Danny Brown

podcaster - author - creator

branding

Putting the I in Social Media

Whenever I used to meet with a potential new client that was interested in a social media program, I always used to take a piece of paper with a little drawing on it.

The surprise on their faces was always entertaining when they’d ask for my ideas for them, and instead of presenting a huge multi-slide PowerPoint, I’d show them this piece of paper and the four words on it.

The reason for keeping it simple was simplicity itself – if they couldn’t see the benefit of each point, they probably couldn’t see the benefit of social media.

I’ve since upgraded that piece of paper a little, but the message of the four points on it still works today.

Identify

There are so many different social media tools and applications that it can often be like trying to work your way around a maze. So many different turns to take, easy to get lost with all the options available ? which is why it?s important to take the time to identify what will work for you. Decide what you want from social media and then use the appropriate tools.?

Identity

Having an easily identifiable brand is key for anyone both online and off. Although this is usually applicable to business, personal branding offers an invaluable way of building a reputation as someone to go to for a certain niche. So your identity should be the same across whatever platforms you use ? from bio, to profile, to picture, to logo ? keeping the same identity across social media platforms will help people remember you more easily.

Invest

There?s an old saying that says, ?You get out of it what you put into it.? While this can be used for most topics, it?s particularly true of social media. It?s not something you can dip into now and again ? it changes too fast for that. Instead, to really see the fruits of your labour, you need to invest time into it.

A big part of social media is all about building relationships ? and just like relationships in real life, the best ones take time to foster. Use this mindset with social media, place proper investment into it, and you?ll see the benefits fall into place.

Interact

It may seem an obvious thing to say, but there are only two words in social media and one of them is social. Yet still so many people ? businesses, usually, more than individuals ? are missing this key fact. Instead of simply broadcasting yourself, interact with the community and actively take part in social media.

Read and comment on blogs, both inside and outside your niche; converse on Twitter instead of just spamming your latest blog post or affiliate deal; share helpful news with people instead of keeping it to yourself for your own benefit.

Social media can often be a difficult thing to navigate, with different uses for different people. One thing it is to everyone, though, is a wonderful opportunity for all parts of you or your client’s business.

How are you helping others understand their opportunities?

Creative Commons License photo credit: Eva the Weaver

Big Business Needs to Think Smaller

FreyaHere?s a question for you. If you?re in business, how do you treat your clients?

Or, to look at it another way, how do your clients treat you?

Is it with respect and?shared passion for doing the same work, or is it just having a need for each other and no more?

When dealing with a client, do you meet your deadlines or do you constantly offer excuses why their project isn?t ready? Do you work closely together, listen to/make suggestions for improving and strive for excellence on the fly, or do you simply turn in the work, take the money and walk?

I ask this?simply because it seems many big businesses have forgotten the art of either being a client or providing for one. From having a maze of contact information to wade through to losing the personal touch that won them the following of the customers in the first place, larger businesses are forgetting how to communicate.

So here?s an idea.

Go back to basics. Remember when you first started your business and you had time for everyone (because everyone was important)? Find that business owner again.

Ask yourself how you?re communicating and how you can improve. Are you using the online space effectively? Look at your Internet strategy and see how your brand is viewed. There?s a billion voices waiting to answer you and offer you invaluable advice and insight into making your brand the authority in your niche.

The question is, will you be listening?

Creative Commons License photo credit: fofurasfelinas

Be a Child

Children fear nothing. They may be scared of something, but it’s a different kind of fear.

They want to check out everything around them. They look at things differently from us. They see unique and new; we see “been there, done that”.

Children have that innocence that says everything has yet to be discovered. They don’t care about the safe, the boring – they want fresh and exciting. They see the world through the eyes of someone that doesn’t know the meaning of the words, “Too far” or “Some other time”.

Shouldn’t we all be like children? In life; in love; in business? Does our fear of real life stop us from overcoming everything that’s holding back our true success?

I think I’d like to be a child. How about you?

  • Note: This post originally appeared on my Posterous account. I?m still experimenting there and may remain using it, or move all posts here. In the meantime, I?ll be sharing the odd one here with you.

Something New, Something Old

It’s been a little quiet around here the last few days. And, for that matter, on Twitter as well (not so much Facebook, as that’s not one of my more popular haunts). Anyone that knows me will know this isn’t normal fare – I’m usually much more vocal (although the silence may be preferable to some!). The last week or so has been hectic, hence the silence.

Here’s why.

Following some conversations with both Shannon Boudjema and Maritz Canada, I’m really happy to announce that I have accepted the role of Social Media Strategist for Maritz. This is an in-house project (contracted) for the next six months, and will see me help lead Maritz Canada forward into the social space, as well as help with client strategies and campaigns.

The role was held by Shannon, but she’s moving back to the UK for family reasons. Shannon’s been key in developing how the next six months will look as well as helping to put in place in-house set-ups to make the transition as smooth as possible. I can’t thank Shannon enough for all her help here.

So, what does that mean here? Not much, to be honest. I’ll still continue to write about the topics I feel can help you gain the most benefit from the space, whether that’s tools, platforms or, most importantly, people. I may add in the occasional example from my new gig, if it’s relevant and acceptable to the companies involved.

I guess the main change is updating some bio/disclosure information and ensuring there are no conflicts of interest. But that’s a given anyway, so hopefully it won’t come up too often.

Anyways… now that I’m settling into the role and the crazy hectic days of early role changeover is becoming less manic, expect to see me back prowling an online corridor near you. I hope we can continue to learn together and here’s to some fun and interesting times ahead.

Community Spirit: The Book (and How To Be a Part of It)

If you’re a regular reader of this blog, you’ll know that one of the key mantras behind it is community spirit. From open comments policy to guest posts and interviews, I want you to be as big a part of it as possible. A home from home, if you like.

It’s now time to take this one step further, and again I want you to be a big part of it.

I’m currently drafting “Community Spirit – Making the Connection in the Conversation Age”. It’s a book about why we’re no longer obstructed by barriers, whether they’re international or cultural.

It will look at using the online (and offline) tools around us to foster true, meaningful relationships – personal, professional, business and more. How listening is the first step to understanding, and how that understanding will help market your or your business brand to a wider audience.

We’re on the cusp of something amazing from a connectivity point of view, and hopefully I can help you along some of the way.

So how can you help?

By leaving your definition of community and the tools that have helped you make meaningful connections. What you’d like to see as the standard for communities worldwide and how they can be merged into one living community as a whole – looking out for each other and offering our helping hands along the way.

I’ll use the best ones as additional chapter topics. You’ll have full credit and byline in the book, and if you have a blog or website, I’ll mention that in the credits at the end.

The comments section is yours for your suggestions. Feel free to mention this post to your friends, or retweet it on Twitter, so others can come and leave their own definitions. If you prefer, you can email me your suggestions instead, with “Community Spirit” in the message header.

Let’s see if we can truly define the community spirit.

Ready to start?