Joshua Guffey

Archive for February, 2010

Social Network Connections

When you’re new to Social Networks

If you’re getting started in social media from a business standpoint
you may feel inclined to join Facebook, Twitter and every other
social network you find and become active on each. This impulse is
good and I would argue that doing so will help you to stay current,
relevant and accessible for your customers and in your industry;
however, I would offer a few words of caution and some direction for
what may not yet have revealed itself to be an rather ambitious task.

Many people think of these networks as “So I put up my profile and a
picture and then friend a bunch of people to get exposure.” Umm, no.

Consider that each of these networks are really new forms of
communication. They go both ways. Yes they are powerful. Yes you could
get great exposure. And yes they can even be fun ways of growing your
business. But remember, if you are to use them effectively, they are
also work. I know many of you shuddered just reading that. Sorry to
burst your bubble.

Think about it…every new network is a new point of contact, a new
‘inbox’ to manage. And each social network comes with it’s own
technical learning curve. So without totally frightening you away from
social media as a new channel for communication between you, your
current and potential clients and your industry as a whole, I’d like
to offer a few suggestions about how to begin; because I do believe
that in most cases the benefits outway the hurdles.

Focus your social efforts:

Don’t try to learn more than one major social network at once. Give
yourself enough time to learn one well enough to maintain it and to
move forward with it before you take on another. This may be a month
or two for you or it may be a longer or shorter process. You’ll know
when you’ve got it handled. You’ll be engaged and responsive on that
network. You’ll be in relevant conversations and you’ll be expanding
your connections all the time. Just don’t be ‘that guy’.

Engaging in multiple social networks simultaneously can be a bit
overwhelming, especially if you’re just learning the ’social ropes’.
There’s a new language to learn, etiquette to grasp and mental
bandwith to appropriate.

Here I’m mostly referring to Facebook and Twitter. Yes they’re both
very big, very busy and potentially a great place for you to setup and
begin building a reputation, a sense of ‘authority’ (I’m not super
fond of this term as it seems to be used frequently in a matter as to
suggest deception or subverting the natural process of becoming
recognized in a giving space, but you get the point) and also a sense
of connection with an interested community. Notice I didn’t say
audience; that isn’t what social media is about. It’s about actual
interaction. Forget that and you’re in trouble.

I would go ahead and grab your username at each major site so as to
secure brand integrity, but I wouldn’t actually become active on each
until I’m ready to integrate a new inbox and a new community of
individuals into my social media efforts.

I know that I just got finished saying essentially “don’t do this
unless you’re going to do it right” and now I seem to be contradicting
myself, but there’s actually a really simple solution. What I would
suggest is that on whichever social networks you’ve decided are less
relevant for your intial social media expansion (more on this in
another post) simply make a statement that tell people where you ARE
focused right now.

Your “Sorry, I’m out” message

It may read something like this:

“Thank you for visiting me (or your business name) on Facebook. It’s
important to me that I’m able to respond to you so I’m choosing to
focus only on Twitter at this time. I’d love to connect with you there
(I’m @JoshuaGuffey) or feel free to send me an email. Thank you!”

It doesn’t have to be long, elaborate or particularly elequant. Just
tell them what’s up and where to find you and express an honest
appreciation. I’ll get more into choosing a network to focus on later.

Until then, you can go grab your name in the places you think you
might setup shop and write a little blurb directing people to
somewhere to connect. Even if that’s just email address or blog. At
least you’re being straight-forward and making an effort.

Add your thoughts!
I’m sure there are important points that I missed.
What would you like to add to the comments section?

photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/marc_smith/

As you know, Google Buzz hasn’t even been out a week yet and it’s been big news…and yet not.

What I like about Google Buzz

• My Gmail contacts are already there.
• Since this is a Google service connected to Gmail, it’s likely that it’ll
  draw more of my non-Twitter friends into a social media space…where I live.
• Inevitable integration with Google’s gamut of innovative and powerful products.
• Nearby feature which is pretty good (like Tweetie for iPhone does)
• Integration of tweets into my buzzstream.
  • I’m already on Twitter & Facebook. I don’t need a new place to consider posting to. It’s nice to be able to buzz without ‘going there’ on my iPhone or MacBook. Then I get updates via email. And if I want to see what’s happening outside of ‘my’ conversations I drop into Buzz and look around.

What I don’t like about Google Buzz

• If I comment on anything Mashable posts, my iPhone buzzes like mad
  for hours. This is fixed easily enough by ‘muting’ the gmail conversation.
• The eery feeling I get that Google is going to release something so
  integrated and so powerful into the mobile space that I will love my iPhone a little less.

What I’d like to see Google Buzz do

• Location based check-ins. Of the major players in this arena I prefer
  Foursquare, but I don’t like the way they format links in my Twitter.
  And I’m over the ‘game’ aspect of it. Google’s got great positioning
  to enter the local check-in game. (maps/local+reviews+buzz=useful!)
• A Google Buzz widget that I can install on my website so that peeps
  can Buzz me from there.
• Easier integration of pics and other multimedia using iPhone
• Functional @mentions and some type of tagging, perhaps #hashtags
• Local, regional, national and global trends.
• Aardvark integration (they bought Aardvark this past week)
• Google Talk integration to take a thread to private chat
• Integration with analytics like bit.ly’s stats but better, perhaps
  with Google Analytics
• Filters as powerful as Gmail’s filters
• Integration with Google Voice (click to call). Permissions would be
  highly important here.
• Alerts like ‘Google Alerts’ but applied like a persistent Twitter Search.
  So you know when your company’s name is mentioned or when people
  buzz about your product or industry.

What did I forget? Please add your thoughts to the conversation in the blog comments.

James,

Today you are one year old! Wow!

Happy first birthday son! I’m so proud of you!

I can’t believe it’s been a year. And yet I can. You’re just about ready to walk on your own. You mimic our words and sentences. And you’re the funnest person I know. I can’t express my gratitude fully.

I was at school most of the day today learning super groovy stuff in Dreamweaver, but that took me away from you. I know that the learning is going to benefit you by way of a daddy who has more value in the world and who can be a better provider, but it still makes it tough to be away from you on your birthday.

I love you with all of my heart and soul–even when I’m apart from you–and even when you’re biting me.

Love,

Daddy

PS. Your new Facebook profile is waiting for you! Now you won’t be subjected to fitting in between Daddy’s geek posts. And your fanclub can follow you indepedent of Daddy. :-)

You are at: http://www.facebook.com/guffey.james

A treasured friend from an earlier era of life wrote to me via Facebook to seek connection and compassion in a time of grieving. I am honored to be held in this regard.

I hope my words brought some measure of relief.  “My words” is not an appropriate phrasing since ‘I’ only sought higher wisdom for the lines that follow.  I share them here in the hopes that they may help another or perhaps myself in some future moment.

I think that friends / relationships exist at certain times in our lives to serve each person.  When a relationship ends I think it is because it’s time to move on.  How this extends to your friend’s passing I don’t know.  I DO know though that death doesn’t erase a person or their energy.  Your friend may be close to you now, feeling no pain of their own but feeling empathy for you in your grieving.

They would probably want you to remember the best about them and to learn something from them and from their life.

I hope that your grieving doesn’t last too long. And I’m sorry for your loss of a dear friend. A Rumi poem comes to mind.  It’s written for lovers but I think that it can be extended to include close friends.  The quote reads “Lovers don’t finally meet somewhere. They’re in each other all along.”  Remember this as you think of your friend and be not afraid.

Life is random, unpredictable, untamed, sometimes even savage.  Live it fearlessly in love.

-@JoshuaGuffey

www.JoshuaGuffey.com