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How I Use Social Media

My primary goal in using social media is to connect with as many people as possible in the Cincinnati, Dayton, and Northern Kentucky areas in order to find work much closer to home in Cincinnati.

Your use of social media will vary from mine and others, and that’s okay. Really. Let that sink in because it’s important. Don’t let others tell you how you SHOULD be using social media unless they really know what your goals are.

Did you catch that last part? That’s right. I mentioned goals. Objectives. Who would have thought that in this social media playground that goals were important?

I bet you already have goals, even though they may not clearly be defined yet. It may be something simple like exploring and learning how things work. That is perfectly fine. Seriously. Just be careful not to get caught up in the latest shiny object that comes around. Soon you’ll be wondering where the days have gone. If that has already happened to you, I’m sorry. Now is the best time to get some focus.

How I Use Social Media

I have been around this space since 2002, so in once sense that makes me feel a little bit old. But the social technology landscape has been constantly evolving, so I still consider myself as a learner.

Nevertheless, I have been able to develop some dexterity with some of the social technology tools that exist like Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, podcasting, blogging, and others. I set up a page at my website, my About page, as a Virtual Business Card/Social Media Resume to indicate what I’m up to and where you can find me.

Amid all the channel fragmentation (TV, Radio, Internet), it’s important to know what your goals are in using social media. They don’t need to be the same as someone else; it’s okay if they are unique to you. I know I’m repeating myself, but it bears repeating.

My goals are selfish: I want to find work closer to home.
My goals are also unselfish: I know that in order to find the opportunities closer to home, I need to reach out and connect with those near where I am (Greater Cincinnati, OH area). I believe that the more I know about you and vice versa, the more we can help one another. The more I’m able to communicate my brand message – consistently, the more they’ll be able to take that with them and share with their connections, too.

What I Do

If you’ve connected with me on LinkedIn or Facebook, chances are you’ve received a note where I share a bit more background about myself; namely something like the following:

At my last job, I would pull information out of the business system to help other people do their jobs and make better business decisions. I did business intelligence work for a Professional Employer Organization (PEO) in Dayton, Ohio, using mainly Microsoft Office tools.

The company served as a corporate HR department for small- to medium-sized businesses. It uses a version of Microsoft Great Plains Dynamics customized by ThinkWare out of Cincinnati for the PEO industry, and it used the SQL Server database platform, where I’ve tended to spend a lot of my time.

All IT keywords aside, I was laid off last month and have a bit more time for my new and social media efforts, one of which is the New Media Cincinnati group, which I founded in October 2007. My primary goal in using social media is to connect with as many people as possible, especially in the Cincinnati, Dayton, and Northern Kentucky areas to find my next gig closer to home, whether it’s using my business intelligence expertise, social media skills, or a combination of both. It’s been an interesting journey so far.

Of course, I customize the message for the specific individuals I’m connecting with, but that’s the basic message. That’s my story and how I’m using social media: for connecting online and offline to find my next job.

How are you using social media to accomplish your goals? What advice would you give to help me and others on how to better use social media to reach our goals?

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