Comments for GINGER KOOLICK http://www.gingerkoolick.com Interactive Business Consultant Mon, 12 Jul 2010 05:02:57 +0000 hourly 1 Comment on Considering My Online Multiple Personality Disorder by Mike Klein http://www.gingerkoolick.com/2010/07/considering-my-online-multiple-personality-disorder/comment-page-1/#comment-42 Mike Klein Mon, 12 Jul 2010 05:02:57 +0000 http://www.gingerkoolick.com/?p=210#comment-42 Shit Chris, what's wrong with a good frickn swear word or two? ;) Ginger, I think just being yourself is the best option. In fact I think it's the only sustainable solution. And, surprisingly I think your clients would appreciate knowing about all of the personal stuff you mentioned. It makes you real, credible and instantaneously trustworthy (how can you not trust somebody who gushes over their kid?). I try to avoid: posting negative comments about local businesses/work, posting about local celebrities or politicians, anything to do with my day job, or really anything overly political. Shit Chris, what’s wrong with a good frickn swear word or two? ;)

Ginger, I think just being yourself is the best option. In fact I think it’s the only sustainable solution.

And, surprisingly I think your clients would appreciate knowing about all of the personal stuff you mentioned. It makes you real, credible and instantaneously trustworthy (how can you not trust somebody who gushes over their kid?).

I try to avoid: posting negative comments about local businesses/work, posting about local celebrities or politicians, anything to do with my day job, or really anything overly political.

]]> Comment on Considering My Online Multiple Personality Disorder by Ginger http://www.gingerkoolick.com/2010/07/considering-my-online-multiple-personality-disorder/comment-page-1/#comment-40 Ginger Sun, 04 Jul 2010 15:49:42 +0000 http://www.gingerkoolick.com/?p=210#comment-40 Thanks you guys! Great comments. @Chris your "commandments" are perfect. Straightforward and easy to remember. @Kari I agree that separation of personal vs. professional opinions of people in this space are becoming necessary. In order to demonstrate that you know how to use social media you have to participate. And @Harley you're right. I'm just going to be myself! Thanks you guys! Great comments. @Chris your “commandments” are perfect. Straightforward and easy to remember. @Kari I agree that separation of personal vs. professional opinions of people in this space are becoming necessary. In order to demonstrate that you know how to use social media you have to participate. And @Harley you’re right. I’m just going to be myself!

]]> Comment on Considering My Online Multiple Personality Disorder by Chris de Jong http://www.gingerkoolick.com/2010/07/considering-my-online-multiple-personality-disorder/comment-page-1/#comment-38 Chris de Jong Sat, 03 Jul 2010 21:55:08 +0000 http://www.gingerkoolick.com/?p=210#comment-38 This "social schizophrenia" as it were, is a problem I have also devoted a great deal of time thinking about over the past months. It seems to me that the more we move our social interaction into the digital realm (a trend unlikely to slow or reverse), the lines between what is perceived by others in our social graph as our 'personal' selves and our 'professional' selves are blurring fast. While this isn't necessarily a bad thing - <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/darmano/micro-interactions?src=embed" title="Brand Engagement" rel="nofollow">studies suggest prospective customers/clients would much rather deal with a person, rather than a person masquerading as a company entity</a> - we must be sure to tread lightly so as not to sully our professional brands. This happens on the other side of the equation all the time; within in the past year I have witnessed countless local job applicants rejected thanks to a simple Facebook or Twitter search - <a href="http://blog.taragana.com/index.php/archive/70-hr-workers-reject-candidates-for-their-irresponsible-online-behavior/" title="" rel="nofollow">something 70% of HR professionals are doing</a>, so I don't think it would be a stretch to imagine clients doing the same when evaluating who will gain their business. It is for this reason I looked into creating a set of social media "commandments" to follow when engaging with others online. While this might seem excessive and/or disingenuous, the aim isn't to restrict online engagement or craft a false self-image, but rather provide guidelines to make sure that I don't post anything that would damage a "brand" - be it professional OR personal. Here are a couple of the commandments which might help you with creating your own engagement strategy: - <b>Never</b> swear - <i>Always</i> answer questions or inquiries in a timely fashion - If you can help someone out, do it - <b>Never</b> disparage other people, companies, or brands (especially local) - Always provide content over opinion, unless the latter is more valuable - Be positive Hope this helps Ginger! :) This “social schizophrenia” as it were, is a problem I have also devoted a great deal of time thinking about over the past months.

It seems to me that the more we move our social interaction into the digital realm (a trend unlikely to slow or reverse), the lines between what is perceived by others in our social graph as our ‘personal’ selves and our ‘professional’ selves are blurring fast.

While this isn’t necessarily a bad thing – studies suggest prospective customers/clients would much rather deal with a person, rather than a person masquerading as a company entity – we must be sure to tread lightly so as not to sully our professional brands.

This happens on the other side of the equation all the time; within in the past year I have witnessed countless local job applicants rejected thanks to a simple Facebook or Twitter search – something 70% of HR professionals are doing, so I don’t think it would be a stretch to imagine clients doing the same when evaluating who will gain their business.

It is for this reason I looked into creating a set of social media “commandments” to follow when engaging with others online. While this might seem excessive and/or disingenuous, the aim isn’t to restrict online engagement or craft a false self-image, but rather provide guidelines to make sure that I don’t post anything that would damage a “brand” – be it professional OR personal. Here are a couple of the commandments which might help you with creating your own engagement strategy:
- Never swear
- Always answer questions or inquiries in a timely fashion
- If you can help someone out, do it
- Never disparage other people, companies, or brands (especially local)
- Always provide content over opinion, unless the latter is more valuable
- Be positive

Hope this helps Ginger! :)

]]> Comment on Considering My Online Multiple Personality Disorder by Kari http://www.gingerkoolick.com/2010/07/considering-my-online-multiple-personality-disorder/comment-page-1/#comment-37 Kari Sat, 03 Jul 2010 20:56:52 +0000 http://www.gingerkoolick.com/?p=210#comment-37 Me too, and I agree with Blaine. I think that as people's personal and professional lives get played out on the same stage, potential clients are going to have to learn the new skill of separating their opinions of a consultant's personal posts from their opinions of their work. Otherwise, they'll never be able to hire anyone. Even big companies suffer from this: it's easy these days to find out about things a company or its employees have done that are unsavory, or just not what you agree with. Customers looking for purity or perfect fits will look a long time. I think an interesting role model in this respect is @halvorson (Kristina Halvorson), who posts about personal and professional things with the same upbeat irreverence. I think the key is to be consistent and a little fearless in making and owning up to mistakes. Me too, and I agree with Blaine. I think that as people’s personal and professional lives get played out on the same stage, potential clients are going to have to learn the new skill of separating their opinions of a consultant’s personal posts from their opinions of their work. Otherwise, they’ll never be able to hire anyone. Even big companies suffer from this: it’s easy these days to find out about things a company or its employees have done that are unsavory, or just not what you agree with. Customers looking for purity or perfect fits will look a long time.

I think an interesting role model in this respect is @halvorson (Kristina Halvorson), who posts about personal and professional things with the same upbeat irreverence. I think the key is to be consistent and a little fearless in making and owning up to mistakes.

]]> Comment on Considering My Online Multiple Personality Disorder by Harley Rivet http://www.gingerkoolick.com/2010/07/considering-my-online-multiple-personality-disorder/comment-page-1/#comment-36 Harley Rivet Sat, 03 Jul 2010 20:07:00 +0000 http://www.gingerkoolick.com/?p=210#comment-36 Hey Ginger - I think you should just be yourself. Leverage what makes you unique and inject it into your social media comments. I'm in the same situation as you and I've decided that it's just best to use my judgment. I try to keep things clean but I also have an edgy sense of humour so I like to make sure that comes through. For me, it's about providing value or being interesting. I don't share too much about the personal minutia of my life unless i think it might be entertaining or valuable to others. Being too professional is boring - Inject some personality to help people get to know you. Cheers. Hey Ginger – I think you should just be yourself. Leverage what makes you unique and inject it into your social media comments. I’m in the same situation as you and I’ve decided that it’s just best to use my judgment. I try to keep things clean but I also have an edgy sense of humour so I like to make sure that comes through. For me, it’s about providing value or being interesting. I don’t share too much about the personal minutia of my life unless i think it might be entertaining or valuable to others. Being too professional is boring – Inject some personality to help people get to know you. Cheers.

]]> Comment on Considering My Online Multiple Personality Disorder by Ginger http://www.gingerkoolick.com/2010/07/considering-my-online-multiple-personality-disorder/comment-page-1/#comment-35 Ginger Sat, 03 Jul 2010 19:50:08 +0000 http://www.gingerkoolick.com/?p=210#comment-35 Thanks for commenting and I hear you Blaine. For those clients who know me and my work I'm not as concerned. Maybe more an issue of how do I find balance between both potential clients/contacts and my more "personal" network. I don't want to hear myself babbling away unless it's meaningful to others. And I have a feeling that what's meaningful to one group isn't to the other. Thanks for commenting and I hear you Blaine. For those clients who know me and my work I’m not as concerned. Maybe more an issue of how do I find balance between both potential clients/contacts and my more “personal” network. I don’t want to hear myself babbling away unless it’s meaningful to others. And I have a feeling that what’s meaningful to one group isn’t to the other.

]]> Comment on Considering My Online Multiple Personality Disorder by Blaine http://www.gingerkoolick.com/2010/07/considering-my-online-multiple-personality-disorder/comment-page-1/#comment-34 Blaine Sat, 03 Jul 2010 18:03:28 +0000 http://www.gingerkoolick.com/?p=210#comment-34 We all struggle with this, and to me, I'd be more concerned about a particular client if they wouldn't hire me because I swear when the Riders win/lose or the many other pointless things I talk about on Facebook or Twitter rather than the quality of my work. So in my opinion, keep on tweeting the stuff you've always tweeted and the only clients you'd lose would be the troublesome ones. We all struggle with this, and to me, I’d be more concerned about a particular client if they wouldn’t hire me because I swear when the Riders win/lose or the many other pointless things I talk about on Facebook or Twitter rather than the quality of my work. So in my opinion, keep on tweeting the stuff you’ve always tweeted and the only clients you’d lose would be the troublesome ones.

]]> Comment on Social Media Workshop Level 1 by Audrey Deck http://www.gingerkoolick.com/2010/03/social-media-workshop-level-1/comment-page-1/#comment-32 Audrey Deck Tue, 06 Apr 2010 15:45:23 +0000 http://www.gingerkoolick.com/?p=183#comment-32 Hello Ginger, I received your information, and I think I know you. My maiden name is Grassick. My husband is going to try to get to your workshop on April 10. We started up an online tutoring business last June. Audrey Hello Ginger,
I received your information, and I think I know you. My maiden name is Grassick. My husband is going to try to get to your workshop on April 10. We started up an online tutoring business last June.

Audrey

]]> Comment on Responding to A Request by Ginger http://www.gingerkoolick.com/2010/03/responding-to-a-request/comment-page-1/#comment-21 Ginger Tue, 09 Mar 2010 00:11:58 +0000 http://www.gingerkoolick.com/?p=165#comment-21 Thanks for the comment, Mike. When describing what I do the word "translate" comes up often :) Thanks for the comment, Mike. When describing what I do the word “translate” comes up often :)

]]> Comment on Responding to A Request by Mike Klein http://www.gingerkoolick.com/2010/03/responding-to-a-request/comment-page-1/#comment-20 Mike Klein Mon, 08 Mar 2010 23:43:32 +0000 http://www.gingerkoolick.com/?p=165#comment-20 So true, so true. Translator could actually be the official job title some days! The part about having to constantly stay on top of changing technology really resonated with me. It's a difficult, but necessary aspect of working in the technology space. I sometimes wonder if people truly understand the time it takes to stay current? So true, so true. Translator could actually be the official job title some days!

The part about having to constantly stay on top of changing technology really resonated with me. It’s a difficult, but necessary aspect of working in the technology space. I sometimes wonder if people truly understand the time it takes to stay current?

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