2009 February

Josh Peters - Shua Consulting

With Twitter the value is all in who you follow and interact with (not who follows you), which gets really hard to manage when you start following over 50 people. To manage that I use TweetDeck, the columns are awesome and groups are crucial to you peace of mind. I read that Twhirl now does tabs so I may have to check that out again. What I hope to accomplish is to make good connections with people online, meet new people in my area, and now that Shua Consulting has launched I’d like to start meeting clients. If I had to quantify it at the end of the day, I’d say I feel accomplished when I talk to someone new or have a great conversation with another twitterer.

Tell us where you are from and what you do for a living?

I’m from Salt Lake City, UT and I’ve “recently” decided to do freelance social media consulting, training, and new media data management for companies.

Do you know others who use Social Media tools like Twitter in your area? What would you say about the knowledge of people in your area about Social Media in general?

I do, SLC has an awesome social media club that just launched and we have our second meeting this FEB. There are a lot of great and knowledgeable people here that are very passionate about social media and what they do for a living. Most of the local businesses are on at least MySpace, and some of the more tech based brands have a presence on FaceBook and a few on Twitter. Several of our newspapers and arms of the government are on Twitter. There’s no doubt they could do more, but it’s a fantastic start and exciting to see.

What gets you really motivated and excited?

New ideas, music, and art. I’m always sharing new art I come across because it really gets my creativity juices going and i always have music on. Seeing people accomplish their own projects and bring their ideas (artistically or technologically) to life really get me motivated to work on my own ideas, dreams, and passions. Twitter is a huge source of motivation and excitement as I watch people talk about their accomplishments, ideas, trials, and triumphs.

Give us one crazy fact about yourself you haven’t already shared.

I want to be a cage fighter.

Any other tidbits you would like to offer?

Prediction: I don’t think that social media will be around within the next 3 years. It’s not going to disappear, we’re just going to call it “The Internet”. The ways we interact with each other and companies online are not going to be unique anymore they are going to be expected. Especially from those who are growing up or entering the work force with it. Education and a willingness to help those who don’t know will be the key to successful mass adoption, and I see that happening everyday from the industry leaders and big names out there so the example is being set.

Advice: Don’t be afraid to participate. The worst thing that can happen is someone telling you you’re doing it wrong. If that happens, learn how to do it “right” and then make it your own.

Tip: Fill out your profiles and put up good pictures of you. If you want people to take you serious and make a good connection they need to see your face and know more about you.

Note from Craig : If you like my interviews, I would like to invite you to read my columns as well, please check out my article on “Social Media – It’s Just People” Thanks for your visit, please post if you have a thought! It does make a difference!

Social Media Maven - and More!

Q: It doesn’t seem like many teams in professional sports are involved in social media. How did your job with the Detroit Red Wings come along?

A: Social media is still new to most companies as well as those in professional sports. My position with the Red Wings was a rare opportunity. This was a situation where the organization created a new position and sought out somebody to help them implement social media and other aspects of digital marketing into the team’s overall business development strategy.

Q: Our Twitter guest question comes from @anwith1n who asks, “Seriously, I would like to know what @shannonpaul would be doing if she weren’t in Social Media?”

A: I’m sure I would be working in communications. I like to consider myself a communicator, connector and strategist — or at least a budding communicator, connector and strategist. I just took to the social media ethos — I always thought it was better to be as real and human as possible in communications. Social media just offered a way of engaging, practicing and testing that theory.

Q: You wrote a post called “Why communicators should get to know SEO” in which you have noted your desire to increase your knowledge about the technical portion of being in Social Media. What prompted this desire and why would others want to follow your lead?

A: Sooner or later, this new way of communication will be common sense. I think it’s great to understand how to adapt business communication strategies from a monologue to a dialogue, but digital strategy doesn’t end there. In order to be effective in communication and business, I think those that will move ahead of the pack will have a strong understanding of how information travels and how dollars are exchanged with the flow of traffic and information on the internet.

Q: One of the “7 random and weird things” about you was the fact that you sold everything you owned and moved to Denver for 2 years. How do you relate that experience of freedom with what you bring to Social Media?

A: I guess this behavior exemplifies a trait you find amongst a lot of people who are passionate about social media. In order to devote most of your free time to learn something in such a non-traditional way — reading other blogs, blogging and diving head-first into social networks, you have to be a little bit of a cowboy, or a pirate as Chris Brogan likes to say. Most of the people I’ve met through involvement in social media dove into this with little thought of personal profit, or simply with the very small hope that maybe someday all this effort to would pay off in one way or another. It’s a big gamble to spend so much time and effort on something as silly as a blog or reading other peoples’ blogs — especially when most of the people in your life don’t really understand what you’re doing! I think that quality is what separates those of us who have real passion from others who simply smell a trend.

Q: You are organizing the upcoming Startup Weekend Detroit (Mar. 27-29). Can you explain what that is, and why other cities would benefit from doing the same?

A: The Startup Weekend organization was founded by Andrew Hyde in Boulder, Colorado. There have been several Startup Weekends in cities across the country and even in Europe. Basically the event gathers together creatives and people with technical skills to launch new companies within a single weekend. Each event is different since the direction is largely determined by the people who show up. I live in Detroit and I was raised here. There are hard times across the country right now, but Detroit is under even more intense strain than most in the U.S. I really believe that the future of this city lies in the ability to bring people together to get great ideas off the ground. Nobody becomes successful in a vacuum. We need each other. Events like Startup Weekend help bring people together with a variety of skills to roll up their sleeves, work side by side and get things done. I attended Startup Weekend in Ann Arbor, Michigan last year. What struck me most about the event was the fact that so much was accomplished in a single weekend. This experience leaves people who attend with the feeling that anything really is possible if you work together. What city couldn’t benefit from a little of that?