My Top 10 Inspirational Sayings

I speak and often write, over the years I have found that some of the quotes have been used more often than others, here are ten quotes that I find myself using regularly.

1. Do you realise the power of just simply giving someone a hug? Try it! … Remember you need 5 hugs just to be normal!
2. Just be you, and if people don’t like it, well, that’s their problem not yours!
3. If you never let go of who you were, you will never reach the possibility of who you could be.
4. Let go of friends and relationships that are negative, let go of anything that does not add to your life and you will have life!
5. Sometimes you gotta shut up, swallow your pride and accept that you’re wrong. It’s not giving up, it’s called growing up.
6. Gratitude turns what we have into enough.
7. Listen and listen properly, sometimes the answers we have are not the answers they want to hear.
8. Realize we are not individuals, but unique creations with very specific gifts and strengths needing each other to live a fulfilled life.
9. True forgiveness is when you learn to forgive yourself, letting go of all bitterness.
10. If you aren’t making time to think about how you can simplify your life, you are simply wasting time.

Everyone talks about Influence and this I believe is what Influence is really about … It’s not about what interests you, it’s about what others find interesting about you.

Is Social Media a Cost or an Investment?

Recently I was asked this very interesting question … Is Social Media a Cost or an Investment?

What an interesting question,  firstly if we view it as a cost it is usually associated with discomfort and can be likened to the question whether tires on a car are a necessity (a grudge purchase) or a luxury (enhancing the performance, comfort and safety). When we Social Media as a cost, either as a financial cost or a cost of our most valuable resource time we will always begrudgingly expect an immediate return for our money or effort. Social Media we know is difficult to measure and analyse but when we expect instant results we will normally come to a conclusion that it is simply not worth it. Mainly due to the fact that we viewed Social Media as a cost.

Seeing Social Media as an investment on the other hand is totally different. A clever investor will always tell you that you cannot expect good returns in the short term, that the long term benefits of your investment is the return that you are seeking. These long term benefits are known as influence. So how then can we make sound investments into our approach to Social Media?

Here are 10 Points to help you make a better investment into your Social Media Influence:

1. Remember to follow your interests and in so doing attract the people who are interested in the same things that you are.
2. Never pretend to be something you are not. E.G. if you don’t know about birds don’t pretend to know but you can connect to experts in the birding field so that you can recommend those people to your followers, and more than likely will reciprocate by recommending you.
3. When interacting try as much as possible to add links to the material you referring to.
4. Remember a photo is worth a thousand words, if you say it is raining, post a photo. If you say it is a lovely day, illustrate the fact with a photo as to why you think it is a lovely day.
5. Try and post at least once a day,  and try to share or retweet at least three things that you find interesting with your followers.
6. Of course you may share much more but the most important thing is to BE CONSISTENT, if you decide for example to Tweet once a day, Tweet once a day.
7. Follow people back, like their pages and do the things that will be more social.
8. Be a social person that is professional at all times, not a professional person who is never sure when it is appropriate to be social.
9. Remember that you are a publisher, don’t say anything that you would not say if you were live on television, print in a newspaper or say on the radio.
10. Most importantly your effort will give great returns on investment if you see each connection as a valuable relationship that will connect you to the correct people, due to the investment you have made into these relationships.

Please share your comments and let me have your feedback, I would love to interact with you further.

Image courtesy of rajcreationzs at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

My Top 12 Social Media Quotes

Social Media is not for the select few, everyone is expected to be proficient in communicating via the various Social Media platforms, but it is vital to remember to be authentic and play to your strengths.

1. #SocialMedia is not just about the content (that is the media) but about conversations and relationships (that is the social).
2. What other people say about you is their business … Authentically only you can damage your brand, You are the real risk to yourself!
3. Exposing your brand is about interacting or networking with the brands you want to connect with. What are you giving before you can get?
4. The speed at which you respond on #SocialMedia has a direct correlation to how much you care for your clients.
5. Always think before you Tweet or Retweet – if you would not say it on TV or in a newspaper, simply don’t tweet it! 
6. Following back on #SocialMedia is explained as: If I extend my hand in greeting will you shake? If you don’t shake are you arrogant or rude?
7. Many individuals and companies don’t understand and complicate #SocialMedia, because they fail to see the simplicity.
8. ‘Word of Mouth’ works best when you are able to confront and deal with issues, so that those recommending you might never be embarrassed.
9. Your creative expression can only be effective when it communicates to someone and someone appreciates it, but not everyone.
10. Remember you don’t need to call the call centre and wait, just Tweet and the company will respond.
11. #Influence … It’s not about what interests you, it’s about what others find interesting about you.
12. Remember that if you can’t say it in 140 characters or less, you cannot say it on Twitter. 

And more importantly it is all about “Keep calm and play nicely”

Is social media something you have explored? Do you know what you want? Do you know what you need? Do you know how to get there?

Social Media can be simplified and when understood it can be successfully implemented in any organisation.

This workshop deals with the following areas of communication:

·         Explore how to become more effective in your online communication and build better relationships

·         Learn how to identify and reach your target audience

·         Learn how to harness the ripple effect of your social interventions

·      Give you the understanding of how to build capacity to effectively implement sustainable          social media solutions and strategies for both corporates and individuals alike.

Social Media can be defined as social interventions that become the media for the consumption of our observers, the people we influence.

Richard Simmonds, who has recently been acknowledged as one of the Top 10 Corporate Social Influencers in Africa assists his clients in developing influence and reputation online. People are looking for you and the services you have to offer; they discover this through the information you share. Allow social media to seamlessly effect your life and your business.

Within a year Richard built his following on Twitter to over 30,000 and currently boasts in excess of 185,000 followers. Although he is active on all platforms of social media, he sees Twitter as the information network and the key to unlocking the influence of other platforms.

Allow Richard to become an integral part of your social media communication strategy taking to your business to the next level.

Event details:

Dates:	Monday, 4th November – Johannesburg
	Monday, 11th November – Cape Town
Time:	08h30 – 13h00 (Registration at 08h00)
Investment:	Delegates from for-profit organisations @ R975.00Delegates from not-for-profit organisations @ R425.00 Principals & Educators @ R300.00 (VAT inclusive)
Venues:	Johannesburg: WorldsView House, 150 Kelvin Drive, Woodmead
	Cape Town: Atlantic Imbizo Conference Centre, Clocktower Building, V&A Waterfront

To book your place, please contact Melissa: melissa@symphonia.net  / Tel: 021 913 3507 / Fax: 021 913 3187

All proceeds raised from this event will be used to fund our work in Education.

Active Citizenship in South Africa

How to get involved

Are you a principal that wants to get involved in the PfP programme? Are you a community or business leader called to become a Partner for Possibility? Are you interested in supporting the project in another way?

If you answered ‘yes’ to any of these questions, please contact Symphonia for South Africa on pfp@symphonia.net or call 021 913 3507

Blogger vs Wordpress, which is better?

After spending 5 months exclusively with my Wordpress Blog www.richsimmonds.co.za I have decided that the exposure was insufficient. So now I have decided to co publish on both my blogs to see if this strategy is better.

I have an idea that Google prefers it's own platforms and therefore I will use that to my advantage, after all it is free marketing, so why not use it.

I have alot of content to share and the more exposure you get the more reason there is to share. I look forward to connecting with the readers of my Blogs in the next few months.

Thank you for your continued support it is more than appreciated.

Image courtesy of http://www.inkthemes.com/blogger-or-wordpress-which-is-better/02/