********My new column in Women's Post Magazine.*************
How it was …
The defining moment …
How it will be …
How it was …
A few months ago, ‘Social
Media’ was a foggy acronym for internet dialogue. I had used Facebook to
reconnect with old classmates and distant family members. I even created a LinkedIn page, after being
peppered with connect requests from business colleagues. I did not, however, blog, Tweet,
Insta-anything, Pinterest or utilize any social media tools to promote my
business interests. Not until I was
given a little push.
At a family dinner, my
cousin was surprised to learn I was blog-less.
“Who better to blog than a Mompreneur who is also a writer?” That little push got me sliding toward my
first blog.
The defining moment …
After decades of business writing,
my creative writing skills needed refreshing.
Three of my short stories were published through traditional channels. I needed a medium that offered full control
over the topics and style. More
importantly, I wanted the ability to collect valuable feedback quickly. Blogging seemed to make sense, but how did it
differ from any other website content?
‘Blogging’ has a number of official definitions.
The name ‘blog’ comes from the
term ‘web log’, suggesting a journal of
topical content on the internet. Over
time,
blogging
has morphed into a form of business content marketing, enabling low cost
promotion of a company’s products and/or
services.
I began writing the blog to explore
my voice as a writer, and gauge if blogging could become a new stream of
revenue. In the planning process, I asked
myself some key questions:
1. What
do I have to say?
2. Who
cares?
3. How
do I reach them?
From researching other blogs, it
became clear that I needed social media skills to pull readers to my content. ‘Going social’ would not only be critical to
create a solid blog following, but an absolute requirement to return to my
corporate marketing roots. I was
surprised to learn about management positions called “CSO=chief social officer”
and “SMM=social media manager”. These
titles did not exist a decade ago when I was director of sales and marketing
for a software company.
How it will be …
I began a strategy to create a
social media presence. It is scary to
dive into the unknown, especially on the internet, where words live forever in
a cloud of privacy settings that can be particular and confusing. I’m focused on the knowledge that taking a
risk can also be exhilarating and rich in rewards. Throughout my career I followed the mantra “better
to make a mistake and learn than do nothing at all”. There can be no result without action.
It’s time for me to dive it and ‘get social’. My decades of sales and marketing knowhow are
extremely valuable, but knowledge is stagnant without action. I take a deep breath; press my palms together
and …. I-go-social.
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