I was recently asked to keynote the final presentation at the NH Travel Council’s Governor’s Conference on Tourism in Portsmouth, NH. My focus was (shock, surprise) social media. But instead of just talking about social media, which frankly, I think there is too much talk about social media and not enough doing,  I decided to share some real examples of organizations within the travel & tourism space who are doing social media and doing it well.

I have to admit, I was really nervous about this presentation. I mean, I have spoken before, but never as the “keynote” and certainly not for a whole 60 minutes! So, in preparation for my big keynote debut, I leveraged my network and put a call out for some great examples of travel & tourism organizations having success with social media. I got several responses, one of which was from The Children’s Museum of New Hampshire.

Being familiar with The Museum from working with them for one of my NHTweetUp events and because they are local, I chose to include them as one of my featured case studies. So, I took my kids and my video camera and made my way to The Children’s Museum to speak with Heidi Duncanson, director of marketing for The Museum.

I was impressed. Really impressed with how Heidi was spearheading The Museum’s social media efforts. With their Facebook Page and Twitter account combined with their email newsletters (what BlueSky Factory calls the “Social Glue”), The Museum is able to connect with its members while building and nurturing their community.

During my video interview with Heidi (click below to view), she shared the Museum’s social media strategy along with some great examples of how just simply listening resulted in a visit from an out of town travel blogger who then wrote about her experiences within her blog that caught the attention of several other travel writers.

In later posts, I will share some other great examples from my presentation including my talk with Taste of Portsmouth about their social media efforts including their involvement with Foursquare Day in Portsmouth.  Please check back for that.

Hope you enjoy my video interview with Heidi. In case you are wondering who those two little cuties popping up in the porthole of the submarine are – they are my girls!

Know any organizations actually jumping in and doing social media and doing it well? Shoot me a note here or on Twitter @cmajor to let me know. I am always looking for great examples to capture and share.

TechKaraoke SXSW Photo Credit: Wayne Kurtzman @WayneNH

Despite the fact that I completely lost my voice during the conference, I did manage to sing with the help of my pal, Margot Bloomstein, who carried the vocals as we belted out The Violent Femmes “Blister in the Sun” with the live band. Not sure how great we sounded, but it was pretty awesome to have the fans blowing our hair in true “80’s big hair” fashion. Hey, I felt like a rock star for a good 3 minutes!

So, here is the video with Jen where I found out a bit more about her company Pinqued why she colored her hair pink.

Thanks Jen and Kate!

Networking at The Social Media Breakfast Boston Photo credit: Joselin Mane @joselinmane

You’ve heard of a fair-weather friend?  You know, those people that go MIA and once in a while they rear their heads when they need something from you. Well, I want to talk about what I call the fair-weather networker. 

Like the fair-weather friend, the fair-weather networker typically takes action when there is a need. But the difference here is that when it comes to a friend, I am always willing to help them out because they are, just that… a friend. I don’t care if I haven’t heard from them in a year, I will do what I can to help them out. 

Recently, I was contacted by several people who I don’t even know asking to talk to me about positions at my company or asking for favors to help them out. While I applaud them for taking the initiative to reach out and having the guts to come right out and ask, I am also turned off by the mere fact that they didn’t try to get to know me first or allow me the opportunity to get to know them before asking me. 

I often liken proper networking etiquette to the early stages of dating. In most cases, (and I qualify this statement with most because this is not the case for every date…so I have heard ) when you go out on a first date, you start things off slow. You wouldn’t go pick up your date and immediately lay a big fat wet kiss on her/him before getting to know them just a little bit, would you? Well, I guess it depends on the chemistry, but like I said, most people just wouldn’t do this. 

The same applies to business where honest, authentic networking, in my opinion, is so important to a successful career.  You have likely heard the phrase to network before you need it, and I couldn’t agree with that more. But I want to take that a bit further and say that you need to network not only before you need something, but all the time. 

Social networking has changed the game of networking. It certainly has for me. I am no longer confined to purely face to face communication to make connections. Social networks such as Twitter and Facebook have rapidly expanded my network not only locally, but globally. The barriers to start a discussion with someone I don’t even know are low for these tools make it easier to get to know someone on a more personal level.  And, if you can combine the power of the online interaction with the offline, then those connections are now even stronger. 

So what are some things you can do to avoid being labeled a “fair-weather networker” 

Make the time 

Set aside the time to get out and network in person. I am a big believer in connecting the online with the offline and have made a commitment to try to get out to attend networking events relevant to my career. There are so many events taking place on a weekly basis across all industries that you are bound to find something that is a fit for you. Not sure where to go to find out about events in your area? Go to sites like Yahoo Upcoming, MeetUp, or follow people that are typically in the know about local events such as @bostontweet or @Bostontweetup in my area. I always refer to the BostonTweetUp calendar or NH Events calendar for local events in my area.  

With the help of social networking, the connections you make at these events continue on well beyond the exchange of the business card or handshake. You are now able to instantly connect via Bump or you can Poke them if you have your own Poken or follow them on Twitter to be instantly connected and continue that conversation. 

You can’t build a network overnight 

Understand that building your network takes time. It doesn’t happen overnight. Take the time to get to know people and let them know who you are. Don’t try to pitch me on your business or ask me for a job immediately after meeting. I typically don’t dig that sort of behavior and I will be immediately turned off. 

Be a connector 

Give back. I truly believe the world of networking, what comes around goes around. You’ve got to give to get and what better way to build trust and loyalty among your network than to help others grow and succeed by helping others connect. If you know that your friend Joe is looking for some help with a design project at his company and your friend Sarah just happens to be an awesome designer looking for work, then get those two together! Because one day when you need something, Sarah and Joe will be the first to help you out. 

Networking is hard work. It takes time and dedication, but when done right, opportunities will be more readily available to you as your network knows you and understands who you are and what you are capable of. You can also help those in your network connect with others. That is the sign of a good networker – one that pays it forward with no expectations in return. 

Do you have any great networking advice or examples you would like to share? Please do so in the comment section below. 

Know any networking rock stars?? 

Are you or do you know anyone that is a networking rock star?? Please contact me. I would love to talk to you for a series of Q&A’s with successful serial networkers.

I recently had the pleasure of working with Brian Dresher, marketing manager for USATODAY.com for an #AwarenessInc webinar he presented with us yesterday afternoon. It was a great session that showcased some of the innovative social media initiatives the USATODAY brand is working on including:

• The transformation of the news brand from macro to micro – a news brand traditionally represented journalists, but with tools like Twitter, journalists now represent the brand. This macro to micro transformation has an impact on breaking news, news curation, and audience engagement.
• Social Blog – USATODAY.com is one of the first mainstream media organizations to have a blog about social media. This is aimed to share and communicate with advertisers and its audience about what they are doing in social media and to share best practices. http://social.usatoday.com
• Fark – learn how this deal came together and why it benefits both brands, http://fark.usatoday.com
• Twitter Index Page, general, http://twitter.usatoday.com, and for Olympics, http://content.usatoday.com/twitter/Olympics.aspx
• Internal social media training to generate awareness and educate staff
• Learn how USATODAY.com evaluates ROIII (yes, three Is! Investment, Interaction, and Influence)

If you were not able to join us for yesterday’s webinar or want to watch it again, we have provided the recording below for you to view. You can also view Brian’s slides via Slideshare here.

Continue the discussion!

Just because the webinar is over doesn’t mean the discussion has to end. If you have any questions for Brian Dresher or myself, please feel free to ask away in the comment section or if you feel like tweeting your question, tag it with #awarenessinc #usatoday and we will be sure to respond.

This is among the preliminary results of a multi-client research study undertaken by Paul Gillin Communications earlier this year.

These and other findings were shared by Paul in a recent #AwarenessInc Webinar below. During the webinar Paul also highlighted several case studies with brands such as Coca-Cola, Ford Motor Company, Cisco Systems, Dell and Sodexo discussing the value each achieved from individual platforms, the metrics they each used to judge success and the insights businesses have learned from their early experiences.

The complete webinar can be viewed below. If you want to go deeper into the research, a copy of Paul’s report can be downloaded for free here.

Enjoy!

I recently wrote about Erik Qualman’s #awarenessinc webinar titled ”Socialnomics: It’s a People-Driven Economy, Stupid.”

Well Erik had so much content to cover during the hour long webinar that he didn’t have time for Q&A at the end. I asked Erik if he would take a moment to answer some of the questions that came through via Twitter and, the nice guy that he is, he graciously agreed to do that for us.

We received many questions and Erik went through and picked out the top three questions that he felt the audience would benefit from the most and provided answers to each. Those top three will also receive a copy of Erik’s book, Socialnomics, provided by Awareness, Inc.

Here you go!

Q:  @woodarml: “Ravelry” Do you think niche social networks are equally impt/worth your time as larger ones like Facebook?

A: Great question.  Some of it depends on what you are selling.  If you are selling Yarn or knitting patterns than Ravelry will be near the top.  For most, it’s analagous to when the search wars were going on.  You’d start with Google and than work your way to Yahoo, MSN, Ask, Excite, Looksmart, etc.  So, always focus on the ones that give you the greatest return and once you think you have a good handle on that go to the next one with the most potential and so forth rather than trying to boil the Ocean all at once.

Q: BuckLLC: How do B2Bs use Twitter effectively? Harder than B2C, yes?

A: A good use of Twitter for B2B is to see and capture insight into your customer’s customer.  Hence, if you are Intel and sell chips to Apple and Dell you will want to know of any issues or benefits the customer is experiencing from your product.  Whatever it is you sell having insight into what pain points and benefits your customer’s customer is experiencing will always make you a more valuable supplier.  This is particular true if your customer isn’t very savvy on social media so they may not even know this type on “intel” is possible.

Q: aharbourne: Quality vs quantity of followers? How targetted/niche should SM activities be? Multiple strategies per segment?

A: It’s all about quality of followers.  Quantity may look good, but if they aren’t active they aren’t going to do anything for your business.  This is similar to e-mail from this standpoint.  Good companies constantly update their e-mail data base to purge inactive accounts rather than “fool” themselves with an inflated number of e-mails.

I can’t wait for the Spring Fever #SoxUp at the Absolut Clubhouse at Fenway Park taking place on Thursday, February 25th.

The Boston Red Sox along with The Social Marketing Hub (we will be talking more about that later) are joining forces to bring you this awesome night of networking and fun.

Learn more by watching this short video promo filmed by Steve Garfield himself in one of the awesome Pavilion Suites at Fenway. Tickets are limited so I encourage you to buy yours ASAP! http://soxup.eventbrite.com

A huge THANK YOU to our #SoxUp sponsors including: Tungle.me, Awareness, Inc., Brightcove, Sullivan Tire, Soxology and Kodak! 

See you there!!!!

I had no idea that the Vatican was driving the whole “Religion 2.0″ movement, but after attending Erik Qualman’s #AwarenessInc webinar, ”Socialnomics: It’s a People-Driven Economy, Stupid” the other day, I did. Not only that, I also learned that even the Pope has his own iPhone App!!  Wow….Just like Chris Brogan! Who knew?

Well, Erik’s webinar was not about Religion 2.0. It was about Socialnomics – The way in which we can leverage social media as individuals and for business. If you missed the webinar, no fear. It is available to view at your leisure below along with another video that Erik shared – Social Media ROI: Socialnomics - which offers some great stats on the state of social media now. Of course this will need to be updated often as it is rapidly changing.

There were lots of discussions during the webinar on Twitter using the #AwarenessInc hashtag, some of which I captured below. This could also be due in part to Erik giving away copies of his book to those who were the first to answer his questions correctly.

What are your thoughts on Socialnomics? Join the discussion by adding your comments below or via Twitter using the #AwarenessInc hashtag. 

Video: Social Media ROI: Socialnomics

Webinar: Socialnomics: It’s a People-Driven Economy, Stupid

Image_Marketing: Enjoyed the #awarenessinc webinar yesterday, which showed some mind-blowing stats about the rise of social media http://tinyurl.com/nutlrj

 TonyNaldinho: RT @awarenessinc: Negative comments are an opportunity for brands to reach out to that person, start a discussion and turn things around #awarenessinc

DidrikE: #awarenessinc .. Great video .. Great message .. Great music ! BIG I LIKE !

@SarahTrujillo: Fail forward, fail fast, fail better! #awarenessinc

woodarml: Facebook- baby seat example — reminds me of previous #awarenessinc webinar — “If you suck off line, you're going to suck online”

@rbrt_rothschild: “..its not a Mad Men society where u sit around a conf room for hrs & talk about your brand any longer.” #awarenessinc

mrobin032009: #awarenessinc @equalman Utilize crowdsourcing – Good content doesn't always have to come from within.

@InfoSara: Your customer today can be your competition tomorrow #awarenessinc

johnavola: Social Media: Our customer today can be your competition tomorrow… #awarenessinc

BenReetz: The 4 main components of Social Media Listen, Interact, React, and Sell  #awarenessinc

djwaldow: McDonalds: “Our head of social media is our customer” via @equalman #awarenessinc – I get that, but not really. Ha ha. Help?

jerrycameron: Social Media = Braggadocian Behavior (It’s all about me, me, me) #awarenessinc

@DidrikE I like this – shift to survival of the FASTEST #awarenessinc

@dmarotta: #awarenessinc “whats worse than being talked about?” “not being talked about.”

A big thanks to Salina McIntire, Membership Director with The Portsmouth Chamber of Commerce for her assistance in planning this event and others. And we definitely couldn’t do it without the help of our sponsors – Microarts, Vital Design, Patti Fousek of CreativeMind Search Marketing and Awareness. Thank YOU!!

I am also very excited to be able to bring you live music from The Sea Captains!!

Adam Flaherty @aflaherty_media (also a member of @TheSeaCaptains) created this awesome video to help promote the event while we were at @RedHookNH yesterday afternoon. Check it out!!

See you on 2/18!!

NH Tweetup :: Retro TechUp 2/18/10 @ Redhook, NH from The Sea Captains on Vimeo.

If you aren’t listening, then you will never know. 

During a recent  #AwarenessInc webinar, “Answering the Social Phone,” David Alston of Radian6 discussed what organizations should listen for online, what to say when you engage, and of course, how to measure your efforts and ‘convince the boss’ on the importance of using social media to answer that social phone. Because if you’re not answering it, your competitor who is more involved and engaged will.

It was a very informative and interactive session for the social media novice and even those who have been around the block a few times. If you have never heard David speak before, I highly recommend taking a peek at the video below for yourself.

While tracking the discussion during the webinar online,  I pulled out some key points from the audience. What are your thoughts? Get involved in the discussion yourself by tagging any discussions with #AwarenessInc like these webinar attendees did below.

stephen_lamb: RT @BostonSarah: Think of ROI for social media in terms of “Return on Ignoring.” What is the cost of opportunity lost? -David Alston #awarenessinc

jerrycameron: Purchased mass media is essentially the “rental” of eyes and ears. Social media is about hearts and minds; engaging with them. #awarenessinc

@sarahnohr: If you suck offline, you suck online. Best quote of the day. #awarenessinc

BostonSarah: There is no silver bullet on measuring social media. Set your objectives up front. -David Alston #awarenessinc

AlexisDias: Why are people obsessed with the number of followers? Let’s  focus on ENGAGEMENT instead… #awarenessinc

mrktgeek: Do “Targeted Listening” to find conversations that you can add value to. #awarenessinc

btrandolph: thank you @davidalston #awarenessinc for saying “numbr of followers not always the most important thing” #beyondcpm

mrktgeek: Building community through connections with #awarenessinc

tanmoyroy: “The brand is the sum of all conversations” – @DavidAlston #awarenessinc

ajrinaldi: From @davidalston The beautiful thing about social media is it is digital…[and] leaves digital bread crumbs #awarenessinc