My coworking compadre at Conjunctured (that’s a lot of C’s!), Brad Istre, designed a logo for me a few months back. I’m still working on a business site for my consulting company, so I haven’t been using it much…yet. Today he told me that he added business cards and letterhead to the mix…

Sweet, right?

You can check out the rest of his portfolio at Sidedoor Studio. And stay tuned for the new site, it’s coming soon.

I swear to Thor that HootSuite was eavesdropping on my brain last night. The title of the original draft of this post was “Dear HootSuite, I Love You, Please Change” – but an email arrived this morning that changed all that.

Here’s the story: As social media management tools go, HootSuite and CoTweet are both way up there in terms of team management of Twitter. CoTweet has some advantages for team communication. I especially appreciate the ability to “assign” specific tweets to other team members, and to toggle the on duty/off duty switch, allowing members to work “shifts” when managing a Twitter account. Here’s a screenshot:

CoTweet

But HootSuite has some major advantages over CoTweet, including:

1. Multi-Channel Management.

In addition to Twitter, HootSuite allows you to manage Facebook accounts and pages, LinkedIN status updates, Ping.FM, WordPress, MySpace and even FourSquare. CoTweet allows you to manage…Twitter. These days, I don’t have a single client who’s worried solely with team managing a Twitter account. At the very least they have a Facebook page that requires updating, and if you’ve spent any time trying to integrate your Facebook page with your Twitter account, you know what a tangled web that can be. HootSuite eliminates that problem quite neatly.

HootSuite Social Networks

2. Cross posting.

Not only can I send a single message to several channels (i.e. Twitter stream and Facebook page), I can send a single message to several ACCOUNTS at the same time. This isn’t a feature I take advantage of often, but I can see where it would come in handy in certain scenarios.

3. Attaching pictures.

HootSuite includes a button on the status bar which allows you to attach photos to any status update. CoTweet…doesn’t. Unfortunately, the photo comes through on Twitter as an ow.ly link. I’d like to see HootSuite offer integration of some of the more common Twitter photo sharing apps like TwitPic and YFrog, which would allow users to view the picture in a pop-up when using an external Twitter client, but they have their own self-serving reasons for holding on to your picture’s URL:

Ow.ly Twitter Image

Namely, product placement.

4. Bookmarklet.

Over nine months ago a thread was started on the CoTweet’s Get Satisfaction support page regarding the need for a bookmarklet.

I Can't Get No Satisfaction

Astonishingly enough, it was started by CoTweet themselves. Several people (including me) chimed in saying they could really use a bookmarklet. But nine months later, nothing’s changed. Even more discouraging, there’s been no activity on the thread from CoTweet representatives since the initiation of the ticket, leaving the commenters to wonder if CoTweet is really listening at all.

In terms of my daily workflow (I manage one Twitter account that consists mainly of links), the lack of a bookmarklet has been a major PITA. My workaround has been to grab a bit.ly link first, then open the HootSuite Bookmarklet, and copy and paste the bit.ly link into the HootSuite bookmarklet.

Why didn’t I just go ahead and use the HootSuite url shortener, ow.ly?

Well, that was the original purpose of this blog post. Up until this morning, when HootSuite rolled out some very welcome changes, an ow.ly link created a “social bar” on the linked-to page. This “Evil Page Frame” as my friend Sheila Scarborough called it, created a bar at the top of the page which included sharing links and a ReTweet button. I, for one, prefer to send out links to my audience that are as unadulterated as possible. In other words, it seemed obnoxious and more than a little spammy to ask readers to click on a link that then asked readers to click on even more links. Thankfully, the folks at HootSuite have changed all that. They still have an opt-in social bar on a new url shortener, ht.ly. But ow.ly links from now on will be completely uncluttered. You can read about the changes on their blog.

I still love CoTweet, and I still recommend it to clients. If your goals are to team manage a Twitter account, and especially if you have a lot of customer service or community management issues that need to be handled over the account itself, CoTweet is for you. But now that ow.ly is free of its social bar, I’m switching to HootSuite full time.

Last April my friend Dusty approached me with an offer: he was too busy to handle the FeaturedUsers Twitter stream on his own. How would I feel about posting tweets, replying to followers, and generally monitoring the stream? It sounded like an interesting gig (and he was willing to pay me for it), so I agreed to give it a try.

Dusty had already set up the account with following/followers settings, so my only job would be sending out actual tweets. This has been something of a make-it-up-as-you-go-along gig for me, but after a few months I’ve got the basics of it figured out. I thought I’d share the process with you.

Twitter Stream

Flickr image by makelessnoise

A blend of tweets, sent throughout the day, is my formula for FeaturedUsers. This blend looks something like this:

1. Links. I send out about 5-8 links a day from interesting stories in my feed reader. Because my followers on FeaturedUsers and I have similar interests (Twitter, marketing, branding, web 2.0), I haven’t set up any special feeds for this account, but I would do so for a more specialized Twitter account. Most of these links are on those topics. At least once a day I try to send something that is more humorous or pop culture related. These are often the links that get retweeted the most, which helps to promote the FeaturedUsers brand across a wider audience. Also, it’s just good for people to have a laugh.

Most tweets follow the same basic format (as captured in TweetDeck):

This format ensures that I credit the author/site, add a little note of my own, and shows with the “^sv” that I am the personal sender of the tweet.

2. Retweets. I dip into the FeaturedUsers updates a couple of times a day to see what people are saying, and I retweet 2-3 people who have an interesting link to share (on topic!), or a good quote. This shows that you’re listening, and that you’re not just interested in talking about yourself or your brand.

3. Replies. I reply to all DM’s and @ messages throughout the day. If it’s a technical question that I can’t answer, I flag it for Dusty, but I still reply to the query, indicating that help is on its way. Prompt, good-natured responses are essential in customer service, and for now are quite manageable at around 6 or so a day. (I don’t reply to auto DMs.)

4. Follow Friday. Every Friday @FeaturedUsers gets a handful of #followfriday recommendations. Rather than thanking each of these people individually, I send out 2-3 batch tweets each Friday thanking those for mentioning me, and including the #ff or #followfriday hashtag.

5. Updates. Tweets are sent out to alert followers to new blog posts, updates to the service, or any other news related to FeaturedUsers.

6. Conversation. I admit, this is where I’m most lacking. Friendly conversation and engagement is appealing, and when I’ve spoken about more personal, general things, even the weather, it tends to get a response. But I usually forget to just “chit chat” on this Twitter account during the day. I’ll be working on that.

Tools

Flickr image by geishaboy500

Having an efficient method for sending and responding to Tweets keeps me from losing my mind. Here are the tools I use (Mac OSX/Firefox 3.5):

1. If there is more than one person on your Twitter account, you really should be using a group Twitter application like HootSuite or CoTweet. CoTweet allows for users to “assign” tweets (with optional notes attached) to each other for follow-up, schedule future tweets, and manage multiple Twitter accounts from a single page. It’s in Beta right now, so you have to request an invite, but last I heard these were being sent out pretty regularly.

2. Feed Reader. I’m addicted to Feedly right now, but Google Reader works fine for this. As I mentioned above, much of what I already read by default is relevant to the FeaturedUsers followers, so I haven’t had to create a separate folder. If I were tweeting for a real estate company or a wine merchant, however, I would have some unique feeds set up specifically for them. In the morning I go through my feeds and schedule links to be shared throughout the day. At the end of the day I’ll check Feedly again, and save a few links for the next day. That enables me to get rolling quickly the next morning with a few choice items. 2. CoTweet really really REALLY needs a bookmarklet for easy link sharing (they say this will be coming shortly). Otherwise, it’s perfect. For now I keep the HootSuite bookmarklet in my browser sidebar to send out links. This includes an option to schedule tweets into the future, which is great.

3. Link Shortener. A drawback to the HootSuite bookmarklet is it’s tied in with the ow.ly link shortener. This may or may not irk you. I replace all ow.ly links with an is.gd link, using the is.gd Creator for Firefox.

4. ShareThis. Another add-on I use is the ShareThis add-on for Firefox. This enables me to send all links to the FeaturedUsers del.icio.us account.

5. Twitter Search. CoTweet captures all @ replies and DMs on the website, but I still keep a FeaturedUsers search going on TweetDeck. This catches any mentions of the website or the service that aren’t in the standard @ reply format.

6. Google Alert. In addition to monitoring Twitter, I run a Google Alert for FeaturedUsers that sends results to my inbox once a day. This helps me capture any reviews or other mentions of FeaturedUsers on the internet, allowing me to thank the reviewer and link to the post the following day.

Anyone else out there Twitter for someone else, or Twitter for business? I’d love to hear about your process and the tools you use!

“The Mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be kindled.”

-Plutarch, On Listening to Lectures

For the past few months I’ve been providing business mentoring to a fellow Austinite who is active in the social media scene. This is our story so far.

Would You Be My Mentor?

flickr photo by Billie Jane

The date: February 12, 2009. The place: Aces Lounge on 6th Street, Austin. The event: Austin Twestival, a sort of tweetup/charity mashup to raise money for water wells in Africa. The place was a sea of Austin Social Media types. Lots of familiar faces, some I didn’t know at all, and some I knew only from Twitter, including the young man I said hello to at the bottom of the stairs.

“You’re the first person to call me by my Twitter name!” said Craig*. After a brief conversation, he added, “Would you be willing to mentor me?” “Sure!” I answered, without a moment’s hesitation. It wasn’t until I got home and my head was hitting the pillow that I wondered – mentor him for what?

What Not to Do

We met a couple of weeks later at a coffee shop. I started the conversation by trying to define what I thought mentoring was all about (listening, identifying goals and problems, guiding him toward his own solutions), and what I was (and wasn’t) willing to provide. “I am not here to give you advice,” I told him confidently. “That’s fine,” he answered. Together, we identified his two main goals, one long-term (the creation of a community website devoted to social change), the other short (making some changes in his role at his job).  Putting the long-term goal aside for the time being, Craig launched into an explanation of what was going on for him at work, and I proceeded to give him advice for the next hour and a half on practically every situation which was vexing him. Whoops. Not a very auspicious beginning.

Following this meeting, Craig, acting in part on my brilliant advice, proceeded to have a rocky week at work. He sent me the play-by-play as the drama unfolded between him and his supervisors as he pushed for new responsibilities and others in the organization pushed back. I freaked out a little. Did I cause this? If he gets fired is it my fault? How responsible am I for this guy’s career?

Om

flickr photo by chaojikazu

I’m not a Buddhist, but I play one on the internet, and as my anxiety level began to rise over this situation, I dipped into my understanding of Buddhist principles combined with some fabulous self-help mantras and pulled out “loving detachment.” Craig was the captain of his own ship, and I was firmly planted here, on the shore. It wouldn’t hurt for me to point out the rocks and the shallows, but I was hardly responsible for his course. As it turned out, Craig didn’t get fired. He’s made some headway (and had some frustrations) at work, and continues to plug away with his ultimate goal in mind.

Before we reconvened, I got clear with myself about what I could and could not do for Craig. This mostly involved setting some boundaries for myself. I would, in fact, refrain from giving him advice. Or rather, I’d try really, really hard to refrain. And I would focus on the two most beneficial things I could provide: Active Listening and Goal Setting.

Active Listening

flickr photo by BL4d3RuNr

The most important behavior in communication is listening. Listening doesn’t just mean shut up and don’t talk. It means actively, emphatically even, listening to the words of the speaker. This takes great practice and discipline, as most of us tend to tune out and wander off into our own thoughts. If we are engaged in an argument, we frequently spend our “listening” time preparing rebuttals. If we are know-it-alls (like yours truly), we might spend the time preparing brilliant advice to shower on our grateful audience. True, clean, active listening involves simply focusing on the speaker. A good active listener interrupts only to clarify, or to briefly indicate understanding. Periodically, she summarizes what she has heard, and asks the speaker if she’s getting it right. That’s it.

I know, it sounds hokey, and it does take some work before it feels natural and not like an exercise on some sort of weekend marital counseling retreat. (“What I hear you saying, is you don’t love me any more. Did I get that right?” “Yes, dear.”) But the results are huge. If the goal is to allow the speaker not only to be understood, but to clarify his thoughts, you can do no better than to be his active listener.

Goal Setting

flickr photo by matsukawa1971

You’ve heard it before: in order to make your goals a reality they should be concrete, measurable, and attainable. That’s a good jumping-off point, but for many of us the missing piece is accountability. If you keep your goals between yourself and your Moleskine, the notebook isn’t likely to call you on it when, come January, you still haven’t updated your LinkedIn profile or learned how to play Chinese Checkers. A mentor, on the other hand, can check in on your progress, and motivate you towards your goal. Just knowing that someone else out there is paying attention to your progress can be motivation to keep going under discouraging circumstances.

A Work in Progress

This post is certainly not meant to be a primer on mentoring. This is my first experience working with someone in this capacity, and I still have a lot to learn. Craig and I will meet later this week, and I’ll practice active listening and check in on his goals. I’ll try to stifle my temptation to advise. I’ll work on remaining detached from his actions and choices, and focus on providing support and encouragement. I’ll observe, look for patterns and point them out. I won’t be afraid to call it like I see it, which I’m pretty well known for, and I would guess is one of the reasons he asked me for help in the first place. And I definitely won’t be his therapist, promoter, boss, or angel (spiritual or financial). We’ll take it from there.

*name changed to protect the innocent.

If you’re anything like me and you work on your own as a consultant or freelancer, you know how lonely it can be going it alone. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Slowly but surely, over the course of this last year, I’ve created my own personal Board of Directors.

flickr photo by tiarescott

These folks help me, prod me, encourage me, and supplement me. They keep me focused on my goals, and clarify what really matters to me in my business and personal life. Some of these team members might be obvious to you, but others will probably come as a surprise.

I’m sure it isn’t news to you that if you want to have a life of fulfillment you have to achieve balance. A Google search for “life balance” yields over 40 million results. For this post, I decided to break up my board members into three categories: body, mind, and spirit. Balancing these three areas, for me anyway, is the key.

Body:

1. The Massage Therapist
I have slight scoliosis and an ongoing TMJ problem that makes massage therapy nothing short of necessary. However, you don’t have to be in pain to benefit from massage. Healing touch is a powerful force. Every two weeks or so I get to turn off all external interruptions, and allow myself and my broken-down old body to be the focus of attention. Let me just say that again, for emphasis, “I allow myself to be the focus of attention.” It’s even more fabulous that Todd is right in my neighborhood – I love being able to walk to my massage appointment!

flickr photo by tangywolf

2. The Coach
Just this year I started (and stopped, and started again) running. Exercise does not come easily or naturally for me. A friend of mine on Twitter offered to be my coach. He checks in with me, monitors my schedule, makes sure I’m eating right, and harasses encourages me. Having someone out there who yells at me, eggs me on, and tells me what kind of gear to get has been incredibly helpful. I’m running in my first race EVER this year! A 5K in May.

3. The Hair Stylist
Beauty comes from within, but having a great haircut and color doesn’t hurt. The woman who cuts my hair is funny, talented, and can translate my gibberish into a good haircut. Priceless!

Mind:

4. The Sounding Board
Everyone needs people to bounce ideas off of. If you’re in business, especially if you’re in business for yourself, you need someone who understands what you do now and where you want to go. It’s crucial to have colleagues to talk to who are not directly involved in your business matters. Here’s where Twitter, Seesmic, and other Social Networking sites have proved their value. They brought me Phil, and Tracy, and Mike, and Connie, and countless other people out there who I can count on as members of my team.

flickr photo by nathanrussell

5. The Protege
Recently I was approached by someone who asked if I would be his mentor. After picking my jaw up off the floor, I hastily agreed. Most teachers, mentors, bosses, and counselors worth their salt will tell you they learn BUCKETS by teaching and helping other people. I know this is true for me – I learn more about myself and what I think about the world when I’m giving guidance to others.

6. The Role Model
What do you want to be when you grow up? Or, rather, who? Find someone out there who’s doing what you want to do, and doing it the way you want to be doing it, and pay very close attention to them. There’s no shame in following in someone’s footsteps. When I grow up I want to be Mrs. Kennedy.

Spirit:

7. The Jane
Everyone should have a Jane. My Jane is named Jane, but yours could be named Chuck, or Jerome, or Tawanna. He or she could be your aunt or uncle, a family friend, your pediatrician, or your priest. It’s especially good if your Jane has known you for a very, very long time. My Jane has known me for about 20 years. She calls me on my bullshit, but she also sees where I’ve grown and changed. She pulls me aside for long walks when she notices that I’m, shall we say, not making the best choices in life. She sends me little love notes. She looks out for me. I don’t have to talk to my Jane that often. Knowing she’s there is enough. She’s my “In Case of Emergency, Pull This Cord” person.

8. The Club
Yes, you need colleagues and people around you who understand your business and your aspirations. You also need a life. To get a life, I joined a book club. These people have no idea what I do for a living, and no interest in discussing anything web 2.0 related. Every month we read a book, and then we get together and we talk about the book. It’s as simple as that. I found them on meetup.com. Rock climbing, yoga, a capella singers, dog lovers, you name it, they all have clubs on meetup.

flickr photo by webg33k

9. The Cubicle Buddy
No, I don’t work in a cubicle. Neither does my friend Reggie. He’s not even in the same city. But almost every day, he’s there, doing his thing, and I’m here, doing my thing, and if I feel like it, I can say “hey,” and he’ll almost always say “hey” back. If it’s a crap day, he cheers me up, and vice versa. Mostly he just cracks me up, and I love him for it. We communicate via IM, which works great – it’s almost like peeking over my cubicle wall and grinning at him, except we do it with smiley icons.

This is not an exhaustive list by any means, I have a massive Board of Directors, but these are some of the key players. My goal for this year is to add one very specific member: my own mentor. This is not to be confused with a role model. Role models don’t actually have to communicate with you to be on your Board, after all. As I move into consulting as a career, and away from freelance writing and editing, I’m keeping my eye out for someone who works in my field and is willing to give me guidance, on a regular basis. I’ll keep you posted.

So, who’s on your Board? Who’s missing? Are you balancing these three areas of your life? Are you asking for help from the people around you?

I have a to do list. I suspect most of you do too. I also suspect most of you have a couple of items on your to do list that keep getting magically pushed forward to tomorrow. And then tomorrow again. And then maybe next week. For me, a major item on my to do list has been to launch a website which includes a daily blog, some information about me, and thoughts about what I can do for you.

I’ve been blogging since 2002, but I’ve recently taken an extended vacation from this activity. That blog was more personal in nature – thoughts about my friends and family (i.e., rants about my mother), life as a parent, politics, the strange and wonderful place I live called Texas, and the like. As my working life has become more and more about online content and consulting, I’ve thought often about creating a more “professional” blog, but when I actually tried to imagine what this blog would be about, I got stuck. This morning a little voice in my head said: just write it. (Actually, it said something more like, “just write it, dumbass.”)

Maybe, JUST MAYBE, it’s better to get something out there and keep improving on it, than to stay stuck in my little mouse hole, peering up at the dark sky, waiting for the perfect alignment of the planets. Maybe.

Flickr photo “Day 092/366 – To Do List” by Great Beyond