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....

Late one night last week a message appeared in my inbox from a local TV reporter. “Hi Lisa. I’m looking for a social networking expert to quote for a story. Are you game?” I called her the next morning to say that I’d be happy to talk to her about social networking but that I’m no expert. Social media are evolving so quickly that there are no experts, I explained. After the interview the reporter looked me in the eye and said, “You know more about this than 99 percent of the population. I’m calling you an expert...

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...

All the hulabaloo surrounding Matt Bacak’s press release, talk about defining the ROI of social media and posts about how self-promotion is social media taboo got me thinking that we social media types have the potential to be a pretty dysfunctional bunch. I’m first in line for the codependent award. I’m very uncomfortable selling myself. I’d love to twitter with you fine folks all day long. I’d happily spend the coming months blogging, networking and throwing snowballs on Facebook. But that’s not going to pay my mortgage. Beth...

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...

“Geez, Mom, you almost hit that car.” “I see the car, hon, and I wasn’t even close.” “Well you’re almost out of gas. I guess you just want to get stuck at the mall. Heh.” (shaking head like Mom is completely clueless) “We have plenty of gas.” “We better fill up on the way home. I don’t wanna get stuck in the cold all night.” “I’ve been driving longer than you’ve been alive. Just leave it to me, okay? And, by the way, I am not an idiot.” I don’t say...

My friend and I were having lunch on a restaurant patio the other day when a lime green Lamborghini roared past. “Your son would have gone bananas if he had seen that,” she said with a chuckle. She knows my teenager loves classic rock, skateboarding and expensive cars - and that he’s intense, artistic, quick-witted and wants to be everybody’s friend. My family and close friends know they’ll find my daughter by my side as I roll out the crust for Thanksgiving pies, that we’ll have to call my middle-schooler three...

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 –...

Note: If you already know this stuff, please be on the lookout for someone who needs to see this and forward the link to them. Someone like the guy Mack Collier called out yesterday. Bless his heart. He’s like the Avon lady who solicited my mom on Halloween night. Mom opened the door to a pretty little ballerina and a pig-tailed UPS delivery girl. “Trick-or-treat!” they said shyly, as their mom watched from the street. As Mom offered them some goodies, the ballerina slipped an Avon book into her hand. Mom thanked the girls, cheerfully wished...

There are some people who really shine online. I could name quite a few, but I’m going to save them for another post. This post is reserved for one guy in particular – Jim Connolly, a UK-based marketing consultant. Jim is an icy ocean away, yet he has somehow managed to create a warm and friendly relationship with me – and countless others, no doubt. Jim, as they say, “gets it.” “It” is what another of my fave SM guys, Mack Collier (who probably thinks I’m stalking him by now) explains so well: “Don’t overthink social media. It’s...