Launching: YOU Part I

There are three, primary, venues to brand yourself.  Facebook, LinkedIN, and Twitter.  Having said that, I am now going to tell you about the exceptions.  Those three, the Big Three, are prime in the much of the world, but if you live in Brazil, you may be familiar with Orkut and if you ride a Jeepney to Jollibee for lunch in Manila, you could very well want to be on Friendster, too.  The same principles we are going to go over apply to any social network, just substitute your drink of choice and make the necessary, cultural tweaks.  No matter where you live and work, I do suggest you at least consider joining the Big Three.
The rules say, white wine for fish and red wine for steak, right?  Always?  Maybe not.  Nearly every rule has exceptions and caveats and what I am about to tell you is no different, but in general, the Big Three social networks shake out like this:
LinkedIN is the foundation.  Maybe you’re also on Plaxo or Orkut, but unless you deliberately want to limit your brand, don’t skip this one.  The single, best guide to successfully displaying yourself—your brand—on LinkedIN is by Dan Schawbel.  As soon as you are done here, go read it. 
I am not going to repeat everything that Dan says, but I want to highlight a few points.  First, be flawless; zero erors (yes, I did that deliberately!).  You will be judged very critically by recruiters, clients, and customers.  If English is not your first language, get someone to help you.  Next, take advantage of all that is offered.  If you have a blog, feature it.  Lots of experience?  Feature it.  Lastly, put yourself out there.  What do I mean?  Display your email address.  Yes, I know you will receive more spam, but get over it; it’s a small price to pay for the branding.  Make sure you open to messaging from other members.  Accept invitations to connect from basically anyone.  Don’t be shy.
In the next installment, we will talk about Twitter and Facebook.  In the meantime, go read Dan’s blog and then get your LinkedIN house in order!

Are you really a dog?

The old saw goes, "On the internet, no one knows I'm a dog."  The joke is tired, but the truth is enduring.  This is one of the top five paradigm shifts over the last 20 years, and unlike other game changers, this one shifted not once, but twice.

Nearly two decades ago, when connectivity first arrived for the masses (anyone else remember the excitement of listening to a 1200 baud modem screech?) the anonymous expert was born.  Prior to that, it was almost entirely the realm of vetted oracles to dispense wisdom and wit.  With the dawn of information age, anyone who could argue persuasively, could be an expert.  Even if they weren't!

Social media created the second twist or shift.  Suddenly, you and I are, to a large extent, in control of our own brand.  Want to be an expert in scuba diving?  Read, post, and blog on scuba related sites.  List it as your number one interest on Facebook.  Twitter under the moniker of DiveMaster_4Ever.  No longer is your only avenue to contribute and passively wait for accolades.  Now you can build your LinkedIN network of like minded underwater swimmers and bask in their referred glow.

Why is this significant?  Because if you fail to brand yourself, you leave yourself at the mercy of others.  Have no doubt, everyone has a brand.  It might not be one you like or even one that is widespread, but it's there.  The only questions in play are:

1.  Who will determine the brand?
2.  What will the brand be?
3.  How widespread will that brand known?

In coming days, I'm going to examine some ways of launching, controlling, and improving your personal brand.  Stay tuned!

Why so small?

The always excellent Community Marketing Blog asks the question, why are Twitter and LinkedIN so small, compared to the giant, Facebook?  And speaking of the giant, why isn't even Facebook more universal?

In a nutshell, Twitter and LinkedIN lag because we tend to pigeon hole our experiences with emerging, social media.  How many times have you heard, "LinkedIN is only for networking and finding your next job" or "I have no idea what use Twitter is.  Who cares what I ate for lunch?"  And my favorite, "I'm a private person; I don't want the world seeing me on Facebook."  (The last, from my own, dear wife!)

Guess what?  The naysayers are wrong!  These are the same people who might have asked 75 years ago, "Why do I need a telephone?  Those are only for grocers and doctors."

If you are reading this blog, the chances are good that you are an early adopter and comfortable with stretching to wrap your grasp around new technologies.  Admit it, you were the first one in your office to try Windows NT or crazy new thing, Linux, right?

Assuming I am correct, then listen up:  The problem is you and the problem is me.  We are not doing a good job being evangelists.  If we can't provide a reasonable value proposition to our colleagues, friends, and spouses, what are we doing wrong? 

Now is the time to accelerate the speed of social media.  Today is the day to get your brother on Twitter and to help him set up some useful feeds!  This is month that you need to sit down with marketing and help them grok why all your competitors are already two steps ahead of you regarding social media and then help them catch up.  This is the season that I get Claire on Facebook.