LinkedIn's Company Buzz

I am trying out the beta version of LinkedIn's Company Buzz application. It seems to be an obvious play on social media monitoring, so I'm interested to see how Greenscroll is represented.

We haven't actually launched yet, so most of the results are to do with the elections in Iran. Hope to change that soon!

Thanks Canada!

On this Canada Day I want to reflect, take a step back and look at my professional life in this country so far; it’s been a great ride.

I moved here from England in 2000 after getting frustrated at paying 800 pounds a month for a shoebox in North London. Now, I can afford a beautiful condo in Toronto, and am writing this as I sit in the sun on my patio. The summers here are fantastic, the winters are horrible! Still can’t get used to the cold after nine years. And I hate wearing toques, which doesn’t help much.

Before leaving England, I sent my resume to around 10 editors at Rogers Publishing, asking if there were any jobs available. I was lucky enough to get a meeting with HR when I arrived in Canada, and the lady produced 10 of my resumes, which could be classed as spam I suppose. But I was the first content manager in an innovative new department called Bizlink. We helped the trade publications set up their websites, e-newsletters and engaged with readers to drive them to the websites. My Bizlink colleagues were some of the best people I’ve ever worked with, and I still keep in touch with them to this day.

That was followed by my first Canadian editorship of a technology newspaper: Silicon Valley NORTH. It was a great chance to steer my own ship, and I made a lot of very cool contacts in the Canadian tech industry, including the venture capital community. Smart people who invest in the superstars of tomorrow.

Managing editor of Beer.com was the next step of my adventure. That was party time (how many jobs let you hang out with the Beer.com Girls?) and helped me grasp the responsibilities of handling a very large portal. Canada? Beer? Come on! It was a “roll my sleeves up” job, and I got to learn about content management, creating blogs and e-newsletters from scratch, and also writing copy for the podcast. We recorded that in the back of the office, most of it ad-libbed, and we reached the Top 10 U.S. Comedy Podcasts on iTunes within a few weeks, which the Beer.com team was very proud of.

After that, I started my Make Johnny Cash blog as an outlet for finding more work. As a writer and trained journalist, I will always strive to find an outlet for words, in whatever form they may take. It’s my way of communicating.

My next role as acting communications manager at Upper Canada College was one of the most enjoyable working experiences I’ve had in Canada so far. The whole UCC community is one I was proud to be a part of, and I still feel invested in the place and continue to do some freelance work for them from time to time. That was also when I started to apply some social media concepts and proved to myself that if an establishment from 1829 can be successful in online engagement, then anyone can. They just need to start doing it. [That was a plug for my services by the way, had to squeeze that in.]

GCI Canada was my next stop, and I worked with a lot of very committed colleagues to help clients with their social media strategies. I got the entrepreneurial urge then to start freelancing and try to make a go of it myself.

That’s where I stand today. Freelancing is not easy, but the rewards are excellent when you can teach a client how to better their company and brand by using social media. I was actually on a pitch yesterday and it was very rewarding to see the “Aha!” moment as the person I was talking to started to understand more about how they can immerse themselves in this online world, and take the next step into this brave new arena of marketing.

I have to mention Greenscroll too. That is a side project (with two others) that we hope will make people think more about the impact on the environment that the Internet is having. We all use it; it’s time to balance that out and put something back. I am very excited about this project -- it’s a green non-profit that we hope people will want to join up with. Coming very soon!

So, that’s about it. I love the media landscape in Canada, especially Toronto, as I’ve gotten to know a LOT of very smart -- and fun! -- people, and feel like this is the best place to be at this stage of my life.

Thanks Canada.

You Must Opt In

So, there I was, taking a lunch break, sipping some tea, thought I'd check the Toronto Star for the latest GTA happenings. Saw a nice contest, win a weekend in Toronto, might as well give it a go. Filled out all my details, answered the taxing skill-testing question, pressed submit.

But wait. It didn't go through. Had I missed something out? Maybe my postcode or e-mail? So, went back to check ...



And there it is -- in red letters -- "You must opt in." So, if I don't elect to receive "special offers and news from Delta Chelsea" then I'm not allowed to enter the contest? Time to read the small print:

"To qualify, participant must register to receive Delta Chelsea Hotel eMessenger electronic newsletter," and "In addition, we may use this information to send you offers or information from us, our affiliates and from selected sponsors or advertisers ('Marketing Offers'). If you do not wish to receive Marketing Offers, you may opt-out at any time by: following the instructions at the bottom of any email Marketing Offer you receive, informing your telemarketer at the time you are called with a Marketing Offer, calling 1-800-279-0181 and requesting that your personal information not be used for Marketing Offers, or emailing privacy@thestar.ca and requesting that your personal information not be used for Marketing Offers."

I have to go to all that trouble, just to take myself off their list after "agreeing" to be on it? No thanks. Clicked away.

It's a shame people are forced to opt in; would have been a nice feel-good blog post about the Delta Chelsea Hotel, instead of this frustrating one.

And, as an afterthought, the definition of "opt" is "To make a choice or decision." Seems like the "must opt in" requirement takes that choice away.

Drip, Drip, Drip ... Or A Big Splash?

Getting ready to launch Greenscroll, our marketing so far has been very low key. We already have some followers on Twitter (thanks for the interest, guys!) and a company profile on LinkedIn, but that's about it. [This project is not our day jobs/work, so time is slightly limited at the moment, but that's what evenings and weekends are for, right?]

It's been a slow drip approach so far. The reason for that is that there isn't actually anything to show potential "scrollers" yet, so it's not worth going for a big splash, and then people say: "Great. Give us a call when there's something to see."

And, even if we do the big splash (eventually) then it's not a case of, "OK, done. Let's grab our coats and go home." It will be an ongoing thing, permanent marketing and chatting to people, online and face to face. Social media will play a big part of Greenscroll and we will be encouraging the green community to get involved and tell us what they want to see from the initiative.

Five Reasons Why The LCBO Is Like Social Media

People are stocking up on booze today in anticipation of a possible strike at midnight by the LCBO. I went at 10 a.m. and got my supply, and already there were long queues at the checkout. That was after skipping around the gargabe overflowing from the bins outside as the other strike enters its second day.

It could be a dry, smelly summer!

Anyway, it got me thinking. I looked at the crowd of people hanging around and thought about how the LCBO is very much like social media:

1) The LCBO has a monopoly on booze. You have to go there to get what you want. You also have to be in social media these days too, or go through a dry spell out on the fringes;
2) The LCBO has something for everyone's tastes -- social media does too. You may want to microblog, create a brand page on Facebook or buy the whole store and create a massive community based around your product;
3) The LCBO is a place where people meet who have something in common. I hate to say "getting drunk" but you get the idea = a common interest, something all the participants can relate to;
4) You may meet a wine specialist who can introduce you to a product you've never thought of trying before. Social media has a lot of experienced advocates who are helping others too;
5) Whenever I've been to an "unmarketing" event I notice that everyone always has a drink in their hands. (OK, bit of a stretch that one.)

Cheers!

Be Grateful That You Don't Need Those Sick Days!

First off, some background on the current strike in Toronto.

Snip: "Workers are entitled to 18 sick days a year. But if they don't take the days -- seen by the union as an incentive to not book off sick -- they get to bank the days at the end of the year. Over time, the days accumulate. And at retirement, the worker can cash in a maximum of 120 days, or six months' pay."

So, workers can get half a year's salary just for being lucky enough to have good health. That should be bonus enough.

People are pissed off that they won't be able to carry over sick days. Well, correct me if I'm wrong, why do you need to bank them? Are you planning to be "sick" next year? I suggest that if you don't need to use those sick days, then be VERY grateful that you have good health -- a lot of people are much worse off than you. Look at the big picture.

I'm not a political commentator (bores me actually) but it makes me very annoyed in this day and age when people forget to be grateful for what they already have in life.

End of rant.

Trying Out CoTweet

I am trying out the beta version of CoTweet right now, and so far, it looks pretty useful. One thing I didn't know was possible is the option to manage more than one Twitter account through the interface -- I thought it was only for one company via multiple users, so that's a time saver in itself.

Now I have my personal @johncarson and side project @greenscroll both being monitored at the same time. Just sent invites to my two colleagues, and waiting for them to jump in and see what happens when we all try to update at the same time.

The layout is clear and self-explanatory, and there is a function called OnDuty that helps you stay in touch by providing e-mail notifications when new direct messages and @replies directed to your accounts arrive, at intervals specified by the user. I have that option enabled at the moment, but will see if it becomes "information overload" so may disable it down the line.

One glitch/bug I noticed on this function: every time I set it to "instant notification" and press save, it defaults to "every 5 minutes." Minor, but needs to be fixed for people like me who want instant access to people who are trying to communicate with me.

Overall, so far, I like CoTweet.

Heritage Toronto At The Riverboat

I do some voluntary PR for Heritage Toronto, and can tell you there will be a VERY famous Canadian musician at this plaque presentation on June 18.

Update March 19, 2009. Yes, it was Gordon Lightfoot. Murray McLaughlin also attended, as well as Stan Endersby and more. Heard some great stories about Toronto's musical past. Awesome day!

Gordon Lightfoot

Jim Morrison Sings About Craigslist

As a big fan of The Doors, and also of Craigslist, it's fantastic to see the two combined.

This Is An Obvious Ad For The Last Page Standing

I just did a contra deal with The Last Page Standing -- in return for getting a slot I am blogging about it here. First time I've done this sort of "advert" thing, but I liked the idea and was too cheap to spend $3.

If you have $4 to spend, then my part in [possible viral] Internet history will be gone soon.

Update June 12, 2009, 1:14 a.m. Just found out I lost the slot to someone who paid $4. Damn.

Has Twitter Jumped The Whale?

This post by Mashable's Stan Schroeder got me thinking this morning. He questions whether Twitter is starting to jump the shark because celebs are joining (and half leaving) and because PepsiCo dared to -- gasp! -- print their Twitter name on a can of their own product.

I am asking: Do you join and use fledgling social media tools because they are cool, and like to feel part of the "elite" before everyone else finds out ... or do you use them because they are useful and don't care whether they become mainstream two years later?

Personally, I'm into the new toys because I keep my ear to the ground and like to see what's coming around the corner. But if, as in the case of Twitter, I find it a very useful part of my professional life (I use Facebook for friends and family) then I don't care if everyone jumps on the bandwagon. As long as I can get some value and interaction from it, then I'll be using it for a long time.

There you go, it's official: I'm NOT cool!

p.s. And as for Trent Reznor, I think he "hurt himself today" by turning his Twitter stream into a one-way street. Please. Don't use Twitter for all it's worth, to interact with people and push products, and then moan about it because it gives people too much insight into your personal life. You can't have it both ways, man.

Behold The Number Of The Beast! 140!

The end of the Twitter world is coming! Oh, the humanity! Now we'll have to actually phone our friends and use that thing called a mouth to tell them we're in Starbucks instead of putting it in 140 characters!

No idea what the tech jargon means on Twitpocalypse, but I'm definitely not heading outside on June 13, 2009! Too many dramatic exclamation marks?! Yes!

Who Wants To Be Amber Mac's Social Media Intern?

If you are a student and searching for a very cool summer gig, then you are in luck. Amber Mac is looking for a social media assistant/researcher for part-time summer employment at her company.

Two good things: you'll get some great experience from Amber, and it's also a paid gig.

Resumes to amber AT mgimedia DOT ca [begone, spam bots!]

Need Some More Hours In The Day

I hate missing out on my blogging schedule; I feel that if I don't put at least a few words to computer screen once a day then I have let myself down in some way. I know, take a break, not the end of the world etc ...

It's just been a hectic start to the week and it's only Tuesday. I had a meeting near the airport this morning, then had to pick someone up, then had another meeting in Bay Street in the afternoon, then had to pick someone else up. (Useless fact #265: I used to do some taxi driving back in the U.K. in the late '90s so feel quite at home driving people around!)

Anyway, all the above is to pay the bills. The fun stuff starts in the evening as we are still working on getting the Alpha version of Greenscroll up to scratch. As I mentioned in an earlier post, it's a green non-profit project that we hope will make Internet users think about how much power is being used on a daily basis, and encourage them to "Green the Web" as our tagline says.

It's exciting, hard work and extremely fun to try and get this project ready for launch. I have been keeping it pretty low key for now, but feel that interested parties might want to know what we have planned, so will start working on that in a few days.

Please take a few minutes to sign up on the pre-Alpha page and we'll ping you about the next steps. No spam, commitment or signing your life away.

Two Quickies

It's been a busy day, so here's two quick hits for your reading pleasure:

Three Ways Of Knowing You're Talking To A Social Media Expert

Three Traits Of True Social Media Experts

I'm Showing A Red Card To Toronto Football Club

I went to see Toronto Football Club play yesterday with my friend Mike. It was his 36th birthday, and he's been a season ticket holder since day one. In fact, he was one of the first 40 people to sign up. He goes to every home game, travels a lot to the away games in the U.S., and buys a lot of TFC products, such as jerseys.

In other words, Mike has pumped thousands of dollars into TFC over the last three years. He is truly a dedicated fan. Yesterday Mike was forcibly ejected from the game for "trespassing."

Here's how it went down.

He went to buy a beer and was asked for I.D. to prove his age. Mike certainly does not look under 19, but because he doesn't drive, he doesn't have a driver's licence, therefore couldn't prove his age.

So, he offered up his health card -- a government-issued document -- and they refused to accept that instead. In effect, that means you can have brain surgery with that card, but at BMO Field you cannot buy a beer as an adult. Stupid.

Mike started to protest this fact in a calm, but frustrated way, and after around 10 minutes was told he was now "trespassing" and then escorted outside by two security people.

Come on guys! Use some common sense and discretion. We know you have A Boss to answer to, but please, allow the customer service people on the front lines to make their own decisions when it comes to situations like these.

It's fans like Mike that have put TFC where it is today, and I think they certainly scored an own goal yesterday with their customer relations.

"Networking" Isn't Only Good For 78 Points On A Triple Word Score*

I had a couple of interesting coffee meetings with some PR people yesterday, and one of the conversations revolved around networking, something that should be in the Top 3 of any professional's arsenal when trying to win some new business.

The crux of the matter is that sites such as LinkedIn make it ultra-easy to connect with new -- and reconnect with former -- colleagues and clients. You may get some referrals that way, or someone will remember you from the past and ping you for an update.

Networking deals in the currency of reputation, and we talked about never connecting to someone just because you feel that they may be useful down the line. That is totally unethical, and shows a lack of respect. Who wants to be used just for a quick hit? (Coincidentally, one of the women I chatted to remembered me from my Silicon Valley NORTH days, so some of the familiarity was already in place, which helps.)

On the flip side, sometimes relationships don't work out for the best. Maybe the fit wasn't right, or the parties concerned felt that they couldn't move forward on the same path. It happens. Agree to disagree, try and work it out ... or move on. No point ranting and raving and burning bridges.

Back in 1988 (yes, '88 and not '98!) I worked at a stockbroking company in London, U.K., and there was a really cool guy who everyone liked. To cut a long story short, he got let go, so proceeded to pop across the road to a pub, get smashed, and then came back in a drunken rage to berate the rest of the staff. Security had to remove him.

Guess what my last memory is of that hard-working Mr. Nice Guy is? Yep -- even 21 years later the image of his last drunken rage still lives with me, and that's how I remember him now.

We didn't have that new-fangled thing called the Internet back then, so dread to think what his networking prospects would have been. It was a small industry, almost like a Boys' Club then, so word would have got around about Mr. Nice Guy.

Always network in a responsible manner. You never know who knows the people that you treat badly.

[*Disclaimer: Make Johnny Cash has no connection or affiliation with Hasbro, makers of the popular board game Scrabble. We cannot confirm that the word "networking" is actually worth 78 points on a triple word score, and do not want to be held liable if someone tries that in an actual game and loses. We merely made up the number for blatant link bait purposes. Thank you.]

Read Your Blogs Inside Tweetree

Allstate -- Time To Start Listening To Your Non-Customers

1) I do not have, never had -- and now, never will -- a policy with you.
2) My name is not John Lawrence as my e-mail clearly states.
3) I have already previously asked you to unsubscribe me from this e-mail list.
4) Please start listening to what your NON-customers are telling you.
5) Thanks.

Update June 8, 2009. Marcia, the Marketing Manager at Allstate contacted me via Twitter and offered to help me out. That was followed by an e-mail communication from Betty, an Executive Assistant with Allstate's Chairman's Customer Care Team.

I just got off the phone with her, extremely helpful and polite, the issue is being resolved so points to Allstate for resolving my frustration so quickly.

Are You A Social Media Unicorn Or Kitten?

As more people, brands and companies start to wake up, smell the social media coffee brewing in the pot, and proclaim, "Hell yes -- I'll have a cup of that please!" they can either go one of two ways.

Social Media Unicorns
These are the mythical beasts that everyone's heard of, but have never actually seen. Unicorns are the movers and the shakers, working unseen in the background to make sure that their clients look good and are the stars of the show. They may slip up, allow themselves to be glimpsed on occasion, but when you try to find them, all traces have been erased as they cover their tracks.

They know that it's not their place or role to take centre stage in the social media realm. They office advice and help to others, happy and content that their social media wisdom will enable their clients to flourish, engage their target markets and be able to carry on the conversation long after the unicorn has been summoned to help someone else.

Social Media Kittens
Everyone loves these ubiquitous characters and wants to personally engage with them. They are all over the Internet, frolicking in people's blogs and forums, throwing out ideas and inspiration like balls of thread.

Kittens may seem like all they do is spend the day playing around, but follow them closely and you'll see that if you treat them now and again with some of your own value, they'll return the favour big time. They may bat their paws at your ideas -- but, hey -- the kitten has had to rise above the pack to get noticed, and there must be a reason for that. It pays to take heed of their advice and help.

So, there you have it. Two very different kinds of social media beasts can live in perfect harmony. Which one are you?

[Thanks to Adrienne for the inspiration!]

We Are Forever People

Forever people for now and for then
You see we're waiting and I say it is forever, my friend
Because the future is now and forever is here
Within visions of truth imagination is clear

So go forth!
With experimentation
Technology for the future generation
And knowing insights, mystical might
Forever people are still doing it right

~ "Forever People" by The Shamen

Trendwatching.com talks about a concept I find very interesting, and topical: Foreverism. They sum it up as, "Consumers and businesses embracing conversations, lifestyles and products that are 'never done.'"

To me, that is the essence of what social media is all about. A never-ending online chat with people who are interested in the same things you are. It's not just a case of jumping in with a comment and then leaving; it should carry on over time, expand, digress, be organic.

The Trendwatching briefing talks about conversations, relationships and how companies should open themselves up more.

Well worth a read in your next coffee break. Or whenever you want, if you happen to be the boss. (But pass it to your colleagues!)

Greenscroll -- Greening The Web

I'm very excited to announce the launch today of our pre-Alpha sign-up page for Greenscroll, a green non-profit with a social media twist. As Co-Founder and Communications Director, it is my job to get the word out there, build some traction and generally make the coffee when needed too. Whetever needs to be done, I'm in. Can't wait!

I love the Internet. I love surfing. I don't love the environmental cost that these two passions of mine create on the planet. Workstations, server farms, data centres, power grids -- all these are "brown electricity" users that contribute absolutely nothing to the Earth's natural resources.

Greenscroll thinks it's time to put something back into the environment that we are taking out.

Just by me writing this blog post, and you reading it, has damaged the environment in some way, down the line. Time to change that.

We are still working on fine-tuning some aspects of Greenscroll, but it will make you feel good, so please check out the website and sign up for early launch notification. No strings attached, no commitment -- it's simply a way for us to let you know once we get going. Then you can decide for yourself if it's something you'd like to get involved with. We sincerely hope you do!

One other thing ... we're not green experts. This is something the Greenscroll team wants to get off the ground, but rest assured, we'll be asking the green community for ideas, help, advice -- and their input will surely shape this non-profit as we move forward.

To that end -- any thoughts? Please contact me at john@greenscroll.org or the Greenscroll team on Twitter.

Thanks for reading. Hope to chat with you soon ...

Scribnia

Just trying out the Alpha version of Scribnia, where you can rate bloggers and other writers. Will expand this post with a fuller review soon ...

Social Media In 140 Years (Or Less)

I just got back from seeing the new Star Trek film, and although I've never been a Trekkie, I am a sci-fi film fan, and it lived up to the hype -- awesome. There's an element of time travel in a lot of films like this, so I stepped into my iTravelPod, zipped 140 years into the future and saw what social media will bring.

1) We won't be talking about social media;
2) My friend in Australia won't need to upload a video of her pet kangaroo playing with a koala onto Facebook -- she'll jump on a shuttle, pop up into Earth's orbit, wait for Canada to rotate underneath, and drop back down into Toronto, all in a few hours, and we'll have lunch and laugh at the hysterical video together. Then I just might poke her;
3) Twitter will finally give in and start showing ads for vacation resorts on the Moon;
4) Our personal surrogates will attend conferences on our behalf while we chill out, and then we'll download their report into our brains via chips; [side note: I nominate Bruce Willis to play Homer Simpson in a movie]
5) Newspapers will be banned, as we'll need the trees to breathe. We'll get the news in real time, as it happens, via the people it's happening to as we'll all have video cameras and uplinks incorporated on our person somewhere;
6) Google Earth will be renamed Google's Earth, because they bought the planet in 2086;
7) People who use auto-DM on Twitter will be hunted down and destroyed by frickin' robot birds with frickin' laser beams attached to their fickin' beaks.

So, there you have it. The social media landscape of the future 140 years from now, or less.

PR Reader's Choice Blog Awards

Danny Brown mentioned on his blog that he's been nominated for a Most Thought-Provoking Blog award. There's some good candidates in the other categories too.

Go and vote!

Glad It's Just A Parody ... Right? Hello? At The Back? Anyone?

A Celebrity May Stop Using Twitter. Oh, The Humanity

Children are starving to death worldwide. Innocent people are being killed in wars. Jobs are being lost due to a recession. Ashton Kutcher has threatened to stop using Twitter. Global warming shows no signs of slowing.

One of these things is not like the others.

I get kind of annoyed when so much attention is paid to things that don't really matter in the great scheme of things. I'm sure that @aplusk is a very nice guy, he seems friendly and cool -- but do I give a crap that we may never see any more tweets from him in the future? NO!

Is he holding Twitter to ransom by pulling the plug if the micro-blogging service partners on a reality TV show? NO!

"It's all fun and games until somebody gets stalked," Kutcher tweeted on Monday. That is very true. Any malicious behaviour of that type is wrong. But there's been stalking weirdos around long before Twitter -- and the Internet -- came into existence. What has changed all of a sudden?

If I recall, just a month ago, Kutcher willingly challenged CNN in a race to one million followers. He won; great, well done! Loads of free PR and adulation!

Twitter is extremely useful, gives a lot of value and can bring amazing results if used in the right way. It's just a tool, nothing more. As I've said before, people are the killer app. They'll be around a lot longer than the latest social media fad, trust me.

So, Mr. Kutcher, do what you gotta do, but don't make a big deal out of it. There's a lot of other stuff going on that's a lot more important.

Tweetbucks, Affiliate Links In Tweets

Tweetbucks is a service that is currently in closed Alpha testing, but gives you the opportunity to earn money via affiliate links that are automatically inserted into your Tweets. Grey area, dodgy ethics?

In all fairness, the company DOES encourage you to disclose the fact that you may be earning commissions off your friends and followers clicking on your links, if they actually make a purchase.

I think the good part is that you can make some money, with full disclosure. But the bad part is that if this kind of service takes off, we'll see a plethora of tweets plugging this product or that product, in the vain hope that quantity sells, and not quality.

Personally, I like to recommend blogs, sites, people, services and products on Twitter because I think people will like them or find them useful, and not to make a quick buck.

I still believe the only real way to make money in social media is to invest in your reputation -- that will pay dividends over time.

The Connected One

The latest in my series of blogs I like is Dave Forde -- aka The Connected One. And that he is. He runs Profectio, PR In Canada and also founded Toronto Tech Week.

He's a mover and a shaker, knows who's moving where and has his finger on the pulse of Toronto's social media scene.

His main blog is here.

The Waiting Is The Worst

As of today, I am halfway through a Web/social media project (waiting to hear back on next steps), waiting to hear back on two new business pitches, waiting to sign an NDA for some possible new business, waiting to hear back from two people that contacted me in the first place (but now seem to be in a holding pattern), and waiting to launch two new start-ups as side projects.

Waiting ... waiting ... waiting.

Tweeting Too Hard

http://tweetingtoohard.com/top

This Has To Be The BEST Blog Post Ever

As I was doing my daily treadmill fast walk (not quite a run, yet, but getting there!) I mulled over a post that I read this morning by Dave Fleet about social media "experts." I blogged about this very subject recently too, so have to agree with Fleet's sentiments.

Social media advisors, consultants and trainers are wary of labelling themselves as experts. That's like a red flag to a bull, and an open invitation to pick apart why they think they know so much. There should be a few case studies in tow, or some recommendations. Most of the really successful guys and gals are too busy doing the work, to actually write about doing the work. (Yes, I know this is a blog post instead of making a living. But, to me, this 10 minutes is part of making a living. It's to chat to people about the lifestyle of a consultant, and hopefully get some feedback, or criticism. I like both. You put yourself out there, and see what happens.)

So, back to Fleet. He says: "Too many 'experts' have built their egos on the back of their own 'personal brands' ..."

I can see where he's coming from, but I still take the stance that people do have egos. It's what makes them feel good about being successful. Seriously, what would you rather hear -- "That work you just did was a piece of crap," or "That was a great piece of work."

People have to make their brands personal, there's no way around it. If others know that you can do great work, then you'll get referrals. You don't have to be the most prolific blogger out there, or write a thousand tweets a day, it's how others relate to you that counts.

Hanging Out With The Rescue Mediums

You may have heard of the TV show Rescue Mediums -- it features two friends of mine, Jackie Koshnic (above left) and Alison Wynne-Ryder (new to the show). They are British mediums and travel around Canada visiting haunted locations, and helping "trapped" spirits to the other side.

We hung out last night, chatted about ghosts and I got an awesome Reiki healing. It was amazing. They are both extremely intuitive and fun to be around.

So, this is a blatant plug for their show. Seasons 4 and 5 are filming right now, and will be aired in the fall, but you may be able to catch re-runs as they seem to be on quite a bit.

Here's their website for more info, but it needs to be updated.

E-mail? In Those Days We Used To Send Postcards

I lived on a kibbutz in Israel for over two years during the period from 1989-93; best time of my life, made some excellent friends, set up a website about it, wrote a book etc... so I went on Facebook to try and track done some of those people.

On the kibbutz, volunteers (like myself) were assigned a family to be "adopted" by, so they could socialize easier and get to know people. I had a really nice "mum and dad" but lost touch. They had a son who was around one year old at the time. Yesterday, I searched for their names on Facebook -- nothing -- but found the son = now about 18!

So, I contacted him, gave the parents' name and asked if he was their son. Yes, he was. So, now I'm connected again with my adoptive family over in Israel.

And this is why I am passionate about social media, connecting, linking.

In a nice segue on the history theme, my wife works for Heritage Toronto, so I do some free PR for them from time to time. They just announced a great series of free iTours, and you can read the social media release for more info.

Torontonians -- the sun is shining, the city has some great heritage to explore, so get out there!

Pugs Aren't Using LinkedIn To Make Money, But You Can

Unfortunately for pugs, they can't type very well, so haven't been able to join LinkedIn and make some money, find new clients, or land a job. But that's cool -- it's less competition for you to get in there and snap up some of that new business just going begging.

Here's how:

Join!
That sounds too obvious, right? It's been around for around six years now, I believe, and when I chat to friends and business acquaintances -- especially those who know about it and meet interesting contacts every day, but feel they shouldn't add them to their profile -- it amazes me the opportunities they are missing to expand their professional network. For free.

Set Up A Group
I have a zero marketing budget. Actually, that's not entirely true. My marketing budget is around $48 a month for my Internet connection. That's all I need. Heard that Seth Godin was setting up a Triiibes network, e-mailed him to ask if he was OK with me setting up a LinkedIn Triiibes Group, and voila! A nice, growing sub-network of interesting people (166 so far) who are smart, looking for new business opportunities, or just to bounce ideas off each other via the LinkedIn setup.

Answer A Question
Everyone is curious. There is a GOLDMINE of top professionals asking questions on LinkedIn = needing YOUR help = maybe looking to be YOUR future client. Pick a few questions that you know the answer to and don't waste people's time, and then offer some of your hard-earned knowledge. For free. If the recipient likes what they hear, they will follow up. Happened to me once or twice.

Check Out Who Is Checking You Out
You can see who has viewed your profile recently. I love this. Sometimes it's a specific name, or you can narrow it done pretty accurately. Just fire up the old e-mail, contact them: "Hey Mr. Jobs, I noticed you checked out my profile today. Is there anything about my services I can help you with? If not, have a great day and maybe we can connect in the future."

Jobs Are Also Contract Opportunities
Read the jobs section. See a job that fits your skills, but it is in the wrong location, salary range, area of expertise? No problem! Contact the company and see if they are open to outsourcing the job to you as a telecommute position. They save costs, and you obtain a new client. Or, ask if there's a finder's fee for getting the right candidate, and then consult your network to find the perfect fit. Headhunters use LinkedIn all the time ... why shouldn't you get a slice of the action?

Get Referrals
I'm sorry, but people, me included, DO have egos. I like to do great work for people, and them to be appreciative of it. So, ask for a referral or testimonial. If the client is happy with the work you've done for them, they should have no problem with taking 10 minutes to write a paragraph to that effect. It's gold. It's credibility. It's currency.

Connect To Strangers
You go to a business networking event, you see interesting people, you just stand there in the corner and ignore them. NO! You walk up, introduce yourself, chat and see if there's a possible working relationship. Same for LinkedIn. Source those superstars, the people you want to do business with. Add them as a contact. But, don't be lazy and use the LinkedIn default introduction e-mail. Shows a lack of respect. Take 10 minutes to write a personal note about why you want to contact them. It's not spam. You have something to offer that you take pride in, right? They might need it, they might not. 50/50. A polite "no thanks" or a "hey, tell me more." Not sending that connection request is a definite 100% failure to get new business.

So, there you have it. Get in there, use LinkedIn to make some money before the pugs catch on.