Over the last year, I’ve really started to understand the valuable communication tool that social media has become. Every time I write a blog post, a notification of the post is immediately seen by at least 1500 people. If any of those connections comments, tweets, or “likes” the post, it is then shared with their network of connections. One of my recent tweets was retweeted to over 4,000 people – not a big deal in comparison to celebrity twitterers, but we’re talking about doors here!
Social media has allowed me to connect with people all over the world. A few weeks ago on a Saturday morning, I answered a code question for someone via several back-and-forth Tweets – he was in Egypt! You might be thinking, “Who cares? Why would I want to talk to someone thousands of miles away?” but I also talk to plenty of people close to home – people that are lucrative to my business. I was listening in on a CSI webinar last week, and the presenter mentioned my blog and me as a great example of social media in the architectural/specifications industry. A few months ago the Building Product Marketing blog used iDigHardware as an example of “how to do it right.” Is this kind of press valuable to a hardware consultant? You betcha!
I’m not bragging – really! – but I am hoping to entice our industry to get more involved with social media and start using LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook to connect and exchange information. I share lots of items of interest via social media that never show up on my blog, and there are other industry members out there too. It doesn’t take a lot of time to join the conversation. If you don’t, you might miss something!
Here are some recent links I’ve shared on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn:
Massachusetts Judge: Obsolete Fire-Suppression Means No Claims Paid
Unsafe Ekurhuleni care centres to close
Inmates short circuited door
Arnold fire trapped in bedroom
Inspectors let Sullivan resort stay open
Late Show theater doors vandalized (Check out this beautiful “before” photo)
Anti-burglar door locks may have hampered bid to save blaze man
SecureIdNews: Aptiq – More than just physical access
Unsafe Havens: Care homes are branded fire hazards
Fire marshal requiring $172K in changes at CCCHS
And just for fun…
The most efficient use of space ever? A 24 square meter apartment.
I’d love to know…how do you use social media, and what benefits have you experienced? If you’re not using social media, why not?
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Hello Lori, me and social networking, I sometimes wish I honored the request of my inner self to join twitter, in earlier times. (and that I finally did, about 2 weeks ago) well, within a few days of joining the wonderful site, I was starting to get followers from door closer manufacturers, hardware consultants, I often feel that i all this time have been on the “wrong planet” and now finally landed on the perfect planet with lots of great people (DHI for instance)
facebook, why is it, I take a break from the computer for a few days, I return to see my wall has at least 4 to 6 photos of an old closer the person (a friend) could not identify and he didn’t have my email address. (and yes, the closer was easily identified) and an email from a door closer factory asking me about how I know soo much about them (non-IR product)
………I wonder if this(my knowledge) will lead to a factory tour or a job 😀 that would be a dream come true to do either one,
let’s also not forget YOUTUBE, my last video I uploaded was about a creative use for one of my door closers, I often there too get questions, once got a question about LCN 4111 identification through a PM there.
-Jess the door (closer)doctor
I’ve had few surprising follow-ups from people who found me through social media, too! I got an email one night from Slideshare telling me that they were moving my “Trusted Advisor” presentation (which you reference above) to their frontpage temporarily because it was trending on Twitter. That’s how I found out hundreds of people had viewed the presentation. If the content is good, you’ll get some attention. Keep up the good work, Lori!
That’s really cool! Trending on Twitter…wow!
Confirmed:
1.) you’re not bragging. really!
2.) you are a celebrity.
Thanks for all you do!
As for social media: much smaller scale than your experience, but it’s amazing how fast info travels when people are looking for it. Messed up my Twitter acct, gotta fix it — got any connections there? Who do I talk to? 😎