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Social Media: Spotlight on the Speed of Change

November 10, 2016 By Carol Stephen 6 Comments

Social Media: Spotlight on the Speed of Change

People have complained about information overload since, well, since there were people. And I suspect that before homo sapiens, cro magnon man (and woman!) were also complaining about too much change. Now that social media is here, change is happening faster than ever.

Insta-Updates

With the advent of social media, we can find out about our relatives’ health, life changes, and new pets instantaneously. And even if we don’t want to know, we hear about political opinions. By the way, here’s a fun piece about the latest election: Albert Einstein and the Menace of the November Election. Even on Instagram, which is the best place for introverts, in my opinion, people are yelling–YELLING!–about politics lately. Ugh.

Eustress

Change produces stress, and there are some types of stress that are in the Good Camp. Promotions at work, getting a seven-letter Bingo in Scrabble, or learning that you won the Lottery could be in this category. As Elizabeth Scott outlines in When Stress is Good for You, you don’t need to worry about all kinds of stress. Acute stress is particularly harmful. We humans like some things to remain stable, and not to have shifting sands under our feet.

Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram–Oh, My!

Just as all kinds of stress are not alike, not all social media platforms are created equal. Let me explain. Twitter moves fast and can catch you off-guard with its constantly moving articles, memes, and newsy tidbits. Facebook can be a rabbit hole of articles about cats who think they’re dogs (and dogs who think they’re cats!), and people ranting about every possible first-world problem. The videos and sponsored posts can move quickly as well. If you want a more peaceful social media experience, Pinterest and Instagram are much quieter–without tons of ads or newsy posts screaming at you to pay attention.

Photo by valkyrieh116

Reframing Information Overload

There are a million rabbit holes and tasks that call out to us. There are parties and business events. And there is that little voice that says “you should…”. For myself, deciding what I could do versus what I should do makes all the difference. Did you know that there’s an Information Overload Awareness Day (October 18)? And an Information Overload Research Group?

Meditation and Quiet Time

Everyone needs some time to completely withdraw from the world, whether that’s through meditation, yoga, or simply quiet time in the car. For all you introverts out there, here’s Six Facts About Introverts and Social Media That Will Impress Your Friends.

How Do You Manage the Speed of Change?

Do you withdraw from the world or does being involved and “on” 24/7 excite and exhilarate you? Leave me a comment! And thank you.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: change, Facebook, information overload, Instagram, Pinterest, Social Media, Twitter

Albert Einstein and the Hidden Menace of the November Election

November 3, 2016 By Carol Stephen 8 Comments

Albert Einstein and the Hidden Menace of the November Election

A couple of weeks ago we brought Nikola Tesla back from the dead to answer some questions about the iPhone 7. This time, we’re bringing the ghost of Albert Einstein back to help us out because we’ve become very stupid and we could use some help.

Great Britain and the Queen

Let’s get one thing straight, right off the bat. In case you were wondering, the Queen has NOT asked us to write in her name on November’s Ballot and restore British Rule. It’s in Snopes. Although the Brits are happy that we’ve become so silly that it might distract the world from Brexit.

Photo by MarioMancuso

On Having Only Two Choices

Since Einstein is here for only a short amount of time, let’s ask him what he thinks.

Us: So, do you mind if we call you Al?

Einstein: Please, go right ahead.

Us: Do you think we might need other choices for this president?

Al: As a human being, one has been endowed with just enough intelligence to be able to see clearly how utterly inadequate that intelligence is when confronted with what exists.

Us: We thought so, too.

Photo by CJ Sorg

He Who Must Not Be Named

Us: So, Al, do you think that the Republican candidate is a little bit like He Who Must Not Be Named from Harry Potter?

Al: Nationalism is an infantile sickness. It is the measles of the human race.

Us: We’re putting you down as a yes.

Al: Ok.

The Future of Education

Us: So, Al, If He Who Must Not Be Named wins the election, does that mean that any and all education is doomed?

Al: The aim of education must be the training of independently acting and thinking individuals who, however, see in the service to the community their highest life problem.

The Unnamed One and Twitter

If He Who Must Not Be Named uses Twitter for his rants, does that mean that Twitter is somehow diminished?

Al: “The important thing is to not stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing.

Us: Ok, but did you see Jon Stewart turn his Twitter rant with him into a stand-up routine?

Al: That was funny.

Us: So we should vote wisely this November?

Al: Ayup.

Photo by Lee Edwin Coursey

How Should We Vote, Then?

Us: So, any advice on how we should vote in the election?

Al: A happy man is too satisfied with the present to dwell too much on the future.

Us: Are you saying “Don’t worry, be happy?”

Al: Never underestimate the stupidity of the American electorate.

Us: Gotcha.

There You Have it!

If the smartest man, er–ghost, ever can’t sway your vote, who can? Leave me a comment about the election and how you’re managing to stay sane.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: Einstein, Election, November, Presidential Election, Twitter

Avoid the Halloween Clown Apocalypse: How to Fight Back Ten Ways

October 27, 2016 By Carol Stephen 2 Comments

Avoid the Halloween Clown Apocalypse: How to Fight Back Ten Ways

You know that creepy clowns have gone mainstream when NPR is writing articles about them. We have always known that clowns were ghoulish, but now they seem to be everywhere. If you don’t believe me, here’s Coulrophobics Beware: America’s Creepy Clown Problem Continues.

There you are in your pirate costume, with your plastic sword and up pops a terrifying clown! What do you do? Here are some ideas.

Use Confetti

You’ve heard of fighting fire with fire, but what about fighting clowns? For this battle, you’ll need pies, confetti, and squirting daisies. Anything less will not do.

Scare Them Back

Like fighting a mountain lion, you must puff yourself up and look bigger in order to fight a creepy clown. Think big shoes and droopy pants and you’ll be a winner in the FrightFest!

When you know you're going to see this meme for the next month. #PhelpsFace pic.twitter.com/N3axBEK0hI

— M.A.Larson (@M_A_Larson) August 9, 2016

Don’t Engage

Like certain presidential candidates, making eye contact could just make it worse. If you can walk on by, do so! However, if you must make eye contact, make it powerful and intimidating. Think Phelps Face!

Chain Saws

Make sure they’re the gas-powered kind. If you have to plug in your electric chain saw, you’re only going to elicit laughter. And for Krusty’s sake, practice before you use one!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwbnvkMRPKM

The Funniest Joke in the World

If you know the Funniest Joke in the World, now would be the time to tell it. Perhaps the clown will die laughing. Use this as a last resort, though.

Run Away

This works for many people. All you need are good sneakers and the willingness to run like hell. Simple, yet effective.

Don’t Post Where You Are on Social Media

Do NOT say that you have THREE HUGE BAGS of chocolate bars and you’re out trick-or-treating and post a picture of yourself on Twitter in front of a street sign with a hashtag of #yummy.

Cue from the Walking Dead

Take a Cue from the Walking Dead

What Would Carol Do? She’s my favorite character on the Walking Dead. Put that on your bracelet or bumpersticker and then act accordingly.

Hide Under a Rainbow Wig

Realize that your fear of clowns is probably worse than the clowns themselves. As this CNN story indicates, “the easiest explanation is that there really are a bunch of creepy clowns out there hell-bent on some nefarious end. Call it Occam’s Rubber Nose.” (Hilarious, right?)

Ok. Maybe that’s not realistic.

Check the Interactive Map of America’s Creepy Clown Epidemic

Have there been many clown sightings? How many in your area? Of course, it’s 2016 and you can check the map! Yes, you can. Here is the Interactive Map of America’s Creepy Clown Epidemic. I know: whoa.

How Will You Fight Back?

Since it’s a question of not IF clowns will try to take over the country, but WHEN they’ll try to take over, how will you defend yourself?

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: clown apocalypse, clownpocalypse, clowns, confetti, Halloween, Phelps Face

How to Face and Overcome “One-More-Thing-Itis” Six Ways

October 20, 2016 By Carol Stephen 14 Comments

How to Face and Overcome “One-More-Thing-Itis” Six Ways

Are you one of those people who’s always trying to squeeze in just one more thing? Do you relish the idea of checking another item off your “to-do” list? Then you might have One-More-Thing-Itis. I should know; I have it, too.

One-More-Thing-Itis

Maybe you think that only people with ADHD have “One-More-Thing-Itis.” But these days with social media, many people feel like they have too little time to finish the important things. Maybe it’s multitasking or maybe it’s information overload. Many of us lie in bed at night thinking “what did I forget to do?”

Do a Brain Dump

Eric Lofholm suggests spending 14 minutes every morning putting everything down on paper and then prioritizing everything. Even if you don’t get to it all, writing it down helps. And to do that, grab a pen and paper, suggests Mike Vardy in How to Do the Ultimate Brain Dump. ”

“There is something about writing something down that makes it stick; you connect better with the tasks, projects and goals you have on your plate when you write them down rather than enter them into a device.” says Vardy.

Keep Track of Time

Do you know how much time you spend doing your every day chores? Neither did I, until I started tracking with Noko! (I’m not an afilliate, by the way, just a big fan!) Stop guessing how much time you spend! I seriously wish I’d found Freckle a long time ago! But if you don’t want to spend the bucks, you could always get an app or use an egg timer! Here’s my article about Time Management for Baby Boomers: Managing Social Media, if you’re so inclined.

Arrive Early

One of my dad’s favorite sayings was “if you’re on time, you’re already late.” Did you have the same dad as me? I don’t arrive early because my dad said it was a good idea, though. I arrive early because it affords me the luxury of goofing off for a few minutes before an appointment. I’ll bet a lot of other early birds are the same way. Once at the airport, that thirty minutes turns into a sweet, sweet pumpkin latte coffee break. At an appointment, you can check out the magazines in the waiting room. And of course, it impresses the heck out of anyone you’re meeting with.

In the excellent article Always Late? How To Be On Time — For Real, by Refinery 29, there are suggestions for figuring out “what kind of late you are” so you can figure out how to be on time.

Forget Perfectionism

Are you a perfectionist? Then you know that everything could always be a little better, smoother, more polished. Better to do your best and get it done than wait until it’s perfect! For more tips and tricks, check out This Could Be So Much More Awesome! By moi.

Enlist Help

Some people get others to help them be on time. You can set reminders on your phone ahead of time, or have a friend call you. If you need a professional nagger, they’re probably available, too! Sometimes it’s other people (a spouse, kids, coworkers) that make getting out on time difficult. If an activity is helping you become the best version of yourself, it might be worthwhile. If not, consider outsourcing it.

Sharpen the Axe

Remember the quote from Abraham Lincoln: “Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe“? Like mise en place allows you to prepare a meal faster, getting prepared ahead of time lets you focus on the task at hand.

How Do You Avoid One-More-Thing-Itis?

Or maybe you don’t suffer from it at all. Do you? Leave me a comment and let me know! And thank you.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: ADHD, brain dump, One More Thing Itis, perfectionism, time management, tracking time

How to Deal with Awkward Online Conversations

October 13, 2016 By Carol Stephen 14 Comments

How to Deal with Awkward Online Conversations

There’s always that one person who has to step in and ruin a perfectly good conversation by saying something awkward. You know the one: you send out a perfect tweet that you’ve thought about a LOT, and they criticize it for no reason. Now, this is a bit different than a troll, so banishing them from your kingdom by throwing them back under a bridge might not be the best option.

Emojis

Sometimes when you’re chatting online, you might not know if someone is joking or not. Does that happen to you? It happens to me in real life, too, but that’s a whole other story. Using an emoji can signal to the other person that you are indeed joking. Or that you’re angry. Or happy! Here’s a fascinating article: 7 Reasons to Use Emoticons in Your Writing and Social Media, According to Science.

By the way, did you know that Twitter measures the sentiment of your tweets using data science? You can search for a word, then go to Advanced Search and scroll to the bottom. So, for instance, you could search on Startups==>>Advanced Search==>>scroll to the bottom and check the positive emotion box. And voilà! You’ll have a list of positive tweets about startups.

Here are the most-used emoji on Twitter this year. 😂 comes out on top, with 6.6 billion uses. #YearOnTwitter pic.twitter.com/OAiMF9kowA

— Rob Watts 📈 (@VelstarRob) December 10, 2015

Silence is Golden

If you feel that a conversation is veering into an Ocean of Awkward, one of your best weapons is silence. Like the space between notes in music, silence has power and isn’t used nearly often enough. So if there’s an awkward question, let your weapon of silence loose! Also, if you’re an introvert (like I am), silence can drive the extroverts in the room absolutely batty. So there’s that. Here’s an article about introversion that I enjoyed writing: Six Facts About Introverts and Social Media That Will Impress Your Friends.

Forgetting Names

Online, people have aliases, avatars, and bizarre names. And yet they expect you to remember their names without having an accurate name tag! What’s a forgetful person to do? You could ask a friend of your friend. If you haven’t known your new friend for very long, you could ask them directly, too.

Photo by polandeze

Death

If someone’s friend has passed away, what do you say? It depends. If you don’t know them too well, you can say you’re sorry for their loss. This works as a good first step in any case. And if you don’t think that the Internet Has Changed the Way we Deal with Death, then you’re mistaken. We grieve online as much as online now. Think about when your friends of friends have passed away. And think about Prince passed. What a huge outpouring of grief online! Other ways of dealing could be sending cards, private messages, cards in real life, real flowers, gift cards, and so on.

Feeling Awkward?

Has this entire post made you feel even more awkward than you already feel? Leave me an awkward comment! Then we’ll both feel awkward. But at least we won’t feel as lonely.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: awkward, Conversation, emojis, emoticon, how to, introverts, online, silence

What Nikola Tesla Said About the New iPhone Will Blow Your Mind!

October 6, 2016 By Carol Stephen 8 Comments

What Nikola Tesla Said About the New iPhone Will Blow Your Mind!

We brought Nicola Tesla back from the dead so we could ask him a few questions about the new iPhone. And believe you me, it wasn’t always easy to figure out what he was saying. If you thought he mumbled a lot while he was alive, well, let’s just say that he’s grumpier and tougher to understand now. By the way, if you’d like to read about some other undead characters, you might like Eight Scary Halloween Creatures You Might See on Twitter.

Jet Black Finish

First, the important stuff, like the color!

Us: So, Nicola what do you think about the new finish?

Nicola Tesla: The feeling is constantly growing on me that I had been the first to hear the greeting of one planet to another.

Us: Sounds like you like the jet black finish. Plus, everything goes with black.

Tesla: Mumbles.

Us: We’ve already seen five billboards for the new iPhone 7 in the Bay Area (three in downtown San Francisco alone!). Do you think that’s a good way to advertise?

Tesla: Maybe it’s a little old-fashioned, but since traffic in the Bay Area is so bad, people may see those ads more as long as they’re not texting on their iPhones while stuck in traffic!

Waterproof Feature

While we know beyond a shadow of a doubt (maybe) that Nicola Tesla was not a swim instructor, would he have liked the waterproof feature of the new iPhone? We had to ask him.

Us: So, Nicola, what about the waterproof feature? Do you care about that?

Nicola Tesla: Yah. It’s good.

There you have it!

Lack of Headphone Jack

While most of us (our two friends who both own headphones) like headphones, how about Nicola Tesla? Since he’s here, and back from the dead, let’s ask him.

Us: Nicola–headphone jack or not?

Nicola:I had to wait nineteen years before Niagara was harnessed by my system, fifteen years before the basic inventions for wireless which I gave to the world in 1893 were applied universally.
Do I have to wait another 100 years to see the return of the headphone jack?

Us: So…you’re saying you’d like the headphone jack?

Nicola: Humanity likes headphones. I would like the headphone jack. And I’m a genius. Ask Elon Musk.

Us: Okay. You win.

Non-Clickable Home Button

Us: Nicola, what do you think about the new home button. Hero or zero?

Tesla: Our virtues and our failings are inseparable, like force and matter. When they separate, man is no more.

Us: Sounds like a thumbs down.

Tesla: Right.

Battery Life

We’ve heard that the battery life of the new iPhone needs improvements.

Us: Nicola, would you get the new iPhone since the battery life is so limited?

Tesla: Merciless is the law of nature, and rapidly and irresistibly we are drawn to our doom.

Us: We’re going to put you down as a “no” on this question.

Tesla: Okay.

Will You Get the New iPhone 7?

Will you side with Nicola Tesla? Leave me a comment! And thank you.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: Apple, iPhone, Nicola Tesla

What Happened to Privacy? Can it Exist in the Digital Age?

September 29, 2016 By Carol Stephen 8 Comments

What Happened to Privacy? Can it Exist in the Digital Age?

The new Edward Snowden movie is playing at theaters now, which got me to thinking about privacy. Everyone says that they want privacy, yet they willingly post about their deepest darkest secrets on social media. But do the government and major corporations really know that much about you? See the Wiki about the making of the Edward Snowden movie, and let me know what you think!

As Edward Snowden said

“Arguing that you don’t care about the right to privacy because you have nothing to hide is no different than saying you don’t care about free speech because you have nothing to say.”

— Edward Snowden’s “Ask Me Anything” on Reddit, May 21, 2015

Protecting Your Privacy on Facebook

Don’t post that you’re going on vacation in a public post on Facebook. Unless you don’t mind that everyone in the world can see that post, that is. Here are some ways to limit who sees your posts, by the way. You can limit who sees your posts by going to the Basic Privacy Settings on Facebook.

You might like this article about How Facebook’s Trending Topics is Like Minority Report, by the way, which shows you how Facebook is tracking you and your habits.

Privacy on Twitter

On Twitter, if you must tell your friends about your vacation, you might want to do so in a private direct message, rather than posted so that all your followers can see it. Or you could wait until after your vacay to announce that your house is empty and filled with gold jewelry that you cleverly got on sale. And did you know that you can make your lists private as well? Here’s a very good guide to protecting your privacy on Twitter. You could make your entire account private as well, though it’s not as fun.

LinkedIn and Privacy

On LinkedIn, if you’re looking for a job, you might want to turn off notifications so that not everyone can see that you’re updating your profile. And that’s particularly true if you’re looking for a job while you still have a job! Nothing like letting your boss know you’re unhappy and out looking! Here’s an article about six ways to protect your privacy on LinkedIn that you might like.

What Steps Do You Take to Protect Your Privacy? Image: Ace Work Gear

What Steps Do You Take to Protect Your Privacy?

Is it already too late? Are you taking any steps to protect yourself and your privacy? I’d really like to know! Leave me a secret note at an undisclosed location! Or just leave a comment here. It’s not as fun, but it’ll do. If you’d like to go back in time and/or become a curmudgeon, you could do that, too.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: Facebook privacy, privacy, protecting privacy, social media privacy, Twitter privacy

For the Love of Chaos: How to Successfully Rebrand Your Startup

September 22, 2016 By Carol Stephen 6 Comments

For the Love of Chaos: How to Successfully Rebrand Your Startup

So you’re right in the middle of a rebranding effort. The startup where you handle all the social media has decided that the messaging must change. Or you’re still trying to get up to speed and having problems keeping your head above water. How to cope and survive? You might have already read Startups and Social Media: Six Issues, and are looking for ideas.

Photo by Chung Ho Leung

Write Everything Down

Before you start working every morning, write down all the things you have to do that day. That might sound silly, but crossing items off your to-do list can make you healthier and happier. 10 minutes dumping everything on paper and then prioritizing what needs to be done can be priceless.

Photo by mah_japan

Take it from Those Who’ve Gone Before

Here are three examples of successful rebrandings.

Be Like Old Spice

Consider that Old Spice didn’t change their logo when they rebranded. They changed the experience that users have. And they made the phrase “I’m on a horse” famous. Pretty hilarious for a brand that’s been around 70 years. If you don’t need to throw the baby out with the bathwater, don’t.

Rev it Up Like Harley-Davidson

Take it from a brand that’s been around for 95 years, Harley-Davidson “has its feet planted in both the past and the present.” And you can be a fan without even owning a Harley, since fans dropped millions on fanware and meals at their restaurants. (The one in Las Vegas is especially fun, by the way.) And sales have been so great that it can take up to a year to get a Harley. In the meantime, you could get a Harley tattoo, like many of its fans do.

Rebuild Block by Block Like Lego

Those little blocks that everyone hates to step on went through a successful rebranding in the late 90s. They used their existing customers to help create content and thus reached out to a younger audience. There was even a Lego movie! So if your customers have an emotional connection to your brand, why not crowdsource some of your content? Rebranding doesn’t have to be as tough as navigating through a stormy sea, so be sure to break it down into manageable “Lego pieces.”

Been Through Rebranding?

How was it? Let me know in the comments, below.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: chaos, Harley Davidson, Lego, meditation, Old Spice, rebranding, sleep, Startup, survival, to do list

Need the Best Twitter Followers? Focus on Awesome Quality!

September 15, 2016 By Carol Stephen 8 Comments

Need the Best Twitter Followers? Focus on Awesome Quality!

One of the top ten questions I hear from new users on Twitter: how will I attract influencers to my new account? If you want the best followers, then your focus must be on the best quality content, find the best accounts to follow or list, and have a highly focused strategy.

Here are a few basics.

Know Your Audience

Someone was talking to me the other day and said to me that the chocolate I was buying was a “chick magnet.” Putting the dumb sexist comment aside, why would I be interested in a “chick magnet”? Now, had he been talking to one of his guy friends over a beer, that comment might be more appropriate. Maybe. Same goes for what you write: make sure it’s something your audience would want to know.

Share Great Content

If you’re creating your own content, fantastic! As Clement Lim says, creating quality content keeps your audience coming back for more. If you show your audience something valuable or solve a problem for them, they’ll keep coming back. And the same is true with the tweets you choose.

My audience wants to know how to save time. So something like Social Media in 60 Minutes a Day could help my them, if I’ve been listening carefully. And my clients always say they want to spend less time doing their social media.

Use Search and Save Your Searches

You can save your searches in Twitter, whether they’re for a hashtag, a keyword, or a combination. On desktop, search in the top search bar, then go to More Options–>>Save This Search.

Advanced Search

Did you know you can search for a topic, such as “Social Media” and then choose whether there’s an associated emotion with it? For the positive emotion, that would be a little smiley face “:)”. You can also search within a certain geographic area if you’re a brick and mortar. Use those saved searches to find people tweeting about what you’re interested in.

Create Lists!

If you get more than a couple of hundred followers, you will go insane if you don’t have lists! Find the best accounts and list them. For instance, you could create a list of locals, people who retweet you, or friends. Check in on them occasionally, especially when you’re looking for good content to retweet. You will save a ton of time, I promise!

Engage in Tweet Chats!

Engage in Tweet Chats

People who want to engage come to tweetchats. Find one that includes topics that interest you. You’ll find new followers, the time passes quickly, and as a by-product, you’ll also find new friends. At least that’s what happened to me. If you don’t know how, here’s how to participate in a tweet chat.

How Do You Find Good Accounts to Follow?

Tell me your secret ways. I promise I won’t tell anyone! Pinkie swear!

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: advanced search, Followers, how to find followers on Twitter, Social Media, Twitter, Twitter followers

How to Become a Digital Influencer: 10 Best Ways

September 8, 2016 By Carol Stephen 8 Comments

How to Become a Digital Influencer: 10 Best Ways

How do you go about becoming that person whose every word is listened to? How do you build trust so that you become an influencer? Digital influencers have not been around that long. However, there’s already a science behind influencer marketing. It’s not easy, but there is a path.

Photo by electrictuesday

Focus on Your Special Interest

Although it seems counter-intuitive, becoming more specialized makes you more likely to becoming an influencer. Pay attention to the small things.

“It has long been an axiom of mine that the little things are infinitely the most important.”

~ Arthur Conan Doyle, The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes

There is already talk of a skills gap in social media, due to the fast proliferation of new platforms, and the breakneck speed of digital change. With so much going on, developing a special interest doesn’t have to be difficult.

Follow Other Influencers

Read their books, read their blogs, and study them. Follow them on social media, and check in with them. Comment on their blog posts. Start conversations. Show up at their events. In my arena, that might be Mari Smith, or Gary Vanderchuk.

Find Your Social Media Voice

Write and rewrite your statements until they ring true to you. If you’ve ever written a journal, writing posts can be somewhat similar. Reading a post or tweet out loud can also help make it sound natural, and more like your voice.

Create Content

If you’ve followed some influencers, make yourself distinct from them. How does your opinion differ from theirs? There may be some areas where you have a strong opinion. Images and original artwork or video are becoming more and more important, so take advantage of images as well. Here’s an article about Secrets to Great Content You Forgot You Knew. It includes some tips about how to avoid procrastination.

Photo by volantra

Engage, Engage, Engage

Share others’ posts, and most of all talk to people online and offline. Engagement is probably the most important of the ten steps here. Why should you care about engagement? Because for your brand, you can speak to one possible client or many, you can drive people to a website to buy products, all while you work on your branding. Building relationships takes time; constant and steady engagement is the path to those relationships.

Sprout Social has a wonderful article about social media engagement: What is Social Media Engagement and Why Should I Care?

Photo by UT Connewitz

Be Useful

Helping others is an excellent way to build influence. Being a resource is one of the fastest ways to being influential. Find what people need and then provide it. Whether that’s giving someone a helping hand or solving a problem, being useful is a shortcut to influence success.

Overcome Failure

Get up every time you fall down. Rinse and repeat every day. The Positivity Blog has a great little article about failure: How to Overcome Failure: 9 Powerful Habits. As Henrick Edberg says, try to learn something from the failure, even if it’s just one simple thing.

Think Long Term

Nothing is going to happen overnight, although you can speed up the process. Unless you’re a celebrity, nobody gets a free pass. But all the organic reach, the followers and added business are worth it. Social media is more of a tortoise than a hare.

Photo by o. denise

Work Hard and Be Creative

Get the work done, definitely. But also be creative in how you get it done. For instance, you can recycle content, especially on Twitter. Save yourself from redoing your work. Even Guy Kawasaki reuses content! Nobody is going to read every single one of your tweets, so repeating them can be part of your strategy.

Photo by Aidan Jones

Be Approachable

Be like a pair of old shoes: comfortable and a little worn around the edges. I think Dale Carnegie said something like that. My friend, Bridget Willard, wrote a great post about being friendly, which you can be even if you’re shy. It’s in her Keys to Being Social: Be Friendly.

Do You Want to Be More Influential?

What steps are you taking to be more influential? I’m sure there are many missing here. Leave me a comment, and thanks!

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: digital influencer, influencer, marketing, Recycle content, social media voice, special interest