Originality

What's in a name? A lot. What's in someone else's name? Certainly not you.

People - family, friends, colleagues, and taking it a step further; fans, followers, and other audiences want to engage with you, not a semblance of you, or you parroting someone else.

Your thoughts, your beliefs, your faith, your dreams, your musings, and your opinions - that's what we are hoping to engage and learn. Worried that someone's not interested or that you're uninteresting? Lies, all lies. There's always someone that is ready and willing to celebrate your uniqueness with you.

Whether you're speaking, blogging, tweeting, writing, conversing, posting - whatever the communication form may be, punctuate it with you.

Be yourself, you are much more interesting that way.

Weekender

Note: I am starting a new tips series called "Socially Speaking" and it will appear on -you guessed it- weekends.

Socially Speaking for 8.20.11:

Transparency lends itself to credibility.

If you mess up, admit it. If you don't know the answer to a question, admit it. If you're inexperienced, admit it. If you're willing to admit that you're not perfect, a work-in-progress, or open to suggestion, your audience is more likely to take you more seriously. You build your credibility and trustworthiness. The quickest way to lose credibility? Lie or attempt a cover up.

Be honest, be real, be transparent.

Social Media: Rules of Engagement

Every social media professional will guarantee you that their "rules of engagement" are the best. If you boil it down to the nuts and bolts all prescribed rules are basically the same repackaged core principles. I've combed the web and assembled my favorites.

1. Be Transparent. Your honesty (or dishonesty) will be picked up right away in social media communities. (src: www.marketlikeachick.com)
2. Embody the attributes you wish to portray and instill – operate by a code of conduct. (src: www.briansolis.com)
3. Listen before you talk. (src: www.usemyhead.com)
4. Stay relevant. (src: Charlene Li, author of Groundswell)
5. Keep the conversation going. (src: www.britopian.com)
6. There's not much, if any room, for automation in social media. (src: blog.webdistortian.com)
7. If somebody goes out of their way for you in social media make sure you reciprocate the gesture. (src: www.kunocreative.com)
8. Travel with your networks. Go virtually with your friends, followers, subscribers, etc on their adventures...take part in their lives via social networking. (src: me. I like to "do life" with the people I engage with.)
   
9. Be cautious. Protect yourself and your privacy. (src: www.talentzoo.com)
   
10. Always, without hesitation, say thank you. Show gratitude even in the simplest of scenarios. It goes a LONG way. (src: common sense)

Pack light, virtual travel doesn't require a lot of baggage.
Did I miss anything you think should have been included?

Tweet, Retweet & Repeat?

New to Twitter? A seasoned tweeter? It doesn't matter. Before you get started or if you're already thousands of tweets old; learn the rules of engagement.

• It's not all about you and/or your business.
  
• If you wouldn't say what you're about to tweet to someone's face, best to leave it untweeted.
• Someone's content is really interesting? Retweet it!
• You like a tweet and wish it was yours? Don't steal it, give attribution.
• 50 tweets in five minutes? Not necessarily a good idea.
• Auto-tweets all day, every day? Go away.
  
• You're a buzz kill? Hey that's fine, but keep it to yourself.
• If people retweet your content or say something nice to you, it doesn't hurt to say 'thanks.'
• Would you kiss your momma with that mouth? If your tweet is more than 75% expletives, maybe reconsider how you're phrasing what's on your mind.
• If your tweet has anything to do with your bathroom habits; don't share it.
  

What does this all boil down to? The Golden Rule. Tweet others as you want to be tweeted. Try universally applying these thoughts to all social networking. Heck, apply 'em to life in general!