Hanging Your Own Star. One Relationship at a Time.

Posted by dscaringi on April 4, 2013

I couldn’t begin to tell you what it means to me to have been recognized at the “Your Honor Awards” ceremony in Boston last week. My beloved trade association, the Legal Marketing Association’s New England Chapter, has always been a huge part of my professional life. I first joined in 1998 as a means to learn as much as possible about the industry I had just become a part of.  The educational component of LMA is a great asset.  Something that I have come to know intimately as I serve my third consecutive term as the programming chair.

But even more than the content I have encountered over the years, I find my connection to the LMANE membership has reached a much deeper level in the past 5 years or so.  I developed excellent friendships and business relationships.  People who know this industry and what it means to help others do what they fear most, sell their services.  There is a kinship that comes along with tackling a difficult job that connects you deeply.  This is why the LMA has always been important to me. My experience in this group has made me a firm believer in giving more than you take in order to be successful.

All I can say is thank you. Thank you for giving me more than public recognition.  Thank you for helping me build my knowledge, network and friendships.  I am incredibly honored and humbled to have been named an LMA New England Chapter Star for service to this chapter. I encourage everyone to find their ‘LMA’ and enjoy the experience!

Twitter: A Few Do’s and Don’ts

Posted by dscaringi on March 18, 2013

It’s hard to believe that Twitter was started in 2006! It has become a part of life for many of us. Whether you are a veteran tweeter or you are just getting started, here are a few Do’s and Don’ts to keep in mind.

DO:

• Create a handle that uses your name. Help people find you easily and build name recognition across platforms.
• Be yourself. Don’t pretend to be someone you aren’t. Honesty always shines through and supports your brand.
• Show your personality.  People want to surround themselves with ‘real’ people who are smart, fun and real.
• Build a following. There are many ways to build a following, but an easy place to start is by following people.
• Be conversational. Acknowledge tweets sent to you and thank people when they retweet (RT) you.
• Complete your profile. Include a picture, put meaningful information about yourself and select a location.
• Share information. Don’t hesitate to post original content, pose questions and respond to other people’s tweets.
• Retweet any content that you find interesting, validates your point of view or could be helpful to other people.
• Offer “shout outs” to your followers or other interesting people you know.

 DON’T

• Don’t get caught in the time-suck. Be mindful of how much time you are spending on Twitter and make it productive.
• Don’t hide your tweets from people or keep your profile private.  Remember, Twitter is built for open sharing.
• Don’t pretend to be something or someone you aren’t. It is best to be transparent and honest.
• Don’t retweet (RT) links that you haven’t read through. You need to be careful to know what you are tweeting because ultimately everything you post reflects upon you.
• Don’t follow everyone. Do make a habit of following people you think are interesting and offer value.
• Don’t be crass, use bad language or talk poorly about someone.  This is a very public forum.  Keep it clean!
• Don’t blatantly sell your services through every tweet.  Twitter is meant as an informational stream for building relationships.  By selling your goods at every tweet, you will turn people off.
• Don’t tweet about nothing. Sharing helpful information will build your reputation as a thought leader.

Twitter can be a very powerful tool for building relationships, confirming business contacts, supporting a brand and sharing information. If you take the time to use Twitter well, the benefits will be well worth it.

Linked In: A Few Do’s and Don’ts

Posted by dscaringi on March 7, 2013

It is clear that Linked In is an important component to any marketing strategy. There are certainly veteran users of Linked In, but new users are coming in every day. Whether you are new to the tool or not, it never hurts to review a few DO’s and DON’Ts for smart posting. Here are just a few tips for posting status.

DO’s:

• Share links with your network.  Examples of good links include helpful and timely articles, useful websites, videos or other news.  Use a short link (try bit.ly) and write a brief but compelling intro to what you are posting.  Posts with links always get more interest and attention.
• Ask questions. If something is on your mind and you want input on the topic, throw it out there. You will gain interesting perspective from different parts of your network.
• Use it as a broadcast tool for an event or announcement. You don’t always want to just broadcast information but if you use it judiciously, it is an effective way to get the word out.
• Share other people’s status posts and “Like” a post that you think is helpful to a broader audience.

DON’Ts:

• Don’t report on the mundane or personal events in your life. Linked In is truly a professional network so save those updates for Facebook!
• Don’t be a pusher.  Don’t be a salesman on Linked In.  Think of social networking as an extension of in-person networking.  Building relationships and establishing yourself as a knowledgeable problem solver is much more effective.
• Don’t share too much.  There is a balance to sharing information. If you share too infrequently you are invisible.  If you share too much your are a pest.  Try to strike a balance with a few status posts a day.  Save the flurry for Twitter where it is expected.

Of course there are many approaches to using Linked In but starting with these very basics should get you in the habit of using the product. Remember that the idea is to build your network and then provide useful information that helps others get their jobs done and look great!