Last week I posed a question on here about boys and girls, men and women, friends forever or a recipe for disaster. The comments were fascinating. People told stories and shared opinions. A beautiful dialogue was created. So today I want to pose another series of questions on something that has been nagging at me lately and let you guys impart your wisdom once again. (You obviously know a lot more than I do.)

First let me say, I am a huge advocate of social media. Social media allows us to build community, stay in touch, and connect like-minded people around the world.

Do you think social media has blurred our definition of intimacy?

Do you find yourself or others confusing online transparency with vulnerability?

Do you ever wonder who is a virtual stranger, and who is a virtual best friend?

I’d love to hear your thoughts…

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.

You get random but completely uplifting birthday notes from practical strangers.

Lindsey,
I saw on your blog about the “blah’s” and your birthday…not that I think your birthday causes the blah’s, but sometimes the two “B” words do coincide.  I had your email address from a few weeks ago when I won a copy of Don Miller’s latest book (which I read the day I got it and it had a huge impact on me), so I decided to email you.

Just wanted to say, I have been there.  Last December, I turned 33.  On a normal year, birthdays aren’t that big in my family, but last year was a doozy.  Having been in similar circumstances, I wanted to do a little something for you to make your day special.

Why turning 33 is great!

• It’s your birthday, so you can eat cake.
• You only have to remember one number to write your age – 3.
• Thirty-three is old enough to sound mature when you want, but young enough to still act silly at times.
• Thirty-three is the largest positive integer that can not be expressed as a sum of different triangular numbers <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triangular_numbers> .  (Ok, had to go to Wikipedia for this one – I don’t exactly understand it, but it means that there is significance in the number 33.)
• You can run for president in 2 more years, which is enough time to plan your campaign.
• You are younger than 5 in dog years.
• People give you presents.
• Random internet people send you “why turning 33 is great” emails.
• And again, can I say CAKE!

So I hope the blah’s just were in for a quick weekend trip and not an extended stay.  Here’s to a great birthday.
Kate

Thanks Kate. This, along with several other sweet notes and calls, made my day!

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?