I just sat in on the first Twebinar thanks to Chris Brogan, Marcel LeBrun and many others at Cross Tech Media and Radian 6. What a GREAT first-time experience combining a webinar with the power of twitter to broaden the conversation. In case you missed it, here’s a summary of what stood out most for me.

• People are using social networks to find pockets of opportunities.
• Social networks/social media are changing search engine results, often highlighting obscure or sometimes less than ideal information above the fold. Companies must pay attention.
• Customers are having the conversations online about your company, your product, your industry, etc.
• Mom bloggers have power and LOTS of influence on the buying decisions, not just for their households.
• Businesses are seeing negative comments go down because they are listening.
• Companies doing social media/social networks well are doing so because they aren’t taking themselves so seriously. Loosen up corporate America.
• Loosening up melts resistance.
• Associations (non-profits, chambers and ministries/churches) have great opportunities to build community via social networks.
• Every business/organization needs to reach out to younger generations to continue in the future. Social media/social networks provides that platform.
• Use social networks/community to let your customers help you build your next product/service. They’re already your fans.
• Use social media/social networks to give people what they need to tell your story!
• Companies/organizations interested in controlling the convesation are not well suited for social networks.
• Pushing your marketing message is not well suited for social networks. It is far better to enable conversations (and let others lead the conversation/tell your story).
• We now live in three worlds: the physical, digital and virtual. (I would add spiritual to the list, but that’s a whole other post.)
• People have three lives: professional, personal and private (the part not on social networks).

There was so much information. Now I must digest it all. It’ll be interesting how the conversations that began in today’s session will continue on Twitter in both formal and informal ways, as well as in other conversations about marketing, business and life.

I apologize for not including names/companies/links for speakers. The twebinar went so quickly, I only had time to take notes. See the sidebar of Twebinar page for more information about speakers. Can’t wait ’til the next one! Good job guys.

What about you? Were you one of the 500 to get in the first one? What was your takeaway? What am I missing from the list?

As noted in yesterday’s post, for the last few months I’ve been telling people about Twitter. This morning an idea for a post started brewing in my mind and now the pot is finally ready. Here is a short list of tweople I recommend anyone using Twitter should follow, and why. (This could be part 1 of several, but for now, let’s enjoy the first sip while the coffee’s still hot!)

These are all people who have consistently enriched my life by their tweets and/or their blog posts. For new Twitter users, login to Twitter, then click on the links below and click “follow” to begin receiving their updates.

In No Particular Order

• @ChrisBrogan I consider Chris to be the master of social networks. Or maybe he just gets people and that shows up in everything he writes (and believe me, he’s prolific).
• @zappos Tony is the CEO of zappos.com and a genuis at building culture, both internally and externally. He’s using Twitter expertly! Hey, you could also win stuff.
• @michaelhyatt President & CEO of Thomas Nelson uses Twitter for business, to be sure, but what I like best is how he tweets about real life. Mike is approachable and he loves his wife and family.
• @craignewmark Founder of Craigslist.org, Craig is king of brief. His blog posts reveal his passions and often include only photos.
• @jnswanson Jon journals thoughtfully, takes great photos and sometimes reveals both on his blog - Levite Chronicles. Jon loves God, family and coffee.
• @ev Evan is the Cofounder of Twitter. I like to keep up with people who are smart in ways I can’t even begin to understand.
• @biz The other Cofounder of Twitter. It’s so cool to see what people can think up and then put into action.
• @dacort Brilliant programmer, Internet security expert and fun person to follow. I like to pretend I can speak his IT/security language.
• @sacca - A tech investor and someone with a witty sense of humor.
• @danportnoy - Brilliant. Funny. Just maybe a beautiful mind. The person who got me into this whole blogging thing to begin with. Working with The Sold Project - you MUST check it out too.
• @ronedmondson - Straight up guy who loves God and has a heart for people. The real deal.
• @getitdoneguy - Man, Stever is one of the smartest people I’ve seen. You’ll be smarter just by following him and gleaning from his insights.
• @alanataylor - On the cutting edge of technology. Writes for Mashable. Truly a digital native and a nice person to boot.
• @garyvee - Wine guy, passion personified. Uses social media to build his brand and has an amazing following. Gary has insane energy.
• @newmediajim - A real life camera news guy. Now when you see the stories, you begin to think of the people who actually film/make the news happen.
• @starbucker Because everybody needs a little music trivia every now and then. With Terry, the glass is always half full.
• @chriscree Chris is a heck of a nice guy who embraces the fact that we live in a collaborative society. Talk to Chris and you feel like you’ve known him all your life.
• @arickmann Because he’s a smart alec and hey, sometimes you just need a laugh. He’s also one of those people who speaks a language other than my own (web design).
• @frankmartin Knows marketing research, he recommends great reads and he is passionate about social media/social networking.
• @richmillington Incredibly smart! Never read a single blog post of his that didn’t make me stop and think.
• @beckymccray Becky understands small business in rural America and she understands blogging and community. And besides, how often do you hear grown women talk about kegs?

Who enriches your life with their tweets or posts, and how so? Add their names in the comments section below so they can enrich the lives of others as well!

In recent months, I’ve talked with dozens of real-life friends and business acquaintances about Twitter: what it is, why and how I use it and why they should as well. Twitter updates can be found on my Facebook page, my Plaxo Pulsestream and on my blog. I’ve spoken about Twitter in presentations and conversations.

Here’s My Take
I’m not the expert. In fact, I’m still learning. And maybe that’s precisely the reason I felt compelled to write this post. I’m an average person seeking to understand this whole new twitterverse and what the implications are for my business, my family and friends, my community/country/world and my faith. So far, I’ve discovered at least six ways you can use Twitter today:

1. Level the Playing Field. You can use Twitter to follow decision makers of online shoe stores, major publishers, wine retailers, technology companies and business owners. You can follow famous authors/speakers, sales gurus, coaches, politicians, entertainers and some of the brightest marketing minds anywhere. No gatekeepers. No barriers.
2. Find New Ideas. Some of the smartest, most creative and innovative leaders in the world are on Twitter. You can ask questions and get a variety of responses from people based on their areas of interest/expertise. You also have access to thoughts and conversations that are different from your own or those of your peers/colleagues. You can even use Twitter for online brainstorming.
3. Catch Breaking News. By following @breakingnewson and @cnnbrk and others, you can learn about earthquakes across the country/world, tornadoes in your backyard, primaries and concessions (or not) and more. And you can get this news FAST - typically before it’s available through traditional media outlets.
4. Research and Identify Trends. When you read updates from more than a handful of people about a particular product or subject, you see emerging trends. You can also use Twitter to determine if trends are isolated to people within a certain geographic region, demographic, psychographic or market segment.
5. Generate Visibility. Use Twitter to gain additional visibility for your business (or personal brand) and generate traffic for your website. This has happened for me when “tweople” with small, moderate and large followings have tweeted about @CherylSmith999.
6. Enjoy the Water Cooler. While working from home has many great advantages, solopreneurs can sometimes feel isolated or disconnected. Twitter is like an online water cooler or break room, providing you with a venue for conversations about daily happenings.

What Others Are Saying
Social media expert Chris Brogan has written five posts specifically related to Twitter and dozens more that touch on the subject. Read Chris’ Newbies Guide to Twitter or How he uses Twitter. Check out Rafe Needleman’s comprehensive newbie’s guide to Twitter. From the C-Suite, Thomas Nelson’s President & CEO, Michael Hyatt, has a great 12 Reasons to Start Twittering post. People all across the blogosphere, the twitterverse and even main stream media are talking about Twitter. Just maybe Twitter is more than a novelty or geekfest.

Not yet using Twitter? Try it out. It will probably feel awkward at first but chances are, in no time, you’ll get the hang of it. Who knows, you may even come to rely on it.

Already a believer? How do you use Twitter? When people ask you for info about Twitter, where do you point them? Leave your comments here and broaden the conversation.

Photo credit: Leo Reynolds - Creative Commons: Attribution, Non-commercial, Share alike.

You’re an introvert and you suddenly realize networking isn’t an option. Maybe you’re a small business owner and you need to meet new people to grow your business. Maybe your boss wants you to attend some networking events to gain additional visibility for the company. Or perhaps your significant other is dragging you to a social gathering where you’ll be surrounded by people you don’t know. Whatever the case, relax. You can do it and you can do it well. And you just might have some fun in the process!

A Little Background
By definition, an introvert is someone who is shy and primarily concerned with his or her own thoughts or feelings. Being introverted is neither good nor bad. It just is. It’s like being a brunette or a red head.

If you’re an Introvert, you can be just as effective as extraverts when meeting new people. You simply must be more intentional in order to overcome that natural shyness. At the end of such an experience, you may feel drained and in need of recharging your batteries. Fortunately, this can be accomplished by spending time alone or with a very small group of trusted people.

Introverts process internally. They may rehearse ahead of time what they will say to others, whether it’s for a formal presentation or a phone call to a friend. They also want to know what to expect in a given situation. With that in mind, you may find the following networking tips helpful.

A Baker’s Dozen

1. Be positive. Successful networking starts with your attitude. Don’t worry so much about your own shyness or sense of fear. Instead focus on the other person and getting to know him or her.
2. Plan early. If it will put your mind at ease, find the location ahead of time so you know where you’re going and can get a feel for the lay of the land. Doing so will eliminate your need to arrive so early that you end up being the first one there. Not fun at a networking event.
3. Smile.
4. Make and keep eye contact.
5. Extend your hand. A good handshake (web-to-web, firm but not ironclad, and no excessive pumping) is always appropriate.
6. Ask open-ended questions (questions that result in conversation rather than yes/no answers) to uncover common interests and experiences.
7. Speak up. Since the introvert is naturally shy, the tendency is to speak softly. Be sure to enunciate your words clearly and speak loudly enough for the other person to hear you. Be intentional about this!
8. Have a partner. If possible, attend networking events with someone you know. You can tag team one another and when necessary, your partner can help facilitate conversation or rescue you in an uncomfortable situation.
9. Be mobile. Once you find a comfortable conversation, it’s tempting to stay there for the entire event. Move around the room and be sure to meet at least three different people. Afterall, that’s the whole point of networking events - to meet new people.
10. Exchange business cards. Once introductions are made, ask for the other person’s business card and offer your own. Pay attention to the card details/design and if appropriate, comment about it.
11. Make notes. After the conversation is finished or the event is over, make a few notes on the back of the business card to help you remember items discussed.
12. Track the data. Once you leave the event, enter the contact information into your contact management system (Outlook, entourage, ACT! or even gmail). Include the notes you wrote on the back of the card and any additional thoughts.
13. Follow up. Depending on the desired outcome, send a note, an email or give the person a call. Be sure to include comments pertinent to your conversation. Schedule calendar appointments or tasks for additional follow up at regular intervals - 3 months, 6 months, a year, etc.

Tomorrow I’ll post a list of open ended questions and conversation starters that I’ve found helpful when getting to know new people. Today, I want to leave you with a couple of questions about your own networking experiences.

What networking tips have you found to be helpful? How is networking in person the same or different from networking online?