The idea here is that there are countless avatars and websites and icons and blogs. But every single one of them has a person or people behind them. Get to know the person a little bit and you will be all the more interested and invested in what they have to say and share.

I don’t recall exactly how we started communicating, although I’m sure it was either Twitter or Facebook, but I have recently been enjoying getting to know Beth Daniell of Elizabeth Daniell Graphic Design (EDGD) through a few online conversations and interactions. Beth is a graphic designer who has made the shift to running her own freelance business and using social media to expand her networks and clientele. As we began conversing and sharing thoughts I knew she would be a perfect candidate for my friends and readers to meet, so I asked if she would be interested in participating in this series. She has generously taken the time to answer a few questions and share some insights into who she is. I invite you to get to know her and connect with her yourself so you can go beyond the surface and see who’s Behind The Avatar.

“Over the past 15+ years, I have found the inspiration for my design style through the cities I have lived in, the people I have met along the way and my love for all things unique. My education in various art forms is a concrete foundation for making me the artist I am today.”

Beth’s background is varied. Her search for herself spans many years and many cities, including Savannah, Athens, Orlando, Nashville and New York, but she currently resides in a small town called White, just north of Atlanta, GA. Although she confesses she’s not exactly sure how she ended up there, she claims Georgia will always be her home no matter where she lives.

Beth started out in high school working at a photo lab and somehow ended up in New York City accepted to the School of Visual Arts for photography. She continues:

“After moving up there I thought to myself, ‘What would I actually do with a photography degree?’ A bit culture shocked, I moved back home and this pattern repeated 3 times over the next year. Yep, 3 times. Finally, after many trips by trains, planes and automobiles along the east coast, the theft of my portfolio and sightseeing, I was back in NYC for good (or at least for 4 years). I discovered a great community college, the Fashion Institute of Technology, and an excellent program called Display and Exhibit Design. This was my new love. I ate, slept and drank that program for two years. It was a fabulous time and I learned so much but the jobs that were offered in that field were few and far between. It did however give me a few base classes in exhibit graphics, so in efforts to move forward and onward, I eventually went back to school to become a Graphic Designer.”

She says that even with as many times as she changed her mind, she loves her current profession as a graphic designer. After working in the publishing industry for several years, Beth decided to pursue a freelance business and established EDGD.

“Being my own boss is great. Sure it’s not easy and I still have a lot to learn, but it’s so worth the rewards and freedom of creativity. I love helping start-ups with their identity or helping an existing company refine their logo. I wake up happy everyday and wonder what type of project will come across my path today. It’s almost like getting little presents here and there.”

When I asked her what she is most passionate about, Beth put her family at the top of her list. She says they are all very close and try to get together as often as possible. Next she placed her American Bulldog Rita (Margarita), the biggest love of her life, but then quickly backpedaled and made Rita the second love, since her husband Cody is “technically” first. She is extremely proud of her husband’s service as an Army Ranger (1st Battalion 75th Ranger Regiment).

“I am also passionate about my ink drawings. I have been doing these probably since the early 90’s.  They started out as random illustrations and over the years have transformed into various shapes or abstract images. It is always fun to see what others think they resemble, similar to how an inkblot is perceived. Over the past year I have experimented in enlarging them on transparencies and then painting them onto canvas. They have really evolved and have become an exciting escape from my computer. I also love most aspects of the fashion industry, creating art with my hands (books, paintings, etc) and most anything vintage.”

When it comes to social networking, Beth says she’s fairly new to it, especially Twitter.

“I have been on Facebook (with a business page) and LinkedIn for about a year now and have gained more resources, information and clients than I thought could come from these types of networking. It really opened my eyes to a whole new way of thinking and I have received so much knowledge in my field and related fields from folks that are fresh out of school to Creative Directors and CEO’s. Twitter is a new one for me and so far, to be honest, it is taking me a bit to get used to and its idiosyncrasies. But, I do believe it is a powerful marketing tool as well an excellent platform to connect with peers in related fields and I am becoming more and more comfortable using it. The wealth of information and possibility of connections is unmatched right now.”

As a Twitter user (translated: addict) myself, I couldn’t agree more!

Please take some time to visit Beth’s various websites, portfolios and social media profiles. I encourage you to connect with her in these various arenas and get to know her, the person, as well as the artist and designer. I know you will find it is time well spent.

Elizabeth Daniell Graphic Design

http://www.elizabethdaniell.com
http://www.facebook.com/EDGraphicDesign
http://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabethdaniell
@EDGraphicDesign on Twitter

Edan Ink Designs (My Ink Drawings)

http://www.facebook.com/EdanInk
http://www.EdanINK.etsy.com

If you are interested in being interviewed as a part of this series, please let me know in the comments, or send me an email. If you have any questions or comments for Beth, leave a comment below or visit her at one of her websites listed above. Finally, if you are not already, would you consider subscribing to this blog so you don’t miss any future updates? You can either subscribe to the RSS feed in the reader of your choice or you can receive the blog updates in your email inbox by filling out the simple little form at the top right of the page.

Let’s face it. We all have times that we just don’t feel motivated to do the things that we know have to eventually get done. Since my early days in elementary school I have always been quite skilled at putting things off until the last minute, then swooping in and completing them just in time for the deadline with the greatest of ease (and a little stress, sometimes.) As I grew older I honed this skill to a perfect science and actually found ways to thrive in the rush of last-minute madness.

But as a freelancer this methodology can be fatal. You never know when new projects might arise, or an “emergency” moves up a deadline and suddenly, if not prepared, you find yourself without enough hours in the remaining day to complete that which is required of you. So I have learned to do my best to always stay ahead as much as possible.

Unfortunately for a dethroned king of procrastination, striving to stay ahead of schedule is all the more difficult since it goes against the very nature of this beast. And since I spend the majority of my waking hours sitting in front of a computer, distraction and procrastination are just a click away. Thanks to modern technology and the endless expanse of the internet (paired with my constantly increasing geek side) there are boundless opportunities for putting aside the things that I must do in order to explore the things I choose to do instead.

Stepping away from work – especially for those of us whose work day is not confined to the 9-5 hours – is a good thing, and can often be the birth of new motivation and inspiration. But it can also be a black hole of time-sucking doom when not handled with care and proper feeding.

So in an effort to encourage us all toward productive procrastination (instead of its evil twin) I have put together a few of my favorite workday disruptions and given ways to push them from diversion into the realm of inspiration. Hopefully they will give you some new, guilt-free ways to take a break from all that work so you can return with a fresh outlook, ready to roll again!

TWITTER (and other social media)

Of course, those of you who know anything about me probably already assumed that my newest addiction would be first up. My use and connection to Twitter is a constant. In fact, I went out and bought a 2^nd monitor solely for the purpose of keeping Tweetdeck (a 3^rd party Twitter client) open and running at all times. A quick glance over to my left and I can get sucked right into a conversation or clicking on a link someone has shared, which then opens another browser window and could possibly be a tutorial or something that I want to try out, which then could lead into countless other pathways of time lost.

What can I say? I am hooked, and I am not apologizing for it. Twitter has helped me grow my freelance business in ways no other single tool has. But yes, it has its evil downside too, as described above. Finding the balance between the two is an ongoing battle, but I still believe it is worth it.

How Twitter Procrastination Can Be Turned Into Inspiration:

»   Every link, blog post, and article that someone shares and I am interested in, I will click on it, skim it and bookmark it for later if I deem it worth keeping. While working hard not to spend inordinate amounts of time doing this, I often find fantastic resources and information, and even occasionally something that pertains to the very project I am working (or not working) on at the moment. I also get ideas for blog posts (like this one).

»   If I’m stuck on something, I will tweet a request for help. Something like, “Anyone else have this situation? If so, how did you deal with it?” 9 times out of 10 the response is helpful and informative, not to mention I get a chance to connect with someone.

»   Since most of my day is spent alone in front of the computer, taking a moment to chat with other real people on Twitter can be refreshing and rejuvenating. It has also created connections that have led to great things down the road.

Most of my social media time is spent on Twitter, as opposed to other social networks, but I believe the same principles can be applied to Facebook or whatever else you are more comfortable with being distracted by. I know my wife – an avid Facebook user – has found numerous new bands, interesting connections locally and globally, and valuable resources amongst her Facebook friends. Of course, she also falls prey to the “evil” time-sucking quizzes and games that make portions of her day disappear. But you get the point. Use social media as a momentary distraction, but don’t let it take control of your time or what you get from it.

READING (online and offline)

I read so many articles, design blogs, tutorials and more online that I’m not sure how I get anything else done! I love learning and consider myself a lifelong student, so I cannot get enough of all that is out there to assist me in my pursuit of becoming a better person, father, husband, designer, freelancer, friend and so on. The online education possibilities are endless! So I often find myself wandering through different things I’ve bookmarked when I am no longer feeling any motivation for the task at hand. This is a double-edged sword because it’s almost always valuable information, but the amount of time it can take away from the day is dangerous.

I also love to read books. I don’t nearly read as much as I used to before I went to full-time freelancing, but they are always a great escape from the computer and technology. The only real downside is time that is lost, but I am the type of reader that finds it hard to put the book down. I am in training (over the past couple years) learning how to read in spurts, which would be more productive, but it’s a difficult road for me.

How Reading Procrastination Can Be Turned Into Inspiration:

»   Streamlining the subject matter of online reading into relevant topics can make it a very productive and promising use of time. Bookmarking (I use Delicious) for later those articles that have nothing to do with what you’re working on, and reading through those that may help you get your current projects done will often guide you back on the horse inspired and ready.

»   Fiction reading can often be one of the best inspirations of all because it can be an escape while simultaneously providing artistic inspiration (depending on the subject matter and quality.) Choosing to read books that challenge your thinking and inspire your creativity can make this one of the most productive diversions of all.

»   Non-fiction reading can work very much like the online and fiction reading combined, and I would suggest reading topics that are of other interests than what you spend your workday doing. Stretching your mind beyond those things that you already enjoy always strengthens your existing passions and skills. Utilize your local library and your imagination to explore previously uncharted territories for yourself.

MUSIC (online and offline)

I used to make a living as a musician, and while I no longer spend much time creating and composing, it is still a passion of mine – in many ways the one thing I am most passionate about. I love to listen to music of almost all kinds (except most country music – sorry if you’re a fan) and I thoroughly enjoy discovering new-to-me artists and songs. This can end up being a huge time sucker as I look online for the latest or wander through YouTube videos or troll my Last.fm friends’ music libraries. I can end up losing portions of the day just trying to find some music to play as inspiration while I work!

Another way music helps me escape from deadlines is when I can sit at the piano and just play whatever comes to mind. Again, I seldom make time to do this anymore, but it can be a refreshing break from the doldrums when I do. It can also end up becoming a wandering stroll down a path of composing a new chord progression that falls from my fingertips as if by accident. On occasion I have lost an hour here and there to the ivories and their magnetic pull.

How Music Procrastination Can Be Turned Into Inspiration:

»   Last.fm, when used properly, has been a valuable tool for me. It allows me to pick 3 artists to create a “station” that plays nonstop songs in those 3 artists’ respective genres. The whole process takes just a minute or two to set up and I’ve got music for hours before I want a change. The danger, of course, is in wandering around the site’s suggested artists or my friends’ libraries instead of just doing what I cam there for, so keep that in mind before opening that browser window. Of course, you can use other music services to do similar functions (Pandora, Blip.fm, etc.)

»   If you play an instrument, please don’t stop. If music is in your soul, I say unleash it. It’s one of my deepest regrets that I no longer give this passion of mine the attention and time I want to give, so if you have the ability to use composing or playing music as a distraction, please go for it! Is there truly anything more inspiring than music anyway? I think there is much more benefit to how music inspires us than there is negative connotations for the time lost in the pursuit of it.

OTHER FAVORITES

I am becoming more and more of a computer and technology geek. This opens up all kinds of doors for diversion. Between finding apps and games for my new Android phone, searching for browser add-ons to improve my experience, trying various computer performance tweaks, wandering through the latest applications and open source toys, and all the other treasures that can be found, I could make it through entire weeks without getting any actual work done if I choose. I guess for these and any other distractions I fall prey to the first step is admitting I have a problem. Identifying and admitting to the time-suckers in your daily routine should at least help you to begin finding ways to either use them to your advantage and inspiration or else determine to eliminate them altogether. Either way, I encourage you to allow for procrastination to an extent, because all work and no play will definitely make you miserable. But learn to be the one in control of your diversions and make them work for you, rather than allow them to take over your schedule and eventually create problems.

What are some of your favorite procrastinations? Do you turn them into inspirations, and if so, how? Please share with us in the comments below so we can all learn how to be in better control of our work and our play. After all, who wants a bunch of dull, unhappy workaholics hanging around?

»   Freelancing

»   Web Design

»   Twitter

»   Social Media

»   SEO

If you have any questions or comments, leave a comment or email me. If you are not already, would you consider subscribing to this blog so you don’t miss any future updates? You can either subscribe to the RSS feed in the reader of your choice or you can receive the blog updates in your email inbox by filling out the simple little form at the top right of the page.

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Let me start this off by saying that I have not made use of Twitter’s new “List” feature because I don’t use the Twitter web interface nearly as much as I use Tweetdeck (here’s a great article explaining Lists). At first glance it seems that the new feature is very similar to Tweetdeck’s “Group” feature that enables me to create groupings of specific people who I wish to organize their tweets and perhaps watch them a little more closely than others or for particular reasons. After doing a little research there is one apparent difference: lists are public. My groups in Tweetdeck are not.

I believe this is not just a good expansion of the social networking capabilities of Twitter, but it is also very strategic. I would be willing to bet that the geniuses behind Twitter, while creating a very useful addition to their already powerful and revolutionary tool, have also taken into consideration one of the driving forces behind its popularity: the competitive human nature that pushes for social media status and measurable success.

Think about it: all those endless discussions and articles and tweets and blog posts about the fallacy of chasing numbers, belittling the belief that he who dies with the most friends and followers wins. And yet we all do it. (Oh come on now. Be honest. When was the last time you looked at your follower count on Twitter or the number of friends you have on Facebook? Yeah, me too.)

Do you think it’s an accident that the location of the number of lists you are on is right in line on your profile with the number of followers you have? It’s visible for all to see. And it is another way for others – and ourselves – to measure our success and Twitter “popularity”.

I’ve already noticed this new statistic is showing up in tweets supporting this line of thinking:

So now we are not just looking at the number of followers someone has to make determination of their Twitter “worth”, but we’re looking at the amount of lists they are on too?

Yes, I encourage you (and myself) to ignore the numbers and just be who you are. It is a challenge we all face, but hopefully we will instead embrace ignoring statistics and pursuing real relationships with genuine people.

But I have to wonder if the masses are being manipulated a little bit here. It’s in our nature to compare and compete. Is Twitter counting on this to continue its growth by integrating these types of statistical measurements in the development of new features? I wonder. What do you think?

Most of this blog post is in the above video, so I won’t reiterate it too much here. I just wanted to hear from other freelancers what you are or are not willing to do in your line of work for a paycheck. Where do you draw the line morally, ethically or just plain and simply based on your experience and goals?

Please leave your answers in the comments below, and let’s learn from each other as we undergo some self-examination and perhaps revelation. Okay, start typing…

Last night I went to my daughter’s first Freshman Chorus concert. Of course, my little girl’s voice stood out among the pack, but the beautiful sound of angelic voices blending perfectly together was wonderfully soothing and enjoyable, even though the majority of the songs they were singing were remarkably antiquated and, in my opinion, emotionally sterile. As a musician myself, I am admittedly a bit of a snob, but this was more about a lack of connection with and passion for what the songs were about. Each selection, including the big finale splattered with corny unison hand claps in what I guess was an attempt to display enthusiasm, left me disappointed for my daughter’s personal musical progression. Afterward we discussed the differences between singing well and singing with a passionate desperation from the depth of your soul. This is a perpetual rant for me, and one my family is probably exhausted with. But every time we sit through an American Idol show, or hear another sticky sweet pop song on the radio, or encounter anything else that pits passion against perfection, I can see that they get it, and that’s important to me as their father. If there is one thing I most want my children to carry with them throughout their lives, it is an intrinsic understanding that the pursuit of their passion is primary and that without it they will not only never be completely content, but they will also fall short of giving the world their very best.

At this juncture you are probably wondering what any of this has to do with the title of this post. Don’t worry. I didn’t use the title to lure you here to listen to me rant about musical integrity and passion, or how proud I am of my children. The point is this: whether it’s your own personal endeavors, or your business pursuits, or your new social media strategy, I believe you can only get so far on just doing it well. Without real, personal, passionate human interaction, your end result will always be limited.

Keep in mind that I do not consider myself an “expert” in social media by a long shot. I have had some success, but I have only been using social media since late March of this year. So I am only drawing on my own social media and life experiences to come to these conclusions. Still, I have some insight that I believe provides a solid foundation for this thought process.

Recently I have taken on the task of social media management for some of my clients. This means that I have set up their accounts on various networks and have initiated strategies to get them connected with potential customers. Of course, at the end of the day the client wants to see measurable results:

»   Are people clicking on my links?

»   Is traffic to my website increasing?

»   As traffic increases, are sales increasing?

This is the simplified expected progression I am seeing businesses of all sizes adopt as they dive into what they see as the potential gold mine of social media. Unfortunately, the most difficult concept for people to grasp is the most glaringly obvious missing element from this equation: human engagement.

Build a website, giving 24-hour access to your product and/or business. Hire someone or personally set out to grow your social media following. Drive traffic to your website. All of this should equate to increased sales, right?

Wrong.

First and foremost, if what you’re selling isn’t selling offline, what makes you think it will sell online? Second, just because more people are visiting your website, why should that translate to more sales? Third, if your increased site visitors are interested in your product, and somehow have decided to consider buying it from you instead of anywhere or anyone else, but they are unable to come into contact with a live human being before purchase, what do you think the odds are that they will finalize the deal?

When my older daughter’s A/C stopped working a few weeks ago, we took her car into a local repair shop. After she paid $130 to retrofit the A/C, we drove away expecting cold air to blow strongly from the vents. Never happened. We took it back in, only to find out that now it needed a new compressor, to the tune of $600! Needless to say, we began calling around and through a Twitter friend’s recommendation found a mechanic that would perform the same service for about $250. This gentleman was incredibly friendly, honest and caring on the phone, as opposed to the strictly business attitude of the previous organization. Even if he was charging the same exorbitant price, guess who we would choose?

I am capable of growing a social media following quickly, with quality, relevant followers and friends who have similar interests as you or your organization. I can increase and drive traffic to your website using social media almost overnight. Recently I grew a client’s Twitter followers to 250 in 5 days, without using any automation and without following ridiculously large amounts of people in hopes of a portion of them following back. These followers were people who’s bios, hashtags and tweets were deemed relevant to the client’s business. The traffic statistics for this client’s website increased dramatically, reaching 7-10 times their previous numbers. But at the end of the first week, the client was left wondering why they saw no increase in sales.

What is missing from the picture? I believe what’s missing is a human being who communicates a real passion for their product and connecting people with it. Not just for the income, but because they believe what they have to offer will genuinely make the customer’s life better. How many times have you chosen to buy something from someone or to frequent an establishment because of a genuinely friendly or passionate customer service representative?

Ironically, I am passionate about connecting with people through social media, and helping others to do the same. I have grown my own following relatively successfully over the past months, but in the end I never really set out to grow a following. My social media “strategy”, if you will, has been to connect with others with similar interests in hopes of education, interaction, sharing knowledge and experience, and, of course, increasing my exposure to potential clients. Every single one of these things is happening, and most far beyond my initial expectations. This leads me to believe that human engagement is not only vital to the success of a business or individual’s social media strategy, but the lack of it could prove to be fatal. At the very least, it is a major business fail.

At the end of a trail of links and blog posts and sales pitches and ecommerce checkout pages, if there is not some element of human contact, will you make the purchase for which the business has invested in social media? Or would you even consider visiting their site without first at least chatting with a representative via phone, Twitter or Facebook or wherever you found them and getting some kind of connection with a genuinely passionate person that helps you feel like more than a targeted demographic?

I would love to hear your thoughts…

The idea here is that there are countless avatars and websites and icons and blogs. But every single one of them has a person or people behind them. Get to know the person a little bit and you will be all the more interested and invested in what they have to say and share.

I have been following David Yarde (@dsmy) on Twitter for a little while now and recently started subscribing to HowsYourBlog.com so I could take in his thoughts and insights about writing, blogging and more. David is a self-professed “design junkie” who seems to have a lot of things going on and new ideas springing up all the time. He and his wife Angel (@missneela) run Sevenality, a web and graphic design studio located in the Kissimmee, Florida area. David’s an interesting, friendly guy who I thought would be fun to get to know a little better, so I invited him to be a part of this series so we all could meet the man behind the avatar.

"I'm the coolest Jamaican designer you'll ever meet!"

David got started on the path to becoming a designer at a young age, “during the Windows 3.1 era.”

“I would make things out of construction paper or spend hours in the arts and crafts section of whatever store I went into, so from that time onward I took every class in school I could related to design and psychology.”

David spends a lot of time coming up with new concepts and ideas, some of which get implemented and others that never leave the drawing board. He started HowsYourBlog.com with the intention of making it “one of the great pillars of information and relaxation for freelancers in the fields of design, writing, and web development.” I personally like that he shoots for not just providing information, but also relaxation. Freelancers tend to forget how much we need that.

Another project he is currently working on is called Wired Thinking, “an online magazine for young people to help them deal with issues they face today.” The site is currently under construction but will be live soon.

I asked David to share some of the things he is passionate about. He responded:

“Blogging, photography, nature and oddly enough cats. I actually have a weak spot for kittens…and oddly enough I don’t own one! Yet. Outside of work I love to just sit back and relax with my wife or head into the kitchen and cook something gourmet. I’ve been told that I’m a pretty good cook. I also love meeting new people, trying new things and most of all helping others.”

When talking about his use of social media, David says:

“I swore that I would never use Twitter until one day I got curious and signed up and now you can say I’m addicted. I’ve gained tons of resources and also given away quite the lot of resources there as well. If you’re not on Twitter then you’re missing out. I’m also on Facebook but mainly to keep in touch with friends and family.”

Be sure to check out David and his wife Angel on Twitter, on HowsYourBlog, at Sevenality, and be watching for Wired Thinking along with what is sure to be many more intriguing and interesting ideas to come. Take some time to interact with and get to know them and I’m sure you will be glad you did.

If you are interested in being interviewed as a part of this series, please let me know in the comments, or send me an email. If you have any questions or comments for David, leave a comment below or visit him at one of his websites listed above. Finally, if you are not already, would you consider subscribing to this blog so you don’t miss any future updates? You can either subscribe to the RSS feed in the reader of your choice or you can receive the blog updates along with my Delicious bookmarks in your email inbox by filling out the simple little form at the top right of the page.

First there were 24 Designers You’ve Never Seen On A List Before. Then there were 43 Twitter Backgrounds You’ve Never Seen On A List Before. Then more designers responded to the call and I published 27 More Designers You’ve Never Seen On A List Before. The response continued to be encouraging, and others wanted to get in on the action. So I decided to make it a regular feature of this blog. I have posted a standing invitation for you to submit yourself and/or to nominate other designers – just leave a comment with your info HERE. The only requirement is that you have never been on one of these lists before.

So here today I give you 15 more designers that, until now, you’ve never seen on a list before. Check out their websites. Follow them on Twitter. Connect with them on their other social networks. And let’s continue to encourage the growth of the design community.

If you have any questions or would like to submit yourself or someone else for a future post, leave a comment or email me. If you are not already, would you consider subscribing to this blog so you don’t miss any future updates? You can either subscribe to the RSS feed in the reader of your choice or you can receive the blog updates along with my Delicious bookmarks in your email inbox by filling out the simple little form at the top right of the page.

Those of you who follow me on Twitter or Facebook are presumably aware of the seemingly endless stream of quality resource links I provide (an average of around 150 per day). I have developed a few methods to incorporate my own online reading, research and education into my social media management routine to make it one that invites and enables others to discover valuable links on a variety of topics. I share my interests in social media, technology, web and graphic design, web development, freelancing, and art. Without even really trying I have created my own “niche” with widespread reach, thanks to my own personal needs and interests being simultaneously broad yet specific. I have learned to intermingle the spewing of links with real interaction and engagement amongst those that I follow and those that are following me in a way that really fits my lifestyle and provides reciprocal value that is priceless for me. This combination has literally changed my life both professionally and personally in ways that I consider significant improvements. I have explained in previous posts the impact this has had on my site visitor traffic, increase in clients, and my own personal education, so I won’t go into that here. But I do want to share with those that are interested some of the key transferable principles and tools that I have learned to use so far in my foray into social media.

I realize not everyone wants or needs to become a link-spewing maniac, nor do we need a plethora of people who are flooding social networks with many of the same resource links over and over. But I believe there are some simple steps anyone can take, regardless of your “niche” or interests, to find some ways to provide unique and valuable resources to your followers with little or no adjustment to your own daily routine. Let’s face it, Twitter and Facebook (and others) are very seldom used to answer their questions, “What Are You Doing?” or “What’s On Your Mind?” They have become vital information networks. So why not give your followers and friends more than what you’re having for dinner, or trying desperately to drive them to your latest blog post, or hanging out and talking about whatever is going on? There is nothing wrong with these things, but I have learned that my personal interaction is enriched by the sharing of my own online discoveries, which then connects me with others who also have some similar interests.

Whether you share 5 or 500 links a day, here are some basic tools I use and approaches I take that you may find helpful. These methods can work with any type of topic or interest, so don’t worry if you’re not into design, social media or whatever. Just apply them to whatever you are about and they will work just fine! I realize that there are numerous other ways to accomplish these things, so please feel free to share your own tips and routines or any questions in the comments so we all can learn from each other.

THE APPROACH I USE

Of course I have to bring my idealistic mindset into the social media fray. I don’t start much of anything without unleashing my analytical thinking and asking some basic questions. Why am I doing this? What do I hope to accomplish? What am I willing and unwilling to sacrifice to achieve success? What are my time restraints? How can this best contribute to the pursuit of my life goals?

I would strongly suggest that you ask yourself these questions (and any others you may have) before you dive in. It is very easy to open the floodgates and let social media swallow you whole, taking over your life, your schedule, your thoughts – everything. So before you let that happen, take stock and determine the best possible way to make minor adjustments to your existing schedule and/or routines. For instance, I was already using a RSS Feed Reader to keep up with my favorite websites, blogs, news and more, checking it primarily in the morning but at times throughout the day during breaks so I could stay on top of the latest happenings. In order to incorporate this into my social media usage I just spend a little more time reading a bunch more feeds and always keep an eye out for those articles and posts that I think will be of the most interest to my followers. I’ll share more about this process in a minute, but you get the idea. Make adjustments as often as possible, only making complete changes when you establish that it’s absolutely necessary.

Here are some other philosophical approaches I have for sharing links in social media:

»  When sharing links, think of their appeal, uniqueness, value and how others might find them useful even if they aren’t that meaningful for you. Your experience or knowledge may deem that tutorial unnecessary, but for the beginner it could be a gold mine!

»  Do your best not to flood everyone else with your links. Spread them out so people have time to discover them and are not annoyed by only seeing your avatar in their stream. (I push this a bit, often spewing a link every 5-7 minutes. But for my situation that’s what works. Find what works for you and your followers.)

»  Determine beforehand the type of ‘crowd’ you will attract with the links you share, then do your best to remain consistent. If you become a primary resource for a specific “niche” your consistency will become a part of your value.

»  Manage your time. Yes, it will take extra time to be a link-spewer, but it really shouldn’t become your primary focus in life. Set a schedule if you need to, or even use time-tracking software to keep yourself in check.

»  Do your best to share only the most recent resources, posts, etc and try to avoid duplicating what others have already shared, at least without crediting them somehow. Don’t share blog posts from last week that have already had 2,000 views and clicks.

»  Remember that social media is supposed to be social. Don’t spew links and then walk away. Don’t use scheduling software to book your day of updates and then walk away. It is not a platform for your agenda. It is an amazing way to connect with people from all over the world who have the potential to enrich your life in countless ways. Let your links be a way for others to connect and engage with you based on common interests. They can’t converse with you if you’re only spewing and not listening. Ever tried to have a conversation where only one person does all the talking?

These are my own thoughts and guidelines. They may also work for you or you may disagree. I don’t ever profess to be an expert, so please feel free to make your own guidelines. Determine your own philosophies. But whatever you do, make sure you have a plan.

3 TOOLS I USE

Google Reader – My Morning (Afternoon and Evening) Newspaper

Every morning I get up before anyone else in my house, feed the cat, start the water boiling for coffee, and then sit down at the computer. I check and answer my email, then I check my RSS feeds. For many of you using RSS feeds may seem foreign, and this is neither the time or place to go into the countless feed readers that are available. I simply use Google Reader. I use a lot of Google’s tools, and it’s simplified because I already have an account so the setup is quick and intuitive.

I subscribe to over 300 feeds. Most have been acquired by visiting different design blogs and subscribing to them. A few are Google news search feeds I have set up. Every morning there are anywhere from 50-200 new items in my reader.

This is my modern day morning newspaper.

It has been a part of my routine for awhile. But now, in order to share valuable resources throughout the day:

»  I don’t hesitate to add a blog or website’s feed to my reader while visiting, knowing that they may provide quality links in the future.

»  I leave the Reader window open always. It refreshes itself and I am constantly aware of any new items.

»  I keep an eye out for anything and everything that my followers might find useful, even when it may not be for me.

»  I skim most articles, determining if they are worth sharing. If I think I will want to look at them more in depth, I save them to my Delicious bookmarks and read them later.

»  I check in more often. Usually every 3 hours or so.

Bit.ly – My URL Shortener of Choice

I have a bit.ly account primarily to see how many clicks I get on my blog post links. But the tools are remarkable. Real-time analytics on every link as well as related aggregate links. I won’t go in-depth into using bit.ly, but it’s pretty simple to sign up and set up your account. Once you have an account, you can use your API key to connect it to your Twitter app of choice. I use Tweetdeck and occasionally Seesmic desktop, both of which I have connected to my bit.ly account. This means I get analytics on every single link I share!

bit.ly Browser Sidebar Bookmarklet

The other bit.ly tool that has become irreplaceable for me is the bit.ly Browser Sidebar Bookmarklet. You simply drag and drop this little button to your browser toolbar and now whenever you’re on a website you just click the bookmarklet button and it opens a little sidebar that gives you not only a bit.ly link you can copy and paste, but you can also post to Twitter and Facebook directly! The sidebar also shows you how many times other bit.ly links to the same website have been clicked. This is helpful to see how much traffic it has already received and lets me know if I am one of the first to share it.

bit.ly sidebar up close

In other words, you can click on a link in your feed reader, read the article, click on the bookmarklet, and then post a link to the page on Twitter and Facebook without ever leaving the site or the browser!

Last.fm + FoxyTunes – My Online Radio Station That Shares Easily

I am a musician and a HUGE music fan. I listen to almost anything (that takes at least a little bit of talent and has at least a dose of passion.) And I love to have music playing nonstop while I work.

So why not share some of my favorite songs, as I listen to them, with those that are following me on Twitter?

I have used Blip.fm and Pandora, but Last.fm works best for me. First, they seem to have the broadest mix of related artists. I love to hear artists and songs that I’ve never heard before, and Last.fm is really good at selecting artists and songs related to my choices. Second, Last.fm seems to be about finding and listening to good music more than anything else, which is a priority for me. Yes, you can make it a social network within itself, but if all you want is good tunes, it works great for just that. Third, Last.fm works with FoxyTunes, a Firefox extension that enables me to see the song and artist in the taskbar of my browser along with the ability to one-click post to Twitter what I’m listening to at the moment. FoxyTunes works with just about any music player, including iTunes, so you can listen to and share whatever you want!

FoxyTunes in the taskbar

Keep in mind that most people don’t want to see what you’re listening to every 3.5 minutes. I avoid using the autopost feature and just try to only share my most favorite songs when they come on. Unfortunately, I have been guilty of posting a multitude of songs in a row while tweeting nothing else. I would advise against this, as I have received complaints in the past. Do your best to show some restraint and keep from flooding Twitter with your own personal DJ. At the same time, I have had people follow and/or interact with me often based on the song I was listening to and shared at the time. So there are definite benefits to inviting your friends and followers into your listening experience. It gives them another way to connect with you and to know a little bit more about you.

CONCLUSION

So now you have some insight into how this maniac goes about “spewing” links throughout the day. If you take nothing else away from this I hope you would at the very least remember to keep from radically changing your life to become a link-spewing maniac. Instead, I challenge you to find ways to make minor adjustments that enable you to become a valuable resource and information provider in social media. The more we share knowledge and resources with each other, the more we all will grow.

If you have any questions or comment, leave a comment or email me. If you are not already, would you consider subscribing to this blog so you don’t miss any future updates? You can either subscribe to the RSS feed in the reader of your choice or you can receive the blog updates along with my Delicious bookmarks in your email inbox by filling out the simple little form at the top right of the page.

I’ve been a subscriber to the CMD+Shift Design Blog for a few months now. I enjoy taking in the author’s writing style and I’ve found quite a few useful tips for freelancing and web design. I also recently started following @cmdshiftdesign on Twitter and have discovered much of the same value. So today I want to introduce you to Liz Andrade, the gifted, humorous, creative and design-community advocate behind CMD+Shift Design.

Liz Andrade of CMD+Shift Design

Liz lives in Seattle, WA, where she runs her one-woman web studio (CMD+Shift Design). She started art school as a Fine Artist but eventually succumbed to her closet computer nerdom and began a double-major in Graphic design. She has a post on her blog that covers this in more detail: Getting to Know Me, Part 1: How Did I Become A Designer?

After college, Liz worked for a Seattle company that designs and sells luxury presentation materials. She did sales and marketing for this company for a couple years before moving onto a staff design position at a small boutique firm where she worked in print and web design.

“It is with my experience in direct customer relations doing sales that I cut my teeth and learned valuable lessons that I would later be able to translate to project management in my senior design position and later as a business owner!”

Liz and Eric (her partner in crime of 8 years now) meeting Wil Wheaton at Emerald City Comic Con

I asked Liz to share some things she is passionate about. She said first and foremost are her family and friends, followed by the internet, web design, computers, web standards, code, pixels, problem-solving, listening to her clients, growing businesses through smart web solutions, learning, sharing knowledge, and community. She adds:

“I have strong opinions of music and movies and what I like and what I don’t like in both of them. You could call my a “snob”, and that wouldn’t be completely inaccurate.”

When I asked Liz why she is on Twitter and other social networks, she replied:

“I’m an internet nerd. I love any excuse to use the web, I like trying out new services and apps – it’s just fun! I like Twitter to stay in touch with the online design community, it makes things so easy. I have met a lot of great designers and developers simply through interaction on Twitter. The people who I enjoy the most on Twitter send out a good balance of helpful design-oriented information and more personal stuff that gives you glimpse into who they are outside of being a designer. I try to keep that balance with my own Twitter stream!”

Liz and Chewbacca

One of my favorite features on her CMD+Shift Design Blog is “Ask A Freelancer”, in which she fields questions about freelancing and shares her insights and experience. Her laid back, often humorous writing style is right up my alley, and I am sure you will enjoy getting to know her through her blog and various social network connections as much as I am. You can find all her social network links at http://lizandrade.com and of course you must check out CMD+Shift Design if you haven’t already. Take some time and get to know Liz Andrade, the person behind the avatar, and I’m certain you will enjoy exploring her websites and writings all the more!

If you are interested in being interviewed as a part of this series, please let me know in the comments, or send me an email. If you have any questions or comments for Liz, leave a comment below or visit her at CMD+Shift Design. Finally, if you are not already, would you consider subscribing to this blog so you don’t miss any future updates? You can either subscribe to the RSS feed in the reader of your choice or you can receive the blog updates along with my Delicious bookmarks in your email inbox by filling out the simple little form at the top right of the page.