Ok, it is time to stumbleupon the library and take a break from the daily grind of social media tweets, likes, hoots and +1′s and read a good book.  Classic science fiction will help you to navigate the implications of being “plugged in” to a digital social structure.  These novels will get you thinking about the philosophy of government control, and technological power… did you say cyborg?  Thoughts that might cross your mind are: What are we giving away when we share our identity?  And, what do we gain?

These books might even help you to understand why this relic of an Apple commercial was such of a phenomenon of its time.

Yes, most of these books were written before the internet (and you) were born. However, classics are important keys to understanding the cultural context of our times.  In other words, if you want to sound smart it is a good idea to read a book once in a while.

Sci Fi “Don’t Miss” List:

1984 – By: George Orwell, Published in 1949

If you ever heard of “big brother,” this book started it all!

Brave New World – By: Aldous Huxley, Published in 1932

Illustrates the problems of a society of too much conformity and too many “likes.”

Lathe of Heaven – By: Ursula K. Leguin, Published in 1971

Fascinating book about how dreams shape reality – in fact, change reality.

The Giver – By: Lois Lowry, Published in 1993

Another variation on a theme of individuals getting lost in “sameness” and the importance of memory.

And, of course…

Farenheit 451 – By: Ray Bradbury, Published in 1953

The infamous temperature of book burning… I wonder how much heat is needed to burn a Kindle?

The flickering light of a computer screen.  The glow of a mobile phone illuminating a face in a darkened room.

A picture, a Tweet, a text, an instant message… all ways of relating in a digital world.

Could these be new transitional objects, could the Internet itself be a source of comfort for people who feel continually alienated by life?

In psychology, a transitional object is something a person uses to provide comfort in times of stress.  For example a child might have a blanket, or special toy to carry around so that they don’t feel lonely when their parents are not around.

Is social media a response to the inherent desire for human beings to connect?

When we experience longing for connection – people are becoming more and more accustomed to reaching for a smartphone, visiting a Facebook page, texting a friend, or sharing music or videos online.  We even keep track of each other’s whereabouts with FourSquare and other geo-tagging options.

We also have new ways of social sharing, some visual like Pinterest and some intellectual like Scribd.

Sometimes visiting these sites gives us a clue into our friends thoughts and interests that we might not otherwise see.

The danger is, will we use these tools to enhance our relationships, or be caught up in the digital persona and miss the “real thing.”

All things to be explored, in due time…

There are some things you never get over.

Still, the balm of time softens the sting with the loveliness of new life.

Sweet moments with dear ones rush in to fill the void as hours give way to days and years.

Suddenly you can smile and laugh again and gently the letting go flows into a certain peace…

You find yourself standing in the middle of life knowing you survived the deepest blow.

The gardener tends the garden and does not weep for last year’s blooms but marvels at the continuum of “gardening” and this year’s rich hues.

Yet, there is one flower she always remembers…

I love you Dan.

Looking for the secrets of successful online community building?  Community engagement, online or offline, is nurtured organically over time.  Here are some keys to making it work:

Leadership – There is something about a charismatic leader that captures the attention and imagination of the members of any community.  There are many forms of leadership.  Some people command respect and others work by strengthening bonds within the community.

Leaders of online communities need to be continually aware of tone and presence. One of the drawbacks of “virtual” or online communities is that we lose a lot of the physical cues of communication; this includes mannerisms & gestures, facial expression, voice inflection and overall body language.  It is no wonder that writers have found a home on the internet as bloggers and community leaders, they are fluent in the fine art of written communication. Podcasts, video presentations and pictures are additional ways leaders can communicate a presence online.

Listening – One of the truest signs of a good leader is the ability to listen.  The exciting developments in social interaction in the digital space are based in dialog.  The movement from a one-way, directed communication into a multi-dimensional conversation.

One of the good things about online communication is the ability to listen and respond thoughtfully.  It is important to respond quickly, and also gracefully.  Online conversations give us a little more time to listen, think and then respond.

Reciprocity – Online communities are exciting and engaging when there is a dynamic of give and take.  When you think of successful “offline” communities they are often based in a felt sense of belonging.  We know when we are not only welcome to participate, but invited and encouraged to share a part of ourselves with the larger group.  The same holds true for online community building.  Inviting the contributions of the members will help to sustain and grow engagement.

People like communities that lead to action.  Working on projects, sharing stories, going outside of the community and then reporting back on the experience… these are all ways to increase engagement for online communities.

When leaders take the time to listen to the community, reflect and respond to the membership interactions, and invite participation, they are certain to build strong community engagement online.

There is a lot of talk about personal branding these days.  As a woman involved in the technical end of the marketing world I very aware that I often offer a different perspective, representing feminine gender (often less than 10% of the population at a typical tech gathering.)

Here are some essential characteristics that I believe make a “quality” woman.

Self-confidence is key.

Use your voice to engage in the conversation.  Here is the clincher… think before you speak.  Listen to the conversations around you for a while and get to know the dynamics of the group.  Your perspective will be well received by others if it is well-thought out and relevant to the topic at hand.

Keep comments short, clear, and on point. Be willing to stand up for your point of view and you will be respected for it. Ask clarifying questions and be prepared to learn from the other people in the room. All of these behaviors indicate that you are intelligent and self-confident, willing to learn, and able to synthesize information into new insights.

Authenticity – In other words, “Be real!”

Similar to self-confidence, authentic y shows that you are willing to put yourself out there.  Be proud of what you have to contribute.  I am attracted to people who have a depth of character that goes well beyond the surface of “cocktail party talk”.

Another way to think of authenticity is to consider people who you feel are grounded.  Did you ever notice that there are certain people that you trust because of their sense of stability and calm. If you are truly yourself, you are not hiding behind fancy clothes, status, or pretense – you are in the world for real, and people will respond to you in a positive manner.  People who are authentic exude a sense of warmth and dependability because they become “other focused” instead of wrapped up in their own insecurities.

And, by the way, being authentic means having the ability to admit when you are wrong. I can always recognize an authentic person when they are able to articulate a sincere apology when things go wrong.  I think they are able to do this because they know the world (or their self-esteem) is not going to shatter if they admit to a mistake.  Being real means being able to learn from each circumstance, recognize human frailties, and let it go and move on toward continued growth.

Simplicity

Every quality woman knows that sometimes less is more.   Enough said.

Complexity

On the other hand, quality women are multi-faceted.  It is always interesting to meet women who have a variety of interests and intelligences.  After all, most of us play many roles, from professional businesswoman, to caregiver, to a strong individual in her own right.  Find ways to show your multi-dimensional nature and indicating a little bit of mystery never hurts.

Mutuality

Respect and reciprocity are two very important values in my relationships.  Women have an ability to seek out connections that bring value to each party.  Women are more likely to consider the consequences for each stakeholder in decisions that affect relationships.  To me, life is a lot more fun, when we can work together for the mutual benefit of each other. There is nothing better than a “win-win-win” scenario in my book.

Humor & Delight

My immediate family often jokes that I act like “the queen” of our household.  Maybe this sensibility developed from being the oldest of 5 children, maybe it is just an innate part of my character.  Deep down, I have to admit, I like being a queen in the best sense of the word:  A woman of quality and authority, a woman who holds a hidden treasure of luminous wisdom and delight. And, of course a woman who laughs unabashedly, laughs at the world, laughs at herself and finds joy in the beauty around her.

Observing the variety of personas that women create to “attract” followers on Twitter and other Social Media sites is an interesting exercise.  If you are one of my followers, you will soon recognize that I am a “quality woman”.  I’ll get you good information and respond to positive interactions, and I’ll show you that I have a great sense of humor. That’s my personal brand, and I’m sticking to it!

Milwaukee Social Media Conference

As the founder of Integrated Marketing Think Tank I am proud to announce our first live event for internet marketing and social media training on February 23, 2010.

Think Tank Live! Milwaukee 2010, Search Marketing and Social Media Summit at the Country Springs Hotel, 2810 Golf Road, Waukesha, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Great Speakers, sourced from IM Think Tank!

Our speakers include an array of experienced digital marketing professionals from the Milwaukee and Chicago areas who will provide content rich programs that are useful for today’s business leaders, marketers, and communications specialists.

Seminar Focus:

The seminar will focus on educating people on how to utilize internet marketing and social media to drive strategic business results, increase profits, and lower costs.

Tickets:

$225 until Feb. 18 and $275 dollars at the door. For more information or to register visit the Think Tank Live! website at http://www.thinktanklive.com.

Search & Social Media

This week, I attended the Chicago SEO MeetUp led by Bryson Meunier a Chicago-based SEO Consultant.  If you are serious about internet marketing and search engine optimization this is the place to go. These are guys who are working in the field professionally and who make it their business to keep up with the daily influx of changes in the world of internet marketing.

We had a great conversation about the relationship between Social Media and SEO, well… at least that was how it started. Someone asked the group why there seems to be tension surrounding the words “Social Media” vs. “SEO” in the room.

Social Media is a trendy catch phrase.

This led to an insightful discussion about how “Social Media” has become the trendy catch phrase that everyone knows they want and are desperate to get.  But, no one knows who to trust to get it.  This is largely because there are so many self-proclaimed social media experts. In truth, it is difficult to identify who can really provide useful information about how to use social media as part of a strategic marketing plan.

As the discussion evolved, it was clear that they are not so much against “Social Media” as they are concerned that a lot of the potential is being lost because there is so much bad information out there. There are tried and true marketing & business practices that can help to frame social media as a part of a strategic plan. As professionals, these guys have a lot of experience in internet marketing.  And, over the years, they have developed insight into how the internet works.

Looking at the big picture.

David Dalka, a business keynote speaker on online marketing strategy and management consulting, holds a global view about social media.  He is able to step back and identify issues that are important for C-level executives to consider. For example, David talked about the fact that social networks are free to change their terms of service at any time. If a company is investing a significant amount of time and money into that platform, they do so at a great risk, and they need to be aware of that risk. He emphasized that you only own your terms of service on your own domain.

Mert Sahinoglu, an integrated marketing specialist is concerned that companies are missing the boat because people are spending so much time in the social end of things, and not realizing the potential of using these new technologies to create valuable solutions for businesses.  He says is not about how to get onto Twitter, it is about how to integrate social media as a part of an overall business strategy to create new communication channels and revenue streams.

The conversation was lively and engaging.  Quality content for a MeetUp group that costs $1.00 to attend. The guys also took questions from the participants whose experience ranged from novice to the intermediate level, giving quick tips and helpful advice on individual projects. It is amazing, because I always learn something new at these meetings. So thanks guys, keep up the good work, you will make an SEO & Social Media expert out of me yet!

Social media seems to be the catch phrase for the explosion of new communication tools available on the internet. These new technologies expand both our personal reach and access to information. It seems we are on the threshold of a new form of communication; moving from linear thought to spherical thinking, from face to face dialog to multi-dimensional conversation.

To illustrate this one only needs to look at the difference between e-mail communication and Twitter.  E-mail is direct person to person communication. It is private, for the most part, and mimics traditional letter-writing.  There is an e-mail address, and the sender and recipient.  The line of communication flows directly between the two.

Twitter, on the other hand, is public.  Each tweet is a “shout out” from one person into the public realm.  Additional tools like TweetDeck allow us to view a continuous feed of tweets from the people we follow, as well as keep track of our closest friends and personal mentions.  And, even though the tweets come and go in a somewhat linear form, they are more like blinking lights of information on the wheel of friends and followers.

One of the fascinating things about Twitter communication is the amount of information that we don’t see, and it doesn’t really matter.  If we miss a few tweets, it is no big deal.  But, we come to recognize the people who give us good information – we sample this information, videos, pictures, blog posts, news articles, personal thoughts and anecdotes, etc…  in a sort of random process.  After all, the original messages were not directly intended for us.  But, in a strange way, this helps us to filter out the overload of information on the internet, and we share or re-tweet good information.

This, I believe, is what is so exciting about social media. We are discovering new ways to distribute and process information.

What are some of the implications of this form of communication?

Can we call it evolution? Internet consciousness? Do these new tools help or hinder human relationships? Who gets a voice? And, who doesn’t?  These are all questions to ponder… while we are touching the global brain.