Two years ago, a friend of mine asked me if I was on Facebook and I replied in a somewhat haughty tone, "No, I'm not 16." Today, I'm on Facebook and Twitter, I Skype and use Meetup.com and amazingly, I've started my own social media consulting company called Social Brand U LLC. I have not only embraced social media, but I've become evangelistic about it. And, I've created a brand in the process.
Shortly after I was laid off last summer, my mother, of all people, told me she saw a CNBC segment on Twitter and how many companies use Twitter to find talent, find customers and build loyalty. I had to laugh. My mom is 74 years old and not exactly on the information super highway. She does, however, surprise me from time to time with knowledge of topics of the day.
The second thing I did was laugh, again, because my impression of Twitter was that it was designed for Taylor Swift or Chad Ochocinco to communicate with their fans. Twitter, it seems, is the most misunderstood social medium out there.
I did a little research and found out she was right. The enterprise presence on Twitter was amazing. So, I created an account and learned how to use it. My intent was to find out which companies on my "target list" had a presence on Twitter and how I could leverage that presence to get in front of the right people.
What I discovered was a community of recruiters, career coaches, resumes experts, industry leaders, job boards and subject matter experts of all kinds expressing compelling information that was not only relevant, but extremely insightful, timely and practical. In addition to that, much of the senior leadership in my target companies was also active on Twitter.
My interest sky-rocketed, and as I added followers I began to understand that Twitter is really about a conversation with a community of like minds. There were individuals willing to help, share, learn, advise, teach, inform, and ultimately build relationships with. I've spent my adult life in the wireless technology business and have a passion for communication. How did I not see this one?
I started to share with others in my circle of influence what I was learning about Twitter and it was met with the same amazement and intrigue that I had experienced. I'm not sure if I'm more surprised by the numbers of people/companies who use Twitter, or the numbers who don't. In addition, I never suspected that Twitter could be such an effective tool for branding either one. Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh is a great example (@zappos) of how effective it can be.
I spoke to some college students recently who I thought would be heavy users of Twitter but I was wrong. They had the same misconceptions about Twitter that I did and had almost the exact same comment, "I just don't get Twitter," In todays' job market, with so many experienced professionals needing jobs, college graduates need any advantage they can get.
How does this younger generation not know how to identify opportunities with the industries and companies represented on Twitter and how to use social media, including Twitter, to brand them in the market place? Most of us think of company brands but not many of us think about our own brand, which is the most important brand, especially when you making a career transition and looking for a job.
Those of us who are 40-something can be using it too. Once we get beyond the notion that Twitter can be used for something more than letting friends know where Happy Hour is going to be, watch out! Imagine the advantage we can have knowing how to use social media to communicate with peers, customers and employers around the globe, in real time, accessing a wealth of education and experience from the tips of our fingers on any wireless device in the world. Our micro blogging (i.e. tweets) actually help build our brand at the same time.
So the question I have is: What's your brand? The answer: whatever you want it to be. There are many ways to brand you. Twitter is unique because it requires you to be concise, compelling and relevant. You speak to the topics you're passionate about and, in turn, build relationships with others around the world or around the block. The best advice I got regarding Twitter was this, have the courage to be you.
Think about what your brand will be three months or three years from now and start branding "You, Inc." today. Oh, and always listen to your mother.
Adam Karwoski is the founder of Social Brand U LLC, Woodstock, Ga., visit http://www.facebook.com/socialbrandu?v=info to learn more.
