It seems crazy that just a year ago I began blogging. It all began with a short post that shows exactly how little I knew about the journey that lied ahead.

Candidly when I started blogging I had no idea….

No idea that I’d have ANY readers (except for my mom and dad, they were kind of shoe-ins).

No idea that I’d enjoy writing.

No idea how much I’d learn about myself through the process of writing.

No idea that I’d meet many fascinating folks from all around the world.

No idea that I’d find myself energized by dorky things like talking blogging strategy with friends and colleagues.

No idea how encouraged I’d be by practical strangers.

No idea how that I’d learn to live more as a result of putting myself out there here.

No idea that something so simple would change my life.

But it has.

Blogging has changed my life. It has changed me.

And so I wanted to take a moment to let you know that at I am grateful for each one of you.

Thank you for reading. Thank you for commenting. Thank you for inspiring me to keep on.

This spring when I started blogging, I had the simple goal of having a place to put my thoughts down in written form to make sense of them. (I discovered that sometimes in written form they still don’t make a lot of sense.)

Yet today I find myself completely immersed in this Web 2.0 world. Not because I am naive enough to think people care what I have to say or because I need to bring order to my random thoughts but because of something entirely different. Because of community.

I blog, I facebook, and I twitter as a way to interact with friends, old and new. I want to hear what they have to say, I want to find out what they think, I want to discover what they are doing (and sometimes eating), and I want to encourage them in their walk. Because they encourage me in mine.

If you are navigating this Web 2.0 world and you aren’t in it for the community, you are missing out, big time. If you are after followers or subscribers but not looking for friends, you will never fully embrace the power of social media.

This week, I would encourage you to take time out of your day to cultivate community online. Strive to be about something more than yourself, strive to be about engaging with and encouraging others. You will not regret it.

It is this easy:

1. Comment on a blog post. One thing I have learned since blogging is that comments mean everything. Everything. Comments mean that people are out there reading what I have to say. Let someone know you are out there listening and that you care what they have to say.
2. Retweet. If you read something you like and you think it will be helpful for someone else, take a minute to RT it. Use your influence to share links, blog posts, and thoughts that you found insightful. It will not go unnoticed.
3. Call out some of your favorite tweeps on #FollowFriday. I went through a long hiatus where I didn’t participate in #FollowFriday because I thought it was kind of stupid. But last week I realized that anytime someone included me in their #FollowFriday list it would put a little bounce in my step. Yep, it is that easy to brighten my day. And so from now on I am not going let a Friday pass without spreading some #FollowFriday love.

What are other easy and practical ways that you cultivate community online?

Here are just a few things that she shared that surprised me:

• Southwest Airlines began their blog, Nuts About Southwest, as a means of filling the gap that was left by the end of the short-lived reality show, “Airline.” The show appealed to abroad audience by allowing viewers an inside the heart of the airline.  They surprisingly found that the show lead to increased brand engagement, job applicants, and even revenue. And with its cancellation, they needed to find another way to authentically engage their customers. Enter blog.
• Nuts About Southwest is written by a broad mix of employees who have only 3 simples rules to stick to: 1. Write about things they are passionate about. 2. Write when they feel like it. 3. Make it personal.
• Nuts About Southwest is the anchor of all Southwest’s social media efforts. It is a hub for their other social media channels, You Tube, Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, and Linked In.
• Southwest’s Emerging Media Team consists of 7 employees, each of which acts as a “Channel Owner” focusing primarily on what is happening within that Social Media channel.
• Southwest has a rapping flight attendant. Seriously, have you seen this?

And here are Paula’s ten takeaways for social media success:

• Don’t be afraid.
• Make it personal.
• Engage the positive.
• Establish channels BEFORE a crisis.
• Act fast.
• Don’t rely on numbers alone.
• Find an executive to represent you as a social media advocate.
• Educate employees and leaders alike.
• Live and breathe social media.
• Remember to have fun with it.

Paula Berg’s presentation reminded me of why I love Southwest Airlines. They are not afraid to break the mold, try new things, and reinvent their business. This is why I am “Nuts About Southwest.”

Are you nuts about Southwest Airlines? Why?

If you are not familiar with Brogan here’s what I can tell you about him, his blog is a must-read and his twitter feed is quirky, informative, and engaging. He is a master of social media, partly because he acknowledges that the game is constantly changing and that the only rules is that there are no rules.

Here are a couple of things that Chris Brogan reminded me that have stuck with me (like super glue):

1. Social Media is work.

It seems like daily, in meetings or impromptu conversations with co-workers, I hear “Social Media”, “blogging”, or “tweeting” mentioned as simple, cheap, and easy marketing solutions. And commonly the person expounding on the need to get our authors and brands engaged in these new mediums has no experience using them.

What they often neglect to understand is that using social media correctly as a business tool is work. It takes a lot of focus, time, and energy to build a strong and engaging online presence. (Case in point, Brogan revealed that it took him 8 years to secure his first 100 followers.)

To be successful at building a loyal and enthusiastic audience:

• You must create a platform being mindful of how you can stand out, how you are different.
• You must build an audience and make sure you are there “before the sale.”
• You must take time to get to know your audience – what they care about, how they talk, what they need, and how you can help them.
• You must live and die by your database understanding that the platforms are constantly changing but your “real” followers will follow you to the next technology.

Yep, social media is work. A lot of work. Fun work.

2. Social Media magnifies.

My impression is that there are two keys to Chris Brogan’s success. One, he works hard. Two, he is just plain likable.

Brogan is someone you want to know and interact with. He interacts daily with hundreds of thousands of people (no exaggeration). And his friends and followers love the exchange of knowledge, his blogging tips, and the random banter. His blog and his twitter feed are microphones, enhancing his collaborative spirit and his genuine nature.

Likewise, if you are not likable, if you self-obsessed, if you are boring, if you are a constant cynic, if you take and you don’t give back, Social Media will only amplify those shortcomings. And it certainly won’t help you sell anything!

These are just a couple of simple takeaways from Brogan. He has a lot more knowledge to share so I highly recommend you purchase a copy of his book, Trust Agents.

Do you follow @chrisbrogan on Twitter or read his blog? What has he taught you about social media?

PS -  I really enjoyed this smart summary of Brogan’s talk by Kyle Chowning. You should read it. I’m just saying.

Here’s a link to Part 1 (in case you missed it yesterday).

And without further ado, “Why I Love Social Media, Part 2.”

You can win free stuff. Checkout what I found in my Facebook inbox yesterday.

I didn’t know what I was going to write about it. Or even if I could write. I didn’t know if I would have any readers. And I certainly didn’t know that my parents would be printing off posts and showing them to their friends and colleagues (because I assure you if I knew that I would have never ever started). But most importantly I didn’t know how much I would enjoy the whole blogging process.

So completely naive, I began to blog. And I have loved every minute of it.

Six months later, I am committed to taking this to the next level. Meaning I am ditching my hastily thrown together design and going for something a little sleeker. Meaning I making a commitment to write more often, at least three posts a week. Hopefully by putting words to that commitment, I will make it so.

Today I am launching I’m Just Saying 2.0 at www.lindseynobles.com.  I believe if you subscribe via RSS feed or email that  will still work (let me know if they don’t). But be sure to bookmark this new address if that is how you find me. (It should be easy to remember since it is just my first and last name and .com. I am all about making this easy for you )

And I am still learning how to drive this thing. So PLEASE don’t hesitate to let me know if you find something that’s a little wonky.

PS – Special thank yous to Spence Smith for helping me do the heavy lifting, to Michael Hyatt for encouraging me along the way, and to Mary Hooper for my fun new header.

And with no further delay, I’d like to say “Weclome, again…”

It was really fun. And informative. Here were my top 5 takeaways:

1. I reconnected with the reason why I started blogging. I started blogging because I wanted to create an online network and share my life and experiences with them. I wanted to keep record of my life and my growth.
2. I decided to move from a wordpress.com blog to a self-hosted blog. I actually decided this a long time ago but I have been dragging my feet. But now I am hungry for it. I want more design options and I want more back end analytics.
3. I need to do a better job of organizing my posts. Admittedly, I am terrible about this. I need to create a few categories that represent my passions – Books, Food, Social Media, Causes, Religion, Travel, Leadership, Relationships. Also, I need to be more intentional about my use of keywords.
4. I am going to be more intentional about what I write. (Intentional, that word keeps popping up. It is not just in this post but also in my life that it keeps appearing.) I need to write about things that I am enthusiastic about. Things that naturally fit into the categories above.
5. And most importantly, I need to write more. A lot more. I am committed to writing three posts a week. I know I can do it. If you start seeing a post that is just a sentence or two, you know I have gotten desperate, really desperate.

And that was just the beginning of what I learned and want to apply. To read what others thought about the seminar, check out the live Twitter feed.

Oh, and if Social Media interests you, don’t take my word for it. Watch for their next LifeWork 2.0 session and sign up here.

Any advice on blogging or Social Media in general for a girl who is still just getting started?

Blank Slate

I can say whatever here, I can be whomever here. You are welcome to join me – say whatever, be whomever.  Well anyways, welcome.