Iggy Pintado - Connect Thoughts

Connecting Social Communities FTW - Personal Case Study and 10 Tips

2012-01-26T21:56:00.001+11:00

In December last year, my daughter Rachel asked for my help to win a Bride of the Year Facebook contest that required entrants to have their particular picture LIKED on the contest page. As a connector who often gets asked what possible benefit there is in having so many Facebook friends (currently 4,500), Twitter followers (currently 36,000) and Linkedin connections (currently 26,000), I took on the challenge to apply my marketing experience to prove that if utilised effectively, you can derive a benefit from connecting a social community - for the win (FTW).

As you can see from the picture, Rachel won the contest. Her winning picture generated 1,657 likes, taking out the grand prize of an all expenses paid trip to Australia's Hamilton Island for two. She won as a result of a carefully managed marketing campaign that connected individuals in various social communities to take an action that resulted in her win. This isn't the story of the campaign - a good cook doesn't reveal his full recipe. It does provide some tips as to how to connect social communities to achieve a desired result which I hope you find useful!

1. Understand the RULES and OUTCOMES.

The contest rules as defined by MMG Photo + Cinema were very clear: Eligible brides were asked to post a photo on their Facebook contest page. Whoever got more recorded "likes" than all other entrants legitimately by midnight 31st December 2011 would be the winner. The marketing challenge was to get more likes on Rachel's picture than all other 45+ competitive contestant brides in 4 short weeks in December, ensuring her picture was in a winning position a few hours before the contest close time.

The RULES were very clear. The OUTCOME was simple: She had to win.

2. Consult the PRACTITIONERS (People in the KNOW, not necessarily the "experts)

As much as you think you might know about social media and communities (myself included), I asked for the advice of some the smartest people who plan, play and experiment in social media. I'm not talking about the people who talk the theory. I'm referring to the people who practice what they preach - daily. I got some great advice and support from Mahei Foliaki, Michael Todd, Keith Keller and Annalisa Holmes. These folks are in the social game every day and provided reality checks that I was grateful to be able to cash.

3. Marshall your COMMUNITY.

The people who want to assist you directly are usually those close to you - family and good friends - so start compiling that list first. Next are people you relate to regularly - work colleagues and good acquaintances - they may not 'know' you well but they may be willing to take an easy action such as liking a Facebook photo due to your connection. Thirdly, there are interest groups who you have some connection with - school, church, university, clubs, etc - again, if the request is simple and easy, they're likely to support.

Finally, always apply network theory by asking every simple person to SHARE the request with their own connections at the same time you ask them to take an action. If the action is simple, they'll be more willing to ask their friends to maximise the reach of the request.

4. Make task easy - LIKE in 2 clicks

The easier the better. The request sent to various individuals and groups was to LIKE Rachel's posted competition picture. The first step was to click on a link to the photo and once there, to click LIKE on her photo - easy as. To make it easier, the request was usually done on Facebook, the platform they were already on. I found it harder to post as links on other social platforms like Twitter, Google+ and Linkedin as they had to switch what they were doing. However, it didn't stop us posting there too!

5. Ask nicely ... and personally.

I sent a direct Facebook message to many of my Facebook connections as did Rachel. I messaged around 20 connections at a time and sometimes a few more, using their first names in every case. I preferred Facebook messages as it was more personal and direct. Those who chose to opt-out by leaving the message conversation made it easier to send follow-ups to later and prevent potential accusations of spamming. The message was simple and included a direct link:

I hope this short message finds you well. I need a small favour. My beautiful daughter Rachel is getting married next year. She is in a Facebook contest to win a holiday on Australia's Hamilton island for her honeymoon in a contest that ends on 31st December 2011. Can I please ask for your support to "LIKE" her photo via the link below and SHARE WITH YOUR FRIENDS. She promises to post photos of her trip if she wins! http://t.co/eeXivJxf Cheers and happy holidays, Iggy Pintado

I was ably supported by the communities of supporters like Tessa Gutierez, Mark Simmering and 124 others who shared my message as a Facebook post.

6. Monitor performance along the way.

I monitored Rachel's progress daily from day one and hourly in the last 24 hours. When the LIKE rate started to slow down, I would send a mix of follow-up messages and interest group posts to get it moving again. As the contest was open to people in other countries, I sent messages to connections in their time zones to maximise their views of the messages. Also, it was important to avoid holiday dates like Christmas and Boxing Day as there was minimal social activity during these times.

In doing so, Rachel jumped from 31st place in the first week of the contest to 9th place by the start of the third week. She was in the top 5 with a week to go and hit the lead two days before the contest end time.

7. Get ready for plot twists.

The contest organisers were also clear that they could change the rules along the way. With two weeks to go, they culled the number of contestants to the top 10. In another twist, they allowed 35+ brides who didn't make the final cut to allocate their LIKES to anyone in the top 10. Fortunately, Rachel was always pleasant and friendly with all the contestants throughout. It helped that she LIKED all the other contestants pictures and added them as friends on Facebook prior to their elimination. The plan now called for a closer monitoring of LIKE allocations by the other contestants and the real possibility of having to get more LIKES than planned.

8. Keep an eye on the competition (but don't let it obsess you)

Due to the plot twist, closer monitoring of the final 10 competitors was required. In week three, I started a simple spreadsheet recording LIKES every few hours by finalists PLUS allocations from the other 35+ brides. By tracking performance, you could assess what tactics they were using via comments left on their posts.

9. Stay awake until the very end.

The contest deadline was midnight on 31st December 2011, New Years Eve. Although there was little one could do if there were any massive LIKES or LIKE allocations made in the last few hours, there were some tactics planned as contingencies just in case. It's a little like watching final bidding on an eBay item - you must watch until the very end.

10. Say THANK YOU.

The day after she won the contest (New Years Day), I personally messaged all the people I knew who LIKED her photo. I posted my thanks on all my social platforms to maximise the message. I re-posted her thank you picture at the top of this post. So many people were grateful for the thanks and delighted by the part they played in being part of the success.

So again, I'd like to thank EVERY ONE of the 1,657 people who took the time to be part of Rachel's success and for validating that you can connect social communities for benefit.

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Follow My Lead - Guest Post by Carol Quinn

2012-01-10T06:51:00.001+11:00

I met Carol Quinn on Twitter two years ago. She is a cross-platform strategic planner and author of the book

Follow My Lead .
She is the former SVP of Marketing/Creative Director for entertainment advertising agency Air Creative Group and co-founder of Angel Entertainment, a new media group involved in content creation for television, gaming, and publishing. As an advertising executive and creative director, Carol created television, radio, print and online campaigns for CBS Television, Paramount Television, Warner Bros. Online, Radio Disney, Disney Channel and has worked with numerous new media digital startups. She graciously agreed to guest blog about what she's learned about leadership here.

You’d think that by the title of my book, I know something about leadership. But if you read it, you’ll quickly see that the story is a process of becoming a leader—not of my dogs or in my professional life or even in my family - but of myself.

To become my own leader, I first had to fully understand who I was, and what I was capable of. This may seem like an easy task, but in my case, I’d spent a good deal of my personal life trying hard to fit in with situations or relationships that didn’t dovetail with my nature. Like assigning an artistic task to a computer scientist or a job that requires fine motor skills to a guy who wields a sledgehammer for a living, I consistently placed myself in conflict. Why? The simple answer is, I like a challenge. The more complex answer has to do with my personal beliefs about perfecting myself, striving to be better, kinder, wiser, and more creative. My theory was that conflict created the right condition for me to grow stronger.

It turns out, I was very wrong about this theory of mine. As I trained my two Rhodesian Ridgebacks in dog agility, it was immediately apparent to me that dogs succeed in tasks when they are happy, and rewarded—and when the tasks suit their nature and physical capabilities. As my trainer once said, “You can’t ask a small dog with short legs to take a high jump. He’ll just get frustrated.”

And you can’t ask a hot-headed, emotional person to behave analytically nor can you demand that a shy person become loud and bubbly. We are who we are.
Understanding my own limitations was liberating; I finally let go of an unhappy love relationship, and discovered a new appreciation of my leadership skills, and an ability to find - and embrace - happiness. It sounds simple, but believe me, it wasn’t.

If you’d like to read the book hardcopy or via Kindle, you can order it on Amazon ... and here’s the video/trailer on YouTube for those of you who are more visual :)

And one last burning question: Have any of you struggled with facing the facts about your own nature and talents? Leave a comment below.

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Tweet-Ups live on at #NewcastleCoffee Mornings

2012-01-05T08:49:00.001+11:00

I attended my last tweet-up coffee morning in late 2010 because frankly, I thought no one attended them anymore.
Tweet-ups or coffee mornings are face-to- face social gatherings of people on twitter usually within a close geographical area so they can meet each other in person. When I found out that the coffee mornings in the city of Newcastle, Australia were still on I decided to test my view that these gatherings had become "tweet-beens" (couldn't resist). Although I live a good two hours by car, I decided to make the drive on the morning of Christmas Eve 2011 to the Coffee on Crown venue.
I arrived at 730am and met Gordon Whitehead and Brendan Brooks to start. Then the others arrived, including local twitter legends Craig "Mediahunter" Wilson and Lindy Asimus. I also met some new tweeps that I hadn't connected with before. As more people rolled in, one of the attendees brought out a guitar, and there was music amongst the chatting and revelry. The short video captures 30 seconds of what went on for the 90 minutes I was there.

So why are Newcastle Coffee mornings still functional where others have failed? Three insights I got in the short time I was there:

1. Value - people attend because they get value from chatting, sharing and catching up with others in the community with no agendas.
2. Commitment - they agree to meet before work (730am) on a Friday. They have a community of around 50 people and a core of 10 who commit to attend regularly.

3. Communal Interest - they are a community that are genuinely interested in social media, business and the group.
I'd like to thank the Newcastle Coffee crew for their hospitality. If you happen to be near Newcastle on a Friday morning, check out the hashtag #newcastlecoffee on twitter for details.

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Meet "United Breaks Guitars" legend Dave Caroll on #RealTweeple

2011-08-30T06:55:00.001+10:00

I had the distinct pleasure of meeting social innovator and musician Dave Carroll at an IT industry event in Melbourne recently. Dave's claim to fame - apart from being a great musician - is for a famous incident in 2009 involving United Airlines and his Guitar. I took a photo with him and he graciously decided to appear on my Realtweeple series, a set of 30 second videos on my ConnectGen Youtube channel introducing Twitter people I've met in person to my network.
In summary, the story is that United Airlines breaks his guitar on a routine flight, he gets zero customer service attention, he counters by recording and posting a protest song on Youtube called "United Breaks Guitars", gets over 10 million views and estimates say that United's share price dropped and lost millions in revenue as a result of the adverse publicity.
Hearing him tell the story LIVE was very impactful. It's a reminder to all businesses that a single voice in an increasingly connected world can make a difference. For me, it was a compelling reminder to LISTEN intently online and be PREPARED to respond appropriately.
How are you listening and preparing online? Comments appreciated.
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Au Revoir to One of My Favourite #RealTweeple - Kristin Rohan

2011-07-16T13:49:00.001+10:00

Fond farewell to Kristin Rohan who departs for California this week. She leaves us from her stay in Sydney with some great chats, times and insights.
As I've said before, if people are like flowers, it was a pleasure walking in her garden, even for a short while.
We will stay connected thanks to the social web but for now - au revoir, Kristin and all the very best to you and family!

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Connecting the Past through Giving - Sharpe's Children Foundation

2011-07-03T23:34:00.002+10:00

I asked my friend, Lorna McKenzie, who among other interests is the @VintageTailor on Twitter to guest post on my blog about The Sharpe's Children Foundation and the Sharpe's Australia March.
What's The Sharpe's Children Foundation all about?
We are a group of Australian historical Napoleonic and British reenactors who are trying to make a difference. While filming the Sharpe TV series over a seventeen year time span at various locations in Portugal, Ukraine, Crimea, Turkey and India, the actors of Sharpe witnessed many atrocities against children. Actors witnessed little children living in the gutters of Jaipur and Jodpur in Rajasthan and on the streets of Khajuraho in the state of Madhya Pradesh, living in the most horrific circumstances. The impact of this human devastation resulted in the actor's establishing The Sharpe’s Children Foundation.
What's Sharpe's Australia March then?
Sharpe's March Australia is a three-day walk to raise money for The Sharpe's Children Foundation, UK. We will march in full Regency dress through the back hills of Canberra over the 15-17 July. We need your donations, our goal is to raise a A$1000, and we hope that you will help us achieve that and more! You can donate to the Sharpe's March Australia, through JustGiving http://www.justgiving.com/Lorna-McKenzie. This is a UK donation site for authorised UK charities and all your money will go directly to the charity with no middleman intervening and skimming any of it.
So please dig deep because your money will ensure a better future for kids and young people in the third world. You can contact us for more information through Sharpe's March Australia Facebook Event page https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=131926643550443 or via Twitter.

Lorna McKenzie
@VintageTailor
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Remember Comic Books? They're Back on Cloud 9

2011-05-24T08:36:00.003+10:00

I met Praz Hari and Ben Slabak recently who told me about their dream of reviving comic books. They graciously accepted my invitation to guest post on my blog. Here's their story:

We all love comic books. From the Marvel giants to DC superheroes. But comic books have now gone beyond just superheroes and have really become a gateway for mainstream pop-culture, cinema and entertainment. Like all industries, the comic book industry too is going through an evolution with the digital boom.

However, not many people in Australia or globally for that matter - are aware that Australia has it's own first Digital Comic Book publisher for the iPad, iPad 2, Android, and Kindle...Cloud 9 Comix (watch out Marvel).

So who are Cloud 9 Comix?

Cloud 9 Comix is the digital publishing arm of Spectrum Pacific Publishing, founded by Ben Slabak in 1996. Spectrum Pacific was originally a computer games development/publishing company. They first entered the comic book publishing in 2002 with Italian Fumetti titles and the digital publishing in 2010 starting with the iPad (and yes the app is free to download).

There are over 170 titles from all 6 continents, including from Australia, US, England, Germany, Spain, Switzerland, Croatia, Italy, France, Norway, Argentina, Colombia and others.

The core focus for Cloud 9 is on new and unique titles, independent authors, and also some old classics. Cloud 9 believes in empowering the independent, creative entrepreneurial artists and studios globally. As well as of course creating some awesome comic book titles for kids and adults.

For all your iPad and comic book lovers, if you download the app and take a photo of yourself with one of the titles from Cloud 9 Comix and post it on the Cloud 9 Comix Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/Cloud9Comix) you could win 1 of 3 iTunes vouchers to buy more comics.

Ben Slabak and Praz Hari
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Cloud-9-Comix/104530882945783

"Mr. Presentations" Lee Featherby

2011-05-03T23:21:00.001+10:00

Recently, I had to give a presentation in seven locations around Australia to over 1,000 audience members in the finance industry. The subject was about the power of online networking using connection technologies such as social media, blogging and mobile devices. It had to be impactful enough to capture their attention, compelling enough to hold their interest for the duration of the speech and impressive enough for them to take some action afterwards. The action was to get the audience members to either consider - or in some cases, reconsider - using Linkedin as an online networking tool.

I hired Lee Featherby from PowerfulPoints to assist me in developing the presentation.

Apart from many positive comments from attendees afterwards, I achieved my goal of receiving over 300 invitations to connect with me on Linkedin from attendees.

It's no wonder they call him "Mr. Presentations".

You can connect to Lee via his PowerfulPoints business website, his Lee Featherby Linkedin profile and/or his twitter presence, @MrPresentations.

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#REELPEOPLE #23 - Nancy Lucich & Maryanne - Thalassaemia Society of NSW

2011-04-28T00:27:00.001+10:00

Recently, I was invited to attend an event in Sydney, Australia to raise awareness for rare diseases. I met some wonderful people including Nancy and Maryanne from the Thalassaemia Society of New South Wales (NSW)
What's Thalassaemia? Nancy explains it in the video.
If you're in Sydney on 6th May 2011, you can support International Thalassaemia Day Event at VIVO Cafe

You can also find out more about the Thalassaemia Society of NSW on their website.

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#REELPEOPLE #22 - Con Vithoulkas - April 2011

2011-04-10T13:17:00.002+10:00

I was introduced to Con Vithoulkas through his vivacious sister, Angela at the Vivo Cafe in Sydney. He goes about the daily business of running the cafe in partnership with Angela but is usually in the background of the action on the floor. When you get to speak to him, he's a great character and if you can get him on a break, always delivers a great conversation.
Con manages the day to day operations of Vivo Cafe. Although Con isn't on Facebook or Twitter (yet), you can find out more about him through Angela's tribute blog post, My Small Business Brother.
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Out of @theashes comes opportunity

2011-03-22T07:21:00.002+11:00

You don't need to be into the game of cricket to appreciate this connection story.
For more than 100 years, the English and Australian cricket teams have been battling each other for cricketing supremacy for a small trophy called the Ashes. When the recent series began, the person who owned the twitter name @theashes had no idea about the game or it's rich tradition. In this guest post, I'll let LJ LOCH tell the rest of the story:
I’m lucky enough to have had Connection Maestro Iggy ask me for a behind the scenes piece on @theashes. No, not the cricket game (although that played a big part) but the story of the 22 year old Massachusetts nanny, Ashley Kerekes who, thanks to an inadvertently clever twitter name, @theashes - and some strategic support - found herself in cricket – and twitter – heaven!

It started when Ashley became the unwitting recipient of thousands of tweets from cricket fans during the First Test. Off the back of her response of “I’m not a freaking cricket match”, Melbourne based journalist Marcus Westbury and writer Mike Stuchbery started an online conversation #gettheashestotheashes on twitter and that’s when we knew this was gold.

By working around the clock with the tweet centre at social media specialists www.onesmallplanet.com.au we knew we could, and would, create a real life, tangible example of the power of social media and of its interplay with traditional media. We contacted Ashley and worked with her to ensure she was making the most of the media and global interest, with each interview and tweet building her story, rather than just repeating it. We knew which corporates we wanted to target, so were conscious of making sure her tweets started to paint a picture which would justify their involvement. And, we knew we wanted to do what we could to achieve something positive. So, what started as a bit of fun, rapidly became a full-on campaign.

REPUBLIC does a lot of work in the travel and corporate sectors. We engaged with Qantas, Travelscene American Express and Vodafone to spark and sustain online dialogue around turning #gettheashestotheashes into a reality. The transition to #teachtheashestheashes sustained the dialogue, with some genuinely funny questions and answers between @theashes, cricket and non-cricket fans around the world.

The REPUBLIC team channelled the flurry of global media interest across Australia, the UK, the US, India and South Africa, co-ordinating live cross after live cross, managing to slot the interview requests into the very limited time slots Ashley had due to the time difference and the pressures of looking after two very lively young boys. Little by little, we allowed the story to evolve as @theashes bewilderment turned to understanding and then enthusiasm for cricket and for promoting a number of great causes including the McGrath Foundation.

During her Australian visit, she was the guest of one of Australia’s greatest cricketers, Steve Waugh, sitting between former captain and fellow legend Glenn McGrath, and behind actor Eric Bana, and cricket-mad former Prime Minister John Howard. On Day 3, she interviewed Prime Minister Julia Gillard in the middle of SCG, before attending the Jane McGrath High Tea. Steve Waugh gave her a personal tour of the SCG Museum, pointing out the fading kangaroo on his baggy green cap which was his personal countdown to the end of his career. From the English Barmy Army fans to backyard cricket to a pilgrimage to the International Cricket Hall of Fame in Bowral, @theashes was privileged enough to be granted access to a world most cricket fans can only dream of. We had @theashes showcase Sydney at its best from the harbour and Taronga Zoo, share her thoughts on food (including a Tim Tam slam and vegemite) and other Aussie customs.

The end result? @theashes twitter following climbed from a couple of hundred to 15,000 before settling back to 13,000, with a global reach in the hundreds of thousands. She may not be the big O but she’s an increasingly influential ambassador for cricket, and for Australia.

The campaign #gettheashestotheashes2013 is already underway, championed by high profile BBC Cricket commentator Jonathon Agnew and the Barmy Army.  Yes, it helped that she is an incredibly witty young woman, and that the story broke at the start of the so-called silly season for media. But there are also some very powerful lessons in the @theashes story on effectively embracing social media, particularly given the number of mainstream media active in the twittersphere.

We didn’t create @theashes but we did work with her to create an opportunity to promote cricket, travel, Australia, and the McGrath Foundation to a global audience.

To succeed, you need to share, you need to be real, and you need to engage as part of a genuine dialogue, no holds barred. Keep your tweets short enough to be retweeted, allowing your message to ripple across multiple conversations, and immerse yourself in the incredible resource of real-time online media.

LJ Loch (@ljLoch) is the co-founder of REPUBLIC Consulting (www.republic.net.au), one of Australia’s leading reputation management companies.
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#virtualhug and International Women's Day 2011

2011-03-06T11:43:00.003+11:00

I was recently invited to attend the #VIVOIWD function in Sydney for International Women's Day this Tuesday, 8th March. I figured that not only was I "wrongly configured" for such an event but more importantly, it was a celebration "for" women globally on their one day of the year.

I then received a message from @GayeCrispin informing me that it was also a celebration "of" women which makes sense. She requested suggestions on how we could promote participation in some way by mere men through social media so we too could share in the day. So I called my clever mates, @iconic88 and @Robin_Dickinson to brainstorm ideas.

We came up with something really simple - using the #virtualhug hashtag on Twitter.

The idea is that for International Women's Day, we would encourage all males - and females - to tweet out a 'virtual hug' as a tribute to the women in their lives - past.present.future. In this way, anyone, anywhere in the world can 'embrace' the role of the special women who have made a difference to them on this day.

On Twitter, simply add #virtualhug to your tweet with the names - or twitter handles - of the women who you want to pay tribute to on the occasion of International Women's Day 2011.

So, who would appreciate a #virtualhug from you? Feel free to leave a comment.
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I Still Call Australia Home

2011-01-24T22:59:00.001+11:00

You may have guessed from my name that my heritage is Spanish. Not many people know that I was actually born in the city of Manila in the Philippines, my grandmother has a Swiss background and our family are distant descendants of famous French author, Alexander Dumas (Three Musketeers, Man in the Iron Mask). Quite a cultural mix.
So where's home? Over the years of both work and holiday travel, I've been to 17 countries and visited almost 70 cities around our world. All these places have their own beauty, personality and style which I've always appreciated during each visit. On reflection, home to me is the place that not only has these qualities but where one has the greatest human, emotional and personal connection with.

I've lived in this beautiful country for almost 40 years, arriving here as a youngster with my parents and siblings. I met my beautiful wife, Kerry here (Melbourne girl), raised two wonderful children, Rachel and Andrew in Sydney, visited every major city and toured many towns. I've also met many people and friends face-to-face during that time. Despite our geographical remoteness, I've also made many local and global connections online through the power of today's technologies. However - and as corny as it may sound - as the song goes, "no matter how far or how wide I roam, I Still Call Australia Home".

On the occasion of Australia Day, 26th January 2011, I thought I'd share this fantastic version of the Peter Allen classic performed by the Outback singers matched with some iconic Australian images. Despite the song's commercialisation by our national airline, Qantas over the years, every time I hear it it reminds me of how privileged - and proud - I am to be an Australian.

Happy Australia Day!

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The Voice to Written Word Connection

2011-01-21T07:29:00.001+11:00

Recently, I was interviewed by Sky Business presenter, Peter Switzer for his TV program "Grow Your Business" about social media for business. A friend of mine called and said, "Great interview - I wish I took notes!". This prompted me to think about how easy it would be to transcribe the audio on the video to the written word.

So I sent a casual tweet to Annalisa Holmes - @transcribe on Twitter - who runs The Transcription People. I asked her if it was possible to transcribe a six minute interview into text, how long it would take and included the link. That's all.

Within 14 minutes and 35 seconds, I received an email with a word document attached documenting the entire interview conversation. The pricing was most reasonable for the quality and the turnaround time.

This is Annalisa's business and has been for over 10 years. She takes audio files of any size from large and small clients anywhere in the English-speaking world, transcribes them and returns them promptly. She is the "go to" person for top quality transcription services that need a quick turnaround.

If you need the proof, here's the video link of the interview. The text version starts now..

Skynews.com Grow Your Business – 15/01/2011 (Seg 3)

Interviewer: Peter Switzer

Interviewee: Iggy Pintado

Peter Switzer: According to technology expert Iggy Pintado connection determines our place in society and in business. But how can businesses truly connect to their customers to boost not only their profitability but to ensure customer loyalty. Iggy joins me now to reveal how business owners can get connected to ramp up their operations. Iggy thanks for joining us.

Iggy Pintado: Thanks Peter.

Peter Switzer: Now give us your background in all this stuff? How come you’re the cool guy; you’re not Gen-Y but you’re kind of in a Gen-Y space.

Iggy Pintado: Yeah it’s always fascinated me, this entire area of social media how it all started back in 1995 with Google first of all coming on board, and then the LinkedIn’s, and the Facebook's and the Twitters and the YouTube’s and as a marketer I just thought what a fantastic tool to actually use to generate more connection not only to information but to information to people to communities and groups and I just thought what a great way to actually do that both socially and also commercially.

Peter Switzer: So what’s the best social networking tool; Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn what is it?

Iggy Pintado: Well there isn’t one best one. It depends on what you want to get out of it. So if you want ‘socialise’, Facebook at the moment is currently the heavyweight. Half of Australia is on Facebook; people use it to update their status, to share photos, do all sorts of things socially but they’re starting to use it more commercially which is where the real opportunity is for businesses and if you’re a business to business then I think you need to be on LinkedIn. LinkedIn is very much a connection tool for senior professionals, business professionals who really want to connect at a more professional level.

Peter Switzer: Okay. What about Twitter?

Iggy Pintado: Twitter is one of those, that again, is a limited market but is growing at an exponential rate. In July 2008 there were 13,000 Australians on Twitter, there are now 1.5 million Australians on Twitter and it’s growing at an incredible rate.

Peter Switzer: I guess you’ve got to fish where the fish are?

Iggy Pintado: Absolutely. It’s all about target marketing and knowing exactly which segments in the market and who’s interested in your particular product sets that is of interest.

Peter Switzer: Tell us what we need to know about this world of communication and connection?

Iggy Pintado: Well I call them connection. First thing you’ve got to understand is that it’s about connection. We’ve got connection tools all over the place, traditionally the way we connect with people is we connect via phone, using mobile phones, everyone’s now got one in Australia and also our business cards.

Remember business cards are a way to introduce our brand; introduce ourselves to people in the real world. Social media is just a place where people introduce themselves online, in a virtual world. So I think of places like Facebook and LinkedIn and Twitter as places. They’re online places where people go and gather. Just like you’d go into a pub, go and introduce yourself.

Peter Switzer: It’s a marketing business, it’s a market.

Iggy Pintado: Absolutely. It is a market for goods and services and conversations and what’s happening now is that places like Twitter, the new news is that places like Twitter are less about what you had for breakfast and I’m walking my dog and I’m having a beer …

Peter Switzer: Or I’m twittering.

Iggy Pintado: … or I’m twittering and more about actual conversations that are about information, that are about sharing links and about telling people exactly what they want to talk about and have these very interesting conversations.

Peter Switzer: It’s funny you know we, in the areas like financial planning and insurance all those sorts of consults areas, you were always learned to say to a customer “If you like the service would you be happy to share it with your friends and family?” So this is what Facebook ultimately comes that if you have people enjoying a restaurant meal, a smart business owner might say “Well if you have really enjoyed your experience here, make sure you tell your friends on Facebook and Twitter”. It’s not subtle but that’s what you’d love them to do.

Iggy Pintado: And where’s the business opportunity in that? The business opportunity is in that lots and lots of those conversations are happening and you can actually search Twitter. I was presenting at a mortgage and finance planning workshop one time and I was thinking how can they use Twitter to actually monitor some of the conversations that are going on so I went to search the term “mortgage” on Twitter and you wouldn’t believe this but the first three items that came up where people saying “I’m interested in a new mortgage, can someone tell me a new company or a company that can help me with my mortgage”. Now that’s gold Peter. If you’re listening to that conversation and you’re the first one on there, you’re actually listening out for opportunities.

Peter Switzer: How do we tool ourselves up so we’re not … you’ve only scratched the surface at the moment isn’t it? We haven’t missed the bus or the super-information-highway on this one have we? But what do we have to do to get really in the front seat?

Iggy Pintado: Yeah, I think you’ve got to start now. The key is to actually get going because you look at a lot of sites that are out there, a lot of commercial web sites and on the side you’ll see “Follow us on Twitter” or “Join our Facebook group”.

Peter Switzer: Switzer twitters.

Iggy Pintado: Switzer even twitters, there you are.

Peter Switzer: It’s the greatest name for Twitter isn’t? Switzer twitter.

Iggy Pintado: It’s very good, it’s very good. But I guess the first thing you’ve got to do is actually get started and understand what you want to do and I’ve got a strategy in terms of what you should be doing which I call the four P’s; purpose, profile, participation and persistence. The first is purpose; you’ve got to really understand why you’re doing it. Don’t just go on there cause everyone else is. Understand what you want to get out of it and how it’s going to work.

The next is profile. You can’t just put up a profile and run away. It’s got to be the way you want to reflect yourself and your brand.

Next is participation. You can’t just put something up and then walk away and not engage. This is a conversation tool. You’ve got to participate in the discussion, talk to people, answer questions, poke people if you’re on Facebook, do various things to show that you are participating.

And the final one’s persistence. Don’t give up after three months cause if it’s not working for you, you’re probably just starting off and you know you’ve got to keep persisting to actually derive some value out of it.

Peter Switzer: Well Iggy thanks for joining us on the program and thanks for showing us the sort of things that we need to know in this modern world.

Iggy Pintado: Not a problem; cheers mate.

Peter Switzer: That’s the show for this week. For more Grow Your Business or to watch the show again go to skynewsbusiness.com.au and select the programs tab. For details on Grow Your Business Magazine check out switzer.com.au. I’ll see you next week and remember, if nothing changes, nothing changes.

End of Interview.

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Who's Coaching the Middle Manager?

2010-12-21T11:09:00.001+11:00

Who’s Coaching the Middle Manager?

Guest blog post by Sally Foley-Lewis, www.sallyfoleylewis.com

The connection guru, Iggy Pintado, and I were recently discussing workplace coaching and he put a great question to me, ‘Who’s really coaching the middle manager?’ At first glance of the question, it might seem quite obvious or even rhetorical: the senior managers, executives and C-suites are coaching the middle managers! Aren’t they?

Those who do

I am confident there are senior managers, executives and C-suites out there who are truly engaged with their middle managers by providing quality thought provoking and insight creating coaching moments. I very respectfully tip my hat to you and encourage you by saying, from someone who was once stuck ‘in the middle’ without quality support, thank you and please keep going!

Those who think they do

Now let’s turn our focus to the senior managers, executives and C-suites who think they are coaching. Do you feel as though I just put a target on your back? That is not my intention, I want you to step back from your current thinking and processes and have a moment to ponder what you really do.

All I ask is that you sit with some questions, think them through as you allow the answers to emerge:

§ When you are with your middle managers, who speaks the most?

§ What sort of questions do you ask, are they open or closed, do they inspire solution and vision-driven answers?

§ Do you wait for an answer?

§ When a middle manager comes into your space seeking a solution to a problem, do you just give the answer (because let’s face it, that often saves time, and time is money) or do you choose another process?

§ Do you guide, mentor and train or do you coach. Alternatively, do you ensure a mixture of these approaches and you can clearly identify when you are playing the respective roles?

Let these questions sink in, you do not have to answer them to me as such but I would ask that you be honest with yourself.

So, are you really coaching your middle managers?

What’s really going on?

Often when a problem emerges in what I like to term the ‘middle squish’, the affected or offending middle manager is sent on a training course because it is earnestly believed that the training will ‘fix’ the problem. Three days away from the office sitting in a conference room somewhere discussing application of theory and a case study will not in itself create the change needed. That said, it can lay a very solid foundation for development; it’s important for further expansion of knowledge; allows for networking; and also helps clear the head-haze / brain-fuzz by being away from the workplace for a short period.

The issue I have is that in most cases the training course is considered the treatment, the band-aid, if you will. What’s missing is thorough diagnosis or identification of the real challenges; there’s fuzzy, limited or no focusing on the vision and way forward; and whatever vision there is, is set without input from the middle manager.

The case for quality coaching the Middle Manager

§ Middle Managers often serve many leaders within the one organisation.

§ Middle Managers are often assessed by leaders they don’t normally or regularly report to.

§ Middle Managers oversee projects being executed by teams who don’t report directly to them.

§ Middle Managers have demands, gripes and challenges (and great successes too) all coming up from the ranks.

§ While also competing with their peers for resources, approvals, and projects, and the top-down demands to do more with less and understand, articulate and implement the organisation-wide vision.

This is the ‘middle squish’! Surely this evidences the need for middle managers to receive good quality coaching and thoroughly diagnosed and customised training that inspires, energises and is solution- and vision-driven.

What can you do to truly coach your middle managers to survive and thrive the ‘middle squish’?

Sally has helped managers in a range of industries, such as oil and gas, finance, telco, aviation, education and ship building, to be more effective, efficient and passionate about their management role. Sally is a certified trainer and coach who helps fast-track managers to productivity.

e:   sally@sallyfoleylewis.com

w: www.sallyfoleylewis.com

tw: @sallyfoleylewis

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Tolerance, Care, Moderation and 25 years of marriage

2010-11-22T23:00:00.001+11:00

by Kerry and Iggy Pintado

On Wednesday, 23rd November 2010, we'll be celebrating 25 years of wedded bliss. We've both been asked by friends and family what the "secret" is of sustaining a long term relationship and decided to respond jointly.

There is no SECRET or single factor in maintaining a lasting relationship. We'll be the first to admit that it hasn't been plain sailing through the years and we've had some pretty rough patches on our journey together. There are three things we learned along the way that are the rocks of our relationship that we'd like to share on this ocassion. Here goes..

Tolerance for Difference - we obviously love what we have in common. We like to socialise, travel and eat out together. However, we have a healthy appreciation for our differences. One of us loves cooking and gardening and loathes sport while the other is the exact opposite (will leave you to work out who's who here). We learned that tolerating each other's differences is a good starting point to understanding and respecting what makes each other tick. We don't tolerate everything - there are boundaries which we've learnt to manage through our years together.

Care and Respect - we are both strong believers in having a duty of care towards other people and to each other. We not only support each other, we look out for one another and express our love - sometimes to the detriment of some of our twitter followers :) - regularly and openly. This comes from a strong foundation of mutual respect and admiration of our personalities, intellect and sense of humour.

Everything in Moderation - we know that if we take anything to the extreme, it's rarely a good thing. We learnt this through watching others abuse substances, political biases and belief systems. Taking a moderate approach to life's gifts and challenges is a good way of developing grounded perspectives.

So there it is - Tolerance, Care and Moderation. We thank you all for your kind wishes and would be interested in your thoughts.

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10 Things Your Parents Told You That Still Apply to Social Media - Danny Brown Blog Guest Post

2010-10-12T00:42:00.001+11:00

I was honored to be asked by my friend, Danny Brown to guest blog for him.
The back story is that my daughter Rachel and I were on a road trip together and we started to discuss parental guidance on social media.

Here's what we came up with and hope you all enjoy: http://networkedblogs.com/8SgPr

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Marketing Strikes Back – Australian Marketing Institute (AMI) National Conference, 13-14th October 2010

2010-09-21T23:06:00.001+10:00

The theme for this year’s Australian Marketing Institute (AMI) National Conference is right on the money. In over 20 years of marketing, I’ve seen and experienced the evolution of traditional marketing to the social marketing revolution of today. Never before has there been a more opportune time for today's marketing practitioner to stand up,  be counted and be accountable for their direct contribution to the business.

Along with a great range of speakers on the first day, I'm leading a session at Ray Poynter's Social Media Masterclass on day two at the conference called the Connected Marketer.

If you consider yourself a professional marketer of any level or work with people who are, you should be compelled to attend this year’s conference in Melbourne on October 13-14^th. Click here for a short video intro from me and rego details.

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Tony's Black Dog Ride #TonyBlackDogRide

2010-08-19T06:47:00.001+10:00

The irrepressible Tony Hollingsworth is guest blogger on this post. In the next few weeks, Tony is connecting us to greater awareness of an insidious social disease - depression - through Tony's Black Dog Ride.

Iggy and I first met at Northside Coffee Mornings in 2009 - in fact this picture captures the day we met. We've collaborated on a number of 'connection' projects, am proud to know him and glad to call him a friend. I was thrilled this afternoon to see an incoming call from him - shortly after his wife and awesome lady to boot Kerry Pintado had registered for them both to attend my fundraising event next Monday 23rd August 2010.

Fundraising event? That's right, I've embarked on an ambitious project with a great many others to raise funds and awareness for depression, a very serious illness affecting 20% of the population directly, and many others indirectly. Last Sunday I launched my collaborative blog Tony's Black Dog Ride  to support The Black Dog Ride on 5th September 2010 where I embark on a 6000+km motorcycle ride on a Harley Davidson with approximately 70 other riders to raise awareness of depression, and funds for the Black Dog Institute.
Iggy rang to announce that he is donating a copy of his terrific book Connection Generation (a copy of which my mother is reading Iggy!) to EVERY attendee at my fundraiser on Monday 23rd August 2010. Thanks Iggy!

I would encourage everyone to read my story and buy a ticket to next week's event at VIVO Cafe in Sydney, 6pm 23rd August 2010.

More details:
Tony Hollingsworth
Tony's Black Dog Ride

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VIVO Café in Sydney, Australia scores Foursquare “Swarm” breakfast record

2010-08-03T23:58:00.002+10:00

Guest blogger Karen Morris from Inscription Media writes about the FourSquare #VIVOSwarm event in Sydney recently.
On Tuesday August 3^rd, Angela Vithoulkas and her team at the VIVO Café flagship store, 388 George Street, Sydney, hosted an ambitious Foursquare event in an attempt to set a world record on the relatively new social media platform of Foursquare. Angela made use of her extensive social media connections to promote the Foursquare #VIVOSwarm breakfast over a period of two weeks, and gained the attention and backing of Foursquare developer and CEO Dennis Crowley.
“It was a little nerve wracking setting up this challenge so publicly,” says Angela, “but the response we got online was phenomenal. The real test was this morning though, not really knowing who would come and who wouldn’t.” Battling wild Sydney weather conditions which could easily have kept people at home, Angela and her team were prepared for any eventuality.  “I’m very pleased with the results from this morning,” says Angela. “My main aim was to see whether a business could make money by promoting their services out through social media for zero dollars, and especially to see how foursquare could be applied to a retail or hospitality venue.”
Logging 78 unique visitors and 134 check-ins, the event, the first of its kind in the world organised by a café, unlocked the coveted Foursquare Swarm Badge before 9am, two hours after the first check-in for the morning. “This morning wasn’t just about a touchy-feely get together,” says Angela. “I really wanted to show that you can make money for your business by using social media. The ticket price for everyone who came this morning was $15 for coffee and a bacon & egg sandwich. $5 of that ticket price went to a local Sydney charity, the Sydney Community Foundation, and the other $10 was for VIVO.” “I’m always amazed at how readily people get involved in things, especially through the social media channels,” says Angela. “Foursquare is still in its infancy in Australia and we seem to still be behind the US in adopting it as a platform. But, I wanted to see whether the social media world would get behind it, and also see where the interest came from, whether it was existing customers of VIVO, or whether the interest came from further afield.”
Iggy Pintado, author of the Connection Generation, and arguably one of Australia’s most connected people, joined the event. “Today’s VIVOSwarm event showed that with the power of social media connection, ANY small business can leverage their social and business networks to generate awareness, foot traffic, loyalty and revenue,” he said. “Will I tell all my friends about how cool it was to be involved in a Swarm event ? Definitely. Will the goodwill generated from this event entice me back in future and for the next Swarm event? Absolutely.”
Traditionally a street front business, VIVO café has already experienced success through social media, managing to defy the effects of the GFC and keep a steady customer base despite their immediate, and traditional, market shrinking through massive job cuts. The VIVO Swarm event showed that Foursquare can be a viable extension of that social media strategy.
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Meet THE INTERNET CHEF at A List Entrepreneurs on 27th July 2010

2010-07-06T22:15:00.002+10:00

A List Entrepreneurs invite you and your guests to an inspiring event on Tuesday 27^th July at the GPO Wine Bar.
I'm excited to be presenting Bridget Davis - best known as The Internet Chef - and this time I get to ASK the questions!
Bridget has spent the last 20 years immersing herself in everything culinary. As a qualified chef she has worked and operated some of the best, busiest and most often demanding restaurant kitchens in Australia and New Zealand.
Her last role as head chef for Bill Granger in his iconic Sydney restaurant, had her scrambling eggs for the Bills faithful before taking up the role of Live cooking demonstrator and Chef for Electrolux ~ alongside the masterful Tetsuya Wakuda.
As well as representing Electrolux, Bridget also holds intimate cooking classes, is a cooking show presenter and demonstrator, Event planner and organizer and works as a culinary consultant to various agencies.
Her Blog ‘The Internet Chef’ is a portal for good honest food where her mantra is “Inspiring and Empowering YOU to cook and eat better”
Spaces are limited so to avoid disappointment you can book your tickets at http://alistentrepreneurs.com.au/products-page
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Connecting for Business Outcomes - Journey Continues

2010-06-30T22:43:00.002+10:00

Over the last two years, I've had the opportunity to follow my passion of connecting for business and social benefit. In July 2008, I took a break from corporate life to write a book, set-up a consulting practice (ConnectGen) and speak professionally as a thought leader about the Power of Connection for business outcomes. It's been a fantastic experience and the connections and networks I've developed over that period will stay with me for life.
On July 1st 2010, I enter the next phase of my connection for business journey as I join the team at UXC Connect as their Director of Marketing, Sustainability & Innovation. UXC Connect (formerly Wang, Bull, Olivetti and more recently, Getronics) is part of the ASX-listed UXC Business Solutions Group, Australia's largest independent IT services company. UXC Connect works with customers to understand their business issues to help them deliver the right business outcomes through the most appropriate technology. Their focus is on keeping customer's business running long-term through infrastructure, workspace, environmental and managed sustainability.
I relish the challenge of growing UXC Connect's business in Australia by applying my traditional & social marketing/solutions experience and expertise to the business. I will also continue to be a thought leader and professional speaker on topics relating to social and business innovation, sustainability and connection through information technology.
Thanks and much appreciation to all who have - and continue - to support me.
Cheers, Iggy

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The Princess of Dreams Sings

2010-06-22T10:51:00.003+10:00

Something cool happened to me last week and I wanted to share it with you.

When I was younger and despite having close family and friends, I had - like many of us - moments of self-doubt and a feelings of isolation. Specifically, I'd wonder and worry about who would there to help me through life's twists and turns. To help me through these times, I'd listen to a song by Irene Cara called "Out Here On My Own" from the Fame soundtrack. I've always related to this song. The specific lyric that spoke to me was:
"When I'm down and feelin' blue, I close my eyes so I can be with you"
It was my way of coping by dreaming about the person who would be with me through life's trials and tribulations. That dream came true when I met my soul mate, Kerry Pintado who I married almost 25 years ago.
So back to the cool thing. I re-connected with my extremely talented singer friend, Lee Safar two years ago. To me, she is a Princess of Dreams and is an Angel of Inspiration to many through her music and Dreamangel work. I'd been hounding her for months to do a cover of this special song at one of her gigs. She politely said she'd consider it and didn't expect to hear back as she jetted off to Los Angeles to further her singing career.
Lee came back to Australia in early June to play some gigs in Sydney. Last Friday, Kerry and I attended the first of her two shows at the Piano Bar in Sydney's King Cross. Lee had given me the honor of introducing her that evening and she did hint that she was going to do "that" song. I prepared my trusty Flipcam to record the moment on video (despite the occasional car horns, police sirens and drink shakers going off in the background).
Then, this happened ... I'll let Lee finish the story through the video (press play now).
Always interested in your thoughts via comments on this post.

Posted via email from Musings on Musicals

#REELPEOPLE #21 - Rachel Pintado @RachelPintado - June 2010

2010-06-11T08:01:00.002+10:00

I'd like to introduce you to our daughter, Rachel Pintado. Rachel is a born leader. She knew from a very young age what she wanted from life and made it her mission to achieve her dreams. She's always managed that balance of hard work/study with enjoying an active social life with family and friends. She has a wonderful and supportive personality combined with a sound work ethic. Along with Andrew, our son, she is Kerry and my proudest life achievements.
Rachel recently graduated from Macquarie University with a Bachelor of Science with a Bachelor of Arts (double degree) in Natural and Cultural Heritage and Museum Studies Geology, Palaeobiology and Ancient Mediterranean Cultures. She is engaged to her partner, Sam Byrne.
Rachel came into the world on the 21st day of a month which is why I've honored her with being the 21st REEL PEOPLE inductee.
You can connect with Rachel on:
Linkedin: http://au.linkedin.com/in/rachelpintado
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/rachelpintado

Twitter: http://twitter.com/RachelPintado
Posted via email from Reel People Project

Embrace Life

2010-05-24T08:08:00.002+10:00

This video really spoke to me. It's a seatbelt awareness campaign from Sussex Safer Roads in the UK and currently has 7.3 million hits on YouTube.
It resonated because I'd been reflecting recently on the friends and family - both on and offline - that keep me balanced and who I know would be there if I ever veered off the road of life.
Know that I think of you regularly and for your physical, emotional and virtual support, I'm forever grateful and thankful.
What does the video say - apart from "always wear your seatbelt" - to you? Would be interested in your comments so please leave one below.

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