Friday, February 11, 2011

Social Media

I finally made it to a meeting of the Social Media Club of San Gabriel Valley. The group meets monthly at the Business Technology Center in Altadena to discuss--

--well. I've given it away, haven't I?

It's not like this is the wave of the future anymore. Potential clients, customers or employers no longer ask for a resume or a flier, they just Google you. You have a good deal of control over your online presence and it's important to know how to shape it.

I can operate a blog one-handed. My Facebook page is doing okay. But I'm awful at Twitter and I keep forgetting to use my LinkedIn page. I figure maybe, just maybe, these Social Media people have a few things to teach me.

19 comments:

Speedway said...

Empty seats. Hmmm. Must mean that everyone is outside checking their Twitter and Facebook accounts, "talking" with the same people who were in the room.

Petrea Burchard said...

Hee hee, no, this stack of chairs was at the back of the rather large room we used. I just liked the light.

I met some very nice people there.

Unknown said...

I'm sorry I had to miss yesterday's meeting, but I'm so glad you caught a class. You'll have to tell me what you learned....

Pasadena Adjacent said...

"they just Google you"

bingo! why I've kept my blog identity separate from my social security number

Petrea Burchard said...

Lori, you're good at social media! One thing we talked about yesterday was that social media situations are much like real social situations, meaning the etiquette is the same. You don't walk into a room full of people people you don't know, shouting out an advertising message, for example. Or if someone sends you a request that's impolite, it's okay to ignore it. (Yay!)

Susan Campisi said...

I haven't embraced Twitter but I keep wondering if I should.

So, I just tried to create a Twitter account and TommysHuman is already taken!

John Sandel said...

Ye gods, what a room! The wubbernet may have been invented in such Formica cells, but hopefully its promise is to lead us—via our minds—out to more expansive realms.

Speedway said...

Yep, an ugly room, where you have to go inside the box to learn how to think outside of it. But don't actually **look** at it, because it will deaden any original thought one might have. Then again, maybe that's the reason for its existence.

Petrea Burchard said...

PA, you've been pretty good at keeping your identity a secret, too.

But Susan's comment illustrates a point--it depends on what you want your online presence to do for you. If you want to use your Twitter/Facebook/blog to advance your career, I recommend you use your real name. Your potential clients are not going to google your nickname unless you do business under that name.

Well, yeah, I was a little disappointed at the room. No imagination. But at least there were windows looking out over the parking lot.

Susan Campisi said...

Good point, Petrea. So, I just signed up and I'm following you. I look forward to your brilliant tweets. No pressure!

Bellis said...

I'm hopeless at Twitter, and it usually tells me I have the wrong name and password. I seem to get a lot of tweets from strangers that I didn't befriend. Let me know how you like it, Susan.
Did anyone at the meeting make money from their social interactions? Apart from Patch, that is. Maybe I should pay for PDPs daily news and entertainment, it's worth it.

Petrea Burchard said...

I'm following you, Susan. We shall see. I'm trying to figure out the optimum time of day for me to be on Twitter. I can't/won't spend the whole day on there or I won't get any writing done. But maybe there's a way to get the best use of my time.

Bellis, we didn't talk about money yesterday directly. But since most buyers go directly to the web to find products, sellers have to be there. I have no idea what the ROI is for social media.

John Sandel said...

DOWNLOAD THIS FASCINATING, INCISIVE COMMENT for the low, low price of $0.12 per word! Act NOW, before it becomes stale & irrelephant!!

Who sez you can't make money on the web!?

Petrea Burchard said...

You could sell "irrelephant" for 13 cents.

TheChieftess said...

It must be the generation gap, but I barely tolerate Facebook and won't do Twitter!!! Last night we went to dinner with 35 year old step son and two of his friends...quite a bit of time was spent on facebook goofing off on one of the threads....doesn't make for great dinner conversation...

Petrea Burchard said...

Not to disparage anyone's loved ones, but anyone who spends time on "social media" while ignoring people present in the physical "social arena" is missing the point.

TheChieftess said...

My sentiments exactly Petrea!!! But this is much more the norm in the younger generation than not...wish it weren't!!!

Gunn said...

I agree the light (line and colors) make this to an interesting photograph! Well seen and done!

Petrea Burchard said...

Thank you, Gunn. Nice of you to say so.