Day 2: Give some serious thought to what you want your personal brand to represent by asking yourself “What do I want people to say about me behind my back?” Take your time with this because quite frankly, you can’t spend too much time thinking about it!
Day 3: Go Google Yourself! How’s your “Googleability”? Then realize that your clients and potential clients are seeing the good, the bad and in many cases, the non existent. Set up a Google Alert because we are about to change some things!
Day 4: Dust off that copy of How To Win Friends And Influence People by Dale Carnegie. There is wisdom on those pages that can unlock the key to your online success!
Day 5: Brew a pot of coffee and read this lengthy post with 25 tips to leverage Linkedin http://salesplaybook.blogspot.com/2009/07/linkedin-right-way.html
Day 6: Understand that status updates aren’t for play by play or self promotion. They can be used for cool resources, inspirational quotes, tips. Today, become one with the status update!
Day 7: Comment on some blogs! Doing so makes you visible to other communities and, are you freakin ready for this? Can help your Googleability! People also like to reciprocate nice gestures. Give and take my friend
Day 8: Your Tweets and You! Tweet a link to an interesting article!
Day 9: Zen Moment With Uncle Paul: Everyone’s favorite subject is themselves, not you! Go comment on something that is important to someone else in your network today on Facebook. Comment on someone's status. Cheer them on! At the very least it will make you feel decent again!
Day 10: Answer a question on Linkedin. Doing so, positions you as an expert! Today is all about stepping out of that crazy thing we call a comfort zone!
Day 11: Embrace the ReTweet Baby! ReTweet something cool to your network. Doing so also enhances your brand and creates spiritual harmony on Twitter that results in someone ReTweeting you back. Makes you feel kind of dirty, doesn’t it you ReTweeting Mofo you!
Day 12: Start a discussion of your own!
Day 13: Remember that discussion you started yesterday? Make sure you facilitate it. Thank people publicly for contributing. Keep it alive with follow up questions. Neglecting to do that defiles the sanctity of the discussion. Actually it makes you look like a flake and gives degenerates like me, material for their blog!
Day 14: Pick up the book Twitter Power by Joel Comm
Day 15: Go to the “News” section of any of your groups and find an article that you like. Leave an encouraging comment for the author and click the share button to share it with some of your contacts. Your word for today is simply “Karma”
Day 16: Consider additional brand visibility by writing an article and submitting it to e-zinearticles.com.
Day 17: Want some additional visibility? Go to sites like FastCompany.com. Businessweek.com. Incmagazine.com etc and comment on their blogs. Doing so improves your “Googleability”
Day 18: Ask a question on Linkedin.
Day 19: Today is about playing “matchmaker” to two people in your network. Who can you introduce?
Day 20: Post a tip on your status today.
Day 21: Patience Grasshopper. This stuff takes time. Wax on Wax off!
Day 22: Today you are to resist your urge to just accept an invite. Accept the invite, but take a moment to write a quick note back!
Day 23: Follow back someone who has followed you on Twitter. Exception: Pornstars and anyone who you suspect would talk on a cell in the bathroom
Day 24: Do you have a blog? Get more exposure by getting it listed on sites like: alltop.com. technorati, digg, etc. You can also get more “Googleability” by linking to other blogs and listing them on your blog roll.
Day 25: Schedule a conference call with 6-7 other members of your network to introduce each other and chat “live”. Doing so creates good will and a little something called exposure!
Day 26: Repeat after me: “I must connect live, with at least 2 people from my network each week." It can be a phone call, coffee, a drink etc. Move it from virtual to real time. Seriously, connections are meaningless until you actually connect!
Day 27: Today is about doing something good. There is someone in your network who can use an encouraging word, your resources etc. Try to help them out. That Karma thing can be huge my friend!
Day 28: Today you are to answer this question: How can I help or give value to someone in my network? You are to remind yourself to never under any circumstances, keep a score card!
Day 29: Introduce yourself to a group manager. Never hurts having them in your corner!
Day 30: Remember to keep the “Social” in Social Networking. Have fun! People like to be around fun people.
Now, crack open a bottle of your favorite beverage and celebrate because you have already done more than most are willing to do with social networking.
Just don’t party too much my friend. You need to plan your next 30 days!
Happy branding!
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Outstanding Paul. I'm printing this out as we speak so that I can keep a copy handy.
ReplyDelete@ David: Thanks amigo! I really appreciate the kind words!
ReplyDeleteRespectfully,
Paul Castain
Paul,
ReplyDeleteI like the fact you give a day to day 'To-Do'. I really think our most effective blogs do that.
Thanks for putting the time into this.
Bill Morgan
The Job Swami Career Blog
http://thejobswami.blogspot.com
Great stuff. Sharing this post with everyone I know.
ReplyDeleteWhat awesome advice Paul. Interestingly, this week I had someone read one of my blog posts, then ask to Link In, then ask to have a telephone networking chat. It was such a nice surprise and valuable to connect phone to phone. As you would say. Rock On!
ReplyDelete- Marci Reynolds
As per usual, another terrific post Paul.
ReplyDeleteThanks!
Awesome advice, Paul.
ReplyDeleteI know I need to put myself out there to increase my online visibility, but at times I get overwhelmed by all the social network sites I try to be part of, then end up not joining in on any of them at all. I spend a lot of time reading, but not much time participating; being a spectator and not a player.
I also want to make sure any response I post is relevant and valuable. The amount of useless drivel on social networking sites is staggering.
Seeing all your tips listed in a "To Do" list over many days makes it seem doable and fun. I'm definitely on board.
Thanks again,
Cathy Harlow
Thanks All!
ReplyDelete@Marci: That's always refressing to say the least and you rock on with your bad self too!
@ Lisa: Stop you are embarrasing me!
@ Cathy: I remember feeling the same way when I started this adventure 11 months ago! Baby steps my friend. Dip that toe in the water and take it from there. But get in the pool, the water is fine and we are serving Margaritas!
Thanks again and rock horns to you all for the kind words!
Uncle Paul digging the social networking pool!
Thanks so much for the excellent post, Paul. I very much appreciate your day-to-day approach! Sometimes things do seem to get a bit overwhelming - so much so that one often doesn't know where to start. This is a great play-by-play plan to increase and strengthen connections and relationships and I look forward to both implementing the plan as well as sharing it with friends/colleagues. Again, thanks so much!
ReplyDeleteBest,
Darlene Montemarano
Breaking my comfort zone :) This is great 30 day plan and Im going to start today, seems like you can really help put the polish on - Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!
ReplyDelete