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Archive for March, 2010

Cross-posting to Multiple Social Media Sites

Wednesday, March 31st, 2010

The big three social media sites (LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter) all have features to link updates from one site to the others.

This can be a big time saver or a real problem, depending on how you do it and why.

If your audience/following for each site are the same, it can be a significant time savings. Just make sure the links are doing what you want. For example, if you post a link on Facebook and link that status update to Twitter, you’ll get a tweet with a link. But instead of leading to the site you linked to, the tweet will lead back to your Facebook page. Your follower must then click a second link. The more links we have to click, the less likely we are to click them.

But the bigger danger is in publishing content appropriate to your audience in on one site and inappropriate for your audience for the other.

I met with a client yesterday, and this issue came up. She’s a non-profit. She has a Facebook Cause page, a fan page, a LinkedIn account, a blog and a Twitter account. (Yes, that’s a lot of social media, and it makes sense for her.) Her non-profit is trying to attract multiple audiences, which is why she has so many accounts. The Cause page is for attracting donors. The fan page and blog are for people needing the services her organization provides. LinkedIn and Twitter are for attracting/finding policy makers in her area of specialization.

Her sites are aimed at different audiences. We talked about linking content among the different sites, and most of the time it didn’t make sense. Linking her blog to her Cause page would overload her donors with information they didn’t want or need. Same with promoting her blog through Twitter. Publishing the same content to the Cause page and fan page didn’t make sense either.

By the time we finished the session, she had a plan for what content was appropriate for each audience. We even came up with some ideas for blog topics that could be relevant to donors and her service community, and we developed a schedule for how often it made sense to cross-post.

Cross posting to different audiences can make sense. Her donors need to see their money is being used well. The people she is serving need to see she is actively raising money. But it can’t be done too often or her targeted messages will get lost.

Being on multiple social media sites can make sense. But before you cross-post content, make sure you’re aiming your content at the right audience.

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Tags: blogging, communication, marketing, social media
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Choosing Your Social Media Site

Tuesday, March 30th, 2010

Yesterday I talked about the differences between LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. Today I want to build on that article by showing how an analysis of your goals can guide you to the right site(s) for you.

1. A restaurant/retail establishment wanting to extend its reach

A number of retail establishments are setting up Facebook fan pages, and it can be a good way to build customer loyalty. If a business can encourage its fans to spread the word, it can be a tool for extending reach and bringing in new customers. But Facebook’s strength is in relationship building and deepening. It’s not as strong for reach. Twitter is more suited for that because of the ease of retweeting good content. My restaurant client started tweeting interesting menu items. One of his followers retweeted one of the items, and the restaurant’s followers went up. A strategy like that can bring in steady followers and extend a business’ reach faster than Facebook.

2. A professional speaker who wants to expand his engagements to other parts of the country

Obviously Twitter could be a good tool here for “meeting” new people and building relationships out of his geographic area. But LinkedIn would also be a vital part of this strategy because he can post his resume and past experience. Testimonials are an important part of his strategy, and LinkedIn is the best of the three for gathering testimonials. If the speaker has done his research and knows specific organizations he wants to meet, LinkedIn would also be a good way to arrange those introductions. Facebook would be the least effective tool of the three for this scenario.

3. A real estate agent looking to bring in more referrals

Real estate agents depend on strong relationships and being “top of the mind” with her contacts. Facebook is the tool for this. Regular status updates keep her name in front of her clients. Mentioning listings she has available (with good pictures) can bring in potential buyers. Offering occasional tips and information about the local real estate market can reinforce her branding with her friends and family. I know an agent who is using Facebook this way, and the referrals are coming in.

In each of the case studies above, I highlighted one of the three sites and showed instances where one would be the most effective for a referral building strategy. So don’t just create a Twitter account because someone said you should. Define your goals and select the site(s) most aligned with them.

Anyone else have a good case study to share?

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Tags: Referrals, Relationship building, social media
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LinkedIn vs. Twitter vs. Facebook

Monday, March 29th, 2010

As I said in my post on What is Social Media?, they are not the entirety of social media, but they are considered the big three.

However, they are not aimed at the same audiences, nor do they do the same things. I thought it might be helpful to do a quick post running down the differences among them. To know which one(s) might be right for you, it’s good to know what’s up with each.

LinkedIn is considered the most professional of the three. While LinkedIn Questions and LinkedIn Groups do add some engagement to the site, I don’t consider it primarily an engagement site. What LinkedIn excels at is a way to see into someone’s contact list. Without LinkedIn, you’re guessing at who someone knows. LinkedIn takes the guesswork out of it. The search feature allows you to target a specific individual and discover if you have any links to that person. It uncovers the “six degrees of separation” and is a great tool for finding and meeting specific people. It’s also the best of the three at showing your professional accomplishments and resume.

What LinkedIn does not do very well is allow your message to spread. And that’s where Twitter excels. If you have a good, interesting or funny message, it can spread far beyond your immediate circle of friends and followers. It’s also good for “meeting” new people and staying in touch with them. Do you want to build relationships with someone in another country? Twitter is an excellent place to find those people and establish some common ground.

What about Facebook? It doesn’t have the professional credentials of LinkedIn, nor does it have the potential reach of Twitter. What Facebook does very well is allow you to maintain and deepen existing relationships. And reconnect with people from your past. Yes, it is more social than LinkedIn, but that’s okay. Remember that we want to build relationships with people we know, like and trust. Facebook is the best tool of the three for getting to the liking.

With those characteristics in mind, how do you choose which site(s) to use? Tune in tomorrow where I cover some case studies and show which sites would be optimal.

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Tags: social media
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Evaluating Your Networking Venue

Friday, March 26th, 2010

Earlier this week I did a post on the Top 10 Networking Mistakes, and #6 was not evaluating your networking venues.

So how do you choose and evaluate? Glad you asked!

Asking for recommendations of good events from your network is a good place to start. Make sure to ask why they are recommending an event. Who are the usual attendees? Are they the kind of people you need/want to meet? Is it primarily a business or social event? If the event sounds like it meets your goals, give it a try.

Networking event calendars will sometimes give you similar information. I love it when an event listing tells me who should attend. That gives me valuable information on whether I should attend. The event might be aimed at people like me. Or it might be aimed at my potential market. Either way is fine by me.

But all the research in the world doesn’t help you out if you don’t actually attend the event. If you think one might work for you, check it out. As you network, evaluate the other people there. Are these who you expected? If not, ask some questions. Events are like people. They have good days and bad days. Check to see if this might be an unusual crowd.

If you made good contacts, then obviously you’ll want to list this one as one to try again. If it didn’t work for you, I still suggest giving it at least one more try. Might have been an off day.

Even if you think it’s a good event and you continue to go back, don’t hesitate to reevaluate after 6 months or a year. Your goals may have changed. The event may have changed. The same goes for an event you decided not to attend. If someone mentions it as being a good event, give it another look.

Don’t let peer pressure influence you too much. I’ve been told there are events I HAVE to attend. Then I go and realize they are a waste of time. Yes, it’s awkward to tell someone “thanks for the recommendation, but it’s not for me.” But that’s much better than attending an event regularly that wastes your time.

Just because your best friend loves it doesn’t mean you have to.

When you look at your networking calendar for a month, make sure you are using your time wisely. Time is too precious to waste on bad events.

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Tags: Networking Events, Networking Groups, time management
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Networking in Multiple Businesses

Thursday, March 25th, 2010

On Tuesday I did a post on the Top 10 Networking Mistakes and #10 was being inconsistent in your image and having people ask “Who are you today?” But some business owners have multiple businesses. How can they effectively network for them all?

Synergy

Obviously, the more similar your businesses are to each other, the easier it is to network for both. When they don’t seem to have any natural connection, you’re going to have to get more creative. Let me give you some examples.

Let’s say you sell health and nutrition products and also own a day spa. These are easy to network for. A client for one is very likely to be a client for the other. So when you are training your network to look for referrals, it’s easy. They are looking for exactly the same thing for both.

How about owning a networking coaching business and a sign store (like I used to)? They both have something to do with marketing, but it’s not quite as obvious what message to send out. This is where you have to look at your ideal clients and find connections. In this example, non-profits need signs and they need to network for members and donors. So the marketing director of a non-profit could be a good referral for either business, and you can send that message out to your network.

But what if they really don’t seem to have a connection? I have a friend who sells nutrition products and offers voice-over services. Two completely different industries. On the surface, it seems like his clients have nothing in common with each other. It’s up to the business owner to find (or create) some connection. For example, consumers are increasingly doing their research on-line. Doctors have web sites, and potential patients often check them out before calling to schedule an appointment. My friend has a very soothing, confidence-inspiring voice. He could market his voice to doctors to provide a reassuring on-line “voice” for the practice. And, oh by the way, medical professionals just happen to be ideal referrals for his nutrition products. But every nutritional supplement seller wants to get face time with doctors. And they often turn them away. Voice-over could be a way to build confidence and a relationship that could lead to a solid client for the other business.

Creativity is the name of the game.

Time

We all have a limited time to network. (No, even I can’t network 24/7.) So how do you allocate time to network for each business? Even if you have drawn good parallels between them, there are still some events that are better for one or the other. I have a couple of suggestions for time allocation and how to avoid some common mistakes.

Look at your networking budget, both time and money. Decide how much to allocate to each business and stick to it. It’s very easy to concentrate on one to the expense of the other. Don’t do it. Spend at least some time a month networking for each. It’s okay if one gets 1/4 time and the other gets 3/4. You don’t have to spend equal time on each. But watch yourself. If one seems to be taking over, consciously schedule some time for the other.

What about the message you send? Should you talk about one or both at any particular event? I suggest you represent one at each event. Look at the events you frequent. Probably some venues are better for one and others are better for the other. Choose which to represent accordingly. If an event allows you to give your elevator pitch, definitely stick to one at a time. I’ve seen people try to squeeze multiple businesses into the same 30 second pitch. It isn’t effective. Trust me.

What about one on one meetings? Use common sense. If the person you are meeting with is obviously better for one than the other, present yourself accordingly. Use the connections you have built between your businesses to try to ask for referrals that will help both. But until you build a solid relationship with a new contact, don’t ask them to keep their ears open for too many things. The result will be that you look difficult to refer, and you won’t be referred at all.

Networking for multiple businesses is certainly possible. It takes more creativity and focus than just doing it for one. But the benefits of having multiple income streams can certainly offset the increased work.

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Tags: Elevator Speech, Networking, Referrals, reputation
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Top 10 Networking Mistakes

Tuesday, March 23rd, 2010

I saw a couple of really good ones last week, and I decided it was time to do a Top 10 post on them. I’m sure there are ones I’ve missed, so please add yours in the comments.

10. Being inconsistent in image

This is a tricky one because it covers a couple of areas. One is being one person in one place or with certain people and presenting a drastically different image somewhere else.

The other way this manifests itself is in representing multiple businesses and not doing it well. In fact, doing it in a way that people think “Who are you today?”

There are effective ways to network multiple businesses, and I’ll cover them in an upcoming post.

9. Hanging with your friends

In large part, networking is about meeting new people. Yes, you need to deepen existing relationships, and reconnecting with people at networking events is a good way to do that. But spending an entire event talking to people you already know isn’t going to get you in front of new people.

8. Not describing yourself well

I did a post on this a while back. Not much more to say here except that if you can’t tell us who you are and what you’re looking for, we can’t be much help to you.

7. Too absorbed with food

Kind of like hanging with your friends. If your hands are full of food, it’s hard to be inviting. Greasy hands do not make fun shaking. And fumbling with food and business cards does not impress anyone. I suggest eating before the event and having only one hand full, preferably with a drink, not food.

6. Not evaluating your venue

Some events are good for you. Some aren’t. You need to evaluate your venues on a regular basis to be certain you are networking in the right places to meet your goals. Don’t just keep going to an event because you feel you “should.” Go because it works for you in some meaningful way. I think I can write a good post on that one too. Look for it soon.

5. Not having business cards

Last week at an event, I was introduced to someone who was supposed to be a fabulous networker. Naturally, I wanted to follow up with him so I asked for his business card. He “ran out at an event that morning.” I met him at 7:00 in the evening. No cards in his car? Really, no time to run back to the office to restock? I wasn’t impressed.

4. Being a networking horror

The networking horror is the person who makes you want to run away when he or she sees you across the room. I did a complete post on this syndrome last year. Read it for more details.

This is my favorite, and so I thought about making it number 1. But it isn’t, quite.

3. Not listening

Another big one and a good contender for number 1. If you don’t listen, you can’t learn about the other person, and you may seriously put your foot in your mouth. Remember the guy with no business cards? Well, he lectured me for several minutes on ways to grow my business. Most of them involved strategies I coach my clients in. He might not have lectured if he’d asked first what I did. Or asked if I wanted a lecture. Because I realized I could use him in a blog post, I was amused instead of offended. But what part of being a “great networker” involved not listening first?

2. Not giving

This one can be tough. It’s a fine line between good giving and giving away the farm. But we remember most the people who helped us. So develop a giving mentality. Bob Burg says it better than me in Go-Givers Sell More. Read the book if you haven’t yet.

So what’s number 1? Glad you asked.

1. No follow up

You can do all the other ones right and still shoot yourself in the foot by not following up. Meeting new people, listening and being willing to give do you no good if you don’t follow up on your commitments or stay in touch with the new people you’ve met. Persistence and good follow up strategies are the key to success for all salespeople, business owners and job seekers.

Remember the guy with no business cards? He took mine and promised to follow up with me for coffee. Guess what? I’m still waiting.

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Tags: Follow up, Giving, Networking Events, Relationship building, reputation
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To Thine Own Self Be True

Monday, March 22nd, 2010

Another apology to the Immortal Bard, but I am an English major.

I did a post several months ago on being consistent in your on and off-line image. This post builds on that and the one on finding your networking presence.

You need to be yourself when networking. No two people network the same way. No two Twitter accounts can or should use exactly the same techniques. Are there basic principles that apply? Certainly. But within those, there’s a lot of variability.

An example. I have a client who is a very giving person. He was talking to an associate about giving away information for free. The other person talked him out of doing it, saying that it’s never worked for him. Well, considering how much I loved Go-Givers Sell More, I disagreed with the advice. It won’t work for my client. He’s in a different industry and is a different personality than the person who gave him the advice. Following the advice would have made it harder for my client to look himself in the mirror every morning.

Obviously, we need to live with ourselves and what we do. I’m not talking about not breaking the law. That’s a given. But always remember to evaluate business and networking advice by what will work for you.

It also applies to who you refer. One person may have had a great experience with a service provider and wants you to refer him. Maybe you know the person and have doubts. Follow your gut. If you’re not comfortable referring him, don’t worry about what your friend might think. It’s your reputation and peace of mind at stake.

Most people have good instincts. Follow them while networking and most of the time you’ll end up doing the right thing.

And always remember. If advice doesn’t sound like you and makes you uncomfortable, there’s probably a good reason for it. Listen to your gut.

Anyone else have anything to add? Advice that went bad. A referral you made because someone else wanted you to? Share them in the comments.

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Tags: Referrals, reputation
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When Good Networking Contacts Go Bad

Wednesday, March 17th, 2010

I just got off the phone with a client. He had a trusted networking contact fail him with a referral, and he was understandably upset.

Of course he wanted to “have it out” with the person. I helped him to step back a bit from the situation so he could have a constructive conversation with his contact.

I’m sure you’ve been there. You refer someone you trust. And you hear back that something went wrong. When you hear it from your contact, that’s obviously the best way. That happened to me with my accountant. I referred him to someone who turned out to be unstable. The meeting blew up. John, my accountant, was on the phone with me immediately to let me know what happened and why.

That was the best way for him to handle it. I still have complete confidence in referring him.

My client’s contact didn’t handle it so well. He notified my client via email. Pretty impersonal. My client made it clear to me the relationship was well on the way to being blown.

I don’t know the details, and I don’t really care. But I advised him to have a frank conversation with his contact. Not a confrontational conversation, but a constructive one.

My client wanted to insist on a face to face conversation. Totally understandable, but I suggested phone might be better.

Why? Isn’t face to face the best way to handle a difficult situation? Not always. When a referral has gone bad, the normal response is to be angry and to want to get to the bottom of it. Getting to the bottom of something usually means having a chance to rant, rave and be angry. Which is far more satisfying in person.

But when this situation occurs, and it will, the best way to handle it is to first seek to understand the situation. The other person is (hopefully) embarrassed. Having a conversation by phone takes away some of the pressure of having to face the other person. It can reduce the defensive reaction, which can make it easier to get to the truth and resolve the problem.

And ultimately, that’s what you want. You need to hear both sides of the story. And then you make the best assessment what really happened. Neither side will be able to give you that. We always tell a story with a bias. It’s your job to sort it out as best you can.

In the end, you may decide not to refer the person again.That’s okay. Let him or her know that and why. You may decide to give the person another chance. Also okay. Again, communicate why.

If you seek to understand before being understood, you’ll make a better decision. And you’ll preserve the relationship. Burning a relationship through anger is never productive. I don’t care where you live. Your community is small enough that you’ll see the person again. And being able to meet that person without guilt, anger or other negative feelings will be best. For both of you. And for your reputation.

And in the end, the most important thing we have is our reputation. Having your reputation as “He’s always fair” is pretty good.

Anyone else have a story to tell about a referral gone bad? Feel free to share (or vent) in the comments.

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Tags: communication, Referrals, Relationship building, reputation
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Archive for March, 2010

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