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Take 5 to Manage & Track Your Social Networks

Wendy Terwelp 1 Comment

Social Networking Wheel

With all the social networking sites, it can get overwhelming to manage them all as well as track what you’ve got online. With that in mind, here are five tools I use to track my social networking efforts and some for simultaneous posting. These tools will help you Rock Your Network® using just five minutes a day!

  1. bit.ly – This is a terrific tool to shorten your links AND track those used in your Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Plaxo Pulse and other social networks. This way, you can quickly and succinctly communicate your thought leadership by linking to your blog post or cool article. PLUS it’s FREE. Get your account.
  2. Hootsuite.com and ping.fm – I use ping.fm regularly if I want to post to all my networks and link it to a blog post or cool article. Same can be said for hootsuite.
  3. Got an iPhone? If so, I use Tweetdeck to manage my posts, post from off-site locations (like Summerfest, conferences, or other places of interest), check what people are saying, and review/respond to my direct messages (DMs).
  4. Want to see where your Twitter account rates? Check out Klout.com and find out.
  5. Want to track it all – even your videos? Check out Addictomatic.com. This site does it all. Tracks everything you do online.

All of the above tools are FREE.

Want more social networking tips to help you network using just five minutes a day?

JOB SEEKERS: Contact me at consultant@knocks.com and put “SOCIAL NETWORKING REPORT” in the subject line.

Please include your name and snail mail along with your email – as I had a printer overrun for a recent presentation, “Social Networking: Get Personal; Get Hired!”

Did I mention my report is also FREE? First come, first served. I expect to run out quickly. 🙂

Get Personal: Take Your Social Network Offline

Wendy Terwelp Leave a comment

Courtesy of Springwise.com

Long gone are the days when “online” was synonymous with social isolation. In fact, we’re now witnessing the opposite: technology is driving people to connect and meet up with others in the “real world”. This mass mingling makes for an interesting trend, begging to be turned into new services for consumers. Here are five such services:

1. MEETUP EVERYWHERE — Meetup’s new service, Meetup Everywhere, is an open and free platform that helps people build communities based on a common interest. Organisers can map offline gatherings and share announcements and updates through Facebook and Twitter accounts. One recent initiative: ReadyMade magazine partnering with Etsy.com to encourage DIY crafters to host local “craft-ups”.

2. GATSBY — Gatsby is a mobile app that introduces people according to shared interests and locations, using Foursquare. Users tell Gatsby their Foursquare account details and describe their interests. Gatsby then searches for like-minded people locally and texts them with first names and what they have in common.

3. LOOPT MIX — Loopt Mix is a free iPhone app for finding and chatting to other users nearby. Users identify shared interests by means of tags and preferences on their personal profiles. There’s also a set of search filters for ad hoc link-ups. Favoured contacts can be flagged to provide users with quick access to their core social circle.

4. STREETSPARK — Another iPhone app using location to get people in touch, StreetSpark has a specifically romantic intent. Users describe themselves and the kind of person they hope to meet. The app then informs them when a possible match is nearby. No contact information is divulged automatically; people can chat and choose whether or not to identify themselves.

5. LOVESTRUCK — Also in the match-making business, UK-based Lovestruck is aimed at single professionals. The website and mobile apps use work locations as a base to link potential lovers. Customers can display their availability through status updates, and iPhone owners can also see if other users are in their current vicinity when they’re on the move.

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Time to take your social network offline and get personal – that is, meet those in your network in person. The above are several resources for you to connect with them. The goal is to build your networking relationships. It’s a two-way street.

Want more help building your network? Check out Rock Your Network® Online.

Social Media Can Get You FIRED

Wendy Terwelp 1 Comment

Saw this article today:

Social networks causing employee-employer issues
Think your boss won’t hear about the time you griped about him on Facebook? Tony Puckett says you should think again. ‘In the digital age, it’s easier than ever for employees to say things publicly and for you to hear about it,’ Puckett said Friday in a speech at the 2010 Oklahoma Human Resources Conference and Expo, held at the Renaissance Tulsa Hotel and Convention Center. Employees and employers …
2010-05-07 19:01:41 Tulsa World

YES, social media can get you fired – and I’ve seen the results.

One company president gave me a call. He hired me for outplacement of an employee. Why? She was fired because she was using Facebook and other social networks on the job – and it was not part of her job duties.

One connection posted how much he hated his job on Facebook. He must have forgotten that he was a member of his employer’s fan page and group. They saw the post.

Think about it like this, if it doesn’t pass the mom and boss test, don’t post it!

What do I mean? If your boss reads the post, could you lose your job?

If your mom read it, would you be embarrassed? You would? Don’t post it!

Take Action: Review your Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace, Twitter and other social networks. Do they pass the test?

Social Media Can Get You HIRED

Wendy Terwelp 3 Comments

Can social media help you get hired faster? YES, if you use it the right way.

Laura Gainor

Laura Gainor did. In March, Laura Gainor saw a job posting on Twitter for a position at Comet Branding in Milwaukee, WI. Based on the ad, Gainor launched a social media campaign, which landed her the gig in less than 30 days.

Gainor identified the company, did her research, and launched her campaign based on what she learned about the organization. She used all elements of social media to make her pitch as to why she was the best candidate for the role – and it worked.

Recruiter Todd Nilson (Twitter Handle: @talentline411) regularly posts job openings on Twitter. When asked if it works, he said (via Twitter), “So far so good. I get some kind people RTing [retweeting] me. Slightly better luck from LinkedIn updates, though.”

Probably because Nilson has an extensive LinkedIn network. As do I. Because my connections are connections I know personally, I am very comfortable in referring them to others. However, I’ve got to be asked in the right way.

For example, one recruiter emailed me via LinkedIn asking for more information about a candidate. Unfortunately, I had no idea who she was talking about. So, I picked up the phone. It turned out this candidate was a third-degree connection. That meant that the candidate was not directly connected to me (first degree), but rather connected to one of my direct connections.

The recruiter and I talked and she provided me with more specific details of the job, including: salary, location (city), position title, requirements, and a brief job description.

This enabled me to forward her email, along with my recommendation about her company, and provide more details about the gig to MY connection. This enabled him to forward more information to his connection – the candidate. This strategy helped my recruiter friend not only get referrals from me for the gig, but also more candidates from my direct connection.

The job was filled.

If you’re in job search mode, it pays to pick up the phone, especially if you are the direct connection to the person posting the job. If you aren’t, you can certainly email your direct connection to get more details.

Personally, all the people in my LinkedIn network are people I actually know and can refer with confidence. I recommend this strategy to those wishing to beef up their LinkedIn connections.

If someone wishes to connect with you and you have no idea who they are, you can either ignore the request or simply pick up the phone and find out more. If, after you connect, you feel this person would be a great addition to your network, add him or her.

In addition, whether you’re an employer, recruiter or candidate, it’s important to have a detailed LinkedIn profile that communicates YOU, your brand, and your personality. Go beyond the standard data.

See my LinkedIn profile here:

http://www.linkedin.com/in/wendyterwelp

Note the story AND the recommendations. Build your profile accordingly.

Also, don’t forget about the in-person connection. Pick up the phone. Set up a meeting. According to CareerXRoads 2010 Source of Hire Study: Referrals make up 26.7% of all external hires. (Translation: Networking!)

Want more tips on how to make that personal connection the right way – and using just five minutes a day? Check out “Rock Your Network®.”

Job Seekers: Time for a Tweet

Wendy Terwelp 3 Comments

Job Seekers, are you on Twitter yet? If not, check out these current stats:

  • 73% of Executives find jobs through Social Networks.
  • Twitter was rated the No. 3 Social Networking site by Bloomberg.
  • Twitter has grown from 500,000 to over 19 million users in the last 9 months.

WOW.

With this in mind, have you explored Twitter for your career search? If not, do so now.

Keep in mind some basics when you sign up:

1. Keep your posts short – 140 characters.

2. Be relevant. Do not tweet about how you are still looking for a job, but rather what you can do for an employer; demonstrate your thought leadership.

3. Be current. This does not mean you have to tweet 20 times a day, it does mean to tweet with regularity.

4. Be on brand. What’s your career target? What is relevant to this target? Which companies do you wish to work for? What will they find interesting about you?

5. Be personal – but not TOO personal. I do not care that you are in the bathroom tweeting, drinking coffee, opening a door or other mundane activities. I also don’t want to know about your extreme political views, religion or super negative attitude. Think about it like this, are these statements relevant to your career, job search or current employment? Would your mom like to hear about these things? How about your boss? If you think they’d be in shock, don’t tweet the info. Do tweet: relevant info from a conference, an opinion on a hot topic, interesting RELEVANT hobbies, and so on.

Go ahead! Move forward and try it out. For more ideas on what to tweet, follow people you want to know more about. You can check out my tweets at: http://twitter.com/wendyterwelp.

UPDATE: New Book – Twitter Job Search Guide! Came out 3/2010

Source for more Twitter Stats: Twitjobsearch.com