Some folks are really great at connecting with people. Shona Lepis from Eye Design Studio has figured it out. I got to know her through Twitter and have really enjoyed the links and projects she’s shared. How can you personally brand yourself through Twitter?

What’s your business?
I have a boutique design studio called Eye Design Studio. Eye Design Studio creates artisan handcrafted design for web and print. We work with lifestyle brands to build their business with creative design solutions. We work with a lot of small to medium sized business to help them build their brand.  Eye Design Studio focuses on Visual Identity suites (logo design, custom Web site design, branded social media, email templates, business cards, letterhead).

When did you start using social media and why?
I happen to be a bit of a technology geek and love to learn and try out new things. I was at first skeptical about how social media. I decided to keep current and relevant I really needed to just jump in and embrace social media. I have to say I love it and find that it has been an amazing resource. I love to share links and useful tools and resources I find.

Has social media changed your business?
Social media has allowed me to build my personal and business brand online. By frequently sharing tips, design projects I’m working on,etc. People get to know me a bit more personally so they know my design style. I’m a bit personal in what I share but believe if you are authentic people are interested and get to know me a little more so they can tell if my design style would be a good fit for them.

What are you looking forward to social media changing in the future?
I think social media will just become part of our social fabric and everyday life. I think as technology keeps moving it’s exciting to see how many new tools are there and that “there is an app for that”. I love how the tools keep us connected and like we are part of a community. I work with an international team of with colleges in Paris, France and Bali, Indonesia and the tools make it possible.

Have a social media story you’d like to share?
In fact I do have a funny antidote. I was recently at a Halloween party of a designer friend. The invite asked that we bring a dish to share. I had just gone to another holiday party with the food and of course tweeted about it. (Going to a pumpkin carving party w/ pumpkin cheesecake dip served in a carved pumpkin w/ ginger snaps. http://yfrog.com/iyv1lj) When I got to the party someone said hey “I think I follow you on twitter, I saw you post about the dip.”. It was a funny moment and a great example of how real life connections are made in person from sharing and building a community online.

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• Chatting with one of the Wealthy Freelancers

I first discovered Chris Guillebeau at a social media training earlier this year – I checked out his blog and really liked his messages. Very inspiring and against the grain, they grab your heart strings and give you hope to leap from the normal way of thinking and challenge yourself. His website has lots of goodies such as “279 Days to Overnight Success“. I was lucky enough to chat with him about his application of social media to share and explain his ideas.

What’s your business?

I help people live unconventional lives.

When did you start using social media and why?

I started right when I started my site, The Art of Non-Conformity. It seemed like a good idea to jump on the train.

Has social media changed your business?

I wouldn’t say it’s changed the business; I’d say it is the business. I write for free, but enough people are interested in my premium things that I can make a living. It’s all due to this thing we call the social web.

What are you looking forward to social media changing in the future?

Not sure on that… I’m pretty happy with the current status.

Have a social media story you’d like to share?
Air New Zealand sent me to the Cook Islands because of people who recommended me on Twitter. About half of my media coverage comes out of social web contacts. I meet people all over the world whenever I travel now, but I feel like I already know them because we’ve connected online first.

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• Chatting with one of the Wealthy Freelancers

I’ve been reading the “The Wealthy Freelancer” for over a year and have learned some great tips to improve my business. Ed Gandia was one of the founders of this site and is a freelance copywriter, wanting to help others break free of the corporate world and become a freelancer. Definitely a thought leader in his field, Ed’s educated many writers and freelancers on how to market themselves in the new economy. I got the opportunity to ask him a few questions about how he uses social media and how it’s affect his businesses.

Please tell us about yourself and your business

I’m a full-time freelance copywriter based out of Marietta, Ga. In a nutshell, I was a successful corporate sales professional in the high-tech and industrial arenas. Even though I was earning a comfortable six-figure income, I had had enough of the sales treadmill. I was also tired of having someone else dictate my future and my compensation level. I was moonlighting as a copywriter for non-competing software companies, and I realized I could turn that passion into a full-time business. A little over two years later I quit my job and went completely on my own. That was June 2006. I haven’t looked back since!

Today, I work with enterprise software companies, helping them craft persuasive content to drive more leads and to speed up sales cycles. I write a lot of white papers, case studies, direct response pieces, web copy, press releases and other marketing materials. It’s a lot of fun. I love my clients, and I make a great living. I also love the fact that I have a flexible schedule and I make all of my own decisions, including what clients to take on, what type of work to pursue and where I’ll take my business.

How long have you been using social media tools to help promote your blogs, newsletters, etc.

I’ve mainly used social media to promote my blog and newsletter (TheWealthyFreelancer.com), which are both geared toward helping other freelancers—not potential copywriting clients—and which I publish with my two business partners, Pete Savage and Steve Slaunwhite.

Specifically, I’ve used Twitter and to a small extent, LinkedIn. Twitter has enabled me to develop relationships with key influencers in the freelancing community, as well as freelancers across all professions. These relationships have been instrumental in shaping our content and in giving us more exposure in freelance circles.

As far as my core copywriting business, within two months of opening a Twitter account, I was contacted by three potential clients (and I wasn’t really trying to solicit business!). Although none of them turned into clients (they weren’t quite the right fit), I quickly saw how a smart, concerted Twitter effort can pay off quickly. Plus, it’s a fun way to connect with others and develop what could turn out to be very profitable long-term relationships!

What are some of the more interesting results/feedback have you gotten, tell a story if you can

With Twitter, I’ve been able to connect with influential authors and thought leaders. These individuals have provided me with great ideas, invaluable feedback and great exposure. Also, as I co-wrote my book this summer (The Wealthy Freelancer: 12 Secrets to a Great Income and an Enviable Lifestyle), which will be published by Penguin this March, I was able to connect with dozens of  freelancers to get their success stories and tips for successful freelancing. Being able to tap into the ideas and insights of so many wonderful people has been a blast!

How do you feel social media is changing how business market themselves?

Over the last few years, consumers have clearly shifted much of their leisure time away from traditional media, such as TV and radio, and into social media. Email still works. And when done well, it’s still a critical part of a marketer’s promotional mix. But as these consumers flock to Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, MySpace and other social media platforms, you’ll HAVE to move promotional dollars into these tools if you want to compete. Or heck, if you want to SURVIVE!

It’s no longer hype. This is where consumers are “hanging out” now. That’s where you have to meet them. And because these platforms are still emerging, they have a “newness” to them that makes consumers pay more attention and be more receptive to marketing messages. It’s like email marketing was back in the mid and late 1990’s…but better!

What are you excited to see change in the future of marketing online?

That for the first time in quite a while, marketers are having to get very creative. They’re having to reinvent themselves—to experiment like they haven’t done so in a long time. Better yet, their brands and messages are no longer under their control. The consumer is in the driver’s seat now. As a marketer, that’s a bit scary…but it’s also exciting, because it means that the most innovative and transparent marketers will do better than ever.

It’s a great time to be in marketing!

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Beth Baker claims she’s a runner, not an athlete. Beth’s business, Running Evolution coaches folks who have never run run 5Ks as well as runners who want to go longer distances. Beth loves her job because of the rewards to helping people improve themselves and reach tough goals. Learn how Beth’s used social media to reach out to runners and the people who want to run.

Please describe your business and why you are passionate about it?

I am a running coach that specializes in the “new to running” runner. I am in love with my job and each person that transitions into a runner. I run and talk with them and get them going and they end up doing incredibly well.

Do you use different social media tools to promote your business?

Yes, I use twitter and facebook.

What tools have worked for you? What hasn’t?
They both work in different ways. Twitter is more of a networking tool and facebook is more of keeping up connections to past, present and potential clients. If I need help finding a marathon race in Austin, I use twitter and if I have a new class or special, facebook.

What do you hope to achieve with these tools in the next 6 months?

I think social networking is in constant flux, and you have to keep your name in the page daily. My goal is to stay on top of it with consistency.

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