Google_ for Business_ How Google's Social Network Changes Everything - Chris Brogan [42]
Professional Speaker or Thought Leader
For those professional speakers and thought leaders who want to get potential clients via social networks such as Google+, what helps people select you is a blend of traits. People want to know that you’re professional. They want to know that you’re intelligent. They might want to know that you’re personable, or at least what type of personality you have. They probably wouldn’t mind seeing if what you share is interesting to them and their business needs.
Be willing to share more of your personality than your serious side, though. I see business consultants and professionals throw up their avatars in their best suit or dress, sharing only specific and pertinent information. It doesn’t hurt to show a bit of your lighter side. Following are some guidelines:
• If you’re a blogger, share your best posts, maybe not all your posts. If people subscribe to your blog, they probably won’t want the double-dip of you sharing it with them.
• Post YouTube videos of your speeches or seminars. Seeing you in action is a great way to lure people into wanting to hire you for work. Be sure to post a link to your contact page when posting a video, so that they don’t just watch and comment.
• Share other people’s posts that are pertinent to your main industry. There’s an importance to this step. If you post only your own items or posts about how great you are, it comes off that way, and people don’t want that. They want you to seem like a participant in the conversation, not a solo act.
A professional in this category might post three to five times a day, and paying attention to the comments is also important. Getting people back to your main site or blog is equally important. Having all the conversation on the social network robs your blog of potential social proof, meaning that comments that normally would show up on your blog posts will live on Google+, and that’s not your real estate.
One last thought to professionals seeking to drum up connections on Google+: As you consider your sharing and posting strategy, be sure to keep that mix of off-topic material in there. The moment you seem like a “stuffed shirt,” you’ll find more resistance to what you do choose to share. It just happens that way.
Writer, Photographer, and Artist
Many “tribes” of creatives use Google+ to the fullest. Photographers share many of their works because the platform has nice aesthetics for sharing and a simple commenting system. Writers share bits of upcoming projects and also seek advice or pointers to research information. Artists connect with all kinds of new people who appreciate their work. In all cases, I’d recommend posting items in the following categories:
• Share what you can of upcoming projects. Even if you’re sworn to secrecy, showing a few photos or a quick video clip of you at the drawing board can excite. You might not think it’s exciting because you’re used to sitting there working for hours and hours, but others might get a thrill.
• Post quick video interviews talking about whatever you can about your methods, your styles, your influences, and so on.
• Start a Hangout and invite people in to ask you questions. (At the time I was writing this part of the book, I noticed that comics and film writer Greg Pak was taking questions in a simple text post. I thought of just how much more fun it would be to do as a video Hangout.)
• Post questions for research, and maybe even invite people to contribute to projects, if it makes sense. Collaborations via this medium are quite easy and potentially full of exciting new possibilities