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If you live in my neck of the woods…South Jersey…I will be presenting at the NJAWBO March Breakfast Meeting.
Get out of the house, hang out, have fun and learn some cool stuff. And, afterward, if you want to hang out a little longer, we’ll head down to the Harrison House Diner and I’ll answer any additional questions you might have.
When: Thursday, March 4, 2010. 830am – 1030am
Location: Gloucester County Library
Cost: $10 (and you do not have to be a member to attend)
TOPIC: Increasing Your Internet Presence – Starting with Twitter
Using the many free online tools (and almost free tools) is about working smarter not harder. Social media tools like Twitter allow you to meet prospects from all over the world, begin to build authentic relationships based on mutual interests and goals plus increase the reach of your business beyond your physical geography.
Session Objectives:
• What is Twitter?
• Why should I join?
• How do I get started?
• How much time will it take?
• Social media etiquette.
• Brief overview of other free, and almost free, online tools to help build your business and make more money.
Please Note: Although it is not a necessity, we encourage you to bring a laptop (and use the library’s free wifi) to make this a hands on experience.
For more information and to register go to:
http://www.whoscoming.com/njawbo-tri/Mar10Breakfast.html?trig=new
If you prefer a more personalized approach and want to set up a private session email me at: Sandy@TheDreamingCafe.com
Book Review: Trust Agents: Using the Web to Build Influence, Improve Reputation, and Earn Trust
(affiliate link) by Chris Brogan and Julien Smith
“Trust Agents” came out several months ago and I admit I was curious, but I hate following the crowd and “Trust Agents” generated quite a crowd following.
When this book came out I had only been online and on Twitter for a less than a year and I was still figuring things out and learning who the ‘players’ were.
I began to follow Chris Brogan and read his blog. I liked him. His thoughts were insightful and sincere. He never came across as preachy or as a know it all. He didn’t talk about people like they were fish to be caught or sheep to be fleeced. When he talked about business or blogging he did it from a very humble, honest standpoint.
I didn’t know Julien Smith, the coauthor of “Trust Agents” and it took me awhile to find him. I now follow him and I am finding him a quirky, super-smart, insightful blogger.
Last week I was in my local Barnes & Noble perusing the stacks and saw “Trust Agents’ on the shelf. “What the heck!” I thought, “I’ll see what all the fuss is about.”
Thirty minutes later with a now cold coffee I checked out. I was hooked. The book was so exceptionally well written and compelling I couldn’t put it down.
After arriving home I started at the beginning. (When I read books in the bookstore I usually open them randomly and begin to read.)
I devoured the book, reading it in one session.
Chris and Julien do an outstanding job of tackling a very delicate subject, the subject in their subtitle “using the web to build influence, improve reputation, and earn trust”.
“Trust Agents” has all three elements of my favorite non-fiction book. It shares interesting and useful information, shares the author’s own story in a compelling manner and tells stories of other people that support the points being made throughout the book.
They book is laid out simply and is built around “The Six Characteristics of Trust Agents”.
1. Make Your Own Game
2. One of Us
3. The Archimedes Effect
4. Agent Zero
5. Human Artist
6. Build an Army
Let me share a few quotes I copied down while reading to illustrate how much I got out of this book in one cover-to-cover reading session:
“Making your own game is about standing out.”
This statement struck a real chord in me because I watch so many people (myself included sometimes) not wanting to draw attention themselves, fearful of the world and it’s attention. But, if you want to succeed, if you want to make an impact and make a difference you have to stand out. And, the best way to stand out is to make your own game.
“That’s the advantage of the Web: we don’t need to make another team lose to win ourselves.”
I hate the feeling that to win I have to make someone else lose. I admit, I feel bad for the losers. But, this statement made me sit up and take notice and recognize the truth in the words. It is helping me look at the world and my business in a whole new way.
“…sell products and services that empower and equip people to do something for themselves such that they are grateful they gave you money in exchange for resources.”
This statement resonated with me for two reasons.
First, it aligns with the purpose of The Dreaming Café to inspire and inform people so that they can take the steps needed to begin or continue their creative journey to self-discovery. I liked the energy of the words “empower and equip”. That is what I want to do.
The second reason, although I have thought about it when I give money in exchange for a product or service, I never thought to apply “being grateful”to receiving money for a product or a service.
I have paid for books, workshops and seminars that have helped change my life. I am grateful that the person I was paying had decided to share and teach what they knew. Even for small things I am happy and grateful to pay. I was overjoyed to pay three young men a few weeks ago move the final 10’ x 20’ section of snow at the bottom of my driveway.
I recognize that I have products and services of value to offer. Now it is time to apply this same thought process to receiving money as I have for giving money and“that people will be grateful to give me money in exchange for my products and services”.
These are just three statements that came out of my first reading of “Trust Agents”. Like I said, I read it fast and furiously. I loved it. I now need to read it again, slowly, savoring each and every word.
Overall this book is one of the best that I have seen that details the etiquette and responsibility of creating and maintaining relationships, online and off.
I give “Trust Agents” a FIVE STAR rating. It is a book that belongs in everyone’s personal book collection.
Have you read “Trust Agents”? If so, What were some of your takeaways?
I LOVE Twitter and the unlimited opportunities it offers to build relationships and communities.
I hate Tweets that say “300 followers in one day, follow this link xxxxxx” or “thousands of followers if you xxxxxxx”.
I do NOT want 300 or 1000 followers in one day or ten days.
I want to know the people who follow me and I want the people who follow me to know who I am.
Twitter is about building relationships – personal and professional.
Twitter is not a mass marketing toy to blast your message to thousands of unknown people and spam them all day – or it shouldn’t be in my opinion.
Twitter is an amazing way to connect to people. It is one of the best ways to find a community of people, regardless of geography, that have similar interests, goals, and dreams. It is a unique and wonderful way to support others and find the support you need. You have the equal opportunity (and obligation) to contribute to, and benefit from, this community.
There are no magic Twitter formulas to find followers, not if you are sincere about creating meaningful relationships with others.
Joining Twitter is like moving into a new neighborhood. It takes time to meet people, connect with people, figure out where all the best places to hang out are and to find your way around.
The more time and sincere effort you put into your Twitter experience the more you will get out of it.
Here are some Twitter Tips that can make your Twitter experience better, regardless if you are a newbie or old-school veteran:
1. First things first… Who are you? Post a bio, tell us a little about yourself-the important stuff. Where are you located? You don’t have to be exact, but give some idea of where in the world you are located. And, include a picture of yourself, it makes you real.
My Twitter ID: (@SandyDFromNJ)
My Bio: Writer, artist and entrepreneur using the written word to communicate, teach, share, and help heal the world, one word, one idea, one person at a time.
Location: Southern New Jersey
2. Next…What are your interests? What kind of communities are you interested in participating in? What do you want to know more about? What do you want to share? These answers will help you find people to follow. And, if you share some common interest, people will have a reason to follow you back.
People who follow me and people I follow – artists, writers, entrepreneurs, film makers, web designers, and other ‘creatives’; vegans and vegetarians and people interested in healthy, natural holistic living.
3. Don’t know who to follow? Pick a few people you find interesting and see who they are talking to. Click on their Twitter ID, read their Bio, read some of their Tweets and choose to follow or not.
4. Once you do start following people, remember it is about community and relationship building, it is about communication – two way communication.
*Share what you are doing.
*If you have a website or blog, share links to your site when you have something new or interesting to say.
*It’s okay to share links to your products and services, just don’t make this your only reason for being on Twitter.
(Think of it this way – if you were out with your friends and you were selling a new product, or teaching a new class, you’d probably excitedly share your good news with them, but this would not be the basis of your entire relationship, just a small part. It’s the same on Twitter.)
*ReTweet (RT) what others are doing and sharing-things you personally enjoyed or found interesting.
*Reply to someone, say hello, make a comment, ask a question. Be sincere, be interested in what the other person is doing, saying or sharing.
*Balance your Tweets – Sharing, ReTweeting and Replying
*Don’t crowd the airwaves. Space your Tweets. Don’t Tweet twenty times in two minutes.
(Twice I tried to follow and support an aspiring writer, but she Tweeted every 30-seconds, all day, about every single thing she was doing and thinking. You can only offer so much support. Unfortunately I had to ‘unfollow’ her – twice. Not all relationships work out.)
*It’s okay to un-follow people and people will un-follow you. There are over 2.5 million Twitter users. You can’t expect to connect with them all, nor would you want to.
*Block spammers, ‘nudies-xxx’, and other undesirables. If they are really bad, report them to Twitter.
I honestly believe that Twitter and other social networking sites like Facebook can play a huge role in developing relationships and communities that transcend traditional cultural, geographical and political boundaries. The opportunity to reach out and learn from one another in a supportive, open environment like Twitter is unlike anything we have ever seen.
Some people will vehemently disagree with me. They see Twitter and the other social networks as pools of fish to be caught, like giant marketing oceans. Well, good luck to them. I won’t be following them, and when I find them following me, I will block them.
What do you think?
To read more about the positive benefits of Twitter and how you can make the most of your experience these two articles may also be helpful:
To help you get started or improve your Twitter experience here are some interesting people you may want to follow. These are some of the people I have met and had recent conversations with on Twitter. (This list is not in any particular order, and my apologies to anyone I have been chatting with and forgot.)
@joblessmuse –
Bio: Passionate about creative self-employment & personal growth
Location: Las Vegas, NV
@kathymagrino –
Bio: I’m Kathy Magrino – a writer, marketing consultant and adjunct instructor in the comm/journalism dept. at Rider U. I own my own biz: The Write Way, LLC
Location: New Jersey
@heatherplett –
Bio: writer, photographer, creative thinker, artist, professional communicator, happy wanderer, domestically challenged mom
Location: Canada
@KirstenOlson –
Bio: I help multi-talented creatives get their act together.
Location: Missouri
@leahcreates –
Bio: heart-based creative handygirl. web and graphic designer. web developer. mixed-media artist. treehugger extraordinaire
Location: Portsmouth, NH
@TerriBelford –
Bio: I teach artists and aspiring entrepreneurs how to turn their passions into profits and make a difference in the world.
Location: Cambria, California
@Maureen318 –
Bio: Passionate entrepreneur, owner of Lyssabeth’s Wedding Officiants, traveler, author of Common Sense Courtesies blog, love to brainstorm and share ideas w/ others
Location: Denver, CO
@bizauthor –
Bio: Author, speaker, CEO of AuthorityPublishing.com. Love writing, reading, roller skating & classic rock. Ready to LEAP? (New book coming this September!)
Location: Sacramento, CA
@DirtyFootprints –
Bio: Artist, Art Educator, Yogini, Costa Rica Dreamer, Blogger living the Creative Juicy Life!
Location: Arizona
@pencilbugs –
Bio: Award-winning 13-year-old entrepreneur, creator of Pencil Bugs at age 9, donating to children’s hospitals, Forbes Top 10 list, writing book
Location: Temecula, CA
@jonathanfields -
Bio: Dad, husband, author of Career Renegade, entrepreneur, marketing maven, small biz & lifestyles blogger, Social Media Sponge
Location: NYC
@sallyaevans -
Bio: Mom, Wife, Creativity Coach, Jewelry Artist, Entrepreneur. Love creative expression and thinking, positive outlooks and good food!
Location: Denver Area
@artcetera –
Bio: Photographer. Artist. Blogger. Vanilla latte drinker
Location: Seattle, WA
@melhocking -
Bio: bohemian seeking freedom & set costumer
Location: las cruces, nm
@HSPCliff -
Bio: I’m an author/publisher who provides inspiration, information, and products specifically for Highly Sensitive People.
Location: NJ
@lgesin -
Bio: Mom, Educator, Social Media convert, Web/Flash Developer and World Traveler currently enjoying summer at the jersey shore & teaching animation
Location: New Jersey
The Dreaming Café’s newsletter ‘new friends’ section will also introduce you to new and interesting people, many of whom I have met on Twitter. If you are not a subscriber you can sign up here: Subscribe
What did you think of this article? Was it helpful? Do you have any Twitter Tips you’d like to share?
Leave a Reply…
Here are some time management Twitter tips that have worked for me.
- Remember Twitter is about communication. Interact with others.
- Develop a routine and repeat 2-3 times per day. I try to log early am, midday and late evening.
- Use Tweetdeck or some other app to help manage your tweets.
- Tweet your own links and other links of interest.
- Re-tweet often. This exposes your followers to some of your favorite people and helps spread interesting and helpful, as well as, inspiring information.
- Check your @ replies to see how is talking to you or about you.
- Right above the reply button in a tweet box is a star. Click this to add people and tweets to your Favorites. Favorites are listed in profile box to the right.
- Use your Favorites and @ replies to keep up with the tweets of your core tweet peeps. Click on their avatar and see everything they have tweeted recently.
- You can find many more new friends by watching who communicates with who.
- Don’t play catch up and try to read every single tweet from every single person during the time you were offline.
- Turn off email notification of followers. Once or twice a week click on your followers button. Your followers are listed in order from most recent to oldest. You can fairly quickly review your new follower profiles and decide who you want to follow back. Note the last person you looked at so you know where to pick up next time.
- You don’t have to follow everyone who follows you.
- If you get repeated tweets that seem outside the community you want to interact with, Un-follow.
- You don’t have to DM (direct message) everyone who follows you. This can be time consuming for you and annoying for your followers…especially when it is automated.
- Use DM’s to connect directly with someone you have a special message for or will be establishing a communication offline with.
Do you have more tips?
My Twitter ID: SandyDFromNJ
If you missed The Dreaming Cafe’s weekly newsletter or you haven’t signed up yet, this is reprint of Sunday’s message. If you don’t want to miss another one, sign up today. Subscribe.
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Number 18, “ABC’s of Following Your Dreams: 26 Keys That Worked For Me” was “Relationships…it is extremely difficult and lonely to try and succeed on your own. Take the time to build a circle of support.”
Returning from Dodge City, Kansas and Follow Through Camp last week I realized again just how true this is.
My interests are many and include entrepreneurship/self-employment, writing, creativity, personal growth & development, software & technology, the environment, nutrition and vegetarian/vegan lifestyles and many more.
Not everyone in my circle of support shares all of my interests. But, what we do share is a passionate desire to know ourselves, an honest desire to make a difference in the lives of others and the world, and to live an honest, passionate, authentic life.
But, finding and building a circle of support, sometimes called a community or tribe, is a not passive activity. It’s not just about meeting people and hanging out. You have to do more than just show up.
You need to actively seek out and engage and interact with others. This includes sharing, learning and teaching.
Follow Through Camp wasn’t a lecture type workshop. It was a hands-on, give and take, raise your hand, move around, talk and share workshop. We worked together and we helped each other.
The Storytelling Workshop in Las Vegas, Nevada last year was a similar experience.
After that workshop we took the time and effort to stay connected via email and a few phone calls to share, support and help one another.
Joining an organization or group, taking classes or attending workshops/seminars are all ways you can begin meeting and building a circle of support.
But, meeting people doesn’t just occur face to face, in person. The new social networking sites like Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, Ning, LinkedIn and others give you an opportunity to meet and interact with people from all over the world.
I’ve met a number of people in the virtual world who I consider part of my circle of support, my tribe. I’ve introduced you to many of them on The Dreaming Café’s website and here in the New Friends section.
Together all of these people, those I have met personally and those I have met online, form my circle of support and I actively support them.
Most of the work we do as we pursue our dreams and goals is done alone. Sometimes it is hard to keep going. An email from a friend, a brief conversation, a blog post or 140 character quote or helpful link on Twitter, is all we need sometimes to remind us we are not alone and why we started down this road in the first place.
This interaction is about giving and taking. It is often very easy to give, to share information with others and to offer support. The other side of the coin is to ask for help and support when you need it, to be willing to take the helping hand that is offered to you. To stay balanced support and encouragement needs to flow in both directions.
As you begin building your circle of support ask yourself:
Are you actively or passively seeking out and building a circle of support, a community, or tribe?
Do you know yourself well enough to recognize someone from your own tribe? If not, be patient. Take the time to get to know yourself. You are your own best friend and support.
Are there people in your current circle of friends and family that support you and share your enthusiasm for your dreams?
How often do you meet others that share your interests or vision? Do you belong to any organizations, groups or clubs? Do you take classes, attend workshops or seminars?
Do you actively participate in any form of social networking?
How do you give help and support?
How often to you ask for help and support?
You may not have realized it, but when you chose to subscribe to The Dreaming Café’s newsletter you took a step toward joining your tribe, a community of like minded people; people on a creative journey to self discovery; people actively pursuing their dreams and goals.
To help you meet your community, your tribe and to help you build a circle of support I have created an online social network, The Dreaming Café Community on Ning.
For more information: About The Dreaming Cafe Community
Or Join right now.
