I get a lot of questions when I’m out and about, but the one I get the most is how I got my job. WCNC asked me (most important takeaway: a top-down camera angle will make you look like Jabba the Hut’s girlfriend) and The Charlotte Observer wants me to help others learn how to find jobs at an upcoming conference. The truth is, I don’t know how you can get a job in social media, but I can tell you the steps I took to get my job as a social media specialist at Duke Energy, a challenging, rewarding job I really love. Here are the things I did: Spent...

You know those friends who know you so well that you can start conversations right where you left off six months ago without any explanation? That’s how me and my friend Dawn are. We’ve lamented together over infant teething, toddler defiance, teacher troubles and teenage defiance.  Sipping Dr. Pepper (her) and coffee (me), we’ve sliced, diced and julienned family conflicts, work issues, successful child discipline and failed recipes. I now live three hours away from Dawn and we don’t see each other much, but when I call or email...

Two months ago I headed out the front door with my lanky, moody, shaggy-haired teenage son, unlocked the van and, with not a little discomfort, slid into the passenger side. Placing his shiny new driver’s permit in the console, he turned to me with just the hint of a smile. “Mom, the key?” With just the hint of a smile, I handed it over. He took a deep breath as he backed slowly down the driveway. I felt my shoulders tighten and my brake foot tense (what if he hits the mailbox? what if he forgets to look both ways? what if he takes a curve...

A good lunch for me consists of online reputation management talk over a nice Greek salad. I actively seek out people who won’t tire too quickly of my enthusiasm for online networking. My kids call me a “twitterholic.” So when I meet people who think my rants against making people register to comment on blogs mean I’ve just had too much caffeine, what do I talk about? You guessed it. Just as twitter is the Chuck Norris of Ice Breakers, social media is a great conversation starter. Because almost everyone wants to know more about it....

I’m no good with a torque wrench but it’s a powerful tool in the right hands. And when it comes to networking, twitter (used well) would give even Chuck Norris a run for his money. This struck me like a direct message from the great Chuck himself when I was at BarCamp Charlotte Saturday. I met so many interesting people that I can barely remember them all. I’ve never had so many people come up and introduce themselves to me at an event before. Many conversations began with “Hi Lisa, I follow you on twitter.” Instant ice breaker....

Last fall I read a WSJ article about “Mystery Worshippers.” These professionals are like mystery shoppers only instead of rating customer service and inventory they rate things like pew orderliness and the length and strength of the sermon. I can’t get this article off my mind because it means that people are shopping around for their churches. And if they’re shopping around for church – unimaginable when I was a kid – what does that mean for businesses? More than ever before, people are expecting and demanding exactly...

Every time I get involved in a discussion about social media and how they fit in the marketing/PR puzzle, talk turns to rules. “How many people should I follow on twitter?” “How much is too much self-promotion?” “How many times a week should I blog?” “What percent of my tweets can be personal/off topic?” My answer is always the same: I don’t know. Sure, I can make suggestions, but only after asking a lot more questions. If anyone tells you she has definitive answers, especially without spending some time...

The secret to being extraordinary is simple – go against human nature. “Real leaders are ordinary people with extraordinary determination.” ~ Anonymous 1. Ordinary: Rush to get in every game, pitch a tent on every platform and call yourself an “expert” after six weeks of non-stop twittering with the rockstars. Extraordinary – Be patient. Listen and read a lot more than you tweet and write. Concentrate on one social media network at a time. Experiment, observe and learn what works and what doesn’t. 2. Ordinary: Go...

Disclaimer: I started writing this post before my good friend Scott Hepburn wrote this post. They’re great complements to one another, though, dontcha think? Matt Bacak is “The Powerful Promoter” an old-school (as old school as you can get online) email and direct response marketing coach who writes Dan Kennedy style books like Secrets of the Internet Millionaire Mind. I don’t care for his style. I wouldn’t use it myself. I suspect he’s a dying breed. But I have a question for everyone out there who is calling him an idiot...

There’s so much talk lately about getting more followers on twitter. If you’re a beekeeper do you really need 800 graphic designers following you? The “trick” to attracting a mix of followers you enjoy interacting with is to just forget about it. Forget the numbers - Look at your twitter stream. If you have a good mix of information, replies, retweets and personal nuggets, you’re having conversation. This is good. If you have a string of self-promoting blurts you are a twitter boor. People will like you –...