Ok, Ok, I joined Facebook

After two years of being pushed and prodded to join Facebook, I finally made the plunge Wednesday. I joined briefly at one point 18 months ago, but quickly shut down my account as a former stalker asked me to be her friend.

That was then, this is now. The last two days have been extremely interesting to say the least. In the short period of time since I joined, I got invited to a wedding, found out my mom was on Facebook before I was, and that if I don’t turn off those email notifications, I’ll end up chucking my blackberry across the Rio Grande.

I’m very happy to see a lot of my family and old friends that I haven’t spoken to in ages. While I was a little creeped out about privacy, my old rule about accessibility comes to mind. In the end, I know Facebook will open more doors than it will close, and will open up my brand to more people. If anyone has any Facebook tips, personal branding or not, it would be great to hear them.

As always, feel free to connect with me on Facebook or LinkedIn. (I’m Adam Salamon in the Austin, TX network)

 

Your Digital Word-of-Mouth

It’s not about how good you are.

Word-of-Mouth is the most trusted form of marketing. People rely on the opinions of their trusted friends and family on what to buy, who to hire, and where to go. The way people make decisions in this day and age, has changed. People make decisions based on consensus. It’s the wisdom of the crowds. People are looking to user reviews for products they buy and social networks for people they interact with.

While people still largely rely on these forms of recommendations, the future is moving towards a digitally archived version of word-of-mouth. People are no longer having to rely on “references”, but can refer to your digital footprint; the work you’ve done, the people you are connected to, and the people who reference you. (Bloggers are very aware of this)

The power of your connections no longer lie in the connection alone. Who you know and what you know is becoming more transparent every day. People EXPECT to find this information when looking you up, so not having this information readily available means you aren’t important.

What does your digital network and archive say about you? If you don’t have a digital archive, you don’t have an identity. In short, your digital archive, your digital network, is your word-of-mouth. If your connections aren’t available to those seeking them, you’re not important; you don’t exist. Your digital archive should reflect the fact that the consensus is out, and YOU are worth getting to know.

Have A Happy Thanksgiving

I love Thanksgiving. In fact, it’s my favorite holiday. It’s funny how I went from a Hanukkah kid to a Thanksgiving adult. When I was a kid, Thanksgiving was just the holiday that came before the presents. But now, there’s nothing like kicking it with the family and enjoying endless plates of turkey and stuffing.

I am taking the day off work today to make my drive down to see the family. Today actually marks my 2 year anniversary working at Bazaarvoice, so it’s great timing. I LOVE the flexibility that a start-up gives me. My first job out of college was working for Dell. Part of the reason I left Dell was because their schedules were so static. I HAD to work on Thanksgiving. It reminds me a lot of what Penelope Trunk preaches about Generation Y demanding flexibility and wanting to stay close with their families.

If our employers want to keep us, they have a demanding generation to keep happy. But more to come on that later.

I wanted to wish all of my readers and community members a happy Thanksgiving.  Forks up.

To Niche or Not to Niche?

That is the question…

I spent the weekend with my cousin in San Antonio, TX.  He’s as close to a Godfather a Jewish kid can get.  After all, he held me during my bris.  My cousin is the typical Gen-X’er.  He lived through the tech boom, but like many other Gen X’ers, didn’t ride the wave. 

My cousin is a very successful employment lawyer.  In fact, you can say he’s one of the best in the State of Texas.  As a subscriber to my blog and a natural mentor of mine, he had some thoughts on branding himself.  His point of view was that you must find a niche, and become the foremost expert on that subject.  He had done it in employment law, but mentioned that the people who get recognized in this world are known for one thing, and are the best at it.  Seth Godin’s Squidoo is a perfect example of this.

It’s funny though.  As simple as finding a niche sounds, I think a lot of people in my generation are scared of this.  We don’t want to be pigeon holed.  While one offers security, the other offers freedom.  There are definitely examples of both in my generation.  Take two Gen Y leaders who are polar extremes of this notion.  Dan Schawbel has taken the lead on Personal Branding.  He’s found his niche in Personal Branding and he’s perfectly comfortable there.  Rebecca Thorman, on the other-hand, is a Gen Y leader who discusses a whole slew of issues that Generation Y faces, yet makes no effort to find a niche.  

While both are successful, finding a niche IS the easiest way to find success. (Depending on how you define success) 

Everywhere we look, we’re taught to find our niche.  Our teachers and professors teach ONE subject in which they are the foremost experts.  Our bosses are usually really good at one thing, and they make careers out of them.  There are few places to find great personal brands that don’t have a niche.  It will be interesting to see how our generation responds as we enter the workforce, but I don’t see things changing much.  Experts will be noticed, and those who don’t have expertise will have sit on the sidelines. 

Remember My Name

I have a picture memory.  If you only tell me your name, there’s a good chance I’ll forget it the moment you tell me.  It’s funny though.  At work, I’m told I have an iron memory.  It’s because once I see a name on paper or on a computer, its ingrained in my brain forever.  But that skill is less important than being able to remember a name you’ve heard.  Remembering someones name is one of the most powerful ways to create a positive impact and impression on someone. 

Why is that?

Remembering Names Makes You Confident

This is somewhat of a hidden secret, but remembering names doesn’t make you likable, it makes you confident.  Given that so many people are “bad with names”, those who are good with names can be confident in social situations.  Imagine yourself at a party.  You meet a new person and they state their name.  You have a brief conversation with them and now you’re back to the party.  Later, you see the person again.  You’re with a friend and you’re thinking of introducing the two, but you’ve forgotten their name.  I’ll bet you’re a little hesitant.  You may even try to avoid eye-contact. 

Now imagine yourself as someone who remembers names.  You look people in the eyes and make introductions confidently.  You walk around social gatherings and get to know the crowd.  You are now able to start linking groups together and find commonalities within them.  You’ll notice that those who forget names will never do this.  A person who remembers names has power. 

Do whatever it takes to remember.  I’m there with you.