Last night, the Halton-Peel Communications Association (HPCA) hosted a hands-on social media event for members and guests, and what fun it was.

I joined organizer and HPCA member Donna Papacosta and fellow members Rob Clark and Joan Vinall-Cox in talking about and demonstrating how to use LinkedIn (here’s Donna’s summary), blogs, audio and video on the web (and Joan’s), and Twitter. Guests had a chance to sit in at each table for a set amount of time, ask questions, discuss the uses and value of the tool and see it in action before moving to the next table. It seemed to go well, and I’m just sorry that as a presenter, I didn’t have a chance to visit all the tables, too!

I joked to Donna about the presenters that “one of these things is not like the other things, one of these things just doesn’t belong here” as the Sesame Street gang used to sing. But even though I am later joining Twitter than she and the others, I felt qualified to walk others through. Here’s what I talked about:

Why you should be on Twitter:

• To be part of the conversation.
• To find resources and get answers quickly.
• To meet others, build relationships, build your brand, earn referrals.
• To be visible, share resources, build a reputation, drive traffic to your blog or web site.

Where to start:

• Sign up at www.Twitter.com > “join the conversation.” Choose a variation of your name or one that ties in with your brand/company.
• Put relevant facts about you in your profile, to help people decide if you might have common interests. Upload a photo that is close enough to see your face. Include a link to your web page, if you have one.
• Write a couple of tweets before you start following others. Twitter notifies you by e-mail when someone follows you, and people typically check out the follower’s profile before deciding whether to follow back or not. (You don’t have to, but it’s polite.) So seeing what you’re talking about may help them learn something about you. More on what to tweet about below.
• Use “@” before a person’s name and “http://” before a URL to make these clickable links.
• You can tweet from Twitter.com (go to “home”) but it’s easier if you use a Twitter management system like TweetDeck, Twhirl or TweetGrid. They organize the tweets so it’s easier to see if someone mentions you and makes it easy to retweet (RT), or forward another person’s tweet that you think is useful or interesting.
• To RT, either write “RT @username” in the comment line and copy and paste the tweet, or use the TweetDeck or other system shortcut.

What to tweet about:

• Twitter asks you, “What are you doing?” but don’t answer this. Even your best friend probably doesn’t want to hear that you’re eating a sandwich or you’re in line at Starbucks. Try to add value. Talk about what’s got your attention. Share links to interesting content you’ve found, share your knowledge or advice on your area of specialty, promote an event, reply to comments.
• Once in a while, post a link to your own content, like a blog post of interest to others. But spend more time promoting others or engaging with others than you do promoting yourself. You don’t want to be like a pushy salesperson at a party.
• You have 140 characters, and Twitter counts down how many you have left as you write. If you hope someone will retweet  it, make sure you keep to about 100-120 characters, to leave room for others to comment as they RT. Thank people for RTing.

Building Twitter followers:

• Follow people you already know personally or through their blogs.
• See who they follow and look for people who fit your interests.
• When someone follows you, check out their profile. If interesting and there’s a connection, follow them back.
• Watch out for the profiles that show a provocative photo, one tweet that contains a link, thousands of people followed and only a handful of followers; it’s spam. There’s a button where you can and should block and report the person as spam.

Several people who came to the Twitter table asked about time, and it’s true you can spend all kinds of time scrolling through all the tweets and following links. I think those who have iPhones and other mobile devices are better able to dip into the Twitter stream at odd moments, but you can do the same from your desk as long as you are disciplined. Set a timer if you have to!

Some people remained unconvinced that Twitter is as great as it’s made out to be, and as I said to the group, you can have that opinion. But as a communications person, you need to make sure it’s an informed opinion. Make your decision that it’s not for you after having tried it and spent some time using it. And even then, it may not be for you personally, but your client or your employer might have or need to be aware of some valid, useful, innovative ways of using Twitter.

Oh, I forgot: I’m @Sue_Horner.

Here are more Twitter resources:

Newbie’s guide to Twitter: http://news.cnet.com/newbies-guide-to-twitter/

10 easy steps for Twitter beginners:  http://bitly.com/3kbYI9

Mashable’s Twitter guide book: http://mashable.com/guidebook/twitter/

Blogging, Twitter, LinkedIn, audio and video on Web sites – what are they all about and why should you care? For starters, these tools can help you get noticed, get remembered and get business. Last spring, the Halton-Peel Communications Association (HPCA) sponsored a successful meeting about social media, with Dave Fleet as our guest speaker. Dave’s presentation sparked interest among many members who wanted to learn more about social media in a hands-on environment.

Now it’s time for the follow-up hands-on meeting! At 7 p.m. next Wednesday, October 28, 2009, at the Monte Carlo Inn in Oakville, you can experience blogging, Twitter and LinkedIn, plus the use of audio and video on Web sites, in a relaxed, supportive environment. Your facilitators are:

·       Rob Clark – blogging
·       Sue Horner – Twitter
·       Donna Papacosta – LinkedIn
·       Joan Vinall-Cox – audio and video
Each will demonstrate the particular tool at a table. You will have a chance to visit each table, depending on your interest, ask question and walk through what you need to know. Please bring your own laptop computer, if you have one.

Because of the hands-on nature of this meeting, space is limited. Register today by emailing Donna Papacosta at Donna AT Trafcom DOT com. HPCA members can attend for free; guests pay $20.

Sandwiches and beverages will be served. See you there?

Last night at a networking event given by IABC/Toronto’s Alliance of Independent Practitioners, or AIP, I shared why I volunteer, as did Leslie Hetherington, Donna Papacosta, Barb Sawyers and Lee Weisser. AIP is a sub-group of IABC that supports more than 100 independent communicators, offering professional development and networking opportunities that address our particular needs.

I’ve blogged before about the value of volunteering in earning referrals that help you diversify your business. At this event, we talked to the group about why we have volunteered for AIP in the past. Here are some of the thoughts I shared:

You can volunteer in an area you already know, which may help you more easily fit volunteering into your daily life. This also showcases your skills. For example, my volunteer activities often involve writing, which is what I do for a living.

You can volunteer in an area where you’d like to gain some experience or knowledge, or maybe something for your portfolio. I didn’t know much about e-newsletters before starting one for AIP, and I was glad to learn more about them.

Volunteer in an area you feel passionate about or that has some importance to you. At the point where you’re thinking, “Someone should…” or “Why don’t they offer…”, that’s where you should also be thinking, “this group needs X and maybe I can help.” Most of these organizations are only as good as their volunteers, and you shouldn’t wait for someone else to provide what you think is missing. I joined the board of AIP in 2004 because the group seemed to be floundering, and I did not want it to disappear. A 2007 Toronto chapter OVATION award is recognition that our volunteer work was able to make a difference.

Most indies get much of their work through referrals and repeat business. For people to be comfortable referring you, they have to be confident that (a) you have the skill and talent to do the work, and (b) you can be trusted to meet deadlines. That means you’ll make the referrer look good.

In my own volunteer work, I was able to show that I met both conditions. I gained new business, from people I worked with directly in AIP and from people who read my writing in the newsletter, and I gained more visibility. I also referred business to some of the people I got to know better through volunteering. We all got to practice skills like leadership, teambuilding, time management and creativity, and we made new friends. Sure, sometimes it got a little hectic trying to fit the volunteer work in with paying work, family and friends, but life is already a balancing act, isn’t it? I find it all works out, and maybe all you have to “sacrifice” is time in front of the television.

So if you don’t already volunteer, try it. Take baby steps. Offer to write an article for the newsletter, or take RSVPs for an event. You’ll make new friends, strengthen your connections and build your profile. And you’ll make sure that the events and organizations important to you will continue.

Just don’t sit back and expect someone else to do the work for you.

Time for a reminder to be careful out there, as we look at some of the recent errors spotted in our imperfect published world (because, of course, I am perfect and never make any myself)*:

…the pictures of the bloggers…don’t wreak of the standard sales pitch (I think it means reek)

…the project would not be aloud to proceed (allowed)

…some sight the figure as high as 41 (cite)

…you can eek out six or eight minutes (eke)

…I don’t want to temp fate (tempt)

…we spend the evening with hot totties (toddies)

…do we tow to a version of that old line (toe).

As I said, be careful out there, and watch out for “spelling by ear,” as wordsmith and columnist Alden Wood used to call it.

*Joke. I do, although I try very hard not to.

While decluttering my office this week, I ran across a battered 1981 edition of The Canadian Writer’s Market. In it I found 32 pages of agency listings, each entry with a pencilled X or check mark beside it, plus new telephone numbers and scribbled names. I was a newlywed, had just moved to Toronto and was moonlighting as a freelance writer while searching for a full-time job.

Oh, those glory days. I absolutely HATED cold calling. Most people do.

Cold calling is exactly that, cold. The rate of rejection is high; even the best salespeople can take 10 calls to get three meetings. Although you shouldn’t, it’s hard not to take it personally. But sometimes you have no choice.

Here are some tips to get through cold calling:

• Be positive. Look at it this way; you have a valuable service that the right person will be glad to know about. Your job is to find that person.
• Don’t take rejection personally. In fact, don’t even think of it as “rejection.” Think of it as confirming that you don’t need to spend time following up with this person.
• Think about and practice what you’re going to say, but don’t launch into a canned speech that doesn’t leave room for a comment or two.
• Keep your introduction brief. Mine was: “I’m a freelance writer, and wonder if your company occasionally uses freelancers.” Yes, and the conversation continued. No, and I thanked them for their time and ended the call.
• Keep the focus on the people you’re speaking with and their needs. Follow their lead. Allow a natural conversation to develop.
• Some experts advise calling early in the day or late in the day. You’re not as likely to get an administrator or other gatekeeper.
• If you get voice mail — and it’s hard not to! — don’t leave a message on the first attempt. But if you can’t get through after another try or two, leave a brief message. Plan ahead what you’re going to say. Say your name and phone number slowly.

I have not had to make a cold call for many years, thank goodness. These days, besides repeat business from existing clients, I am more likely to get referrals from people I know through networking and volunteering, both options that are much warmer than cold calling.

Do you use cold calling? What tips make it a successful tactic for you?