The importance of understanding your purpose for involving your brand within each social network.

What value will your community gain from your presence. These questions must be addressed before diving into a social networking platform, or at least start with an idea and evolve it. Each platform may serve a different purpose, in most cases it does. Different people use different mediums; before diving in you need to distinguish who is where and strategize accordingly.

In most cases this is a trial and error process. If you’re not creating any type of community maybe you are seeking or approaching the wrong relationships. This is where your patience is tested, building and gaining trust to mold your tribe takes time, let it develop.

I am the voice of the Twitter handle and Facebook fan page for the Arthritis Foundation Iowa Chapter. These two different networks reach two different audiences. Through ‘trial and error’ I have found that the community I have created on Facebook doesn’t reside on Twitter, so I had to rework my Twitter strategy accordingly. I am taking the approach for my Twitter handle of building a community around other non profits, organizations, and businesses within the state. This is taking more of a professional relationship approach, partnership if you will. I also reach out to the national advocates who have strong voices for Arthritis education and funding. Building these types of relationships may/will become beneficial for future opportunities.

My Facebook presence serves as a coffee shop.

It’s a place for those whom are ‘around’ arthritis to come and chat; share stories, give advice, and mostly, to be a support system to those who live with the disease. This is also where I share scheduled events and fundraising efforts. I must add that I do have my Facebook automatically feed into my Twitter. I feel the information I provide on Facebook brings an even more authentic and genuine approach to my Twitter handle. I don’t, however, feed by Twitter to my Facebook status updates, but is viewable from the fan page. Automatic Twitter to Facebook usually doesn’t fly with the Facebook crowd because they’re feed becomes over-saturated. Your status pushes others down, more is missed. It’s crucial to find the line in the sand to know when your updates have become inconvenient, and hate to say it, annoying. Thus resulting in unfanning, unfollowing, or even hiding your status updates. You have failed in developing this relationship.

The point is…

When you’ve decided to explore different platforms you need to know why you’re there and to whom you’re wanting to connect with. If you have these answered before hand your navigation is much clearer, you’re able to set goals and define a strategy.

So what are you waiting for… mingle.

Photo source: martin.canchola

As I am reading Linchpin by Seth Godin, he discusses emotional labor versus physical labor. Briefly; physical labor is the type that causes fatigue, it’s work, hard work that someone of authority has told you to do. Emotional labor is something that is not generally on your day-to-day checklist. It’s a type of personal uniqueness that makes it hard to replicate; your smile, generosity, passion, caring, sincerity, etc.

The top of your company’s totem pole consists of the owners, executives, and managers. These are the folks innovating, implementing, creating, enforcing policy, and ultimately setting your daily agenda of things do to. At the top of the totem pole you are able to see far and wide of the beautiful scenery, but as you start to slide down, its breathtaking view starts to become non-existent, so does your humanity, your voice.

Why is it that at the bottom of the corporate ladder you have NO voice?

It’s assumed that the less you make the quieter the voice. In most cases, this assumption is true, but why? Isn’t the bottom of the totem pole generally the first thing to come in sight considering it’s at eye level? The same holds true for most organizations. The bottom of the ladder being the first, last, and most times, the only contact with the customer. But yet organizations have them abiding by a set of rules on how you should say this and when. Let them create their own voice. Let them use their emotional labor that they share outside of the workplace that has them being liked and loved by so many people. Let them showcase what defines them as a human. This type of interaction is contagious and soon the customer, manager, and your colleagues will catch it. It’s called creating a human relationship. Humanize the workplace instead of always having to read off of a transcript that the consumer has heard a million times before.

Does your organization allow those in contact with the customer have their own voice?

I’ve recently finished reading Duct Tape Marketing by John Jantsch about small business marketing. It was a very informative read and will be a great resource to come back to. While reading, as I am not a small business owner, I couldn’t help but to substitute the ‘small  business’ for ‘personal brand’. I always was thinking of ways to utilize the resources between the covers in supporting my personal brand. There are a lot of elements, if not most, that can help an individual form a solid strategy in creating and promoting one’s personal brand.

Though each chapter is filled with great content I want to focus on the epilogue in the back of the book. In the epilogue John lays out five steps in bringing your plans to form a ‘small business’ marketing snapshot.

Below is my translation of ‘bringing your plans to life with a ‘personal branding’ snapshot’:

Step #0. State your primary personal branding goals for the year.

Like anything else, you need to have a starting and an ending point. Where do you want to be one year from now? holding what position? with what company? Determine how you want to be perceived and what’s going to make you stand out. Your personal brand is not how you perceive it, it’s the perception others have on you, your actions will define this. Work towards acquiring your dream job for your dream company by first defining your personal brand and setting goals.

Step #1. Describe your ideal work situation (employment).

Everyone has a dream job or are (should be) passionate about something. Let it be known. With the new age of recruiting utilizing social media tools, companies are seeking you out based on the information provided within your social spaces. I think as this social space evolves even further you won’t be looking for jobs, the jobs will be looking for you. If you don’t express your ideal work situation those opportunities won’t be able to find you. Make yourself searchable. 

Step #2. Write your core message points.

What is it that makes up you?  Why would anybody want you to work with them or for them? This is the heart and soul of your personal branding. You will really need to dig deep and you may even have to ask for help from colleagues, family, friends, etc. — What makes you unique? Define and market these characteristics.

Step #3. Develope personal branding marketing materials.

The sky is the limit with marketing materials for your personal brand. The more creative the more memorable. With thousands of people crossing everyone’s path, being memorable is what matters. Other than printed materials (not a resume) you may include video, blogging, or podcasts. It’s easier for opportunities to seek you out when you’re conversing and sharing valuable content on your expertise or passion. Through utilizing the free social media tools it makes you findable on search engines and within social networks.

Step #4. Outline your platforms of engagement.

A couple of years ago I would have said to always keep an updated resume on hand along with your business cards, but those days are becoming ancient history. It’s only a matter of time before resumes become extinct. Instead, there will be sites like LinkedIn and even Facebook, FriendFeed, and Twitter that will connect you to future employment. This is where your true identity resides, so beware, your career depends on it. Develope a system in how you are going to use all of these platforms. For me, I have LinkedIn, Twitter, and FriendFeed as my primary professional social networks. My Facebook page is more focused on family and friends but will slowly be migrating to include my professional space as well. What purpose will each of these networks serve and how are you going to use them? Create valuable content of your industry.

Step #5. Deliver your personal brand.

The true test comes when an opportunity knocks at your front door. Making the team and putting on a uniform every game with a prestigious name is only half the battle. What are you going to do when it’s your turn to step up to the plate? This is how your brand is truly defined, living up to your message.

What do you think? Is there anything you would add or take away?

When your main concern and focus is what your competition is doing, that’s when your own strategy starts to fall through the cracks and slowly but surely you realize your legging at the end of the pack. As in the video ” you can’t win a race running with your head sideways, keep it forward and look determined.” I’m not suggesting to forget your competition entirely, but your main focus and energy should be on your own strategy and every so often taking a quick glance over your right shoulder to notice your competition fading in the distance.

Click here to view the video.

Is there anything you would add?

Photo Credit spybart

Social media is still a new medium for today’s marketers, they’re still trying to grab hold of its underlying logistics. So they’re off to the races reading, writing, testing, etc. in what makes a successful social campaign tick. At what point does it tip to its community? There are all kinds of folks in the blogosphere considering themselves gurus or experts in the space. — I myself am far from this recognition (not title, this has to be perceived by others) and am only fueling off of passion. I am only a beginner in the blogging world but still feel I am deserving of an opinion based off my own experiences. –

Often discussed is the importance of authenticity in your web presence.

Hear the voice, trust the voice.

Recently there was an event where Beth Harte, author of the Harte of Marketing blog,  was subjected to ghost tweeting during a weekly twitter chat without any type of disclosure. News of this ‘leak’ created all types of reactions; some hadn’t even noticed, others noticed that the tone of her tweets seemed different, and others were up in arms and felt they had just been punk’d – they were duped. The source of this leak was a post she (Beth Harte) had written and informed her audience it was a ‘unscientific test’ on authenticity, trust, and transparency. Brilliantly done — the comments from the post speak for themselves.

…would anyone really notice or care as long as they are getting whatever it is that they think they need?

In essence, the answer to the above question would be nobody would care as long as the same valuable content is being generated. Why would I care if you or your colleague pump out the same information, as long as I am getting it, right? In the social media space it’s about more than just the valued content, it’s also about the relationship. There are hundreds of folks out there blogging about email marketing and a lot of them have good sound advice. The authors that pull away within their niche are the ones that have created their own game in making that extra effort in connecting with the reader and developing a trusted bond. There was a comment left on Beth’s post stating that he’d do anything for Beth even though they have never met in person. The relationships being formed in this arena is fascinating. A couple of years ago nobody would dare to keep their address, phone number, email out on the web for everyone to see.

I could go on for weeks on this matter. Should organizations hide behind their logo and company name? Why not have a face or a HUMAN name to go along with your highly reputable company to create a relationship that your customers/clients have been seeking all along?

Authenticity is the inner core of your online strategy in which you are able to create growth (awareness).

The truth of the matter is that being authentic holds your credibility in relationships. It’s what distinguishes you against the next guy in your niche. Once trust is earned your presence is valued even more than just posting valuable content. You’ve gained respect by being the real YOU — by being authentic.

What are your thoughts on heading your SM strategy with authenticity? Did you read Beth’s post, what’s your reaction/take?

I am extremely excited to take on this new responsibility!

Through creating, building, and maintaining my own personal online brand I have created an enriched passion for the social media space. The opportunities and connections that exist within this space is endless.

Through this new involvement it’s not only out of my pure passion and enthusiasm for social media, but it’s mostly in part to support my beautiful wife and millions of others who have Arthritis. My wife was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis at the age of 20, she has since been living with this pestering disease for six years — it’s hard to even fathom it’s been that long. I think its gone by so quickly because she continues to live her life with an upbeat positive attitude.

She controls the disease, the disease does not control her.

Though there are extremely painful days for her; days where she’s unable to squeeze toothpaste out of the tube, days where she is unable to open a jar of peanut butter, and days where grasping and turning a door knob is unmanageable. But with those come very good days; days where she is able to run 3 miles, days where she is able to do push ups and sit ups, and days where she is able to participate in her true passion, basketball. I have endless amounts of respect and true admiration for her in not letting this dictate her life.

She has accepted this disease as this is how life is to be lived, but with the hopes of a cure… someday.

Along with my wife there are thousands and millions of others who are far worse; much older and even much younger.

- 46 million American adults and one in five Iowans have at least one form of arthritis.

- 611,000 adults in the state of Iowa living with a form of arthritis or chronic joint pain

- Arthritis is the nation’s leading cause of disability, and affects not only adults, but over 300,000 children across the United States.

Let’s move together in finding a cure for Arthritis.

I thank you for your support!

Follow us:

@Arthritis_IA | Facebook Fan Page | Find a walk near you

Posted in Social Media Tagged: Arthritis Foundation Iowa Chapter ]]> http://ericungs.com/2009/10/01/my-new-role-in-creating-a-movement-lets-move-it-together/feed/ 0 Eric Ungs Add to Facebook Add to Digg Add to Del.icio.us Add to Stumbleupon Add to Reddit Add to Blinklist Add to Twitter Add to Technorati Add to Yahoo Buzz Add to Newsvine http://ericungs.com/2009/09/15/trust-agents-right-off-the-bat-great-read/ http://ericungs.com/2009/09/15/trust-agents-right-off-the-bat-great-read/#comments Tue, 15 Sep 2009 00:01:48 +0000 Eric Ungs http://ericungs.com/?p=49 ]]> This post is archived here: www.ericungs.blogspot.com

Trust Agents: Using the web to build influence, improve reputation, and earn trust.
Chris Brogan and Julien Smith

The intro and first chapter gives you a background on who a trust agent is and gives you an outline of what to expect throughout the rest of the book. The second chapter is really where my mind started to take actionable notes.

This is where the motivation, aspiration, passion, and goal setting started to form.

It really got me fired up in wanting to take my brand to the next level. At this time, my online presence is just that, I’m just there in a space with millions of others. Although I have made some connections and established some relationships through online networking, I want to take my brand/product/company to new heights. This chapter gives you that push. This push really sprang into action early on in the chapter when reading the following:

“When you conclude that talent, though not quite a myth, is certainly overrated, you start to realize that you never need to see yourself as below anyone. Instead, you should only believe that you don’t yet have the experience that person does, then find a way to get it.”

Experience and knowledge

Just because and individual has more of these than you do, doesn’t mean you aren’t able to develop those same things, you just need to find a way to get it and exceed it.

Throughout the chapter I set myself a couple of goals; one is to be more transparent and not being afraid of how others may view it. I am genuine, I am authentic, but I need to be transparent. I need to express my opinions, beliefs and thoughts. I need to have insight on what it is I do. I need to be able to point others into the right direction with sound advice. Currently, my blog is more of a ‘review’ based platform and leads readers to different sites. Though I think this is highly beneficial, and still want to maintain this, I need to incorporate my own insights. In short, this chapter really gets the blood flowing and excites you for the rest of the book (which is a good thing right, to establish that early on before a reader gives up).