muniBLOG: Communications

The Progression of the Social Media Learning Curve

Computer cables

 

We’ve All Been There and Done It!

As entrepreneurs we’ve all fallen into the trap of the initial excitement of using social media. Wow, what a great tool!

I never wanted to make any silly mistakes using it but I have inevitably done so as I’ve progressed along the social media learning curve.

For instance, when I first went on LinkedIn I would search out my targets and randomly send out invitations to connect. That was before I realized that was a really “un-cool” thing to do – and it could be seen as “spam” and potentially damage your professional reputation on the platform. Come on – you know you’re out there and you’ve done the exact same thing!

In my defence, I honestly thought you were supposed to connect with folks you don’t know who have similar interests, in order to broaden your network. I have since learned that you’re only supposed to send invitations to folks you know and then build your followers from there. In most cases people were very accommodating and polite about accepting my random invitations.  I thank them for that and for their understanding with my lack of knowledge on proper social media etiquette.

There just seems to be so many rules with social media and they differ on each social media platform. Some platforms call your network “friends”, some “followers” and still others “communities” or “circles”. For instance, I’ve been told, (and I may stand to be corrected here), that you use the @ in front of a name (person/company name) and the # (or hashtag) ahead of a topic (i.e. #municipality, #consultant, etc.). While I’m definitely not an expert on any of the platforms, I am making a conscious effort to learn them and play by the rules – honest.

From there, I progressed to setting up accounts in every social media platform I could find – because that’s what all the “social media experts” say you should do. But I quickly learned that some are not suitable for my business. (i.e. muniSERV being on Pinterest just makes no sense at all)

While perusing the variety of social media platforms, I also started to sign up for all these free “something or other” white papers written by experts, who as we all know are really just businesses mining for your email address.  Now, I don’t want to lump them all together because some of these free e-books, etc. have actually been very interesting and quite helpful – but the volume of marketing emails I started to receive after the downloads increased dramatically.

Another hook that got me was when I registered for a referral key platform that one of my valued contacts sent me. It really did sound like a great thing, but it emailed all my contacts and told them I had work for them and I wanted to refer them – What??? I had some explaining to do to clarify to my highly respected and valued contacts that unfortunately, I did not have work or a referral for them. I probably didn’t uncheck something I was supposed to when I set it up but at any rate, that was an embarrassing lesson!

My volume of emails continued to increase consuming more of my time every day. But I was drawn to reading through them though so I didn’t miss out on the next newest information about social media advancements or tips.

That’s when I started becoming overwhelmed. I had finally had enough. That’s when I took back control.

I hired someone to train me on the various social media platforms so I could protect my professional image on social media. Then I went through my emails and started unsubscribing to a bunch of them. Most of them were repetitive anyways (i.e. how to market on social media, how to improve your sales, blah, blah, etc.) I kept some I thought were of value and that I still enjoy reading, but I probably eliminated 80% of them.

Now, I glance quickly at offers and webinar invites. I’ve become like everyone else – very selective. If it doesn’t grab my attention in a couple of seconds, it’s deleted – and if they continue to bug me too much, I unsubscribe.

Sure I still set aside time for social media because, even though I jest, it is an integral part of your business and it is the way of the future. But at least I now feel much more in control of my valuable time.  

If this all sounds too familiar, take comfort. We’ve all been there – we’ve all done embarrassing things with social media and we all need to work our way through the progression of the social media learning curve. Always remember – you can still be in control even when it feels like you’ve lost it!

Susan Shannon is the Principal of muniSERV.ca.  She strengthens and engages municipalities across Canada by connecting them to the right professional.  Helping Municipalities & Professionals Connect!

Susan can be reached at [email protected] or toll free at 855.477.5095

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Skip the Jargon: Use Plain Language

Skip the Jargon: Use Plain Language

By Dr. Sandra Folk

Have you ever had a conversation with a person who made a comment that made perfect sense to him, yet mystified you. I recently experienced this kind of confusion during a conversation I had with a business colleague, who talked about his “financial footprint.” Actually, I was too embarrassed to ask what a “financial footprint” was.  All I could envision in my mind’s eye was the outline of a shoe in the sand or even the mud, covered with dollar signs instead of the usual tread marks.

I really wasn’t sure what exactly he meant by this expression. Were his finances like footprints in the sand, likely to disappear when the next wave came along? Was he leaving too much money behind? Was he leaving too little money? Maybe you know what he was thinking, and could enlighten me!

But this conversation got me thinking about other commonly used business expressions that make me uneasy. Rather than clarify meaning, these phrases obscure it.

Here’s another expression that I hear frequently that turns me off: “reaching out.”  When a person in business whom I contact by phone says to me, “Thanks for reaching out,” my imagination runs wild.  I envision myself, at that very moment, “reaching out” to save this person standing on a precipice, from a nasty fall. Thank goodness I called just in time. So I ask, does “thanks for reaching out” simply mean “thanks for calling”? Or is there some deeper, more complex level of meaning that eludes me?

These days, business conversations are filled with expressions of this sort.  Here are some examples:

On a go forward basis
Talk offline
Engagement process
Action a different outcome
Leverage our industry-leading relationships

Do you know what these expressions mean? Some, I can guess at. “Engagement process,” has nothing to do with weddings, for example. And “action a different outcome” probably translates as “create a different result.” Or does it? With such imprecise language, it’s really difficult to know. Here are a few tips to help you improve your “professional-relationships” by using direct, clear language.

The Language Lab’s key to plain language

Choose action-oriented verbs: These are verbs that convey a specific meeting. Action-oriented verbs are important when building a resume, but they’re also needed in your daily business communications.

Avoid vague nouns: Vague nouns lead to unnecessarily complex sentences. Here are a few examples of the kinds of nouns not to use. http://writing.wisc.edu/Handbook/CCS_vaguenouns.html

Avoid additional verbs: Why say, “My manager conducted an investigation into why we like to use jargon” when you could say, “My manager investigated why we like to use jargon.”

Choose the simple word: If you have the option to use a simple word rather than a complicated word, choose the simple word. People are more likely to understand you. (Or as the old joke goes, “eschew obfuscation.”)  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obfuscation#.22Eschew_obfuscation.22

Be direct: Why say, “We will endeavor to engage your team in the new online project” when you could say, “we hope to work with you on your website.”

Ultimately, the best way to communicate clearly is to keep language direct and simple. When in doubt, ask yourself,  “Is that word necessary?” You may find the response you get from using clear, direct language is better than the response to jargon-laden phrases. In other words, you will have “actioned a different outcome”!

Sandra Folk is founder of the Language Lab, an organization that teaches executives and their employees how to write and present targeted, efficient communications.  She can be reached at [email protected].

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Become a Six Figure Speaker

Navigating the professional speaking market can be a little tricky these days.  If you’d like to get well paid for sharing your message, you first need to ensure that you’re conveying the benefit of hiring you in your value proposition.  What do you have to offer?  How will groups benefit? 

Any organization wants a speaker who can deliver a highly valuable and memorable message in an entertaining and engaging way.  Being able to do that is the foundation of a successful speaking career.

To reach your prospects, you need to create a strong value proposition, create a professional promotional page with your background, your speeches, your photos, clients and testimonials.

Next you’ll need a 2-3 minute promo video either in front of an audience or speaking directly to the camera.  The video simply needs to show that you have a powerful message and that you can engage your audience.

Having a highly professional and functional website is the final essential. 

If you’d like a crash course in becoming a six figure speaker, attend our annual seminar where you’ll create your own 90 day plan to do just that and also hear from Laura Berg whose you tube channel has more than 26 million views – she’ll tell you how you can also do that.  As a bureau owner, I will talk about the current changes we’re noting in the marketplace.

Go to www.cathleenfillmore.com/events.php to register. 

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Choose the best speaker for your event

Choosing the Best Speaker for your Event

As a bureau owner, I’ve heard some of the best speakers in the world and am often asked what makes the best speaker.

That’s very subjective.  A speaker that touches the heart of one person will leave another one cold. What the best speakers have in common is what I call  ‘life force’.  Anyone alive has a life force but not everyone is fully in touch with it.  Most people are not even close.  The best speakers are those whose energy fills a room, seemingly effortlessly. Hearing a great speaker is a life-changing experience.   As organizer of an amateur speaking contest, I put a lot of work into the event.   It’s worth it though, when I hear a brilliant speaker give a three minute speech. Great speakers can range from intense introverts to expansive extroverts.  They have equal power to engage the audience.  What’s important is that after the event is over, the audience has something solid to think about or change. It’s been said that ‘200 people will come to hear this speech and 200 different people will leave,” which sums up the power of listening to a great speaker.  It doesn’t get any better than that.

– Cathleen Fillmore

website:   www.speakersgold.com

email: [email protected]

Telephone:  416-532-9886.

Call Speakers Gold before booking your next speaker if you only want the best.

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