Let’s Kick Ass Together in 2012!

Do you shine?

These last few years, the whole idea of what it takes to make you “shine” as a professional has been flipped upside down. The transparent, instant nature of social platforms has turned “polished” into “inauthentic,” and “polite” into something approaching “laughably out of touch.”

This isn’t going to change; success in 2012 requires knowing what to do about it. Keep reading.

Beyond the “generation gap” excuse

A lot of people mistakenly chalk these changes up to a generation gap. Four different CEOs have thrown Blackberries at me and challenged me to explain Twitter—or LinkedIn, or Facebook—to them, claiming they’re too old, they don’t get it.

But generation gaps and communication shifts are two different waves.

1994: I build my first website. Cutting edge is a CD that could hold 600Mb of data.
2001: I start blogging. Only about 10% of the US has access to broadband.
Two years ago this week: I’ve just started working with professionals on social media strategies. 0% of the world uses iPads. (Those don’t come out until January, 2010.)

Social communication is a trend unique in the world. Gen Y is an amplifying force, not a driving force.

Riding the wave

Thanks to 17 years working with cutting edge technology, I know how to go beyond the hype and get to what’s real: as a website designer, as the executive producer of RollingStone.com, as a consultant analyzing Orbitz’s customer interaction patterns, as a student at Kellogg or a negotiations instructor at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology, as an executive coach, and as a blogger, I’ve discovered the fundamentals of making people shine… and how to make those fundamentals work in different platforms.

My company

I finally got smart and in 2010 I narrowed my focus to helping professionals use LinkedIn to drive business. This was the next logical step for me: I’ve always helped people tell their stories, and this is where storytelling is moving to. I took on a partner with execution expertise and Ajax Social Media was born.

Today, our team includes members in Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. We’re in the process of signing on our first global client. We’re growing. We’re having fun.

How Ajax drives results

It all starts with us making people credible online.

We optimize peoples’ profiles. We train. We coach. We write and curate content. We analyze social data and create strategies that turn a workforce into an army of brand advocates. We bring the house down with one-of-a-kind, interactive presentations.

We achieved a 30%-40% jump in recruiting efficiency for one client and an 800% increase in employee brand engagement for another. When LinkedIn invited us to “pimp” peoples’ profiles at their user conference this past October, 98% of our visitors said they learned something new from us,100% said they learned something actionable, and 94% said they acted on our recommendations. That’s an astounding level of impact for any training operation, let alone one operating at a kiosk at a user conference.

Next steps

Got a person, or a team, or a company, with an online image that needs tightening? Trying to figure out what to do with those profiles now that you’ve got them? Call me, let’s talk. 888 244-6698, ext 707.

Once upon a time, the solutions I provided solved a chronic, low-grade need. Today, that need is acute. (One consulting firm reports that the top 10% of their web-based clients get 350% more leads, on average, than the top 50% of their clients. Communication matters!) I have a proven solution that’s built on nearly two decades of experience, that’s been battle-tested now for two years.

Contacting me

By now, some of you probably have about half a dozen email addresses for me. They all work. My preference, though is that you use the following:

jason [at] ajaxsocialmedia.com (work)
jason [at] jasonseiden.com (personal)
888 244-6698 x707 (office)
312 961-2107 (mobile)

In the meantime…

You also may have noticed that my blog has changed names. Jasonseiden.com is no longer “Fail Spectacularly!” It’s now “JasonSeiden.com: This blog is profersonal™”. I did this to better match the focus of the blog with the topics I’m focused on. I’m also contributing to the Ajax Social Media blog. You’ll find my weekly “Social Media for CEOs” series there, as well as articles written from other Ajax experts on social recruiting, sales, and marketing.

Beyond Social, the podcast we started testing about a year ago, launches in January 2012. And the book Beyond Social is being revamped for a 2012 release.

These are all easy, low-involvement sources of information that will keep you shining.

Unfortunately, all this activity means I’m killing the weekly round up newsletter. It is being survived by 2 other newsletters, including one that goes out every time I post something new (usually about 2-3 times per week). If you used to get the weekly, I’ve shifted you over to this newsletter. If you opt out, I’ll understand. I’ll also understand if you recommend my blog to your friends and coworkers.

Close your year strong, and have a great 2012!

Jason

Jason Seiden is CEO of Ajax Workforce Marketing. Ajax amplifies brands by aligning employees' online messaging.