In June 2008, after a lot of talks with Connie Reece, reflection time at the SOBCon conference and great advice from both Small Biz Survival’s Becky McCray and Successful Blog’s Liz Strauss, we began to teach a series of entry-level Every Dot Connects social media workshops.

Connie, Jennifer Navarrete and I knew that we had a valuable skill set; a pile of knowledge born of many hours living online trying to figure out how social media works and how to be an effective part of the Web 2.0 world.

The trick was figuring out a way to make a living out of it.

Teaching focused workshops to small businesses, freelancers and solo entrepreneurs seemed like a good start….towards exactly what, we didn’t know, but we were gonna start something!

To be honest, a lot of it was classic “throw something up against the wall and see what sticks….and what peels back off and goes SPLAT on the floor.”

Even how we look is part of what we offer….we are three semi-fearless professional women in our 30′s, 40′s and 50′s who are living proof that social media isn’t only for narcissists, pajama-clad losers living in Mom’s basement or “young people.”

Along the way, we’ve learned all sorts of lessons and discovered that we provide a service that is not all that common and is currently in high demand. Journalists, for example, want to know what we know, so I recently spent two days in Dayton teaching Cox Ohio journalists at the Dayton Daily News about writing for the Web, blogging and general social media topics.

Here is some of what we’ve learned….

• When in doubt, set a date and make things happen. If you don’t want to make money right away but want to test the waters for interest, offer a free one-hour class about some aspect of social media at your local library.  Pick a date, reserve a room and start getting the word out. Nothing’s more motivating than having a set date when you must deliver content.
• The ones who want entry-level social media training are – newsflash! – probably not on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook or even blogs. Our biggest marketing struggle is remembering that we can’t depend on announcements to our geek network.  Attending the local Chamber of Commerce meeting and passing out business cards is better for reaching the market that we seek, as is attending our Association for Women in Communications (AWC) or IABC or PRSA chapter meetings, and monthly eWomenNetwork get-togethers.
• On the other hand, don’t assume that high tech Web developers or coding nerds understand social media; they may not know Twitter from a circuit board. For us, Door 64 Austin High Tech Online has been a surprising source of workshop interest.
• It is hard to hit the instructional sweet spot. At one workshop, an attendee wrote in a post-event survey that, “This would have been better for my Mom. I already know a lot of this,” but someone in the same class wrote, “Wow, there is so much to learn! It’s rather overwhelming.”
• Don’t try to cram in too much. We’ve gone from trying to cover 5 different social media tools/services to hyper-focus on one at a time. Our next workshop is just on LinkedIn – even trying to include Twitter last time turned out to be almost too much to digest for entry-level attendees.
• We’re also exploring one-on-one Consulting with Connie sessions; is being a “social media personal trainer” a viable approach? We think so, but are still testing the waters.
• Find the right venue. To teach, you need a room with tables, chairs, lots of outlets, strong WiFi, a projector for a laptop and a screen. Not complicated, but you’d be surprised how hard it is to find all of that somewhere that doesn’t charge an arm and a leg and is also well-located.  If you can find a good spot that’s not expensive, you’ll be able to do the next item….
• Price it right.  Our target audience of successful businesspeople are not necessarily raking in big bucks, and today’s tough economy makes them even pickier about where to spend hard-earned money.  We set what we think are very reasonable prices for our workshops. We don’t run a “soak the rich” corporate training outfit, but neither are we willing to go broke doing this.  We have bills (and taxes!) to pay and our valuable expertise is worth a lot. It is a tough balance.

Serving as social media teachers, trainers and guides to others is a pleasure for us. Connie, Jennifer and I also try to keep in touch with our students long after each workshop is over. We introduce them to each other on Twitter, swap comments on Facebook, admire their new blog, connect on LinkedIn or just say, “How’s it going online for you?” when we meet workshop attendees in person out in town.

Do any of you have tips and helpful advice if you’ve been teaching others about social media? Let us know in the comments – fresh ideas are always welcome!

On Plurk, a newer microblogging/presence app, we have been having a series of “plurkshops,” an online DIY workshop where we start a topic and discuss it in real time, effectively turning Plurk into a chat room. This has been peer-to-peer knowledge sharing at its best. Some plurkshops have yielded over 600 comments in two hours, with the quality of the information shared being impressive. That’s a firehose of words, of course, so some of the participants have started writing recaps to summarize the discussion and put it into perspective.

Yesterday’s plurkshop on social media measurement generated over 450 comments in one hour. It was hosted by David Alston of Radian6, a social media monitoring and measurement service. I’ve been impressed with Radian6 not just as a tool, but with the way the company markets itself by joining and fostering social networks and communities. David could have used yesterday’s plurkshop to promote the company; instead, he merely participated in the discussion. It also shows foresight that Radian6 is active in Plurk, which has far fewer members than Twitter but is a very engaged community. In this post I have not provided the thoughtful questions David used to lead the discussion; you’ll have to read the entire plurkshop transcript for that.

Amber Naslund has an excellent recap at The Brandbox. So I will simply highlight here some of the key participants and their thoughts. As you can see, we raised more questions than we answered, but it’s amazing to me just how much valuable information can be shared in short bursts of 140 characters or less. These quotes will give you a glimpse into the minds of some of today’s social media practitioners and thought leaders, and give you a taste of what the plurkshops are like in case you want to join us for future events.

Paul

• Measurement is not only about $, but about lending credibility to social media as a marketnig tool.
• says in order for it to gain wide acceptance social media will have to prove its value in terms of ROI
• says yep, sm is not a “campaign,” but an ongoing conversation. Got t b n it for the long term.
• As to need for SM, if our customer base is there (think Forrester technographics) how can we not be, regardless of direct monetary benefit.

Greg

• The issue I see most often is trying to define SM in terms of direct marketing, it has to be able to show something in terms of ROI
• trying to convince old school direct marketers of the value of social media can be very difficult in my experience
• wishes he could get DM people to understand that SM is the ultimate form of one-on-one direct marketing
• SM in marketing bears more resemblance to PR than to standard marketing, it’s this shift that is hard to sell sometimes
• Community Building is the best description I can think of to describe how SM can be used as a marketing tool
• Great point Connie. I’ve been trying to convince our PR people to get on board for over a year. Its as if they resent SM at this point
• SM is about engagement, and Amber is right, too often it is used to push content, not to start discussions
• I work for a small company that exists solely due to DM, we can’t afford traditional “brand advertising”
• SM has the ability to be a very cost effective form of brand advertising (minus the advertising portion)but they still see it in terms of DM

Mack

• says I think the biggest source of confusion is that cos see Social Media as being marketing, and want 2 apply same metrics
• says the prob is cos want to immediately know what they will get back, but it takes time to get quantifiable results
• wonders if the tie between SM and link to $$ is integrating as a support for other marketing efforts
• says ike it took Dell 2 years to see blog mentions fall so dramatically that they could tell their SM efforts were working
• says right, you make money with social media INdirectly, not directly. Many cos can’t wrap their heads around that
• says if used properly, SM leads to more connections with customers, more feedback, which means more efficient (costs less) marketing
• says i polled my blog readers a couple of weeks ago, the content they most wanted to see was social media case studies
• says but I think as companies hire more younger workers that are more familiar with social sites/tools, cultures will become more open
• says should we call it Return on Interaction?
• says i think cos need to realize that with social media, they have to get their hands dirty, they have to provide value

Liana

• trouble is coming from the “search” background, so many clients are thinking it’s about links and measuring that.. when that’s not it’s goal
• so to a degree, the measurement, somewhat needs to be a cross between PR measuring & web analytics

Amber

• I think you have to measure SM more like you to BizDev, where not every interaction is going to have a tangible vlue
• and how do you mollify a CMO that wants impact right now?
• Everyone wants that special word: ROI
• i spend X and I get Y.
• maybe it’s a goalsetting issue: not understanding really what the endgame should be from your efforts in SM aside from just revenue.
• “social” has a casual connotation that undermines its credibility in the business world
• agrees that we need to get vigilant with capturing and sharing case studies among this community
• connie you’re onto something there. maybe it’s not measuring the “what do we get” but “what are we missing if we don’t”
• you’re so right. the irony is that my newest client is a PR firm because they now realize they’ve been left behind

Karen

• says as we blend the disciplines of SEO, SMO and SM it becomes more complex
• says telemill agreed however think of other mktng efforts such as trade shows not always a 1:1 but cos understand need 2 participate in key shows
• says what about the service aspect of SM? One could argue it is an extension of customer service

Veronica

• says someone told me once that instead of thinking of return on investment, think about return on initiative to get the complete picture
• says it’s about relationships and can’t put a price on the real relationships.If you build them with $$ as a bottom line, they aren’t as valuable

Laura

• I agree with pchaney, as well. A history needs to be created to convince clients.
• absolutely. Companies want instant results. Social media is long term
• hinks SM is also potentially more effective purely due to access to people who are listening!

Scott

• asks is customer satisfaction and loyalty a metric that has short term results that corp types understand
• says even the best case studies I’ve seen use involvement as the metric for success. Hard to convince corp to invest $$ w/o business case.
• says H&R Block has stated that they are in SM for the long haul as a long-term strategy to build younger client base.

Karl

• i think the problem is that social media has such a broad scope and affects so many aspects of business
• is SM in the context of new product development very different than PR around a product launch
• says I think the issue is cultural, in a big company the people responsible in PR and Mktg are the most threatened by loss of control

Dana

• wants to understand how to capture data on relationships. And does anyone want to feel their relationship is being measured?
• thinks storyspinner has point about R of ROI. R should be redefined – Relationships, Opportunity, Investment

Connie

• I remind ppl that “social” simply refers to people as opposed to “computer”. They understand computer networks. Social media is people net
• says pchaney raises a good point. What is the cost of NOT being in the social media/web space?
• says Or should we change the I of ROI. Return on involvement.
• Mack, how can you tie a great story in WSJ about your product to bottom line impact of sales? Same with SM.
• thinks PR missed the boat by not taking the lead in SM. They are more accustomed to measuring “soft” benefits of their work.

Shannon

• says my focus is on employer branding and we assess & monitor the # of and tone of SM mentions related to a company and employment
• says and then we look at how that changes over time (the number and tone) as participation increases

Jane

• says I deal with the ROI problem in my niche segment (medical influence) and no matter what RO(x) you call it, it all comes down to
• MONEY saved or money earned.
• says mackcollier I do think companies believe they are providing value with their “push” mentality. Perhaps need to define “what” value to “whom”

After the plurkshop, DaveWebb, shared a link to similar topics he had discussed on Mission Driven Marketing.

This is just a small sampling of the rapid back-and-forth discussion from a few of the participants. Others who offered opinions include Contrapuntist sweet2685 Thoughtwrong pierrefar anniemal martinbogo Teeg tipzu TDefren Debra ╬ I Am Gay ╬ bhamlibby BarbaraKB potsie 6consulting nowsourcing ItyBites Telemill ablereach bethharte denise205 epodcaster DebInDenver ConnieBensen

Now, to make sense of all this, go read Amber’s recap. She is the Great Plurkshop Synthesizer.

~ Connie

Wow, is it ever turning out to be a busy social media summer here in Austin. One thing’s for sure — you’ll know where to find us if you want to connect with the Every Dot Connects team. Here’s what we’re up to in July:

July 3 ~ Social Networking Blood Drive

Mike and Connie will be joining the Austin Twitter/Tech community to save lives by donating blood on Thursday, July 3, at the Blood and Tissue Center of Central Texas. Connie had the idea to do a blood drive in association with the Frozen Pea Fund, and Michelle Greer and David Neff stepped up to help organize the Austin event.

The idea is to gather with some friends from your favorite social network — Twitter, Plurk, Ning, Facebook, for example — at your local blood donation center and give a few pints for a good cause. It’s especially timely this Thursday, which is the day before a major summer holiday, when the blood banks need extra inventory.

Choose a sign-up time for the Austin blood drive here. And if you organize a drive in another location, please let us know here.

July 16-17 ~ SEM for SMB Conference

Connie will be speaking at Search Engine Marketing for Small and Midsize Businesses. The conference will cover both business and technical topics and give attendees hands-on training with tools, processes and skills needed to deliver more return from online marketing and advertising. In addition, attendees will be able to sign up for one-on-one sessions with speakers, so you can get personalized attention for your specific needs.

Every Dot Connects is happy to provide an additional $50 off of the registration fee of $195, making it $145 for two-day, meals included. Please use smc2008 as the discount code during the payment process. Please register today, the early-bird discount ends on July 1.

July 17 ~ Social Media Club Austin

Andy Meadows of Live Oak 360 is speaking at our next meeting on July 17. Thanks to the generosity of Joshua Baer and Datran Media, we’ll again be meeting at their conference room. Pizza and networking at 6:00 p.m.; program begins at 6:30 p.m.

July 18 ~ Every Dot Connects workshop in Austin

We’re happy to welcome Jennifer Navarrete as a speaker for our summer workshop series lineup. She’ll join Sheila Scarborough for a three-hour, hands-on workshop on Web 2.0 tools, followed by an informal lunch where the conversation will continue. The workshop will be from 9:00 a.m. to noon on Friday, July 18, at the Hilton Garden Inn in northwest Austin.

Watch this space for more information and a link to online registration later this week. Or, drop our admin Erin a note and ask to be placed on the mailing list.

Update:  The 18 July 2008 workshop info/registration page is now live.  Click here to Learn Three Web 2.0 Tools in Three Hours.

July 19 ~ BlogHer in Second Life

Can’t make it to San Francisco for the annual BlogHer conference? Stay at home and join the virtual conference, sponsored by CNN iReport.com, which features livestreaming of keynotes from BlogHer to Second Life. By the way, men are welcome to attend. Check out the schedule and register here. It’s free! A full house is expected, so register soon.

Connie will be speaking on an exclusive Second Life-only panel on Saturday afternoon called Using Second Life for Good. The BlogHer in Second Life office will be open beginning on Monday, July 15, so you can familiarize yourself with Second Life and get assistance mastering the basics of attending in-world events. Or just chill out on some cozy floor pillows while drinking some virtual lemonade and thinking of all that gas money you’re saving.

July 25 ~ Every Dot Connects workshop in San Antonio

Sheila and Jennifer will repeat the three-hour workshop in San Antonio. August and September dates will be announced soon, as well as a new all-day seminar on starting a blog.

Please let your friends know about these workshops. They are especially good for people just dipping their toes into social networking, and are designed to provide a no-fear environment for learning the basics. We are also available for onsite training at your business. Contact us for a quote on a customized training session.

Don’t get us wrong – we love being communications techno-geeks here at Every Dot Connects.

Still, much of our time is spent offline in the temporal/”real” world, where folks are still figuring out fundamental social media stuff like blogging. They’re plenty smart, they just haven’t had the time or expertise to really dig into Web 2.0 tools on their own.

Every Dot Connects colleagues Connie Reece and Sheila Scarborough have decided to leap in and help guide the curious.

Our first step to bridge the social media knowledge chasm is a great new workshop:

Learn Five Web 2.0 Tools in One Day

Please bring your WiFi-enabled laptop and join us on Friday, June 20, 2008 from 10 am to 3 pm in Austin, Texas.

We’ll teach you the basics of five Web 2.0/social media tools that can improve your personal and professional life:

1. How to participate in the blogosphere, and how to find the good blogs.
2. How to keep track of all that good information with RSS (Really Simple Syndication)
3. How to find all of those interesting people on Twitter
4. How to find the good job connections on LinkedIn
5. Number five will be picked by the class members: how to do something useful on YouTube (besides look for old Van Halen videos – not that Sheila does that much) OR how to use Creative Commons Flickr photos OR how to upload audio to Utterz from your cell phone.

The cost is a super-reasonable $149.00 and includes lunch.

If you register before June 13, we’re offering an Early Bird rate of $119.00.

There are also special discount codes only for members of Freelance Austin and the Austin chapter of the Association for Women in Communications; two local groups who have been very supportive of our business.

For more details and to register, click here to go to the workshop page on Eventbrite.

We appreciate the opportunity to bring our experience and our teaching background to you, in the most personalized, hands-on workshop we’ve ever offered. If your own Web 2.0 knowledge is past this entry level, please forward this link to someone else who might be interested.

Thanks!