Everyone starts somewhere in Social Media.  Tips and tricks we’ve all learned along the way can be especially helpful to those still navigating uncharted waters.

This interview series features twitter accounts in and around the construction industry, a growing population within the Twittersphere.  My only disclaimer is that I do not always agree with the advice.

Stats:

Questions:

1. When did you start your twitter account?

I started tweeting September 2, 2008.

2. What was your biggest obstacle in twitter?

In the beginning, the challenge was just trying to figure it out.  Now, it’s making sure I take the time to engage.

3. How often do you tweet? Do you have a schedule?

I try to make sure I am on first thing in the morning to say “Good Morning” and then throughout the day, as time allows.

4. What is your recommendation to new people on twitter?

Engage with fellow tweeters in your industry. Take the time to ask, “How are you?” The fastest way to be unfollowed is to only tweet links to your products.

5. What is your favorite hashtag and why.

#doors #hardware There have been amazing photographs of doors and hardware on twitter. I always appreciate when someone snaps a photo of an interesting door and tweets me.

6. Did you have a twitter mentor? How did that come about?

I started so early I just muddled through. Both @Paul_Anater and Amy Good (@Splintergirl) have put together fantastic twitter tutorials that would be helpful to any newcomer.

• Paul Anater | Social Media Training
• Amy Good on Builder Link |  Twitter for the Construction Industry

7. Can you recommend a twitter account that we should be following?

Gosh there are several! @bobborson @Paul_Anater @Splintergirl @SLSConstruction @ModernSauce @cupboards @BuilderLink @TALV58 @SaxonHenry @AGWilsonBS @LoriGreeneAHC just to name a few. All are fantastic people that engage and encourage.

Additional Comments:

I joined Twitter when I was working at home during the beginning downslide of the building industry. I lucked out getting to know some great people (some of whom I listed above).  Honestly, being able to communicate with them on a daily basis kept my spirits up. While working for a-fabco these last two years, I continue to be uplifted and encouraged by this great group of people and my Twitter world keeps expanding.

More Featured Tweeters

]]> http://rigginsconst.wordpress.com/2012/01/27/featured-tweeter-ginnypowell/feed/ 7 rigginsconst FeaturedTweeter GinnyPowell http://rigginsconst.wordpress.com/2012/01/18/five-reasons-why-you-should-blog/ http://rigginsconst.wordpress.com/2012/01/18/five-reasons-why-you-should-blog/#comments Wed, 18 Jan 2012 15:20:14 +0000 Bridget Willard http://rigginsconst.wordpress.com/?p=2144 Continue reading →]]>

Thousands of geniuses live and die undiscovered – either by themselves or by others.

~ Mark Twain

I am passionate about social media.  That’s my one and only disclaimer.  If, during conversation, I sense an opening, a teachable moment if you will, then I will attempt to convince you to set up a Twitter account.  Depending on your business, I may steer you in the direction of a Facebook Page.  So, yes, I have been known to get on my soap box.

Not often, however, do I try to make blogging converts.  Why?  It does take quite a bit more energy and dedication to blog that to converse in 140 characters or upload a cute photo for a caption contest.

But do I believe in blogging any less?  No.  Blogging is a very important to your business toolbelt.  In all likelihood, you should be doing it.

Why?  Here are five reasons right off the top of my head.

1.  Blogging Gives You Street Cred as an Expert

Blogging allows you to position yourself as an expert.  People tend to trust written information just because it is printed/published.  Don’t believe me?   Think of all the emails that people forward to you that should have been checked at snopes.com first.

My caveat with regard to being an “expert” is that you can become a trusted advisor “among your circle of influence.”  Everyone has one.  Humans are social; we belong in groups.  There are varying degrees of influence, of course.  Do people in your social group look to you for advice on parenting, which movie to see next week, or how to fix their leaky faucet?

You may never reach the heights of popularity of Zig Ziglar or Guy Kawasaki, but you do have influence.  Find out what it is and start building up your street cred.

2.  Blogging Develops Your Mind Skills

Maybe you won’t be able to perform Jedi mind tricks with your new WordPress theme, but you will be putting yourself in a position to think.

Even if no one reads your blog, it forces you to stretch as  a person, learn new things, and practice critical analysis.  Why do I say this?

It’s simple.  You can’t just blert out whatever comes to your mind in 140 characters.  You start a draft, save it for later, and come back to the post after a nice dinner.  You write, then rewrite, then make your husband read it to see if it’s coherent. (Oh, just me?)

You get the point.  Unless you want to produce work you wouldn’t dare turn in to your fifth grade teacher, then you’ll be correcting spelling, learning new words to mix up your sentences, and sharpening those grammar skills.

Another valuable part of the process is thinking of your reader.  What will they know about me after this post is done?  What will my reader understand about my business?  Will I have created valuable content or wasted an hour of my time?

3.  Blogging Expands Your Perspective

Blogging expands your world.  Yes it is true.  The more you blog, the more you expose yourself to other people’s blogs.

How?  I presume you’re blogging to an audience, yes?  If you are fortunate enough to have a reader who comments, then you should check out their blog (inevitably they have one).  Bloggers are one thing, if not anything else: faithful commenters.

This causes your mind to think about new ideas.  Cross polination begins; and, unless you’re a total shut-in, this is bound to naturally occur as your experiences diversify.

“Allowing yourself to cross-pollinate will make your ideas stronger.  And it gets you out of the tired ‘same old’ marketing all of your competitors are doing.” Sonia Simone of CopyBlogger in “Five Marketing Lessons You Can Learn from a Weird ‘Real World’ Business“

4.  Blogging Focuses Your Selling Points

You have marketing materials, I presume.  You have services to offer?  Whether you are aware of it or not, you may even have a mental script of your “selling points” on why we should hire your company, buy your do-dad, or go with you to that golf game.

Educating your fan / customer base is a fantastic way to promote your skills and is great fodder for blog posts.  Does your client base know you can perform a building survey, build a custom bikini for their Hawaii vacation, or deliver pizza to their office?

It is very possible that your customer base has a fragmented knowledge of the cornucopia of your services.  In fact, this year we plan to add photos and information on at least two different construction processes for that very reason.

5.  Blogging Promotes Sharing

Let’s face it, Facebook has all trained us to look for that button that says, “Share.”  Sure, there are other social sites for sharing, but the truth is Facebook has really changed our culture.  Even my seventy-four-year-old husband knows to look for the word “share.”  This is a major culture shift.

If your website is a traditionally static site, then there’s nothing to share.  No sharing, no caring.  No comments, no engagement.

You are actually harming your ability to be found through search engines, not to mention looking like a Luddite.

In a May 19, 2011, article by HubSpot they state:

We think their most noteworthy finding is that, of all shares, 60% were of links to published content… This means that, whether people are sharing links to your content or embedding it into social networks directly, an overwhelming 96% of the sharing that happens online is of content, not websites.

It’s very important to make your content share-able.  I’ve noticed this trend in my own reading and sharing habits.  If I can’t find an article online that I’m reading in a traditional magazine, I get frustrated.  Why read it, if I can’t share it?

Copyblogger puts it best in their article, “Why Bad Writers are Eating Your Lunch And What To Do About It:“

“If your product isn’t tweetable, it’s irrelevant.”

Recommended Reading and Viewing:

• Derek Sivers | Obvious to you. Amazing to others.
• Derek Sivers | Start Now. No funding needed.
• 29 Ways to Stay Creative
• Jeff Bullas | 30 Tips on How to Make Your Company’s Blog Rock
• Steven Johnson | Where Good Ideas Come From 

Everyone starts somewhere in Social Media.  Tips and tricks we’ve all learned along the way can be especially helpful to those still navigating uncharted waters.

This interview series features twitter accounts in and around the construction industry, a growing population within the Twittersphere.  My only disclaimer is that I do not always agree with the advice.

Stats:

Twitter Name: @TomVTW

Questions:

1. When did you start your twitter account?

I started my account in June of 2010.

2. What was your biggest obstacle in twitter?

I was a little intimidated; I wasn’t really sure what to do. I had been working in the production side of the business for the previous 11 years.

3. How often do you tweet? Do you have a schedule?

I try to tweet every day. I do not have a schedule.

4. What is your recommendation to new people on twitter?

Just be yourself and don’t be afraid to jump into a conversation.

5. What is your favorite hashtag and why.

I typically don’t use them.

6. Did you have a twitter mentor? How did that come about?

I don’t have a Twitter mentor. Most everyone is very helpful and willing to answer any questions you have.

7. Can you recommend a twitter account that we should be following?

I find Linda @i80equipment to be very helpful and interactive.

Additional Comments:

Don’t be afraid. Jump in and say “Hi.”

More Featured Tweeters

Santa. That guy has got to be the most overworked myth in history.  I don’t even think the Tooth Fairy works as hard as he does. After all, at some point in our lives, we stop loosing teeth. Of course, he does have one advantage over her and us:  elves.

We also do not have a factory in the North Pole that works year-round, Reindeer that can deliver billions of packages faster than you can say “FedEx,” or an endless supply of Hot Cocoa.

Office Manager Tip: Santa has elves; you do not. Plan ahead to make the most of your time during "the Season."—
Riggins Construction (@RigginsConst) December 20, 2011

Some offices hire extra people, seasonally, to help get things done; many of us, however, do not have that luxury.

I like to start planning holiday events in the late summer.  If there is a lull in my workload, I know what my next year’s vendor files will be, so I’ll make them. My goal every year is to plan the Holiday Card Design/Photo Shoot for October, where we get the best prices. Personally, I like to send my cards out Thanksgiving weekend, but for business we mail them around the second week of December.

That doesn’t even touch the fact that 1099′s will be due soon, our fiscal year also ends 12/31, there are several sets of new files to make, files to archive, updated forms for personnel files, along with frequent visitors with whom we like to exchange pleasantries during December.

Then there’s the matter of gift giving, lunches, and holiday parties or gatherings.  Not to mention getting the decorations and all the trimmings to deck the halls out of the attic. It’s often a challenge to coordinate these events with enough notice, let alone the demands of ongoing construction projects.

What are your tips to out-organize Santa?  How do you avoid the Holiday avalanche?

 For Thought:

• Do you agree or disagree with the premise?
• What are your tips?
• More Office Manager Tips

Everyone starts somewhere in Social Media.  Tips and tricks we’ve all learned along the way can be especially helpful to those still navigating uncharted waters.

This interview series features twitter accounts in and around the construction industry, a growing population within the Twittersphere.  My only disclaimer is that I do not always agree with the advice.

Stats:

Twitter Name: @neslusa

Twitter Bio: We are a solar panel manufacturer that makes SolarSimplified by selling great products directly and being people you want to work with! Tweets by Kendra

Questions:

1. When did you start your twitter account?

The company opened the account in July of 2010, but it wasn’t utilized until November of 2010, when I started with the company. Since then, we have over 6,500 tweets!

2. What was your biggest obstacle in twitter?

The biggest obstacle I face using Twitter is time management. I think it’s important to be in front of your connections when they are online, if possible. It creates more meaningful connections, enhances brand image, and builds reputation.

With this being said, I often find I am behind for our East Coast tweeps, so it has been an opportunity for me to figure out ways to be online during busier times. I spend a portion of my morning reading and researching the solar industry, then share this info on our Twitter feed (and Facebook) in the afternoons.

Since I know we aren’t always in front of people’s timelines, I often retweet important information a few times during the week.

3. How often do you tweet? Do you have a schedule?

Well, I tweet pretty much throughout the entire day. I don’t schedule tweets and don’t plan to. I know it works for a lot of people but I like the social interaction and challenge. I use TweetDeck and have it open most of the day. I am also responsible for my company’s other marketing activities and I find that the information I am exposed to on Twitter keeps me informed and on-top of what’s happening in the solar industry and beyond.

4. What is your recommendation to new people on twitter?

I was new to Twitter just one year ago, so I am a total advocate of new users finding other accounts to emulate. I also suggest going through great followers’ lists to find the type of people (not just brands) that you want to engage with.

I try to remember that my purpose on Twitter is to share information and build brand awareness and trust (stated company goals). That includes reaching out across industries to find advocates of what we stand for in renewable energy.

Additionally, I would encourage new users to be themselves, give their account a personality, and know that if they only use Twitter to post their own agenda, they’ll truly miss out on what is so great about Social Media.

Lastly, I would encourage new users to try TweetDeck or HooteSuite. I was able to reach out far more effectively with a dashboard; but try several to see what works for you. Oh, and one last tip: It’s easy to unfollow people without realizing it! Every week or so, check Tweeter Karma or Who Unfollowed Me to see what is happening with your followers.

5. What is your favorite hashtag and why.

This is an easy one! #SolarSimplified is my favorite hashtag.  Not only does it relate to my industry, but it’s also our motto! I often use other hashtags as well, such as #solar, #eco, #green, and would encourage users to visit hashtags.org to see what popular tags are associated with their business.

However, I would definitely encourage tweeps not to use more than three hashtags in a tweet. I want to read the content, not all of the categories it’s related to-use those 140 characters and make them count!

6. Did you have a twitter mentor? How did that come about?

I didn’t have a Twitter mentor per se, but I was very diligent to connect with people I felt did a great job of engagement and brand building. In looking for these connections, I came across the hashtag #FBLT (Facebook Like Tuesday) and found instant camaraderie with several ladies throughout the United States who I connect with daily for advice, instruction, and support.  It’s a great safety net and encourages great Twitter practices.

7. Can you recommend a twitter account that we should be following?

I can’t only recommend one!! So here are a few:

• @Carol_Stephen : One of my first real Twitter connections (as San Jose Plumbing), helpful about everything social media, and a genuinely nice person!
• @ToyotaEquipment : Kyle has Twitter and Facebook on lock-down, never misses giving shout-outs to his followers to promote them, and he always seems to be online… a bit mysterious? We like it!
• @Inhabitat: I enjoy sharing the articles I find on Inhabitat-they are always interesting and fall into the ‘green’ category. It lets me share something interesting across many industries. And, the account posts frequently so I always have lots of articles to choose from.
• @Sungevity: A solar company in California that has engagement and social media down pat! Fun, informative, engaging, and a great industry example.

Additional Comments:

Use lists (but not too many), be personable, and don’t just tweet about your product/service. Retweet great information often, be thankful, and for pete’s sake, please don’t set up an autoDM! I did it too when I was new, but you don’t have to.

More Featured Tweeters

]]> http://rigginsconst.wordpress.com/2011/12/16/featured-tweeter-neslusa/feed/ 6 rigginsconst FeaturedTweeter nesl avatar Holiday http://rigginsconst.wordpress.com/2011/12/07/birdbath/ http://rigginsconst.wordpress.com/2011/12/07/birdbath/#comments Wed, 07 Dec 2011 16:15:13 +0000 Bridget Willard http://rigginsconst.wordpress.com/?p=2044 Continue reading →]]>

When your contractor mentions that your parking lot or roof has birdbaths, they do not refer to concrete statues that look like water features.

Like alligatoring, this is another colloquialism that is named after an animal reference.  It is, by the way, synonymous with ponding.

According to the Construction Dictionary, 9th Edition © 2001 published by the Greater Phoenix, Arizona Chapter #98 of the National Association of Women in Construction wainscot is defined as follows:

a concavity in a pavement surface which holds water after a shower or rain.

Want to Know More?

I’ve been trying to figure out how to write on the week’s topic and bring it back around to construction, which has been most of the reason for my absence from this writing exercise.  This week’s topic, however, is too good to pass up.

The blogging challenge this week was to talk about something that has become everyday or commonplace.  Almost all of the technology that surrounds us these days at our workplaces has become just that.

We drive to work in the rain, using intermittent wipers without even one thought about the inventor.  We navigate on roads that were planned by engineers and built by people we’ve never met or consider.

We arrive at our offices, turn off alarm systems, turn on air conditioning on a digital keypad, and flip on the lights.  I, for one, don’t stop to consider how the electricitiy is being generated or pause in a moment of silence, lamenting Edison’s (first commercially practical) incandescent bulb or praising the fluorescent.

I no longer marvel at the speed and agility of our latest computer or its operating system; rather, I become upset when it becomes sluggish, costing us seconds of time.

Where Morse Code used to dominate the telegraph industry we text with our phones, person to person using QWERTY keyboards or artificial intelligence.  It’s not cool anymore; it’s expected, normal, and not worth discussing at the dinner table.

When the phone rings at the office, yes we still have a land-line, I don’t have to bother with operators, share a party line, or have wires looking for homes in a grid, whose enigma I would have to solve.  I push a button and the person is on hold. I push another and they’re transferred to a cell phone.

I scan documents to email, download photos from a digital camera that no longer have to be developed, and do myriads of other tasks made easier by every day technology.

I don’t even wear a wristwatch anymore since there are three clocks within a foot of me and another in eye-shot.

It’s five o’clock and I have the choice to ride home on a commuter train, a long way from the steam engines of old, or drive home in my combustion engine vehicle.

The sun sets yet again over the ocean and I probably don’t even stop to notice the unique gradation and display of colors that will not be repeated tomorrow.

What do I overlook?  Nearly everything around me on a daily basis.

This week’s topic — Taking A Second Look

Everyone starts somewhere in Social Media.  Tips and tricks we’ve all learned along the way can be especially helpful to those still navigating uncharted waters.

This interview series features twitter accounts in and around the construction industry, a growing population within the Twittersphere.  My only disclaimer is that I do not always agree with the advice.

Stats:

Twitter Name: @Taryn44

Questions:

1. When did you start your twitter account?

My first account I set up was @Taryn44 in January 2009. Then, @Trindera in February 2010, @SoMeffect in July 2011, and @AEC_SM in August 2011.

2. What was your biggest obstacle in twitter?

Finding an independent “voice” for each of these twitter handles – differentiating content between many twitter identities.

3. How often do you tweet? Do you have a schedule?

I tweet daily, hourly. No set schedule; but the most frequency in peak tweeting times (beginning of day, lunch time, end of day). I pay careful attention to time zone differences and try to rotate the content of my messages to keep things interesting.

4. What is your recommendation to new people on twitter?

Create a consistent and clear message so that your followers know what to expect. Engage with key tweeters, tweetchats, lists, and thought leaders in your target niches. Give your twitter brand some personality!

5. What is your favorite hashtag and why.

#AECSM and #SoMeffect because I created them. I love the momentum with #AECSM right now, gathering thought leaders for weekly tweetchats in the #AEC industry (architecture, engineering, construction).

6. Did you have a twitter mentor? How did that come about?

My twitter mentors are many. #ImadNaffa was a HUGE influence on my tweeting strategy, as he was an innovative mind for tweeting in the construction community. We interacted daily and he is one of the main reasons I am working towards cohesive tweeting in the #AEC industry. He is dearly missed.

Editor’s Note:  (Imad passed away September 6, 2011.)

7. Can you recommend a twitter account that we should be following?

So many! For #AECSM trends I love @bobborson and @LaurieMeisel.

For marketing in the #AEC industry I love @joshmiles and @markitectureDC.

For social media trends I can’t get enough of @bitrebels (and staff) as well as @markwschaefer and @jamiecrager.

Additional Comments:

Have fun and dare to be different.

More Featured Tweeters

How many applications are open on your desk?  No cheating –  don’t close any.

I have ten open right now.  Why?  It seems like we feel the overwhelming need to be able to effortlessly switch tasks among applications or we’re not efficient. Admittedly, it does take some time to open a program, but why don’t we close them?

The truth is that we, as office managers, know that at any moment, while answering the phone and simultaneously entering payables, someone might walk in  our office wanting a map, and we’ll need that browser ready for action.

Office Manager Tip: Multi-tasking is a necessity but the efficiency of it is an urban legend.—
Riggins Construction (@RigginsConst) June 15, 2011

And the truth is, that most of the people we support are also multi-tasking; this is especially true in construction where the project manager may be estimating three jobs while managing two ongoing projects.

According to “Worker, Interrupted: The Cost of Task Switching,” people switch tasks about every three minutes.  Also, only 82 percent of “interrupted work is resumed on the same day but… it takes an average of 23 minutes and 15 seconds to get back” on task.

Furthermore, those who engage in task switching perform their work faster, in anticipation of being interrupted, causing them to feel and experience more stress.

We may not just be losing time, we may be losing brain function.  From the article, “This is Your Brain on Social Media” by Diana Adams:

According to this Hewlett-Packard study, “Workers distracted by email and phone calls suffer a fall in IQ more than twice that found in marijuana smokers.”

According to “Infomania, Worse than Marijuana,” constantly task-switching causes “similar effects on the mind as losing a night’s sleep.”

Stress, wasted time, and sleep deprivation are all side effects of our constant task-switching all in the name of efficiency.

No matter the consequences, it’s doubtful that our society, dare I say “business culture,” is ready to give up multi-tasking.  Technology has actually changed people’s expectations on when we’ll return an email, fax them an invoice, and return their calls.

The question becomes, how do you adapt and conquer the demands of multi-tasking while remaining as productive and sane as possible?

 For Thought:

• Do you agree or disagree with the premise?
• What are your time management tips?
• Harvard Business Review | Four Destructive Myths Most Companies Still Live By
• American Psychological Association | Multitasking undermines our efficiency, study suggests
• Fast Company | Worker, Interrupted: The Cost of Task Switching 
• BitRebels | This is Your Brain on Social Media
• Wired | Multitasking Muddles Brains, Even When The Computers Is Off
• Inc | 7 Things Highly Productive People Do
• More Office Manager Tips

Everyone starts somewhere in Social Media.  Tips and tricks we’ve all learned along the way can be especially helpful to those still navigating uncharted waters.

This interview series features twitter accounts in and around the construction industry, a growing population within the Twittersphere.  My only disclaimer is that I do not always agree with the advice.

Stats:

Twitter Name: @HamtilConst

Questions:

1. When did you start your twitter account?

I started the account in December of 2010, but didn’t actually tweet for several weeks. I wanted to sit back and observe what in the world was happing on twitter and how other people were using it. It took some time to figure out who to follow and what I was going to be tweeting. If I remember correctly, my first tweet was “Happy New Year!” in 2011.

2. What was your biggest obstacle in twitter?

My first obstacle was buying into the fact that Twitter, among other social media, was going to be beneficial for me and my business. After deciding to finally take the plunge, the next obstacle was to crack the Twitter code.

I remember thinking,

What’s up with all the pound sign word things?

As well as,

am I going to get a virus if I click on this weird looking short link?

Alas, no virus has been had yet, and now I understand what hashtags are and how to decipher them. The only other issue I had was with the background design I have. It seemed to take a long time to work it out.

3. How often do you tweet? Do you have a schedule?

No schedule; I just try to tweet every day. Having a consistent presence is important to me. I might tweet two times or ten times a day, depending on how busy I am. I do use scheduling frequently to set up posts for the next day, and then I monitor replies and such via my phone through the day.

4. What is your recommendation to new people on twitter?

Don’t put too much emphasis on how many followers you have or are following. Take time to carefully build a network of people who will add value to your experience. People will unfollow you; don’t take it personally. Be social and engage with people through comments and RT’s.

Also, you may want to do some initial learning on Twitter via Mashable’s Twitter Guide:

5. What is your favorite hashtag and why.

While I don’t frequently use many hashtags, one of my favorites is #stl. Short for St. Louis, I use it to connect with people in my local area of service in an effort to be relevant to potential clients. Another favorite, if I may self promote, is #100RMtips. I created it to use during a campaign I started where I will be tweeting 100 remodeling tips in 100 days.

6. Did you have a twitter mentor? How did that come about?

I owe a lot of credit to @Clamstorm – my friend Matt, a fellow business owner and commercial real estate investor who planted the seed in me for Twitter back in early 2010.

Once I began using twitter, I picked up a lot from @Clamstorm and other people such as @SLSConstruction, @Splintergirl, @RigginsConst, and @BobBorson to name a few.

7. Can you recommend a twitter account that we should be following?

For business related ideas, I learn quite a bit from @smallbiztrends and @ducttape. Some other favorites I could suggest are @LeahThayer, @HibbsHomes, @SomeChum, and @BuildingMoxie.

Additional Comments:

While it took some time to embrace Twitter with an open mind, I am grateful to have done so. The connections I have made with other industry professionals have proven valuable. Twitter has become a solid component of our social media and marketing efforts, and it has paid off.

Thank you so much to Bridget for inviting me to participate! I appreciate it!

More Featured Tweeters

]]> http://rigginsconst.wordpress.com/2011/11/18/featured-tweeter-hamtilconst/feed/ 3 rigginsconst FeaturedTweeter HamtilConst Avatar Paul RM show