Archive for the ‘On Social Media’ Category

So You’re Already an Expert. Now What?

Posted by Mike July on September 9th, 2010

Whether you’re an master auto mechanic, a leading .net programmer or simply a stay at home mom whose raised four kids, you have some area of knowledge that would be valuable to others in some capacity or another. If you’re looking to establish a presence online in order to share what you know, there are a few things you’re going to need to get lined up before you can jump in cyberspace. The good news is that the most difficult task has already been completed.

If you’re already an expert at whatever it is that you do, you have already done the hardest part.

Posted in On Blogging, On Business, On Social Media, On Web Strategy Tags: , , , , Comments Off
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You are Always on Stage

Posted by Mike July on August 24th, 2010

Have you noticed lately that it is becoming less and less commonplace to hear about some dumb thing a certain celebrity or politician had said or done on the recent past, only is just now being discovered and/or reported? Well, I have. And you know why that is? It isn’t that people are behaving better these days – far from it – it’s that literally everything gets reported in real time anymore.

It doesn’t even have to be something important – even stuff like a candid snapshot of so and so random celebrity knuckle deep in a nostril while sitting in traffic is enough to make the front page of TMZ.com. But, you don’t have to be a celebrity to know your life is under a constant microscope. Between handheld flip cams and security cameras and cell phones with built in video capture capabilities – not to mention everything you put out there voluntarily by way of your blog, Facebook, etc., your entire life is potentially being recorded whether you like (or know) it or not.

What this implies is that not only is everything you do possibly being recorded and archived, the millions of avenues of self publishing and broadcasting means that the ability to bring your shenanigans to the masses at warp speed is readily available.

The whole point of all this is the fact that the world we live in now forces us to come to terms with what some may consider to be a rather sobering reality: Whether you like it or not, you are always on stage.

Posted in On Business, On Life, On Social Media Tags: , , , , , , Comments Off
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It’s Not Too Late to Get Started in Social Media

Posted by Mike July on July 16th, 2010

Whenever you hear about Social Media, does it sound like a passing fad to you? Does it seem, as the ageless Betty White eloquently put it, “Like a huge waste of time”? When you think of all the time you’d have to put into it to be successful, can you imagine about 500 other things you’d much rather be doing with your day?

Well if your answer to any of these questions is ‘yes’, you’re not alone. There are many individuals and businesses alike that are not on Facebook, or Twitter, or any other Social Media medium, yet their lives go on. The world does not pass you by just because you don’t announce your exact location to the universe by way of foursquare.

That said, by continuing to ignore Social Media, there is an amazing opportunity that you are missing out on, whether your aspirations to connect with people are personal or professional. Keeping your head firmly buried in the sand in an attempt to pretend that it doesn’t exist doesn’t keep the conversation from taking place; it simply means that you are choosing to be irrelevant.

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Six Principles I’ve learned After One Year of Internet Marketing

Posted by Mike July on July 7th, 2010

The beginning of the second half of the year Twenty-Ten marks the one-year anniversary of my first paying job in this ever changing industry.

That first job was a simple research project that was completed in less than a weeks time, but it opened the door to a wide variety of new tasks and challenges over the past 12 months that have rocked my world in every conceivable way … OK not every conceivable way ;)

One of the things that I really loved about this industry that was a complete 180 from the world of retail management is the fact that no two jobs are alike. I’ve had projects that revolved around computer server repair, sunscreen, local restaurants, online auctions, etc.; every single project presents a different set of objectives to achieve and challenges to overcome. Even multiple tasks for the same client are often very different in scope.

Along the way I’ve learned millions of things – way too many to fit into a single blog post. But there are a few things that I’d like to share – you may not find this groundbreaking or life-altering but hopefully they’ll at least provide a fundamental reiteration of some basic principles if nothing else.

Posted in On Business, On Life, On Social Media Tags: , , , , , 1 Comment »
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You’re Never Too Busy for Social Media

Posted by Mike July on June 25th, 2010

By now there’s no excuse for not taking advantage of the amazing amount of opportunity that effective participation in Social Media can offer. SM can and will provide a benefit to your life or business whether it’s connecting with someone who knows someone who needs a service you provide, or if it simply offers a way to hook up with a handful of new people to play poker with on Thursday evenings. There is quite literally something in it for everyone.

But, when talking amongst colleagues, clients and prospective clients who may be a little late to the party about the benefits of Social Media, the single most common point of resistance is that participating in Facebook, Twitter and the like is an unproductive use of their time – especially when they consider all of the other ‘real world’ obligations they have pulling them in 100 different directions. The truth is that although there is a little bit of a schedule commitment to Social Media, it isn’t nearly as much of a time-sucker as it is often perceived to be.

Posted in On Business, On Social Media Tags: , , , , , , , , 1 Comment »
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Social Media Tip for Business: Treat Facebook like an Online Rolodex

Posted by Mike July on June 1st, 2010

I received an email last week from a gentleman seeking advice on escaping the worker-bee lifestyle that is traditional gainful employment to pursue a more fulfilling career path.

I wrote a short response and encouraged him to friend me up on any of the social media accounts linked in my email. His remark was one I’ve heard all too many times:

“I have been resistant to the social media sites (which I know needs to change) but I have a minimal presence on Linked-In so I can connect there.”

I don’t want to be too hard on my new friend, as this is a very common attitude amongst people who on the surface see no legitimate reason to spend a bunch of time connecting with strangers. I understand the mindset 100% – as many people who know me will gladly point out my stubborn unwillingness to conform to the activities of Facebook, Myspace, Twitter and the like. But, I eventually realized that the ROI for time spent online is not always quantifiable in the traditional ways of thinking.

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How to Find a Job in the 21st Century Part 2

Posted by Mike July on May 7th, 2010

Part 1 of this series discussed the new mindset that is required to successfully find a job in today’s economy.

Whether you’re a young professional fresh out of school, a laid off factory worker or an ambitious high school kid looking to earn some cash over the summer, finding a job can be a stressful, unpleasant undertaking. Rejection is discouraging and can lead to fear and inaction if encountered repeatedly. But, there are a number of ways that you can reduce the anxiety of the process, from the initial contact to the interview to the second interview and so on.

One of the things that a lot of people don’t realize is that the hiring process can be a pain in the ass. This is true whether the position in question is for CFO of a 300 employee firm or a burger flipper at McDonald’s. The trick to winning favor with the hiring person(s) for the job you’re seeking is to look at the process from their perspective, and make it easy for them to want to hire you.

This is not as difficult as it sounds.

Posted in On Life, On Social Media Tags: , , , , Comments Off
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How to Find a Job in the 21st Century Part 1

Posted by Mike July on April 19th, 2010

We’ve all seen the horrific news spewing daily from the talking heads on the cable news channels like Fox News and CNN for example, as well as the ‘in-depth’ analysis on the nightly news endlessly illustrating the dire shape that the economy is on. While the information is fundamentally true, the truth is that the job market isn’t nearly as bad as people perceive it to be.

I know right now you’re thinking that I am full of shit and an easy counterpoint is to simply pick up a copy of today’s Detroit Free Press and compare the ‘Employment’ section of the newspaper to one from two years ago. While this is a valid argument, it doesn’t invalidate the fact that things aren’t as bad as they seem.

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Using Twitter for Business AND Pleasure (Part 2)

Posted by Mike July on April 2nd, 2010

If you’re not a people person, or if you’re really only looking for a way to get your message out as cheaply and broadly as possible, you should probably stop reading here.

Do you know what the difference between Facebook and Twitter is? Facebook is more like a reunion and Twitter is like a virtual cocktail party.

What that means in a nutshell is that you use the two tools differently with respect to how you connect with people.

The most successful Twitter users view the site as somewhat of a glorified chat room. You are constantly making contact with new people by way of retweets, mentions and the like. The whole never talk to strangers bit of wisdom that was drilled into our heads as kids has no place in this medium of communication.

In order to use Twitter effectively, a mindset of ‘connecting’ has to be learned before anything else can go forward. The idea is to try to connect with as many people as you can, whether they’re really relevant to your business or not. And by connecting, I don’t mean reciprocal following just to inflate your ‘audience’. Twitter is not a tool for blasting your message with the hope that someone interested will act on it. Twitter is for engaging people and building your brand.

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Still think Twitter is Stupid? Here’s How to Use Twitter for Business AND Pleasure (Part 1)

Posted by Mike July on March 25th, 2010

“No one gives a shit about what you had for breakfast.”

That’s the first line of defense from all Twitter resisters. They immediately disregard the medium as a whole and reduce it down to a bunch of people pretentiously sharing useless tidbits about their daily lives. As a reformed Twitter resister myself, I know this mindset all too well.

It took me a long time to warm up to this 140 character phenomenon. After all, I already had an account on Myspace (which I no longer have), and then I joined Facebook too – what the hell did I need another time-sucking social network to maintain for?

I am by nature a non-conformist. Always have been. I’ve never been one to participate in something just because everyone else was doing it. Nor would I do things the way they’d always been done because that was the way they were done. Furthermore, the whole Twitter premise seemed like another fad that’d invariably be gone as soon as the next big thing came to light. With all of this in mind, combined with the perceived pointlessness of the application as a whole, I decided that I’d sit this one out.

That was about 15 months ago.

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    About Mike

    Mike July is a Freelance Web Strategy & Internet Marketing Consultant specializing in Visitor Experience Optimization, currently living and operating in the great city of Grand Rapids, MI. Read More...
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