A Social One Night Stand

No, it's not what you're thinking...

People who are not "into social media" often ask me how I got involved with it all and how I make a living with it. I got started as many fellow millennials did, by browsing the web and joining networks out of curiosity.

This playing turned to testing when I was a reporter, to find sources or promote my stories. Then testing turned into research to try to be more successful on the web and figuring out how to achieve it. When I was accepted into my graduate program I knew I wanted to learn more about online media, and I thank my lucky stars for being accepted into a school that already had a technology evangelist.

Sree Sreenivasan was my class' dean of students, but his career crosses borders and industries. From reporter, teacher and founder of advocacy groups or start-ups, to television commentator and TED talk speaker (5!) he can easily find talking points in diverse audiences and relate to people of all ages. Sree is now the chief digital officer at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and offers workshops on social media whenever he visits a new town- his "Social Media One-Night Stand" (SMONS) workshops.

While the topic of social media may not be "Fifty Shades Of Grey" racy, attendees still get excited over the event. I've attended two workshops after my time in grad school, and in true nerd-spirit every group shares a collective desire to learn more about the latest social tools or tricks to try.

A week ago, February 19 and 20, Sree visited Boston with his family for February school vacation and like a multitasking champ he offered two free SMONS workshops at Harvard Kennedy School of Government. For both sessions attendees were asked to help make #SreeBOS trend, and for one of them the hashtag did! The beauty, though, is that the hashtag wasn't even used by 100 people when it happened, with give or take 50 individuals the tag trended.

I will list the highlights of Sree's workshop for you to consider in your use of SM. The main point is to remember the power a small group of people can have with the help of social networks. If you're trying to give your brand an extra boost, with organization and a plan you should be able to.

• Sree was organized: he got us all in one room, two separate nights wto share content he he knew very well.
• Sree had a plan: he have us a hashtag as well as examples of Tweets to share while he spoke, all while reminding us to mention prominent people he used in examples to gain even more attention for our posts.

This past Saturday, February 28, I was at a youth event presenting to teenage entrepreneurs about using social media for their projects. What I said to them I say to you: never stop learning. I learned new things from Sree, which I shared with these teens and now with you... and which I hope you share with others. The "pay-it-forward" effect does apply to social media, but as Sree also mentions in workshops: give credit where credit is due.

Thank Sree for his workshop and try to catch him if he comes near you! You could say, ".@Sree: Thanks for sharing new tools and tricks at #SreeBOS, come visit (Insert your town)!"

Now, the good stuff:

1. How to have a great Twitter profile:

• First important detail: Put a space between your name, i.e.: Bessie King vs. BessieKing. People search by a contact's name, not by their handle. They can either search within Twitter or right on Google, this is why it's important to use your name, and have a space in between, even if you didn't find a handle with your whole name in it. Point in case: @bessiejking, the "J" stays until I can get "my name" from Twitter.
• Second most important detail is your bio: Be, "your best current you." Every time you switch jobs or achieve something, like writing an e-book or winning an award, you will update your bio. Granted your Twitter bio won't mimic LinkedIn, nor can it due to space, you can still tell the world why you're special without labeling yourself as, "guru," "expert," or "industry leader." The people who get called these terms do not identify themselves with them, othersidentify them as "guru," "expert," or "industry leader" because of activities that have proven their knowledge and skills in a field. Earn the title, don't just give it to yourself.

• On the topic of bios: make yours blue! As in, clickable. A god example given was of PRI's David Beard, he lists handles he's connected to, websites to find his work and an email. He makes sure people can reach him. If you're already on social, be social. A tip I've used: create a professional email account you can use for your bios across the web, that way you don't have to use all of your personal information.

2. Across all profiles, change your header image quarterly, not every other week. People can recognize you visually. If you're known for a specific hobby, share that theme each time you change your header, for example. Header images can also reflect the projects you are working on. This point also relates to your profile image, make sure your profile photo looks like YOU. Likewise, maintain a steady profile photo to allow people to recognize your mug. If you don't want a headshot, consider a logo or the first letter of your name as your identifier.

3. Don't worry about being "verified" on social media! The majority of people who are verified are either celebrities, politicians or journalists: so, public figures. Being verified does not open some secret door to better analytics or a post scheduling wizard. Focus on your engagement and maintain a healthy rate of Followers to Following or Page Likes. Your content will verify your skills.

4. Related to verification and content: be interesting in real life to be interesting in social life! Read, listen to music, have discussions, all in the real world. Your activities, your interests, will reflect in your tone and help you stand out.

5. If you want to get noticed, plan it. Twitter lists are useful because you can create a private list with the key people you look up to, want to work for, or want to have follow you. You can also try lists on Facebook to organize your friends into the key contacts you want to interact with professionally, too. Research what your selected social media users post about and learn from their content. Answer questions they post in a helpful manner to get noticed. Share quality content and share it with them directly. All of these activities can grow your following in a valuable way.

6. LinkedIn is more than a job searching tool. Just as you want to share good content on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter, LinkedIn's Pulse is an overlooked short-style blogging platform that can get you noticed by clients or colleagues- not just recruiters. Use LinkedIn as a live directory of fellow industry members that can come to or invite you to events, offer their expertise for a project, and even become mentors. One of the first business books I read said networking was not about keeping tabs but about building relationships. LinkedIn can become your platform to build them.

7. Try, try, try! There are new tools in the "old" social networks we use, such as: Twitter video! Facebook CTA buttons! Instagram caption edits! If something new comes out go ahead and test it, don't be afraid to "fail" because we're all figuring out these updates as well.

8. Track your click links, just as you track RTs, Shares, reposts, etcetera. To dothis, use a link shortening site like bitly.com and get free analytics on your links! This way you'll know what type of content your audience responds to.

9. Awesome new tools to try, in no particular order:

• Buffer - Buffer makes it super easy to share any page you're reading
• Peerindex - check out social ratings with social media analytics based on footprints from use of major social media services, Klout-like
• Topsy.com - allows you to search by time & place, set alerts, and analyze sentiment for every tweet ever made
• Snapbird.com - helps find old tweets and messages by going months back into a feed
• Editonthefly.com - Edit video and photos with effects and audio tools that will make your mobile captures look professional
• Twiangulate.com - the leading tool for search, analytics and mapping of connections between Twitter friends and followers
• Hashtracking.com - enables you to see at a glance who participated in a chat, how many people were reached, who was retweeted the most
• iftt.com - automate actions you already do on the web to be more organized and look like a pro. Such as: "if you post a photo on IG then the native image not the link will be shared on Twitter." There are fancier things like banking tracking but this IG formula made my day
• Bananatag.com - know when your email was received and when it was opened without hacking into anyone's account
• Rapportive.com - shows you everything about your contacts right inside your inbox

10. Sree is always generous in sharing his slides with us, but to find additional tips and a public set of slides he's edited with more information visit: Bit.ly/sreeslides

I hope you learned something. If you need help figuring out an item mentioned leave a comment or send me a message!

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*If you would like to read my future posts please click "Follow" at the top of my LinkedIn Pulse articles and feel free to connect with me on Twitter.

**This post originally appeared on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/social-one-night-stand-bessie-king?trk=mp-reader-card

Selfies Research

My latest for #ywdBoston, featuring Huspot's Dan Zarrella and his awesome research on what makes a good selfie:

HubSpotter and social media scientist Dan Zarrella reviewed over 160,000 Instagram images tagged under #Selfie to learn which were most successful — and give us a template for selfie success. As Dan explained, his initial motivator really was the dance song #SELFIE. He told us:

“I had started quoting it around friends and I wanted to have a definitive answer for the Valencia vs X-Pro II question. But beyond that, selfies are clearly an important behavior, not invented by social media, but catalyzed by it and I strive to understand as many types of interactions with communications technology as possible. With selfies you can really start to get into the heart of the ‘mainstream’ user, something that can be a challenge for social-media-dorks like myself.”

I reckon it’s a challenge for any person or brand trying to establish an organic connection with the general public... read more and see the infographic.

A Social Leader

Within the past three years more government agencies embraced social media for public relations and communication purposes. You don’t have to look far to find examples, from the TSA’s uber popular Instagram and fellow accounts or President Obama’s Facebook page (and Bo's viral image)  to the CDC and FEMA. Social media use in government offices is both popular and beneficial because there are no media or third parties diluting the messages these public service offices are trying to share. Here at home our new mayor understands that as well. 

I’ll go on a limb to claim that Marty Walsh is the most socially active Boston politician to-date. Yes I am including former Senator Brown and City Councilor Tito Jackson, amongst others who are very active online. Do I have scientific proof? No. How can I make such a claim then? I’m basing my statement on virtual witnessing and interactions with the mayor and his comm team. And, am I aware that Mayor Menino was quite active on social too? Of course, whoddaya think‘ya talking to?

Mayor Menino lay the social groundwork that Mayor Walsh is using to become what, in my opinion, every politician in America should be: a social leader. Here are three lessons we can learn from his digital campaigns, even if we don’t work in a government agency.

From his first week in office the new mayor surrounded himself with locals who were socially active in the real and virtual world. His chief of staff, 29-year-old Daniel Arrigg Koh, was the former general manager for HuffPost Live and his chief of policy, 50-year-old Joyce Linehan, knows a thing or two about getting attention, as she’s been a long-time music promoter and publicist for Boston art organizations. The majority of staffers in his transition team are also active on social platforms, like Felix Arroyo or Rosanne Foley. Walsh understood since the beginning of his campaign that in order to have the upper hand he needs to be available anytime to deliver his message, and he has continued this approach as he establishes his office.

Cream of the crop

Some of Walsh's best efforts have been Facebook and Twitter conversations. On January 23 his first Twitter chat took place using #askMJW and shortly after, on February 10, his first Facebook Q&A happened. Right off the get-go Walsh established expectations on transparency and availability on his own terms. To any marketer or public relations professional this is an excellent example of a well executed campaign. Add to it the live-shots of the mayor responding to questions and comments by himself, which earned Walsh even more credibility, and you can imagine how his staffers felt on those specific days... I’d like to imagine Rocky’s Eye of the Tiger was playing on the background.  By having something as easy and simple as a chat on the most popular social networks so early in his term, Mayor Walsh already expanded on Mayor Menino’s “of the people for the people” mantra. Lesson to be learned: keep it simple! A politician, like a brand, needs to be visible and reachable easily. 

A level above

To please the rest of us cliquey social-savants, Walsh and his staff have resorted to video, images and a lot technology press coverage, too. My favorite effort has been the Vine and Vimeo videography, separate from YouTube, to promote services or track the mayor's first term. They further humanize the Dorchester local. I would like to imagine Walsh’s team didn’t just decide to go with video services that work, they chose video services with a specific following and reputation. Vine is the popular 6-second social video app that’s become famous for amazing animation and stop-motion videos that are now even up for Shorty awards.  While Vimeo is respected amongst videophiles and the art community for not being as commercial as YouTube. The videos created reflect this consciousness of grassroots effort meets Brahmin expectations that make them fun, easy and interesting to watch. There is more room to expand on the video and image front and I’m looking forward to the Walsh team’s creations. By trying the platforms that are not as famous the mayor not only expands his reach but also his image of inclusion. Lesson to be learned: When you are trying to reach constituents, or customers, think of all the tools to try and ask yourself if you can utilize them.

Data love

The third element of Walsh’s digital life as mayor is his use of analytics and real-time tracking. Whether it is for security or customer service, Walsh is embracing big data, big time. So much so that he recently had monitors installed in his City Hall office to live-view the 911 calls and emergency dispatches of the day, see word clouds for popular topics in Boston and check traffic or pothole issues being solved by public works departments. This is a significant step-above our beloved Menino, who wasn’t even a fan of computers on his desk. The new mayor won’t be able to know everything that is happening in the city immediately. It will take more time to foster relationships and build bridges to get information from the “inside” regardless of him being on the inside (Boston politics for 'ya.) However, showing interest on the issues happening in real-time around the city, and how they compare to a week or month or year before, is incredibly valuable. In order to make tangible change as a mayor, or a business owner, you need to know your data. Understand what your past looked like and how it has carried you into the present in order to implement ideas that will solve issues for the long-term.

I’ll admit that Mayor Walsh was not my ideal candidate, his stance on education made me doubt him and it still concerns me. Yet, now that he is in office I am becoming a fan. The active use of digital channels to communicate, include and monitor will help the mayor move forward with his agenda. It will also help us continue to learn from his administration's trials, successes and possible errors while shining a light on Beantown.

Rummaging Through Gchats

"If ever I would leave you it wouldn't be in summer.

Seeing you in summer I never would go.

Your hair streaked with sunlight, your lips red as flame, your face with a luster that puts gold to shame.

But if I'd ever leave you. It couldn't be in autumn.

How I'd leave in autumn I never will know.

I've seen how you sparkle when fall nips the air.

I know you in autumn and I must be there.

And could I leave you running merrily through the snow?

Or on a wintry evening when you catch the fires glow?

If ever I would leave you, how could it be in springtime?

Knowing how in spring I'm bewitched by you so.

Oh no! Not in springtime! Summer, winter, or fall!

No never could I leave you at all."

To love and be loved, it's a wonderful feeling.
#memories

Millennial talent, and what to do with it

Lately I've found myself searching for answers.

Cue orchestra background music here and imagine me atop a hill, gazing into the horizon.

Well, it's not as dramatic as that image, but it is still important. I have questions about my professional future. Questions that create other questions about my personal future; which create even more questions about my life's future in general.

As employees of any organization many live without thinking, "what will happen to me if I stay in this position for one more year or one more day." Many believe we are secure, working our 9-5 schedule and two-week vacation lives, paying bills and saving what's left for our retirement dreams. Unfortunately for me, I think a lot about seemingly mundane things like this. If I have a stable and good job, why worry over the "what if's" or try to change the status quo, right? I don't seem to be the only one wondering that. After all, Millennials are becoming a larger percentage of the workforce. One of my e-mentors, Brian Solis, discussed just that in his latest post.

Call it the Millennial curse, if you will. I have dreams, desires, a thirst for adventure! Along with also having student loans, aging parents and a biological clock that's definitely ticking. Oh, the unfairness of it all. Less than a year ago I read this witty, and sadly poignant, take on our Millennial attitude towards life from HuffPo's Wait But Why Blog, Why Generation Y Yuppies Are Unhappy. While the post was highly entertaining and rubbed some people the wrong way, I felt it was accurate in some ways. Here are my reasons to support the three conclusions from the post with real-Millennial life examples.

1) The image we have of ourselves. Yes we are special, but not that special. Not all of our start-ups, non-profits, businesses revolutionizing an already revolutionary idea (I actually saw a crowd sourcing project for the manufacturing of "iPhone's competitor") or ideas in general will be successful, and we need to learn to accept that. As an only child, who's had to be the best and worst all of her life, I've learned this the hard way, specially at work. My ideas make sense in my head. If I want to convince others that they will make sense in the real world I need to take criticism, edits and collaboration in stride for my ideas to evolve and become successful. I've encountered many a Millennial who believe they are the savior of whichever industry they're in and their unwillingness to take a Humility Pill will keep them from ever reaching that messiah status.We're not perfect, and many of us will have to be OK with that 9-5 schedule and two-weeks vacation life for some time. This does not exclude me either. As much as I love to travel and take courses I realize my financial stability and personal security do play a role in the achievement of my dreams. I need to follow a plan that will not be enticingly exhilarating every day-and that's OK. As much energy and courage it takes to make your goals come true, realistic planning and hard work are absolutely needed as well.

2) Social pressure is real, and by social I mean social media. Facebook Image Crafting exists and is very well darn healthy and kicking. I've fallen prey to doubting myself and feeling inferior when seeing that people in my age group are living THE life. They appear to have the perfect partner, ideal weight, lovely job and dog included... Only to realize some time later, when we meet in person, that all their photos are edited, the partner or the weight aren't that great, the job has ups and downs just like mine and that the dog is from pet-sitting. True story. Am I more cautious of what I post? Yes. Have I stopped feeling pressured? No. While we can no longer disconnect entirely- c'mon Facebook has become a global rolodex and Twitter a portable newspaper- I encourage everyone to log-off once a week or check personal social media only once a day. I have come to post to my heart's content because I like to share my life, but I don't check feeds more than once a day or browse individual profiles anymore. Try it, and if you are curious about a friend's life then send them a message or call them. Millennials aren't the only ones dealing with this social pressure by the way, even baby boomers can assimilate to wanting to make life seem better to the public because everyone else's life already seems better to them. Go ahead, ask your parents or grandparents who are on Facebook if they feel the social burn. In my humble opinion, the future of social media will be bringing back the human touch. We're already seeing it with campaigns asking to Like images of Cancer survivors for example, before heartless people scam them but it's a noble idea nonetheless. Still, if Facebook or Vine or the next social platform can figure out how to make us feel happy for, not envious of, each other I think we would be using the Internet correctly.

3) We want to achieve quickly. We are willing to work hard but we are also little wanderers, so when our hard work is not recognized we wander to where it will be. Or, well, where we are told it will be. I think the concept of staying at a company for 20-plus years is pretty much defunct with our generation. Of all my close friends, who graduated college in 2007-2009, none has spent more than five years in one single company, and their backgrounds range from finance to education. When I think about it, it shocks. However, it doesn't mean it has to be bad. I believe that change is necessary but many times we make that change come too soon because we dislike how things are going. BUT, and yes it is a big but, when honest-to-goodness lack of appreciation is shown I also support searching for greener pastures. Regardless of your age or occupation, nothing will make you like your job more than respect and appreciation. As a job-switcher I can attest to this. I have left a job I loved in an industry I wanted to grow in because the environment and leadership around me made me miserable. One should not cry about one's job or be scared to come into the office to face coworkers. If the situation is not as drastic as this, then re-think a move. Are the reasons why you're "hating" your job fueled by a bad organizational structure or by your bias? Could you work a few months or year more to have enough experience on your resume and mind? What would happen if next time you're asked to do something you say, "sure" instead of "I can't" then? We may be wanderers but we're also growing up and need to value the opportunities we're given. Good or bad. Sometimes our parent's or guardians can tend to feel guilty, and they may or not verbalize it, for having given us much more than they had as kids and making us believe that we deserve to succeed. Let's prove we are willing to earn our stripes and change the world with actions, not just hopes. 

At the time of me finalizing this entry, I find myself in a new office and with new work responsibilities I had not envisioned. It's both exciting and preoccupying, but I want to give the 9-5 schedule and two-weeks vacation (three for me thanks to my boss!) life a chance. A good chance. I think back to freelancing and having my own business again, this time more organized, at least once a week. Then I think of the good things I am also getting with structure: health insurance, retirement benefits, professional connections, camaraderie. To appease my little wanderer I've signed up for music lessons and begun to offer weekend consultancy one-on-one services. Some may think I'm "settling" and some may think I'm slowly doing things "right."  I think that as human beings we can be happy but never satisfied, and I like that. I don't ever want to be satisfied... but I don't want a life of debt, constant worry, instability or solitude forever, either.

More on ways to tame your inner Millennial:

(hey, it's not just those born from 1980s to early 2000s who experience these feelings!)

How Millennials Can Better Prepare For Today's Workforce

Managing the Millennials: Discover the Core Competencies for Managing Today's Workforce

Millennial Searchers

How Millennials Can Succeed

14 Rules Of The New Workplace