#5in5 - Who should I add to my network and how? Five in Five series

It is a good idea to start your networking with those that you know and those that you trust (and those that trust you!). Your address book is an excellent place to start.

If you use a hosted email/address book product, such as GMail, AOL Mail or Yahoo Mail, many of the social networking systems have an auto-import feature to invite those that are not yet members of their network to become your "friend".

If you use an email/address book system based on your computer, you will first need to do some housecleaning. You can then either manually go through and add people to each of your networks (we have a tool to help you - download HERE), or once your address book is updated, you can export your address book to one of the hosted email products so that you may use the auto-import feature.

Whatever your situation, don't attempt to do your updates all in one sitting. Lay out a realistic game plan and work on it for a minimum of 5 minutes per day (if you have a large address book, it may take more than 5 minutes a day, so allocate your time realistically). In any event, it should not take you more than 20 business days. I guarantee that it will feel good when you are done!

Today's five steps in five minutes will move you closer to taking full advantage of the social grid in your networking:

1. Book time on your own calendar for the next 20 business days to go through each letter of the alphabet and decide who to add to what network (you can combined some letters such as E-F, I-J, O-P-Q, U-V and X-Y-Z).
   
2. In your Facebook account (and yes, we do recommend that you use Facebook for all of your network needs) set up different lists for each type of relationship (e.g. business, former co-workers, real life friends, prospects, friends of friends, school friends, family, etc.). Go to Friends page and Create New List for each category. Then when you invite people from your cleaned up "A" list tomorrow, you'll be able to classify them!
3. If you use Twitter, then consider using a product like Tweetdeck.com to separate the people that you follow into groups. I have a list for my "real friends" and my "real colleagues" versus those that I don't know firsthand.
4. Choose at least one business oriented network, such as LinkedIn or Plaxo, particularly if you are in transition. Make sure you list your full work history, particularly in Plaxo, as they will search your past companies automatically for you to see if you want to connect with former colleagues. I list all the companies that I have consulted for as well as those that I worked for (with Consulting Advisor as the title).
5. Write down your starting network numbers for each of your networks at the beginning of this project and see how far you advance your network at the end of 20 days!
   

Once you've taken these preparation step, mark the calendar for 20 business days out and check the size of your networks then!

SPAM - The Icon

#5in5 - Workflow tips for Social Networking Success - Five in Five series

Today's tips are really just common sense. When it comes right down to it, success usually relies on just executing what you know is right.

1. First thing in the morning, open your favorite browser.
2. Open separate tabs for the social media tools that you are committed to using faithfully
3. Set up a time on your calendar every day and book it as you would a meeting to update each one of the platforms (e.g. 8am - 815am Facebook, 815am - 830am LinkedIn, etc.)
4. Use your time to post/repost/retweet, to add a few new friends/connections. Honor the time commitment in your calendar so that you don't get "sucked" in. If you need more time for one component (e.g. writing a new blog or recording a video), then set aside a special amount of time or even a special day for that activity.
5. Perform at least one random act of social media kindness (write a recommendation, compliment someone else on something they have written).

Chicke Fitzgerald | founder | Solutionz Media

#5in5 Stratospheric social media tips - Five in Five series

The Go-Giver is a gem of a book, written by John David Mann and Bob Burg. The book outlines 5 laws of stratospheric success. Law #3 of The Go-Giver is The Law of Influence, which says, “Your influence is determined by how abundantly you place other people’s interests first.”

So today's five in five series outlines 5 ways that you can place other's interests before your own. Random acts of social media if you will!

If you don't have the accounts that I refer to in each action, create one and link to some friends and colleagues on each!

1. Go to Linked in and write Recommendations for 3 of your friends or colleagues.
2. Visit a blog on a topic that you are passionate about (http://blogsearch.google.com/) and write a comment on one of the posts.
3. Watch a video on YouTube and if you like it, take the time to say something nice in the comments about the video (if you need a headstart, try www.youtube.com/chickefitz)
4. Re-tweet someone's post on Twitter
5. When you accept an invitation on Facebook, take the time to recommend some other people that they should link to.

Here's a secret - if you do this for 30 days, I guarantee you that you will see stratospheric benefits!

Twitter Basics - Get on the Social Graph, Catch the Buzz

Have you been hearing the buzz about Twitter? Is the Pope Catholic?

If you have been afraid that Twitter will suck you in and you will become the man on the commercial "tweeting" about sitting on the deck with his teenage children rolling their eyes, watch this video and get some ideas on how this micro-blogging tool can help you grow your network, your reputation, your brand, your business.

#5in5 Social Media Five in Five™ for newbies

For the uninitiated in Social Media (or Word of Mouth Media as we like to call it), all of the various platforms and tools can be overwhelming. You have accounts on LinkedIn and perhaps Plaxo and maybe even Facebook. But you do not yet have a strategy for how to make them work for you to further your reputation, your brand, your company or your career.

So for those that have not ventured out into the blogosphere or who do not yet Tweet your every thought, here is where to start. While this one may take more than 5 minutes, it will be worth the investment. Set yourself a time goal and schedule time into your calendar to get established with the right foundation.

1. YOUR LOOK - Find (or take) a photo of yourself that you like - I favor outside shots with foliage or flowers in the back with a natural pose. No mug shots or standing in front of a blank wall and please please don't crop a photo of you standing with someone else. Dress according to what you want to be doing. If you want to teach surfing, a photo with a suit and tie probably isn't appropriate.Use that photo for every site you are registered on so that you are "recognizable". It becomes a part of your brand.
2. YOUR MONIKER - Decide on a name that you will use throughout the social grid and try to stick with that as your username. I started in the early 90s on AOL as chickefitz as my screename and I use that as my name throughout the social grid for sites that don't allow me to use my full name. Consistency helps you remember and others will begin to recognize your moniker.
3. TAGLINE - Think about a 3-5 word phrase that describes who you are and what you do (not your title, but what you can accomplish for someone). I use "The Connector and Growth Coach" as my tagline.
4. YOUR PROFILE - Now this you may want to modify from site to site. But I recommend writing one profile description to use as a starting point.
5. YOUR CORE SITE(S) - You can't tackle the entire Social Grid in one day. Decide on one or two core sites that you will focus on initially to begin your social media journey. If you haven't touched your profile on your "core" sites recently, review them and make sure that they say what you want to say and will accomplish your goals.

Be kind to yourself. Give yourself permission to work on this and to lay a proper foundation for your journey. It can be fun. There is a lot to learn!

Stay tuned!

DIGG - If you love me let me know

Check out DIGG Basics on YouTube, courtesy of Word of Mouth Media's five in five™

#5in5 DIGG Five in Five™

Today's Five in Five™ lays out five social media strategies that you can execute in five minutes using social bookmarking tool, DIGG.

1. Link your DIGG profile to your Facebook account, if you haven't already done so) by going into Profile, Settings, Facebook Connect.
   
2. Go into your PROFILE on DIGG (Profile, Settings, Customize Topics) and filter your favorite topics to make the home page results more relevant.
   
3. On your PROFILE page, click on FRIEND's ACTIVITY and DIGG one of the items (news, images or videos) posted by them.
   
4. On the HOME page of DIGG, click on POPULAR and find 3 stories that appeal to you and DIGG them
5. Sign up for the Best of DIGG (promoted on most every page of DIGG)

To learn more about DIGG basics and strategy,

#5in5 Twitter Five in Five™

Today's Word of Mouth Media Five in Five™ list is for Twitter™.

1. Look at the Twitter Trending Topics in the right margin on the Twitter page and follow someone that posted something interesting on a topic that intrigues you.
2. Retweet a post from a good friend
3. Search for your own name or company name in http://www.search.twitter.com and see what folks are saying. If no one is talking about you, check back in a week after using Twitter Five in Five™ and see if anything changes.
4. Thank someone that retweeted one of your posts
5. Using @ and the person's name, acknowledge several people that followed you recently

Word of Mouth Media™ launches Five in Five™

Participating in social media doesn't have to be time consuming.

There are some very simple things that you can do each day to further your social media strategy that will take less than 5 minutes.

Today Word of Mouth media launched "Five in Five™" or in Twitter parlance #5in5. The goal is to outline five social media strategies that can be done in just five minutes a day.

Whether you are trying to increase positive word of mouth activity about you or your company, getting on the social grid really boils down to regular activity (daily if possible) that:

• avoids the two bottom rungs of the Relationship Ladder, SPAM and NOISE and
  
• works toward relationship and engagement.
  

Understanding the importance of both relationship and engagement in social media is critical to being able to create the strategy that is right for you.

Join our Facebook Fan page and contribute your ideas for Five in Five.

Twitter - Self-expression is liberating

So who doesn't want to be liberated? I know that isn't a word that is used often these days, unless you are in jail in the Ivory Coast (can you tell that I watched Blood Diamond this week?). Or perhaps you are reminiscing the 70's and what it was like for a woman to actually get a full time job and to open doors for men if she felt like it.

But I'm not talking about breaking out of jail or women's lib. I'm talking about letting out the thoughts that are trapped inside your head, or even more, your heart. Taking off your shoes after a healthy rain and going for a walk and then letting the description of that walk make it out of your experience and into the blogosphere.

Well, I didn't go for a walk in the rain, but this week I published my first business book, Bootstrap Business, and I can tell you that getting to express yourself in print, along with the likes of Tom Hopkins (The Art of Selling), John Christensen (Fish!) and Jack Canfield (Chicken Soup for the Soul) is heady stuff!

When the UPS man arrived with the 15 cases of books, it was all I could do not to kiss and hug him. I settled for giving him an autographed copy of the book! After that, what was the first thing that I did? Well of course, I published that "walk after the rain" moment. On Twitter.

So why Twitter? How liberating can 140 characters be?

Well, truth be known, it wasn't just Twitter. I use Ping.fm to reach the thousands that follow me on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Plaxo and other popular social media platforms. It is all about Word of Mouth after all. And I wanted to shout on the housetops that my book was finally out! And 140 characters was enough.

But now, with a little more time on my hands (and some background work in place), I now move on to the blog behind the Tweet strategy of sharing my excitement about my book and linking to a little more information than just talking about hugging the UPS man to my network.

So the story behind the story is that there was groundwork that needed to be put down before I could take it further than just a simple Tweet. Now I have stepped back and deployed what I have learned in my social media immersion training over the past 6 months and have created a Facebook fan page for the book (which I dutifully shortened to www.tinyurl.com/fbbootstrapbusiness). I of course Tweeted about that. I posted the press release on numerous sites and Tweeted about that. Yesterday we put my book on Amazon (another thrill) and of course, am Tweeting about that. And tomorrow, I will do a couple of videos and will of course, Tweet about that. And then comes the article marketing strategy. You get the picture.

So, is Twitter the power behind the liberation? I vote yes. At least as the first step in my overall book promotion strategy! More on the other components as the week progresses!

Bootstrap Business is ready to ship!

September 3, 2009 SEVIERVILLE, TENNESSEE — In the summer of 2008, Chicke Fitzgerald, consultant, keynote speaker and author, was selected from a nationwide search to be featured in Bootstrap Business; a highly successful book series from Tennessee based Insight Publishing. The book is now available for sale (http://www.solutionz.com/publications.asp).

The book features best-selling authors Tom Hopkins (How to Master the Art of Selling), Jack Canfield (One Minute Manager), and John Christensen (FISH!). Chicke Fitzgerald, Hopkins, Canfield, and Christensen are joined by other well known authors and speakers, each offering time-tested strategies for success in frank and intimate interviews.

As the founder and CEO of Tampa-based Solutionz Group, Chicke Fitzgerald has spent the last 13 years solving business growth challenges for corporations, nurturing early-stage companies and coaching top executives and entrepreneurs around the globe.

With 30+ years in the travel industry, Chicke is a recognized authority on distributions models, whose expert perspective is frequently sought by the investment community and media. Fitzgerald is currently affiliated with the Gerson Lehman Group and has been among the top investment advisors for the internationally renowned GLG Expert Network™.

She is also passionate about helping others master the use of technology and social media to foster growth through her Solutionz Media division. Since January of 2009 she has interviewed more than 150 authors and experts on her Solutionz Live! show on BlogTalkRadio.com and on the Executive Girlfriends' Group (http://www.executivegirlfriendsgroup.com).

When she is not coaching, speaking or consulting, Chicke enjoys spending time with her family in Tampa, Florida. She also dedicates time, energy and resources to a local organization known as Real Estate Lives, mentoring displaced employees hard hit by the mortgage banking crisis and working with the organization’s leadership to build a similar model for other industries and communities to replicate.

To discuss speaking opportunities with Chicke Fitzgerald and to order your copy of Bootstrap Business, contact:

Chicke Fitzgerald | 813-925-0789 | chicke@solutionz.com or visit www.solutionz.com