Becoming Well Known in Your Industry via Blogs & Social MediaErin Blaskiewww.erinblaskie.com@ErinBlaskie (Twitter)

5 Things Most People Don’t Know About Me I’m afraid of the dark. Big-time mega scared.I auditioned for Canadian Idol but didn’t make it I won’t eat sandwiches with the crust still on.My favourite song of all-time is Bette Davis Eyes.I much prefer Star Trek (Next Generation) over Star Wars and I haven’t seen any of the Star Wars movies.

And, 5 Things Most People DoI am in love with the Internet and addicted to Twitter.I play a lot of video games and started a gaming site to harbour this obsession.Even though I’ve been to nearly 400 cities in 15 countries, my favourite city on the planet is New York City.My professional / geek crushes include Matt Mullenweg (creator of WordPress) and Wil Wheaton.I really, really, really love Tim Horton's coffee.

Our conversations become collective monologues, and we never really understand what’s going on inside another human being.-- Stephen R. Covey,“The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People”

Telling You About Myself is Only One Side of the EquationI don’t really know you. Yet.How can I get to know you?Where do you engage most with your tribe?Why is a tribe important?How transparent are you in your activities?What sort of tools are you utilizing in your biz?

Why Does “Being Known” Matter?Shortens the “know, like and trust” timelinePeople view you as an expert in your industry which leads to credibility and opportunityExpands your network allowing for engagement that may not have been possible beforeAs human beings, we need to feel validated and being known validates us individually

Our neural pathways have become accustomed to your sensory input patterns.-- Riker, quoting Data's definition of friendshipQuoted from Star Trek: The Next Generation

Know, Like & TrustPeople purchase services, products and advice from those they’ve built trust with.To gain trust, you need to put yourself out there in a big way.To gain trust, you need to have other people talking about you too.To gain trust, you have to be known.

How Do You Achieve the Known Part?Blogging (this talk covers the first two)Social mediaSpeaking engagementsMedia (traditional or new)Connecting with your peers / industryGeneral outreachMarketing (offline and online)

Blogging 101 – Foundation Create a blog that showcases your expertise and offers interactivityWordPress is the most popular and recommended blogging platformPlug-ins like Twit This, Share This and Sociable make sharing a possibility between readersCommenting (Disqus plug-in recommended) allows for a conversation to happen between yourself and the readers and even between the readers themselves

Blogging 201 – Strategy Carve out a niche topic area where you can really showcase your expertiseBlog often and do your research – higher quality blog posts increase your credibilityCreate interesting, compelling and engaging blog posts by asking questions and encouraging comments

Blogging 301 – SyndicationSpread the word about every blog postTweetly Updater (plug-in) will update TwitterFacebook Notes can import your RSS feedPing.fm can syndicate to other social networksLinkedIn allows you to import your blog feed and you can post to groups inside of LinkedIn

Likeability is an ability to create positive attitudes in other people through the delivery of emotional and physical benefits.-- Tim Sanders, “The Likeability Factor”

How Do You Achieve the Like Part?Be authentic, transparent and realBalance your personal life with your business life in a way that creates unique connectionsCarve out the time in your schedule to interact, engage and build relationshipsNetwork selflessly – engage with others without trying to sell yourself

How Social Media Keeps You RealEverything is transparent onlineConnecting with multiple audiences showcases your diversity and authenticitySometimes forces you to deal with issues and contrasting opinions publiclyAvoids the “untouchable” phenomena that happens to some CEOs and company leaders

Social Media 101Focus on the primary threeFacebook, Twitter and LinkedInCreate accounts in your name and your company nameBroadcast with a company Twitter account and engage / build relationships with personal accountFacebook profile / fan page in your name with secondary fan page for business(es)

Social Media 201Use Tools to Keep Responsiveness High But Not DistractingTweetDeck for “in the moment” Twittering & Facebook connectionsHootsuite for pre-programmed TweetsTweetie for mobile Tweeting and Facebook / LinkedIn apps for mobile accessTwitter lists to cut down the “noise” and focus

Social Media 301Reach Out to People You Don’t Knowhttp://search.twitter.com - advanced search will let you find people similar to youwww.twellow.comand www.wefollow.comFurthering Your Engagementwww.gist.com offers users a way to track people through their various networks and e-mailKeep track of your high engagers and provide them value often

Today, marketing is about engaging with the tribe and delivering products and services with stories that spread.-- Seth Godin, “Tribes”

How Do You Achieve the Trust Part?Give people the ability to “try you out”Provide free teleseminars, info-products, a free consult or ask to speak at eventsLet your tribe speak on your behalfCreate a testimonials PDF or “star” your best Tweets in Twitter and showcase them using http://twitter.com/goodies/widget_favesShare your stories

Why Building a Tribe Equals SuccessOne-to-Many ApproachYour opinions, advice, answers and solutions should service many people – not a single clientThere is Power in NumbersAccording to Noetic Sciences, a group of people who are all thinking alike is more powerful than a single mindYou Rely Less on “Slimy” Marketing & Let Your “Cheerleaders” Bring You Business

Engaging the TribeCreate a group on Facebook or a Ning site where your tribe can hang out together onlineReach out daily to people through social networks, e-mail and your blogProvide tons of free content to attract in more people who think like you doReward the people who are consistent, reliable members of your tribe

The 1-2-3 ApproachCreate a BlogPost often and post quality contentEngage and support commentaryUtilize & Integrate Social MediaChoose 1-3 networks and be fully presentCreate new relationships and follow-upEngage With People Every Single Day

The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and if they don’t find them, they create them.-- George Bernard ShawQuoted from John Naisbitt’s “Mind Set!”

Engage With Me So That I May Engage With You@ErinBlaskie on Twitterwww.erinblaskie.com and www.bsetc.comerin@erinblaskie.comPlease e-mail me if you’d like (free):5 Ways to Get More Love for Your Blog PostsSocial Media Automation Webinar Recordings

If you are not moving closer to what you want in sales (or in life), you probably aren't doing enough asking.-- Jack Canfield