The NierenBlog

Developing Your Social Media ‘Voice’

 A couple of weeks ago I had dinner with my wonderful publisher, Jane Graf and her second in command,Jean Riescher Westcott, who is also a wonderful publisher of several books besides her full time position. Both of these ladies are terrific!

I asked Jean to be my guest blogger because her writing is amazing and her two books that she has written with her husband, Sean--"  Digitally Daunted: The Consumer’s Guide to Taking Control of the Technology in Your Life and The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Electronics 101 take a complex subject and makes it simple to understand. This is a true art.

Jean also write on technology topics for her blog, DigitallyDaunted.com and for variou on line outlets.

I encourage you to look at her website listed at the bottom of this post and finding out more and ordering her books.

We all want to be able to 'Develop Our Social Media Voice' and Jean clearly lays out what we need to do:

 

 

The ability to use social media with confidence can be one of the most important new skill to add to your career toolbox. Everyone from the young graduate starting their job search to the CEO of a large company benefits from being able to connect and communicate with colleagues, the media, customers, investors, thought leaders and potential employers in the new gathering places like Twitter, Google+, and Facebook.  It can be difficult to craft the style of communication that fits your personal and corporate brand. One way to think of that style is to consider it your voice. Which voice should you use in these new public squares.

 

To find your social media voice, follow these steps towards effective engagement:

 

1. Know yourself. You would think this would be the easiest step, of course you know who you are, but many individuals and organizations could benefit from a better understanding of how they are seen by others and how they wish to be seen. Do you want to present a cautious, professional image that keeps the conversation formal in keeping with the industry you work in? Are you more casual and friendly and want to appear as a friendly partner with your audience? Do you have the trust of the public or do you need to improve your trustworthiness. You don’t want to have your social media efforts clash with your brand’s other communications and we all benefit from fresh self-reflection.
2. Know your role. It might make sense to have separate identities for separate functions. Technical information might not be relevant  for your recruiting audience or sales data for customer service. Connecting with fellow sports fans is probably not the goal of your professional social media voice nor is sharing the latest pop culture news. Your social media presence might have a separate account for these separate roles but that doesn’t mean that you need to keep your more professional accounts stripped of any personality. Be a real person, but keep the conversation relevant for those who you are connected.
3. Know your crowd. When addressing a crowd, writing a story or crafting an ad, the starting point should be knowing the audience.  With social media the audience is limitless but there are key differences between online and offline communication. There are expectations that you will respond and that your will respond faster than even with email communication. Value people’s time by sharing relevant information that make you a welcome part of their experience. If you only self-promote, without valuing their attention, people on social media will tune you out like white noise.
4. Know your message. Before you tweet, post or share, make sure that you understand that this message can be shared far and wide and that it will live in search engines for a long time. Social media is also quick to share both negative and positive responses, so you need to keep things positive and avoid controversy unless you are trying to take a stand that you are willing to defend in the larger community. Share information about changes in your field, accomplishments of individuals and news direct from the source (you!).
5. Know how to adapt. Learn from missteps. If you keep the conversation moving forward when you do make a wrong move, or jump into the social media space in response to situations that arise offline to quickly address concerns, the public will appreciate that you are listening to their concerns.

 

Jean Riescher Westcott writes on technology topics for her blog, DigitallyDaunted.com and for various online outlets. She is the co-author of two books with her husband Sean Westcott: Digitally Daunted: The Consumer’s Guide to Taking Control of the Technology in Your Life and The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Electronics 101.

 

Jean Riescher Westcott

jean@digitallydaunted.com / jeanrw@verizon.net

Twitter @digidaunted

www.e-westcott.com

 

 

Small Business is Not That Small-

 

I recently had the opportunity to be interviewed by my friend, Jim Blasingame,founder and producer of The Small Business Advocate.

There is so much to write about Jim-- here are a few highlights:

• Jim Blasingame is one of the world’s foremost experts on small business and entrepreneurship.
• He is president and founder of Small Business Network, Inc., a media company dedicated to serving small business.
• Jim is the creator and award-winning host of The Small Business Advocate^® Show, the world’s only weekday radio talk show dedicated to small business, nationally syndicated since 1997.
• He conducts over 1,000 live interviews annually with his Brain Trust, the world’s largest community of small business experts. Jim reaches a national radio audience, plus worldwide listeners on his Internet simulcast and archives.

We had a great interview on my upcoming book that will be co-authored with Mike Abrams, Marine and intern with CNBC; Mike Devine, Army and Consultant  and Dr. Michael Faulkner, Professor, author extraordinaire  and Marine-- "Networking For Veterans"

Click below and listen and then go to Jim's website and there is a world of knowledge and information posted daily!

www.smallbusinessadvocate.com
www.twitter.com/JimBlasingame
_______________________

 

Why Every Speaker Should Have an "Expert" Book

Any speaker, seminar leader, coach, consultant or entrepreneur - or anybody
in any business, for that matter - can benefit from having an "expert" book.
An "expert" book is one which confers credibility, authority and "expert"
status upon its author. An "expert" book is one which generates revenue for
its author without a single copy being sold. Alan Stransman, Founder of
Expert Book Creation explains why every speaker should have an "expert" book
- and why anybody in any business should too - and interviews 8 professional
speakers who are using their "expert" book to advance their speaking careers
in, "Why Every Speaker Should Have An 'Expert' Book."

Look for his book http://www.expertbookcreation.com.

 

Poetic Introductions: The New Way to Present a Speaker – and Make Yourself the Hero

 How many times have you been asked to introduce a speaker for any type of meeting and the anxiety arises on 'how to make this interesting!'

If you are the one with the task, you may not know the person, so you are pretty much left to read her or his bio. On the other hand, if you are the one listening to the introduction, you have to sit through that rather mundane reading of the bio by someone else. After all this, pity the poor speaker, once again introduced “lacklusterly” – and this is the person who is supposed to be featured, touted, cherished.

 What you need is a new form of introduction, one that creates valuable attention and sets the speaker up for success. It will add double value when this new concept makes you seem helpful to the speaker and creative as the individual you are.

 If so- my friend, Steven R.Cony is the 'go-to' person to create a Poetric introduction that will make you and the audience smile, anticipate the speaker and make your job a true pleasure. His company tag line: 'Bigger Ideas, Better Results' is so true!

This is called Poetic Introductions, giving you a cleverly rhymed poem that incorporates those necessary bio items – and it also engages the audience delightfully, right before the speaker strides to the podium.

Here is an example of a Poetic Introduction that Steve created for me when I spoke recently on the topic of:"Creating Chemistry With Clients"

He made me even more excited and empowered to truly deliver a wonderful presentation and to approach the audience with a laugh and grin from the heart!

I highly recommend getting in touch with Steve and seeing how he can work with you and the next introduction you have to make!

You will see that all the bio information is in the poem –yet now presented in a more intriguing manner.

The introducer becomes the first hero, by making the speaker seem more special. The audience goes away saying “Wow, that person who gave the intro really cared!”

 :-)

We wanted an expert on how to serve clients –

So we did all our homework and found several giants

Who could share good advice – like we got from our mothers --

But Andrea Nierenberg surpassed all the others.

She surpassed, she surmounted, she even surprised,

And we said, “If we’re wise, then we’d best be advised

To invite her to spill her whole stash of experience –

And her own personal chemistry, which is built on “sincere-ience.”

She’s a world-renowned speaker and author and coach.

(And the easiest person to just plain approach.)

For 25 years and ‘cross 45 nations

Her “chemistry labs” end with standing ovations.

She’s ready to tell us about best first impressions –

And wait ‘til you see how she showers her sessions

With unparalleled know-how on networking skill –

Welcome Andrea Nierenberg – you’re in for a thrill.

 

 Steven R. Cony

COMMUNICATIONS COUNSELORS LLC

'Bigger Ideas, Better Results'

914-271-8482

scony@biggeridea.com

www.biggeridea.com

 

 

The American Legion National Commander Speaks About Our Veterans

Last night I attended a wonderful reception at The New York Athletic Club with a dear friend Rick Miners, to my left ( he and his wife Jeri, are very close friends and among many accomplishments are the authors of "Don't Retire, ReWire" www.dontretirerewire.com

Through Rick's invitation and connection, I met Mike Abrams,(far left) Marine and Founder of FourBlock.com - www.fourblock.com and currently working with CNBC.

 Mike and I with the co-authorship of my friend and colleague, Dr. Michael Faulkner (co-author of "Networking with College Students and Recent Graduates- and Professor of Entrepruenuerial Studies at DeVry Univeristy) and Lt. Colonel, Michael Devine III, Founder of LeadFocusOpportunity Consulting are writing "Networking For Veterans".

Here we are with the guest of honor, National Commander of The American Legion,Fang A. Wong, who shared his wonderful remarks and comments as he travels around the United States discussing our Veterans getting back to work and The American Legion.  http://www.legion.org/commander