Is the government ready to invest in social media?

Joe Vaughan

Social media is absolutely essential in local politics for two important reasons:

First, it provides a free central point of dissemination of information; a source where interested people can go to get the latest local political news, meeting schedules, etc. This online mass dissemination function is far more effective than the old standard mass distribution method for local political information – the telephone tree – huge lists of telephone numbers divided up between several people tasked with calling each number and alerting the answering party of important issues, upcoming meetings, and/or elections. The downside of telephone trees that social media avoids completely is missed phone calls, and worse, answered phone calls intended to last 2 minutes but instead going on for 20 minutes as the caller and recipient discuss the issues at hand. Political discussion is healthy, necessary, and all too often absent for our current political landscape, but when one has 50 names to call and a short time to call them, these discussions can slow the process dramatically. SO…

Second, social media – Facebook, Twitter, etc. –  allows interested people to discuss the topics they are following in a dynamic, easily accessed, easy-to-follow format. These important conversations that probably wouldn’t occur without online discussion board formats provided by most online social media are crucial for any political decision because a crucial part of being an informed voter is becoming aware of as many sides of each issue as possible in order to reach the appropriate voting decision. Online social discussion boards, as provided by sites like Facebook, Twitter, and others are perfect for this purpose. And, as I mentioned earlier, they are free!

Joe B. Vaughan, Jr. author of The Suburban Manifesto – How To Make City Hall Do Exactly What You Want, available on Amazon.com and other fine outlets:

http://www.amazon.com/Suburban-Manifesto-Make-City-Exactly/dp/1452800065/ref=pd_rhf_p_t_1

Suburban Manifesto is a cookbook on how to plan effective insurrection to change the most invasive form of government in the US – local government. It is a handbook for activists seeking change. After serving several years a city hall reporter for several small town newspapers, Joe led a successful revolution in Irving, Texas, ultimately electing a majority bloc to the Irving city council to stop rampant and dangerous overdevelopment.

www.joebvaughanjr.com

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John Boyd – Is Telecommuting the wave of the future?

John Boyd

On the East East, I’ve seen a real increase in telecommuting.  Many friends have offices or cubicles at the workplace, but are able to work mostly from home. I think technology (Internet, Skype, etc) and time pressures (eliminating commutes) have been a driving force. I first experienced telecommuting about 10 years ago when a Maryland-based company hired me as Chief IP Counsel and agreed to open an office for me in NYC. They only did that after the Internet allowed them to and it worked well.

Many workers spend more time on the phone or on the computer, rather than in face-to-face meetings with nearby coworkers. I’m not suggesting face-to-face meetings aren’t important.   In fact, I’m the founder of MeetingWave.com, which helps members meet new people for business or social purposes, while providing targeting, control, privacy and flexibility (described below). We are not an event site, but instead focused on helping people meet with the type of people they would like to meet for business or social purposes. We’ve been described as a useful tool for job seekers since most opportunities found through contacts. Please contact me if you have any questions.

http://www.meetingwave.com

MeetingWave – The New Business Personals

Why use MeetingWave?

MeetingWave can help members meet new people for business or social purposes, while providing targeting, control, privacy and flexibility. Members can propose networking meetings describing the type of people they’d like to meet, yet control who attends and whether the meeting occurs.  The proposed meeting can be face-to-face (e.g., coffee, lunch, golf…) or virtual (e.g., Skype, teleconference,…).

What’s MeetingWave’s value to members?

Think of MeetingWave as creating immediate opportunities for members to be contacted by a potential employer or client to have lunch – without ever having to disclose their contact information or identity.  The member can ignore or decline, without ever revealing who they are.  MeetingWave is all about bringing immediate opportunities to members to meet new people, while providing control, privacy and flexibility in deciding who the member ultimately meets.

MeetingWave’s Verification Technology

Members can also have their work or alumni email addresses “verified” by MeetingWave and display an indication of that verification on their profile. When someone sees verified email domains (e.g., @ibm.com or @brown.edu) on a profile, they will know the user must be associated with the university or company identified in the email domain helping people feel more comfortable meeting the user (and vice versa). Only the verified domain is displayed – the user’s personal email address will not be disclosed for everyone to see.

Members can use their verified profile urls (meetingwave.com/p/username) on LinkedIn, with blog comments, and when using Craigslist. And – request to see someone else’s before meeting them or before bringing them into their network or agreeing to buy or sell an item on Craigslist.

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In our struggling economy, is spending up to $200,000 on a degree worth it? By Jessica Kizorek

Education is phenomenal. I am an adjunct professor at the Miami Ad School so I value the process of opening your mind to new ideas in an academic setting.

But spending $200,000 on a degree is not worth it, particularly on graduate degrees.

School is easier than the real business world. School can be a perfect place to hide out, to fly under the radar, and to procrastinate sticking your neck out. Being an entrepreneur is riskier and requires a greater degree of commitment to figuring things out and being resourceful.

Jessica Kizorek

The Chief, Badass Business Women

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Networking: Believe it or not, you actually have to TALK to people

DeAnna Radaj

In my humble opinion, Milwaukee is one of the WORST cities to try and network. I’m in the design/construction industry & I go to Chicago for networking & industry events. This seems to be true across industry lines  as I’ve heard the “same complaint” from family members in IT/Healthcare. Milwaukee is very “clique-y” with the same people hanging out with the same people, talking about the same things-most of the time NOT business-related! Even for professional events I have attended, trying to engage people outside of the group they came to the event with, is near impossible (kinda defeats the purpose of a NETWORKING event). I now strictly attend alumni events and/or large vendor expos…the rest is a waste of time.

NYC is one of the BEST! (I travel there a lot for business) and any event I’ve attended has resulted, if not in a business contact, a new “friend” who shares the same interests. The people there truly want to get out & expand their circle.

DeAnna Radaj

Bante Design LLC

Move Your Couch, Change Your Life

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6 Reasons Why LinkedIn Is So Critical In A Job Search

Article Source:  http://tinyurl.com/kvucxa

A candidate recently asked me, “How do I find a hiring manager in a large company like Microsoft?” There are a lot of ways to do this but one of the easiest and best is using LinkedIn. When I recommended this to the candidate he completely agreed, however, the problem was he only had about 60 connections. Too few to be effective.

So often I speak with candidates that just don’t understand the value of LinkedIn as a job search tool. We constantly are sent invitations to join someone’s network only to find after months of searching they are just now starting build a LinkedIn network. You should consider building your LinkedIn networking all the time. NOT JUST WHEN IN A JOB SEARCH.

Some benefits to a large LinkedIn database of contacts:

1. People can find you. The more people at the second and third degrees of separation the more times you will show up in a search. For example, I have around 500 contacts. However, I am linked to over 5 million people on LinkedIn. When I search for a candidate that is a huge database.
2. LinkedIn will eliminate the need for resume databases on Ladders, Monster, Careerbuilder and other job boards. This is because it costs on average between 5,000 and 10,000 dollars to have access to these resume databases. LinkedIn is free. Why would a recruiter or any company pay that when we can use LinkedIn for free.
3. Resumes databases by the job boards are not pick up by Google or any search engine. These are the ones you want to make sure you show up on. LinkedIn is and you can even improve your search results for as little as $25 a month. (See prior blog article SEO Your Search On Google)
4. It helps you find the people you want an introduction to. This is very powerful. I have helped numerous people with introductions as a result of LinkedIn. On a weekly basis I receive requests indicating they found a person in my connections and would I make an introduction. I always agree.
5. Even when working this is a great tool for resources, customer contacts and introductions, references, service providers and even potential hires for you or your company.
6. On a personal basis it is a great way to stay in-touch with friends, colleagues, prior employees and networking contacts. When you update your profile they will get a notice and likewise when they update theirs.

Work hard at building your connections. Make every effort to reach that magic 500+. If you use Outlook download the LinkedIn tool bar. It makes inviting people very easy.

There are many more positives to building your LinkedIn network than there are negatives. Many have resisted. I believe this recession has proven to be good thing for everyone’s network.

If you have other ideas share them by adding a comment. Lets help everyone build a strong network.

A good way to start is building a network is making sure your profile is complete. If it isn’t start there and then begin expanding your contacts. Don’t miss the opportunity to get a high ranking on Google.

You can download for free our “8 Matrix LinkedIn Profile Assessment” tool.

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Building your Personal Brand by Kevin Liebl

Article Source:  http://kevinliebl.wordpress.com/2009/08/22/personal-brand/

The past couple of weeks I have written about how corporate roles have changed and how we all must prepare ourselves for this new corporate world. Today, I want to discuss the topic of personal branding. With respect to the job market and your career, personal branding is a means of defining and promoting your skills, strengths and interests in an effort to raise yourself above the white noise.

Define your Objective – Before you do anything, sit down and determine what you are trying to accomplish. People create a personal brand for many reasons, but in this case, let’s assume you are trying to create a professional brand that will establish you as a leader in your chosen field. This seems simple, but remember that people are successful if they have both the ability and the passion to succeed. Make sure that the brand you want to promote is both of these. Be as specific as possible (e.g., public relations manager for small to medium sized technology firms). Think about what defines you and separates you from the pack. How do you want people to see you?

Discover your Current Brand – Next you need to understand what brand you have today. Remember that everyone has a brand. If you ask your colleagues to describe you, what would they say? I firmly believe that none of us “own” our own brand. The market owns the brand. The market determines what our brand is. I can say that my brand is that of a “Business Management, Marketing, Leadership and Social Media Expert”. The truth is that you, the reader of this blog will decide what my brand is after you read this (and hopefully other ) articles. All I can do is promote, and hopefully influence, your perception of my brand.

Define your Messaging – Once you know what your current brand is (e.g., mid-level marketing manager) and what you want it to be (e.g., social media expert), then you can begin to define your messaging. What will you do to change the market perception of you from your “current” to your “target” brand? What will you communicate to the marketplace to define your brand? Will you promote your skills in a specific area? Will you give examples of your knowledge? Will you position yourself as a resource to others?

Choose your Tools – There are an overwhelming number of tools at your disposal to begin to brand yourself. My advice is to choose carefully because each tool has a unique value. Talk to others who have used them and determine what value they provide and how much effort is necessary. Remember that some of them can be a huge resource drain. In my opinion, some of the best tools for building a personal business brand are as follows:

Social Media

• LinkedIn – This is the single best tool at your disposal to define your business brand. Fully build your profile and keep it current.
• Facebook – Determine quickly if you are going to separate your business brand from your personal brand. If you don’t want business associates seeing your college photos in Mexico, then secure your Facebook page or keep it professional.
• Twitter – The power of Twitter is only beginning to be defined. Create a Twitter feed and use it to define your brand and cross-link back to your other online sites.
• Blog – Your blog becomes your online profile. Make sure you cross-link between your blog, LinkedIn, Twitter, and other online sites.
• VisualCV – This is a powerful tool to create an online resume, separate from your LinkedIn profile.
• Email Signature – This is often overlooked. Create an email signature with hyperlinks to your LinkedIn profile, Twitter feed, VisualCV, and blog.

Physical

• Resume, Biography, Transition document – These are all useful documents for different audiences. The transition document should be a single page targeted at people you will network with who may be able to help your career.
• Business Cards – Create a separate business card from your full-time job that defines your brand. Include all your social media contacts (e.g., LinkedIn, Twitter, Blog, etc.)

Face-To-Face

• Never forget the importance of face-to-face communications. We sell ourselves best in person, not online or on the phone. Make sure that you attend networking events, find opportunities to speak on panels, and simply meet with colleagues 1-on-1 from time to time.

Implement your Plan – Now that you have defined your objective, messaging and tools, it is time to implement. My advice is to set realistic goals for yourself. It is easy to get overwhelmed. Start simple and build from there. Once you begin, listen to the feedback. Is your LinkedIn profile getting traffic? Are your blog postings resonating and getting comments? Learn from the feedback – both positive and negative. Create a two-way dialog with your target audience. Make sure you respond to people who take the time to comment on your blog. Always be sincere and helpful. You will make mistakes, but if you are sincere and helpful to your network, you should be fine. Finally, be consistent. The effort you put into building a brand will fade quickly if you do not continue the effort. By setting realistic goals, you should be able to continue your branding effort regardless of your workload. It simply becomes a part of your normal career.

Remember, your network and your personal brand are the two things you carry with you from job to job. With a little planning and effort, they will pay huge dividends. Good luck, and let me know how I can help…

Networking Expert, Hank Blank, Offers Five Tips on How to Network Your Way to Success in a Recession

Article Source:  http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_2008_May_15/ai_n25429282/

LAGUNA NIGUEL, Calif. — Everybody knows that networking is growing in popularity. There are social networking sites like MySpace www.myspace.com, FaceBook www.facebook.com and Business networking sites such as LinkedIn www.linkedin.com. Business networking expert Hank Blank www.hankblank.com offers these tips on why networking is even more important in these recessionary times.

First, learn what is happening in your market from the streets and not the newspapers. “Although the news can be all bad, I hear about jobs all the time,” said Hank Blank of Blank and Associates and prominent networking expert. “What you hear on the street by meeting with people is often more current on the employment situation and business opportunities in your area. If you are connecting with a lot of people regularly you will have a better sense of what is out there than reading the newspaper.

“Networking in these times forms a better long-term bond with people. Anxious times can create greater honesty and affinity as people can be more forthcoming and direct.

“Remember the 75/75 rule. Seventy-five percent of jobs are found through relationships and 75% of all business engagements are found through networking from referrals you know rather than going on the internet and emailing strangers,” said Blank.

“To get those referrals you have to know people, and you won’t get to know people by just sitting at your computer. It is all about contact and touch and being a resource for people. That is why my approach to networking is ‘How to Get More by Asking for Less and Doing More for others,'” said Blank.

“Although we all network primarily for financial currency which translates to finding new jobs and new clients, remember networking in these times builds your social currency. Social currency is your relationship with people and in the long run your social currency is more valuable as your financial currency. Remember to help people in transition because when they land they will remember your efforts and you will have a powerful connection.

“When you attend a lot of networking events you increase your industry relevance in these changing times because you learn a lot about current topics and trends in your industry. Networking simply makes you smarter and current in this exponentially changing information age,” said Blank.

About Hank Blank and Blank and Associates

Blank and Associates provides a variety of Marketing Services for clients. Its founder and President, Hank Blank, is a well-known networker in Southern California and has spoken to numerous companies and organizations on networking. Most recently he was the keynote speaker for Volvo of North America’s Leadership Guild in Cabo San Lucas. To have Hank Blank speak to your company or organization on the power of networking or to buy his networking CD at a ridiculously low price of $37, email hank@hankblank.com or visit www.hankblank.com.