Use Social Networks Effectively

from WebWorkerDaily by Charles Hamilton

image via webdesignblog.com

In the current economy, business networking is more important than ever — we need to use lots of different techniques for finding clients. Social networks can be a great addition to our marketing toolboxes. Since I started actively using social networks (only a year and a half ago!), I've reconnected with old friends, and have gotten quite of bit of business that can be directly attributed to connections that were facilitated through these networks.

But social networks can also be great time-wasters, too. However, If you focus on the marketing aspects of the networks, the time spent using them can consist of, as Meryl says, "zero-guilt activities." Here are some tips for using social networks as effective marketing tools.

Join the active networks. There are literally thousands of social networks to choose from (digFoot lists over 3,700). But most are small, not very active, or of interest only in specific fields or geographic regions. I've spent the last month looking at many networks, and have decided that for me, it makes sense to focus on just four.

• LinkedIn. Often described as "Facebook for business," LinkedIn combines a very large user base, excellent tools for finding connections, and lively discussion groups. Its system for making recommendations is very well-managed. It has so many features that its menu system can be obscure at times, but it's well worth learning to navigate through the site.
• Facebook. The growth of this network is phenomenal — it's claiming 700,000 new users every day! Even six months ago, most of my Facebook friends were under 30. Now, even we in the older generation have discovered it: I now have almost as many Facebook friends as I do LinkedIn connections, even though I joined LinkedIn several months before Facebook. Facebook is still a much more informal place than LinkedIn, but it's becoming a valuable business tool as Facebook Pages and Facebook Groups (see below) evolve.
• Twitter. Technically, Twitter isn't a social network, but it can be great for business communication and networking with customers, colleagues and friends. Facebook is highlighting its status update functionality to make it more "Twitterish," so we'll see how the two services compete.
• Yelp. This review site is new on my radar, but so far, I'm impressed with how active it is (at least in my part of the world). Now that it has a function allowing businesses to provide details of their services, it may become a very useful marketing tool, especially since it is now integrating a way to share reviews on Facebook. It is geographically based, however, and home workers may not want to provide a public street address.

Create pages for your business on LinkedIn, Facebook and Yelp. You may also want to create a Twitter account for your business that is separate from your personal account.

Join groups within the social networks where people you know are likely to hang out. In my opinion, the reason that LinkedIn and Facebook haven't become unmanageable as they've gotten bigger, is that they've encouraged the development of small groups where people can talk about shared interests. Increase your credibility and visibility by using your professional expertise to add to these discussions.

Post frequently, but judiciously. Meryl's comments about Twitter overload applies to the social networks as well. I'll also add that services allowing one to post simultaneously to multiple networks, such as Ping.fm, are great, but should be used carefully. The networks have different audience demographics, and this should be kept in mind when you're deciding what and where to post.

Use the networks' automated tools for finding people you know. The networks can, with your permission, review your address book and see who you know who's already on their network. They also have a "people you may know" function that recommends possible contacts. LinkedIn's system has worked well for me; Facebook's seems to be less accurate. The recommendations presented to you are based on background data (schools attended, former jobs) you provide to the networks, so it's worth the time to provide complete information in your profiles — assuming you are comfortable with their privacy policies.

Use RSS feeds to follow what the members of your network are doing. The folks who run the social networks want you to visit their web sites, of course, but I find it more convenient to follow the activity of my connections through an RSS reader.

Add your Facebook instant message account to your IM program. Facebook's instant message system can be added to multi-protocol IM programs. On my Mac, I prefer Adium; the PC users in my company like Pidgin or Digsby.

Use privacy settings to minimize email notifications. For Facebook, the AllFacebook blog has an excellent privacy primer; note, though, that Facebook is in the process of updating its privacy settings. And check out PC World's discussion of privacy settings for LinkedIn. You'll want to use these settings to control how and when the social networks email you. I find that since I follow the networks' RSS feeds, I can turn off most of their emails.

It's exciting to watch as the social media landscape changes every day. In the near future, it's likely that some social networks will become important business tools, while others will fade away. In the meantime, we can learn how best to use these tools to increase the success of our endeavors.

What Makes a Job Not So Bad

by Beth Harris

Having an enjoyable job (or, if you are like me, a job that isn't so bad) is not just about what you do. After working in different corporate settings, and being as free spirited as I am, I realize that as long as I work with my mind and not my hands, I will define what I do as moving paper (as one person told me, in the "corporate" world, we move paper from one side of our desks to the other).

The secret to enjoying your job is enjoying the personal dynamics that you create. Having friends at work isn't the only thing that matters. Liking the people you work with, or at the very least respecting them and seeing them as competent, is just as important.

A few years ago, a job hunting website ran a commercial to advertise their services. The premise involved a person was working for a room full of monkeys. At the time I thought: how could it ever be that bad. And then I worked for a job where it seemed that everyone was literally flying by the seat of their pants, with no direction, and looking for someone else to blame. It really was like working in a room full of monkeys. I walked away from the situation afraid to work in my current industry, and afraid of working with people who wore suits in general.

Thankfully, that experience hasn't happened again. And currently, after learning when I was a teenager that "work" was just not going to ever be something I enjoy, I have made creating a positive relationship with the people I work with my goal. I am doing the typical things: seeking to create mentoring relationships that meet different goals, like finding someone to provide career advice, provide advice about balancing career and life, and provide advice about the networking aspect of my career. I think I am getting there. But the most important people I have found in the working world are not the people you would generally think would make or break your career, like a supervisor. The people who make work most bearable for me (and this is a lot coming from someone who feels her calling is to be a socialite) are the people who pass me in the hallways. This includes people who are have more experience than me and supervise me in projects. This includes people who work with the same people, and provide advice on how to deal with situations. This includes people who, when I see them, brighten my day. And this includes people I pass in the hallway who take a genuine interest in the lives of others, as I do too, to create a congenial atmosphere.

Have no illusions; no job is perfect no matter who you work for and work with, and I would never say otherwise. However, I have come to believe that the best metric of a good job is not what you actually do. Which is why I believe that you must give a situation time. The true metric is the relationships and competency you see around you, and I can say from experience that it makes a world of difference even within the same industry.

http://alawyerandanangel.blogspot.com/2009/07/what-makes-job-not-so-bad.html

Two Different Types of Employees

from Brazen Careerist by bpovlins

Within any business there are two different types of employees.  There's no difference between a huge corporation and a small business in this aspect - there are still going to be employees that fit these two types.

Type 1 - These employees have an agenda.  They may want to rise up to a higher position, or make themselves more marketable for future opportunities.  They start new initiatives.  They mention their ideas to management about how to improve the company.  They form relationships with coworkers they might not normally interact with.  They lead projects.  They raise their hands in meetings and say "I'll figure it out and get it taken care of."  They make things happen.

Type 2 - These employees literally watch the clock.  They do what their told and then waste the rest of their time sitting around and doing nothing.  They complain to coworkers.  The standard response when asked to do something new is "That's not my job."  They get their work done, but there's no new ideas, no progress or improvement.

I think there are a few employees that fall in between the two types that I mentioned.  Maybe an employee that falls into the second group presents a new idea once in a while.  Maybe one of the best employees gets in a rut for a period of time and just kind of "does his job."

The organizations that are going to succeed are those with the highest percentage of Type 1 employees.  Think about it for a minute.  Are you helping your organization succeed?  What kind of employee are you?

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/CareerKickstarter/~3/BNST_NQbEO4/two-different-ty...

5 Tips For Working Nightshift and Leading a Normal Life

from Brazen Careerist by jwcooke99

If you work in a business process outsourcing (BPO) industry, chances are that you have to adapt to the business hours of another country. This may leave you working night shifts in a call center more often than not. Here are five tips for working nightshift in the BPO industry and leading a normal life.

If you work in a business process outsourcing (BPO) industry, chances are that you have to adapt to the business hours of another country.  This may leave you working night shifts in a call center more often than not.  Working nights can be difficult for BPO employees, but there are ways to make it an enjoyable experience.  Here are five tips for working nightshift in the BPO industry and leading a normal life:

1. Don't forget to eat and drink. When you are working in the outsourcing industry, it's easy to forget to pay attention to the essential fuels that your body needs.  Carry healthy snacks to work with you during your night shifts at the call center.

2. If you rotate shifts, rotate forward. In the event that your call center allows you to rotate shifts, always rotate forward.  Move from nights to day shift and finally afternoons if at all possible.  This will help to keep your body and mind more in synch through the shift change.

3. Plan time to spend with friends and family. Relationships with others are also an important part of your physical and mental health.  You might be missing out on nightlife because of your work schedule, but that does not mean you cannot build and maintain personal relationships.  During your time off, you can certainly find time to meet a friend for breakfast or lunch or even take a vacation.  If you make a set plan with friends and family, it is easier to make sure that you get enough quality time with them.  Planning ahead will also ease your feelings of isolation and give you fun things to look forward to enjoying. 

4. Set a sleep schedule and stick to it. When you are away from your outsourcing job, you need to follow a set schedule just like you would if you were working the day shift.  Choose a time of day that you want to sleep and stick to it.  If you go right to sleep when you get off, there will still be time to take care of errands during business hours when you wake up.  Likewise, if you stay awake when you get off, you can run errands and take care of business before you go to sleep in the afternoon.  The important thing is to be consistent.  Consistency will help you get a full eight hours of sleep before you return to the call center.

5. Be conscious about fitness. Working night shift tends can take a toll on BPO employees physical and mental wellbeing unless you take measures to incorporate healthy living into your lifestyle.  Just because you are working nights in a call center does not mean that your physical and mental wellbeing should be neglected.  There are many 24-hour fitness centers that will allow you to exercise and stay in shape.

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TryBPO/~3/ZZTEDs9vx9A/

Confessions of an Unbranded Professional

from WebWorkerDaily by Georgina Laidlaw

In discussing personal branding, most people consider how it applies in the online environment, because, after all, it's the Internet that has given each of us a very public voice, and promoted the "need" for personal brand definition.

Many times, I've heard professionals describe personal branding as "essential" for anyone working in the online environment, that it's a "business imperative." According to many, the global financial crisis has only emphasized the already accepted truth that personal branding is a necessity in the modern world.

Well, I'd like to confess something right here, right now: I work in the online environment, and I don't have a personal brand.

I subscribe to a few social networking tools for the purpose of keeping track of my friends' wacky antics. I use the web in my daily dealings with clients and colleagues, but none of them ask why I haven't updated my status on [insert social networking site name here]. No one cares!

I have another confession to make: I don't really promote myself online.

Over the last 10 years, I've found my clients through personal referrals, friendships, and direct approaches I've made to prospects — usually organizations I've liked and with whom I decided I wanted to work. I know what you're thinking: "But it's a global economy! You could be doing so much more if you used the web to better advantage!" So far, I've been very fortunate in that finding new clients or projects has been fairly achievable, and since I don't want to build my business beyond what one person can reasonably handle, so far this strategy has worked for me.

Is it the most effective way to operate? Probably not, but it usually means I end up working with people I like and get along with, on projects that I enjoy working on. Will it last? I'm tempted to say that the tides of people rushing to promote themselves online suggest the answer to this question is "no," but most of the clients I target aren't particularly web-savvy — they don't IM, let alone tweet each new product release or business deal. They're people who prefer to rely on personal recommendations for finding professional services or new staff, if not meet the person they're hiring face to face first.

I'm not the only person I know who doesn't rely on a personal brand to make a living in the information economy — there are other ways to operate.

Are you one of The Great Unbranded? Or do you think I'm crazy?

Are we Failing our Careers or are our Careers Failing Us?

from Brazen Careerist by johnchen6

We've all heard it, "this generation doesn't have any loyalty" and "they change jobs too often." Basically the stereotype of Generation Y is that we don't stay at our careers very long and when we become annoyed with office politics, feel that we're not needed, or that we aren't making a difference we pick up and move onto the next job. I believe (and please correct me if I'm wrong) that during one of Penelope Trunk's keynotes she said that on average we change jobs about every 18 months. Of course that is a general statement but if we enter the workforce when we're 23 and retire at 65, we've spent 42 years working, or 504 months. At a new job every 18 months that means we've have gone through 28 different careers during our tenure in the workforce. So my question is this, "Are we failing our careers or are our careers failing us?"

I think there are three potential answers to this; (1) our careers are failing us, (2) we are failing our careers, or (3) both are failing each other.

Maybe our careers aren't giving us what we need/want out of a job - expectations for personal growth, need to always be learning, opportunities for group problem solving, creativity, a good work-life balance, the list goes on and on. Are we accepting positions at companies that we know don't offer us what we need simply with the belief that once we find something better we will move on? Or did we take a position with the company with the promise that all our Gen Y wants would be filled - only later to find out that they don't offer us anything we truly need or want?

Maybe our Gen Y glasses only let us see what we want from our career. Are we too focused on making the company work for us that we are unwilling to work for it? Is there a possibility that we are being too demanding of what we think the company should offer us? Sure there are different levels of what a company should offer you. If you don't have any room for advancement, your successes aren't being praised, and there's no room for any kind of professional or personal development then chances are you won't be happy there for too long. But what if the company is trying and wants to offer you the things you need/want but they just simply can't - whether it's political or they just simply don't have the money?

Maybe it's a little of both. Over the last few years we have hit the labor force like a tidal wave and it may be unrealistic to think that all these companies can change their company culture overnight to accommodate our needs and wants. Do we plan on jumping from company to company until the workforce is done changing its culture to accommodate us or will we stick it out with one company and help them make this change?

http://throughjohnseyes.blogspot.com/2009/07/are-we-failing-our-careers-or-are-o...

Is Your Elevator Speech Pushing the Right Buttons?

from Brazen Careerist by ljohnson

I have been to quite a few networking events and I guarantee you will hear the phrase, "Tell me about yourself." Many people are able to answer this question with no problem, while others seem to struggle. If you find yourself experiencing the latter, one way to combat this issue is memorizing an elevator speech.

In case you are not familiar with this term, an elevator speech is a short spiel that enables you to convey with others your occupation and what you represent (i.e. attributes) in the same length of time it takes for you to reach the highest floor in an elevator (approximately 30 to 60 seconds). Think of it as a way to "break the ice" when you meet someone new. In order to find out if your speech is pushing the right buttons, keep the following in mind:

Know before you go: First impressions are extremely important. People form their judgments about a person within the first thirty seconds of meeting them. Therefore, when someone requests that you tell them about yourself, please do not waste these precious seconds.

I am not trying to be funny or mean when I say this, but please figure out what it is that you do and what you represent before you are asked (especially if you are going to a networking event!). When some people are asked to talk about themselves they act like it is a trick question and are literally stumped in trying to determine how to craft a response. Remember, only you have the answer. Using "fillers" such as 'um' or 'ah' will not help in your quest to project that you are a confident individual.

Would you want to listen to yourself?

When you are rehearsing your elevator speech keep in mind how you would feel if you were subjected to listening to your speech. Would you be satisfied or bored? If you are bored and you wrote the speech—imagine how the listener will feel. I realize not everyone has a "cool" job. However, this is still no excuse for having a boring elevator speech. How do you expect to impress a recruiter or land a new client without capturing their attention?

The key to getting where you want to be is to demonstrate that regardless of what your occupation is, you take ownership of your position and have pride in the work you perform. Do yourself a favor and craft an elevator speech worth listening to by including the following:

• Your occupation Yes, this seems obvious, but it does not hurt to be reminded. In addition, make sure that you add the company name as well. The person listening to you might know one of your colleagues. Therefore, in the event that you are nervous, knowing a common person that the listener knows might make you feel more at ease.

• Why are you unique? For example, instead of simply saying, "I am a Marketing Consultant," and bring the conversation to a screeching halt, why not say, "I am a Marketing Consultant that loves a challenge and truly enjoy assisting my clients."

• Examples, please. When you craft your response by answering, "Why you are unique?" The degree to how well you craft your answer will determine how interested people will be in learning more about you. You will know you accomplished this feat when the next question you are asked is, "How do you [insert your exceptionally crafted answer—i.e. assist your clients]?" This question will enable you to share your skills and talents without being viewed as "pushy." Make the most of your time in the spotlight by giving 3 quick examples to support why you are [insert your exceptionally crafted answer].

Facial expressions speak just as loud as words: When you are speaking make sure you are paying attention to how others are reacting to your speech. If you see someone is confused, immediately stop and ask them if they need clarification. Oftentimes, if people are confused they will let you keep talking because they are afraid that they will come across as ignorant (of course this could not be further from the truth!).

It is your responsibility to put their mind at ease by being direct and asking them if they need clarification. I often receive puzzled looks when I mention that my company offers virtual assistant services. When I receive these looks, the next words out of my mouth are, "Are you familiar with the concept of virtual assistance?" When I offer to clarify a term or phrase that is unfamiliar to the other person, I can see the sigh of relief on their face and am then told, "No, if you do not mind can you explain it to me."

It does neither person any good to allow you to continue talking when you are not on the same page. The other person will undoubtedly harbor feelings of insecurity because they did not understand what you do. When you fail to pick up on nonverbal cues that your listener is confused , your listener will assume that you are "smarter" than them and you will miss out on the chance to connect.

Remember, the whole purpose of an elevator speech is to share what you do and what you represent. You are also satisfying their curiosity in why you are a phenomenal person that they should become better acquainted with and worth adding to their network. You have to make sure that your speech is pushing the right buttons so you can get off on the same floor together.

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/targetstarsblog/QfsA/~3/4O26jqfitTY/