What are YOUR thoughts?

Notes:
#1: Must Have A Purpose.
#2: Managing Your Profile/Pages.
#3: Engage Your Community. Keep it interactive!
#4: Don’t Share Anything You Wouldn’t Share With A Stranger.
#5: Create A Social Media Policy For Your Company

+ #1 Mistake to avoid: Don’t be out there aimlessly!

A little bit more about Shama and make sure to check her out at Shama.TV

You have heard the saying “bigger is better” but when it comes to an online network, there are definitely multiple sides to the size coin.

First off, what the heck do I mean by an online network? I mean: Facebook friends/fans, Twitter followers or any other forms of community (LinkedIn, Flikr, etc.) and to some extent  Newsletter/E-Blast subscribers, blog subscribers (some of those can be more one way)

Some people argue it is better to have a smaller, more intimate network as opposed to a bunch of random people. I agree with this 50%. I definitely agree that random, uninterested people may not be of value to your network; however, if you have an engaged community…why not grow it?

Having a large, responsive, engaged community and network is one of the most valuable tools you can have. It can also be easily abused (that is a whole other post).

We have built a nice (and growing) community with The Rise To The Top. It as been a blast and allowed me to help interested people and they also help me as well.

Thinking about growing big? Here are 5 reason why it might be time to grow:

1. Bigger Is Efficient: One tweet, blog post, video, or email blast can reach thousands of interested people. Good luck trying to do that by phone or pony express.

2. Helping People…In Public AKA Public Displays Of Helpfulness: If you are growing a business and are helpful with your community, it will improve your reputation. Unlike a closed door meeting or private phone call, your social networks are just that…social. Think of the five most helpful people on your network. Why do you categorize them as that? My guess is it isn’t brain surgery by the fact that you can see them helping people.

3. Crowdsourcing: When you have a trusted network, it is the a huge weapon when you have a question. What is the best blogging software to use? Do you want to rent my girlfriend’s condo (that is a real one!) Does anyone have experience with Skype? Who has a favorite hotel in LA? You would be surprised the information you can gather by simply asking and it certainly beats randomly searching (Note: This can easily be abused. Remember to be HELPFUL FIRST and ask for help second).

4. Ideas: Looking for a dose of creativity? Turn to your network. Try something out. See what everyone’s interests are. Is someone working on a cool project? Can you learn from posted articles and videos?

5. It is fun. A big network is sort of like ice cream when you are a kid. You always want the bigger cone but remember if it is too big you will get sick. Remember to have some fun, joke around and be a freaking human.

Online relationships can be a little tricky. Committing to grow as opposed to staying too small may be a great decision for you and your biz.

Are you a jackass or trusted advisor? Slick sketchster or amazing resource? “Reputation” is an extremely important word (READ: EXTREMELY) in business and combines the powers of public relations, marketing, advertising, customer service and more. Why? Because people buy from people they know and trust. This “knowing” and “trusting” is based on reputation.

For example, think of your best friend. What words would you to describe him or her? Are they caring, giving, helpful, loving? Do they follow up on their word or constantly cancel (I just had to cancel on someone today on a conference call..grrr I hate doing that)? When you are with this person do you feel safe, happy, excited?

The same thing applies to your business whether you are a corporation (example: Apple conveys innovation, fun, gotta-have, sleek, sexy), a small business (an accounting firm for example might want to convey the words safe, secure, thorough) or a personal brand like Chris Brogan (Trust, understanding, helpfulness).

You have probably heard the quote: “Your reputation precedes you.” Think about it. You can market and spend all the advertising dollars you want and if your reputation is still poor, you will still be in trouble (Example Charter Communications here in St. Louis… but that is true of many cable companies yikes!).

If you want to avoid a reputation of slimy, sketchy, unreliable, annoying, or any of those words you are looking to avoid, here are five questions you have to ask yourself:

1. What would you like your reputation to be?

Powerful or easy-going? Energetic or analytical? Precise or creative? Reliable or all over the place (a severe case of ADD)? Quick moving or methodical? Well liked? Trusted? Helpful?
(Note: some of those go together but you get the idea)

2. How do others see you ONLINE?

On social networking sites. On your website. On blogs. In PR Articles. What do they see you as? Helpful? A nuisance? Offer something of value? A pest? Authentic and transparent? Always stirring the pot? Just looking to make a fast buck? Always promoting yourself?
3. How do people perceive you IN PERSON?

Well put together? Dynamic? Shy? Always energetic? Trusted? Always willing to introduce people to one another? Only out for your own good?

4. What does Google say about your reputation?

Google (or Bing) yourself. Bing yourself sounds pretty fun. Lets keep it non sexual folks!  When you Google your name, what comes up? You naked at a frat party from 1993 or your old web page that hasn’t been updated since 1994?

5. What do people that know you say about you?

Are you often referred from others? If so, why do you think that is? If not, why not? Are positively sticky (not like melted M&M’s sticky) meaning people remember you and like you and your business? How can you become more sticky? I know I always refer a large group of people. Do you refer people? Why do you do so?

Your turn: When you think of the following what are three reputation characteristics that come to mind?

-Dell
-Barack Obama
-Delta Airlines
-Google
-Microsoft

Now think, how can I manage my reputation to make sure I have positive qualities of someone that is great to be around and do business with? Ask some friends or your social networks what they really think of you. Start with asking for three words to describe you. What did you find out?
Remember your business might change. Your career might change. But brands and reputation fly forever.

Oh and MAJOR KUDOS to Tricia Hardman. She read Chris Brogan’s post and my video about Thank You’s and sent me a HAND-WRITTEN thank you note for following her on Twitter (see above). Now that is awesome and her reputation needle just moved in my book.

What side of the brain do you fall on? Are you super creative or more analytical? Some argue that it is difficult to build a business if you are the artist type: Writers, musicians, creative thinkers, artists.

For this episode of The Rise To The Top, we found some great creative geniuses to tell their story and tips to hopefully inspire you to tap into your creativity and passions.

Will you be the next success story? We can’t wait to find out.

Know someone that might enjoy the show? We appreciate you passing it to others who will find it useful as well.

I threw this question out on Facebook: Joe Edwards (The founder of Blueberry Hill/Flamingo Bowl and one of St. Louis’ most vibrant neighborhoods “The Loop”) is a hugely successful entrepreneur, but guess what two things he has never used which most of us use every day?

Pause…
Pause…
Pause (spoiler alert) you probably know the answer if you read the title of the article)

The Answer: A cell phone and the internet.

Congrats to Facebook users Todd Alan and Steve Lange who got the question correct.

And we are not talking about a guy who is mildly successful. We are talking uber-successful. He doesn’t own a computer, has never been online (even though he has plans to do so..which is a story in itself) and doesn’t use a cell phone (in fact getting in touch with him for his interview was quite the adventure).

Joe Edwards is one of those guys that oozes with creativity. “We could do this!” or “We could do that!” seems to be a vital part of his every day vocabulary and he also surrounds himself with a great team and a unique community.

But back to the question at hand, can you be successful as an entrepreneur in 2009 without using the internet or a mobile phone?  (And tune in this Sunday on ABC and online to see what Joe uses instead).

My knee-jerk reaction is to say no because my world requires it and I love it. For me, online is a huge part of my business and same with my phone even though I absolutely hate voicemails.

Is Joe an outlier?

What about you? What are your thoughts?

Content providers, entrepreneurs, personalities, Internet celebrities, creative geniuses, adored by everyone who meets them…yet still have that sexy appeal as being a little under the mainstream radar. The bottom line is this list encompasses people that will help you build your business and change the world…and you won’t catch a single one of them wearing pleated pants.

If you haven’t heard about, read about or kept tabs on the following folks, I’d highly recommend. For your business, for you and for America (how is that for a presidential speech..just kidding about America. This list is International).

In alphabetical order:

1. Chris Brogan: A New York Times Best Selling Author (Trust Agents) and refreshingly honest blogger on humanizing your relationships online. Chris has one of the most passionate followings you will find anywhere and is model citizen on maximizing Twitter. And being awesome.

Website Twitter Facebook

2. Ali Brown: Personal branding genius? Database rock star? A self-made millionaire and master of creating one of the biggest networks…in the history of mankind (or something like that).

Website Twitter

3. Bob Burg: Bob’s message is simple: Give first. If you aren’t paying attention to that, you won’t be successful as an entrepreneur. Check out The Go Giver.

Website Twitter Facebook

4. Anita Campbell: Keeping up with trends in business is a major key to evolving. Small Business Trends brings the latest and greatest every day…with a smile.

Website Twitter Facebook

5. Sarah Evans: New age PR rock star. You weren’t expecting press releases, right? She is also one of the masterminds behind MediaOnTwitter.com. And she wants to own the St. Louis Cardinals. If she pulls that one off soon, please sign Matt Holliday.

Website Twitter Facebook

6. Justine Ezarik: iJustine is an icon. She is just one of those interesting (and don’t forget VERY smart) folks that has a crazy passionate following. You have to visit TastyBlogSnack to really understand why.

Website Twitter

7. Scott Ginsberg: Damn it Scott! The Nametag Guy is probably one of the most referenced people in The Rise To The Top (short but stunning) history. Why? Well for one he has turned wearing a nametag every day (that is 24/7 folks) to a huge career of helping others be more approachable. 8 books later I’d say he has done just that.

Website Twitter Facebook

8. David Gise: So you weren’t planning to work at the coffee shop forever were you? Unless you are and in that case I’ll take an iced-nonfat-latte with nine packets of Sweet and Low..I have a little problem. David is building an incredible cool concept to help entrepreneurs find office space and folks with extra office space to unload it. Knowing David he has a lot more up his sleeve as well.

Website

9. Bill Guertin: No he isn’t really an 800 Pound Gorilla but that is what he is known as in the sales world. How do you dominate your niche? Bill will show you how step-by-step.

Website Twitter

10. Lewis Howes: Professional athlete turned LinkedIn master turned one of my favorite humans. Lewis understands networking, taking risks and being really tall. He is like a big flea of energy but is one of the best people at following through that I’ve seen (a big key to success).

Website Twitter Facebook

11. John Jantsch: A lord to many small businesses. To call John Jantsch a marketer would be like calling Tiger Woods a golfer. His Duct Tape Marketing book, system (and oh so much more) is a godsend to the entrepreneur and small business owner.

Website Twitter Facebook

12. Shama Kabani: An Internet Marketing queen with the pulse on all things online, social media and more. Refreshing and honest.

Website Twitter Facebook

13. Leo Laporte: Known as “The Tech Guy”, Leo is the envy of every pocket-protecting (and non pocket-protecting) uber-geek. He started his own online TV/radio station which has essentially become the CNN of tech news 24/7.

Website Twitter Facebook

14. Louis Lautman: Dynamic and creative with a hint of Donald Trump in him. Louis took a big risk and created a movie around young entrepreneurs. Check out Young Entrepreneurs Society for a kick in the butt.

Website Twitter Facebook

15. Gabe Lozano: Gabe is one of those people that is just going to magically appear one day in a magazine with the words under his name “sells company for 500 million”. A little techy with a lot of entrepreneurial pizzaz, his Lockerdome is bringing innovation to sports management online.

Website Twitter Facebook

16. Loic Le Meur: The frenchman with the I-don’t-care-what-you-think-of me attitude who is both creative and innovative. He understands the online world and brings awesome products like Seesmic Desktop to the table..even before they are done to allow the community to improve them. Genius!

Website Twitter Facebook

17. Cali Lewis: A podcaster and personality, Cali is a ball of energy. I go to her first when looking for the latest in technology with her quick tidbits on Geekbrief.TV.

Website Twitter Facebook

18. Andrew Lock: E-Bay master turned online TV host/marketing man of destiny (no idea what that means but it sounded cool). Honestly, I love him for the British accent and the great tips and web resources.

Website Twitter Facebook

19. Amber MacArthur: Another techie who keeps her pulse on the tech world and is nice enough to share it for the rest of us. I’m a non technical person who loves tech so I never miss an episode of her webisodes (that rhymes) CommandN.

Website Twitter Facebook

20. Mike Michalowicz: You know if his book and blog is called The Toilet-paper Entrepreneur that we are dealing with quite a character. Mike gives motivation for the rest of us…the bootstrapping entrepreneur.

Website Twitter Facebook

21. Neil Patel: A household name to web geeks and entrepreneurs. His business tips are straight from his mouth…err keyboard and have led him to do great work for companies such as AOL, GM, HP (apparently he only works with companies which use initials).

Website Twitter Facebook

22. Brian Powell: Brian could be the reason “widget” becomes a household name. His company Widget Realm builds desktop, web, and mobile interactive widgets. Oh and they are one of the few exclusive developers for Yahoo!’s new TV platform (Yahoo! Connected TV) on Samsung, LG, Sony and Vizio TV’s. He can take your audience from local to international overnight. We use ‘em and love ‘em.

Website Twitter Facebook

23. Josh Salcman: THE virtual nerd. Recent winner of the Olin Cup at Washington University in St. Louis (entrepreneurial competition) is started an online tutoring revolution. Kind of makes me want to rewind the clock to high school…wait no, nevermind, not at all.

Website Twitter Facebook

24. Mark Sawyier: When I was in college, Mark was “that entrepreneur guy.” He was building his company in his dorm room. Remember the name: Off Campus Media. Why? They are going to DOMINATE the world of marketing to college students.

Website Twitter Facebook

25. Dan Schawbel: A personal branding fiend and author of Me 2.0. He will help you harness your own brand and grow it like a weed.

Website Twitter Facebook

26. Robert Scoble: If I want to see what the techies are talking about, I go to their leader. His geekish fame stemmed from his brutally honest blogs while working for Microsoft. Now he is creating passionate communities around innovation.

Website Twitter Facebook

27. Peter Shankman: PR legend and creator of one of my favorite services of all time: Help A Reporter (affectionately known as HARO). Looking to generate buzz for your biz? Peter has you covered…and will also have you laughing all the way (Note: although we did check into it, Peter is not Santa Claus; however, that is still up for debate).

Website Twitter Facebook

28. Ria Sharon: Don’t tell my mom but I often refer to Ria as “My Favorite Mommy” with her Mommy Manual Website. Even if you aren’t a Mom, you can learn from Ria how to create lasting relationships and generally be an awesome, helpful person.

Website Twitter Facebook

29. Jeff and Rich Sloan: The Start-Up Nation guys. Helpful to the core with great advice based on personal experiences for entrepreneurs, small business owners and anyone who wants to start a business.

Website

30. Mari Smith: Another person with a cool accent. Mari is the relationship queen on Facebook. If you thought Facebook was just a tool for college kids to flirt with each other, Mari will give you a wake up call. If you aren’t using it for business…you are missing out on well over 200 million people.

Website Twitter Facebook

31. Ingrid Vanderveldt: On The Road with IV. Part of the Billionaire Girls Club (future women who will be ruling the world), she brings thunderous energy to creative video projects involving entrepreneurs.

Website Twitter

32. Gary Vaynerchuk: Vay-Ner-Chuk has revealed his cards. He isn’t just a wine guru but a business mastermind growing his parent’s liquor shack (seriously a shack) to a 50-million-dollar plus company. His new book Crush It! is already climbing the ranks of Amazon faster than Gary can talk (freaking fast).

Website Twitter Facebook

33. Andrew Warner: Honest and funny. Andrew’s Mixergy is definitely worth checking out. From fun interviews to Andrew’s personal stories of triumph and defeat…you will eat it up with a spoon (fork or knife or your hands work as well).

Website Twitter Facebook

34. Bradley Will: Speaking to young entrepreneurs can be tricky. Bradley does it effortlessly and speaks the lingo of the next generation of great innovators. And his voice makes me feel cooler just listening to him.

Website Twitter Facebook

Bonuses:

35. Kate McEachern: Cupkates: Now THIS is creative. Mobile cupcakes fueled by Twitter. They bake cupcakes. They put them in a van. They drive somewhere random in Northern California. They Tweet out where they are. The people come in droves. They sell out. Rinse, wash, repeat.

Website Twitter Facebook

One extra bonus person: Sarah Merion. She is a digital rockstar-in-training and gets the idea of giving first. Website Twitter Facebook

Oh and you can find me on Twitter, Facebook and Facebook Fan.

Shhhh….advanced review of Gary Vaynerchuk’s Crush It! coming out in October.

Gary is also an upcoming guest on The Rise To The Top this season and epitomizes turning your passions into businesses.

Click below if you want to nab your copy.

Keynote at eWomenNetwork where I had the privilege of being the first male speaker in the chapter history. I hope you find all of the FREE resources mentioned useful for building buzz for your business.

A couple that are mentioned:

Help A Reporter

Media On Twitter

Twitter Search

Blog Search