online communities

Happy New Year!

January 6, 2010

Welcome back!

Image by weblog244 via Flickr

So long, 2009! Don’t let the door hit you on the way out!

I don’t know about you, but 2009 was a rough year for me and many of my friends. Don’t get me wrong, I am very grateful that my family remained safe, healthy, and happy, that my hubby and I have (relatively) stable jobs to support us, that we have friends near and far to eat, drink, laugh, and cry with (and, more and more frequently, to have playdates with!), and that I’ve found such wonderful techie / startup /entrepreneurial / etc. communities to be involved with.

Now that I’ve finished the last of my 2009 holiday relaxing and recharging, I’m ready to get 2010 rolling!

Content coming soon (no, really!)

You know how they say the best way to learn something is to teach it?

Well, starting this month I’ll be posting some of the “How-To” guides that I’ve created for my clients along with some of the lessons I’ve learned along the way. This could include:

Do I need to have separate domain registration and hosting?
Why should I use WordPress instead of my (host’s free) site builder?
Why do I need to buy hosting when I can use WordPress.com for free?
Claiming and naming your Facebook page.
Why you should have a Twitter account, even if you aren’t sure that you’ll use it (a.k.a What’s that Twitter thing?)

What else would you like to see in 2010? What software jargon is buzzing around your office that you don’t understand but need/want to? Let me know!

In 2009, Social Media Overtook Web 2.0 (mashable.com)
Top 5 Web Trends of 2009: The Real-Time Web (readwriteweb.com)

Social Media and Building Community (IMU)

June 23, 2009

Professor: Chris Brogan, New Marketing Labs

I didn’t make an actual count of Chris’ mentions/celebrations of other people’s ideas, products, and successes, but based on my rough notes I think he was getting pretty close to his oft stated Twitter goal of 15:1 (their stuff:your stuff) and he also managed to spread these examples across industries and businesses, large and small.

Chris’ knowledge, expertise, and passion around using social tools to build communities and his ability to translate this into clear, human examples have made him a leader in the field and I would strongly encourage you to take a look at his presentation (below) to see these ideas presented in his words (and then, of course, subscribe to his newsletter and blog for ongoing social media community goodness!) In the meantime, here are a few of the highlights from his IMU presentation:

It’s not about you, so always be humble.
Create content that your community wants (and/or needs). Hint: This is probably not what you think it is and it’s almost definitely not a sales-y pitch about your new product.
Be where your community members are – the platform (Facebook, Twitter, Yahoo! Groups) doesn’t matter, go where the people are, go where the participation is happening.
Always acknowledge your community members, celebrate their successes, and equip them to handle their challenges.
Although return on investment (ROI) is important and should be measured, also consider the “return on influence” (ROI) as well.

And some nitty-gritty details from the Q&A:

Should you separate personal and professional identities when interacting with communities? It depends. Generally, it’s easier and more authentic to blend the two (while being mindful of what you’re posting where.)

How many connections are too many? It depends. Chris uses CRM tools to manage his numerous connections, but that may or may not work for your. (YMMV)

What listening tools should I use? There are lots, paid and free. Free tools are great starting points. Paid tools can help with automation, workflow management, and detailed analyses. It’s how you use the tools, not the tools themselves

Should I use my business name or my personal name on Twitter? It depends. For companies with multiple users, the best option may be to do a combination of the two (@janeATcompany instead of @janedoe or @company.) This lets you know you’re talking to a real person, but also allows people to find you if they search on your company name.

I hope this summary was helpful! Don’t forget, I’m also adding all of the links and examples I run across in these presentations to my delicious.com page for IMU. Enjoy!

#3 IMU: Social Media and Building Community (GF201)

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