Social Media as a Means for Career and Business

Development

Carla Gatescarla@3to5marketing.com

@CarlaGates247

Prepared for the Georgetown University Club

Business BreakfastJune 21, 2011

Boston

Social media is here to stay.So, you better flourish or flop.

“Social media” is just a set of tools to access and be part of a huge,

interconnected, worldwide community.

Remember, a few years back, when the Web was mostly a push media? You’d go to websites and read what someone else wanted

you to read.

Now, it’s a 2-way street. They talk. You talk. They talk back. You talk

back. It’s a conversation.

Why did this happen?• Recession

• Lack of trust in advertisers• Resurgence of community• The speed of technology

So, it doesn’t matter if Facebook is around in 5 years or not. The

notion of communities connected by technology is here to stay.

So, why are you here today? I’m guessing

you’re asking:1) How can I get a better job using

social media?OR

2) How can I get more business using social media?

It all comes back to the marketing funnel.It doesn’t matter if you are trying to

generate job leads or business leads. It always works the same way.

So, how do you get recruiters or prospects to find you? How do you

start at the top of the funnel?

Create relevant content that is valuable to your audience.And get it noticed using:

• keywords and search engine- optimized copy on your blog or web site

• guest posts on someone else’s blog• ebooks and whitepapers

• webinars• videos

• social networks – Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter

You’ve got to create a brand. Either a business brand or a

personal brand.

So, what’s relevant content? What does that mean? And how do you create a brand with that content?

Listen to your customers, whether they are recruiters or consumers.

What keeps them up at night? What information is valuable to

them? That’s your content.

And forget features and benefits, or old-style resumes.

In the age of social media, you need to tell a story about you or

your product.

Why a story?• Stories are more easily remembered.•People can connect emotionally, and

ultimately, emotion sells.

So, what’s your story?

To develop your story, ask yourself:

• What is my mission and vision?• How did I get here?

What are my superpowers?• How can I help you?

• Why can you trust me?

What tools do you need to write and promote your story?

•Start a blog. Post frequently.• Get a Twitter account. Curate

and share original content.• Develop your LinkedIn profile

and fill it out 100%. Get recommendations.

• Start your own YouTube channel. Get a Flip camera and make short,

snappy videos.• Optimize everything with

keywords!

What else do you need?

• Authority• Authenticity

• Confidence in your abilities or your product

• Passion• Warmth

My final advice for using social media for career

and business development?

• Have a vision.• Don’t be generic.

• Give back.• Have a regular presence.• Don’t make it about you.

• Read everything! Fill your brain with useful information and inspiration.

Recommendations of bloggers to follow.

@Copyblogger@JeffErnst

@JeffreyHayzlett@alltwtr

@AugieRay@LisaPetrilli@TEDNews

@SallyHogshead@GOOD

@smexaminer@Wired

@TheSocialCMO@Djwaldow@Level343

Recommendations of books to read

Enchantment: The Art of Changing Hearts, Minds, and

Actions,by Guy Kawasaki

Content Rules: How to Create Killer Blogs, Podcasts, Videos, Ebooks, Webinars (and

More) That Engage Customers and Ignite Your Business,

by Ann Handley and CC. Chapman

Spend Shift: How the Post-Crisis Values Revolution Is Changing the Way We Buy, Sell,

and Live,by John Gerzema

What’s your point of view? Let’s talk!

• Find this presentation at slideshare.net/CarlaGates• Connect on my blog at

3to5marketing.com• Follow me on Twitter at

twitter.com/CarlaGates247