Social media profiles and boosting search engine optimization go together like peanut butter and jelly, or if you’re Elvis, fried bananas and peanut butter.
Either way check the article out that tackles the benefits of getting your ‘social media pants on!
If you’re still on the ‘tweeting’ fence about Twitter, you might enjoy this article by Robert Strohmeyer, PCWorld titled, “Twitter Quitters Just Don’t Get It.” The article has some really great points about how Twitter works and why it’s another social media tool that you have to take time to learn and enjoy.(ENJOY! Remember when that word was important in our lives – more important than INSTANT or ROI.)
The interesting thing about having been a technology journalist for Ziff-Davis for ten years is that in reading the PCWorld article, I quickly recognize the eye-grabbing lede that cites “Twitter is hemorrhaging users,” when in reality the Nielsen Online study did not take into account how folks are using tools like TweetDeck to manage their tweets. So the findings are a bit suspect in terms of data as none of the tools outside of logging into the actual Twitter site were counted as part of the stats. Hmm. Not good!
Either way – read Strohmeyer’s article – it’s witty and right on about Twitter and how one can use it for good!
And I have to paraphrase my great friend DirectorTom who I was lucky enough to finally meet in person last week in Connecticut, “It doesn’t matter so much what technology or tool it is or even if it is Twitter in 2 years from now, what matters is that people are focused on communicating with one another in a real and dynamic way. That will never go away.”
So true! I’m in Houston tonight to see my pal David Henderson – “The Media Savvy Leader” give what I know will be a stunning keynote for the IABC annual ball in Houston.
I got this from a tweet that Joe Wikert (Twitter/jwikert)put out and I think it’s a great article on how publishers really have to understanding the power of indie authors and adapt.
This is a wonderful story to inspire you to keep writing and keep believing in your work no matter how many times it is rejected. You will find an agent who “gets it” like Susan Raymer got this book! It is also a great example of smart folks like Amy Einhorn who truly love writers and fiction and work to get it out there to the rest of us! Keep writing!
I just got my new issue of Poet and Writers and Sarah Weinman has an article titled, “Are Authors Who Twitter Any Fitter?”
A couple of things that need to be pointed out, I like Sarah’s work but think the article focused too much on trying to stay in the middle of everything a Twitter instead of having some really superb examples of how authors are connecting via Twitter.
Authors like Neil Gaiman and Paulo Coehlo are doing an amazing job of Twitter and using it to stay connected to their community. Sarah’s last line in the article, “..the jury is still out on whether authors are taking full advantage of what Twitter has to offer – or if they even need to,” really speaks to the fear that is ongoing about some of these social media tools and their usage.
Authors need to use these tools because it will help you build them community long-term. Imagine not having to go from bookstore to bookstore for signings and hoping that some people turn out, and instead being able to do a Tweetup really early about those signings and get tons of folks there.
Imagine not using an online publicist or offline publicist and taking charge of your PR yourself by finding book reviewers on Twitter and direct messaging them (in a very kind and humble way) and asking if they might want to see a copy of your book.
Imagine if people stopped worrying about the “technology” part of it and the mechanics of it and started embracing the people side of it. I disagree that it’s hard to make direct connections to readers on Twitter, and refer you back to Neil Gaiman and Paulo Coehlo’s twitter activity and devotees.
The challenge to any writer (and I’m one myself) is to find time to do all these things. That’s ok. You can do it. You can find a way to do it and still streamline your work process around it so you’re not trapped in the mire of social media and missing your next big idea.
A long, long time ago I worked for a company called IBM (Big Blue) and during that time I watched that company lose its edge in the marketplace because everyone was holding way too many meetings and deciding that everyone was wrong when it came to changing and adapting to the new marketplace drivers.
I can’t tell you how many friends I have that since that time have been laid off from IBM because the company refused to participate in the future.
As an author you really have an invaluable opportunity to connect with thousands of your readers and booklovers across the Web. Don’t be Big Blue. Be Apple instead.
Make certain if you’re an unpublished author that you have a publisher like Wiley, Chelsea Green, Berrett-Koehler, Random House, HarperStudio that really get the importance of the Web and will help you navigate it as well.
Make certain that your publisher understands it’s not about “social currency” – it’s about social community and building it long-term. Don’t get left behind.
We really need to do all we can to save newspapers. This is sad evidence of it.
As a print journalist from many years ago I can tell you that had it not been for newspapers I would not be a working writer today. The chops you get from working on a very tight deadline and with very stringent editors leave you with a writing practice that is unassailable for the rest of your life.
Not everyone is ever going to be online and it’s short-sighted to just think we can continuously do away with print media. What’s really happening when we’re doing that is we’re also increasing the ever-growing digital divide in our country and this hurts everyone. Access to news about your community, your state, your government should be available to everyone and should be well-vetted and written by journalists who write because they love the truest part of being a journalist.
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1. Plant your own garden this year – we did and it’s really wonderful to see our garlic growing and we even have a grapefruit tree that is fruiting!
2. Take your kids outside…really outside -find out where a greenbelt is in your town and walk the trail. If my husband and his elementary school kids can clear a whole greenbelt for our city so they could walk the path, you can do it too!
3. Recycle your printer and office paper.
4. Teach your children that the more we all recycle the better off the world will be for them.
5. Be gracious, joyful and inspired that we live in a nation where we can be activists and choose to work hard for the Green causes in your community and in your nation.
Check out this all things green blog for Earth Day and for more tips.
7 Issues Social media Will Not Solve:
1. Your reticence to join the conversation.
2. Your scarcity-based fear that if you contribute to the conversation, something bigger and better will steal it away.
3. The real need for you to occasionally put one foot in front of the other, and step outside in the real world to see how utterly amazing and unique people can be.
4. Your insecurity about whether or not your thoughts matter. (Tip: They do.)
5. Your fears of being too old to learn new tricks and too old to keep up with the young folks. (Tip: You’re never too old to learn new things and the young folks will make the world a better place the more they learn how to use social media for good. And there is a place for everyone on the Web – check out sites like TeeBeeDee.com or BoomerCafe – you’ll find your crowd too.)
6. Your need for instant gratification. (It’s a marathon on the Web 2.0 track, not a sprint.)
7. Your insomnia unless you find fellow insomniacs on Twitter (which make the sleepless nights go by faster.)
Very cool how John Wiley is so clued in on all things 2.0. They continually push the 2.0 envelope and their authors are lucky to have such a future-focused publisher!
See how they used Skype for a recent book event with author Mark White “Watchmen and Philosophy,” a book that examines the philosophical underpinnings of Alan Moore’s amazing graphic novel The Watchmen .
This Reinventing 2.0 Series features an interview with David Henderson, author of “The Media Savvy Leader.” 
David Henderson brings an intelligent and experienced perspective when consulting for clients, leading executive workshops or keynoting at conferences. As a veteran communications strategist, author, online publisher, and Emmy Award winning former on-air CBS Network News correspondent, he has extensive credentials in the field of organizational leadership through communications, image and reputation management, and media outreach, including today’s online digital revolution.
Our interview for Reinventing 2.0 Series covers his take on authenticity, storytelling and leading by transparency.
Nettie: What do corporations need to understand about the how to tell a story?
DH: In today’s Internet era – where people have infinite choices of where to get their information – the influence of traditional advertising, marketing and promotion has become greatly diminished. The discipline of storytelling, on the other hand, can energize (or re-energize) any business or organization. It becomes woven into the fabric, stimulates excitement and understanding of vision … builds consensus of purpose … and triggers sharing, far and wide. In today’s online world, the influence and payoff of good corporate storytelling can be staggeringly powerful.
Nettie: In this Web 2.0 frenetic age, how do folks balance transparency, honesty
and still engage a good brand story?
DH: The word “brand” has become, I believe, somewhat tarnished through overuse and attempts at manipulating so-called brands. So, there may no longer be such a thing as “a good brand story.” Image and reputation today are far more important and valued, created by authentic openness, clarity of message and consistent transparency. In such context, a genuine story that reaches out and gets our attention and resonates among us is a powerful tool for business to develop a sustained, good reputation, and to build trust.
Nettie: Can you touch briefly on how Steve Jobs and his passion make for a great and authentic story?
DH: When Steve Jobs takes a stage to speak of a new development or product, we share in his passion and excitement because — and this is very important — Jobs never talks about his company, Apple, or about the new development or product. He’s savvy enough to know that no one really cares about Apple. What customers, investors and stakeholders really care about is how the new product or development will enrich their lives or make life more productive. So, he speaks to the value and benefit to us, rather than about his company. It is a subtle but seismic shift in how smart companies are positioned in today’s world. As an aside, Apple never tags on boilerplate about the company at the end of press releases because no one really cares about such stuff. Besides, if they want to research the company for some reason, everything is online.
DH: What about “story fright” how can a CEO overcome his own trepidation
about being honest in how he relates the company story?
Nettie: Audiences in today’s world have become astonishingly sophisticated and savvy. They can sense a half-truth or see-through a disingenuous claim by a CEO. There is no such thing as a secret in today’s online world, as we’ve seen so often. If a CEO has story fright about openly communicating a clear and open vision of his or her organization, it can be a warning sign to everyone from employees to board members and investors. An executive who is reticent or uncertain about communicating vision in today’s world, may be relegated to the shadows, surpassed by a competitor who can communicate more effectively.
Nettiie: What about humor? Is there a place for that in story? (She asks because
she likes to laugh at good stories!)
DH: Humor is a valuable tool in effective communications. The ability to share humor builds a connection and trust but only if it is genuine, never contrived.
Nettie: What are three techniques you advise for giving a story real legs?
DH: As a culture, we communicate through stories, not slogans or marketing cliches. All of us have grown up hearing stories. In organizational storytelling, three elements are emotional, logical and analytical. The emotional connection can tug at heartstrings or touch our emotions. The logical connection is a shared bond that makes sense. The analytical connection contains facts and data to back-up what we are saying. Those three elements when woven into a story capture attention, create memories and lead to audiences repeating the story to others … and that’s the absolute best way to create leadership and an outstanding reputation in today’s business environment.
Check out that ponderous question at the NYTimes article here.
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