An orginial antique print by Christian Neighbur of Egyptian hieroglyphics drawn by him during the Danish Expedition to Arabia in the middle of the 18th century. From the Dutch edition of Niebuhr's Travels through Arabia And Other Countries In The East, published in the Netherlands in 1776. From my personal collection.
Why do we wish to connect with millions of let's face it, very often faceless people? If that desire isn't strange enough on its own accord, the willingness to connect is so strong we sometimes, if foolish or brave enough, expose a manifesto, if you will. About ourselves, what we hold dear, and what we don't. Some may protest and say that's not true in their case. Yet the non-opaque approach can offer a much overlooked and possibly undervalued property - a somewhat transparent emotional blueprint of our businesses and of ourselves within a commercial framework. My postings on various sites on the web certainly do. Sure, many individuals and corporations are cunning, and engineer only what they want you to know, but those types of bloggers or networkers will always render a blatant "tell" when they or you least expect it.
I blog, simply put, because I can. Not because I am good at it, have anything that is terribly original or compelling to pass on, or impart topics of great interest to most. But let me come totally clean as to why I blog and am on social networks. Because it is expected. Yes expected. In today's world, it is not enough to advertise, go to meetings at the various chambers, have an ethical company and give excellent service. You have to blog about it too! We are so curious and voyeuristic; we feel a sense of entitlement to command a view behind the scenes. Not content to just peek through the front door, we require access to see what's going on in the back room as well.
Arroyo Garcia petroglyph "Happy" photograph by glyphwalker
For one of my businesses, my exposure is now totally Internet activated. I no longer do print ads, stopped all conventional advertising in general. Sure I have brochures at particular locations, but the overwhelming business I receive is from the Internet. It is all from my targeted blogs, my site listings, my web friends whose recommendations are on the net. If that isn't enough of a bounty, exposure from my various postings, prompted an online friend to connect me with an editor of an online magazine. I am a regular monthly contributor to the magazine entitled "Magnify You". www.magnifyyou.com I enjoy being on the web, posting, reading blogs, meeting people, but I love my real time life, my friends and my social life too and therein lies a precarious balance that I have not yet perfected.
All this posting, blogging, social networking takes quite a bit of time. It is a bit of a contradiction to me in some ways, as everyone is swimming awash in time management, too
pressed for time to actually read books, not enough time with our families, our non-virtual friends. Yet most everyone wants to be able to glean something fresh and juicy from a blog. Or write one in order to turn on the lights and open the drapes. I remember such warnings when I first lived on my own, to certainly not to do that in the evenings; as the fascination to further investigate was too hard to resist for most humans. I didn't think it to be all together true, but alas, it has been proven a million times over and is what I have learned on the social networks. And for my businesses' sake I am willing to be interchangeably voyeuristic and exhibitionist.
Detail from "Cave of Swimmers" at Wali Sura, Gilf Kebir. photo by Kit Constable Maxwell
Mill Creek 23, photo by glyphwalker
I studied petroglyphs, cave paintings and wall impressions in college and still do. Researching the various ancient sites it is evident that we have always had this fascination with ourselves and those around us and had to convey the wonderment at all costs. Gossips at heart, maybe. The new posting sites that have evolved from the ancient ones are Facebook, Linkedin http://www.linkedin.com/in/michelleviggiano Twitter, Biznik, http://www.biznik.com/members/michelle-viggiano The new "paintings" are with words and some as short as a single brush stroke - the tweet.
I blog mainly about my eco-responsible company because my type of business comes across a different type of scrutiny. Are they for real, are their products as effective, are they just jumping on the band wagon of all things green, etc. For me, it is a labor of love to actively change those traditional possibly negative perceptions. I frequently give a moment of my time to include a daily visit to the following site, http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/clickToGive/home.faces it is part of a larger site http://www.thenonprofits.com and click or donate in my company's name. Not because it looks good or I feel I should, rather, because it is part and parcel of my and my company's sensibilities. The icon is on my desktop so it can't be easier. I offer links on my website that I believe are helpful and stay within my areas of concern. I do have strict parameters of which types of links I will include. As a business owner, I don't leave any of that out of the equation. So, I blog publically about what my company stands for and what is does hold supreme. I have learned from others who don't, that they are missing an opportunity to position themselves as intimately and effectively as possible.
Here are a few links that offer a range of options and opinions on social networking as a business tool. An article depicting 25 social Media Tips from executives and others at Dell, General Mills, Home Depot, etc offers interesting insight into social networking for big business. http://www.toprankblog.com/2009/04/social-media-marketing-tips/
If you prefer here is a list of green social networking sites http://planetgreen.discovery.com/work-connect/social-media-green-good6.html and there is http://www.care2.com the largest and most comprehensive, based in Australia.
"Crowded" petroglyph photo by glyphwalker
I check the corporate temperature of other firms regularly. I can gage if they are hot, cold, or dispassionately luke-warm. My company and yours convey its overall mentality throughout the dense fibers of its being. Whether that is in person, practice, on paper, or on online. I offer a thermometer to any and all who are interested in the reading. Here, take my temperature.
Original antique print of Carsten Niebuhr drawings of Egyptian hieroglypics during the Danish Expedition in 1760. From Niebuhr's Travels Through Arabia And Other Countries In The East. This one was published in The Netherlands in 1776 or it could be from identical ones published in Paris in 1779. From my personal collection.
Here is some business social networking in action - the photographer. "petroglyphwalker" of all the above petroglyph photographs fabricates individual ones. He is a geologist who also has the business www.southwestpetroart.com Check him out, his petroglyphs make great gifts and are beautifully done on a small scale. Delight a child with a gift that they can learn a great deal from - thier ancestors musings...
And while I am at it, in the true interest of being at heart with the social networking cause - please check out http://www.mcromanshades.com Michael Crum fabricates the most beautiful Roman shades and ships nationally and internationally. Social networking in action!
