Over our recent reading week I accompanied a childhood friend to New York City for a mini shopping spree. You see, my friend Stacie is getting married on Victoria Day weekend and is busy adding the finishing touches to the wedding of her dreams. The trip to the Big Apple was to take delivery on wedding party gifts and to briefly get away for some R&R before the forthcoming pressures of hosting the perfect wedding ceremony and reception.

 The only glitch during what is turning out to be one the happiest time of her life is that she was recently laid off from her job as a Business Development Manager for a well-known recruiting firm in Toronto.  But she won’t let this rain on her parade! No way; not our feisty Stacie!

On the flight there, we got to talking about a million and one things, more so to keep my mind off my fear of flying, but we won’t go their for now. One of the topics we touched on is that, with the help of her soon-to-be hubby (ahh, love can be grand, can’t it?), she filmed a 90-second vlog about her professional experience and accomplishments. She is linking this to the body of the e-mails she sends to potential employers and attaching her CV as well. This way she is putting a face to the name; it shows initiative and makes her standout as a candidate against the rest of the field of jobseekers.

I’ve talked about vlogging as a valuable social media networking tool on a previous post, but to see this idea in action is amazing. I’ve since viewed Stacie’s vlog and it is simple, short and savvy and will undoubtedly get her an interview soon. And the rest is up to her. That’s what job seekers are looking for isn’t? A chance to pitch their professional story in person.

Creating a vlog to complement other networking strategies is a creative way to make contacts online for wallflowers and non-wallflowers alike. In these hard economic times, it is this ingenuity that will get people looking for work into work. You can find everything you need to know about videoblogging all over the internet. This website is the one my friend used.

Whether vlogging is the latest job searching trend or not, it’s worth a try.

Chances are you’ve heard of Toastmasters International (TI). What a perfect organization to align yourself with, especially if you’re a wallflower or “public-speaking challenged.”  For those of you who haven’t heard of it, TI enjoys an international reputation for helping people overcome their fears of public speaking while improving their communications and leadership skills. With more than 12,000 chapters in over 100 countries, including many in Canada, Toastmasters is truly an international networking society. For a location near you click here.

As part of my research for my blog, I recently visited TI’s website and to my surprise, it does not contain any social media tools designed to make the website more interactive. Quite disappointing considering it is an organization built on networking and fostering relationships. It’s like the wallflower of websites! There is no blog, video links, facebook group or podcast to speak of.

This got me thinking of the different ways TI could increase website traffic and raise its profile as a global leader in helping people become more assertive and confident in front of audiences.

Developing an online social media strategy to raise awareness for the Toastmasters brand among existing members as well as those thinking of joining makes good business sense.

Statistics show that 69 per cent of Toastmasters are between 35 and 49 years old. This age group is also a growing demographic of users of social media tools such as Facebook. It stands to reason that a social media campaign launched to link TI to Web 2.0 will not only help define its target audiences by demographic characteristics, but by doing so, it will facilitate its core messaging to its membership base.

Here goes… I call it a “Toast to Social Media” plan.

Subscription

First, TI should subscribe to online sites dedicated to tracking the audience makeup of its members and of those who are simply browsing or visiting the website. Quantcast and Groundswell have developed technology designed to profile social computing trends across age, country and gender lines. This ability will come in handy since TI is a global entity. What better way to measure the demographics of its users than to have all relevant data filtered for analysis in an easy to read format? This will also help TI market its brand according to its core audiences.

Blog

Brian Reilly has a blog called Social Media Defined in which he wrote a recent article about how to increase a website’s traffic through social media marketing. Reilly says, “Integrating a blog into your website is an easy way to bring fresh content and visitors to your site.” I agree. Why not incorporate a blog about communications tips and networking advice for members and visitors to access? TI can submit posts to a few general social news sites like digg, reddit, and mixx, which will go along way to increasing its online exposure and accessibility.

Social Bookmarking

TI should bookmark its site with specific and general tags so users can easily find it. Sites such as Delicious, Mister Wong in Europe, and StumbleUpon are excellent resources to connect website content to social media users.

Facebook Group

Create a facebook group page for Toastmasters members to meet, connect and exchange ideas and share stories. This will increase the already popular TI brand and also enhance its image as a social community.

Multimedia

Take advantage of multimedia resources by uploading video clips of members’ and their testimonials. The website should showcase weekly tips on how to improve one’s public speaking and overall presentation skills. Share these on YouTube for maximum exposure, while improving the websites interactive component. Include a weekly podcast of some meetings from around the world to further boost global participation.

Consider Yourself Toasted

Now that you’ve read the plan, consider yourself toasted! The plan is not complicated due to the ease and user-friendly nature of social media. I think it can effectively expand audiences while satisfying existing stakeholders. A focused approach… hopefully to be toasted by the Toastmasters’ set! 

Back from reading week for the final three weeks of CC&PR. I can’t believe how quickly the program has flown by. Like a flash and in no time we’ll be applying our new skills and talents in a real world setting. But before our internships begin we have a podcast to present, a final speech to deliver, a mock board meeting to preside over, a final Design & Layout assignment to complete, a…well you get the point because you’re living it, aren’t you?

Speaking of podcasts, as I mentioned in a previous post, our team interviewed Nora Young, host of Spark.ca, a podcast on CBC radio. Our topic of discussion was the impact of social media on human interaction. We are actively working on linking the interview on my blog and this should happen very soon. Trust me, it’s worth the wait.

In the meantime, however, a little more on Nora Young’s views on social media. She argues that perpetual connectivity represents both the biggest downside and upside of social media, at least for now given its infancy. Young agrees that a persistent problem is a lack of manners and online civility because some social media enthusiasts get hung up on the technology behind the medium and forget about the rules of civil engagement. Some users don’t give the benefit of the doubt they would in person and this is why Young calls social media a reactive media.

She even touched on one of my favourite subjects: the issue of transparency and how social media values may encourage deception by advocating ghost blogging. Reminds me of the transparency piece I posted not too long ago where I slammed the practice. Young says Spark is very careful to release information about the show including transcripts and other pertinent material to ensure accountability. To know Nora shares my views regarding this topic makes me even more passionate about it.

Bottom line, she says that social media has a purpose, in fact many purposes. It can help you get out there, be seen online and heard but not at the expense of valuable interpersonal networking relationships.

Perhaps, this is why many introverts and wallflowers prefer this method of communication. But, please don’t put all your eggs in one basket; leave something for those in-person meetings. Remember: online networking can’t replace the special connection one gets from face-to-face networking events. Strike a balance between your online presence and in-face existence and you’ll be cruising!

You can learn more about Nora on her podcast website.

Lesson? Network even if you’re scared, nervous and anxious. If you go into networking not only prepared but prepared to make mistakes, learn and grow, then you’ll be able to fully take advantage of the benefits of networking. That’s the secret.

Networking Tips this Week:

Relocating or New to a City?

To facilitate your job search and grow your professional contacts, join a community designed for people meeting other people from the same profession. This is especially beneficial if you are planning to relocate for a job. There are even networking communities created specifically for people new to a city, so take advantage of these opportunities.

You can visit one of HotJobs’ industry communities here.

Meet and Greet Communities

To expand your professional network, join a made-to-order online community for a specific industry or profession; your dream profession! Online communities are a fantastic way to learn more about your career of choice. Some, such as Linkedin, exist for the purpose of researching other professional colleagues, which is a perfect networking formula that pays dividends.

Once you find a group that holds some networking promise and interest browse the messages to learn more about career opportunities. Once you feel comfortable, start posting and let the networking fun begin!

Just remember: members are ready and eager to meet new people…to meet you. I ask you: is there a better way to build your professional network?

Recently, I attended a function for mostly accounting professionals. With a finance background myself, I’m the first to admit that we’re a special breed; we speak a unique language and love working with numbers. There’s a misperception out there that accountants are boring, when in reality some of the craziest, wildest and funniest people I know are number crunching studs.

Anyway, I went with a very good friend who is also in the business and ran into some former colleagues. By now, such events are second nature to me. Even so, the outing reminded me of my first networking experience in the accounting world. And, it wasn’t too long ago either.

Picture it: circa 2002, having just graduated with a B.Comm and working on my Certified Public Accounting designation, I remember feeling nervous. It was a joint event sponsored by the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. Along with two friends from my graduating class, we explored the room and met some really accomplished young professionals that evening. As nervous as we were, we came away with business cards, contacts and one of my friends even landed his first “real” job in the field as a result of the meet and greet session.

This was the first of many networking events to come and with each one we became more savvy, strategic and natural in our approach. How? Well, this brings me to the following tips to consider at your next/first networking event. They’ve worked for me and I hope they do for you too!

Talking Points and Sound Bites

Prepare some bullet points about who you are, what you do and what your interests are. Develop talking points – sound bites that introduce you and capture one’s interest. A well-crafted pitch showcasing what you bring to a conversation will facilitate the flow of dialogue, not to mention your comfort level.

Rehearse, Rehearse, Rehearse

Many people get tongue-tied when meeting someone new, so practice what you plan to say. But be natural; put your best foot forward and be yourself. You have nothing to lose. Just remember: don’t try to become a master networker overnight. If networking hasn’t been a regular part of your life, take it slowly and build confidence.

Listen, Learn and Observe

Don’t assume you’re bothering people. Believe me, most will be glad, if not relieved, that someone else is “breaking the ice.” Also, don’t underestimate the power of listening. It’s a valuable talent.

Get Out There

Get out of your comfort zone and explore. Walk around. You’ll find that almost all encounters are worthwhile.

Here’s a piece I recently wrote about the demerits of ghost blogging. Yes, I’m a former wallflower, but even then I always felt self-assured about my writing.

Point: take inspiration anywhere you can find it and the rest will surely come.

Enjoy:

Ghost blogging, although fairly common in social media circles, is centered on deceit.  At its core lies a blatant disregard for transparency. It’s misleading, dishonest and borderline fraudulent. I don’t much care for it. In fact, I very much hate it. Yes, I hate!

Come on people! Haven’t we been told all our lives to source our work? As students, didn’t we face severe academic penalties if we took credit for something someone else wrote? What makes it acceptable now? What’s changed? Have we become desensitized to the principles of writing, sourcing and attributing?

Where I come from, ghost writing equals sanctioned plagiarism. It is an unpunished literary crime – a travesty and victim of the social media age. Yes, I mean every word; they are mine after all and I take ownership of them. This is me in all my blogging glory; I’m writing and no one can take these thoughts away from me. My words empower me. They give me my voice and I don’t need to steal another person’s words or ideas to get my point across. I get my point across my way…the only way!

A pro-ghost blogger told me the other day, “But, Victoria, it’s alright because everyone is doing it.” So what? Let me understand.  Because it’s popular, convenient and common it stands to reason that it must be OK, then? Not! Forget about the ethics of disclosure. Forget about ethics altogether.

I’m not alone in my ghost-blogging tirade. Dave Fleet, who held a session about the lack of ethics of ghost-blogging during Talk is Cheap at Centennial College this past November, argues for transparency as well. He argues for the benefits of disclosure as I do. You can read more at his site: http://davefleet.com/2008/11/the-ethics-of-ghost-writing-in-social-media/.

So yes, the prevalence of the practice of ghost blogging is common but beware of brand damage, you ghost-bloggers you, as evidenced by Kanye West’s blog continuing to post entries long after his arrest. Make no mistake; he lost his “cred.” But it’s ok because everyone is doing it.

Katie Couric has a piece on CBS Evening News called, “Katie’s Notebook.” But, two years ago it was discovered that “her” notebook about “her” observations and “her” opinions were actually written by a CBS News employee. Oh, but it is ok because everyone is doing it.

Today, her “Notebook” is indeed her creation. She’s learned, even if everyone is doing it.

Discover your Niche

What are you passionate about? What sets you apart? What are you an authority on? What makes you the best candidate for a position? Think outside the box and get your creative juices going; think big. Don’t ask why, but why not? Why not think big, dream big and achieve big things for your career? One way to do this is to market yourself online. Use all the tools available in the social media arsenal to get yourself out there and before you know it you’ll be going places.

Networking Online

How about filming a vlog? Upload a 90 second introduction piece about your strengths and let your personality come through. Put an enthusiastic face to the name; it will set you a part in a competitive market. Brand yourself the way you want professionals to see you; the way you see yourself. Play to your audience and bring out the best of yourself.

Create an online personality or image that is visible, valuable and, who knows, you may even go “viral.”

Photoblog

For you event planners, photographers and artists, set up a photoblog? Post your creations on line. You never know: an online portfolio will get you through the door and into your dream job one day.

Twitter-sphere

Don’t forget microblogging. Twitter is growing exponentially and the number of people you come into contact with is unbelievable. The twitter-sphere is one more way to gain exposure, introduce your niche and build your contact base. Not to mention name recognition. Meet the right people at the right time and you’ll be building your reputation and a bank account to match.

Here’s a great site to get you started on your online branding journey: http://blog.brand-yourself.com/2009/how-to-brand-yourself/.

Just Remember

Schmooze online; your pocketbook will thank you.

Look for the Nora Young podcast interview in the coming days.

Step by memorable step, I’ve reached a comfort level where I look forward to attending events, building a network of professional contacts and being at the right place, at the right time and with the right people. Believe me, I’m still learning and always will be. Every now and then my inherent shyness creeps to the surface, but that’s the way it should be. That’s who I am and it’s OK.

And now, using this blog as my vehicle, I am here to take up the cause of introverts everywhere – to share my lessons, advice and experiences with wallflowers and non-wallflowers alike.

Join me as I venture into the networking stratosphere. Every post will showcase anecdotes from excursions, meetings with new contacts and tips to conquer your networking fears.

To start, some fast and furious tips to consider:

Approach networking with a plan. A strategic plan. Identify who you want to target, your key audience; career professionals who may help you get ahead. Get friends and mentors to go with you so you have a support system on which to rely. Then prepare your pitch that will make you standout, which will leave a good lasting impression.

Example: I recently e-mailed Nora Young, a podcast host for the CBC who talks about technology and culture. You see, I have an upcoming podcast assignment requiring groups to find interview subjects who are authorities on the subject of social media.

I had a need – heard her podcast – was impressed by it  - and thought, “why not try getting Nora Young to agree to help us?” I identified her as my “target audience,” researched her and delivered my “pitch.”

Result: My fellow group members and I are meeting with Nora at the CBC this coming Wednesday to record our podcast interview. She said yes and we are thrilled!  Nora agreed and we’ve made a new contact.

Lesson learned: You have nothing to lose and, literally, everything to gain. Take networking slowly but let networking work for you. Take your time networking and your time will come. Each new experience will build your confidence and prepare you for your next adventure. Most importantly, enjoy the ride!