*This is the closest some of us come to real world networking. Photo by Photos o’ Randomness
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That’s right. The real world is still out there, even though we pretend it is extinct and at the end of this post, with the help of a friend, I’ll give you five of my own unique ways to work the room and effectively network in the real world.

I think it’s funny to see people talk about how crucial social networking is in the various virtual worlds that we all inhabit. Yet, when it comes to doing any sort of networking in the real world, those very same people are tied to the wall, sipping cocktail after cocktail and talking to no one in particular. Of course, that’s the beauty of social networking online. There’s never the pressure you feel when you walk into a large room full of people. It’s a lot easier to send a message over Facebook, than to weasel your way into a circle of people, mid-conversation, without seeming too obtrusive. If you’re the type of person that turns white every time you walk into a conference or industry mixer, then I’d like to prescribe you a healthy dose of Thom Singer (Some Assembly Required).

Thom was recently quoted in a Forbes.com article titled, “Party Your Way To A New Job.” Which is pretty much a mantra for how I live my life. Thom says this:

…….Now that you’ve got a list of people to talk with, make sure to get there on time. Arriving when there are fewer people makes it easier to get time with the party’s hosts and the board of directors. For people who feel shy about meeting strangers, getting there while the crowd is small is much easier to manage than entering a room full of 200 partiers already having a good time, says Thom Singer , author of The ABCs of Networking.

I had the pleasure of meeting with Thom the other day, as he and I are both Austinites. For an hour and a half we swapped stories about networking online and in real life. It was really nice to meet with a guy that actually “gets it.” If you’re the type of person that needs a reminder from time to time on how to connect with people in the real world, then Thom Singer is someone you should start studying. And I’m not just saying that because he wrote this flattering post about our meeting at Starbuck’s last week. Thom, you made me blush!

Subscribe to Thom’s RSS feed, as I will be guest blogging over at Some Assembly Required about finding passionate people within your organization and harnessing that passion into something of value.

For the time being, here are five of my own unique ways to work the room and effectively network in the real world:

1. Get rid of your business cards. I know that many of you have a couple of withered business cards that have been sitting in your wallet since 1993. I try to set a minimum at conferences depending on its size of how many I’ll hand out. I’ll put 25 business cards in my pocket and know that I can’t leave until I’ve met and passed them out to at least that many people. If you don’t hand out your business card, there’s really no point in having one, other than its neat color. Is that bone?
2. Scour the wall. If you’re the type of person that doesn’t do so well in real life social situations, then find someone else that is more terrified than you. Look along the outskirts of the room you’re in and find the people that are keeping to themselves, pounding cocktails. They’re more nervous than you and desperately want someone to talk with. Introduce yourself and find out what they do, then tell them what you do. Now, you can attack the rest of the room as a team. You can introduce him/her to everyone and he/she can introduce you. You’re like the dynamic duo!
3. Start smoking. Now, I think smoking is a filthy habit, but it certainly allows for membership to a unique networking opportunity. If you can stand the secondhand smoke killing you early, then head outside from time to time and mingle with the smoking crowd. Learn to always carry matches (a lot classier than a lighter), so that you can be someone’s savior when they forget theirs. Smoking is the one activity that will always put lower level customer service reps in the same room and conversation as their nicotine loving CEO.
4. Know your elevator pitch. If you’re going to a conference or mixer, someone is going to ask you what you do. Have something prepared! It amazes me how many people cannot tell me what they do without stumbling all over their words and sounding like an idiot. Practice in a mirror or with friends your two sentence elevator pitch of who you are and what you do. It never hurts to throw in a joke if you’re good at that sort of thing. What really matters is that you sound like you love what you do and say your pitch with enthusiasm and passion. People eat that sort of thing up.
5. Memorize the lay of the land. People don’t realize this, but knowing where you are, what the event is about and where the restrooms are located can be some of the best conversation starters out there. Before you go to an event, learn the background information on it, who the hosting parties are, where they work and what they’re all about. It’s amazing how just having the answer to the most basic of event questions makes you seem like you’re a conference expert. Do a little homework and you’ll be the goto guy for event information, history, conversation and potty breaks.
6. BONUS: Follow up. This is the most important one, but many people never take the time to do this. After a conference or mixer, you’re hopefully holding quite a few new contact names, numbers, emails, etc. When your hangover wears off, do some quick research and find out some additional information about the people you met. Then, send them an e.mail and tell them that you enjoyed meeting them. I usually try to find a blog entry that I have written that might relate to their particular industry or work situation and enclose this with my email. This quick, friendly reminder is a nice way to further your conversation with that particular person and make sure that they do not forget who you are in the future.

This list could go on and on, but I’ll stop at five (plus a Follow Up bonus). If you’re looking for more excellent ways to network in the real world, head on over to Thom’s blog or pick up a copy of his book, The ABCs of Networking. If you think you’re a networking expert, why don’t you share some of your proven strategies in the comments section. How do you go about starting conversations with people in real life? Better yet, how is networking in real life similar or different than networking online in a virtual world? How has networking online changed the way you network in the real world? Your thoughts, as always, are what makes this blog valuable. I’d love to hear what you have to say.

P.S. If you were wondering, other than Thom Singer’s advice, I learned everything I know about networking at a party from this video. Enjoy!

Popularity: 61% [?]

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*Original photo by redjar.

If you’re a person or company getting into the social media game to promote yourself, please note that all the bells, whistles and buzz words in the world won’t bring in long term, qualified customers. Social media is a fickle beast and cannot be approached like a traditional advertising or marketing campaign. Social media campaigns can take time. Like a snow ball rolling down a mountain, it takes time to put on warm clothes, climb up the hill, gather enough snow and slowly start rolling a ball of snow down the hill. But, eventually, with enough preparation, that snow ball will take on a life of its own and its forward momentum will allow it to grow and grow, faster and faster. Social media campaigns work in the same kind of way. So, bundle up!

A successful social media campaign can make every single one of your customers an evangelist for your product and brand. An unsuccessful campaign can prove disastrous. Social media campaigns have to be designed solely with the consumer in mind. Before you go out and put together a social media campaign for your own company, take a look at the following list of ten things that will help you start your social media campaign off on the right foot and see it through to success.

10 Things That Will Make Your Social Media Campaign a Success:

1. Listen, Listen. Listen. The purpose of a social media campaign is to create conversations with your potential and existing customers. A conversation is a two-way communication and if you’re not listening, then you’ll have no idea how to adapt to “whatever comes next.” Just like any relationship, listening is more important than anything.
2. Respond. Equally as important to listening is actually responding to your customer’s concerns and figuring out exactly what and why those concerns exist. Building a conversation is not the same thing as taking a poll, it’s a two way street with you voicing your opinion and your customers voicing their’s.
3. Contribute. Don’t be the person that shows up to the birthday party without a present. Who cares if you didn’t know them “all that well,” the bottom line is that no one likes a freeloader. As you build your community and your company grows, it is important that you never alienate the people who got you there - your everyday consumer. These are the people on the front line screaming your name and you should show them respect by adding value to their particular community. If you’re having conversations with your target audience, then it will be easy to discover what contribution your consumers want you to make. If all else fails, just ask them.
4. Open the Dialog. Now that you are having conversations with your customers and those prospects interested in your company, it’s time to step it up a notch. It’s fine to talk about your company, but not all the time. Sometimes it can be more valuable to raise concerns or voice opinions on issues that your customers share a strong affinity towards. By making statements for or against issues, you will open your conversation to more than just your existing consumer pool. As long as your stance is rooted in truth and has your customer’s best interest in mind, then this can be a great way to raise awareness about issues and about yourself.
5. Educate. Do your customers know how your company operates and why it does things a certain way? Is there something about your products that no one knows about that might be an interesting topic of conversation? Can your product be used in more than one way for more than one thing? Is your customer demographic prone to a certain activity or interest? Can you provide an online community that will help them further their interests? People are hungry for knowledge. How are you offering it to them?
6. Encourage. Sometimes life can be hard and none of us live the perfect life all of the time. Everyone needs a little encouragement from time to time. What types of things motivate your customer’s? Creating an area of inspiration and genuine encouragement not only helps your customers live a better life, but gives you an opportunity to associate those positive feelings with your company. Any time you can help your customer prosper in their own life, you can rest assured that that prosperity will be reciprocated.
7. Be human. Nothing kills a social media campaign faster than automated responses and false intentions. The purpose of social media is to streamline communication on a one-to-one basis. Assign a human being in your company to handle your social media efforts or do it yourself. But, never decide that these social media efforts can be automated. Your customers want to see the human side of your company. So, let them talk and interact with a human. Are you more likely to buy a new television off the recommendation of a computer or the interaction with a friend or colleague? With social media, your customers are your friends and colleagues. Treat them that way.
8. Acknowledge. We all crave acknowledgment for the tiny things we do in our lives to make a difference. Many of us would never admit that we want acknowledgment, but deep down, it feels good when people recognize you. Your customers are doing great things everyday and they deserve someone to take note. Find out the ways that your customers are helping out and put a spotlight on them. Congratulate them. Honor them. Positivity is contagious. One man/woman really can change the world. Recognize them for doing so.
9. Stay Transparent. Honesty is and always will be the best policy. There is no point in utilizing the tools available via social media and networking if you are not going to be 100% upfront with your customers. This big world of ours gets smaller and smaller every day and if you’re not being honest, then it’s only a matter of time before somebody blows the whistle on you. Countless companies have tried and failed at social media because they didn’t understand that there are ways to legitimately raise awareness about your company without fudging the truth. You are an organization of people working towards a common goal, whatever that might be. Someone in your organization has something to say that your customers will want to hear. Find that person and make them your company’s number one evangelist. If his/her enthusiasm is genuine, then it will become contagious and spread to everyone that comes into contact with them.
10. Listen. Listen. Listen. Remember when I said that listening was the most important thing in any relationship? Well, I meant it and that is doubly true when it comes to a successful social media campaign. You can never stop listening. Our world, your industry and the businesses within it are changing and evolving more rapidly than they ever have before. Industries that used to last for decades are now becoming obsolete in a matter of years. If you’re not listening, then you will never know when the tide is starting to change or if your snowball is going to hit a tree.

A successful social media campaign can prove to be one of the most valuable assets in your company’s repertoire. It can prove valuable not only in enhancing your marketing and public relations efforts, but also in product development, brand development, hiring top notch employees, streamlining inner-office communication and much, much more. Social media transforms itself around however you use it. The possibilities are only limited by the imagination. So, find the dreamer in your company and let their creative juices start flowing.

What kind of success have you had with your social media campaign? How are you using online conversations to build your brand’s value? Is there anything that you would like to add to this list of techniques? Did you find this list informative and useful? Share your thoughts in the comments section.

Popularity: 81% [?]

*Original photo by andrewestel. Mash up by Jon Ray.

What would make you start to watch TV again? It seems that everyone is a video content creator these days. With bandwidth forever on the rise, new video sharing sites popping up by the dozen and content aggregators like iTunes and Amazon, the way we view media will never be the same. Now with the writer’s strike, all you can see on television are reruns! Is there still a place in our hearts for content on TV?

I spoke with a colleague today who is looking to build an audience for an on-demand television station one of his clients has on digital cable. The show is focused on music, but willing to branch out into other areas of programming. The idea behind this is similar to HBO OnDemand and AOL Music Videos OnDemand. Rather than having to record each show via TiVo or DVR, the digital cable server automatically makes certain content available to you, the viewer, whenever you want to tune into the channel. It’s pretty much TV trying to be the internet, in a way. The advantage is that the content is broadcast in high definition, instead of a 320 x 240 pixel window.

The question is this:

If someone else made a video and put it on the internet, but that same video was available through HDTV OnDemand, which distribution channel would you most likely watch said video on?

Now, think about this:

If YOU made a video and put it on the internet, but had the opportunity to have it played in full resolution on digital cable OnDemand, which distribution form would you promote more, the internet release or the HDTV release?

And finally:

How inclined would you be to return to an HDTV OnDemand channel, regardless of the initial video you saw there, if you knew there was a huge selection of other content?

Here’s how I would promote this network:

Social Networks and Media

• Using various social networks, particularly those that focus on video, begin building relationships with budding filmmakers in certain genres that currently have only internet distribution.
• Hold a contest and allow these filmmakers to submit their video content to the network’s website to compete for a small production contract.
• Take all submissions and narrow them down to the top 200 videos, which would all be available through the HDTV OnDemand channel for 30 days.
• Encourage contestants to tell their friends to tune to the HDTV Channel and view their and others’ videos.
• Each video will be given a 6-digit video code. A viewer can then compile their favorite 10-20 videos and enter their code’s on the channel’s website.
• At then end of the 30 day contest, the top 10-20 video creators get a small production contract to produce five 3-10 minute videos (on approved topics) each with a small production budget provided by the channel. This would allow for up to 100 new videos each month that would air, OnDemand, in full resolution.

Traditional Media Production and Advertising

• Hire on an in-house production team to produce longer 22-minute shows that focus more closely with the channel’s Music and Lifestyle themes.
• Find sponsors and sell advertising on these long-format shows.
• Increase number of shows, based on amount of advertising sold.
• Use live broadcasts from well-known events as a way to promote the channel and build sponsor list.
• Run 10-second bumper ads before and after “user-generated” content. Allow “users” to pitch ideas for 10-second bumpers and upon sponsor approval, produce them for compensation.

Promotion

• Make the viewer the star. Shoot interstitial spots on location at events that let the people attending have their fifteen minutes (see. 30-seconds) of fame by introducing a video, promoting the channel, or commenting on the event. Then give them a VIP login for the channel’s website that allows them to promote the air date via various social networks and email.
• Let events promote the channel until the channel can promote events. To get started user generated and promoted content, along with sponsored events will drive traffic to the channel. The idea being that as you gain more and more viewership, the channel will be more effective in driving traffic to events. Thus, creating more value for event sponsors.
• Online widgets and applications will make promoting events and channel content easy. And daily, weekly and monthly updates to online widget content and contests will keep users interested and continually promoting the channel.
• A constantly changing roster of content creators will assure that content remains fresh. Every 30 days, viewers can vote off two of the twenty content creators and vote on two new creators to step in and take a crack at television production. The better the content, the longer they’ll have a steady production job with the channel. If eliminated, content creators can always resubmit next month to get back on the production roster. The fluctuating list of creators will ensure that everyone continues to promote their work and the channel.
• Create groups and forums that allow viewers to discuss videos and shows and suggest new programming. By creating an OnDemand network that is driven by user input, the network will build a huge community underneath it that is constantly promoting its shows and making them more compelling.

So, there you have it. If I had an OnDemand network, that is probably the approach that I would take with it. Why don’t some of you try and shoot some holes in that strategy? What would you do if you had your own HD OnDemand network? How would you promote it? Does anyone even watch TV anymore? It this idea better suited for internet-only distribution? Do I have any clue what I’m talking about? I want your input. Leave it in the comments section and let everyone know how smart you can be. : )

UPDATE: Thanks to Connie Benson, I’ve, in a round about way, had perhaps an epiphany and cleared my thoughts further in the comments section of this post.

Popularity: 74% [?]

*Original Photo by FlemishDreams. Mash up by Jon Ray.

As of late, I’ve become a Twitter-holic and have averaged around 20-30 Twitter messages a day via SMS on my T-mobile phone. The last music video I produced this past weekend, I live Tweeted the entire process and received an onslaught of referrals to my blog from Twitter. Actually, Twitter is probably one of the biggest referrers of unique readers to this blog. About 24 hours ago, I began getting this message whenever I tried to send an SMS update to Twitter:

Service is temporarily down. Please, try again later.

I didn’t think much of this message until I saw this post over at TechCrunch. It links out to several other blogs and forums that claim T-Mobile is preventing its customers from using the Twitter service. One customer sent out an email to T-Mobile after their customer service representative told her “T-Mobile does not support third party message services and sometimes you may be able to use them because of a bug in your system…t-mobile system caught up with the bug and that you shouldn’t expect to be able to use the Twitter service any longer from T-Mobile.”

I couldn’t even get an answer from T-Mobile’s customer service department, because they had no idea what Twitter was and why it might have been blocked. In a lackluster attempt to answer my questions, the representative did a quick search engine search to see if she could find any further information. She then read me this quote, which is from an email that was supposedly sent out by Marianne Maestas, of the Executive Customer Relations department at T-Mobile:

…Twitter is not an authorized third-party service provider, and therefore you are not able to utilize service from this provider any longer…. T-Mobile is not in violation of any agreement by not providing service to Twitter. T-Mobile regrets any inconvenience, however please note that if you remain under contract and choose to cancel service, you will be responsible for the $200 early termination fee that would be assessed to the account at cancellation.

I chuckled, as I had already read that over at GetSatisfaction and while, it had not been officially confirmed, I found it funny (and sad) that this T-Mobile representative decided to quote it to me in answer of my question, when she had no idea if it was a legitimate email from her boss. I recorded the phone call, but decided not to post it because I didn’t ask her permission before hand.

Needless to say, I am furious! I was just getting into the whole Twitter thing and now my micro blog world is coming tumbling down because T-Mobile has decided that they can control the content that I receive and send on my phone. I can’t help but wonder who on T-Mobile’s executive staff thought that this would go unnoticed? Why would anyone over there think that blocking content on my phone was a good idea?

Anyhow, I’m curious to see where this leads and how T-Mobile is going to compensate its loyal customers (6 years) for this HUGE inconvenience. I’ve been looking long and hard at the iPhone, perhaps this is enough reason for me to take the plunge and switch to AT&T. Are you having issues with your T-Mobile phone accessing Twitter? How has your customer service experience differed from mine? Has anyone from T-Mobile contacted you with further information? Share it in the comments section.

T-Mobile I’m Mad at YOU!

UPDATE: Twitter is now reporting this:

We’ve been tracking a missed connection between T-Mobile and Twitter for the past few days. If you’re a T-Mobile customer using Twitter in the United States over our shortcode 40404, you may see intermittent failures (both with sending and receiving updates). We’re working to resolve this issue as quickly as possible. Thank you for your patience!

Update (12/15 3p): We’re still working on this and believe it to be a technical issue happening between T-Mobile and the folks who help run our text messaging. At this time we do not believe it to be a policy issue (as has been speculated). We’re hoping for a resolution soon and will let you know when we know more.

So, perhaps T-Mobile isn’t really blocking Twitter, even though it sounds like they feel they could if they wanted to. Regardless, I think T-Mobile could have been a little more helpful on the customer service side of this thing and tried to figure out what was happening and give me the above message, instead of me having to search for it. No one likes having Terms of Service legal jargon thrown in their face as a reply to a legitimate concern from a long term customer. Tsk. Tsk. T-Mobile. Tsk. Tsk. Let’s hope you guys get your act together, because if Justine gets any more convincing, I might join the iPhone army.

UPDATE: Twitter seems to be working again with my T-Mobile phone. Hurray!

Popularity: 70% [?]

Clever marketing and advertising is not necessarily effective marketing and advertising. I love the idea behind this campaign, but I don’t feel that the brand is incorporated closely enough into the viral message. Regardless, it’s loads of fun to send to friends. That being said, what does this viral message make you want to buy? Where will you buy it from?

A better approach to this type of campaign was the Wedding Crashers Official Movie site. While it is no longer online, it was a similar concept, but allowed you to interact with the movie’s trailer. After watching, not only was it hilarious, but there was no doubt what movie it was promoting.

How could this viral message have been slightly altered to give more prominence to the brand that paid for its creation? Would a closing Christmas jingle with the brand’s name cleverly thrown in have done the trick? Perhaps the logo directly in the background, written in the snow? Or, is the PR generated from this campaign enough to make this campaign a success? You tell me.

Does the marketing you create serve yourself as a creative, or your client as a brand?

Watch the viral message here.

Popularity: 48% [?]