Loading Twitter

Twitter

Promoting Yourself in the Social Age – Engage

12 March 2009 | social-media | 2 Comments

rsIt’s not rocket science…

… but it might be about rocket science if that’s your passion.  What’s becoming evident to me is that the noob (I’m so new I don’t even know what a newbie is) to social media has a huge learning curve.  If you weren’t blogging or engaged in social media a year ago, or heck, even two months ago, there’s just so much material to cover.  I remember years back beginning our entry into blogging and early social media adoption, the curve was actually happening in real time- a way to do things was developing as we were engaging.

Back then, most of the blog posts or lectures were on blogging and how to get your blog read, how to create a following, and today, most blog posts regarding social media speak as though you the noob have been keeping up and reading along- the course has gotten more complicated now leaving the social media noob behind.

So as I pondered your dilema…

I came to the conclusion that the piece that you (the noob) may have missed from back then is a small piece, a simple concept that takes a little dedication, a little work, and a little creativity on your part if you truly wish to make connections in the mediaverse- simply put, you’re going to have to do a little engaging.

But what does that mean?

Engaging for the small business, the independent contractor, the new age freelancer is as simple as finding other people in your space (your space is the subject of your business passion, your model if you will).

That looks like a big mountain!

It’s not a big mountain if you use the tools that the Internet provides, especially Google!   Google is a very powerful tool in your arsenal when used correctly, and in order to demonstrate, I’m going to take on the role of Austin Event Planner to show you how I would begin to engage!  Ready?  Here’ goes- *POOF* Benn The Event Planner.

First I would make sure I have my Austin Event Planner website ready to go.

My check list would include the following:

  • An about me keeping in mind that I have about nine seconds to impress
  • Contact Information including my Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, email, and a phone number
  • Cross Pollination making sure that from my Social Media Sites, you can come to my website
  • Gravatar my face for the blogging world (a globally known avatar) that gets attention
  • Slideshare presentation on what I do, or even a youtube video of me talking about my services
  • My Blog would be current and up to date with great information, I’m willing to share tips and tricks
  • Google Submission makes sure Google knows who I am for Austin Event Planner

Second I would do some research

I want to find others in my field who have notoriety and listen

  • Google searching, I would seek out others that do Event Planning
  • Google Blog Searching would show me others that blog about Event Planning
  • Twitter Search on event planner to learn and explore popular planners
  • Listening to the conversation, I would want to do a lot of listening (following along)
  • Explore their blogs, Twitter, Facebook, and other social media streams
  • Evaluate their popularity, type of content they’re providing, and is it of real value
  • Determine how I could set myself apart, can I do it better, are they missing opportunities
  • Gather as many examples as I could, and subscribe to their RSS feeds, and read them all daily
  • Contribute as much content as possible in comments and ongoing conversations (be valuable)
  • Reach out to the blog owner for advice or tips, thank them for their hard work, and encourage them
  • Build Upon ideals and concepts by writing blog articles on related subjects with trackbacks to inspiration

Wrapping up

What I’m doing here is inserting myself and my brand into the conversation, I’m also linking back to my page and offering to extend the conversation using the Pull method.  What I am not doing is spamming, I’m not link baiting, and I’m not being hostile- I want to engage, and be part of a greater conversation by contributing value, and if I disagree, I’m respectful, and offer solutions.

I’m simply laying the ground work…

Use of the gravatar, and carefully worded copy in blog comments, I’m branding myself, I’m allowing others to see my personality, and I’m building credibility in blogging communities centered around Event Planning.

I would probably spend an hour a day doing this, and in the meantime, I would want to blog once a week- never set the expectation that you’re going to be an everyday blogger unless you mean it.  Instead, rather than updating blogs daily, I would allow my Twitter streams, and possibly my Facebook stream promote my activity.

I would also spend time daily on Twitter, sharing what I am reading with others that follow me using the @symbol and a link to their article- being a promoter and a connector. Don’t be afraid to seek out others who are not in Event Planning, in fact, you’ll want to follow non-related, or semi-related fields.  There are things other influential social medians do that you can incorporate into your online marketing.

This isn’t covering everything, but it’s certainly enough to get you started with some things to think about- it’s not hard, so don’t be discouraged by the so-called learning curve, we’ve all done it, and so can you.

Get our Twitter updates via SMS by texting follow NewMediaLab to 40404 in the U.S.
Get blog updates by subscribing to our RSS feed or get our RSS by email.

2 Comments for this entry

  • Mike Mueller
    March 12th, 2009 on 9:41 am

    Benn – What a wonderful article. A great place for every Newbie to start. Hey Newbies! Start by reading this, then print it and re read it every day before you start your day.

  • Matt Stigliano
    March 12th, 2009 on 10:30 am

    Benn – As someone who watched, listened, and learned so much from you and Lani, I have to agree with this wholeheartedly. If I could add anything, it would be to engage those that you admire and respect for what they do and how they do it. When you begin to “meet” this like minded people and tell them that you thought the way they handled a blog post or really enjoyed following a conversation on Twitter, they will more than likely engage you and become a willing teacher when you have a question for them. I’ve seen it happen with my own personal entrance into social media. I wasn’t just new to social media, I was new to real estate…and everywhere I turned, I met someone who had an answer to my questions.

    Of course, once you’re feeling more comfortable, return those same favors to the other newbies you meet.

    Great article Benn.

Leave a Reply