It’s that time of year again where I ruminate for a while on which one word I would like to choose as my overarching guide for the entire following year. I find this practice to be very powerful, yet simple to implement. While having a vision, mission, “SMART” goals, plan, milestones, and accountability are all components of preparing for success, I’ve found that by also selecting just one word as a theme for my whole year, all manner of new opportunities and experiences show up. The Universe responds to your decision.

I’ve been implementing this one-word theme practice for the past several years, and it feels as though each year’s word builds on the last one. My one-word themes so far have been:

2008 – FOCUS (I laser focused on strategically positioning myself as a top Facebook marketing expert).

2009 – INFLUENCE  (I chose to make a personal transition and shift my environment, which caused the floodgates to open in my business).

2010 – TEAM (I switched from a virtual assistant support model to hiring local assistants and built a much more robust team).

2011 – COMMITMENT (This was a tricky one! See below for more – but, basically, this one-word theme precipitated my commitment to getting all the right support in place now for an incredible 2012!)

And now, 2012 is GROWTH.

As I reflect back over these years with their respective themes, each time many significant shifts have occurred for me in my personal and professional lives.

2011 – The Impact of Commitment

I will admit, ironically, selecting Commitment as my theme this year was extremely difficult! As a society, we have so much charge around this word. As I reviewed the various commitments I set for myself when I wrote this post, I have managed to keep many of the commitments I outlined. The one I struggled to keep was publishing two blog posts a week. I realize I need better systems to manage my time and the time I spend on creating content. I’m already implementing systems now that will radically change this in 2012.

When selecting your one-word theme, it’s important to not beat yourself up if you didn’t adhere to the word verbatim throughout the year. Adopt the approach of “correct and continue.” Do your best to use the word as a mantra, an internal guide. Then let go of any attachment to how the outside world is supposed to show up for you.

What is interesting, though, is the fact that in the 11th month of this year, I just made a massive commitment to invest in very high-level support to grow my business in 2012 and beyond. So, it feels like the perfectly natural fit to select Growth as my theme for 2012!

2012 – Growth, bring it on!

For me, Growth this coming year will be on many levels. My primary focus of growth will be in the area of business; stay tuned for developments as I’m able to announce them. Meantime, I can share that my plans are to continue offering social media, Facebook marketing, and relationship marketing speaking services and training for entrepreneurs and small businesses, as well as training for fellow social media professionals. Plus, I am building out a separate division of my business specifically to service the corporate sector, and offering social media consulting, training, strategizing, and management services.

And on a personal, emotional, and spiritual basis, I will continue my path in these arenas through my study with various masters, including my spiritual teacher Esperanza Universal. Over the past few years, I have found that the more internal healing, growth, and transformation I’m able to do, the more my outer world changed and improved as a reflection of my inner world.

Mari Smith and Esperanza Universal

I’ve even had colleagues call me up in the past to ask for the name of my marketing coach, PR firm, or publicist — to which I respond by smiling and simply explaining that my business and financial growth primarily came about as a result of healing my inner world and living into my deepest truth. Of course, I am proactive too — with masterminds to which I belong, and attending/speaking at select events.

Speaking of which, I’m actually writing this post on a short break while attending a special retreat at the incredible Canyon Ranch in Tucson, AZ. I’m here with a small group of forty leaders, teaching leaders about leadership! Our host is Stedman Graham (Oprah’s beau) – leadership expert and author of many books, including You Can Make It Happen. Growth has been a recurring theme here at our retreat.

Mari Smith and Stedman Graham at Canyon Ranch

Stedman talked about Growth as a vital component to success in his presentation on Identity Leadership. And, fellow attendee Sam Silverstein gave a short presentation where he talked about the importance of creating a VACUUM in order to grow. Sam used a wonderful example of clearing out his coat closet in order to house the beautiful big down jacket his daughters bought for him! I’m a huge believer in clearing out the old to make way for the new, in the physical world and mental world. Eliminating what no longer serves you is a huge invitation and opportunity for growth to come forth.

So, I’m VERY excited about what’s in store for 2012. It’s going to be a symbolic and significant year for the entire planet – all of us will be impacted by growth, in fact. Not to get too woo-woo on you (well, depending on your own belief systems!), but many prophets have been predicting for a very long time that a huge shift will happen in 2012.  Apparently it’s the “end of the Mayan calendar” (I think they ran out of stone?! Kidding!)

But, the world is not going to end, it’s nothing catastrophic to worry about. What I do believe will happen is a BIG leap in consciousness. Collectively, we are being called to higher levels of caring, compassion, and kindness towards our fellow humans, to all living creatures, and to the entire planet. The massive prevalence of online social networking is tremendous evidence of our evolution, too. The world isn’t getting smaller, per se. It’s getting more connected. (A recent Facebook study showed that the six degrees of separation have been reduced to four, because of the connectedness of Facebook friendships. Amazing.)

Now, it’s your turn – what one-word theme jumps out at you to guide the coming year in your business and personal life? If you’d like to select two or three words, that’s okay! Let me know in the comments below.

[UPDATE 12/17/11: I recently came across this exceptional article on Harvard Business Review by Dorie Clark: Five Things You Should Stop Doing in 2012. Eliminating these five things that Dorie mentions - especially #1 (stop responding to email immediately it comes in) - feels like lifting a massive weight off my shoulders. In fact, my new business coach is helping my team and me to radically restructure our work days; to implement set times to respond to categories of emails, and to adhere to our scheduled work days even as "boring and predictable" as that might feel. What we end up creating is a much more solid foundation and freedom. Yes, that's right - a predictable, structured schedule actually gives you freedom!

P.S. I first wrote this post on December 10th and meant to save it to drafts during my Canyon Ranch retreat... but ended up inadvertently publishing it before I was quite ready. Oops! I just took time (12/17) to flesh out a bit more of the sections that I wanted to. ]

I’m super excited to be working on my next book, which will be my first as a solo author! And, I’d LOVE your help in choosing a title that pops and represents the subject matter really well. The topic is Relationship Marketing – a subject very close to my heart for over a decade, long before social media became so prevalent.

My background, spanning a variety of careers, has always included elements of people + technology + support. When I discovered social media marketing in 2007, it was such a natural blend of everything I’d done up to that point. (I joke about being an “overnight success, ten years in the making! Maybe you can relate?!)

Last year, Chris Treadaway and I co-authored Facebook Marketing: An Hour A Day, published in May 2010. Our book is published by Sybex, the technical book division of John Wiley & Sons. (We’re starting to work on v2 now – stay tuned!)

Around the same time that the Facebook Marketing book was coming out, Wiley approached me about doing a book on relationship marketing… I held out for awhile as I needed to find the right timing for me.

The New Relationship Marketing

Now, it’s all systems GO with the Relationship Marketing book contract signed last month! My manuscript is due March 15, 2011 for a publication date in August. 60,000+ words – woohoo!!

Here’s the challenge though: I’m not 100% locked in on the title. The working title Wiley and I came up with is:

The New Relationship Marketing: How to Build a Powerful, Profitable Network Online

I’m looking for a title with more POP, PIZZAZZ, sparkle, wow, memorable, jump-off-the-shelf!! You know, to really reflect my bubbly personality and brand! Ha, maybe I’m being overly ambitious here. Wiley particularly want “Relationship Marketing” in the title, though it could be in the subtitle and of course I’m fine with that.

The essence of my book is the new fundamentals of growing a successful business based on connecting, blended with timeless principles.  Here’s the book synopsis:

Relationship marketing has existed for some time – people have always done business with people they know, like and trust. And, “social networking” has been around since the dawning of man, when we would sit around the campfire connecting over stories and shared experiences.

What has changed in recent years, though, is the immense popularity of online social networking. We need to hone a whole new set of skills to really master the art of relationship marketing through these social channels. It’s crucial that businesses understand the unspoken rules of etiquette, fresh new protocols, and the unique culture of each popular online platform – otherwise the wrong approach can cause more harm than good.

This book aims to help busy professionals, executives and business owners understand the vital importance of masterful relationship building and relationship management in the new media world. By fostering high quality relationships with customers and their community at large, businesses can easily begin to see an increase in measurable results, including profits.

Plus, those individuals, companies and politicians with the largest “social footprint” get the biggest successes, the big bucks, the big wins. It’s not what you know, it’s who you know – but, more importantly, who knows you and what they know about you. This book provides the reader with an entire game plan for how to build a sizeable, loyal network comprised of quality relationships that results in a continuous stream of leads, happy customers, publicity, deals, opportunities, sales and more.

Single word title?

I really love single word book titles, such as Engage by Brian Solis, or Seth Godin’s books – Tribes and Linchpin. And Malcolm Gladwell’s Blink. Guy Kawasaki‘s new book is Enchantment. (All exceptional books, btw!)

Title ideas so far…

Here are some of the title choices I submitted in my proposal:

• LIKE! How To Build Powerful, Profitable Relationships In the New Media Age
• The Influence Principle: Why Relationships Are The New Currency
• Profitable Relationships: How To Build A Loyal Network of Friends, Fans and Followers and Become The Most Trusted Go-To Expert In Your Industry
• Affinity: The Complete Guide To Building A Sizeable, Loyal and Profitable Network Using The New Web
• The New Relationship Marketing: How To Build A Sizeable Platform, Become A Significant Center of Influence and Prosper In The New Media Age
• Relationships First: How To Build A Loyal Network of Friends, Fans and Followers That Generates Consistent New Business

Recognition if your title is the winner!

Now, it’s your turn! Please feel free to submit any and all ideas in the comments below. If you prefer to contact me privately, send an email to mari at marismith.com. Or DM on Twitter is fine too! I’m excited to hear from you! We’re about to start working on the book cover design so do submit your title ideas ASAP!

If I end up choosing the title you submit, I’ll include your name in the book acknowledgments, send you an autographed copy along with other goodies, and give you big props on my Facebook Page, blog and Twitter!!

P.S. Isn’t the magical sparkle blue book image above awesome? I just had to have it – a whopping 10 credits ($15) on iStockPhoto.com. Though I use Zemanta, iStock always has such a super range.

Relationship marketing has been around since the dawning of (wo)man. So long as we’ve been able to communicate with our fellow beings, we’ve been able to do commerce. With the incredible boom of online social networking sites – particularly Facebook and Twitter – what we’re seeing now is a massive paradigm shift in the way we communicate and do business around the globe.

Yes, it’s important, “Who you know.” But now, with our attention-based culture we could say what’s even more important is, “Who knows you.”

As I was beginning to build my social footprint in 2003, I would look at my bookshelf, and my huge collection of home-study courses, and all the seminars I’d attended over the past 15 years. I know a LOT of amazing authors, speakers, leaders, and luminaries. But, did they know me? I’m delighted to say, they do now! In fact, I’m honored to include many of these leaders that I’d admired from afar for so long in my close circle of friends and among my top clients. All through the power of naturally building relationships through online and offline social networking.

By building a strong, recognizable brand in your industry and cultivating vital relationships, you’ll go far in achieving success in today’s world of new media marketing. I’m proud to introduce my new anthology book, The Relationship Age:

Are influencers born or made?

I put a few of my thoughts on relationship marketing into The Relationship Age. My chapter is called “Are Influencers Born or Made?” where I discuss the natural traits of influential people, various personality assessments, the importance of self-knowledge, plus I go on to share ten tips to increase your own influence factor regardless of your natural propensity.

(I first wrote this chapter back in 2007 when I met Dr. BJ Fogg through Facebook and he was putting together a book called The Psychology of Facebook! Also, It was rather amusing to see all the fuss made about Fast Company’s Influence Project this summer. Influence is a subject I’ve studied for a decade or more; my belief is we are all influential. And, influencers are both born and made – especially in today’s world!)

Meet the collaborative, international authors

In the very spirit of social media, I teamed up with 25 relationship marketers and social media marketing enthusiasts to coauthor the book. Our book, The Relationship Age, is spearheaded by Nick Nanton, JW Dicks and Lindsay Dicks of The Celebrity Branding Agency and is out today, November 11th!

Hop over to Amazon to pick up a copy of The Relationship Age and receive an array of helpful bonus material by simply emailing your Amazon receipt dated November 11 to: bonus@celebritypresspublishing.com

Meet our wonderful team of authors from all walks of life and all parts of the world – this book is truly a global effort. Our authors hail from Australia, England, Sweden, Finland, Italy, Malaysia, Canada and the United States.

Throughout the day, we’ll be in our TinyChat video broadcast room with a virtual book launch party. Plus, check my tweets and Facebook Page for additional updates on live access to myself and some of the authors today! (I’ll be camera-ready all day and will be broadcasting in-between appointments). We also have a Facebook Page for the book – come join us. And, be sure to follow all authors on Twitter – all names are linked to our Twitter accounts below:

Mari Smith – California  (Canadian-Scottish!)	Nick Nanton, Esq. – Orlando, FL	Lindsay Dicks – Orlando, FL
JW Dicks, Esq. – Orlando, FL	Pam Brossman – Sydney, Australia	Steve Brossman – Sydney, Australia
Jon Alfredsson – Sweden, now California	Beverly Dracos – Houston, TX	David Charles White – London, England
Jackie T Ewing – Orlando, FL	Georgia McCabe – Palm Island, FL	Katerina Morjanoff – Sydney, Australia
Brad Semp – Clermont, FL	Mark J. Buhagiar – NSW, Australia	Emma Tiebens – Orange County, CA
Pam Moore – Tampa, FL	Karen Purves – Surrey, England	Barbara Pender – Houston, TX
Katrina Kavvalos – Sydney, Australia	Eileen O’Neill – Rome, Italy	Mari Uusitalo – Tampere, Finland
Dechen Lau - Malaysia	Leslie Montgomery – New Hope, PA	Kathy Hagenbuch – Aldie, VA
Angeline O’Shannessy – Australia	Carol Roy – Alberta, Canada

Preview our table of contents:

Take a look through the diverse range of topics covered – each chapter is not only very well-written, they are packed with practical how-to’s and ideas for harnessing the power of Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, membership sites, email marketing, lead generation and better time management!

Chapter 1 – A Picture is Worth A Thousand Friends…Or Enemies
by Georgia L. McCabe ………………………………………………………………………………15
Chapter 2  -  Social Media Tribes: How You Can Achieve Success Faster & Multiply Your Online Exposure By Leveraging A Tribe
by Jon Alfredsson, PhD …………………………………………………………………………….25
Chapter 3  -  Video Marketing – How To Fastrack Your Results With Video
by Pam & Steve Brossman …………………………………………………………………………37
Chapter 4 -  Accelerate your Profile on Twitter – Even if you are a Newbie
by Katrina Kavvalos ………………………………………………………………………………….49
Chapter 5  -  Wall Street’s new intersection is Main Street
by Barbara Pender …………………………………………………………………………………….63
Chapter 6  -  How To Create Automatic Profits From Social Media & Keep Your Sanity At The Same Time
by Bradley W. Semp, PhD ………………………………………………………………………….71
Chapter 7  – Books Speak Volumes When Creating Relationships
by Nick Nanton & JW Dicks ……………………………………………………………………..81
Chapter 8  -  How To Grow Your Business Through Social Media Sites
by Dechen Lau ………………………………………………………………………………………….91
Chapter 9  -  Content Creates the Conversation
by Lindsay Dicks ……………………………………………………………………………………..101
Chapter 10  – The three most important ‘who’, ‘what’, and ‘where’ questions to ask in Social Media for business users
by David White ……………………………………………………………………………………….111
Chapter 11  -  7 – Relational Marketing Secrets To Attract, Nurture and Retain Your Perfect Clients Online and Offline!
by Emma Tiebens ……………………………………………………………………………………121
Chapter 12  -  Language is the Gift, Listening the Responsibility
by Carol Roy ……………………………………………………………………………………………133
Chapter 13  -  Are Influencers Born or Made?
by Mari Smith …………………………………………………………………………………………141
Chapter 14  -  Social Media: The Relationship Age
by Jackie Ewing ……………………………………………………………………………………….151
Chapter 15  -  The Art of Being Genuine
by Beverly Dracos ……………………………………………………………………………………159
Chapter 16  -  Marketing with Auto Responders
by Angie O’Shannessy ……………………………………………………………………………..167
Chapter 17  -  Membership sites – The Golden Goose of Internet Marketing
by Mark Buhagiar ……………………………………………………………………………………175
Chapter 18  -  Social Media As The Backbone of My ESOL Teaching
by Eileen O’Neill (in Rome, Italy) ……………………………………………………………187
Chapter 19  -  Harness the power of 3 Strategies you already use and Become Irresistible in Social Media
by Mari Uusitalo ……………………………………………………………………………………..197
Chapter 20  -  How To Keep Social Media From ‘Eating You Alive’!
by Kathy Hagenbuch ……………………………………………………………………………….207
Chapter 21  -  “Are You Engaging?” – Why Engagement is the Currency of The Relationship Age
by Katerina Morjanoff ……………………………………………………………………………..219
Chapter 22  -  Relationships and Social Media
by Pam Moore …………………………………………………………………………………………229
Chapter 23  -  Building Know, Like and Trust with Lead Magnets
by Karen Purves ………………………………………………………………………………………239
Chapter 24  -  Hobnob, Mingle, or Schmooze?
by Leslie Montgomery …………………………………………………………………………….247

Order your copy today!

Hop over to Amazon to pick up a copy of The Relationship Age and receive an array of helpful bonus material by simply emailing your Amazon receipt dated November 11 to: bonus@celebritypresspublishing.com

We’d love to hear from you! What have been some of your most inspiring relationship experiences as a result of using social media? Share with us in the comments below!

Today is an exciting day!! The pilot episode of Social Media Examiner TV launches and I’m thrilled and honored to be the Host!

Social Media Examiner was founded in October 2009 by Mike Stelzner; it’s a popular online magazine and has been named one of the top business blogs by Technorati. Mike is also founder of the annual Social Media Success Summits and now the Facebook Success Summit 2010.

Teamwork

Mike and I first met in December 2008 via our mutual friend, Denise Wakeman, at a social media event in San Diego. We immediately hit it off and I’ve been delighted to team up with Mike and contribute to his ventures ever since!

Four of the Social Media Examiner team members:
Amy Porterfield, Denise Wakeman, Mike Stelzner (founder) & Mari Smith.
[Pic taken at Seth Godin event by LinkedOC, Feb 2010]

Meanwhile, over the past six months or so, I had been thinking about starting an internet TV show. Many friends of mine would say, “You should do an internet TV show!” I’ve loaded several fun videos to my Facebook Fan Page. I was a guest on BraveHearTV and got the chance recently to shoot a TV infomercial for Jim Britt along with host, Valerie Brooks-Flores, (details coming!). I just love the medium of TV to communicate so much more.

I looked at all kinds of approaches for TV shows and, quite frankly, the logistics seemed overwhelming. I’ve always been inspired by the amazing Gary Vaynerchuk and his wildly popular WineLibraryTV. Gary definitely has a fabulous personality for TV!!

Social Media Examiner TV is born!

Well, there’s much to be said about the power of intention. Over a recent business lunch, Mike and I had one of those simultaneous, spontaneous sparks of genius … and Social Media Examiner TV was born!! This episode is the first of three pilots and we’ll begin running regularly after that!

In this episode, I review the awesome new iPad app, Flipboard—an amazing way to consume your social media news and see your Facebook and Twitter contacts—along with my passion for Facebook‘s 500 million users and the game-changing social plugins. Plus, we take a look at how Foursquare could help your local business.

Take a peek at our inaugural show below – be sure to max up to full screen (click the wee four-arrow icon in the bottom right corner). [And, look for a funny line at minute 6:30; it still cracks me up!]

If you enjoyed this pilot episode of Social Media Examiner TV, please do tweet about it (use hashtag #SMEtv), share it on Facebook or even embed this episode on your blog.

By the way, here’s my excited tweet when I met up with Ross Epstein, Regional Marketing Coordinator for Jimbo’s Naturally:

And here’s that funny original tweet I talk about at minute 6:30 in the Social Media Examiner TV show:

The Power of Intention

When I got back to my home office after filming this first Social Media Examiner TV pilot, I was so ecstatic and made a video for my Facebook Fan Page on the subject of manifesting what we want.

When you have clarity on something that you want to create (the “What”) and why, you can leave the “How” part up to the Universe. We often get caught up in the “How” and try to control all the details. But when we’re committed to serving the greater good, magic can really happen in an even bigger and better way than you might’ve first imagined.

Please do leave your comments below — I’d love to hear what you think of this first TV show. Feel free to add your suggestions for future show content and your comments about Internet TV in general.

In fact, do hop over to this post on Social Media Examiner‘s blog today. Plus – guess what?? In future episodes, you’ll have an opportunity to get your questions answered! And, if you leave a video response on YouTube, Mike and I may just put your video into one of our future episodes!!!

[UPATE: Thank you for your interest in ISMA – this organization is in process of being dissolved. You may read about the transition below. If you were a member of ISMA, you will continue to receive access to all materials via my website on a special platform – please keep an eye on your email Inbox for information.]

This is not an easy post to write, but here goes — after much deliberation, my partner in ISMA and I have decided to dissolve the International Social Media Association. There are many reasons behind this decision and it was certainly a tough one to make.

Mark and I have enjoyed this journey together since September 2009 and are most grateful to our more than 3,000 members. Between the tw

o of us – along with Mark’s entire family – much effort has gone into building ISMA to this point.

However, like I say, for a number of reasons we have chosen to wind up our partnership and ISMA.

All our members received a special, heartfelt email message this morning with details of our announcement.

Live Q&A Broadcast

In order to communicate the transition of ISMA in person and answer any questions our members and other industry professionals may have, I will be LIVE on Ustream TODAY, Friday, April 30th at 1:00pm PST / 4:00pm EST.

Do drop in any time if you can at http://marismith.tv

I will broadcast live for approximately 90 minutes. The show will be recorded and the replay will be available at the same link if you’re unable to join me live.

UPDATE: I have embedded below the replay of the live Ustream broadcast:

What Went Right?

Rather than dig in and analyze what went “wrong,” I’d rather focus on what went right. [Props to Ian Newby-Clark, psychologist at the University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada for this great reframe in Psychology Today.]

Facebook beginnings

By way of background, I began my journey in the social media industry back in early summer of 2007. For the previous seven years, I was a relationship marketing specialist – focusing on internet marketing, information product creation, copywriting and email marketing. I would travel, speak, consult and lead online trainings – similar to what I do now, sans social media!

When I was introduced to Facebook, I was convinced that I didn’t need yet another online social network to help me network. I’m already a natural networker. However, I dove deep into this  magical world on a team of beta testers for a Facebook app.

Social media = paradigm shift

Of course, what we had begun to experience as a society and beyond was a complete paradigm shift in how we function, communicate and do business on the planet. Suddenly, it was ALL about the relationships. Not what you know, but who you know. And – often more importantly – who knows you.

Words like “authentic” and “transparent” were all abuzz. As consumers, we began to expect that individuals and companies would be more open, more sharing, more inclusive. Social media became “word of mouth on steroids,” as my friend Gary Vaynerchuk calls it.

Towards the end of 2007, I was creating Facebook training products, leading seminars and traveling to speak about Facebook marketing.

Best practices

But, I felt uneasy about what was beginning to look like a giant free-for-all: a new industry without best practices. There were so many unspoken rules of etiquette. With all due respect to the well-intentioned marketers who push the envelope and try new ways of using these new technologies, I just felt strongly about leading by example… and, I envisioned creating an organization grounded in best practices. I had a vision to create Certification Programs and an international community of like-minded, supportive professionals.

Fast forward more than two years on, and last fall – after leading my six-month “Mentor With Mari” program – I co-founded the International Social Media Association with Mark Eldridge, co-author of The Obvious Expert.

Gratitude

What went right is that I followed my heart and took action. What went right is I surrounded myself with a solid, supportive team. What went right is we attracted over 3,000 wonderful members and each week we were able to bring them wonderful industry experts who generously shared their knowledge and expertise.

We built community. We built a special place for loyal professionals to support each other. We spawned new businesses, new collaborations, new relationships.

I will always be deeply grateful for this profound opportunity to go for my dreams and birth an amazing social media association. I couldn’t have done it without the relentless support of Mark Eldridge and his family. And, we couldn’t have come this far without our members.

Closing a door is never easy. Yet, as you well know, another door always opens. This isn’t an ending – it’s a beginning. I won’t rule out other associations in my future. And, I’m certainly open to joining forces with other social media industry leaders… but not before I free up a wee bit more time in my hectic schedule!

My major focuses right now are:

• The launch of my first published book - Facebook Marketing: An Hour A Day (Sybex, May 3) co-authored with Chris Treadaway. Do come join us at our virtual launch party on Monday, May 3! Facebook Marketing: An Hour A Day is a comprehensive guide for marketers, business owners and practitioners alike. Discover all the ways your business can maximize everything Facebook has to offer, from simple quick techniques to full-on campaigns. Order your copy today and get a free series of online classes!

• My favorite event of the year: the extraordinary online Social Media Success Summit – brainchild of my dear friend, Mike Stelzner – which begins on May 4 and runs for four weeks. (It’s entirely virtual!) The Summit features twenty-four of the world’s leading social media experts, practitioners and leading brand representatives. See my post here for additional details. And, take a look at my video on YouTube: Ten Reasons to Attend the Social Media Success Summit.

• My own two-day live training programs: Social Marketing Mastery Immersion coming up on June 11-12 and again September 3-4 in San Diego. Attend live at a great San Diego hotel, or virtually via webinar!
• A long-awaited collaboration with my dear spiritual mentor, Esperanza, called Conscious Social Media. VERY excited about this – I can share details in just another few days!

• Plus, continuing my travels to speak around the globe on social media success and lead training programs on Facebook marketing.
• Plus, continuing to lead private trainings and provide social media strategy consulting for my dear clients.

I look forward to evolving and growing with you, my peeps!

Do feel free to add your comments, questions, concerns, ideas and feedback below! I’d love to hear from you.

I’m about to set off on a wee tour – which originally began as a private mastermind retreat in Albuquerque, New Mexico, April 12-17

Then, my friend, Peggy McColl, asked me to speak at her amazing Viral Explosions book launch extravaganza in Ottawa, Ontario, April 16 and 17. It’s such an amazing event, and my big sis lives near Ottawa so we get to meet up!

And, my friend, Joel Comm contacted me to let me know the Loveland Chamber of Commerce *really* wanted me to come speak at their next Social Media Social. We ended up selecting a date that worked for all of us, and I added on extra time on the front end of my trip! w00t!

So, if you’re in the Northern Colorado area, or Albuquerque or Ottawa – I’d love to meet you IRL (in real life!) at these upcoming events:

Northern Colorado Social Media Social – Loveland, CO 

WHEN: Thursday, April 8, 2010 from 5:30-7:30pm
WHERE: Embassy Suites Loveland, Clydesdale Parkway, Loveland, CO 80538
COST: Loveland Chamber investors: $8 to pre-reg; $10 at the door. Everyone else: $12 to pre-reg; $15 at the door
RSVP: CLICK HERE to register. [NOTE: I have 4 guest passes left. If you know for sure you can make it, DM me for a guest pass!!]

Mix, mingle and meet the people behind the avatars and Twitter handles! I’ll be giving a short presentation on social media marketing, especially a few of my Facebook and Twitter ninja tricks. PLUS, the Loveland Chamber are serving Aqua Mari’tinis in my honor – gotta love that!! Follow the @LovelandChamber and @NoCOSocialMedia on Twitter.

 
[Pic: @JoelComm & @MariSmith at the Affiliate Summit West in Las Vegas, Jan 2009]

Spring Tweetup – Denver, CO

WHEN: Friday, April 9, 2010 from 6:30-9:30pm
WHERE: The Lobby Denver, 2191 Arapahoe St, Denver, CO 80205
COST: No fee, but Happy Hour Specials & food available for purchase, of course!
RSVP: http://twtvite.com/springtweetupdenver [Please let us know you're coming asap so we know how many to expect!]

NOTE: It’s opening day for the ROCKIES, parking may be a wee bit tight. Carpool and take public transit if you can.

“To mark the beginning of Spring to see old friends and new, and to welcome Mari Smith to Denver.”

Thanks to my Twitter bud, Ashley Kingsley, for spearheading the organizing of this fun tweetup!! To see who’s attending, just go to the Twtvite page here.

Who’s going so far: 
 

New Mexico American Marketing Association, Albuquerque, NM

WHEN: Tuesday, April 13, 2010 from 7:30am-9:30am
[7:30-8:00am - Check-in & continental breakfast; 8:00-9:30 am - Mari Smith presentation]
WHERE: Hotel Albuquerque, 800 Rio Grande NW
COST: $25 NMAMA members / $40 non-members
RSVP: CLICK HERE to register.

JAVA TALK Workshop – Facebook Fortune & Twitter Treasure. How to grow your business using the top two social networks. 90-minute presentation for local business owners and entrepreneurs.

Huge shoutout to @KimGusta who happened to see me tweeting about my retreat at the Hyatt Regency Tamaya and she tweeted/DM’d me inviting me to speak to the AMA. Gotta LOVE Twitter, social media and the sheer power of networking!!

The Ultimate Success Event – Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Presented by Peggy McColl. Includes mega book launch party extravaganza for VIRAL EXPLOSIONS

WHEN: Friday April 16, 2010 from 6:30pm-11:00pm (FREE book launch party)
Saturday, April 17, 2010 from 8:00am – 6:30pm (The ULTIMATE Success Event)
WHERE: Chateau Cartier Hotel (relatively close to downtown Ottawa, Ontario)
COST: Friday’s party is FREE! Saturday’s seminar is just $199!
RSVP: CLICK HERE to register.

To kick off the official launch of Peggy McColl’s 7th book, Viral Explosions, and ensure you have everything you need to make this your biggest and best year ever . in Life and Business!

LIVE entertainment by Diego the Humor Hypnotist! And Magician, Elliott Smith! And, Singers, Alison Comrie and Kristen Stephen!

Presenters at The ULTIMATE Success Event include Gay Hendricks, Joyce Bone, Scott Stratten, Mike Koenigs, Brian Proctor, David Riklan, Arielle Ford, Steve Shapiro, Ken Brown and more!

This will be one magical event – I look forward to seeing you there! Register now if you can attend.

Let me know in the comments below (and/or on Twitter) if you’re able to attend any of these fun four events!!

Each year, I choose a one-word theme that acts as a guide in all my major decisions and shapes my entire year.

I start thinking about the theme around the beginning of December and simply set the intention that the essence of the word will come to me strongly and clearly at the right time to serve my highest good and the good of those I serve.

In 2008, my one word theme was FOCUS – which I like to make into an acronym for “Follow One Course Until Successful.” Focus certainly paid off in 2008; it was my most successful year up to that point.

In 2009, my one word theme was INFLUENCE – I would ask myself consciously and subconsciously, “Who and what am I allowing to influence me?“

When I wrote this post on December 29, 2008 about choosing Influence for 2009, little did I know then how much my choice would impact my year both personally and professionally!

2009 far exceeded my business and finance goals with an abundance of national and international speaking engagements, lucrative joint ventures, celebrity clients, meeting Richard Branson and the Dalai Lama, the successful launch of my first social media certification course, Mentor With Mari, the co-creation of the International Social Media Association. all topped off with an invitation to attend the 52nd Grammy Awards and walk the red carpet!

In 2009 in my personal life, I chose to stop traveling the country in a motorhome and transition out of my eight-year marriage, as I shared in this post. I couldn’t have imagined sharing such an intimate experience so publicly before social media. Yet, the process was profound for both me and my community.

Now, as we celebrate the completion of 2009 and dance into 2010, my resounding one-word theme is TEAM! This word came to me as I contemplated where I got stuck most this year – where I didn’t allow myself to grow as much as I wanted.

One of my Achilles heels is delegation. I’m blessed to have several skilled team members and to be surrounded by powerful mentors, mastermind partners, coaches and other skilled experts. Yet I allowed myself to get completely stopped or stymied in several areas (like blog development, membership programs, product creation, book writing!) because my calendar got so backed up and I wanted to do so much myself.

Of course, there’s such a thing as balance, right? Whilst my two blogs may have taken a back seat, my Twitter presence, Facebook fan page, professional network and speaking engagements flourished significantly!

You’ve probably heard of the word “TEAM” used as an acronym for “Together Everyone Achieves More” (or Miracles). I like this. though if you have other creative suggestions, I’m open to ideas!

Now it’s your turn! What’s your theme for 2010?

I just attended and spoke at the Glazer-Kennedy Inner Circle Info-SUMMIT^SM 2009 in Atlanta, GA. It was a packed event with over 800 attendees and an incredible speaker lineup, including George Foreman, Frank Kern, Master Lloyd Irvin, Mike Koenigs, James Malinchak, Sonia Simone, Chris Cardell, Ron Seaver, and Michael Cage.

[Pic: Frank Kern, Mari Smith, Dan Kennedy]

Main highlight – Frank Kern!

For me, one of the highlights of the Info-SUMMIT^SM was meeting legendary marketer, Frank Kern, whom I’d heard so much about for some time.

I love Frank’s highly entertaining style, having read his blog and watched his videos for awhile. I also recently got a copy of Mass Control at the Engage Today event.

But nothing beats live and in person. Frank blends his super smart marketing brain with a complete no-bull, in-your-face hilarious style. (Of course the no-bull part is Frank’s mentor, Dan Kennedy‘s, specialty!)

One of the exercises Frank Kern did during his presentation was about getting super clear on what you want to achieve in life and then creating a foolproof system to pay for it all!

Frank brought up on stage the lovely Maritza Parra and proceeded to take her through this process which consisted of three simple columns: (1) Thing you want, (2) How much it costs per month, and (3) Why you want it.

Once you’ve listed a dozen or more things you want (from houses, cars and horses to travel, personal trainer and nanny!), tally up the monthly cost, multiply by 12 then divide by 365 and you have a daily amount you need to earn. Take that daily amount and divide by the dollar amount of the main product/service you sell and that’s how many sales you need to make per day.

Frank makes it all sound so easy! In fact, I created this downloadable form that you can fill out and it will calculate the numbers for you (once you fill in your three columns!): Your Ideal Lifestyle – Clarity Calculator.

Lessons from my social media presentation

Now, on to my own presentation: I spoke about social media success, particularly using Facebook and Twitter to grow your business. I was on a panel first thing on Day 1 as a quick preview of my presentation that evening and all went well.

However, my actual presentation wasn’t my best. In fact – in total transparency – I feel I let much of the audience down by not providing them sufficient content and value, which is the opposite of what I’ve done in all my other talks.

What happened is I chose to work with several speaking/sales coaches at short notice. The impact this had was I deviated from my own natural presentation style so much so that it was uncomfortable for me… and the audience.

My speaking schedule has been super-intense for most of 2009; I had the Info-SUMMIT^SM engagement booked for about six months, so ought to have given myself more time and practice for such coaching.

As my dear friend and personal trainer, Ashley Mahaffey, said to me, I was like a marathon runner who went out to race with a brand new pair of running shoes and ended up with sore feet and blisters! [Ok, I know this pic is high heels - but imagine running a race in these?!!]

Thing is, much of the Info-SUMMIT^SM audience provided positive feedback to me and I had a reasonable uptake of the training program I offered, which I’m delighted about. But I just know I could’ve done a whole lot better in hindsight.

As we say in the seminar business, “Correct and continue.”

I did watch the Twitter stream like a hawk and was able to connect with a couple of attendees who expressed their experience of my talk – I was grateful for their constructive feedback.

This is also a great lesson for other seminar attendees on the importance of monitoring what Jermiah Owyang calls the back channel.

[I have since put up a page of free social media resources for Info-SUMMIT^SM attendees to view/download here.]

Going forward, here are my key takeaways from this experience:

1. Be more selective about such intense travel and events in 2010 onwards – better to speak at fewer events and do a stellar job than pack in three a week and stress myself out!
2. Allow plenty room in my schedule for proper planning, rehearsal, coaching and logistics – particularly prior to major events.
3. Stay with my natural style and my propensity to over-deliver on content and value – even though some schools of thought differ.
4. Strive to attend the full events I speak at, so as to better compliment the other speakers and provide a more cohesive experience for the audience.
5. Integrate coaching input over time… and practice on smaller audiences!

If you attended the Info-SUMMIT^SM, do leave me your feedback below. I’m always open to constructive criticism. Whether you attended the Info-SUMMIT^SM or not, I’d love to hear your own tales from the trenches about public speaking and selling from the stage in the comments below:

At the recent 140 Twitter Conference, I sparked a bit of controversy on the branding panel that I participated on: I brought up a point that reminds me of the line in the movie Glengarry Glen Ross “ABC, always be closing” and I framed it as “ABM = always be marketing” and “always be me.”

I was fascinated to see the polarized responses from the audience, Twitterverse and one of my fellow panelists. (I’m a big fan of expressing opinions, but it’s not my style to polarize! Oh well!)

To me, Always Be Marketing means that I am extremely mindful and strategic about everything I do online and in public. For example, turquoise and bling is my signature branding color/look/feel – so that’s what I present in public. (Eight percent of my wardrobe is a shade of blue!) And, my persona is upbeat, open, caring, genuine and always helpful, always willing to answer questions particularly about Facebook. This is all part of my brand.

In fact, the greatest compliment I receive is when people meet me in person and say I’m exactly like they thought I would be from how I am online.

With social media so prevalent we are all EXTREMELY visible. Your prospective clients, your peers and your competition can drill as deep as they wish searching, reading and gathering information online about you and posted by you without you ever knowing who’s searching. Depending on what they find, your prospects may choose to do business with you or not.

Being mindful and in “ABM” mode helps with reputation management. To me, ABM means you’re never careless about what you put out there. You see the longevity of everything that’s published. (For the best book on reputation management see, Radically Transparent by Andy Beal and Judy Strauss).

To some folks, the word “marketing” has negative connotations. It’s a word often misinterpreted as meaning “hocking your wares,” “pushing” and being like a used car salesman. That’s unfortunate. There’s a big difference between ABP: always be pushing and ABM: always be marketing!

I unfollow the “ABP” types on Twitter and unfriend or even block them on Facebook. I’m all about connecting and building relationships… and yes, there’s strategy to all that too. What may seem as idle chit-chat on Twitter is 100% visible to the whole world on Twitter. It’s important to always do your best, because you just never know who is watching you.

Perhaps some folks have negative feelings associated with the movie, Glengarry Glen Ross – it’s an intense movie and the question of ethics and integrity in sales is a theme running throughout the film. I certainly would never recommend doing “whatever it takes” to market. It has to be genuine, positive and contribute to your community. Like I say, the ABM also means “always be me” (or, for me, “always be Mari!”

In fact, here’s a couple of my fave nuggets from the #140tc:

What are your thoughts? What does ABM mean to you? Do you consider yourself to be in “marketing mode” at all times – or is it something you turn on and off? Do you apply a special formula to your tweeting style with x% personal and x% business? Is there a clear line between the two, or are you like me and completely blend your social media personal/professional style because you know ultimately people are buying YOU first?! I’d love to hear from you – add your thoughts in the comments below:

A Facebook friend recently mentioned she was intentionally responding to new Facebook friend requests late at night as she didn’t want to clog up her friends’ feeds. Thing is, there’s a setting in your Facebook Privacy to control exactly what gets published on your Facebook Wall and your friends’ News Feeds.

I have my settings tweaked so that when I add a new friend this is not published on my Wall or friends’ News Feeds. One of the main reasons was, like my girlfriend, I didn’t want to clog up my friends’ feeds.

But, also, what I found was that some folks would watch my feed and see who I was becoming friends with, then reach out to them and infer we had a much deeper connection than was so. Such is the nature of Facebook friends — it could be someone brand new you’ve just added or someone you’ve known all your life.

In any case, there are a few settings you may not be aware of either when it comes to what content you choose to publish on your Wall and, by default, out into your friends’ News Feeds.

How to edit your News Feed and Wall settings:

On the top blue navigation bar, mouseover Settings > then click on Privacy Settings > then click on News Feed and Wall as shown in the screenshot below:

On the next screen, check or uncheck the settings as you wish. The screenshot below is exactly how I have my settings:

Add a friend

If you have the “Add a friend” setting checked on your News Feed and Wall privacy section, your Wall could look like this when you confirm friend requests en masse:

Plus, this activity may show up in all your friends’ News Feeds. There could be very strategic reasons to leave this setting checked as maybe you want people to see how many friends you’re adding, or who they are. But my preference is to have it private for reasons mentioned above.

I’ve been at the 5,000 Facebook friend limit since fall 2008 but I do monitor my News Feed very closely to ensure the people in my inner circle are a match for my style and vice versa. (By the way, if ever you remove a friend, no notifications go out at all. I know this is a concern for many folks!)

Show Wall posts or not?

If you also use Facebook for personal purposes and want to keep personal separate from business, you might want to give thought to this Wall setting. In other words, if you prefer to have the Wall posts you write only show up on that friend’s Wall and not be published out into the News Feed of all your friends, uncheck the top setting. (There is a much more granular way to control your Publisher settings which I’ll write about in a separate post).

I tend to be totally open and use Facebook for strategic professional networking 99% of the time. Every action creates visibility so I’m happy for all Wall posts to go into all friends’ feeds.

One thing to consider though is when you’re wishing your friends a happy birthday. Whether it’s you or an assistant that writes birthday greetings, you might want to be aware that every Wall post may go out into your friends’ News Feed assuming the “Show Wall posts” setting is checked. If you have a lot of friends and all you write is “Happy Birthday” on your friends’ Walls one after the other, frankly, I think it looks automated and impersonal. Instead, I suggest mixing up the birthday greetings and perhaps even spacing them out a bit.

Change relationship status

Again, it’s a personal choice. But, for me, I recently went through a personal transition as I wrote about here and I didn’t want to broadcast that news via Facebook. This setting may be irrelevant to most people – but it’s certainly one you should be aware of.

Here’s what your friends might see in their Highlights section on their Home Page, unless the setting is unchecked:

Let me know if you found this post useful and how you like to have your News Feed and Wall settings in the Comments section below. Have you taken advantage of the really granular publishing and privacy settings? What’s your biggest question(s) about these settings?