This webinar seemed to be more about personal branding than how to implement these tips for your company or organization. That being said, some of the tips are relevant. My notes and takeaways from the webinar are below.
Like everyone else, Guy Kawasaki, author of APE: Author, Publisher, Entrepreneur, underscored engagement and conversations throughout the webinar. You have to be open to conversations if you are going to use social media. It’s not one-way.
“People are watching to see if you are engaging,” he said. “Be positive or stay silent. Getting dragged into long fights isn’t worth it.”
Some comments need responses, some just wanted to air their opinion. Kawasaki suggested implementing a three round limit, similar to amateur boxing. You post something, you get attacked, you post a response, then end it.
“Don’t respond to the response,” he said.
At the same time, don’t be harsh. People won’t see the whole thread, you’ll lose in the court of public opinion if you look harsh.
Another big tip was Kawasaki’s categorization of his top five social networks he uses:
- Facebook: for current relationships, a people focused social network
- Twitter: perception and blasting. What you’re observing from your perspective.
- Pinterst: all about pictures, think eye candy. Not a lot of conversations.
- LinkedIn: “pimping” in a good way! A higher degree of seriousness and intelligence because of potential employers there are less trolls and people picking fights.
- G+: passions and is Kawasaki’s favorite. Using G+ you can meet new people who share a similar passion. His example was photography.
His tips regarding branding are relevant for businesses and people. Make a great profile starting with your aviator. If it’s your logo, make sure the rest of the profile tells more about your organization. You know your brand is more than just a logo, tell the story in the profile and cover photo.
Build credibility. You don’t have to constantly create content to become a trustworthy source. Kawasaki suggests using curation to your advantage.
“Be topical,” he said. “Find things people might not have found on their own.”
Stay niche focused. If your business is in luxury travel, link to luxury travel articles, tips, resources. Become an expert in the field, not just your specific area.
Kawasaki recommends “cheating” effectively. Find a way for the information about the topic to come to you. Check What’s Hot feeds and what’s trending. Reshare or retweet, but always link back to the original content and/or poster if you can. You’ll find a curation system that works for you. Use your analytics to determine what posts and reshares are working for you or your brand.
Finally, don’t self promote too much. “Only 5 percent should be self-promotion, 95 percent good content.”
In summary, like most webinars that promise more followers, there is not quick scheme that will work for everyone. As Kawasaki suggested find ways to make content work for you and start yesterday. You build credibility over time, not over night.
You can see the entire Twitter conversation from the hashtag: #VocusWebinar.
What do you think?