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 met Gary originally through Biznik.com and was happy to see his company on Twitter shortly after. In a world where everyone wants something customized, ImageWear Solutions provides a plethora of items, including many eco-friendly wares. Check out his site and read the interview below to learn how small businesses can build community through social media.

What’s your business and who are your clients?

ImageWear Solutions is an advertising specialty distributor, which supplies company uniforms and corporate apparel, as well as a wide range of promotional products. We also offer custom embroidery and screen-printing services.

When did you start using social media and why?

We just started getting involved with social media a few months ago, because we like the sense of community that it offers.  It’s a great, affordable way to not only showcase the products and services that you offer, but also to showcase the character of your company.  I started my own business to not only be independent and hopefully profitable, but also to be able to use our resources to help build a better community.   Social media gives us a great outlet to support non-profits, the arts, environmental issues, as well as other small businesses. For us, it’s all about helping each other grow and blossom, then give something back. We can all make this a better world in which to live.
Have you seen an increase of business?

We have seen a slight spike, but most of all, we’ve met some really great people and feel like we’re more in tune and involved in the community than before.

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

I’m hoping that it will continue to evolve and maintain the community spirit in which it was intended and also clean up the business landscape.  If you are honest and sincere, as a business owner, the word is going to spread allowing you to grow and offer more back to the community in which you live.   And if you’re not, well people can spot a phony pretty easily and yes, the word will spread like wild fire. There will be an increase of “get rich” schemers, as well as so-called social media “experts” hoping to part you from your hard earned money. There are scam artists everywhere. As a community, we have a responsibility to protect each other from the predators.

Have a social media story you’d like to share (how you connected with someone or how someone helped you?)

As I said before, we’ve met some really great people, including you via social media. One story does come to mind though. I came to know Kimberly LeRiche, who owns and operates JK Virtual Office Resources and her husband Jeff, the owner of OTC Sports on Twitter.  She has helped us greatly with understanding how social media can benefit our company.  One day she had re-tweeted a message by the Portland Police Bureau Sunshine Division (http://www.sunshinedivision.org/), who collects donations of food and clothing and distributes them to families in need.   We had never even heard of them before.  Well, we accumulate a great deal of new clothing samples through our dealings with various vendors.  We had clothing stashed in various locations and not really doing anyone any good at all.  So, we gathered them all together and donated some really nice, new clothing to the Sunshine Division.   So, through social media, we have found a great place to donate clothing that will benefit those in need. It’s a win-win for everyone.

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• Reaching out to small businesses -what’s the best way?

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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• How artists engage in social media and touch lives

In 2006, I began folding cranes for world peace. Learning to fold origami cranes is challenging so I put an ad on LiveJournal. A nice lady offered to teach me in exchange for coffee and a scone and so we spent an hour folding cranes until I got the hang of it. I continued to fold cranes while watching TV or chilling out and found it meditative and was able to fold about 30-40 in about an hour. I getting close to around 500 and wasn’t sure if I continue in my quest, I began feeling burned out. I was telling a friend about my project earlier in February about how I wanted to finish and send 1,000 cranes to the Japanese Hiroshima Peace Park and she said, why not ask for help.

At the time, I was learning how to use Facebook and Twitter to communicate with friends and colleagues and saw this project as a great way to use social media. I also had a blog that I could use as a vehicle to explain my project and start asking people to send me their address and I would send them 10 origami crane papers to make 10 cranes. I believed if I got 50 folks to make 10 cranes, I could reach my goal.

In addition, I set up a Facebook group, explaining my project, linking it to my blog, and sending it out to my friends, letting me know what I’m doing and that I would have a meet up where I would teach people to make cranes. I was amazed who signed up to my group. In less than a month, I had around 80 folks that were members. Some were really excited and shared their experience at different memorials in Seattle and Japan and how powerful the symbol of the crane can be.

Through Facebook, I set up 2 events where members of the group were given a notification that there was an event where they could come and learn to make cranes. The turn outs were awesome, the first one was 14 people and the 2nd was 15 people. Using Facebook as a tool to bring people together for a great cause is powerful.

In addition to using Facebook and my blog, I also made little announcements on Twitter. I just used my profile that’s mainly for my business, but let everyone know how many cranes there (status updates) as well as let folks know about the meet ups and link the tweets to my blog or to the Facebook group.

Not all of the folks in the group were Facebook friends, at least 1/4 were people that I didn’t know and during the meetups, folks I didn’t know very well came to support it.

I was able to reach my goal of 1,000 cranes on August 2009 and have sent the package to the Peace Memorial Park. I trully believe that the social media tools we have now really improve our lives and bring us closer together. It’s very moving and powerful. I challenge you to spread a positive message through email, Facebook, your blog, or Twitter over the next week. I bet you’ll be amazed at the results. I sure was!

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• How artists engage in social media and touch lives

I started following tykerman1 on Twitter a few months ago. I found out about him through an article about how farmers use Twitter to fight the boredom of being on the tractor all day.  Growing on a dairy myself, I could see the benefits and how it would help with some of the more lonely times out in the middle of nowhere.

Learning more about Steve Tucker (tykerman1) has been fun and given me a unique perspective. As I sit at the computer most of the day, Steve sits in his tractor in his fields in Nebraska all day. Part of Steve’s job is to pay close attention to the weather and how it will affect his crops. I just need to know if should carry my rain jacket or not.

In July 2009, Steve was interviewed by CNN about his twitter and how it’s changed his life.  In an interview off his blog, he commented that during the next 7 days after his interview, his 400+ followers grew to 18,000.

I find that this is such a great example of how technology is bringing people closer together to help educate and give folks a window on the ups and downs of other people’s lives. So many people don’t know the steps it takes to manufacture food out of the fields and into the store. There are so many steps and how great is it that we can talk directly to farmers and learn more about what they do!

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• Sock it to Marketing: Interview with Carrie Atkinson