A social media superstar is a person who has reached a certain level of industry leadership and success, in the eyes of his/her fans, followers and peers. And, these leaders naturally possess the ten qualities detailed in this post. Most of these characteristics transcend industries, and many of them transcend those who have or are striving to attain “superstar” status. But, those individuals who have all ten of these qualities are most likely people who are out there doing an amazing job of truly making a big difference in the world of social media and beyond.

Last week, I lead a free webinar discussing these qualities and featuring the 32 leaders I chose to spotlight. The webinar was attended by over 800 live participants; the replay has been viewed more than 1,000 times, and the slides have over 5,000 views on SlideShare. A popular topic for sure! You can gain instant access to the replay of the webinar here, and view the slides below. Plus, keep reading further for details of the ten qualities, featuring 32 social media leaders!

In each of the ten qualities below, I’ve highlighted some of my favorite social media superstars – every one of which I personally know, and feel that they embody all ten of the qualities, not just the section(s) in which I feature them. I could easily add many more wonderful leaders here; this list is by no means exhaustive. Feel free to recommend your own favorite superstars for any one or more of the qualities in the comments section!

#1 – Humility

Leaders who are clearly very humble are the most attractive and the most engaging. By attractive, I mean people feel naturally *drawn* to them. We feel more relaxed and open around humble people. These individuals love to shine the spotlight on others but tend to shy away from having the light shining on them personally too much.

Check in on your own humility. I recommend before sharing anything on any platform, ask yourself, “What is my deepest intent?“ Sometimes it’s important to sit with that question for a bit to make sure you’re coming from the right place.

My social media picks for those who exemplify humility are:

Erik Qualman - talented author of Socialnomics and producer of brilliant viral videos, Erik is always gracious and has time for everyone.

Follow @equalman

Scott Monty – one of Ford’s best assets, Scott is admired by many. He’s super kind and super savvy.

Follow @scottmonty

Shashi Bellamkonda – I’ve had the pleasure of knowing Networked Solutions’ “social media swami” for many years. Along with his expertise, he’s extremely helpful. (He once went totally out of his way to help me track down a lost camera at Las Vegas airport!)

Follow @shashib

These individuals are so humble, they may even balk at being called “superstars!” Plus, if you’ve ever met Tony Hsieh — CEO of Zappos and author of Delivering Happiness — and heard him give a presentation, he really epitomizes humility in a leader. I’ve been blessed to share the stage with Tony five times now over the years! My friend Jim Kwik has a very similar disposition to Tony; Jim is currently working on his book called The Art of Warmth.

#2 – PASSION!

Regardless of your career, in an ideal world, you want to get paid for what you’re really, truly passionate about!! The one name that always comes to mind when thinking of unbridled passion in the social media world is my friend:

Gary Vaynerchuk – Gary has monetized social media with his exuberant personality and genuine love of people! I’m honored to call him a friend.

Follow @garyvee

It’s important to share your passion in your own way!! It’s not about trying to be like Gary; rather, making sure your life – and hopefully your business too – is a vibrant expression of your passion!

#3 – An INCLUSIVE attitude

To be a good leader, especially in the social media industry, having a non-competitive, inclusive approach works very well. A social media superstar with an inclusive approach will happily recommend and endorse his/her peers. You will often see them retweeting and promoting other social media professionals – who could easily be seen as their competition by others. These leaders treat everyone as equals. They don’t put others on pedestals and don’t like to be put on a pedestal themselves.

Those leaders who have this type of non-competitive, inclusive attitude are:

Jay Baer – a super-savvy and real down-to-earth guy, Jay is very welcoming and kind to everyone.

Follow @jaybaer

Brian Solis – if you’ve ever met Brian, you know he has a wonderful disposition. He’s also one of the most talented thought leaders and futurists in the social media world and beyond.

Follow @briansolis

Jeremiah Owyang - I first met Jeremiah in 2007 and he’s always been very sweet and personable. Along with Brian Solis, Jeremiah is one of the brilliant minds in the social media industry. It was an honor to have him lead the opening keynote for the Social Media Success Summit 2011.

Follow @jowyang

There are many more, too. Who would you add? Make your suggestions in the comments section below!

You may have heard sayings like, “Be yourself because everybody is already taken,” and one of my favorites from Dr. Seuss, “There’s nobody youer than You!” There are nearly seven billion people on the planet (close to one billion of us are on Facebook!), and we are all uniquely different. Yes, you need to differentiate yourself. At the end of the day, people do business with people they know, like and trust. Even if you offer an identical product or service as other businesses, the right clients will be drawn to you because of who you are.

#4 – Engaging

As Brian Solis talks about in his latest book, Engage, business have to “engage or die.” In other words, it’s crucial to your success to be responsive to your community. Audiences don’t want to be talked “at” and get bombarded with marketing messages. True leaders in the social media world care deeply about others and it shows by their daily interactions with as many people as possible. My choices for those who engage well are:

Guy Kawasaki - yes, I know Guy is a “firehose” of content, but he’s also very engaging on both Twitter and his Facebook fan page for Enchantment. He’s also a very caring person and certainly walks the talk of being enchanting!

Follow @guykawasaki

Ekaterina Walter - a talented social media strategist for Intel, Ekaterina is a terrific content producer and curator as well as being a great engager.

Follow @ekaterina

Pam Moore – Pam and her husband run a busy social media agency; she writes her own posts and is a popular guest blogger and is also a great engager.

Follow @pammktgnut

Who would you add — who do you love to engage with on Twitter and Facebook?

#5 – Deep NICHE knowledge

This is where the true differentiation starts to come in. A vast number of people may possess superstar qualities #1 through #4. But, having deep technical knowledge and experience within a specific niche really sets these superstars apart. They are specialists, not generalists. In addition to deep niche knowledge, these leaders also have a great breadth of industry knowledge. And they willingly share their knowledge and happily answer questions for their friends, fans and followers.

Superstars who have carved out a powerful and clear niche include:

Viveka von Rosen – one of my favorite go-to LinkedIn experts.

Follow @linkedinexpert

Beth Kanter – hands-down the top expert for social media for non profits.

Follow @kaneter

Sarah Evans – a PR genius and a super engager.

Follow @prsarahevans

Steve Garfield – the author of Get Seen and is a talented video marketing expert.

Follow @stevegarfield

John Haydon – like Beth, John is a master in the area of social media – specifically Facebook – for non profits. He’s my go-to guy in this area!

Follow @johnhaydon

What I love about niche experts is they are always at the top of my mind whenever I have an opportunity come across my desk – I can confidently pass along opportunities  and leads to these industry specialists.

Who else would you add here? Who comes to mind when someone is seeking a true expert in ______? Fill in the blank!

#6 – A prolific CONTENT producer

Another differentiator: social media leaders create and publish vast volumes of excellent, quality content. The root word of “authority” is “author.” If you want to be an authority in any field, author more – write more! Publish more blog posts, articles, and guest blog posts. Create more information products. Lead more teleseminars, webinars. Speak more. Get your expertise out there in the written and spoken word and you will become known as a prolific, quality content producer!

These leaders also freely share “OPC” – other people’s content. They feature other experts on their blogs, they regularly share other experts’ content on Facebook, Twitter and more.

Some of my favorite quality content creators are:

Ann Handley – and the MarketingProfs team are phenomenal at writing some of the best marketing content. Their studies and in-depth reports are extremely valuable. Ann should be under #1 above too; I’ve had the pleasure of meeting her in person and she’s extremely humble.

Follow @marketingprofs

Kristi Hines – is just a delight; do check out her blog and her consistently terrific blog posts.

Follow @kikolani

Simply Zesty – my favorite Irish team, Lauren Fisher and Niall Harbison are the brains behind SimplyZesty. Their talented writing often appears on other big blogs like TheNextWeb.

Follow @simplyzesty

Krishna De – another Irish gem, Krishna’s blog is packed with valuable social media and Facebook marketing tips.

Follow @krishnade

Who are your favorite sources of quality social media content? Let me know in the comments!

#7 – Always add VALUE

Along with creating and curating terrific content, these social media leaders add value with everything they do. They are discerning in what they say; they lift others up, are encouraging and are great listeners. You may often hear people talk about how important it is to “add value.” Adding value comes in many forms – when you’re a source of great knowledge, expertise, resources and support for your community, you’ll have a reputation for someone who adds value.

Some of my top choices for this quality are:

Mark Schaefer – his blog is exceptional, thought-provoking, helpful. Always something new and fresh. And Mark is a super nice guy; he’s always a great source of support.

Follow @markwschaefer

Cindy Ratzlaff – a longtime friend of mine, Cindy is a savvy branding and book marketing expert along with running her own social media agency. Her breadth and depth of experience always adds value.

Follow @brandyou

Nancy Myrland - Nancy is one of the nicest peeps online; she always has a cheery and helpful word for everyone and publishes great content on her blog too.

Follow @nancymyrland

Lori Taylor – another bright light in the online world, Lori shares an abundance of helpful social media tips and resources and always has something positive to say.

Follow @lorirtaylor

On the subject of discernment, here’s a great nugget from one of my favorite comedians, fellow Scot, Craig Ferguson:

There’s this idea that people are meaner than they used to be because of the Internet. People are not meaner; they’ve always been mean. It’s just the technology is just *faster!* People have a crazy, angry thought — BOOM!! It’s out. They don’t take time to slow down, self-edit and ask themselves these three questions: 1) Does this need to be said? 2) Does this need to be said by ME? and 3) Does this need to be said by me NOW?

~Craig Ferguson, from his “Does This Need To Be Said” show.

Who do you know that is always adding value by sharing great content as well as being supportive, kind and helpful?

#8 – 100% consistent.

Consistency has three main components in this context: 1) You have a seamless branding image and presence across all platforms. There is a consistent, uniform message that speaks quality. 2) You produce and share content regularly,  ideally daily, through your various social channels. 3) You engage with your network, ideally daily. Over time, you become known as someone who is reliable; you’re trustworthy and can be counted on to always show up.

Three consistently branded, generous leaders are:

Guy Kawasaki - I’m honored to call Guy a friend also; he’s the same everywhere – online, offline. I know Guy is also under quality #4, Engaging. I’ve put him in twice.

Follow @guykawasaki

Danny Brown - a fun, fellow Scottish-Canadian, Danny has a great look and feel to his brand and is a prolific content creator and engager. 

Follow @dannybrown

Ann Handley – Ann deserves to be featured twice too; she can be relied upon daily for excellent content + regular connecting.

Follow @marketingprofs

Who would you add here that exemplifies the quality of consistency?

#9 – A true LEADER

True leaders build people up and encourage them to reach their full potential, no holds barred. The thing is, many people in leadership positions actually hold themselves back from really championing other people, out of a fear that others might leapfrog ahead and surpass them. How sad. In his book, Greater Than Yourself, author Steve Farber talks about how true leaders really build people up.

These leaders are some of my favorites who are highly skilled at building real communities:

Laura Fitton (Founder @oneforty) – Laura is credited with being the person who got Guy Kawasaki on Twitter. Imagine Twitter without Guy! Along with being a published author, Laura created a great platform and community at oneforty.com.

Follow @pistachio

Charlene Li (Founder @altimetergroup) – I’ve always admired Charlene’s talents and leadership style.

Follow @charleneli

Liz Strauss (Founder @sobcon) – a fellow 6′ blonde, Liz is just a delight. She is cofounder of SOBcon (Successful Online Business Conference), a thriving annual event.

Follow @lizstrauss

Michael Stelzner (Founder @smexaminer) – Mike does a fabulous job of really fostering community among his entire audience and all his guest bloggers on SocialMediaExaminer.com and its Facebook fan page. I first met Mike in 2008 and over the years we have enjoyed a very rewarding business alliance, specifically with the largescale online Summits.

Follow @mike_stelzner

Wendy Piersall (A leader of mom-bloggers) – Wendy is another delightful leader. She has built successful blogs and businesses and her book Mom Blogging for Dummies is coming out next month.

Follow @emom

What other leaders do you admire?

#10 – A PROVEN track record

And finally, social media superstars did not just wake up one morning, hang out a shingle and call themselves and expert. Unfortunately, there is a lot of this in the social media industry which can reflect badly on those who have truly earned their stripes. However, I am of the opinion that you never, ever build yourself up by beating others down. Period. One of my favorite quotes is:

The best gift you can give others is the example of your own life working. ~Orin

True leaders – in any industry – have really “earned the right” to be a Superstar. They have put in the long hours of study and practice. They have client case studies and can point to their tangible results spanning many years. Several studies, including by Harvard, show that it takes ten years or 10,000 hours to be a real expert. Malcolm Gladwell, talks about this in his book, Outliers.

Experts have special knowledge of a subject beyond that of the average person. Experts have a prolonged or intense experience through practice and education in a particular field. ~Wikipedia

There is a vast number of experienced professionals in the social media industry with many years’ of experience working with clients and brands of all sizes, writing books and speaking at large conferences. Three of my choices for this quality are:

Brian Solis – a true leader with vast experience and expertise. Take a look at Brian’s popular blog on any given day and also pick up a copy of his book Engage, and you’ll immediately see why Brian is one of the top names in social media. I’ve included Brian twice too!

Follow @briansolis

Chris Brogan – has definitely earned his stripes as one of the leaders in the social media world. He and I were recently speaking at a major event in Oslo, Norway and got to spend a fair bit of quality social time together – a first for us in almost four years. It was a joy to get to know Chris better on a personal level.

Follow @chrisbrogan

Jason Falls – a sharp and experienced professional, and all-round fun guy.

Follow @jasonfalls

This list is not intended to be the “definitive” guide for ten qualities or characteristics of social media leaders. These are the ten that I have identified from working in the world of social media as a speaker, trainer and consultant since 2007 and, before that, as an internet and relationship marketing specialist since 1999.

Of course, I have refrained from listing myself anywhere in this post. During and since the webinar I lead last week, many people sent me encouraging and kind messages. I am truly honored. It is my life’s mission to shine the light brightly on you, to bring out the best in you, to support you in being all you can be. If you’re interested in checking out my mentorship program, do take a look here. We begin on June 16 and have a few spaces left. I’d love to work with you if it’s a fit.

You may have other social media superstar qualities that you would add or replace. Please share in the comments below your own perspective on leadership and superstar qualities in the social media industry or otherwise. I’d love to hear from you!

The Facebook Success Summit 2010 is the web’s largest online Facebook marketing conference. I’m honored and thrilled to team up with Mike Stelzner, founder of SocialMediaExaminer.com for the third time to bring you this particular summit – dedicated exclusively to helping you master Facebook Marketing for your business.

Over 1,800 businesses have already signed up, including Radisson Hotels, Microsoft, AAA, Cisco, Universal Studios Orlando, Ikea, California Travel & Tourism Commission, Philips, Kellogg, MetLife, CNN, HP, HealthNet, Ben & Jerry’s, Mary Kay, Warner Bros. Entertainment, and hundreds of smaller businesses!

Twenty-two Facebook experts will reveal their proven success strategies at Facebook Success Summit 2010. The all-star lineup of presenters includes Brian Solis (author, Engage!), Justin Smith (InsideFacebook.com), Jesse Stay (author, I’m On Facebook, Now What?), Paul Dunay (author, Facebook Marketing for Dummies); experts from Intel, Microsoft Xbox, Cisco, the Washington Redskins and SAP; Darren Rowse (Author, Problogger), Jay Baer (Co-author, The Now Revolution), Michael Stelzner (founder, SocialMediaExaminer.com) and yours truly, Mari Smith (co-author, Facebook Marketing: An Hour a Day)–just to mention a few.

Some of the topics the sessions will cover:

• The best ways to market your business with Facebook!
• How to create a viable Facebook marketing strategy
• Creative ways to grow a loyal Facebook following
• How to understand and master ads, metrics and social plugins
• How to integrate Facebook with your website, blog and other marketing programs and much more!

Go here to see all the sessions. Brian Solis will lead us off with the opening keynote on Tuesday, October 5th – then fifteen content-rich sessions follow paced out over four weeks. It’s all done entirely via webinars.

At the last online summit, 95 percent of attendees said they’d recommend the event to a friend AND attend again!  That’s some endorsement.

Here’s a quick glance at the speaker line up – to view and follow everyone here on Twitter, go to this Twitter List.

@BrianSolis	@MariSmith	@JustinSmith	@Jesse
@JayBaer	@PaulDunay	@Ekaterina	@Problogger
@maryrenouf	@LaSandraBrill	@BrianEllefritz	@Shrip1220
@Mike_Stelzner	@ctreada	@rkrueger	@DaveKerpen
@RobBirgfeld	@JeffWidman	@NicksPizza	PersiaTatar
@CindyKing	@AmyPorterfield

Ten Reasons To Attend The Facebook Success Summit 2010

Check out these ten reasons I highly recommend you attend the Facebook Success Summit 2010:

1. The summit is entirely virtual – no need to travel and take days out of your busy schedule.
2. You get to learn from 22 of the world’s leading experts on Facebook and social media marketing. In fact, six of the presenters have written a book on how to use Facebook!
3. The sessions are packed with practical content. No fluff. No pitching!
4. You can fast-track your Facebook marketing with sessions covering how to build a powerful Business Page, how to increase engagement, how to run effective ad campaigns, how to analyze your metrics, how to integrate Facebook into your own website, what to do with social plugins. even the future of Facebook.
5. All sessions are LIVE – these are not pre-recorded. You can interact with each presenter via polls and Q&A sessions.
6. There are 18 different sessions paced out over four weeks so you can take your time learning each area of Facebook.
7. Each session is recorded and you’ll get access to the replays + transcripts for a full year. So, no worries if you’re unable to attend all 18 sessions live!
8. There is over $400 in bonus materials, including 5 how-to video tutorials and a $50 free credit for Facebook ads.
9. Immediately you get your ticket, you’ll be able to join the very dynamic, invite-only LinkedIn Group currently with well over 1,000 members networking and asking/answering excellent Facebook questions!
10. This is the largest Facebook summit of its kind; it’s the first time such an array of experts have come together from a variety of niches to share their knowledge with you!

Here’s where to get your ticket: http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/fbsummit10/fb/. I look forward to meeting you on the webinars and in the LinkedIn group!

Meantime, if you have any questions or suggested topics, do leave your 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!!!

[UPDATE] – we had a marathon seven-hour Virtual Launch Party today (May 3). Here’s a wee video greeting I recorded for my Facebook wall on my iPhone:

First, Chris Treadaway and I co-hosted a three-hour presentation via TinyChat where we discussed many of the chapters in our book, along with the recent changes announced at Facebook‘s f8 conference, and the implications for marketers. The replay of this part will be available shortly! (I recorded my desktop with TinyChat via ScreenFlow and will give it a slight edit).

Then, I went on to lead a four-hour webinar meeting and greeting many of my peeps, and where I continued on to give Facebook marketing ideas, tips, tricks, Ninja secrets, dive deeper into the Facebook changes, do fan page critiques and more.

[ORIGINAL POST FOLLOWS]

I’m super excited for a project that’s been a long time coming: my first published book! I’m honored to team up with the talented Chris Treadaway to coauthor Facebook Marketing: An Hour A Day, published by Sybex (a division of John Wiley & Sons).

Our book officially comes out on Monday, May 3, 2010. Copies are already shipping and we are climbing the charts on Amazon.com!

Virtual Launch Party – You’re Invited!

On Monday, May 3, we’re hosting a VIRTUAL LAUNCH PARTY from 10:00am PST / 1:00pm EST onwards! Come meet Chris and me and a few surprise guests – we’ll be LIVE virtually!

Drop in any time during the day for Facebook marketing Q&A, book excerpts, interviews, prize drawings, lots of fun - you name it! We’ll even have virtual champagne!

Let us know you’re coming via the Facebook Event page – RSVP here.

An Hour A Day series

You may already be familiar with Sybex’s popular “An Hour A Day” series, which include:

• Social Media Marketing: An Hour a Day – by Dave Evans
• Twitter Marketing: An Hour a Day – by Hollis Thomases
• YouTube and Video Marketing: An Hour a Day – by Greg Jarboe (Greg is a fellow presenter at the upcoming Social Media Success Summit!)
• Web Analytics: An Hour a Day – by Avinash Kaushik

Facebook Marketing: An Hour A Day is the ideal comprehensive guide for marketers, business owners and practitioners alike. I’m sure this book will end up flagged, scribbled on and dogeared as you study it! Chris and I outline all the ways businesses can maximize everything Facebook has to offer, from simple quick techniques to full-on campaigns.

Table of Contents:

Screenshots taken from my iPad on the Amazon Kindle app for the iPad! Yes, our book is available on Kindle (and eBook / Nook).

Expert Contributors to “The Future of Facebook” Appendix:

Chris and I are truly honored by and grateful to the following six professionals, all of whom contributed valuable expertise to our book:

Dave Kerpen	Jesse Stay	Nick O’Neill
Lauren Cooney	Scott McCaskill	Kevin Tate

Free Facebook Marketing Online Class!

With Facebook’s product changing so frequently, Chris and I wanted to offer special follow up support for our readers. You can join us in a special series of online trainings, designed to help you get the absolute most out of this book and from your own Facebook marketing efforts!

In our three-part online webinar series, we’ll walk you through exactly how to:

• Integrate the new Facebook Social Plugins
• Assess the power of the new Like button for your site
• Create a compelling Facebook Fan Page
• Source consistent, relevant content to keep your fans coming back for more
• Build your raving fan base using creative ways to drive targeted traffic
• Increase your brand awareness and brand sentiment
• Easily drive traffic back to your website and blog
• Engage your fans and turn them into paying customers
• Rapidly build your opt-in email list
• Place effective Facebook ads that make people take action
• And much more.

This workshop series stars on June 3, 2010 and is entirely virtual, so you can attend via your computer from the comfort of your home/office. Each session will be recorded and replays will be available with unlimited access.

Chris and I will share screenshots and our desktop as we guide you through the exact steps you need to build a vibrant, profitable presence on Facebook.

Here’s how to register:

It’s super easy to secure your place in the free 3-part Facebook Marketing online class:

	STEP 1: Purchase your copy of Facebook Marketing: An Hour A Day at any of the online retailers listed below.
	STEP 2: Access the replays here.

Order Facebook Marketing Now At These Online Retailers:

Amazon.com	Barnes & Noble	Borders
BooksAMillion	BestBookBuys	800ceoread

Also available in Amazon Kindle version for your Kindle and/or iPad! Plus, ebook version for your eReader.

Advance praise for Facebook Marketing: An Hour A Day

Chris and I are truly grateful to the following professionals for their support and encouragement:

“This is the ultimate Facebook marketing guide. It provides the most important strategies to take full advantage of Facebook’s best features, make your Facebook presence pop, and generate profits. A must-read!”

-Guy Kawasaki – Co-founder of Alltop and former Apple chief evangelist

“The best marketing engages buyers with valuable information at the precise moment they are receptive. That’s why my chiropractor shares video exercises with me on Facebook! And it’s darned effective, too. If you want to learn how to tap the communications tool of choice for hundreds of millions of people around the world, study Facebook Marketing. The real-world examples from organizations of all kinds are especially valuable for those who still need to be convinced (like your boss).”

-David Meerman Scott, bestselling author of The New Rules of Marketing & PR, now published in 24 languages

“Facebook is a powerful new marketing platform and thanks to this book it just got a whole lot easier to understand and tap.”

-John Jantsch author of The Referral Engine

“The social media world is full of people saying they know this tool or that tool. But there’s a reason the first name a lot of people think of when they think of Facebook marketing is Mari Smith. This book shows you how the world’s largest social network can be leveraged for your business. And it’s written by one of few people out there who actually has shown companies how to succeed on Facebook. If you’re trying to leverage Facebook to reach your customers, this book should be on your shelf. It’s on mine.”

-Jason Falls, Social Media Explorer, Social media educator, speaker and consultant

“This is the only book that walks you through every step of creating, implementing, measuring, and optimizing a successful strategy for engaging on Facebook. Featuring proven strategies and techniques, this approachable guide walks the walk. It shows marketers at all levels how to roll up their sleeves, jump in, and get winning results quickly.”

-Brian Goldfarb, Director, Microsoft

“Mari Smith quickly became THE go-to expert before the crowds flocked to Facebook, realizing how powerful this channel is for business. Mari, teamed up with Facebook analytics expert, Chris Treadaway, have created an absolute masterpiece! Facebook Marketing: An Hour A Day is long overdue, and every reader is lucky to have this book at their fingertips so they can tap into the mind of these pioneers and accelerate their success on Facebook by applying these tips.”

-Deborah Cole Micek, aka: @CoachDeb, Founder of QuanSite.com and Author of Twitter Revolution and Secrets of Online Persuasion

“Even though (or perhaps because) it’s transforming the way businesses interact with customers and prospects, Facebook is often confusing, and counter-intuitive. Not any more. Chris and Mari have created the Holy Grail, a book where nearly every page is worthy of an underline, highlight, or dog ear. With some companies posting to Facebook twice a month, and others posting banalities four times daily, the content strategy guidelines alone make this book indispensable. Buy two copies – keep one for yourself, and mail one to a company whose unfocused Facebook approach drives you crazy.”

-Jay Baer – Convince & Convert

“Mari and Chris have a very unique gift in that they can’t take the very complex and sophisticated paradigm of marketing on of the world’s largest social networks and present it in a way that anyone can understand and more importantly, put into practice.”

-Brian Solis, author of Engage, the complete guide for businesses to build and measure success on the new web

“I love books that start with strategic planning. Just about every Facebook title I’ve seen is obsessed with secret tips and tricks, without ever encouraging the reader to identify what they’re trying to accomplish in the first place. Chris and Mari have done a splendid job putting those tips and tricks into a meaningful context and I know I’ll be studying my copy to improve my own Facebook presence. If you’re looking for the full picture, the “why” along with “what” and “how”, then this is your book.”

-Dave Taylor, online entrepreneur. AskDaveTaylor.com

“Every marketer knows they need to be on Facebook and other social networks, but few know how to do it right. Chris and Mari have created what is essentially a user’s manual for anyone managing a brand or advertising a business on Facebook. Whether you’re new to social networking or a savvy user, this book provides the tools every marketing professional needs, from getting setup the right way to managing successful, targeted advertising campaigns. The book’s step-by-step format makes what many consider a daunting undertaking seem like a more manageable process for even the busiest marketers by helping you prioritize your time online.”

-Peter VanRysdam, Chief Marketing Officer, 352 Media Group

“Not only does FBMHD provide a practical framework for Facebook marketing, but it also offers a 360-degree perspective on how social media connects with a cross-section of marketing disciplines. By reading and using FBMHD, social savvy marketers gain the strategies, tactics and tools to cross the chasm from a hope-it-works community to a well-performing channel for marketing and communications.”

-Adam Weinroth, VP of Strategic Marketing, Demand Media [See Adam's Twitter page. Yes, his pic is sideways. ]

Additional Recommended Facebook Marketing Reading

And, just to whet your appetite while you’re waiting for your book to arrive (unless you’re anything like me and get the Kindle/iPad version right now!), here are several tutorial blog posts that you may find helpful too:

• How To Add A Custom Landing Tab To Your Facebook Fan Page
• How To Attract and Engage Quality Customers With Social Media
• 13 Ways to Move Your Facebook Fans to Action
• How to Better Engage Facebook Fan Page ‘Fans’
• 21 Creative Ways To Increase Your Facebook Fanbase
• How to Better Engage Facebook Fan Page ‘Fans’
• How to Create a Facebook Fan Page Editorial Guide
• How to Add Google Analytics to Your Facebook Fan Page
• 10 Tips for Creating Buzz With Facebook Events

If you have any comments, questions, concerns, challenges, (rave reviews!) – anything to do with Facebook Marketing, please do share in the Comments below:

[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.

Are you satisfied with the results you’re currently getting from all your social media efforts? Would you say there is room for improvement?

Though we’re clearly reaching critical mass point with social media market penetration, there’s still a morass of confusing information as to what works, and what doesn’t.

There are social media policies, and which sites to use, and the right content and engagement strategies. And whether to automate, delegate, ghostwrite. or not. It can all be very overwhelming and many people are stuck in a place of sheer inertia for lack of proper knowledge, training and experience.

When it comes to social media marketing, most businesses begin with no clear objectives or strategy. They jump in with the technology piece first: they set up a Twitter account, usually due to peer and media pressure. But they don’t really know how to listen or engage effectively.

Then they throw together a Facebook fan page and it sits there gathering virtual dust. Next comes the blog, YouTube channel, LinkedIn account, Ning site, live video with Ustream, and whatever new-fangled tool comes along.

But, in order to be effective in attracting and engaging quality customers using social media, you must have the following components:

1. Clarity on your exact target market and which social networks they prefer to use most often
2. Knowledge of what online and mobile tools are available to you (apps, widgets, plugins, clients, etc.)
3. Knowledge of the cultures, best practices and etiquette of the various social networks (there are vast schools of thought on the right and wrong way to use social media)
4. Clear objectives (such as: drive traffic to your blog, enhance customer service, grow your email list, sell more widgets, gain targeted media attention, crowdsource new products, etc.)
5. A strategy to achieve those objectives
6. A social media implementation plan
7. Resources to pay for training and ongoing social media management, whether third party or in-house
8. A company social media policy
9. An ongoing engagement plan
10. Systems to track and measure results
11. Strategies for reputation management, and
12. A scalability plan.

Whew, is it any wonder business people feel overwhelmed and stuck. I hope this list is of value to you. However, if you’d like some help – if you’re ready to ramp up your social media marketing and gain tremendous measurable results – I have good news for you: it’s almost time for my favorite online event of the year.

The Social Media Success Summit 2010 is the brains of my dear friend, Mike Stelzner.

Mike gathered together twenty-four of the world’s leading social media experts, practitioners and leading brand representatives to be Summit instructors.

Each session is a LIVE webinar with visuals; no fluff, just deep useful content that you’ll be able to apply to your business right away and see results.

Some of the Social Media Success Summit 2010 sessions include:

• Effective ways to market your company with Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, social bookmarking sites, mobile marketing and more
• How to track and measure the return on investment for social media programs
• A step-by-step method for creating a smart social media marketing plan 
• How to build a loyal social media following 
• How to bring more customers into your local business with social media techniques
  See all the sessions here.

Just check out this incredible lineup, each of whom will share their proven social media tactics, strategies, techniques and tools. (Names hyperlinked to each presenter’s Twitter page so you can go follow them! Links open in a new window.)

Guy Kawasaki	Chris Brogan	Steve Rubel	John Bernier (Best Buy)
Marla Erwin (Whole Foods)	Sarah Molinari (Home Depot)	Andrew Mason (Groupon)	Tristan Walker (Foursquare)
Darren Rowse	Rick Calvert	Ann Handley	Brian Clark
Jason Falls	Rob Birgfield	Ramon DeLeon	Mike Stelzner
Jay Baer	Kim Dushinski	Denise Wakeman	Muhammad Saleem
Greg Jarboe	Chris Garrett	Lewis Howes	Mari Smith

This entirely VIRTUAL event starts May 5 and sessions run during the month of May. SAVE 34% on your ticket through April 20th!

Last year, nearly 1000 marketers and small business owners from around the world attended the Social Media Success Summit.  It was a huge hit.  Businesses were transformed.  In fact, 97% of attendees said they’d attend again!

This year’s focus is to empower attendees to build social media marketing plans, track your social media results and learn from other successful businesses. This is more than just an event. It’s also a way for people just like you to come together, share their experiences, meet the experts and network.

Remember, the Social Media Success Summit is a live ONLINE conference that you can attend from your home or office. PLUS, *all* sessions are recorded and you get access to every single replay, just in case you can’t attend a session live or wish to go back and review!

(By the way, whether you get a ticket or not, you can access a free online training session called "How to Grow and Engage an Audience).

Will you be attending this exciting virtual event? If you already have your ticket, congrats!! Come on over to the Facebook Event page and begin your pre-networking. Feel free to add photos of you with any of the 24 speakers to the Event page – you’re welcome to create valuable visibility for yourself and, in turn, let others know about the Summit! I look forward to “seeing” you on the sessions and my hope for you is this too will fast become your favorite event of the year too!

Guy Kawasaki, one of my favorite peeps in the socialmediasphere, will be giving the opening keynote.

Any questions, just let me know in the Comments below:

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!!

I was recently approached by the team at Vpype to test out their brand new Facebook app that allows you to stream LIVE video directly from your Facebook profile or fan page to your friends and fans!

This app is a gamechanger! Live video streaming meets Facebook. and the best part? It’s FREE!

Vpype allows you to:

• Schedule regular shows
• Broadcast live anytime
• Broadcast as yourself or broadcast as your fan page
• Select specific friends to broadcast to (think private conferencing, trainings, etc!)
• Archive your shows
• Embed any show
• Browse through your Facebook friends’ show recordings
• .and more.

So, last night around 7:30pm PST, I put out a tweet, updated my Facebook profile status and began broadcasting – within a few minutes, we had over 40 participants view the show (ultimately 247 live views) and engage in the chat room from around the U.S. and as far as Singapore, Iceland and Gold Coast, Australia! (See this prompt recap of my Vpype debut by Marianna Fridjonsdottir in Iceland!)

The Vpype Facebook app displays on your Fan Page as a tab called “Shows.”

By the way, here’s a hot Facebook fan page tip: All tabs to the left of Wall and Info can be reordered by dragging and dropping. In the screenshot below, I’ve placed my Shows tab inbetween my Blog and Welcome tabs:

Possible uses of the Vpype Facebook app – some are my ideas, some I asked my peeps in the chat room:

• Live Q&A for fans on your fan page
• Private conferences
• Family chats
• Daily/weekly show with guest experts
• Short tips/tutorial videos – live or pre-recorded
• New product demos
• Classes
• Video book reviews
• Virtual party
• Cooking demonstration

And a few excerpted enthusiastic comments:

We only ran into just a couple hiccups; for some viewers the stream was sticking from time to time (but that depends on variables such as internet speed on the viewer end, of course). Also, the chat area froze one time and I ended up hitting refresh – which temporarily stopped my live broadcast, but the users stayed connected and we ended up picking right back up where we left off. However, the second part didn’t seem to record.

Also, I first published this post with the video embedded – but was a wee bit alarmed to see the video plays on load! So, I took it out.

You can watch the show here. And, I’ve pasted below a screenshot of what the embed looks like. (Btw, the default width is 750px which is rather wide and needs to be sized).

A few items on our features wishlist as a result of this debut show:

• Embedded player does NOT play on load
• Default embed size is 600px
• Notification of who joined/left
• Participants’ names/avatars linked to their Facebook profile
• Ability to pause the chat area (similar to Tweetchat)
• Broadcast inside the “frame” of a fan page tab
• Ability to assign mic/webcam rights to others for live video interview

Vpype officially launches on Monday, March 15, 2010 at the Social Media World Forum in London.

So, what do you think? How will you use live video broadcasting on Facebook? Let me know in the comments below!

My favorite events on my calendar are giving social media talks to all sizes of audiences, across many industries and a variety of formats. Whether it’s an opening keynote on social media success in general, an in-depth Facebook and/or Twitter breakout session or a full day training.

My 2010 calendar is filling up nicely, and this year I’m intent on pacing myself a tad more, and also allow a bit of extra time in each city to a) sightsee and b) connect with Twitter peeps at local Tweetups. Yay!

My public calendar can be found here, which is always current. Meantime, I thought I’d put together this post with a smidge more detail of what I have booked for 2010 so far and I’ll update it as more events are added. and add some video content too!! [If you'd like to hire me to speak at your event, hop over here.]

2010 Events – Let’s Tweet Up!

Here are my travels for 2010 so far; as more are confirmed I’ll add to this post and also to my public Google calendar. Most all of these are speaking engagements; a few I’m attending as a participant.

If you live in any of these cities – or will be at these events – please do tweet/DM me!!

January – Hollywood CA

• January 28 – February 1: The GRAMMYS! Hollywood, CA. (I’ll be in a mastermind all day Jan 30 and at the GRAMMYS Jan 31; I’m going up a couple days early and staying an extra day for a mix of pampering plus business meetings!) Special mention of my dear friend, Amy Michelson, designer of my Grammy gown. pics coming!

February – San Diego, Orange County, Los Angeles CA | Nashville TN

• February 4: Keynoting the California Restaurant Association (CRA) San Diego meeting, San Diego, CA
• February 6 & 7: Social Marketing Mastery IMMERSION – retreat at Casa de Mari, San Diego, CA
• February 10: Guest lecture on Facebook marketing for UCSD at Becky Carroll‘s class.
• February 11: An Evening With Seth Godin – Dana Point, CA
• February 12 to 14: NSA, National Speakers Association Winter Conference – Nashville, TN [Valentine's tweetup Feb 13!]
• February 19 – 20: Program Director Grad School, Los Angeles, CA
• February 19 – 21: David Finkel’s 2010 Business Owners Success Conference – San Diego, CA

March – Seattle WA | San Diego, Los Angeles CA

• March 5: Girls’ Night Out – Total Networking Event, Seattle, WA (I’m giving the main keynote)
• March 3: LIVE Conference – Social/Mobile Media at its Best by Qittle, San Diego, CA (I’ll be here as an attendee)
• March 8: Free WEBINAR – How Social Media is Changing the Face of Local Business Marketing featuring Mari Smith and Erik Qualman, hosted by @EgbertOostburg
• March 9: Free WEBINAR – Maximizing Facebook: How To Effectively Use The #1 Social Network To Explode Your Business! (for ISMA members – free membership)
• March 11: Private CLASS – Guest lecture on social media marketing for Grossmont College at Steve Eisenberg‘s class.
• March 13 & 14: LIVE event – Women, Power & Purpose – The Live Experience, San Diego, CA [Also on this weekend: South by Southwest #SXSWi, Austin, TX; Yanik Silver's Ungerground6 in Washington DC with @garyvee keynoting; Mastering Your Life with Esperanza in San Diego, CA]
• March 19 – 21: LIVE event – Ken McArthur’s IMPACT Event, San Diego, CA
• March 24 – 27: LIVE event – T. Harv Eker’s Guerilla Business School, Garden Grove (LA), CA
• March 26 – 28: LIVE event – Christian Mickelsen‘s JV Networking Mixer, San Diego, CA

April – Loveland CO | Albuquerque NM | Ottawa Canada | San Diego CA

• April 8: Spring Northern Colorado Social Media Social, Loveland Chamber of Commerce & Visitor Center (details being firmed up)
• April 13: American Marketing Association New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM (details being firmed up)
• April 13 – 16: Private Conference, Albuquerque, NM
• April 16 – 17: Ultimate Success Event with Peggy McColl, Ottawa, Canada
• April 23 – 24: Social Marketing Mastery IMMERSION – retreat at Casa de Mari, San Diego, CA
• April 30 & May 1: Wisdom 2.0 Summit – Sillicon Valley, CA

May – San Diego, Los Angeles CA

• May 3: Mari’s Book Launch Celebration! Facebook Marketing: An Hour A Day published today!
• May 4 – 26: Social Media Success Summit 2010 (virtual event with TOP speakers!).
• May 20 – 23: Clients, Cash & Contribution with Christian Mickelsen. San Diego, CA
• May 22 – 23: The You Conference with GaryVee and Dave Lakhani. Los Angeles, CA

June – Los Angeles, CA

• June 21-23: SANG IV, Los Angeles, CA (invite-only mastermind).

July – Dallas TX

• July 15 – 18: eWomenNetwork 10th Annual Conference, Dallas, TX

Ali Brown, JJ Virgin, Mari Smith, Baeth Davis, Tamara Gold at Richard Branson & Eve Branson’s Rock the Kasbah fundraiser in Hollywood.

Review of Speaking in 2009

I was most fortunate to have an extremely full speaking schedule throughout last year. Among my 2009 highlights were speaking at all these incredible events and getting to share the stage with other amazing speakers, leaders and luminaries including:

SANG – Speakers & Authors Networking Group

Larry Benet‘s SANGII and SANGIII in Las Vegas and Hollywood, with Tony Robbins, Paula Abdul, Brian Tracy, Jay Abraham and Jeffrey Hayzlett (CMO of Kodak);

Engage Today

Engage Today in Calgary, Canada with Sir Richard Branson (pic!) His Holiness The Dalai Lama, President F W deKlerk, Stephen R Covey and Wyland.

Underground Seminar

Yanik Silver’s Underground5 in Washington DC, with GoDaddy CEO & Founder Bob Parsons and former James Bond George Lazenby. (See you at Underground6 in March with Gary Vaynerchuk keynoting!)

eWomenNetwork

eWomenNetwork in Dallas TX, with Judge Glenda Hatchett, Lisa Nichols, Roxanne Emmerich, Loral Langemeier, Debbie Meyer and many more fine speakers and leaders. and 3500 attendees!

Blog World Expo 

Blog World Expo 2009 in Las Vegas, NV with Matt Goss, Scott Monty, Jeremiah Owyang, Brian Solis, Frank Eliason, Laura Fitton, Sarah Evans, Wendy Piersall and many, many more fine professionals! (Check out Blog World Expo‘s home page with fab video widgets from my fave Yubby!)

MarketingProfs

Marketing Profs Digital Marketing Mixer in Chicago, IL with Dr. BJ Fogg, Ann Handley, Amber Nusland, Jay Baer, and many more top notch marketing pros!

Twitter Conference

140 | The Twitter Conference in Los Angeles with Twitter Co-Founder Biz Stone, Dr. Drew, Tyrese Gibson, LaVar Burton, Guy Kawasaki, Robert Scoble and many more fine folks!

PLUS.!

Other awesome highlights included: speaking for Fabienne Fredrickson, Arielle Ford and Mike Koenigs, Adam Urbanski, John Assaraf, Jack Canfield, James Malinchak, Dan Kennedy and Bill Glazer, Jim Bunch, Christian Mickelsen, and Craig Duswalt.

.and a few fave pics!

Mari with Sir Richard Branson, Frank Kern, Dan Kennedy, Scott Monty, Wyland and Robert Scoble.

Group pic: L-R: Ellie Drake, founder of BraveHeartWomen; Karina Smirnoff from Dancing With the Stars; me; actress Tava Smiley from TLC’s Cleansweep; talk show host Rolonda Watts.

Feel free to leave your comments/questions below about any of these events, my travels/whereabouts, and your own events. I look forward to connecting soon! And, to book me as a speaker at your next event, please check out this page.