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June 15, 2009 By 1 Comment

Overcoming Social Media Paranoia

I’ve been having some great conversations lately with people who ask me about social media. Some of my favorite conversations start with the other party saying something to the effect of “Facebook is creepy… I don’t want everyone knowing what I’m doing.” These are great conversations because I have the opportunity to (hopefully) clear up some misconceptions about social media.

“I don’t want everyone knowing what I’m doing.”

This is typically objection #1. For some reason, some people think that joining Facebook (or Twitter, etc.) automatically means that everything they do will magically be broadcast the whole world and privacy will disappear. Not so. Social networks let you control what is distributed. Do you constantly call or email people with all your private life details? No… and it’s no different in social media. You decide what gets posted.

“I don’t want my personal information (address, photos, etc.) posted online for everyone to see.”

When you decorate your house, do you hang your family photos on the exterior walls for everyone to see? Do you make copies of your house key for everyone in your neigborhood and hand them out at the July 4th cookout? No? Then follow the same rules on your social networks. Facebook, for example, lets you selectively show and hide photos and albums so that only certain groups of people can see them. You also have control over what people see and who you allow into your network.

“I don’t care what my friends had for breakfast.”

I usually hear this objection when talking about Twitter. While it’s true that some people will tell you all the mundane things going on throughout the day, including what they had for breakfast, there is a simple solution to this: don’t follow them. Keep in mind that you are in control. You can choose to follow people who interest you. If you want to see quality content, then follow people and organizations that offer content that interests you.

After a few minutes of conversation, I am usually able to clear up some of the misconceptions around social media. I enjoy this because I feel very strongly that when used correctly, this new generation of online tools has the potential to enhance our qualities of life and help business grow.

What are you scared of?

Filed Under: Lifestyle, Marketing, Technology Tagged With: , , , ,
June 7, 2009 By 2 Comments

I Don’t Have Time for That Computer Stuff

I had a great weekend at the AMTA National Board Meeting in Park City, Utah. As usual, I thoroughly enjoyed networking with other AMTA volunteers and got to spend time with old friends.

As I tend to do, I also posted updates from the board meeting via Twitter so that my chapter members could follow along. When I do this, I inevitably get asked about it with curious questions. After I explain what I am doing, whether it’s using Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, my web site, or some other tool, the typical response is “I don’t have time for that”, or “I’m not interested in spending that much time in front of the computer”, or my favorite: “I’m too old for that.”

It’s frustrating to me when viable marketing and networking tools get marginalized just because they are “new” and unfamiliar.

So what you’re saying is that you don’t have time to build your business? You don’t have time to find new clients? You are too old to connect with a growing base of potential clients who are listening for your message online?

I continue to collect stories from businesses (including my own) who are giving and receiving referrals using Twitter, finding new clients on Facebook, and finding valuable networking partners on LinkedIn. These businesses are also investing in a great web site to properly promote their businesses.

Take a second look. Do you have time to invest in your business? Or do you not have time for that “computer stuff”?

Filed Under: Marketing, Technology Tagged With: , , , , ,
June 6, 2009 By 1 Comment

Process Email Offline to Improve Productivity

I have been traveling this week and since I have not yet been lucky enough to find myself on a plane with WiFi, I have been able to catch up on replying to emails in my “Action Required” folder while on the plane.

If you don’t know what an Action Required folder is, read up on Inbox Zero.

The lack of Internet access combined with the lack of anything else to do means that I am able to quickly blow through replies and queue up a nice batch of outgoing messages that get sent merrily on their way once I get online again with a satisfying whoosh! A nice effect of being stuck offline is that I am not distracted by incoming messages while I process, which enhances my focus on the messages I am writing.

As I was doing this, it occurred to me that I could easily simulate this environment any time. Why not replicate the conditions found on a plane and enjoy enhanced email productivity while online? Well, I gave it a try and it’s quite effective!

To simulate being on a plane, all I did was take my email program offline and then started processing my Action Required folder. In Apple Mail, I simply go to “Mailbox -> Take All Accounts Offline” (Outlook has a similar setting) and voila! I am now immune to any new incoming messages and my attention is 100% on my already-processed email requiring further attention. The nice thing about doing this while connected to the Internet is that I can still visit web sites and otherwise utilize online tools and information while still enjoying the benefits of freezing incoming mail.

When I’m ready to process, I take Apple Mail online again and process my inbox to zero. Then, before closing it, I go offline so that I am not bombarded by incoming mail if I want to process existing mail first.

Give it a try… you may also enjoy increased productivity by drawing a firmer line between the context of processing and replying or acting on email.

Filed Under: Productivity, Technology Tagged With:
June 1, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Websites: Ask Me What I Want, Not Who I Am

Your website navigation is a critical structural component of your website. A well-designed site navigation can create a comfortable and effortless user experience, while a poorly-design navigation can frustrate and chase away your website visitors.

One trend that I dislike is the philosophy of asking me to define “who I am” with website navigation. University websites do this all the time. Instead of providing me a logical path to find what I want, they instead present me with a decision tree that forces me to put myself into a box. I have to choose between being a student, alumnus, community member, instructor, prospective student, etc. What if I’m an alumnus, a community member, and a prospective student? What if I’m looking for something relevant to students but I fall into another group?

Don’t force me to choose a label! Present me with a clear and logical site navigation that allow me to find what I want. Asking website visitors to fit themselves into boxes only serves to raise anxiety levels and increase the chance of frustration.

Filed Under: Design, Marketing, Technology Tagged With: ,