SOCIAL MEDIA GIVES US THE POWER

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I’ve always enjoyed writing letters to the editor. 

Sometimes they get printed & sometimes they don’t.  I never get my feelings hurt because I know the publications receive more articles than they can print, but I’m usually disappointed that I spent my time for nothing or I wasn’t able to share my view.

Recently I read a piece in the Birmingham Business Journal on social media that I didn’t feel fairly reflected the enormity of social media or the impact it will have on our lives.  This is a subject that is obviously very important to me since social media is how my partner, Phyllis Neill, & I make our living.  I decided to respond with a letter.

I rushed to my computer & starting typing madly.  My first thoughts were, “What if the BBJ doesn’t print my response?  They might not want to publish it because social media is a threat to print publications.”

Then I calmed down.  I have begun to realize that you & I don’t need to depend on the editorial staff of any print or broadcast media to publish our ideas.

Chris Brogan says it best in his book, Trust Agents.  “Newspapers won’t print everything you send them.  Television stations won’t play the video you made; & radio doesn’t always play the songs you want or read the news you feel is important.  All of these systems have met with competition from an entirely unexpected source:  you.  You can print anything you want on your blog.  You can post any video you want on YouTube.  You can make your own music & share it; you can podcast whatever appeals to you.”

Well, my story has a happy ending.  The BBJ ran my response & I even had an opportunity to have lunch with Ty West, the Managing Editor, & made a new friend.

But I had written my letter with greater confidence this time because I knew I could use all my social media tools to get it published with or without traditional media.

This is David Sher, your Buzz12 guys sayings it’s not what you know, but whoo you know.

THIS BLOG POST IS IMPORTANT, BUT NOT PROVOCATIVE

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I recently had a conversation with my business partner, Phyllis Neill.  I told her I really wanted to get more feedback or comments on my blog.  I had visited Ike Pigott’s blog & he had received more comments on his most recent post than I had gotten in the past two years combined.  Pretty depressing for me.  Phyllis told me in order to get a greater response, I needed to be more provocative.

Well, my subject matter just doesn’t lead to anything that controversial.  This blog is all about doing the little things in life everyday that make you successful.  May be boring, but sure has a big pay off. 

For instance, this week we’re going to talk about following up on your commitments.

I made a post on LinkedIn that I was looking for someone to help me with our business insurance.  I received a call from a good friend who recommended a trustworthy insurance agent.  I contacted the agent & explained my needs.  He promised to send me an application & call me back in a day or two.  About ten days later I still hadn’t heard from him.  So I moved on.

A few months ago, I made a post on Facebook that I was having landscaping problems in our back yard & needed some help.  Again, I was contacted by a friend who suggested a contractor who could do the work.  I called him & he came right over.  That was on a Thursday.  He promised to get back to me on Friday, but no later than Monday with a proposal.  He showed up at my house a week later unannounced, but my wife had already hired someone the previous day.

I just don’t get it.  If someone can’t meet a deadline, all they have to do is call & let you know.

I really don’t think it takes that much in life or business to be successful.   You want to do the simple, but obvious things.  Be honest, return phone calls, do good work, & follow up on your commitments.  There’s just nothing provocative or controversial about any of that.

This is David Sher, your Buzz12 Guy, saying it’s not what you know, but whOO you know.

ARE YOUR FRIENDS ON FACEBOOK SUPERFICIAL?

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I have a female neighbor who’s probably close to eighty years old.  She lives by herself & doesn’t get out very much.  I know that because I often see her at her front door waiting for the mailman.  When the mail arrives she’s often in her bathrobe. 

I think about her & other seniors as I get older myself. 

We may become less mobile & more isolated; not able to see our children or grandchildren as often & visit less with friends.

That being said, I really feel that those of us who have a variety of Facebook friends will feel less secluded.

I constantly see the media point out that Facebook friends are superficial.  I don’t buy that superficiality for a minute.  Oh it’s true, I’m not close with many of my Facebook friends, but I’m not close with many of my off line friends either.  Just like in real life, there’s a large variety in the depth of relationships.

Many of my Facebook connections are relatives or strong personal friends.  I am able to regularly view pictures & videos of my grandchildren who don’t live in town.  Facebook therefore allows me to be closer to my children & grandchildren.

But I’m also closer to other family members, neighbors, & business associates.

Last week I received a hand written personal note with a gift card attached from one of my Facebook friends thanking me for all the support I had given him through out the year.  We see each other only once in a while, but we keep up with each other almost daily on Facebook.  There’s no question that Facebook allows me to deepen my friendships & relationships.

The fastest growing demographic on Facebook is 75 years old & older … & for good reason.  Facebook or whatever social media that will take its place will be everyone’s way of staying in touch with others.

This is David Sher, your Buzz12 guy, saying it’s not what you know but whoo you know.

YOU CAN’T COMPETE WITHOUT THIS SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM

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I’ve taught hundreds of people how to use LinkedIn & I’m amazed how few of them make an effort to take advantage of one the most powerful business tools ever invented. 

Now I admit LinkedIn is no fun.  LinkedIn is work.  But who said everything you do in business has to be fun? 

If your competitors uses LinkedIn & you don’t, then you’re going to get left behind. 

And people are beginning to wake up. LinkedIn has grown to 85 million members; one million new member every nine days; one new member every second.

And look at the demographic on LinkedIn: The average member’s age is 43; has 15 years experience in business; has an income of $107,000 a year; & a quarter of them are senior executives.

It’s predicted in five years there will be no need for a resume.  People will learn about you from reading your LinkedIn profile, reviewing your blog, & reading your latest tweet.

There are three strong reasons to be on LinkedIn: to be found; to find others; & to build your credibility.

When people want to know about you, they Google your name.  Your LinkedIn profile usually comes up first, second, or third on Google.

And when you want to make contact with someone you don’t know, then LinkedIn will tell you which of your friends know that person so they can make an introduction.

LinkedIn may not be fun, but that gives you the advantage. 

Want to be successful?  Well, successful people do the things that failures don’t like to do.

This is David Sher, your Buzz 12 guy saying it’s not what you know, but whoo you know.

WHEN YOU MAKE A CALL, DON’T FORGET THESE SEVEN WORDS

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I woke up early because I had a special project with a deadline fast approaching.

When I opened my computer, I saw an e-mail from a friend who wanted me to talk with a fellow who was looking for a sales job.  He told me he’s a great salesperson who’s been out of work for some time.

I e-mailed back with my cell phone number & said I would welcome an opportunity to talk, but I was slammed, so our talk would have to wait to the following week. 

He then copied me on an e-mail saying I would talk with him, but to please wait until the following week. 

Mid morning I got a call on my cell phone.  “Hello, this is John Doe,” Thanks for agreeing to talk with me.  I had been working at my company for fifteen years & the economy went bad.  My company kept cutting back & cutting back & cutting back.  I was let go.  I have met with this person & that person & I’ve done this & done that, but I can’t find a job.”  The man kept going on & on.  He gave me no opportunity to speak.

But as I indicated earlier, I was working on a project with a deadline. 

He should have started off his call with, “Is this a good time to talk?” 

When you call someone, you never know what they are doing.  They may be in a meeting or at the top of a ski slope.

I think it’s common courtesy to ask if this is a good time to talk.  However, many people fail to ask this very basic question.

The person who called is obviously a very aggressive salesperson, but he was not sensitive to the needs of others.  I don’t think this will serve him well.

This is David Sher, your Buzz12 guy saying it’s not what you know, but whoo you know.

HOW BIG IS FACEBOOK?

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When our children were babies, I’d play a game with them where I would hold my hands together over their bodies & say, How big is baby?, “ then I would open my arms as wide as possible & say, “SOOOO Big.” 

Of course, they weren’t really that big, but we’re going to talk about something so enormous, it’s difficult to comprehend—Facebook. What’s amazing is how many business people ignore Facebook & don’t understand its impact.

Facebook currently has over 500 million members.  It took radio 38 years to reach 50 million users; television twelve years; the Internet five; & the iPod 3.  Facebook is growing at the rate of about five million a week, which means that Facebook grew by about a quarter of a billion members this year. 

If Facebook were a country, it would be the third largest country in the world, behind China & India.  And if Facebook continues to grow at the same pace, everyone on the Internet will be on Facebook.  As it stands now, more that one out of every fourteen people in the world are on Facebook.

Americans spend more time on Facebook than any other web site including Google.  In fact, 25% of all page views are on Facebook. Sixty three percent of U.S. Internet users have a Facebook account; almost 50 percent check their profiles daily; they average 130 friends, & stay on line for about 55 minutes. 

By the way, contrary to popular belief, Facebook is not just for youngsters. Thirty five to 54 is the largest demographic & seniors over 74 are the fastest growing.

And here’s an amazing true story:  Yahoo tried to buy Facebook in 2006 for $1 billion.  Mark Zuckerberg, president & CEO, turned down the deal.  Today Facebook is estimated to be worth $35 to $50 billion & Zuckerberg’s portion is about $7 or $8 billion.

Did I get your attention? This is David Sher, your Buzz12 guy sayings it’s not what you know, but whoo you know.

GET A BETTER PERSPECTIVE ON LIFE–TRY SOCIAL MEDIA

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On my podcast a few weeks ago I made a post that I hated for people to call or e-mail to remind me about scheduled lunches or meetings.  I feel insulted when someone sends me a reminder because I feel like they think I am undependable or not organized enough to remember to show up.  I was overwhelmed with comments saying not only was it a good idea to confirm meetings, but preferable.  I still wasn’t convinced, but then shortly after that I had a lunch date that didn’t show up.  Well, I’m certainly reconsidering.

When I found out my daughter & son-in-law with my grandchildren were moving to Anniston which is about an hour away.  I was upset & posted my unhappiness on Facebook.  I immediately received comments from others who said their children & grandchildren were in New York or California & they wished they were only an hour away.  Then I got a comment from Tanveer Patel, a friend of mine, reminding me that her family was in India.  Oh well, maybe Anniston’s not so bad after all.

I had an ugly morning recently where the battery in my electronic car key went dead & I was late for a meeting.  I posted my gripe on Facebook that I missed plain metal car keys that would never go bad.  I got a quick response from a friend who basically said that if I had an inexpensive car like him then I wouldn’t have that problem.

Now I’ve got one more pet peeve & I need some advice.  I hate when I make an appointment & the other party posts it on “my” Outlook calendar.  As you might be able to tell, I’m pretty anal & I keep my calendar in a certain way.  These calendar updates mess up my system.  In addition, for some reason, my Outlook has two calendars & these updates go the calendar I don’t use.  This really confuses me.  I don’t know how to tell people not to update my calendar.  Or should I?

Well, the gift I get from social media is that social media gives me perspective.  Perspective can sometimes be a good thing.

This is David Sher your Buzz12 guy saying it’s not what you know, but whoo you know.

WOULDN’T IT BE NICE TO KNOW EVERYTHING?

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My partner, Phyllis Neill, & I are from different generations.  There’s about a twenty-five year difference in age.  She would probably want me to tell you I’m the older one.

The first thing I do when I get up in the morning is run outside & grab the newspaper.  I read the newspaper from front to back so I don’t miss a thing.  At the end of the day, I turn on the TV & watch the 5:30 national news on one of the traditional TV networks.  At 10:00, I often watch the local news.

Phyllis never reads the newspaper.  And she doesn’t watch TV news.  She gets her news from al.com, from her Twitter friends, from Blogs, her RSS feed; she finds everything on the Internet.

Now who would you guess knows more about what’s going on in the world?  Phyllis or me?  Well, there’s no contest.  Phyllis seems to know everything & she knows about it much faster than I do.  And if there’s anything she doesn’t know, she seems to find it instantly.

Last winter we had a business meeting on a day we had some snow.  I didn’t have any idea which roads were passable.  She knew because her Twitter friends kept her informed.

Recently I had trouble posting a link to our Facebook Fan Page.  I e-mailed Phyllis to find out what to do.  She found posts on the Internet discussing a technical problem at Facebook.  She told me to have patience because it was being fixed.

Politics, music, art, sports; Phyllis has the pulse of the world at her fingertips. 

There are folks who say that if newspapers as we know it are eliminated that society will suffer.  I don’t believe it.  Actually, there’s so much information on the Internet that people have the opportunity to know more than ever before…and the stronger brands will prevail even if it’s only in digital form.

Communications is changing daily.  People, like Phyllis, who know how to consume it, will be the winners.

This is David Sher, your Buzz12 guy saying it’s not what you know, but whOO you know.

A DARN INTERESTING COMMENT ABOUT FACEBOOK TURNING YOUR BIRTHDAY INTO SPAM

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Last week, I asked the question if birthday wishes from your friends on Facebook are meaningful or just spam.  The overwhelming response was that everyone enjoyed getting them.

Doug McDowell posted one of those comments.  Here’s what he said (edited slightly for brevity):

“It’s a more complex topic than it seems on the surface.”

“I don’t consider birthday wishes to qualify as spam unless they contain some product offer…”Hey David Happy Birthday and it would be even happier if you check out this link to my great new product!!!”  Still, I can see it would be troubling if you feel bound by the rule of reciprocity.  Does this obligate your niece to now wish all 80 a Happy Birthday on each of THEIR birthdays in turn?? Oy vey!”

“Another possible negative is if you have the uneasy feeling someone is extending the wish just to curry favor, whether on a personal or business level. “

 “A quick comment certainly shouldn’t substitute for a call or visit or a card from someone in your family or circle of close friends!  But the ‘Happy Birthday’ note gives you an appropriate context to wish someone well whom you know marginally. It shows you at least took the time/effort to click their name, type some variation of ‘great’ so as not to be merely copying the last person, and clicked the submit button.  Granted that’s not a lot of effort, but some. As the vast, vast majority of lives on this planet will be unaffected whether we have a good day or not, it should give a little extra bump.”

“Your other choices are to do/say nothing, or else risk committing a social faux pas by over-extending (picture a casual acquaintance sending you an ornate card, a dozen roses or a huge box of chocolate.)”

“Oh and while I’m at it, I don’t know you that well, we’ve never met, and I don’t anticipate we will ever have a business relationship, but I DO hope you had a happy birthday. Whether that matters at all is up to you, and so ultimately is the answer to the question. Are they a good thing? It’s up to the person on the receiving end to interpret. Whatever the answer, it’s the right one.”

This is David Sher your Buzz12 Guy saying it’s not what you know, but whoo you know.

HAS FACEBOOK TURNED YOUR BIRTHDAY INTO SPAM?

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I got the first one the night before my birthday; then another & another & another.  By the next morning they were coming in waves.  Happy Birthday, David; Hope you have a fantastic day;  hope you have a great day; hope you have a fabulous day; an amazing day; a wonderful day.

It was like I Googled synonyms for the word, “great.”

If you haven’t figured this out already, these were the messages that were posted on my Facebook wall on my most recent birthday.

Well, quite frankly I don’t know how to feel about this?

Remember the time when a few friends or relatives sent you a birthday card in the mail or phoned you to wish you a happy birthday?  You thought to yourself, “It is so nice that someone would make a special effort to remember my birthday.”

It is still nice so many people recognize my birthday, but does it feel quite as good?  Since Facebook sends a reminder to Facebook friends that it is your birthday & it only takes a second or two to post on your wall, I’m not sure this is quite as meaningful.

I took a quick glace at my nieces Facebook page the day after her birthday & saw she received 80 birthday wishes.  This is difficult to comprehend.

Now I have to admit that I was worried about doing this post, because I was afraid my friends would quit sending me birthday wishes through Facebook.  I guess I was still excited to get all the birthday reminders & then next day when the torrent of good wishes ended, it was a major let down.

What do you think?  Are Facebook birthday wishes spam?  Or are they a good thing?

This is David Sher your Buzz12 guy saying it’s not what you know, but whoo you know.