Tweet Ins, but also about other social media marketing strategies we have found effective.  Join us and ask us questions, tell us your successes, agree or disagree with us.  We don’t care, we just want to see you there!

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Permanent link to this article: http://linkedintobusiness.com/the-tweet-in/

The LinkedIn Expert tells you “How to find your “Invitations” on LinkedIn”

Categories:

LinkedIn, LinkedIn Inviations, Uncategorized

March 21, 2009

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March 21, 2009


So like me you are probably a little annoyed with LinkedIn’s new setup.  As one Twitter follower said:  “LinkedIn is looking a little skinny”.  What happened to my Inbox?  Where are the three “I’s”:  Introductions, Inmails and Invitations?

AS a LinkedIn Expert, you’d think they would have told me about this upcoming change.  Sigh.  That’s the problem with being self-proclaimed.  Well, Introductions and Inmails are now to be found (where they always have been) in a searched person’s profile (in/near the header area).  So you have to find the person you want to connect to and then simply hit the “inmail” (paid) or “introduction” link (off to the right) and LinkedIn will walk you through it.

But more importantly – where are my invitations, pending accepted or otherwise and can I still bulk accept?

Be at peace – you can still see just your invitations and you can still bulk accept.

You will go to “received” (on the left hand side in your Inbox – make sure your inbox is expanded), then in the new page, hit the little down arrow next to “received” and find Invitations.  Once that page open, you can still hit the box at top which will check all invitations and at the bottom you can bulk accept.

Trying to find where the heck your Inviations got to?

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