What comes first? The social networking or the egg?

And by ‘egg,’ I mean ‘blog.’

Beth Harte and Geoff Livingston recently wrote a great article about weeding out the ‘carpetbagger’ social media experts. In their list of 25 things to watch out for, I agreed wholeheartedly with 22 of them - and feel quite strongly about the three I disagree with.

The first point: ‘First recommendation is to blog’ is tackled below - the other two (blog ghostwriting and personal branding) are coming soon.

I can see why it might not always be the right first step for every single person or company. But, I have a hard time swallowing the notion that blogging first might be a misstep for most people - or that its suggestion would make the suggester a ‘carpetbagger.’ I started with my blog and then walked onto the social media scene, and my chosen order was highly beneficial for me, both personally and professionally. Here’s why:

1. Slow, steady, safe pace. My blog gave me a quiet place to watch my ideas develop and be instantly published. At first, no one was even looking, then readers started to show up, then their comments arrived. I had time to find my voice and learn how to respond to people in this medium. If you haven’t noticed, social media happens fast - especially on Twitter - and jumping into the networking madness before I really knew myself online (or how ‘online’ worked) was not the best choice for me.

2. Reason to interact. When you first start reaching out on social networks, sharing your blog content is a great way to introduce yourself (and I don’t mean in a pushy, salesy way) - but it does give you something to say. Having written your posts, you’ve obviously formulated your own opinions on topics that you will now feel confident discussing. Also, as a blogger, you have a healthy dose of appreciation for the other bloggers out there and it’s something you have in common (writing, tech, design, functionality, etc.) to connect about.

3. Portfolio, calling card, resume. Your blog is all of these things - so when people check out your Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, (etc.) page or bio, they have a clickable link that immediately provides an in-depth look into who you are and what you do. When I go to someone’s Twitter bio, for example, and there is no site/blog listed, I have virtually nowhere to go - no way to connect, forge a relationship or network. In this scenario, there is only a small amount of information available that tells me what this person can do for me and what I can do for them. Personally, when I network, I want all of my talents and skills visible to maximize my connection possibilities.

4. Blogs, by definition, expand our ability to be found online. My blog is part of my social networking world. Before I even set foot onto a social networking site, I had built a community around my blog. Then, my blog and my social networking sites blended, merged and grew together - and they continue to do so. In fact, both my blog and my social networks feed each other via organic searches, as well as word of mouth. (people find my blog and then come to follow me on Twitter and vice versa).

A blog is a brilliant way to establish an online presence by letting the world know all about you and your thoughts on everything connected to your industry and area of expertise.

5. Blog as listening tool. I don’t care what your business is - you have to listen to clients, customers, colleagues, peers, the world to succeed. Otherwise you won’t know what they want, why they want it or how you can give it to them. Blogs are a great listening tool because you can ask questions, listen to comments and watch your stat diagnostics (what people are searching for and reading). Of course, social media is a great listening tool as well (would never suggest otherwise).

6. Freedom and ownership. With so many rules and guidelines, blogs allow you to publish, to own, to think your thoughts and explore without being at the whim of a publisher. Your own real estate is always a great place to start…didn’t Madonna start off by singing and dancing around the house in her underwear? Certainly not on the world stage.

And, at the end of the day, I love blogs because they allow for so many different opinions - no one has to be right or wrong, but the arguments can and should be heard and discussed.

What did you do first? Blog or social networking?

Do you feel strongly that one or the other should happen first?

This blog is twitterfied

Really? You still aren’t convinced that Twitter is an incredible tool for business growth?

As of today, Twitter sends me 31% of my traffic. 31%. That’s darn near one third.

Yesterday, it was 28%…it’s a growing trend. And it’s in direct correlation to how I use it.

1. The writing. When I tell people about Twitter, I always bring up the movie A River Runs Through It. Do you remember how the narrator, Norman McLean, would bring his father a page of writing, only to have his dad send him back to make it shorter, to do it again? Eventually, he’d whittle that full page down to a scant paragraph: succinct, pure, direct, on message.

This is the opportunity that Twitter affords us. Take it. Have fun with it, use it to become a better writer.

And, proofread. Yes, you’ll be somewhat creative in your spellings and abbreviations - but make those purposeful and clean up any accidentals. Read your tweets out loud - make sure they make sense!

2. Connect, connect, connect. I DM (send a private Direct Message) every single person* that follows me. Yes, this is time consuming - but the purpose of Twitter is to connect. How can I not do that if I don’t look at this new person, find something about them that I can relate to (picture, bio, site, blog, recent tweet content). This first contact, for me, is where the relationship starts…and aren’t first impressions everything?

3. Listen. Stop in and just listen to what people are tweeting. What can you add? How can you help? What can you learn about the world in this moment?

4. Give. Be generous. What do you have to offer to your community? Retweet good tweets. Celebrate your followers’ accomplishments. There IS enough for us all.

5. Be Authenic. Who are you? Show people what makes you, you. And remember: you can please some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can’t please all of the people, all of the time. So get over it and be you - attract those that will appreciate you (and even some that won’t!). But don’t change yourself for anyone…that will only bite you on the tush later (because it’s lying and that’s what lies do.)

6. Seize every opportunity. Seriously, grab it by the horns. There are opportunities popping up all over Twitter every second. What do you do with them? I explore them. I smell them. I squeeze them. And I pick them when they’re ripe.

*If the person that follows me is clearly a spammer (posting only links to themselves or promising money or sex), I block them which lets Twitter know that they are bad news!

Now, go! Tweet, connect and prosper!

The ‘hello, goodbye’ game

A friend of mine just told me about this wildly useful exercise she did in couples therapy:

They sat facing each other and closed their eyes (which signified ‘me’ time). Whenever each of them felt like opening their eyes (which signified that they felt like connecting with their partner), they did and said, ‘hello!’

Sometimes their partner also had their eyes open, sometimes not. Sometimes while they had their eyes open, their partner opened their eyes and they connected. Sometimes their partner never opened their eyes, and when they were ready to go ‘back inside’ they said, ‘goodbye’ and closed their eyes once again. Rinse, repeat.

I found the explanation of this exercise to be a poignant metaphor, not only for how we interact with our partners, family and friends, but for how we ‘live’ on the internet.

The purpose of this exercise is to let couples see that you can’t possibly always be connected, that you are, in fact, individuals with needs, desires and personalities that simply don’t jibe with each other all the time.

This reality is oftentimes extremely difficult for people in relationship to understand (and what makes relationships so challenging). We want connection when we want it and we don’t want it when we don’t want it. In other words, we want their needs met on our terms, when someone else’s terms have to be considered, it’s quite, um, inconvenient. Shocker: it takes work, collaboration and compromise.

The internet and social media have us participating in this ‘hello, goodbye’ game every time we log on. We say hello and goodbye at will and so does everyone else - we have no choice but to accept this. Sometimes we connect with people at the same time, sometimes we don’t - and there’s a delay between responses. Just like in relationship, if we absolutely require connection, we can set up a meeting where both parties agree to be present.

But, we’re okay with this scenario online. Why?

The view is often expressed that our computer and mobile device screens provide a buffer that allows us to say things we might not normally say to someone’s face. SO, are the screens also allowing us to ‘deal with ourselves’ in a positively abnormal way too? (Or is it that we’re not married to the people in our online communities? Those of you that do communicate online with your partners will have to let me know about that one.)

Are we doing our internet relationships better? Or am I about to get pounded by my readers for comparing the virtual vs. the live relationship? I can see it going both ways.

Weigh in…I know you’re all going to have some strong opinions here.

Is Twitter just a big chatroom?

Decidedly no. Twitter is not a chatroom. You all know that I’m a huge fan of Twitter (I talk about it enough, right?) So, today, I’m going to let some of my Twitter-colleagues tell you why it is so incredibly useful and hopefully debunk the Twitter=chatroom myth.

Is Twitter just a big chatroom?

Kelby Carr (@Typeamom): Twitter is different than a chat room in the sense that you have essentially no limit to the number of people in the room. A chat site typically has rooms or divisions or affinity groups. Twitter is more stream of consciousness. There are also tentacles you’d never experience in a chat room. For instance, I tweet a question and 10 of my followers RT (retweet) it, and then the number of people I can reach with my question is vast. The reach and speed of response is dizzying.

Aronado Placencia (@Aronado) Twitter is a Donkey with wings. If the Donkey likes you, you can leverage it to do anything and reach amazing people who can change your life. Twitter is a chat room on crack, steroids, & ecstasy all at once. I run a business through twitter, have FUN, and make new friends daily!

Ron Miller (@ron_miller) People go to a chat room specifically to chat, it’s a utility. People come to twitter for more reasons than that. I see Twitter as much more multi-dimensional and far-reaching. Part chatroom, but also: publicity, sharing, communicating.

Ann Handley (@MarketingProfs) Twitter isn’t just “chatting.” A big piece of Twitter (and I think the most important piece) is listening.

See? Twitter is powerful…now, go follow these folks - they are VERY smart. Of course, you can find and follow me @writingroads.

Top 7 reasons NOT to stop marketing during a recession

1. Because your competitors will. The knee jerk reaction to the recession is to cut advertising. The classic example from the Great Depression is Ford and Chevrolet. Ford was outselling Chevrolet considerably at the outset of the Depression. Ford reduced advertising when the economy plunged while Chevrolet moved along with an aggressive marketing plan - and they virtually switched positions within the marketplace.

2. Because a market presence is essential. Companies that disappear from the public eye realize a negative outcome with current customers - it’s a sign to the customer that the company is weak and unstable. The absence breeds fear and distrust in their minds. Many businesses pull funding from ‘non-essential’ expenses and make the mistake that marketing is one of them. But, if you aren’t being ’seen’ by potential customers, where is the business going to come from? How will it grow? What does it say about the state of your business?

3. Recession does not equal complete business failure or dissolution. People still spent money during the Great Depression (and through every economic recession this country has experienced). How will they know to spend money with you? As we all know from Marketing 101, people buy products because, among other reasons, they like the image and message behind a product - and marketing is your mouthpiece.

The businesses that boomed during the 1930’s did so for one reason and one reason only: the did not reduce, and many expanded, their advertising efforts. Proctor & Gamble is a great example of a company that increased ad spending throughout the Great Depression, and every recession since, and has seen consistent revenue increases as a result.

4. During an economic downturn, people are desperately looking for security, safety, savings, deals, good things, distractions. Figure out how your company, services, products and your message can communicate and deliver these things. Be part of the solution - this is an opportunity.

Look at the movie industry. The last few weeks have brought record numbers for big screen openings; people are spending money at the movies. Consider the reasons why. Connect to those reasons with your marketing message.

5. Think about another scenario when a business might not have a lot of money but needs to build the business. During the beginning or start-up phase of any business - when funds are likely low - marketing and promotion is key. No one can hire you or use your goods and services if they don’t know who or why you exist.

6. The recession will end. And the best place for you to be at that point is still in the game. Still working, having been creative, having learned - and still operating and visible. Imagine the message you’ll send to customers as we pull out of the downturn.

7. You have your own mind. Apparently, the companies that fared the best during the Great Depression are those that paid absolutely no mind to it. They charged ahead, believing in their product, understanding that their customers still needed them. Fake it till you make it? Perhaps. I prefer to think it’s a matter of attitude, optimism and fortitude.

voting, dreams and my psyche

My dreams have always been rather extravagant. They’re long, rolling affairs that flow like a 5,000 page novel strewn with unlikely, but extraordinarily real, appearances from people in both my past and my present. My dreams are filled with emotion, and I wake up feeling like they actually happened with the residue of the experience sticking to me…sometimes for the rest of that day. Sometimes, it’s hard to shake.

I’ve had three recurring dream themes for as long as I can remember about:

1. Swimming (in pools mostly)
2. Airplanes (because I’m terrified to fly)
3. Not being able to see (like when you come inside after being in the blinding sun)

I don’t have those classic and cliche dreams about showing up to school naked or sitting down to a test and not knowing the answers; I don’t have dreams that speak directly to my current goings on or reflect literal and immediate anxieties…I just never have.

But last night, I had a marathon dream in which every thing that could go wrong with my voting activities went wrong.

• I stood in my line to vote, Barack was at the table receiving ballots, and after waiting for a really long time and getting right up to the front, I realized that I had never checked in and didn’t have my ballot.
• Then, I went to get the ballot and didn’t have the money to pay for it. (yes, I know it’s free to vote - this was a dream)
• Somehow, I got back in line and when I got to the front, Barack was talking about his grandmother who just passed, ‘Toot’, and I hugged him and cried with him, but still had no way to actually vote.
• I finally got my ballot and went back to get in line but now it was miles long.
• I waited and waited…and several other nutty things happened.
• Then, just as I got to the head of the line, Barack and his children had their lunch break, they turned around to the other side of their table, and we were told to go find another line.

Over and over again, I’d find myself in line, at the voting building, only to realize that I still hadn’t managed to vote.

Oy. It seems that this election has done a serious number on my psyche…my subconscious is feeling it.

I live in a tiny town on a tiny island. I will vote today…I know that…so maybe my anxiety was as indirect as usual…maybe it was for all of you (who I can’t control and are likely to face interminably long lines and broken voting systems).

So, do me a favor…vote (early, often and for Obama) and let me know when you did…it’ll put my mind at ease.

Update: I voted. I cried when we got to the polls, when I saw someone holding an Obama sign outside - I was so overwhelmed with how amazing all of this has been. It took exactly 12 minutes from start to finish, beginning of the line to out the door. I stared at the Obama/Biden line and the oval that I had filled in - I wanted to remember what it looked like after I left. I wanted to make sure I had done it right.

now that’s smart marketing: BOB strollers

As you know, when I find something good, I sing like a canary. I simply can’t hold back. This is a twofer, a 2 in 1; hits my professional and my personal side. Drumroll…it’s a stroller.

I love when people do it RIGHT.

Inspired Marketing

The BOB company has a brilliant tagline: Built by BOB. Powered by Mom. But taglines are easy (when you have a good copywriter), it’s what you do with them that counts. BOB is doing many good things including a full embrace of social media:

1. They have a blog that they update on a regular basis with news, company info, product info, contests, customer feedback…
2. The current contest promises a stroller for the best giggling baby video - culling customer communication and web traffic.
3. You can ‘Join the Conversation’ - giving you access to your BOB community.
4. BOB made a fantastically hysterical and viral video about their strollers that they have on their website and on YouTube.
5. The quality and user-interface (UI) of their website is top-level.
6. The writing throughout the site is simply superb - it has personality, good information and makes you want to get up and yell, ‘Yes! I want to be a part of this!’ without sounding cheesey.
7. Besides the YouTube vid, they have several high quality, information-laden videos (so it’s not all talk, they actually show you why their strollers are so good).
8. BOB is building more than strollers - this is a life-style and they’re proving it with sections on health and partnerships with Stroller Strides and Ironman.
9. They (practically) gave me a stroller to review in exchange for my thoughts on this blog, Twitter, Facebook and my other social media networks - understanding the strength of the mommy blogger is smart, smart business.

…and they have the goods to stand on

If you haven’t heard, I have 2 toddlers. I love them more than life, but I’m sick of carrying them around. Most recently, we survived by pushing them in a double stroller by Baby Jogger. To be honest, we never liked it. Hard to manage, hugely awkward to fold and put in our car, made our backs hurt, the seats were huge for the kids (leaving them to flop around especially on the trails)…I could go on and on.

Then, two weeks ago, the metal frame of the stroller snapped. In half. Just like that, no big event or cause, just snapped. We tried to get our money back, but alas we didn’t have proof of purchase (hmmm, well, we bought it 2 kids and 1 house ago - you do the math!). We were left with no alternative, so we went searching for our next stroller. Our dream stroller.

We found it fast at BOB’s. Of course, because I’m me, I was taken by the marketing show I just listed above…but it’s not just good looking fluff, there is real information that made us say, ‘I want that one!’

Now, we’ve had our duallie Sport Utility Stroller for a week…and it’s amazing.

1. I think it’s jet propelled. It used to be that the person walking the dogs went ahead of the person pushing the stroller because the old stroller was so big and awkward you had to go slow. Now the person with the stroller has to go first because it is so darn fast and efficient. I’m not kidding - I got left behind yesterday because I was going too slow.

2. My back doesn’t hurt. Somehow, they designed this stroller so that when you hold and push it, you’re in the correct ergonomic position.

3. When you fold it up, lift it and unfold it, it does NOT hit you in the shins. Yes, the Baby Jogger did. Every time.

4. Our kids fit in their seats. They aren’t sliding around like they did in the old stroller.

5. Safety. BOB put a feature in that actually holds the seat of the stroller down. So if you go over a bump, the kid and the seat don’t pitch forward.

6. No words. I don’t know how to explain this in a word or two: the stroller is just so ‘tight’. With our old stroller, we felt like we were driving a big old 1960’s station wagon that could come unglued at any moment. The BOB stroller is so compact, everything moves and works together - which makes it feel light and totally easy to manage (like my Subaru Imprezza).

7. Shocks. This Sport Utility Stroller has shocks creating a smooth ride for the kids - we off-road over rocks, roots and other natural paraphernalia.

8. Thinner. I’m talking width - this double stroller fits through our front door. Now, that is amazing.

9. It’s beautiful, of course.

10. Everytime we use it, we discover something else that we love.

11. Our kids love it…and who wants to deal with screaming kids in a stroller? Here’s a picture of them playing in the stroller in the house (they aren’t strapped for safety, just for fun - fyi). Silas, the dog, had to be in the picture and wants you all to know that because this stroller is more compact than the other one, he can get around it with his log-sized sticks, and for that, he gives thanks…as do we.

is blogging the new letter writing?

Dear…all of you,

As I was explaining the concept of blogging to a non-web-type the other day, she asked me, ‘So is blogging the new letter writing?’ It’s been percolating in my brain ever since. My immediate answer is that I would love to think so because:

1. I can’t really write with a pen anymore. Literally. The hand muscles that have to work to hold the pen are practically atrophied from non-use, so it’s physically uncomfortable and my hand writing more closely resembles that of a 3rd grade boy every day…but I type really fast.
2. I have serious issues with sending things. I get hung up on things like finding an envelope, licking it shut (eww and I watched Seinfeld), finding a stamp and then getting it to the post office. Meanwhile, hitting the publish button comes easy to me.
3. I like my communication served with a big old scoop of instant gratification. Letters take 2, 3, 4 days to cross the U.S. - even 5 or 6 if I’m just trying to send them from one end of my tiny little island to the other.
4. I always tell my bloggers-in-training to write the blog as if they were writing directly to someONE (friend, family, ideal client) - make that connection, let your post be personal or authentic or apropos (pick at least one.)
5. It would make comments and return visits the ‘letter back’ - and everyone wants a letter back, an answer, a response. So, your posts should ask questions, elicit strong feelings, make people feel welcome, inherently give good information while emboldening your readers to answer back with their own thoughts and brilliance.
6. Blogging over letter writing saves paper, transportation fuel and your fingers (from papercuts)…though computers use electricity, I think more energy is saved via blogging.
7. We still have email for the private stuff, this is a live broadcast from the heart and guts…blogging is a letter to the world.

Write back soon and tell me what you think.

Be well,

Julie

great, you’ll learn it again tomorrow.

As a writer, I spend, well - let’s see -I’m going to guess 99% of my time in my head. That would be as opposed to the 65% I used to spend in my body before I had children, when I was young and free, and a diehard yoga practitioner and teacher at Kripalu Center.

And, I’ve got to say, I don’t think it’s particularly healthy to spend this amount of time in one’s head. Which was part of my reason for my barter arrangement with Mr. Pilates.

So, we’re on one of the machines, practicing a skill (that involves my lower abdomen burning in time to my rhythmic breath), and suddenly I feel myself click down into my body. The skill and movement I’m doing suddenly feel natural. I’m there. I get it. And I say so.

Mr. Pilates replies, “Great. You’ll learn it again tomorrow.”

I love this. Whether it’s body or mind, work or life, I find this to be true. How many times have I learned the same lesson, over and over and over again. Every day is different, every client is different, every situation is different, every day my body is different.  And so, those aha moments keep coming.

There is no end to the learning…thank goodness.

are freelancers really independent? because it’s the 4th of July

It’s July 4th, Independence Day here in the U.S. And here I am, tied to my computer, swamped with work while everyone else is at the beach - and wondering if I am, in fact, ‘free’ and independent. I made some lists, and the answer I’ve come up with is this: yes and no. Let me know what you think…

YES

• I am my own boss
• I can wear whatever I want to work
• My dog comes with me to the office
• I work in a beautiful post and beam shed in an oak and huckleberry forest on Martha’s Vineyard
• I can choose which projects I want to work on
• I can choose my clients
• I make my own schedule
• I eat popcorn for lunch almost every single day
• I can spend time with my family when I want to, not when the boss says so
• I had a meeting on the beach this morning
• I LOVE my work

NO

• If I’m not here working, the shop is closed, the cash flow is stopped
• I don’t have a substitute Julie to stand in or do the heavy lifting
• I’m addicted to my blog
• I’m addicted to my Blackberry
• I’m in love with my MacBook
• I have no vacation or sick time
• My dog is the only one in my office with me and he won’t answer my phone and can’t type
• I never turn away work
• I’m a workaholic

See what I mean? Yes and No. What do you think? Am I free? Are you?