Get Started in 60 Minutes—And Spend Less than an Hour a Month
In my , I predicted that, within 3 years, executives would be expected to have their thoughts online, chiefly by blogging. If you do not blog, you will lose opportunities to those who do. Web 2.0's increasing transparency is raising the bar for the amount of yourself you share online. If you're not available when people need you, they will call someone who is. It's that simple.
That's easy for me to say because I have blogged for years, and I know it can be an overwhelming proposition. For every 100 people I mention this to, 90 say that they intend to start, but they never do because it's not that easy. This Quick Launch Guide will take the mystery out of it and have you online in less than an hour. You'll also develop a basic content strategy and a realistic publishing schedule. Ready? Let's go!
The end of a year and a decade seems an appropriate time to go on the record about something I have felt for a long time: Twitter will prove to be one of the most disruptive and transformational Web 2.0 innovations of the decade. Although I am an experienced user myself and have advised clients on using Twitter, I perceive that there is much more that remains to be discovered, a considerable well of untapped je ne sais quoi. That is a hallmark of transformative innovations, for they challenge ways of thinking, they push once-cherished assumptions out the door. Here I will outline the significance of Twitter's key features and suggest why you might want to use it to create rare value for yourself and your company.
Plus, How to Help Highly Connected People to Help You
I've got to get this off my chest, as I've recommended it to so many people over the past few months. Whether you are a recent graduate or an executive with many years of experience, blogging and tweeting are optimal ways to let the people who care about you to keep in the loop and to help you better. I have also helped people to make more impact among highly connected people by providing "scenarios," a different package of information that's easier to remember. Read on for quick outlines of these techniques.
Twitter has shown some promise as a venue for promotions, and advertising, in the name of "," has begun to rear its head.
How realistic is advertising on Twitter? I offered a back-of-the-envelope response to that question in a LinkedIn Group, so here are some of the main points:
As I predicted in , a media backlash against social networks is beginning because most people do not know how to use the networks effectively nor how to integrate their activity on social networks with their other activities. The use of social networks is in its infancy and is easy to criticize.
Last week, I took the to task as an exceptionally lame example, and here I'll offer a briefer treatment of a Wall Street Journal article, . Unfortunately, but very predictably, the journalists and editors that are responsible for these articles are not terribly knowledgeable about social networks. Take this into account when reading.
This backlash will discredit social networks in the short term, and you can use this to your advantage by continuing to use them in your business while others are napping. Social networks will remake society because they change the economics of communication and relationships. Those who use them will create a significant advantage for themselves.
Clients and friends constantly ask whether quality or quantity is more important in developing social networks (as if they think there is an absolute answer ,^). We all understand generally that there is a trade-off between quality and quantity. Social network activity can be time-consuming, and it is difficult to understand the return on investment. Here I'll offer some reflections on how to think about your network strategy for Twitter followers, your LinkedIn network or your group of Facebook friends.
When companies and individuals contemplate Twitter, some of their first questions are, "What do we write, how can we develop and maintain interest, how do we avoid looking silly?"
When I am advising them on creating a Twitter presence, one of the key tools I use is "Value Vectors" to help formulate the content strategy. Here, I will outline the tool and how you use it, so you can improve engagement in your followering.
Michael Hickins had an interesting post, , which posits that LinkedIn blazed the trail for Facebook, from an enterprise adoption perspective. Enterprise adoption is a constant preoccupation over here, and "enterprise Twitter" is an exceedingly relevant topic.
Michael's is an interesting idea, so here are some mental doodles on enterprise adoption of microblogging.
Twitter has recently gained the attention of mainstream executives due to its recent (if dubious) status as a MSM (mainstream media) darling. It's on everybody's lips, and you may be dying to try it. Or, like 90% of the people who have accounts, you have been on it for some time but use it seldom. Either way, this guide will enable you to set up or rejuvinate your Twitter presence in about 30 minutes. I'll present the mechanics as well as a smattering of strategy, so you can act with more intent and derive more value.
Twitter has shown some promise as a venue for promotions, and advertising, in the name of "," has begun to rear its head.
As I predicted in , a media backlash against social networks is beginning because most people do not know how to use the networks effectively nor how to integrate their activity on social networks with their other activities. The use of social networks is in its infancy and is easy to criticize.