Posts tagged as:

tweetchat

Why I Quit Klout

by Daria Steigman on November 21, 2011

Klout, Social Media, Influence, Independent ThinkingI no longer have Klout.

I’m not sure what pushed me over the edge. Maybe it was the endless notifications urging me to urge my friends to sign up. Or the incessant efforts to get me to link to my Facebook account. Or the fact that it was so easy to game–and I don’t even like gaming.

Maybe it was the day Klout told me I’d lost my influence over @MagicPeaceLove (aka, my brother).

Guess what Klout? I can quit you.

Here’s the thing about influence: You can’t measure it with an algorithm. Computers can filter data, but you still need humans to provide the context.

Chuck Hemann led a terrific #socialmedia discussion on this topic recently. The transcript is here, and there’s some good food for thought in the tweet steam.

Do you have Klout? Why or why not?

Photo by Meg Wills (Flickr).

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Can a Personal Brand Coexist Within a Corporate Ecosystem?

by Daria Steigman on August 9, 2011

personal branding, business, social media, Independent Thinking, Steigman Communications, llcLove it, hate it, or deny it exists, personal branding is a hot topic.  And it’s going to be THE topic today for #sm122, a weekly tweet chat around the business of social media.

Join me at 12 noon EST as I host a conversation around personal branding. We’ll explore:

1. Personal branding — good idea or bad idea?

2. Can a personal brand coexist within a corporate ecosystem? Can your stars be stars and keep your brand intact?

3. Is it okay for companies to ban their employees from blogging?

4. Should companies have a succession plan around star employees?

Before diving in, I recommend reading Jonny Bentwood’s excellent post on Forrester’s decision last year to ban its staff from having personal blogs.

Looking forward to the conversation. And, as always, feel free to leave your two cents in the comments below.

UPDATE: The transcript of the tweet chat is posted here.

Photo by J.D. Hancock (Flickr).

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Whose Privacy?

by Daria Steigman on June 15, 2011

Whose Privacy, social media, Steigman Communications, Independent ThinkingA colleague e-mailed me the other day to warn me:

Perhaps you aren’t aware, or care, but when I was trying to change my privacy settings, I noticed something about you… Your [Gmail] contact listing showed all your tweet history. I went to “Dashboard” scrolled down to “Social Circle and Content.” Your name was shown as the only one with content and then the listings. I guess that is what tweeting is about.

I just thought this might be a privacy issue for you as well because other contacts can also see it if they have Gmail?

I really appreciate that she cared enough to e-mail me (and I immediately said  ”thank you” and tried to explain why I was okay with this). But I was struck by the fact that this had raised a red flag. After all, I knew Gmail was rolling out  a new social connectivity feature–and I already use the very robust Rapportive to keep tabs on my contacts’ online activities.

But that’s me, and many of the people in my network.

And it wasn’t this person, or most of the people in her social and professional circles.

It’s useful to be reminded that the online world is still pretty small. We tweet, we tweetchat, and we put our “public-private” lives out there. To me, the only difference between doing this on Twitter and doing it at a conference or a cocktail party is the bigger paper trail.

But lots of people haven’t dipped their toes in. So we have work to do.

Photo by Lel4nd (Flickr).

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How Much Is a Referral Worth?

by Daria Steigman on April 25, 2011

How Much is a Referral Worth? business, branding, ethics, There was an interesting discussion on the SoloPR tweet chat last week about discounting services. Specifically:

As a new SoloPR [pro], would you give a big discount to a client who offers to or does actively help you grow your business?

If you read this blog regularly, you know my position on discounting. I want referrals from my clients because they value my work, not because my rates are malleable. And any quid pro quo that involves money changing hands (directly, or indirectly via a “discount”) will always make me uneasy. Or, as I tweeted:

This is a biz philosophy issue too. I believe referrals should happen “because”–not “because I’m getting something in return.”

Plus, as one person pointed out, “once you offer a discount, odds are you will never return to your full rate.”

While some people echoed my position on this, others did not. Several people said they would offer a discount–or had done so in the past. One person said that he might do it, but advised setting a scope or time limit. Another say, “Yes to discounts. When you’re new, money shouldn’t be your main concern. Getting your brand out there should be.”

Sorry, still not a fan of this model. There are lots of ways to thank clients. Cheapening your brand isn’t one of them.

Photo by Bixentro (Flickr).

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What’s Your Favorite Tweet Chat?

by Daria Steigman on April 19, 2011

Tweet Chat, Social Media, Independent Thinking, Steigman Communications llcTweet chats* can be a great way to connect with your online community, make serendipitous connections–and learn a lot too.

My favorite tweet chats:

  • Hashtag Social Media, which was started by my friend Marc Meyer. It’s all about social business (emphasis on business). And smart people sharing what they know and thinking through what comes next. (It runs on Tuesdays from 12 noon-1 p.m. EST.)
  • SoloPR, which  is built around a community of small business PR, marketing, and communications professionals on Twitter. It is sometimes about PR, sometimes about business basics. I don’t always find the topics relevant to me–but I love the comaraderie that host Kellye Crane has created. (It runs on Wednesdays from 1-2 p.m. EST.)

I’ve also been trying lately to make it onto Marketing Profs Profschat (Fridays from 12 noon-1 p.m. EST) when I can.

There are several other great tweet chats, including a couple that are scheduled after hours when I’m disengaged from the office. Though I’ve been known to lurk around blogchat (Sundays nights) on occasion.

What’s your favorite tweet chat?

*For the uninitiated, tweet chats are organized conversations, on Twitter, around a defined topic. Each one has a hashtag (# sign) to make it searchable as the hour ticks by. Just picture 100 or 1,000 people in a room all talking to a host and each other, spreading ideas and/or shouting out stuff they just heard that’s worth sharing with their wider audiences. Get the idea?

Photo by Shannon Kringen (Flickr).

Have you signed up to receive the Independent Thinking newsletter? Now’s the time! Once a month I’ll send you exclusive, subscriber-only content highlighting interesting articles I’ve found, as well as tips on marketing, social media, and how to grow your business. Sign up today!

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