Almost Savvy » Business

LinkedIn-apalooza! Ready to rev-up your profile?

Irene Koehler — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 16:00:04 +0000

If you’re a professional or business person, you know you need to be using LinkedIn wisely, right? And, college students, that goes for you, too. If you don’t know why it matters or know deep-down in the pit of your stomach, you know that you’re really not all that sure what to do with LinkedIn, then this is for you……

I’m excited to be partnering with O’Reilly Media to present a free webinar on using the more advanced features of LinkedIn on April 20. Here’s the deal…this webinar is for people who have already customized and optimized their LinkedIn profiles. If you start actively using LinkedIn’s more interactive features without having done the critical work on your profile first, you won’t get nearly the value out of your efforts as you would have otherwise. In fact, this can work against you.

To bridge this gap and make sure to catch everyone up so you are ready to get the most out of the O’Reilly webinar, I am offering another webinar before then to cover all the customization tips and details which are often overlooked.

Be sure to register and mark your calendars for:

April 20, 10:00 am (Pacific) LinkedIn Beyond the Basics – In partnership with O’Reilly. This is FREE
April 23, 10:00 am (Pacific) LinkedIn Basics Webinar – Regular price $39 (a great deal!) 50% Discount code to be shared during O’Reilly session

What questions or tips would you like to have covered in the sessions? While I probably won’t be able to cover everything, your input is most helpful as I prepare the best presentation to meet your needs.

Who Influences You? (Plus, get a free book)

Irene Koehler — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 21:33:03 +0000

One of the best ways to learn is to watch others; see what works, what falls flat, what suits your style and what doesn’t.

Learning how best to communicate and influence others is no different. Don’t we all hope to influence others in some way? Whether it is to market our business, persuade a client or vendor, motivate an audience or capture the attention of potential employers, influence is important.

Seizing the opportunity to learn from people and brands who successfully build an audience (and those who miss the mark) allows us to develop our own set of best practices. Gaining traction as an influencer is no simple task. Adding “Become an influencer” task to our calendar for next Monday morning will not accomplish anything, at least not with genuine, long-term results.

To further muddy the waters, not only do we have different ideas how to become an influencer, we don’t all agree on what it means to influence others.

Is being an influencer something we do…

or, is it something we are?

Think about individuals and brands that influence your thinking, decisions or actions. Who are they and, more importantly, what is it about them that connects you so strongly to them?

Your Turn: Comments and Free Books!

Courtesy of Dale Carnegie Training to celebrate the release of their new iPhone app, I have 10 free copies of ‘How to Win Friends and Influence People‘ to give away as follows: Five will go to the first 5 people who add relevant comments. The remaining 5 will go to those with the best comments (to be selected by members of the AlmostSavvy fan page on Facebook). And, no, you can’t win 2 books! Comments posted by April 13 will be considered. Winners will be contacted on April 15, making tax day just a little brighter.

Please share! I can’t wait to learn from your experiences.

Yet Another SXSW Post (And, No, I Don’t Know If You Should Go Next Year)

Irene Koehler — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 17:37:36 +0000

I wasn’t going to write about SXSW (South by Southwest). After being asked by countless people what I thought of it and whether they should attend next year, I gave in. Rather than write a comprehensive overview, I decided to just fill in the gaps with a few points which may be helpful and different than what others have said.

I attended the SXSW Interactive (tech) Festival, which overlaps with the SXSW Music and Film Festivals, to some extent. The focus of each event is different, with the music and film events having been around longer than the interactive one. I’d guess that this unusual evolution has led to a tech event which is more like a festival than a pure conference. Add over 20,000 SXSW Interactive attendees to the mix and things get crazy in a hurry.

First and foremost, I am neither in the “OMG, SXSW is the most awesomest experience ever!” crowd nor the “SXSW sucks since it became less of a pure tech event” crowd. It’s just an event; it’s not the devil and it’s not Mecca. If it has changed over time, so be it; what hasn’t? Some changes we like, some we don’t. We’re grown-ups and make choices to attend events which work for us and skip those that aren’t a fit.

Thoughts and Tips for Next Year

Panels, Workshops, Keynotes, Oh My!

This is not like any other conference you’ve attended. At any one time, they may be 10-15 events happening and competing for your attention. The agenda is mind-boggling and impossible to process on the spot. SXSW has an online tool which allows attendees to view the sessions and select those of interest ahead of time, narrowing down the field and creating a customized schedule.

While I did a little planning ahead of time, I thought I’d figure it all out once I arrived. Bad plan. It is chaos and the sessions are in different venues, on different levels, in different rooms. The layout of the Austin Convention Center is absolutely confusing. I missed more than one session because it took me too long to select the one I wanted to attend and to navigate my way there. Argh! Definitely, I’d recommend doing more advance planning.

Even armed with a plan, you’ll find yourself in some sessions that don’t meet your expectations. Maybe the content isn’t what you expected or you’ve got presenters, who may be good at many things, but presenting isn’t one of them. There are better ways you can be using your time, so feel free to quietly head for the door.

The larger issue for me was one I’ve been feeling a lot lately after attending many tech and social media events. A lot of speakers and panels have begun to sound the same to me. Perhaps, I am the beneficiary of the vast opportunities available here in the San Francisco Bay Area and realize others may not have had similar opportunities.

Regardless of one’s circumstance, rather than waste time complaining or feeling frustrated with a session which doesn’t appeal to you, find something that does.

Meeting Friends – Old and New

At a normal conference, it is fairly easy to connect with friends, bump into acquaintances you didn’t know were attending and network with new people. Here? Not so much. With sessions, events, dinners and parties taking place all around downtown, coincidentally finding yourself at the same place at the same time as that friend you were really hoping to see isn’t likely. I had wanted to meet up with a few people, yet, despite our tweets and emails trying to coordinate schedules, it never happened.

Once again, the key is planning. I only decided to attend shortly before SXSW and didn’t spend any time thinking about who I wanted to meet with and letting them know I’d be there, too. That said, there is nothing like serendipity. Be open to meeting new people. If you see the same person in a few different places, go ahead and introduce yourself. Chances are you have similar interests making that person a potentially wonderful connection. (I’m talking to you, Carissa O’Brien, who magically appeared almost everywhere I went. We’ve yet to agree about who was stalking whom.)

The Infamous SXSW Parties

If you’ve only heard a little bit about SXSW, chances are you’ve heard about the parties. They are huge, many with several hundred people at a time packed into crowded clubs. Keeping up-to-date on which parties are where and when, which are invitation-only, open to anyone with a SXSW badge or open to anyone period, is an exercise unto itself.

More than one person I met told me the best thing about SXSW Interactive was the parties and that they had not attended any sessions. Anyone who knows me knows that I am not the party-going type (an understatement, to be sure). Waiting in long lines to enter dark clubs and yell over the music to my friends is not my idea of a good time. Still, if someone else wants to do that, it doesn’t really impact the experience for me. I chose a more low-key approach and connected with friends over quiet dinners and had actual conversations. Whatever your style, know that there are options and do what feels right.

Have a Gadget Plan

As you might expect in a tech crowd, the number of shiny objects was overwhelming. Brand new laptops, mobile devices, and cameras of every variety. Amidst the chaos, some gadgets are bound to become separated from their owners. I saw many frantic tweets regarding missing cameras and phones.

Prior to heading to Austin, I read a blog suggesting that SXSW attendees password-protect their phones to prevent any unauthorized access. As I waited to board my flight, I dutifully began the process of adding a password to my phone. I then thought about the fact that, should I lose it, a password would do two things: 1. Prevent access to my email and other accounts, and 2. Absolutely guarantee that I would never get the phone back. You may not agree with me on this, but I decided not to set up the password. Frankly, I’m not even sure that I agree that it was wise decision.

Well, and I’m sure you can already see this coming, I lost my phone for the first time ever. It was only hours after I arrived in Austin. My luggage was inexplicably still at the Oakland Airport. I was tired. Suffice it say that I’ve had better nights. Well, it turns out that someone found my phone right away, was smart enough to reply to the last text message with the phone’s location, handed my phone to the person on the other end of the text who returned it to me – all within about 10 minutes. (A million thanks to the mystery woman who found my phone and to my new BFF, Mark Pedrelli, for returning it to me.)

Whatever you do, think about how the device might be returned to you if lost. This applies to conferences, travel, everyday running around town. If I only had two things in my hand and managed to unknowingly drop one of them, it can happen to anyone.

Tweets and Check-ins

At any tech conference, you’ll find a handful of people live tweeting the content. Multiply this by 20,000 and the fact that many are retweeting other’s SXSW tweets and our friends who aren’t at SXSW are left gritting their teeth at the noise. Throw Foursquare and Gowalla check-ins into the picture and the internet is little more than a stream of “I’m here,” “Cool, now I’m over there,” “Hey, did you hear that Bill will be there soon?” coming from Austin. I gently suggest that we keep in mind those who aren’t there, but tied to our streams, and remain sensitive to what works for them (other than unfollowing and unfriending us).

Finding a Place to Stay

Everything happens within a relatively walkable area in downtown Austin. It is easiest if you find a place to stay right in the area. Buses and shuttles are plentiful if you don’t. The hotels right downtown aren’t cheap and get booked early, so keep that in mind. As an alternative, I found jillions (yes, I counted) of listings on craigslist.org for places to rent in the area. Many really nice folks in Austin decide to get the heck out of Dodge during SXSW and make a couple of months rent by letting someone stay in their place for a few days. It can be much more affordable than the hotels.

Is SXSW for You?

To those who have asked me if they should attend next year, I can only say is: It depends. As with any conference, talk with friends who attended, take a look at the content, the overall experience of being there, how easily you can access similar content through other means, cost, etc. and decide if it is a fit for you.

Were you there or know someone who attended? How would you answer the question, “Should I attend next year?” Please add your thoughts below.

Do You Have a Digital Business Card? (Register for .tel for free)

Irene Koehler — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 21:12:41 +0000

We all want to be found more easily online when our friends, potential clients and employers Google us. We’ve set up our LinkedIn profiles, started blogging, created websites, invited others to be our friends on Facebook and tweeted like crazy on Twitter. With all of these fragmented presences online, wouldn’t it be nice to have a directory of all the places we can be found, plus the option to include our email address, phone number and tags which help the right people find us and get in touch? That way, we could direct people to just one place to be referred to the various ways to contact us and find out what we’re up to. It’s sort of like a virtual phone book; you remember the phone book, don’t you? They used to be useful way back when, before we found contact information online and started using them only as doorstops and booster seats for kids not tall enough to reach the dining table.

There are plenty of easy ways to do this now. Each offers their own features and options for customization and discoverability. Among the options are:

Today, I am focusing on registering a .tel domain (you may be more familiar with other domains, such as .com, .net and .org). To help me understand the benefits of owning my .tel domain, I met with Vincent Largilliere of Digitrad, who was kind enough to walk me through the set-up. First, it is important to understand that registering a .tel domain is similar to registering any domain – it is not free, unlike the other sites I’ve listed above. For that fee, though, you have more control of your information because it is a completely different site, rather than just a page on someone else’s site. I encourage you to look at the features of each type of directory listing. There is no reason you can’t use more than one of the options above.

What is .tel?

From the Digitrad website:

(click image to enlarge)

The .tel allows you to store, publish and update online all your contact information and keywords under your unique domain name, without the need for a website

> For individuals, .tel is a business card fully secure and customizable.

> For companies, .tel is both a limited public directory open to customers, and a internal directory, complete and secure for you and your co-workers .

All the extensions are identical, .tel is different: classical extensions link a website to an address, .tel links an address to an identity. This is its specificity and main strength.

.tel will allow you to increase your visibility on the Internet, to optimize your referencing, but also and more importantly to manage your personal digital identity as you see it, with the flexibility and the security that you need

More information can be found on the Digitrad website here.

Want to register .tel for free?

Vincent has offered free registration of a .tel account for AlmostSavvy readers. If you’d like to grab a year’s free registration of your very own .tel account, take a look at the video and keep reading.

In the video, Vincent answers a few questions about the value of .tel and walks me through the set-up process. You’ll note that I had to do quite a bit of editing (it seems we both talk too much!).

Following our session, I continued the set-up process. Take a peek at IreneKoehler.tel now.

To get a code for free registration of your own .tel account, simply add a comment below sharing why you’d like to try it out. Be sure to add a valid email address in the appropriate field (that’s how I’ll get the code to you).

Many thanks to Vincent and Digitrad for offering free registration to AlmostSavvy readers to allow you to see for yourself how you might use it to your own best advantage to manage your online reputation and visibility.

Thanks also to the kind folks at the Skoll Foundation who loaned us their conference room to tape the interview above, and thanks to Adin Miller for connecting me with the Skoll Foundation.

Also, in the name of full disclosure, Vincent did buy me a crepe while I was in Paris attending LeWeb. The crepe was not in exchange for this blog post, but I understand that perception is everything. Frankly, if anyone ever wanted to compensate me for a blog post, I’d hope the going rate would be something greater than one crepe and an offer to give blog readers a discount code. Evidence of said crepe.

LinkedIn Lets You Show Off Your Best Assets

Irene Koehler — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 17:08:35 +0000

So you think LinkedIn isn’t as sexy as Twitter, Facebook or other networking sites? I encourage you to think again. If providing the most powerful professional networking and job search platform around is sexy, then I’d say it’s pretty sexy.

And, it just got a little sexier in that you can now show off your best assets more prominently. No, I’m not talking about push-up bras; the change I’m talking about allows you to bring more attention to your professional assets.

Until now, the LinkedIn profile was very structured and inflexible in its design:

Summary and Specialties
Applications (i.e., Blog, SlideShare, etc.)
Experience
Education
Recommendations

These sections were listed in this order and there was nothing you could do to change things around. If you wanted potential employers to know that you’d just received a PhD in Astrophysics from Harvard, you had to hope they had the patience to read through all of your part-time jobs as a paper-boy and as a cashier 7-11 to find your education way down at the bottom.

Enter drag-and-drop. You can now rearrange these sections and move the most important information to the top. Have you worked with Bill Gates and want everyone to see his recommendation praising your role in building Microsoft? Move your recommendations to the top. Have you increased sales for your company over 500% in the last year? Upload a slide showing the results to SlideShare and move it where it will best show off your talents.

Kudos to LinkedIn for allowing us to take more control over the look and feel of our profiles. In the future, I’d like to see the ability to drag and drop pieces of these sections, rather than the entire section. For example, when you move recommendations to the top to highlight the feedback from Bill Gates, all of your other recommendations move, too, which might make it difficult for someone to scroll down to find your skills and experience. Still, this is a fabulous step in the right direction.

Take a peek at the LinkedIn video and let me know in the comments what you think of this new feature.

Happy Holidays! Please Enjoy This Spam

Irene Koehler — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 17:25:23 +0000

Over the last few weeks, I have been inundated with holiday cards and greetings of all types. While this is typical at this time of year, this is the first time I received so many automated cards and emails, most of them from people I don’t really know.

On Facebook, there are applications which allow you to post a greeting card to the “wall” of all of your Facebook friends. Once I started receiving a lot of these, I deleted them from my wall as it made it difficult for someone to find my “real” content, the stuff I wanted to have on my wall. On LinkedIn, I received email from many of my connections wishing me well, but these were broadcast messages, not sent to me specifically. And, most of them included information about the sender’s product or service or request for help in a job search. “Happy holidays. Click here to find out more about me.” Makes me all warm and fuzzy inside.

While I know most people had good intentions, being on the receiving end of these impersonal messages began to feel like I was being spammed. I felt that they were taking advantage of technology which made things easier on their end without regard for those on the receiving end. Yeah, I know that receiving those long holiday letters about what extraordinary things your neighbor, Bertha, and her kids have been up to over the last year can be seen as impersonal also, but at least these came from “real” friends and family and were specifically addressed to us.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for taking the green high-road and saving trees along the way, but you can keep your spam. And, furthermore, don’t send me any more spam disguised as holiday fruitcake personal greetings.

Image courtesy of pandemia

What is Your Favorite “Real-time” Tool?

Irene Koehler — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 16:10:00 +0000

The theme of LeWeb ’09 was “The Real-time Web,” but what exactly “is” real-time? And, at what point, do real-time tools stop being new toys which only truly-geeky people use and start becoming so embedded into our everyday lives that we don’t really think about them, but can’t imagine living without them?

While most of the conversation at LeWeb was fairly technical and focused on what’s ahead, such as exciting new applications and tech start-ups, I wondered what tools these uber-geeky folks are using day-to-day in their real lives which are simple enough for the rest of us non-geeks to use.

I invite you to hear from some of the attendees as they share a few of their favorite tools. Let me know in the comments which tool is your favorite and why you’re a fan.

LeWeb Bingo! Watch and Play Along!

Irene Koehler — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 11:06:43 +0000

Here in Paris, the excitement about LeWeb is palpable. While the actual conference will take place over the next two days, there are many pre-conference parties and activities today.? I’m thrilled to be here as one of the LeWeb Official Bloggers and looking forward to meeting many of my peers from around the world.

One peek at the agenda and it is easy to see that the conference is packed full of meaty content. For those of you who aren’t lucky enough to be here, you may watch the events below. If for any reason, the embedded videos don’t work, just go to the LeWeb homepage, I’m sure there will be an updated link, if needed.

Whether you are participating in person or via the web, I invite you to have a little fun with the content by playing LeWeb Bingo. If you’ve never played bingo, it works like this:

Print one or both Bingo “cards” and keep it with you as you listen to the presentations. (To print, click on the image once, then click on it again. You’ll get a nice, large image suitable for printing.)
As you hear one of the speakers use one of the terms listed somewhere on the Bingo card, place a large X in that square.
The center square is a “free” spot. It automatically counts as having an X.
When you have an entire row, column or diagonal filled with X’s, you have Bingo! (I only advise yelling the traditional “Bingo!” if you are watching remotely and are alone at home. Yelling at the conference is done at your own risk.)
If you really want to win it all, go for a “blackout” – which means you continue to play until all squares on your card have an X. (And, by “win it all”, I mean that you get absolutely nothing as there are no prizes at all. You may, however, feel free to wager with a friend to see who will achieve “blackout” first.)

Let the games – and the exciting presentations – begin!

Live streaming from the Main Stage at LeWeb:
Video chat rooms at Ustream

Live streaming from Salle 400 at LeWeb:
Live TV : Ustream

13 Signs That You’re At a Tech Conference

Irene Koehler — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 17:55:34 +0000

Having had a very long career in the corporate world before plunging into social media, I’ve attended conferences of all types. While I truly love the energy and content at tech conferences, I’m struck (and, at moments, slightly entertained) by the differences in style and etiquette between the entrepreneurial tech events and those with a? more traditional, corporate bent.

It is with the greatest love, respect and true geek-envy that I offer the following signs that you’re at a tech conference:

While watching conversation among big-time “personas” on stage, I find myself trying to calculate the percentage of time spent discussing true content as opposed to time spent discussing each other.
Nametags are awkwardly enormous as they include name, company, website and Twitter @username. (Hint: When the nametag impairs my ability to sit comfortably, it may just a tad too large.)
Presentations are halted and rescheduled due to “tech problems.” (We may rule the internet, but wifi connections, not so much.)
Wearing a hoodie is apparently appropriate attire for experts sitting on a panel. (I’m betting that it’s only a matter of time before we see pajamas up on stage. Making a mental note to shop at Target before my next speaking engagement.)
When demo-ing new apps, all problems are explained away by “Twitter must be running slow.”
During breaks, everyone leaves their brand-new Macs behind because, “Who’s going to take it? Everyone here already has one.”
Speakers refer to Elmo so often that I look it up online. (Much to my disappointment, I find that Elmo has nothing to do with Sesame Street.)
One of the panelists insists on speaking *and* chewing gum at the same time. (Really? I don’t care if you are the “Digital Agent” for a big pop star, watching you speak with gum in your mouth as your image is projected on the nearly jumbotron-sized screen is just plain yucky. “Oops!”)
Upon hearing his own introduction, a speaker at the podium pumps his fist and lets out a loud “w00t, w00t!”
Few in the audience appear to be paying attention to the speakers, though I imagine some are. (On their computers, I see Gmail, Facebook, Tweetdeck, Skype, Flickr and a host of other apps and widgets. I only spot two people actually sleeping. I guess we all multi-task in our own way.)
One speaker, a little nervous while pitching his new app, projects the live Twitter feed on the screen, only to see that someone has sent him an @ tweet advising him to stop saying “uh” so much. (Hey, leave the guy alone, he was doing a great job! I’d like to see you get up there and speak in front of hundreds of people. I remember when my father used to count my every “uh” on his fingers, which only made me so nervous that I only did it more…not that I still carry this with me or anything. Whew…that was cathartic!)
When I introduce myself to people during a break, the reply is “Nice to meet you. How many followers do you have?” (Trust me when I say that you don’t even want to hear what I think about that kind of vetting to determine whether or not I’m worth the next few minutes of your time!)
Morning session: Everyone collectively drinking from the buzzword Kool-Aid; every other word is real-time, stream, paradigm, Twitter. Afternoon session: Everyone tweeting (and retweeting) that they are “so over” hearing about real-time, stream, paradigm, Twitter. (Meet the enemy: It is us.)
UPDATED ADDITION: After attending LeWeb today, I’d add: Seeing a long line for the men’s restroom. (I’m accustomed to standing in line myself, but never see the men standing in line. Sadly, this is a commentary on the male/female ratio at these events. But, for once, it was nice to be able to breeze in and out. How’s that for a silver lining?)

Does any of this sound familiar? What have I missed?

I’m Engaged! (4 Tales of Accidental Twitter Friends)

Irene Koehler — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 20:59:31 +0000

It’s true, I’m engaged. No, not that kind of engaged. I’m virtually engaged – listening to conversations and building relationships online.

As with other networking platforms, I use Twitter primarily for business purposes. Still, as we all know, even when we network and use social media for business, we don’t talk about business 100% of the time, right? (Cue: This is where you knowingly nod your head in agreement. If this is news to you, please stop and read this immediately; it’s for your own good.)

Along the way, I’ve met so many fabulous people. Many have become clients, partners and friends. Much about connecting on Twitter is serendipitous, if we are open to it. There certainly are many people I’ve come to know through traditional, strategic means. I truly cherish each connection and am honored to “hang out” with them every day.

Aside from the strategic alliances, I encourage you to be open to the unknown. Here are just four of my favorite Twitter stories of how I “accidentally” connected with someone new, all with a happy ending and a bright future.

Watching: Ships Passing in the Night ( Jim Connolly)

Over a year ago, I often saw this guy start tweeting just before I went to sleep and talk about ending his day just as I was getting going in the morning. I watched this for awhile and saw that he was in England, which explained the time difference. I began replying to his tweets at both ends of the day and, from there, we struck up quite a wonderful conversation.? Jim is a super-smart marketing mastermind and is also the brains behind The Tech News Blog and The Ideas Blog. Over the past year, we’ve become fantastic friends. He is always there whenever I need a friendly ear. To top it all off, he is hilarious and keeps me in stitches.

Connecting: Networking in the Carpool Lane ( Cathryn Hrudicka)

When I decided to think about considering the possibility of perhaps attending my first TweetUp (note the conviction), I dutifully followed the event hashtag to get a sense of who would be there and what to expect. I am terribly introverted and, while I did very much want to give this a try, I had no difficulty in coming up with reasons not to go.

As I scanned the tweets, I saw one from a woman who shared that she’d be interested in going if she could get a ride with someone. I looked at her Twitter page, quickly recognized that she was bright and someone who placed a high priority on engaging with others.? I replied and, long story short, we managed to meet and ride to and from the TweetUp together. What a fabulous find Cathryn is! She has a wealth of knowledge about technology, social media, the performing and visual arts, non-profits and philanthropy. Who wouldn’t want to know her?

Listening: I Beg to Differ? (Tony Uphoff)

Are you “listening” to conversations on Twitter? Hands down, one of the most powerful features of Twitter is the ability to “eavesdrop” by searching for tweets using keywords or phrases of interest to you.

As part of my work helping people understand and start using social media, I do quite a bit of work with LinkedIn. I’m a huge advocate of the networking power of the site, though people are often unsure as to how to best leverage its features. I often have a search running on Twitter for people talking about LinkedIn and frequently offer assistance by answering their questions. One day, I noticed a tweet regarding the value of recommendations on LinkedIn. I replied and it immediately became apparent that the person tweeting and I had strong – and opposing – opinions on the topic.

Anytime I have the opportunity to connect with someone intelligent who is able to articulate a differing perspective is a huge learning opportunity for me; and this conversation was no different. Since these first tweets, I’ve come to know Tony as a savvy business leader (he’s the CEO of TechWeb) with keen insight into all things tech and media related (he blogs at Uphoff On Media). He is also one of the warmest, most genuine people I’ve been privileged to meet.

Meeting: Oh No, You Didn’t (Itamar Kestenbaum)

In addition to useful content, conferences provide wonderful networking opportunities. At BlogWorld in Las Vegas recently, I took every opportunity to introduce myself to someone new. One day at lunch, I plopped myself down next to someone I hadn’t yet met.

Itamar took one look at me and said, “I know you. You unfollowed me!” Yikes! Where the heck can a conversation go from there? Fortunately, we’re both very easy-going and had a good laugh about it.? We talked about the fact that I am an aggressive unfollower, especially when I receive automated DMs (direct messages). Itamar was not alone in initially thinking that setting up automated DMs was a good idea after seeing others doing it, however it is a big Twitter etiquette no-no!

Itamar, who blogs at Itamar Kenstenbaum, and I have since kept in touch. We both are huge social media fans and discover interesting bits of news in each other’s Twitter stream.

Each one of these stories is slightly off-of-center when it comes to how people usually (to the extent that anything is “usual” on Twitter) connect on Twitter. However we connect on Twitter and on other social networking sites, it’s all about engagement.

I’m engaged. Are you? Please share your stories of “accidental” connections.

Almost Savvy » Business

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