Part 2- The Journey to Discovering My Purpose

This past Thursday, in There's More to Life Than Being Happy, I shared with you my twofold purpose to life: 1. Spreading happiness and 2. Imparting the knowledge I have unto others. The following is what led to that discovery.

A few years ago, back when I was still an undergrad, I became a volunteer tour guide for the University of Minnesota Duluth. While this position stuck me in left field of my comfort zone (now that's a story for another post), it was one of the best decisions I made during my undergrad years. Every week I would meet new potential students. Not only would I share with them everything UMD had to offer, but I always shared general advice about college; tidbits they would be able to take with them, no matter where they chose to attend school. It was always so satisfying sharing my experiences with them in order to better facilitate success in their futures.

Looking even further back to high school, I recall that I initially had planned on going to college in order to become a teacher. During my senior year I volunteered at a local elementary school. Over the course of my time there, I assisted students that needed extra help with phonograms, reading, math, and counting money. It was rewarding to see the progress students would make from week to week. And while I enjoyed my time there, I came to learn that I wasn’t suited for dealing with all the excess flow of snot and turned away from the teacher aspiration.

Returning to more recent times, last year I served as a Hearing Officer in the Office of Student Conduct. As part of my job, I would meet with students who had broken UMD’s student conduct code. Rather than merely telling students they had done wrong and sanction them, I would have educational conversations with them. I would get students to reflect upon the incident; we would discus how it could have gone differently and how it could be avoided in the future. I would share information, resources, and experiences to help students move past their specific infractions and get them to focus on their future. These meetings always brought me satisfaction because I knew I was helping to turn students around and assist them in getting to graduation. Reflecting on all these instances, I realized that I find meaning in helping others succeed by sharing what I know and by teaching them.

So if you’re still struggling to find a purpose to your life, stop searching and start reflecting. I bet you already have one, just like I did, you just haven’t realized it yet. So contemplate the activities in your past that have brought you satisfaction. I just bet you they may be related to your life meaning.

Please check back later this week for Part 3- Why Your Company Needs to Have a Purpose

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Part 1- There's More to Life Than Being Happy

In today’s fast paced world, people seek instant gratification and happiness constantly. But what if I told you that people who spend their lives searching solely for happiness end up the least content when all is said and done? Well one author asserts just that. Through his profound life experiences, he submits the notion of a more satisfying drive in life; discovering true self-purpose.

I recently read an online article by Emily Smith that resonated with me (I urge you to go read it now). In the article, “There’s More to Life Than Being Happy,” Smith writes, “…[Victor] Frankl concluded that the difference between those who had lived and those who had died came down to one thing: Meaning…As he saw in the [Nazi concentration] camps, those who found meaning even in the most horrendous circumstances were far more resilient to suffering than those who did not. ‘Everything can be taken from a man but one thing,’ Frankl wrote in Man's Search for Meaning, ‘the last of the human freedoms -- to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way.’" Based on Frankl’s book, the article goes on to juxtapose finding happiness vs. finding meaning in life, “Leading a happy life, the psychologists found, is associated with being a "taker" while leading a meaningful life corresponds with being a "giver."”

It’s the above subject matter that has been vexing me for some time now. To be truly balanced, I believe life needs a certain equilibrium of both happiness and meaning. The happiness half seems to come relatively easily. Humans are naturally hedonistic I feel, so satisfying those little cravings and wants comes readily. But what about the meaning of life? What is my purpose in this tiny fraction of the space and time continuum my being currently encompasses? Well, due to personal circumstances in recent months, I have been doing a lot of self-reflection lately. Having lost certain aspects of my future, I also felt like I had lost much of the meaning in my life. Despite constantly filling my happiness meter, underneath it all I still felt an empty hole; a feeling of dissatisfaction and incompleteness. I’ve been trying to discover a way to fill that void; I’ve been trying to find a true purpose to my life.

Oddly enough, it took me until now, yes, now as in right now as I type this post, to figure out that I’ve had a purpose all along; I’ve just been thinking about things all wrong. The past few weeks I’ve been searching for some ‘grand’ purpose for myself, thinking that I’m destined to discover the cure to cancer or something. But that was my problem…my purpose in life doesn’t have to be that grandiose to have meaning, it can be much simpler than that and still bring me fulfillment and satisfaction. I’ve now come to realize that my meaning in life is twofold: 1. Spreading happiness and 2. Imparting the knowledge I have unto others. While neither of those things are necessarily eloquent or profound, together they are enough to provide a higher purpose and reason for my being; and they’ve been staring me in the face all along. What makes these two items truly meaningful though is that I am incomplete control of them; no one can take them away from me.

Please check back Sunday for Part 2- The Journey to Discovering My Purpose
And next week for Part 3- Why Your Company Needs to Have a Purpose

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How to Develop YOUR Personal Brand Online Using Social Media -Part 2

In continuance of Thursday's Part 1, once you know WHO you are and WHAT you hope to accomplish, it’s time to jump in online and get savvy with social media platforms.  I could easily write separate blog posts for each online platform as they relate to your personal brand, so the following is just a general overview to help get you started and on the right track. (Want specific input on a social network? –Please drop me a comment to let me know!)

The first step is to select which social media networks you want to use. There’s a good chance this will rely upon your target market, but three good starting locations are LinkedIn, Twitter, and a blog (Wordpress, Tumblr, Blogger). LinkedIn is of course THE professional social network; to not have a presence here is nearly faux pas in the business world nowadays. Twitter is one of the larger social networks when it comes to active users. With 140 character tweets, Twitter allows you to share content that is short and sweet, but rich in content. Finally, the blog can be a fantastic hub for all your social media networks. Further, a blog highlights your writing skills and allows you to generate your own content, as well as respond to other’s content; it’s versatility and customization is what makes it really shine.

Tip: Don’t stop at just Twiiter, LinkedIn, and a blog. Be sure to look into other platforms. I would recommend Pinterest (which is strong on visuals), Facebook (don’t mix professional and personal too much unless that’s part of your strategy), Scoop.it (a content curation site that allows you to aggregate great articles), or even Instagram (another site big on visuals).

Once you've selected your social platforms, it's time to start building your online profiles. Remember, consistency and key words are vital here (and will help with search engine results). Come up with a specific name (or handle or slogan) to identify by. I go by my name, Jessica Pospeck, on all my social media platforms (I happen to be lucky that it's unique and I show up 1st in searches when it's looked up), plus I always incorporate "marketing aficionado" -a keyword plus my stance upfront to let my market know what I'm all about. You’re also going to want a professional profile picture to use on all your platforms; it’s another trigger to help your readers identify you. When setting your profiles up be sure to take the time to fill them out completely. Nothing says I’m unprofessional, I don’t care, or I don’t have enough time to do social media properly like an unfinished profile.

Tip: When setting your social media platforms up it’s important to remain true to who you are. Don’t lie to people; plain and simple. Be honest in about who you are; that quirky hobby of yours may just attract readers and followers because the feature humanizes you more allowing them to better relate.

After your profiles are all set up, it’s time to start posting content. If you’re unsure what to post, “listen” first to what others are posting in your industry to get a feel for the conversation and what resonates well with other users. On Twitter I like to post links to articles I find which are relevant, new, and interesting when it comes to internet marketing. On LinkedIn I like to start conversations in my groups; this not only allows you to share you expertise, but to also gain further insights and learn new things. On my blog I enjoy writing how-to articles, list posts, or writing about responses to other articles I have read (write your response, then add additional information too). Don’t be afraid to share/retweet other’s posts as well (just be sure to give credit).

Tip: Despite your personal goals and objectives, the ultimate goal of social media is to share, connect, and engage with others. Social media is all about the two-way flow of information. Don’t self-promote 100% of the time. Share content that is immediately of use or value to your followers and readers no matter if the original source is you or not (this will help ensure these individuals keep coming back to check your content out!).

Questions or comments? Want some more in depth information regarding platforms or what to post? Please leave me a comment below! As an additional resource, I’d highly recommend checking out the book, Branding Yourself: How to Use Social Media to Invent or Reinvent Yourself, by Erik Deckers and Kyle Lacy. It’s a great resource and an easy read that’s chalked full of useful tips and tricks.

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How to Develop YOUR Personal Brand Online Using Social Media -Part 1

Just as companies and products have brands, individuals can have brands too. Your personal brand tells the world, or more specifically your target audience, who you are. It conveys your message –your thoughts, ideas, beliefs, likes/dislikes, talents, and areas of expertise. When done well, your brand message will be clear, consistent, and it will help you achieve your goals.

WHO Are You?
One of the first things you need to decide upon when developing your personal brand is how you want the world to perceive you. What do you want to be known for? What words do you want to pop into others’ minds when they hear your name? What are your strengths? What makes you different and unique from everyone else? My About Me page is essentially just this. It’s my brand points…the things that make me, me and that set me apart from others.

Tip: Be sure to conduct a situational analysis: Identify your strengths and weaknesses, know who your competitors are and what they’re doing, identify key trends occurring in the general environment (and your industry) –are these opportunities or threats? Use these findings to your advantage when building your personal brand strategy.

WHAT Are Your Goals and Objectives?
What’s the point of developing your brand without an end goal in mind? What are you hoping to achieve by spending all this time and effort “creating yourself online?” All strategies should have goals they are striving to achieve; something to measure success or failure by. Your goal could be to become a thought leader in your industry. Your end goal could be to drive sales for your new book or product. Or, like me, your goal could be to find a new job (once I graduate in June).

Tip: Once you know what you want to do, you should be able to identify your target audience –those you want to reach with your content and message. Be sure you understand this group to enable effective targeting and engagement with them: what are their online habits, what are their relevant behavioral, demographic, and/or psychographic characteristics?

Once you know WHO you are and WHAT you hope to accomplish, it’s time to jump in online and get savvy with social media platforms. Check back on Sunday for Part 2, which addresses where to go from here (start thinking LinkedIn, Twitter, and a personal blog of your own). In the mean time, starting thinking about the who and what of your personal brand!

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5 Ways to Leverage Pinterest in Your Company's Social Media Plan

Since its inception in 2011, Pinterest has been one of the fastest growing social media sites out there. Through its exponential growth and more than 48 million users, Pinterest has quickly become one of the most popular social networks for individuals to use. If you were to ask a typical person what Pinterest was all about, they more than likely would respond with something along these lines: It's a place where females go to pin recipes, wedding ideas, and DIY home decor. While this is true to some extent, Pinterest has the potential for so much more; particularly now with the release of 'Manteresting' -the guy version of Pinterest. Here are 5 different ways for your company or business to utilize the pin boards of Pinterest.

1. Contests
 This one is fairly simple and straight forward... One great way to encourage engagement on Pinterest is through contests. Have followers pin themselves using your products [in a fun or unique] way. The best pin wins!

2. "How-To" -Education
Another great way to use Pinterest is to have it become a hub for education. What does your company do that is unique? Do you volunteer for a certain cause? Pin about that event. Let consumers inside your organization and pin fun and interesting things about your company -ever have wacky Wednesday dress? Pins like these create a 'face' for your company which instantly make you seem more personable.
You could also pin videos from Youtube that show or explain how your product is used. Infographics are another great idea; not only do they educate, but they present the information in a visually appealing manner. The goal here is become a go-to source for knowledge and learning surrounding your product, industry, or even business.

3. "How-To" -Ideas
Similar in fashion to number 2, use Pinterest to help your customers see greater potential or additional uses for your product. Do you sell clothing? Pin 'looks' to show users how they can accessorize or compliment that denim jacket you just got in stores. Do you sell home decor? Show users how they can spruce up room xyz in their house using your product. Do you sell cotton balls? Show users new uses of your cotton balls including DIY projects. The whole goal here is to be creative and spark interest and ideas. Again, don't be afraid to pin Youtube videos.  

4. Customer Testimony
Pinterest is also ideal for displaying customer testimony and recommendations. Pin photos of satisfied customers and how they thought their buying experience went. Pin videos that show customers talking about how well your product is working for them. Check out this article for 3 examples of companies that have done this well.

5. Quotes
Pinterest users love quotes. So why not generate a board of quotes on your site? GE has a board, That's Genius, which pins quotes by their company founder, Thomas Edison. Sure, not every company has such a famous founder, but you can still pin quotes your company believes in (see my prior blog post, 23 Quotes to Live Life By) or that are words of wisdom from your particular industry.


Remember, Pinterest is all about the visuals. If you have text-based content, try to find a way to make it visually appealing (e.g. turn it into an infographic or incorporate an interesting photo in the background). Further, be sure your pins and boards fit into your marketing strategy. It all relates back to your goals and objectives!

For more information about Pinterest users, check this infographic out.

In what other ways do you or your clients like to use Pinterest? Drop a comment below and share!

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23 Quotes to Live Life By

Whether you’re a marketer who deals with advertising all day, or a stay at home parent who manages their family, you should have a set of morals and guidelines that dictate the way you go through life. Below, in no particular order, is a list of 23 quotes that I find value and wisdom in.

1.    “The only thing worse than being blind is having sight but no vision.” - Helen Keller

2.    “The man who has confidence in himself gains the confidence of others.” - Hasidic Proverb

3.    “What you do speaks so loudly that I cannot hear what you say.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson

4.    “It's the job that's never started that takes longest to finish.” - J.R.R. Tolkien

5.    “Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.” - Robert Brault

6.    “Giving up doesn't always mean you are weak.  Sometimes it means that you are strong enough to let go.”  -Author Unknown

7.    Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you’re right.” - Henry Ford

8.    “Don’t go through life, grow through life.” - Eric Butterworth

9.    “Look at everything as though you were seeing it either for the first or last time.”  -Betty Smith

10.    “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” - Mark Twain

11.    “Consensus is not compromise; it is based on finding the sweet spot within healthy diversity” -@wisdomalive

12.    “Your time is limited, don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma, which is living the result of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of other’s opinion drown your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition, they somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.” – Steve Jobs

13.    “I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me.” - Dudley Field Malone

14.    I haven’t failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” - Thomas Edison

15.    “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” -Maya Angelou

16.    “People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing – that’s why we recommend it daily.” -Zig Ziglar

17.    “Always do right–this will gratify some and astonish the rest.” - Mark Twain

18.    “A ‘No’ uttered from the deepest conviction is better than a ‘Yes’ merely uttered to please, or worse, to avoid trouble.” - Mohandas Gandhi

19.    “I believe that we are solely responsible for our choices, and we have to accept the consequences of every deed, word, and thought throughout our lifetime.” - Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

20.    Helping people help themselves is the most efficient & effective use of human resources, regardless of scale or culture.” -@wisdomalive

21.    “The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away.” –Joy Golliver

22.    “If you concentrate on finding whatever is good in every situation, you will discover that your life will suddenly be filled with gratitude, a feeling that nurtures the soul.” -Rabbi Harold Kushner

Last, but not least, I of course have to include a scene from my beloved Lord of the Rings

23.    Frodo: “What are we holding onto, Sam?”
Sam: “That there’s some good in this world, Mr. Frodo… and it’s worth fighting for.”

Which of the above quotes do you find merit in? What are some of your favorite quotes to live life by?


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5 Ways to Effectively Use Twitter

With more than 200 million active users (500 million total users) and an average of 400 million tweets sent per day, Twitter is currently one of the social media powerhouses. As such, it is a viable place for any company to turn to when developing their social media marketing strategy. That be said
though, don't run out, set up an account, and start tweeting about anything. Below are 5 tips to efficiently use Twitter and help ensure you get the most out of your time investment in the platform:

1. Listen
One of the most important bits of advice anyone should adhere to when joining social media is to first listen! Set up an account and start surveying the scene of what's going on. What are people talking about? When do people tweet? What sort of content engages other users the most? Once you've got a feel for the tone of community, feel free to jump in with relevant content of quality.

Listening it not just a starting position for people just entering either; it should be an ongoing phenomena. See what customers are saying about your product. Did your latest commercial have an impact -are people discussing it online? What new trends are emerging in your field? Get on those topics early and become an expert in the unfolding area.

2. Twitter Chats
I rarely hear about people participating in Twitter chats, but they truly are a great way to interact on Twitter. Twitter chats not only allow you to ask questions regarding a certain topic, but they can also allow you to shine through on areas of expertise! As a matter of fact, I will be participating in a Twitter chat this afternoon along with my social media marketing class and the author of our textbook; Social Media Marketing by Dr. Tracy Tuten (and Michael Solomon).

There are a number of scheduled weekly Twitter chats already established; for example a social media chat: #smchat -Wednesdays at noon CST. Once you've got a fan base or an established expertise in an area, you could even start your own Twitter chat! For basic details on joining in on chats, check this article out: How to Participate in a Twitter Chat. For a listing of scheduled chats, check this Wiki out.

3. Engage
Twitter is all about 140 characters of engagement. Be sure to interact with fellow Tweeters, especially your followers. Favorite tweets and retweet those you found particularly useful or relevant. I always prefer to copy and paste the retweet following an "RT" -this allows you to add your thoughts to the tweet as well. Engaging those you follow is also a great way to get them to follow you back!

Get Twitter users excited to follow you. Throw out crowd-sourcing questions or host contests to get them participating. Just this past week I participated in a trivia contest by @Vocus. All day long they were posting social media trivia and asking followers to fill in the answers. Winners were awarded various marketing related books. Be sure to use photos in your tweets as well. People are visual creatures, so photos always draw more attention and give you additional creativity in your posts.

4. #Hashtags
Hashtags are a good way to tag your content and make it searchable. This is a great way to spread valuable content. A good tip to follow here is to be specific with your hashtags. People rarely search generic terms now, such as #marketing, so use specific and relevant tags such as #socialmediameasurement -remember, no spaces in hashtags.

5. Lists
Chance are you're going to want to grow the list of people you follow. This means more and more tweets over time. How do you keep track of all those posts, and more importantly, still be able to find the important ones? Lists of course! This is often an under-utilized feature of Twitter. Lists allow you to group those you follow into meaningful lists such as customers, social media experts, or even employees at prospective employers. Lists help you sort and organize, enabling you to stay on top of what's important.

So there you have it. 5 ways to effectively get you started and using Twitter properly.
What other ways do you use Twitter? Please share your tips, strategies, and ideas!


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Wanting What You Thought You Didn’t

“Experience is what you get when you didn't get what you wanted. And experience is often the most valuable thing you have to offer.” ― Randy Pausch

Face it, no matter how much of a planner and controller you may be, it’s inevitable that some things in life will not go your way.  While it may be appropriate to [briefly] lament your loss, instead challenge yourself to view it as an opportunity.  Don’t stand there staring at the door that’s been shut, instead reflect upon the situation, turn around, and open your eyes to everything else that now lies in front of you. 

Oftentimes when we don’t get what we want, we are forced to come to terms with the loss, develop new action plans, and persevere through un-welcomed situations. It is during these uncomfortable and trying affairs that a person can learn to grow and challenge themselves.

These experiences not only make you a potentially better person, but they are also unique to you. They give you a distinct perspective in viewing and handling things in daily life.  Once this is realized, a person can then leverage these experiences to achieve more for their self. This can be done any number of ways, including seeking out a dream job or passing on what you learned to those around you. 

So think about that last thing in your life that didn’t go ‘quite right.’ How did you deal with the situation and look at it? Did you turn it around to see it in a positive light? There’s a silver lining to every rain cloud; it’s up to you whether you choose to see it or not.