danielle hatfield

Refresh and Renew : Brand Inspiration from Better Homes and Gardens

2012-01-24T11:13:00.000-05:00

I received my second issue of my new subscription to Better Homes and Gardens yesterday and as I sat down this morning to explore and be inspired, I was struck by the mantra "Refresh & Renew".

It seemed timely and relevant for me - not only for my future home projects that the writers, photographers, producers & stylists have inspired - but also because of the focus of my last few presentations on personal professional branding as well as blog posts on some do's & don'ts.

Is it possible to inspire people to refresh & renew their brand the same way BHG inspires me to refresh & renew my home?

That is a challenge I'd like to take up. I want to share those personal professional brands that inspire me, and make me want to sit down at my kitchen table and sketch out what I want my personal professional brand to be.

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Who inspires you?

Have you started to refresh & renew your personal brand?

Twitter: What's in a Name?

2012-01-23T09:26:00.000-05:00

What's your twitter name? Mine is @dhatfield.

This past weekend I had the honor or presenting with Linkedin pro @RRWade to the Triad Association of Black Journalists to discuss personal professional branding for journalists on the campus of North Carolina Agricultural and Technical University. We even had @frugalista share a tweet chat with us to share how she transitioned out of debt and into a brand she built while a journalist for the Miami Herald.

During my presentation, I mentioned that while building your personal professional brand it's important to use the name that the public knows you by, when you purchase your domain name for your website, when you create/change your twitter handle, grab your custom URL on Facebook or Linkedin or any other social site for that matter. Consistency is key and creating a personal brand should be approached with careful planning and attention to detail.

As John Robinson pointed out during my presentation via a tweet to Sheeka Strickland of Fox 8 News (she was @fox8sheeka then @sheekaStricklan and now @Sheeka_S) and @tiffjonesjourno, it's not a good idea to misspell your twitter name. And I agree 100%. When building a personal professional brand use your full name - spelled correctly - and only your name when ever possible. But there is often a frustrating catch to that very sound advice . . .

Many people may not know that twitter has a limit of 15 characters for your user name. I was faced with the same dilemma as Sheeka Strickland and many other people with long names who wanted to use their real name to build a personal brand but didn't have enough room!

Let's say that instead of being Jane Smith where @janesmith and /janesmith usernames and custom URL's come easy to you, consider your challenge if you are are Janet Smithsonian, and while trying to create your twitter handle you notice that your name is cut off to @janetsmithsonia . . . what to do?

Whether you are a journalist, anchor or professional looking for a job - when building a personal professional brand - having a twitter handle that reflects your real name is best, but be aware that you will be faced with some tough decisions if your name is already taken or too long for Twitter and you may have to get creative.

Say your name has already been taken online . . . as an example if @tiffjonesjourno was interested in changing/creating her professional twitter profile name - Naturally I would first think to recommend @tiffanyjones, @tiffanysjones or @tiffany_jones , hell even @thetiffanyjones but sadly ALL of those are already taken. Can you see the challenge Tiffany faced when she created her account on July 29, 2009? Finding a real name combination that still let's people know its really you, that's memorable and represents your personal professional brand is at times a huge challenge. What Tiffany faced is a perfect example of how building a personal professional brand may not be as easy as it looks and that it will take time and some decision making while creating and building brand consistency.

Remember that you may not be able to use your full name every where online. So before making any changes spend some time planning out your online identity and ask your peers/mentors if what you have chosen best represents your personal professional brand.

Way back when I was setting up my twitter account, my name was cut off and I had to decide quickly what I was going to do with @daniellehatfiel. Do I go with @danielleh or @hatfieldd, it was so frustrating to only be short one letter!! That's the rub with folks who have long names, we have to decide between our first or last and at times a mix of both. (and pray they aren't taken already!)

I ended up going with @dhatfield as my user name and thankfully my whole name fit in the 20 character limit for my real name.

One piece of advice for those of you considering changing your twitter handle or creating a new personal professional brand account, carefully think about your decision. If you are a journalist, having a twitter handle with your station id or newspaper name in your handle is fine - but to be clear that is NOT your personal professional brand. You are you and will always be you. . . you may not work for the same station or newspaper for the rest of your career.

My husband @brandonpierce also has a great piece of advice to add too - don't change your avatar and twitter name (if you decide to change it) all at once . . . the folks that know and love your tweets may not know who the heck you are!

Before you change anything you may want to send out a tweet with your old twitter handle and new avatar (once you have confirmed your desired username is available) of your new name online. Then make the switch.

If you do decide to chance your user name - set up and save a twitter search for your old twitter user name and keep an eye on those who may mention you. You don't want to miss out on any tweets!

Learn more about how to change your twitter handle here.

Here are some great articles about building your personal brand:

HOW TO: Build Your Personal Brand on Twitter

The Brand Called You | Fast Company

7 Steps For Building Your Personal Brand Online - Investopedia.com

Eight Steps to Building Your Personal Brand | Monster

90 Tiny Tips to Build Your Personal Brand | OnlineMBA

Building your personal brand and profile

Professional Branding: Building Your Personal Brand

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Have questions about Twitter? The fine folks in charge of my favorite social network has a fantastic help center to answer all of your questions!

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Do you have a long name that didn't fit in the 15 character Twitter limit?

How did you come up with handle for your personal professional brand?

Are you using your full name when you can across the web to help build your personal professional brand?

Do you know someone who is doing it well? Share it!

Bringing Home Bricolage

2012-01-12T10:51:00.003-05:00

Anne Willson

It feels like it's been ages since Bricolage, a Greensboro community arts space offering re-purposed materials for local artists and arts workshops by local artists closed it's doors after just 2 years.

From Wikipedia :: The term “bricolage” is borrowed from the French word bricolage, from the verb bricoler, the core meaning in French being, "fiddle, tinker" and, by extension, "to make creative and resourceful use of whatever materials are at hand (regardless of their original purpose)". A person who engages in bricolage is a bricoleur.

I am a bricoleur. And even though Bricolage is closed :: and I will not be able to pop in to see Anne Willson's smiling face . . . what she taught me will stay with me for the rest of my life.

Anne had a vision. She offered our community an eco and people friendly environment to explore creativity.

John Skau's Wood Strips

In her own words "The mission of Bricolage is to inspire and support creativity in the Piedmont Triad. We achieve this by providing low-cost re-purposed materials, workshops, affordable space for creative activities, and projects that generate the production of new art works by community members. Our programs support residents of all ages and skill levels to experience creativity so as to strengthen the individuals and their communities, and to help sustain our local cultural resources."

Helping the community.

I had the honor to work with Anne on John Skau’s Wood: A Point of Departure.

John Skau, a respected world renowned local artist passed away in October of 2007, leaving behind a shop full of materials he would have used to create his amazing works. John’s wife, Judy West, donated much of the wood to Bricolage - with the hopes of literally weaving John’s wood into the community. Anne, Lynne and Myself worked together with over 20+ local artists to honor John's memory. We were his weavers. We were Bricoleurs.

So when I went shopping at Bricolage for the last time. . .

I wanted to bring Bricolage home. I wanted to surround my self with things that would remind me of the friendships I gained, the lessons in giving I learned . . . and the motto that Anne had on display in the window that gave me, and probably many others, that boost that we needed every single visit . . .

"What would you do if you knew you would never fail?"

Success Habits : 7 Ways to Reach Your Goals

2012-01-09T12:00:00.004-05:00

:: The individual who wants to reach the top in business must appreciate the might and force of habit.

He must be quick to break those habits that can break him - and hasten to adopt those practices that will become the habits that help him achieve the success he desires. - J. Paul Getty ::

I found this quote as I was reading Jack Canfield's book The Success Principles. . . It was interesting to learn that 90% of our behavior is habitual. 90 percent!

"What ever habits you currently have established are producing your current level of results."

This is such a simple idea. How many of us have areas in our lives that could use more productive habits? I think the most intimidating thing when recognizing something needs changing is knowing what to do next. There is no manual for our specific needs, wants or dreams and how to achieve them . . . or is there?

If you want to be a chef - where do you start? In the kitchen right? You buy recipe books and spend your free time buying the tools. You start baking, cooking and learning how to become a gourmet chef until you can produce a 5 course meal for 6 people in your sleep.

Regardless of where you need more productive habits - I think the success habits you are searching for can be found when you have a clear idea of what you want to achieve, from short term to larger long term goals, and consistently performing the actions necessary to reach them.

"Success is a matter of understanding and religiously practicing specific, simple habits that always lead to success." - Robert J. Ringer, Author of Million Dollar Habits

One great take away from my reading of Principle 34 . . . "Good or bad, habits always deliver results." How true!

Below are 7 ways I have helped myself reach my goals. I sure hope they help inspire you!

Success Habits : 7 Ways to Reach Your Goals

Start with identifying the most important specific things you are doing that need improvement.
Go through your list and come up with at least 3 alternative actions for each item that could help you change the bad habits.
On note cards (or on the note pad on your phone), write out each specific thing that needs improvement with the alternative actions. Each day review these actions - over breakfast, waiting in line at the grocer, Lunch . . . when ever you have time to review them. Knowing where you can improve and learning an alternative response that then becomes a success habit takes time.
Have 100% commitment to your goals. Stand firm and don't give in. . . you are the most persuasive person when you don't want to do something, are too tired, or don't have enough time. Stick with it. Results take time.
Stay motivated. Read books & blogs by people that inspire you. Subscribe to magazines, take classes, reach out to and find a mentor. Go through your social networks and create the environment you need to achieve your goals. That means unfriending or friending, unfollowing or following until you have the right balance for each social network you use on a daily basis. Each network is a unique environment. Because so many use social sites on a daily basis - making your online experience one that will help you stay motivated, positive and on task is up to you!
Drink plenty of water. I know some of you are asking - "What the hell does this have to do with success habits?" Well, let me tell you. Water plays a vital role in healthy brain function. So put down that soda, tea or coffee and make a commitment to drink half your body weight in ounces daily. How can you develop your new success habits if you can't focus?
Review your results regularly. If you start to see that your new success habits are producing the results you had hoped for *woo hoo! Congratulations! It's time for you to add a new goal to your list. If not, it's time to review your alternate actions that you came up with (# 2) and hit reset. Just because you didn't see the results you wanted with one action - it doesn't mean that the situation is hopeless and success can't be yours.

In an article published in the European Journal of Social Psychology in July of 2009, researchers stated that "The time it took participants to reach 95% of their asymptote of automaticity ranged from 18 to 254 days; indicating considerable variation in how long it takes people to reach their limit of automaticity and highlighting that it can take a very long time." So if you want to banish bad habits - be patient and stay committed!

I have to say that Jack Canfield has some amazing FREE resources over at The Success Principles to get you started on your new success habits!

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Share the success habits you have developed!

How do you stay motivated to reach your goals on a daily basis?

DIY : Farmers Market Shopping Bag

2012-01-06T10:13:00.004-05:00

Pin It

I love finding new ways to create unique, one of a kind, items.

When at the store a few months back I noticed this clothesline and thought it would make a great shopping bag - specifically a farmers market bag. . . something that would give under the weight of fresh veggies and clean up easily with a quick rinse and a shake.

The biggest challenge was unwinding the cords. I can tell you now that I had to employ the help of my husband and even with his help I admit to creating a few new curse words over the 4 days it took to unravel enough line to finish the bag. . . but it was *completely worth it!

I did not write down my stitches as I went - but here is the general idea that can get you started making your own farmers market shopping bag. . . and when you finish it - be sure to share it with me! I would love to see your variation of this idea!

Before you get started here is a great glossary of crocheting/knitting terms from the folks over at Lion Brand that will help you. (I am by no means an expert at the whole directions bit)

:: Materials ::

8-10 3 ply 50ft poly clothesline (each unwound)
N (9.00MM) Crochet hook
Scissors
a patient helper

:: Directions ::

Start by chaining 8 and connecting with a sl stitch.

Rd 1 : 12-15 single st all the way around, connect with a sl stich and ch 2

Rd 2 : Continue single st. around oval - adding 2 sc in each 3 sc on ends to build up oval shape.

Rd 3 - 15 Continue to increase by adding 2 sc on ends until oval base is large enough size. It is up to you on how large you make this bag.

To start building sides : Double Crochet once around base once. (see image to the left) Connect with a sl. stitch.

Rd 15 - ? Continue around with one single crochet connecting with a sl stitch and chaining two to start next row. Double Crochet each round connecting with a sl. stitch and chaining two to start next row until depth of bag is reached.

I sized down as I neared the top and final rows to give the bag a more tapered look by decreasing a few stitches midway up the bag height.

Handles :: I crocheted a "mini scarf" and stitched on the handles vs. crocheting them on. You can do this by chaining 5 and double crocheting back and forth until you have the right length for your bag.

Here is a great tutorial on how to make a double crochet ::

How to Crochet a Scarf: Double Stitch -- powered by ehow

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What items have you made using unusual or re-purposed items?

Do you shop your local farmers market? If so do you have special bag you use to shop?

So You Just Joined a Linkedin Group : Top 5 Tips for New Members

2012-01-04T07:15:00.000-05:00

More than 100 million professionals are using Linkedin with the leading industry of being high tech with 11,611K users.

Whether you are a seasoned professional or a new user, learning how to make the most out of Linkedin groups can be a sticky wicket.

Most groups have rules that group owners and managers use to help make each members experience rewarding. As with any Linkedin group, there will be those that behave badly and make it difficult and sometimes damn near impossible for serious professionals to enjoy and participate in group discussion because of shameless self promotion and spammy "marketing" tactics. Don't give up on a group because of bad behavior by a few. Learn how to flag posts as promotion or jobs and more on to contributing valuable content. Remember to reach out to group owners or managers for help or to report repeat offenders that make your experience unrewarding. A group gets better when every member holds each other accountable to the group rules and behaves in a professional and considerate way.

How do I know this?

For nearly 3 years I have been a Managing Partner and Event Coordinator for a local Professional networking group that has grown from 300 members on Linkedin to over 3000 since I first came on board. Among other events, I have organized close to 20 monthly educational luncheons that brings a wide range of area professionals together to learn from community leaders both online and off. 100% of my time is donated to this cause and to helping my community.

Has it been easy? Hell no. No one likes the hall monitor, especially the kids acting up or slacking off. Have I made mistakes - you betcha! Both at a member of groups and as a manager. We are all learning and growing in the online social space. Don't be too hard on yourself. Ask questions, reach out, own your mistakes and keep contributing valuable content.

The most successful groups that I am a member of (besides the one I mentioned) are the ones where everyone of the group managers are engaged with the online community through posting regular discussions, helping flag and moderate discussions as well as participating in member discussions by leaving comments. Establishing and maintaining an enjoyable and engaging group is hard work and the greatest success comes when all managers and members are on board and involved regularly.

I have learned so much since joining Linkedin and have had my ups and downs with managing groups. Has it been worth it to help connect the community and rebuild our local economy? YES! And I am incredibly grateful to those who stand beside me, work with me and who are truly committed to helping our community.

As you read over these 5 tips I hope that they help you!

Top 5 Tips for New Members of any Linkedin Group

Know the Group Rules

When joining any group on Linkedin take the time to review the group rules the managers have established. If there are any doubts about a post you want to make - reach out to the group manager/owner and ask! They are there to help you get the most out of your membership! If the group have just joined has rules look for the Group rules link in the upper right of your group's page.

Review Past Discussions / Follow New Ones

When you first join a group, take some time to review past and follow current discussions to see what members are discussing and sharing. This will help you get a better feel of whether this is the right group for you and whether or not to post your first discussion.

Post Relevant Discussions

I recommend no more that one discussion post per week to each group you are a member of. Now many may disagree if the group is more active and everyone has their own ratio of discussions read to discussions posted. Ultimately the decision is yours, but I encourage you not to dominate any group with your posts. Be fair to other members who may have something to contribute!

If you have a great topic that will drive and active discussion than you can consider Posting the Same Discussion to Multiple Groups.

At a loss on what to post? Here are Six Ways to Ignite a LinkedIn Discussion.

Receive Weekly Email Digests of Group Activity

Consider setting your email digest updates to once a week (your email in box would blow up if you set it for every new discussion posted for every group you joined!).

Set aside at least an hour a week to participate in and post relevant discussions, make new connections and reach out to those who have helped you with information or links. Here are 5 Simple Ways to make the Most of your Time on LinkedIn™

“I promise to create thought leadership content that lives up to its name, and not simply babble on about nothing. No one likes or respects social spam!"

- Daniel Burstein

Don't Spam

This is a great post by Neal Schaffer that covers LinkedIn Group Etiquette and will help you understand the rules? Ultimately, when I say don't spam that means don't harvest group members emails and send them all your email newsletter. Big no no. Learn how to use LinkedIn Mail without being spammy.

Don't shamelessly self promote. Some groups have sub groups set up where members can post upcoming events, industry specific interests as well as jobs. It's important to understand where to add your voice and more important not to come off as pushy with a hard sales pitch with every single post.

Need some help? Here are 5 Best Practices to Making Quality LinkedIn Connections

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Learn more about Linkedin Groups from this great video. . .

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Why do you join Linkedin Groups?

When you join a group do you research the group rules before posting?

Are you a group manager? What are some tips that you can share that you use to make your group experience better?

How do you encourage members to adhere to group rules?

Facebook : How Better Homes and Gardens is Using the Social Giant to Give Readers What They Want

2012-01-03T08:53:00.000-05:00

Just this past week I received my first issue of Better Homes and Gardens (one of my Mother's favorite magazines). I don't subscribe to many magazines as I read nearly everything online these days. I have my favorites though - Dwell, Fortune, Modern Painters and now Better Homes and Gardens.

My subscription to BHG was a Christmas present to myself - I wanted to have a reminder of my mother, and everything she taught me, to arrive at my doorstep and ask me to sit down for a cup of coffee so that we could catch up.

As I sat down with the January issue, I have to admit I was more than impressed with the fact that right there, next to the note from Editor in Chief Gayle Goodson Butler, was something I did not expect to see from a shelter mag. . . a poll from their Facebook 'fans' that drove the feature story! They asked "What's your organizing problem area?" Not surprising that 62% answered paperwork.

With so many magazines that have downsized or folded over the last few years - it is refreshing to see BHG adopting and using social media to add value to their monthly print edition and in the process drawing in a whole new generation of readers and subscribers like myself.

I like the fact that BHG readers have a voice in what shows up in their mail box. . . I think my mom would like it too. :)

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What magazines do you subscribe to?

How are they using social media to engage readers?

Social Media Police: Behaving Badly on Facebook, Linkedin, Twitter and Blogs

2012-01-02T15:05:00.002-05:00

You, yes you!

STOP RIGHT THERE!

I am an interweb agent.

I'm here to protect you. Just stay calm and put your keyboard where I can see it.

Don't try to esc. - If I don't help you . . . someone else will.

Do I have your attention?

Good.

There was a tip that you have been behaving badly on the internet and I need to ask you a few questions . . .

Do you currently or have you ever spammed pages or people with your push marketing message?

Are you sharing too much information about your friends and family's private lives? What about information about your children?

Do you post comments on friends walls that really should be made private? Trust me a little Facebook Wall etiquette goes a long way.

How about those unflattering pictures of family/friends that you don't care for? Hhhhm? That's what I thought.

Have you ever checked in at your child's School? Home? Work? How about a friends house with out them knowing about it? . . . . better watch that! It's dangerous out there and there are plenty of thieves that are paying attention to your "look at me" addiction.

Are you a hashtag hijacker? We have received complaints from area residents that you are flooding their towns hashtag with garbage 24/7 and making any real posts relating to the community virtually inaccessible!

Oh, and even if you only hijack any hashtag once . . . it's still not cool.

Are you harvesting people's email from Linkedin groups and sending out your email newsletter? How about anyone who gives you a business card? Yeah, that's not cool. Better read up on the Can-Spam act before you send out any more of those emails.

Du u tlk lk ths on fb & twttr? For the love of all things Merriam-Webster - stop. Text speak is murdering your brand.

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If you have done any or all of these . . . don't feel bad. You aren't alone. There are plenty of us out here that have made mistakes (myself included) and thankfully many more who help us see the error of our ways and get us on track!

We do this for the betterment of the community and quite frankly everyone is kinda tired of seeing you make an ass out of yourself. Trust me, I've made an ass of myself plenty on my path of learning. Understand that we are here to help.

What was that? I'm sorry I must have mis heard you . . . F*off you say?Your "grass roots" marketing is working just fine? Umm okay buh bye!

For those of you who appreciate it when someone goes out of their way to help you without trying to sell you something. . . who believe in helping each other and paying it forward. . . Keep reading!

I will outline common online offenses and give you helpful links that will (hopefully) change your online habits. Sad to say that you are a danger to your friends and followers and more importantly your brand so listen up!

Regardless of whether you end up with a warning or if it's your 1st offense . . . heck, even the repeat offenders out there will end up walking with a sentence of educational links for each infraction.

Facebook :: Profiles are for People - Pages are for Businesses

Warning :: I can understand that this whole technology thing has your head spinning . . . and trust me, I know that everyone is doing everything they can to survive this economy - especially if you own your own business.

Trying to navigate Facebook even as a heavy user is confusing as hell. But no fear! There are friends and family ready to help guide you in the right direction . . . and when all else fails - google it.

Your Sentence ::

A Beginner's Guide To Facebook: Learn The Basics Of Facebook

Facebook for Business

Facebook 101 Business Guide | Social Media Examiner

1st offender :: I'm going to have to write you a citation. You heard right. This is the second "profile" you have set up for your business instead of a "page".

And after I shared links to facebook that help guide you how to set up a page too.

I sent those links to facebook terms of use and how to create a facebook page for business because I wanted to help.

Too many of businesses have been closing and I would hate to see one more . . but I just can't "friend" a business. It's rewarding your bad behavior and goes against everything I teach others.

Oh, and thanks for the foul language in your message. Was that *really necessary for someone YOU tried to friend twice with a personal profile for your business? . . . Just curious if you treat everyone that tries to help you (and not try to sell you anything) that way.

Oh and by the way . . . you (or your social media 'guru') have completely destroyed any desire I had of hiring you to scrub my toilet. :P

Your Sentence ::

Businesses do not make good Facebook friends.: The Social Path

Your Facebook "Friend Requests": Bad for Business... Annoying to Me!

Repeat offender :: No one "likes" it when your company likes and comments on every post in a 3 county area just so you can 'get in front of' your target market. I don't care how you try to justify it - everyone knows you reek of disrespect and use shady "Spam King" tactics. Stop it.

Oh, and the fake user profile you set up to also promote your company with comments promoting your business as a "satisfied customer" on other business pages . . . slimy. Let me introduce you to Erika so she can bitch slap your ass.

Your Sentence ::

Facebook Fan Pages for business vs. Personal Profiles for individuals

How to Create A Facebook Page

Facebook | Create a Page

Linkedin :: Groups Etiquette

Warning :: No worries if you just joined the group - moderators generally cut you some slack when they know you are the new kid on the block. But it IS your responsibility to know what group you are joining and explore the readily available information on the group profile page. Questions? Just ask the owner of the group or a group manager(s). They are always ready to help.

Your Sentence ::

What is LinkedIn? - LinkedIn Learning Center

Groups - LinkedIn Learning Center

100+ Smart Ways to Use LinkedIn « Linked Intelligence

1st offender :: You KNOW You've Been Bad Don't You?

Yes, yes I hear it all the time . . . "everyone else is doing it so why can't I?" Well, just because someone else pukes their spam message all over the discussion board doesn't mean you should too. Buck up and carefully consider if that self promotional "discussion" or comment is really adding value to the group.

Oh and your buddy there in the back seat. . . yeah, I'm talkin' to you. You know the only time I EVER see you in these parts is when you have something to promote or sell. I don't recall ever seeing you participate in an actual discussion or come to an event and by the way - isn't that an out of state license you have? Yeah, thought so.

Understand the perils of self promotion.

Your Sentence ::

Groups - LinkedIn Learning Center

25 LinkedIn Etiquette Tips to Ponder

LinkedIn Group Etiquette: What are the Rules?

Promoting Your Business Without Spamming LinkedIn Groups

Repeat offender :: When you join groups just to harvest email addresses for your email newsletter, post self promotional discussions ad nauseum or gather your pitchfork and townspeople to post disrespectful comments on a discussion board just because you got called out for your bad behavior in a group . . . well, lets just say YOU are the reason most people think that Linkedin is the Myspace of the business world. Etiquette is more than what fork you use. . . it's being respectful of group moderators and the posting guidelines unique to each Linkedin Group.

Your Sentence ::

How to tell if you're a comments troll - CNN

What constitutes Spam in your opinion | LinkedIn Answers | LinkedIn

How To Fail At Using LinkedIn | A LinkedIn Spam Email Diagnosed

Linkedin group managers are not online 24/7. They rely on other group members to flag those who are not playing by the group's rules. In order to make the most of Linkedin Groups that are created to truly connect those who have joined - it takes all members (and managers) contributing valuable content, helping enforce the group's rules such as flagging posts that are self promotional or spammy and engaging with those who take the time to start real discussion.

Blah Blah Blogs :: Blog Vomit vs. Real Interaction

Warning :: Are you just getting your feet wet with blogging? It's kind of tricky getting into the rhythm of posting, promoting and commenting on your own and other blogs.

Best advice is reading those who are doing it well and emulate the things that make them a success . . . like posting on a regular basis, responding to blog comments, and leaving meaningful comments on others blogs.

Your Sentence ::

How to Blog: Blogging Tips for Beginners

Starting Your First Blog? 29 Tips, Tutorials and Resources for New Bloggers

40 Ways to Deliver Killer Blog Content

Geek to Live: Lifehacker's guide to weblog comments

1st offender :: So you think you're clever?

Leaving a blog comment that has absolutely nothing to do with the topic of the blog post but some how leads you to leave a link back to your website . . . yeah. That is just not cool. Clever blog comment spam is still spam.

Oh and if you never talk to the person via other social sites but decide to leave a self promotional comment on a highly trafficked blog post they have written . . . that is opportunistic and a big no-no.

Your Sentence ::

5 Spam Tactics Good People Use to Kill Business Efforts

4 Easy Things You Can Do to Help Others Fight Spam

Understand The Reasons Why You Should Not Submit Spam Comments To Other Niche Blogs

Repeat Offender :: You know who you are . . .

-you do key word searches and just because I mention any Apple product in my post you decide to post a comment that lets me know I can get a free ipad with a suspect link.

-you are a troll and post meaningless drivel in hopes of starting an emotional fire so you can sit back and roast your little ego marshmallows. Bravo.

-you add links to your own site via a comment to artificially boost your search engine rankings . . . real clever.

Your Sentence ::

The Bitch Slap: Are You Contributing? | Erika Napoletano is Redhead Writing

Blog Etiquette or Blogtiquette — Tip Junkie

The Trouble with Trolls | Market My Novel

If you have a blog, you understand how important it is to have real people leave engaging comments. This is a great post about The War Against Blog Comment Spam And How To Gain The Upper Hand.

Twitter :: In or Out of My Nest

Dealing with Twitter offenses are quite simple on my tree limb. . . there are no 3 strikes rule here buddy when it comes to spammy behavior.

Typically the first major offense gets you blocked and reported for spam if I have any question about the safety of my nest.

You know the ones I'm talking about . . . "hey, if you love FarmVille you should check this out :-) (insert phishing link here)" I don't need to learn how to make 10,000 dollars a month from twitter, nor do I care if I just won a free widget. . . or if you think your company has the best widget with a 'We are giving away a new iPad click here' link. NO Thank you!

And while we are on the subject . . . sending me an unsolicited @reply to pimp your product/service/brand or a Dumb Auto DM to tell me how be a social media douchebag like you - will bring you front and center to Judge, Jury and Executioner.

Anything else you can do on twitter pales in comparison to outright twitter spam and trolls . . .

Twitter Rehab ::

Mashable Twitter Guidebook

Twitter Help Center | The Twitter Rules

Twitter 101 for Business — A Special Guide

Top 10 Twitter Blunders - MarketingProfessor.com

No, I Will Not Help Your Business Spam People on Twitter

NOTE :: Now there are plenty of other social networks I have left out. I chose the ones I encounter the most but would *love to hear about your pet peeves on other sites (so when I go there I don't make an ass of myself!)

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I am taking my cue from @redheadwriting today . . . I’m unfiltered and unashamed.

Am I perfect - no.

Do I claim to be - no.

Do I try to help people - yes.

Do I have more to learn - you betcha.

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Thanks to *everyone who inspired me to write this post.

Regardless of whether you like what I have written or not, the truth is - we are all learning and growing in the social space.

For the record - I am not an expert. . . I am always flattered when others refer to me as one but the truth is - I just spend more time reading about my particular areas of interest - from hand made crafts, web design, cooking, to social marketing and am excited to share what I learn!

I am and will always be a student and will do my best to stay up to date on information that is interesting to me and share something valuable everyday.

We get better by helping each other when we can, and hopefully adding a little humor to the mix. Learning the true value of social media will be different for everyone.

I am still learning where to add my voice and when to listen.

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Want to plead your case?

Offer helpful advice or a link to a great article that helped you?

Want to share a social media pet peeve?

Leave a comment!

Twitter and the Global Reach of Kindness

2011-12-21T14:29:00.003-05:00


Acorn Coffee & Chocolate from @DoorHardwareLux

A few weeks back I received a package from @DoorHardwareLux, a friend that I met thanks to Twitter.

We have been exchanging tweets nearly every morning over a few months and many thousands of miles (I live in North Carolina and she lives in Lithuania.)

Some how or another the talk of coffee and chocolate came up . . . (shocker, I know) and she was kind enough to send me a batch of homemade acorn coffee and a big bar of her favorite Karuna dark chocolate.

This experience refueled my belief that not everyone using social media wants to sell you something - there are those rare gems like @DoorHardwareLux that offer friendship.

I am truly grateful each day for Twitter and the global reach of kindness.

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Who have you met recently via twitter that has shown you exceptional kindness?

How do you reach out to make a more personal connection globally?

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Top 7 Holiday Shopping Etiquette Tips

2011-12-14T08:27:00.001-05:00

As the holidays approach and we, the sheep of capitalism, are busy buying those perfect widgets for our list of friends and family they just have to have. . . let us not forget simple holiday shopping Etiquette.

Here are my top 7 holiday shopping etiquette tips. . .

1. Have a plan. Make a list of places you need to visit and allow your self plenty of time to park and wait in line for checkout. Shopping while in a hurry will only leave your temper and patience running on fumes.

2. Be prepared to pay. While you are standing in line go ahead and have your preferred method of payment ready and then it's your turn at bat be sure to have any coupons, gift cards or price matching sales sheets ready.

3. Help the cashier bag. If you are standing around doing nothing but waiting for the cashier to ring up and bag your loot . . . offer to bag if the store is short staffed. This will save you and everyone else in line time.

4. Pick up items that have fallen to the floor. Yes I know that you didn't put it there, but it's the right thing to do. Don't leave the item that you happen upon in the store on the floor for someone else to run over or move out of the way. You know that saying lead by example? Well boy howdy is this the way!

5. Let someone go ahead of you. If you have a cart full of items and the person behind you has only one or two items . . . let them skip ahead of you. You will make their day.

6. Be patient. Understand that many people are in your position and doing their best to get everything done, stay on schedule and in budget and keep their cool.

7. Smile. Simple right? Not always. . . but it sure does help deter frazzled exchanges by those who are feeling overwhelmed. Your smile and a genuine attitude of gratitude is your best defense against the Bah Humbuggers out there.

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I was inspired to write this post because of an encounter my husband and I witnessed. Recently my husband and I were at a store where the three cashier lines open had at least 6-10 people in each. As a new cashier was opening a fourth, she made eye contact with a couple in their 50's (Couple A) and motioned them over to her lane - as soon as she removed a display that was blocking the lane another older woman and her husband (Couple B) pushed by Couple A as they simply stood in shock. The wife of Couple B literally used her overflowing cart as a battering ram to make it to the cashier first.

The husband of Couple A, not wanting to risk profanity in public, calmly walked past us to wait for his wife on the other side of anger. We shared our disbelief and shock and he woefully said, "THIS is why I tell my wife I'd rather stay at home."

Thankfully the cashier motioned the wife of Couple A (who had only one item) past the rude duo and sent her on their way with a smile and a Happy Holidays.

This 'cutting in line' exchange we witnessed was a shock. The offending couple was older and you would think would know better . . . but sadly they proved that the "me first" mentality that many attribute to a younger generation had to be learned from somewhere.

It's easy to only think of ourselves when we have a finite amount of time and an endless list of things to do and places to be . . . but I encourage you to remember what you are teaching your children and others around you about your character.

Slow down. Be kind. Smile and do your best not to lose your temper when others behave badly.

Here is another great list of Seven Secrets of Holiday Shopping Etiquette.

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How have you kept your cool in the face of rude behavior while shopping?

What ways do you deal with rude behavior in public while shopping during the holidays?

Why Text-Speak is Bad for Your Brand

2011-12-12T09:18:00.000-05:00

Text-speak (txt-speak, txtese, chatspeak, txt, txtspk, txtk, txto, texting language, txt lingo, SMSish, or txt talk) . . . regardless of what you call it, we all have used it.

Text-Speak has become common place in our day to day online and mobile lexicon. Social networks that limit the amount of characters we can use have been the excuse of many to justify this trend and to others, well, we've been using text speak since the pager. On a personal level - many people still think that txt speek sux, so you can imagine what they may think about your brand when you use it to communicate.

When it comes to social media and building your brand, the question is. . . should we take the easy way out and cram as much information as possible into each update? 2 b or nt 2 b: d gr8 txt spk db8.

Now, I will freely admit that I use text-speak and I try to do so sparingly. I'll throw out an LOL and a THX now and then. . . but over all, I like the challenge of fitting my thoughts into a confined space. Having a limited character count helps me focus on delivering my message and challenges me to take out unnecessary words without making my followers/friends take time to look up text message shorthand before responding.

At a luncheon last year with a group of very bright design students, the topic of text-speak came up and the majority agreed that when they had to work to decipher a tweet or status update . . . they tuned out the message and generally avoided engaging with the person using Textese because they had to work harder to understand what was being said.

This insight struck me like a bell. Why on earth would I make it more difficult for my followers/fans/clients to understand my message? Seems counter intuitive to what social media represents.

Learn how to write the perfect tweet and fly with Twitter, discover 32 Ways to Use Facebook for Business and Google+ your business.

If you are building your brand online using social media, remember that you shouldn't cut corners when it comes to your communication. Cultivating a consistent tone of voice across media is vital to long term success.

If you are working on building your brand - drop the gibberish and learn these 9 Keys to Building a Stand-Out Brand Identity.

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Do you use text speak?

Do you engage with brands who use excessive text speak to communicate online?

DIY : Aged Paper Frames

2011-12-07T09:29:00.000-05:00

Project Library is coming along nicely. It's one part therapy and one part I'm addicted to DIY projects. . . seriously - ask my husband.

I'm a thrift store junkie and love discovering fun items to hack into something awesome. Take these mismatched wooden frames for example. . . found these last year at a local dollar store and bought 12 of them. (mirrors included). I really didn't know what I was going to do with them at the time.

I recently made a book purse and saved the "guts" of the book (purchased for $2.00 at Goodwill) then it all came together. . .

:: Materials ::

wooden frames
Elmers Glue All
warm water
plastic container with lid
old tooth brush
small paint brush
cookie sheet or metal tray
old book pages
coffee
large baking dish
clear matter or gloss spray paint

:: Directions for Aging Paper ::

in large baking dish pour 1 cup coffee (warm)

take pages from old book and soak until wet then place on cookie sheet

"bake" paper at 350 for 2 minutes or until no longer damp and dry over night (DIY on how to age paper here)

:: Directions for Application to Frames ::

Mix equal parts Elmers glue and warm water in plastic container and stir throughly

Depending on size of frame fold aged book pages in half then half again to form 4 strips approx 1.5" wide

With small paint brush "paint" glue on aged paper on a metal cookie sheet (trust me this will save you) until limp

Prime frame with a brush of glue and carefully place paper on frame - taking time to wrap paper around edges (this will be sticky and be sure to wash your hands frequently to avoid glue debris that can stick to paper) use the toothbrush to smooth out any air bubbles.

"Bake" frame at 350* for 2 minutes (carefully watch this process, you don't want to burn your house down) - if the frame is too big for the oven you can use a hair dryer.

Dry frames over night then coat with a clear matte or gloss spray paint.

Voila! You now have an aged frame that didn't break the bank!

For those looking to make a bigger statement you can also "paper" a wall and age it with tinted Briwax for added interest, or cover canvases then stencil your initials or your favorite quote . . . like this one ::

The purpose - where I start - is the idea of use. It is not recycling, it's reuse. - Issey Miyake

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What fun things have you done with aged paper?

Project Library : DIY Inspiration from Pinterest

2011-12-05T09:07:00.000-05:00

As the holidays approach I am faced with a long list of "TO DO" before the family and friend visits begin. Each evening I work feverishly to finish handmade gifts and started painting the trim and book cases in the library this weekend. I was still not happy with the "feel" that the big black and oh so comfortable settee offered the room and wanted the room to reflect our eclectic taste.

From January's WINTER TIME Jeanne d' Arc Living

So I went to Pinterest to find some DIY Design inspiration for the most fought over room in the whole house. . . the library.

before

If you don't know already - we read, a lot. (I have even been designing the floor to ceiling book shelves that will be my spring 2012 project.)

This room is not terribly big - so I wanted a look and feel that was restful, welcoming and offered a reprieve from the tech heavy life style we lead.

after

Thankfully I found this pin that took me to a post from Urban Farmhouse that was *exactly the inspiration I needed to turn my outdated settee and uninspired reading space into a farm fresh place for my husband and I to read and relax!

I used a canvas drop cloth ($10.00 from Big Lots) for this DIY slip cover.

Now, this project is far from complete. . . the wall treatment (grey wall) will ideally look like this when I'm finished. The trim and the book shelves will get my attention every evening until my books are off the floor.

I am happy to say that I am recycling the paper from the Book Purse gift I was inspired to make last week to cover some frames for a fun focal point . . . so stay tuned for more from #projectlibrary.

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What projects have you started thanks to a pinterest inspiration?

These are my Top 10 favorite boards on Pinterest - what are yours?