web 2.0: the new dating game?
So, I’m guiding one of my clients down the road of Web 2.0 – and she turns to me and says, ‘This feels like dating 101.” And it’s true…but more specifically, I think, like dating 101 for a seasoned & divorced person.
Why? Because we already know how to do the basics – we can read & write, we can do the elevator speech, we can network, we can self-promote, we can buy, sell & trade. But the scenery has changed, so we have to learn how to apply all that we know to this new venue. Think of it this way, she worked it just fine at the drive-in and now I’m taking her to a rave.
So, the important things to remember are these:
- You’ve still got the moves.
- Yes, you have to learn a new language with words like Squidoo, post, WordPress, comments, Google, Digg, blog and de.licio.us.
- Yes, you have to type it all in.
- No, no one cares what you’re wearing because they can’t see you…though a good picture will help.
- Still, now you have to put all of that fashion sense and primping into your blog & site design.
- Networking is networking (dating is dating), sometimes you have be forward and make the first move, other times you’ll play hard to get – you’ll know which is which and when is when.
- People are frequently attracted to ‘the someone’ that everyone else likes – so highlight your client list, your achievements, your traffic, your subscribers and how many people friended you on Facebook and follow you on Twitter, etc.
Total aside (though tangently related to the post above): Speaking of dating and new technology, I’ve been wanting to bring this up for awhile now: when I was in junior high, we used to call the boys that we had crushes on and hang up after they answered. I’ve got to know, what are girls doing these days? You can’t do that now…everyone has caller ID. My best guess is that they visit their crush’s MySpace page where they have more anonymity…ooh, and pictures. Okay, I guess there may be life after caller-ID…
Filed under How To, Networking, Social Media | Tags: copywriting, Facebook, freelance writer, Julie Roads, marketing writer, myspace, Social Media, social media, social networking sites, Twitter, Writing Roads | Comment (0)how to become a freelance copywriter: NETWORKING
Networking, word of mouth and relationships have been the greatest marketing tools for my business. While I had to have the skill, know-how, tools, etc. in order to actually do any networking, my business was built on and continues to be sustained by this growing, active network and my participation in it.
1. Join a networking group or 5. I was a member of my local BNI chapter back in Northampton, MA where my business was born. You could also join your local chamber but most people find that it isn’t as effective for relationship building as BNI. Another smart choice is to find online, local if possible, groups that support each other. I’m part of a group called Hidden-Tech where jobs are posted, questions are asked and answered, information is shared, relationships grow and people collaborate every single day. You can find groups that directly relate any profession. BNI has been the most supportive of my business, however. I find it to be brilliant in several ways:
- a weekly meeting of a committed group of professionals with open networking, educational information, self-promotion requirements and shenanigans at 7am
- one seat is allowed for each profession – one writer, one graphic designer, one CPA
- you have the chance to tell your group all about your business and educate them about what you do every week
- everyone is there to network and help each other
- your chapter is your marketing team – they learn about you and your business and spread the word on a daily basis
- good chapters pass millions of dollars each year
2. You’ve heard me say it before, but I believe that every situation is a networking opportunity. Without being obnoxious (really), I talk to people about what they do and about what I do all the time. It’s seed planting and you never know where it will lead. Sometimes the rewards are instantaneous…and priceless.
3. Web 2.0, social networking, social bookmarking, blogging. Participate online. The internet was created to share information and to communicate. If you are just focusing on your local clientele, you are missing out on an entire world of opportunity. Participate by
- blogging and sharing information
- reading other blogs
- commenting on other blogs
- responding to comments on your blog
- bookmarking blogs, sites and articles on sites such as Digg, Hugg, Technorati, etc.
- actively networking on sites such as Facebook, Myspace, Squidoo, etc.
- being respectful and unspamlike at all times
