Not too long ago, it seems as if everyone was clamoring to find a Google+ invite. Finding a way into that new social network dominated my Twitter stream for a week. I heard there were even a few eBay auctions for invites.

If you were lucky enough to get in to Google+ (and I think almost ‘everyone’ is in now), you should have a few invites available for handing out. If you aren’t on Google+ yet, just click HERE to signup.

I’m still trying to figure it out and how best to use it (but can currently be accused of some cross posting) but so far, I’m certainly interested. Say ‘hi’ if you’re poking around too: http://gplus.to/mikepetrucci

Sending Invites

The process of sending a Google+ invitation is super easy. Just sign in, look near the middle right of the Google+ ‘dashboard’ and click on ‘Invite Friends.’ Then just grab the super long link and share on Twitter or Facebook or wherever! Done!

Questions

• Are you on Google+?
• Do you use/plan to use Google+ more than Twitter/Facebook/etc.?
• What are your hesitations for signing up?
• Do you have any tips or tricks to share?

Further Reading

• 4 Reasons Google+ Brand Pages Will Be Better Than Facebook’s
• Google+ Traffic Falls As Users Spend Less Time On Site
• How can Google+ Overtake Facebook? Here’s one way
• 6 Things Google+ Can Do That Facebook Can’t

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Note: Thanks Jeff Bullas for the idea of this post. I didn’t want to repost and steal his exact article so I added a few things. Be sure to follow his blog because he has some really great posts!

Some of my favorite posts of his:

• 30 Terrific Twitter Facts and Figures
• 30 Things You Should Not Share on Social Media

This really isn’t a secret but it seems that many people haven’t picked up on it yet so I thought I’d share.

What is the secret to Twitter? The secret to meeting new people, making valuable connections and spreading the word about your brand?

Be genuine.

You don’t always have to be the most knowledgeable (though it helps if you want to become a leader in your industry) but you do have to be genuine. Be real. Be personable (don’t be a robot). Don’t lie.

When you add that element in with the other traits of successful ‘tweeters’ then you’re on your way to making a name for yourself.

To give you an idea, this is what I think it takes to get recognized:

• Be genuine
• Be there
• Add to the conversation
• Be likeable*

*don’t bend over backwards to please people but do use your manners.

Oh and this doesn’t only apply to Twitter, you can plug any social network into this equation and get the same results.

Remember, I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t know it all but this is what has worked for me and I bet it will work for you too.

Here is an excerpt from the post:

“Next, be able to state your offer in three bullets point of what you DO for people who hire you. Think through three things you actually deliver. Do you guide people to [set goals, develop a plan, generate new product ideas, present a more professional image, communicate with clearer copy and stronger design]? Know why you’re the best, most trusted source to do that. Even if you don’t have the hugest portfolio or the most experience, you bring something no one else can. What is it?”

So what are ‘my’ three basics?

- I want to generate new ideas and jumpstart your creativity.

- Explain in ‘real world’ terms, the various social media tools. And most importantly, not just tell you what to use but walk you through the process.

- Though I currently don’t have an extensive portfolio, I’m genuinely passionate about what I do. Take a look at how I’ve built (and continue to build) my personal brand; Google ‘Mike Petrucci’ and the first page has a lot of ‘me’ on it!

So with all that said, feel free to ask me anything! I want to be accessible to you and I won’t tell you I can deliver something if I know I can’t but that doesn’t mean I won’t try.

I agree with this by –> @equalman

Facebook Places ‘boring’ says @Foursquare chief Dennis Crowley http://bit.ly/awcYb5

It’s boring. There’s just not much to it. I haven’t even looked to see what their plans are for future use but so far it’s very very basic. In some ways though, the simplicity may be a big factor (You just check in. That’s it. Boom.).

I’ve tried almost every ‘check-in’ service on the iPhone and the only one that has really stuck with me has been Foursquare. I like the interface, the idea, and the culture of Foursquare.

The only way I see myself using Facebook Places is to check myself and others in to locations if I know they don’t have a Foursquare (or other) account. I don’t know… I’m still figuring it out.

I also think it’s worth noting that as soon as ‘Places’ was rolled out, all I saw on Twitter were tweets and retweets explaining how to disable and/or block ‘Places.’

But in the idea of Foursquare vs. Facebook Places, this tweet does shed an interesting statistic:

Foursquare with just over 2 million users has a tough task against Facebook’s 500 million @dens

Questions for you:

- Do you use any check-in service? If so, which one/s? If not, why not?

- How are you using Foursquare Places?

They also had a killer write up that really made me laugh out loud at parts. Here it is in it’s entirety (in case it gets taken off their site):

Did you hear about this nut-bag, Felix something, who’s going to attempt to break the world record for the highest free fall/skydive ever? It’s stupid nuts. Basically, he’s going to float up to the edge of space (120,000 feet up by the way) in a souped-up ballon and … JUMP. Apparently, he’ll break the sound barrier and travel at a speed of 690 MPH! Seriously, I can think of better ways to die. I would guess, with his pressurized suit he’ll be wearing, a tiny fart could probably knock him out cold. And, who’s not going to fart at that altitude? Probably will be more of a shart if we’re being honest.

I’m not trying to make fun of the guy. It’s brave. He’s brave. I wish that I had half the courage of this guy. I hate heights, they scare the crap out of me. I mean, I get freaked out putting Christmas lights up on my house. How ridiculous is that?

There is a scene in the movie Point Break, where Special Agent, Johnny Utah jumps out of a plane with no parachute to catch the bad guy, Bohdi (who incidentally, was wearing a chute). Utah eventually catches up to Bohdi in mid-air, and clinches on to his body like a blood-sucking leech.

Just typing out that scene, my fingers are slipping off the keyboard because of the sweat. I can’t even think about it without feeling physically ill. Ish. Never. Skydiving is not for me.

But, it is for many others. There are some people that cannot get enough of it. Skydiving is their life and their life is skydiving. And there are the others, who have tried it once and say that it has transformed them. They were instantly attracted to thrill of watching death approach them (literally).

Once of those death-dyfing daredevils is none other than Mike Petrucci. Just a few short weeks ago, Mr. Petrucci went on his very first skydive and fell in love.

Rather than deny his apparent passion (and probably calling), he entrenched himself in the culture. He took his knowledge of social media and marketing and blended it with his new love for skydying (or, I mean skydiving) and formed a brand-spanking new company called Dropzone Media. For those of you that are not up-to-date on your skydiving lingo, Dropzone refers to skydiving locations.

While anxiously researching his next free fall destination, he came to the realization that many of the skydiving companies could value from his deep knowledge of social media, video production, web design and all-around coolness. I added that last part. Rather than cater to everyone, Mr. Mike is narrowing in on this very specialized niche, because that’s what he loves.

We love that he loves to love something enough to share his marketing love to the lovely skydiving companies. That was annoying, wasn’t it?

Having worked on a logo for another skydiving marketeer recently, Peter Shankman, we’re starting to get the hang of how this folks think. We definitely didn’t get into character for this design, but we did watch Wesley Snipe’s feature film, Dropzone, from start to finish for some inspiration. That, along with Mike’s passion was all it took to come up with today’s design.

Whether or not you’re a skydiver or the owner of a dropzone, we suggest that you get connected to Mike, simply because he’s one of the good guys. And, bravo to him for following a passion.

As Shankman frequently says, blue skies everyone … blue skies.

And if you are looking for the original post itself, click —> HERE

I really can’t recommend them enough. They are talented and hilarious and a pleasure to work with. Be sure to give them a poke if you’re looking for a new logo.

In my quest to learn more about skydiving and to immerse myself with the culture, I stumbled upon a podcast that looks to be the only one of it’s kind. I’ve listened to only 2 episodes so far but they’ve been great. Informative, interesting, and has the right balance of topics (I’m new, so some are over my head).

This may not be a big deal to most of you but the one thing I actually enjoy the most is the production value. I don’t know if they have a killer recording setup with years of experience or just some microphones plugged into a laptop but when I’m listening to their podcast on my headphones, it sounds great. I come from a production background and I notice little things in audio and video that others don’t and I appreciate them taking the time to do it well. High production value is underrated these days.

So whether you just did your first tandem or hold a D License, I suggest you check out Skydive Radio. They have something pretty cool going on and it’s totally worth checking out.

Site: http://www.skydiveradio.com/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/skydiveradio

Twitter, Facebook, DailyBooth, Flickr, YouTube… these are just tools for reaching out to people and interacting with them.  Eventually all of those networks will fade away. What’s going to happen to you then?

That’s why it’s not about the tool. Actually, I haven’t read it for a very long time but it reminds me of the book “It’s Not About the Bike” by Lance Armstrong. I see it is as this: It’s not about what tool you use as long as you have heart and passion behind it. Because if you have passion, you will have knowledge. You won’t be able to keep from knowing everything about your subject because you’ll be so passionate about that! You can’t fake it either!

Understand that it’s about listening to people and caring. There is no speedy way around that, nor should there be. Prove that you care and it won’t matter what tool you use.

Ever since the days of dialing into the Internet, people have longed for their own web site. Whether they were building for personal use or starting their own company, people wanted to stake their piece of claim on the world wide web.

To me, web design should do at the very least two things. One, it should be pleasing to the eye. A good layout and clean graphics are very important. Secondly, it needs to be functional. There are tons of other elements that I love to see in a web site but at the heart of it, they need to accomplish those two main goals.

I also believe in emulating designs and elements from sites you like rather than try to reinvent the wheel with some custom site. Now if you have a really specific design or a feature you are trying to implement and you have the money to do it, I say go for it.

But for those with limited resources and even more limited web design skills, using a template is the way to go. A lot people think using a template means there is no originality, and that’s simply not true. Templates today offer tons of flexibility and can integrate everything from paid membership access and forums to multiple pages with custom headers and backgrounds.. And most of these are relatively easy to adjust.

So you may notice that the site I’m on is using a templates theme, or maybe you tell. It’s from a set of themes called ‘Elegant Themes’ that uses WordPress as their foundation.

I chose to go with a template because I wanted to get a good looking site up fast with almost no money spent out of pocket. The goal was to focus on my content and my services rather than deal with the headache of learning code or dealing with a designer.

So what I’m saying is this, for most people, there isn’t a need to spend tons of money on a totally original site, at least at first. Find a template that is good looking and will let you accomplish what you are trying to do. You’ll have to do a little tinkering but you’ll be able to devote more time to your content and building your brand.

If you have any questions, leave a comment or email me at mike [at] dropzonemediagroup [dot] com.

Also, check out the Extras page for my recommendations on WordPress and Elegant Themes.

While signing up for these sites is important, simply having a Twitter account or a Facebook page isn’t going to make you a superstar. Sure the network matters and being there is an important step but it’s not the only thing.

Communicating, is what matters. Learning how to talk to people and relate to your audience, is what matters. It’s a skill that not a lot of people truly comprehend.

In the past, word of mouth was the only thing you could rely on to spread news of your brand. Maybe a few billboards would help but really, news was passed along by people that have been to or used your services.

That’s all that most of these social networking sites do! Tools to spread information further and faster than ever. In an article about Twitter being the “important, vocal minority” it brought up the point that while 87% of Americans have heard of Twitter, only 7% are actually using it. It’s my guess that even less are using it to it’s fullest potential!

What truly matters most is knowing where your audience or community is and meeting them there. Get on that new social network, figure out the vibe and feel for it, and talk to the community! Don’t just be a lurker or a “post only” brand! It’s all about being active and truly caring. Speaking of caring, you should read chapter 9 of Gary Vaynerchuk’s book “Crush It!“

If you are still confused, let me give you the answer:

What Matters Most = Caring