Josh Shear

You know who's smart? Shama Kabani.

A young entrepreneur and head of The Marketing Zen Group, Kabani's book The Zen of Social Media Marketing is among the best social media books I've read – not least because it's a living book.

The problem with writing a book about anything social media is that social media is changing really fast. The book Twitter Revolution, for instance, came out in paperback in October 2008. Twitter has undergone so many changes since then, I can only imagine about 10% of that book is still relevant.

What Kabani does with Zen is start with the basics – how to use Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn, including how to set up your profiles and how to be found – and at the end of her book she gives you a link to ZenOfSocialMedia.com and a pass code to get into the online version of the book, which is updated as new information becomes available.

Which means that when Facebook changes its look and procedures, suggestions for making your Facebook profile great are updated in the book.

My one hope for Kabani is that she hasn't buried herself (or her interns) under decades of book updates.

In addition to how-tos for Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter, Kabani offers some good general purpose tips, like outline your overall social media strategy and know what you want to achieve for your business before you send your first tweet.

She also enrolls David Kaminski of Web Video University to write a chapter on video.

Next up for me is going to be The Mirror Test by Kodak's chief marketing officer, Jeffrey Hayzlett.

I've been told several times over the last month, "Social media doesn't work for businesses." Really? In that case, one of two things is going on:

1. Your expectations are in the wrong place.
2. You're doing it wrong.

Actually, I bet it's some combination of the two.

Setting Expectations

Approach social media like you would an in-person networking event. You don't walk in the door and expect people to write you checks because you're standing there. You meet people. You tell them what you do. You hand out business cards. You learn who others are, what they do. You take their business card. You have conversations. You build relationships. You nurture relationships. Maybe if you're lucky you get a sale out of the event, but more than likely you're going to have to do some follow-up work to get that sale. Or maybe you just nurture those relationships, exchanging emails or having coffee here and there, keeping yourself at the forefront of people's minds so that when they need your product, they come to you first.

It's the same thing with social media. Sure, if you put a link to your website on Twitter, you might get a sale or two. But if you converse with people, build relationships, nurture relationships, congratulate them on their victories and pass on their successes, they will think of you first when they need your product. If you're there when they don't need you, you'll be there when they do.

Your expectation shouldn't be, "I just tweeted a link to my website and signed up for Facebook. Why isn't anyone buying?" It should be, "I'm so glad I was able to build these relationships with people all over the world."

A successful social media campaign starts with meeting new people and building relationships with them, and having them eventually turn into customers. You don't start converting people at "Click here!"

Doing it right

I'm going to keep this brief, because frankly, there are hundreds of people who write about doing social media the right way, and we're all saying the same thing. Work on relationships. Be involved. Have conversations. Connect with people. Work your networks without being pushy. I want to recommend you read these blogs for some ideas. There are plenty more out there, too; these are just some of my favorites.

10e20
Chris Brogan
eNetworking101 (disclosure: I've done work for this site)
Outspoken Media

I come back to Chris Brogan's piece about conventions frequently. Brogan's punchline is:

New marketing is more like: find people who make more sense. Start relationships with them before selling them. Learn more about them. Make the offer if it makes sense.

This isn't anything new. If you've touched your toe in on social media blogging, you've said this. I've you've ever advised people on using a social media tool, you've said this.

But are you doing it? Whether your social marketing is mediated or not – that is, whether you're looking for the sale in a face-to-face or an online environment – are you closing the sale before you've learned enough about the person to discover that you sell pipes but they need doors?

Sure, you do pipes, but if you knew someone who did doors, you could be selling their products to this new customer instead. And if you help the customer out when she needs doors, she'll remember you when she needs pipes.

True story.

One of the great things about LinkedIn is that you can connect to people who share your interests, who work in the same industry, and who live in the same area. One of the other great things about LinkedIn is that its focus is on professional connections.

Unlike Facebook, which is overrun by people sending you Farmville invitations and acquaintances who bugged your for weeks to accept their friend requests and now insist that you like their girlfriend's sister's boyfriend's second cousin's tropical fish shop in rural Kansas, LinkedIn gives you the opportunity to connect, share knowledge and nurture relationships.

One of the things I greatly appreciate and wish more people would take advantage of is the ability to personalize LinkedIn connection requests. If we meet regularly, are involved in several groups together, and are already connected on Facebook and Twitter, chances are I know who you are and what you do, and will accept a LinkedIn request from you without blinking.

But if we met at a networking event last week, I probably also met 20 other people there, and I probably have met a few dozen more since meeting you. Use a custom message to remind me who you are, where we met, and what you do. And if we haven't met, I'm unlikely to accept your connection request unless you tell me why we should connect. Maybe you read this blog post, learned something from it, and decided it would be a good thing to try out.

Here is how you send a personalized message.

1. Start at a person's profile. My public profile is here.

2. In the top right, click "Add Josh Shear as a connection" (it's the second link down next to my photo, just under the contact link).

3. Select a reason LinkedIn is a good way for us to connect (it will tell me what you selected; that might provide me a clue). If you select "Friend" or "Other," LinkedIn will ask for my email address. Use joshuanshear@gmail.com.

4. There's a box that says, "Include a personal note (optional)." That's where you should tell me where we met, or why we should get to know each other.

5. Press the Submit button.

That's it. What you don't want to do is send out a bunch of generic invitations to people you don't know. If they tell LinkedIn they don't know you, LinkedIn may penalize you, either limiting the number of connection requests you can send out, or, worse, suspending your account.

Here's an interesting event in Syracuse (press release). It's aimed at small business owners trying to find their way into social media (if you're well-established, this probably isn't for you).

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Have you attended the one and two hour social media sessions and find yourself wanting more? Have you been tweeting but not getting followers? Have you been maintaining your fan page but it’s still just your friends who are fans? Syracuse BizBuzz won’t leave you wanting more. Read On.

This conference features keynote addresses, case studies, workshops and discussions that provide strategic knowledge, insights and real world examples on how to successfully plan, implement and manage your social media efforts to achieve your business goals.

Social media platforms are fundamentally changing the sales, marketing and operations process.

It is redefining the way businesses:

* acquire customers:
* generate leads and customer response;
* create competitive differentiation and brand awareness;
* and manage crisis.

Register today at SyracuseBizBuzz.com

Follow the conversation at #syracusebizbuzz

The Syracuse BizBuzz Social Media Conference is a gathering of newbies, dabblers, users, and power users who are interested in what’s possible, what’s working, what’s now and what’s next in the business use of social media.

This full day conference (8:00 am to 5:00 pm), explores the impact social media has on marketing, advertising, and the tools used today to engage the public. Social media is dramatically changing how traditional marketing media is used for brand development and sales. Syracuse BizBuzz will explore how social media is successful today through case studies from local companies, but will also delve deeply into the practical methodologies of each tool.

SyracuseBizBuzz is a production of The Events Company, Site-Seeker Inc., and Digital Vertical with partners Syracuse University's iSchool, Falcone Center, Center for Career Services, Newhouse School of Public Communication, Syracuse.com, CNY Business Journal, Visual Technologies, Plus Sign and Graphic, and Syracuse Chamber of Commerce.

A Newbie Night, presented by Syracuse University'si ISchool, will be held on May 26, 2010, will provide business professionals the opportunity to learn the basics and to network.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

40 Below Civic Engagement Task Force Brings Fourth Involvement Fair Downtown
Event to bring together non-profit organizations and volunteers across Central New York

Syracuse, NY — The 40 Below Civic Engagement Task Force is pleased to announce the fourth Central New York Involvement Fair, Thursday, May 27 from 4 until 7:30 p.m. at SUNY Oswego Metro Center, 2 Clinton Square, Syracuse. The fair will be followed by a networking event hosted by Syracuse First at Al's Wine & Whiskey, 321 S. Clinton St., Syracuse..

The Involvement Fair is a place for local volunteers to find non-profits to become involved with. Picture a job fair, but instead of company recruiters sitting behind tables collecting resumes from nervous students, the tables are staffed by passionate non-profit volunteers or employees, and the people walking around are local residents looking to engage in their communities.

The first three involvement fairs, held at Drivers Village, Le Moyne College and Pensabene's, have been hugely successful for area agencies and organizations, and bringing the event downtown will only mean easier access for more area residents.

There is a nominal table charge for non-profits (RSVP required), and the event is free to attend for anyone looking for volunteer opportunities (no RSVP needed).

The networking event at Al's, hosted by local non-profit organization Syracuse First, will feature food and drink specials for Involvement Fair vendors and attendees with name badges. The event is free to attend.

Local media outlets, non-profit organizations and anyone wishing to attend are invited to contact Civic Engagement Task Force co-chairs Kelly Bayne and Josh Shear at the information below. The task force website is 40bcetf.org.

Kelly Bayne: baynek@gmail.com
Josh Shear: joshuanshear@gmail.com

Yep, that's my to-do list. Thanks, Jeff Pulver.

My Twitter friends are aware of this, but I spent a couple of days this past week in New York City for the 140 Character Conference (140conf). I didn't tweet much from the conference – only those things that really inspired me – instead, I took good old-fashioned notes on good old-fashioned paper. [Full Twitter coverage is here.] That photo above is me organizing my notes before jumping on the train back up to Syracuse. The piece of paper with all the scribbling? That's my to-do list.

Here's the deal with 140conf. It happens in four or five cities each year (well, this is the second year). It's the concept of Jeff Pulver, who is more or less responsible for making Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) technology widespread (if you're reading this, you're aware of VOIP, even if you've never heard of it – it's what Vonage uses, and if you're using Time Warner Cable or another cable service for your telephone, you're using VOIP).

Unlike academic or industry conferences where you have either a person who speaks for 45 minutes or a panel that runs for an hour, this is bang-bang stuff. Most individuals had 10 minutes; a few had 15. Panels lasted 20 minutes. In all, there were about 150 people speaking in two days. The audience already understands the tools and understands why you'd use them; there's no need to do that part of it.

There will be much blogging about the current and future of things in the coming weeks, but I wanted to get started by mentioning some of the people I met and some of the things I have on my list to check out. Supposedly videos of all the presentations are over here, but I'm having trouble loading them. Hopefully I'll be able to get them up on the screen as I go to blog them.

Anyhow, I met Evan Blackford, who is a super-nice and creative guy. We had a mediocre Middle Eastern lunch (Effy's does a nice coffee, though – definitely went back the second morning). I met Cecily Kellogg of Uppercase Woman, who seems to be a lot of fun in addition to being insightful. I'll be checking out and reviewing her blog.

I met David Hendricks and Eric Oldfield of an emerging advertising system called LiveIntent, as well as Andy Oterson, co-founder of eatbytweet, something I will definitely be looking at in the coming week.

I also met Melinda Emerson, a small business coach who runs a weekly Twitter chat – some of you will know her as @SmallBizLady.

I had lunch with a bunch of Gen Y rockstars, including, among others, David Spinks of Scribnia and #u30pro, Sarah Cooley of Postling, and musician Peter Marinari.

I also got to spend some time with old friends in the city, including one who recently started a new production house called Omega Darling.

Coming up on the blog will most definitely be items about Epic Change, Twitter and education, comments, news and more. I also owe Jeffrey Hayzlett (Chief Marketing Officer at Kodak) a donation to the American Heart Association in exchange for the copy of The Mirror Test.

Listen to the words of this song; try to get by the violence in the video. I've gone with this video rather than a live recording because it's official and I know the way this label works with artists, and I trust this video is the artist's vision. What I hear in Michael Franti's "Rock the Nation" is taking responsibility for moving things forward in a positive direction. I advocate non-violence.

I was elected Monday night to co-chair of the Civic Engagement Task Force, a piece of 40 Below I've been involved with since it re-launched in October of 2007. It's a two-year volunteer role, and it's a challenge I look forward to.

These are the primary things the task force does.

• The Involvement Fair. At least once a year – sometimes twice – the task force hosts an involvement fair. If you're familiar with the concept of a job fair – candidates with resumes walking around talking to a bunch of companies who have paid for tables and sent their HR teams out – this will look familiar. Except the people at the tables are outreach officers or volunteers of local non-profits, and the people walking around aren't bringing resumes, they're looking for a way to connect with the community.

• Connecting people to board opportunities. The task force works with volunteer organizations who are looking for board members to find people in the community who fit their needs.

• Introducing people to each other and to organizations in the area. We meet monthly in various locations, and frequently have a speaker introducing an organization she or he is involved in. It's a great way to get to know who's out there.

Here's my challenge to you. Where do you see a need in the city? What push do you need to get involved? How can we help you? Get in touch in comments.

There were over 20 people at the Syracuse tweetup Thursday at Recess Coffee. There is no science to setting up such an event, and getting people face to face is not brain surgery. Here's how this one came about.

Picking a date and time. Ask on Twitter. People seemed generally to think Thursday would be a good evening for them, and some mentioned specific dates. You're not going to please everyone, so you have to just pick a date. Most people get out of work between 4 and 6, so 5:30 seems like a good starting time, figuring that some people will arrive early and some people will arrive late, but nobody has to go home and urge themselves out the door after they've kicked off their shoes.

Picking a place. Again, you're never going to please everybody. But there are things everyone wants in a location: parking, something to eat and/or drink, and – something we learned from the last tweetup – someplace where they don't have to shout over loud music and loud dinner conversations. Since Recess Coffee is smallish, I called them three weeks ahead of the date and asked if they would mind if something on the order of 20 of us showed up (the worst thing we could do for them would be to scare away anyone who would normally be there, if we were going to show up once). They said sure, and most people bought coffee (or peanut butter hot chocolate), and we're good to go back, as long as we give them some notice.

Why? We're already connected on Twitter, why do a tweetup? Personalities and ideas tend to germinate in person, especially when people get to talk for several minutes and exchange business cards. And when great minds get together and create great things, everybody wins.

Who's in to plan the next one? I'll help!

If memory serves, the following people were at Thursday night's Syracuse tweetup. If I missed you (and I likely will miss someone), @ me and I'll get you on the list post-haste. If you're on MySpace, friend our hosts, Recess Coffee.

• @beaslee (Nicole)
• @billpfohl (Bill)
• @bradfordmorse (Bradford)
• @bradintheam (Brad)
• @burrito19 (Beth)
• @dagsly (Frank)
• @Gaelen2 (Pat)
• @itsahero (Rachel)
• @JayClewis (Jay)
• @Jill_HW (Jill, with Tom)
• @JoshShear (Josh)
• @kelvinringold (Kelvin)
• @kitschqueen (Susan, with Jason)
• @Mitch_M (Mitch)
• @paddyshaughn (Patrick)
• @philatsun (Phil)
• @samskelton (Sam)
• @tdog4494 (Tim)
• @toddengel (Todd)
• @tracytilly (Tracy)