Guest Blog Post ... A First for Me

Welcome to my adventures in networking. As your typical introverted freelance writer (yes, sad but true, I am generalizing) who prefers to remain safely behind my computer screen, socializing on any level is a struggle! Here's what I am doing to change that.

Good things DO happen when you put yourself out there!

A few weeks ago I met Lauren Candito, president of Social Media Solutions in Orlando, and was immediately drawn to her cause, which is to help companies successfully market themselves through various social media networks. I expressed to her my interest in working with her and we've been communicating ever since.

Earlier this week, I received an email from Lauren complimenting me on a recent business column I wrote about Realtors joining the social media realm. She asked if she could use the piece as a guest post on her blog.

This is a first for me and I wanted to share it with you. Here's my guest post: http://socialmediasolutions.wordpress.com/2009/06/24/realtors-encouraged-to-join-the-social-networking-conversation/

If I had not let Lauren know about my interest in her business efforts this opportunity would never have come to be. But because I took a chance, I now have a guest blog post to show for it. How cool is that!

7 Steps to Make Networking Work for You

Welcome to my adventures in networking. As your typical introverted freelance writer (yes, sad but true, I am generalizing) who prefers to remain safely behind my computer screen, socializing on any level is a struggle!

This morning I attended another session (it's a three-part series) of the Advanced Networking Workshop held at the Naples Chamber of Commerce and facilitated by Realtor Matthew Klinowski and business coach Jessica Macera.

Here's what stuck with me: If you live in a big city, you can pretty much remain nameless and faceless and still do business.

My plan of action: Move to a big city immediately! Just kidding.

I'm thinking if I move to a big city, I wouldn't have to actually be out there meeting people face-to-face. Maybe I could simply do business from my home computer, in my sweatpants, and still be a successful copywriter without ever having to meet anyone in person to try to sell my services.

Hey, some people dream of winning the lottery. I dream of never having to face-to-face network. We all gotta have our dreams, right?

In all seriousness, though, I know that is not reality, whether I'm in a city of a few million or here in Naples where we balloon up to about 300,000 or so from January to April. I must get out there and get to know people and, more importantly, have them get to know me in order for my business to even have a chance of growing.

What really took me back this morning was something business owner Phil Dodd said to me. He had read a previous post where I confessed how scary networking was for me and today he told me that at the last Advanced Networking session he felt I was the most approachable. Wow! That was eye opening. I never pictured myself like that. Maybe that will help me in my networking quest.

In any case, here's what I learned from today's session:

• Choose the right events that play to your strengths and the application of your business. Of course, to discover which events are right for you, it may require attending some that turn out to not be a good fit, but you won't know that until you show up.
• Be consistent in your networking and marketing efforts. As Matt quoted, "Repetition is recognition." And remember, more often than not, a simple message that is well executed is typically much more effective than one that is extravagant with no real thought-out plan.
• Carry a pen with you at events and when you collect a business card from someone you really made a connection with, place a check mark on that card to trigger your memory when plugging that person into your database.
• Keep notes about your contacts. This works well in Outlook which provides a spot for notes. As Jessica pointed out, keep notes about each person's likes and dislikes which can spur conversation the next time you meet them.
• Organize your contacts. Keep a list of casual contacts versus those you consider "hot pursuits."
• Maintain a regular follow-up schedule. Whether you follow-up with an email one day after meeting someone or deliver a handwritten note to them within a week, make a plan and stick to it.
• Let your personality shine through. The more you let people see the real you, the more memorable you will be. Stand out from the crowd.

But the most important point is that networking is a lifestyle. If you commit to it in whatever capacity, you will follow-through and get it done. Happy networking!

Just Get Over it & Participate Already!

Welcome to my adventures in networking. As your typical introverted freelance writer (yes, sad but true, I am generalizing) who prefers to remain safely behind my computer screen, socializing on any level is a struggle!

I have this insatiable need to learn. Unfortunately what that does is keep me safely tucked away behind my computer or in the pages of a book rather than out in the real world getting to know people. To combine my appetite for knowledge and also continue my networking quest, I attended Coffee & Social Media, an informal group that meets the second Tuesday of every month at Bad Ass Coffee here in Naples.

The get-together was great --- about 20 people sharing thoughts and issues and questions surrounding their involvement with social media. The problem: I continue to be a spectator rather than actually participate in the discussion. I know what my hang-up is. I sit there thinking any comment or question I bring up will sound stupid or immature among this group of professionals, even though I am technically a professional myself.

My thought is, the more I attend the more comfortable I'll feel with the group and the more apt I will be to actively participate rather than just listen.

Then I thought participating in a discussion via the computer would be easier. Wrong! Yesterday afternoon I joined a conversation about social media for B2B happening on Twitter. The questions from the moderator were thought-provoking and the comments from those online were excellent, but again I felt insecure. I did make a comment and asked a question, but that did nothing to ease my fears of being perceived as stupid or immature.

So where does that leave me? Grappling with my own ridiculous insecurities. The good news: I'm not giving up. I mean, sooner or later I have to get over it, right?

Confessing my addiction

Welcome to my adventures in networking. As your typical introverted freelance writer (yes, sad but true, I am generalizing) who prefers to remain safely behind my computer screen, socializing on any level is a struggle!



My name is Alysia Shivers and I am a social media-aholic.
There. I’ve said it. Whew!
Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, blogs … I can’t get enough! I am literally sucking in so much information about these sites every day that my head feels like it will explode as it hits the pillow each night.
Do I need help? Probably. Will I accept it? Not unless your advice includes ways in which I can use social networking better and more efficiently, because frankly I do not want to stop.
Right now, as my TweetDeck keeps notifying me of updates, I can’t help but peek up at it to see what people are talking about. In the evening, my husband gets on the computer to check his email and play around on YouTube and all the while my mind is screaming, “I’m missing out on vital communications?!”
In the midst of tweeting and gathering followers, checking LinkedIn answers to see if I may be of assistance, updating my status on Facebook, and deciding whether or not to create a Fan Page, I’m absorbing every tidbit I can about how to use these systems most effectively.
A big help is attending Social Media Success Summit 2009. I’m learning a great deal from these social media experts about what to do today to grow my business and my social network and what the social media future may hold. I’ll fill you in as I go through these informative sessions over the next few weeks.
The good thing about social media is I get to communicate with others all over the globe via the computer, relieving me of my face-to-face networking fears. Of course, I still believe face-to-face is truly the best way to obtain new business, a belief me and my shy self are still coming to terms with.