learning and career growth through social media

Dan Stuart

Learning & Career Growth through Social MediaDon’t be the “looking for a job” person

Copyright (c) Dan Stuart 2009

• Formerly:• Chief Possibility Officer at Bayt.com• Director at Intilaq • English Department Head, AIS Kuwait• High School Teacher• Ski & Snowboard Instructor• Mountain Bike Guide• Swimming Pool Builder

• M.Ed from U of Toronto• Honours B.A. in History and English Literature

So why should we listen to this guy?


• Currently:• Founder & CEO at GoNabit.com

• Pioneering social commerce and group buying in the MENA region in order to grow a globally successful online institution.

So why should we listen to this guy?


Progression:

• So what do Publishers

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brandSo what is a

and how is it created?


…a logo?


…a classical ad?


…or a creative image or positioning?



From Procter & Gamble


From Marty Neumeier

Think of a brand – like your MBA program: write a BPS

and why do I need one?


BPS: succinct description of the core target audience to whom a brand is directed, and a compelling picture of how the marketer wants them to view the brand.

For (target audience), (brand name) is the (frame of reference) that delivers (benefit/point of difference) because only (brand name) is (reason to believe).

Criteria for Evaluating a Positioning Statement



1. Is it memorable, motivating and focused to the core prospect?

2. Does it provide a clear, distinctive and meaningful picture of the brand that differentiates it from the competition?

3. Can the brand own it? 4. Is it credible and believable?5. Does it enable growth?6. Does it serve as a filter for brand

decision-making?

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brandSo that’s a

then…?


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Nope!


A brand is what WE say it is!


Brands can define it’s “BPS” and use that to shape their internal and external messages,

BUT

brands are defined by how they live and present this message,

AND

how WE perceive this message.

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Ok, fine…but that’s it right…?


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Ok, fine…but that’s it right…?


then Social MediaARRIVES!

It’s how people engage, participate, and share online…

WHAT IS SOCIAL MEDIA?

It’s how people engage, participate, and share online…

… the experiences they leave behind

… and the shared meaning they create.

It’s…• 100,000,000 videos on YouTube• 4,000,000 articles on Wikipedia• 200,000,000 blogs• 3,000,000,000 tweets on twitter• 200,000,000 people on Facebook each month

Ask Yourself: Do you use Social Media?

WhenHowWith WhoWhereWhy

Social Media Certainly Has Its Challenges:

• Companies have to overcome their fear.

• This is a different kind of marketing.

• It starts with the community inside.

• Social media advocates are over-zealous.

• Consumers are suffering from social media fatigue.

COMMUNIC

ATION

Action plan?

Here’s the plan:


1. Research before engaging/connecting2. Determine Goals3. Personal or Branded Profile4. Build Equity and Credibility5. Track Metrics6. Less Structure is Better7. Listen and Observe Before Engaging8. Be Authentic9. Track, Measure, Iterate10.Don’t Just Strategize, Execute

Progression:


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personal brand

So what is a


Personal branding is the process whereby people and their careers are marked (and marketed) as brands. ttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_branding

personal brand statement

So what exactly is an

?

Remember our brands? Same Thing…



A positioning statement is a succinct description of the core target audience to whom a brand is directed, and a compelling picture of how the marketer wants them to view the brand.

Position Yourself:Describe yourself – no, position your personal brand – in 140 characters or less.

GO!

Criteria for Evaluating a Positioning Statement



1. Is it memorable, motivating and focused to the core prospect?

2. Does it provide a clear, distinctive and meaningful picture of the brand that differentiates it from the competition?

3. Can the brand own it? 4. Is it credible and believable?5. Does it enable growth?6. Does it serve as a filter for brand

decision-making?

personal brand How do you build a

?

Are there best practices?

What are the best practices for a conversation? What about for a relationship?

You can read books, attend seminars, but it all comes back to…

who you are and who they are. There is one best practice to which there is no

exception…

BE REAL

Do I need a plan…(?)

Yes. Because showing up is not enough

And No. But start. Join and engage

Are you ready to listen …Be valuable and meaningful

But be ready to talk AND listen

Be everywhere

Follow the thought-leaders to become one

…Reach out to your community

…Find ways to ignite conversation

Show what you know

Remember to be a great party host

Extend your reach beyond the web

Network for mutual benefit

Start now…


• Tune your Facebook account• Get on Twitter• Check lists on TweetDeck – follow• Post, comment and engage• Create/boost your blog• Present yourself on SlideShare• Start following thought-leaders by

searching Technorati and using Google Readeer

• Use your blog to build a PLE

This becomes more difficult as you add more channels…

Broadcast

Listen

Broadcast

Listen

Broadcast

Listen

Broadcast

Listen

And this can become even more difficult…

Broadcast

ListenLearn

Broadcast

ListenLearn

Broadcast

ListenLearn

Broadcast

ListenLearn

Personal Learning Environment

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• What is social media – define terms x x x




Noisy?

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Not all fun?

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Still too noisy?



Try this…

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Your own Personal Learning Environment:

• Use current social sites• Mix in some more - discover• Self-cast, listen and learn• Record micro-learnings• Reflect and document learnings• Document achievements

• You win: you learn• We win: you add (meaningfully) to the

knowledge collective

Let’s remind ourselves of the plan:


1. Research before engaging/connecting2. Determine Goals3. Personal or Branded Profile4. Build Equity and Credibility5. Track Metrics6. Less Structure is Better7. Listen and Observe Before Engaging8. Be Authentic9. Track, Measure, Iterate10.Don’t Just Strategize, Execute

Start now…


• Tune your Facebook account• Get on Twitter• Check lists on TweetDeck – follow• Post, comment and engage• Create/boost your blog• Present yourself on SlideShare• Start following thought-leaders by

searching Technorati and using Google Readeer

• Use your blog to build a PLE



My Final Thoughts…

You need to start learning other areas of the business, while mastering a specialty

Become a Generalist AND a Specialist

Don't be the: Be the:looking for a job person I'm doing interesting things person

If you're busy doing things that matter to you/reward you, you're not only unique but you're also interesting.

It might also help you better define the behaviors you want to engage in vs. the inert, static job description you otherwise might have thought you wanted.

Finally, doing what you're supposed to do will land you right in the middle of the pack of all the other people doing exactly the same things.


Start selling

Case in point


…me

Dan Stuart

Founder & CEO – [email protected]

twitter.com/gonabit

twitter.com/danstuartwww.danstuart.me

learning and career growth through social media

Self Improvement

text hereprogression

brand decisionmaking

social mediadont

social commerce

finebut thats

core target audience

successful online institution

meaningful picture