90 Minutes on Social Networks

Last week, I participated in a social media panel at the Main Line Chamber of Commerce, in Wayne, PA. The event was the brainchild of Skip Shuda, founder of Team and a Dream.

I have known Skip since 2001, when I worked with him at a technology startup. He is an amazing resource for all things start-up, with deep knowledge of artificial intelligence. He knows how to use new technology to enhance the growth and profit potential of early stage software, service, and technology companies.

We had a conversation with Skip here one year ago where he offered to help  you find out - what kind of entrepreneur are you? Skip blogs at The Cheap Revolution and if you listen to the podcast here, you will hear his passion for social media.

Stuzo.com co-sponsored the panel, and Gunter Pfau from Stuzo.com talked about Facebook as a platform for applications. He has grown his application to 1M users per day. This part fascinated me, as I am not as familiar with Facebook, and I know I will get together with Gunter to learn more. He believes that we should not build islands, we should go where the people are. We have very similar ideas about where digital marketing is going.

I talk about blogging, and mention Twitter, where I tend to spend a lot of time. My main points are using content to harness the knowledge of an organization, establish credibility in the marketplace, show people how you process information and problem solve. Tools are the room in which you hold the conversation, but there is no point being there if your customers are not there, too.

Ed Callahan was the third panelist. Ed has developed a deep knowledge of LinkedIn for business use and speaks frequently about the social networking tool. Here, he talks about creating a digital brand, trust, and why he adds only the people he knows to his network.

When I heard myself I noted that I need to slow down and enunciate more not to use so many "filling" sounds. The podcast is 90 minutes long. Now go get your favorite drink and snack, and enjoy. There are lots of good nuggets along the way. Two notes: the audio may be low and some of the questions did not come through in the recording.

Today at The Blog Herald I talk about how you can use LinkedIn questions to generate content ideas. Whether you are getting started, or going through a dry spell, you can use ideas from what the business community is thinking about to establish yourself as someone who can provide compelling content.

What social networks are you on and why?