Victor and I show the power of Linkedin Recommendations

January 20, 2010, at 2 PM, I join Rob Adler of Vantage Communications, Isaac Hazard of Mzima, and Peter Radizeski of Rad-Info, Inc. to discuss and interact with you the audience at ITEXPO East the topic of "How to Leverage Social Media for a Successful Marketing Campaign."

My take will be that *"leveraging social media for a successful marketing campaign" is not about analysing reams of data, being on every social networking site 24/7, having the most followers or friends, bombarding your audience with commercials or regurgitated news, or cutting your competitor. The key to success online is almost the same as the key to success offline. It's just with online, you have more power.

Adam Nash, blogger and a vice president at Linkedin says, "Fortunately, in the 21st century, with the birth of the social web, we have tools at our disposal that are orders of magnitude more powerful than we have ever had as individuals or as a society."

An example of successful marketing using social media is the Linkedin Recommendations feature. Sincerely and truthfully recommend at least one person in your Linkedin network each week.

One of Pensacola, Florida's most popular Microsoft consultants and open source enthusiasts Victor Rojas and I did exactly that. The positive results of our exchange has been, is and will be exponential. In the last 24 hours since Victor's comments, I've already recieved inquiries to advertise in our Techistan and some looking for Virtul Phone Numbers from our DIDX buyer members. It started with a few sincere words of praise about someone else. Recommend someone on your Linkedin Network this week! Victor and I would like to get to know you and see where we can help each other in business at Linkedin and other social media sites.

*Aw! "Leverage" is really a noun and hasn't quite made it into accepted standard Engish as a verb, but, oh well.

... browse our team's online magazine Techistan (also hard copy first issue soon) and other blogs at http://blogs.didx.net/ and http://blog.tmcnet.com/monetizing-ip-communications/. Find out how to get your telephone company to offer phone numbers from around the world. You're welcome to comment, contribute, and collaborate any time.

It's a Wonderful World at CTIA... the Parties, and You're Invited

CTIA kicks off next week in Las Vegas. You've got the inspiring conference sessions, innnovative exhibitors, and great parties and meetups. DIDX Dinner Party is at everyone's favorite Gordon Biersch less than a mile from the conference Apr 1, 7:30 - 9 PM. Just RSVP now.

Qik will be hosting a Tweet Up on Wednesday, April 1, from 7-10 pm. The location is at the Las Vegas Hilton, the Pool Area on the Third Floor. The Hilton is connected to the North Hall of the Convention Center.

(Speaking of Qik, I'm in San Francisco this past week and was able to Qik live video stream the Oakland-East Bay Gay Men's Chorus who performed for RRCA Convention 2009 last night. Listen and watch in my Qik channel on the right side of this blog. I love "It's a Wonderful World.")

You can sign up for the Qik Meetup and get more information at http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=69119667494. If you are not on Facebook, feel free to post in the comments section if you are interested in attending either Qik or DIDX networking events during CTIA.

Vantage Communications' Rob Adler also shared the great networking events list during CTIA via Mobileslate: http://www.mobileslate.com/blog/2009-ctia-spring-networking-events/

Yes Men and Women, Quality vs Quantity... Social Networking 2008 (Part 1?)

It's 6:39 AM on Dec 31, 2008, and I don't have much time to blog. It's New Year's Eve. I have a slightly nervous feeling like I haven't done everything this year I should have. Actually I feel like that all the time. It keeps me hopping!

You all have helped me, influenced me, inspired me ... more than you know. In fact, as always this is about YOU (not me).

Quality rules. Quantity for the sake of quantity is wasteful. The quality of my social and business networks on platforms such as Facebook and Twitter rock. I don't collect people ... (thanks, Charles Wu, for that discussion, you are one of the great quality). Meaningful interaction that is natural and and not forced, I love.

Time is everything to me and you. What was I thinking?

When you critique me, my familiy, my company, my team... fairly, I grow. In fact, I discussed with Muhammad Bilal, Syed Talha Izhar, Bilal Khalid Qanungoh, Riccard Cirello, Binodan Sarma, Peter Radizeski, Ali Hadi and Rehan Allahwala these questions on Facebook after watching Marley and Me:

Who really listens to you?

Who is really interested in what you have to say and wants to truly collaborate with you?

Who in your life makes you feel extraordinary?

We need those who make us feel extraordinary but not good to have all YES people around, right? What do you think?

I will memorize this answer: Binodan Sarma at 12:28pm December 26
Couldn't agree more Suzanne... All 'Yes' often smell of disdain and uncared under the garb of 'Loyalty'... :)

AMEN, brother Binodan!

What else is cool and full of quality in my social/business networks?

The women in voIP group on Facebook, no women's lib about it... it's just absolutely exciting to see what other women are accomplishing in our industry and the opportunities to collaborate are very cool: Megan Zoback now with a bluetooth headset co., Ilissa Miller and Jaymie Scotto with Jaymie Scotto and Associates, Hina Iqbal Siddiqui of Super Technologies, Inc., Jessica Ruiz (just had a baby and worked as translator for Supertec at conferences in Portuguese, Spanish, English, and Italian), Catriona Harris (just had a baby, is with Vantage Communications, and is a great Twitterer), Susan Hancock of Intelliverse, Ksusha Carmes (a good inspiration for being happy that we are women), Brooke Afick of Bezeq (I have to meet this lady!!!!)...

Karen Campagna of Cisco (who is a BLAST to hang out with, very cool!), Monica Dytko Haley of VoicePulse (who has really interesting, creative Facebook statuses), Tehila Frenkel of Russtel S.A. (and one of my lovely Jewish friends), Connie Terwilliger (always young, fun to be around, great voice), Lynda Starr of Vantage Communications (can't wait to her give a presentation at a conference), Carrie Hartford of IPSMARX (a lesson in professional character), Eliana Gonzalez of Verizon Europe (I'm taking Spanish lessons incognito from her wall... actually I'm taking lessons in Urdu, German, French, Malay, Hebrew, and Spanish from several on Facebook, same method ;-), Anne Stobaugh of San Diego, Isabel Gonzalez Cancela of Belgacom ICS, Dunia Campos of Ultracall (an inspiring entrepreneur and a blast to hang out with), Jenny Callicott of Celtrek and Global Roaming (smart, tons of fun to work with and hang out with, we won't forget Dubai!)...

Sheryl Breuker of Stardust Global Ventures (an inspiring and smart evangelist for effective voice innovations and unified communications), Laurie Kennady Hilt (excellent support for conferences, hire her!), Ekram Megdiche and Najia Yahyaoui of Acropolis Telecom (great professional attitude to work with), Joann Varello of Crossfire Media (fun to hang out with and one of the few who will run with me), Beth Hoskin (dynamite at conferences), Kathleen Reed of Sangoma (extremely effective marketing director, must be a mega-multi-tasker), Anne Tredway (a mind full of the history of telecom, fun to hang out with), Zhu Jessica (remember the Golden Gate Bridge!), Nora Ouchen and Sandrine Roullet of Acropolis Telecom (I'm looking forward to meeting),and also Cassandra Hamilton, Susan Kurzyniec Tlacil, Maria Teresa, Elesabeth Salemi, Nanette Monty who I haven't met yet but am looking forward to.

It's 7:16 AM. I must get to work. I hope to continue this discussion, soliloquy, whatever you want to call it ... soon.

... browse some of our team's other blogs at http://blogs.didx.net and http://blog.tmcnet.com/monetizing-ip-communications/. You're welcome to comment, contribute, and collaborate any time.