by Caroline Leach | Aug 13, 2018 | Learning, Social Media
“If I can do it, you can too.”
So says Angelica Kelly, the creative force behind the YouTube channel, You Brew Kombucha. Her 31 videos shot over a single summer weekend in 2017 have attracted 11,000 subscribers. All without advertising.
Why did she do it? How did she do it? And what is kombucha?
It’s “a beverage produced by fermenting sweet tea with a culture of yeast and bacteria.” And this sweetened tea is believed to have several health benefits, including boosting energy and immunity.
Angelica shared this with me one recent summer afternoon. We enjoyed a refreshing cup of cold green tea scented with jasmine she brought for our chat.
My first memory of Angelica is a Skype interview when she was a summer intern candidate at my employer (note: opinions expressed in this blog are my own).
She hit the ground running and never looked back. Her internship evolved into a full-time job as a corporate communications specialist. That led to a series of increasingly responsible roles. And she’s now a senior manager of internal communications at a new company.
Her Instagram posts started catching my eye over the last year. I wanted to learn more about her side gig. She was a fascinating candidate for my series of profiles on how professionals are boosting their careers through social media.
What I found was inspiration about learning, about experimenting and about exploring passions.
Here’s what Angelica shared …
Tell me about this tea we’re drinking.
It’s Chinese green tea, scented with jasmine. The cold brewing reduces the astringency. Good tea can be brewed over and over.
And all tea comes from essentially one plant – the camellia sinensis. I’m fascinated by how you can make so many teas from one plant.
Tea helps relax you and bring you back to nature. You’re literally just drinking a leaf.
How do you show up in social media?
There’s an unspoken belief that your work persona has to be different from your non-work persona. I believe they are one in the same. But people are multi-faceted, so there is a time and a place for certain topics.
Social media is all about using the available resources. You can share your knowledge and help others learn in social.
I’m on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Reddit and YouTube.
On Instagram I follow experts in fields of interest. I find them through hashtags and search. (BTW: her Instagram has the perfect summary: I strategize, I write, I read – for fun and for work. To recreate, I create. Check out one of my passion projects @youbrewkombucha on Insta + YouTube.)
My search process starts with books. Then I look online for the best sources of knowledge on the topic. I scour websites and blogs. I’ll follow my favorites’ social media handles and see who comments, who’s engaged and who’s asking or answering questions. And that’s how I connect to other learners.
On Facebook there are so many communities for niche groups. I’ve found home brewer groups for my kombucha research. There’s an interesting dynamic of knowledge sharing, and these are places to troubleshoot questions.
What else is unique about your research process?
It’s fun diving into a field where I feel out of my element. I read a lot of reference books. I borrow ebooks from the library through a great app called Libby, by OverDrive.
Learning is about allowing ourselves to be curious – to be fascinated by a topic. It’s important to be curious in all aspects of life and to go into things with a “beginner’s” mind.
Networking with people, asking questions and connecting with other enthusiasts and subject matter experts are all great ways to learn.
What are your LinkedIn rituals?
At the end of every year I take stock of the personal and professional. I consider what I’m grateful for and what I want to improve.
I use LinkedIn like a notepad and do an annual update after this reflection process. Everything professionally relevant goes into my LinkedIn profile. Accomplishments. Interests. Volunteering. Big projects that highlight transferable skills and new knowledge I’ve gained.
To understand what’s in the ecosystem, I follow and keep tabs on various companies. It’s also interesting to see how others see my company, through their comments and shares. As a communicator, understanding that external perception is crucial.
Why did you launch a YouTube channel?
This is my newest platform. As a viewer and consumer of content, I created the resource I wish existed for me. I couldn’t find a comprehensive YouTube channel on kombucha. I’m all about knowledge sharing, so I wanted to house everything I learned all in one place to make it easy for new learners.
My husband, Ryan, is a writer in the film industry. Together, we created three dozen videos over a weekend. He helped with planning the shoot, rigging the lighting, sequencing the segments and editing the footage.
Ryan understands the intricacies of video and where quality matters. For example, a mismatched quality of video and the heart of what I’m trying to convey could turn viewers off.
I’m a home brewer, not a professional expert. This is a passion project. So I wasn’t trying to make it look super polished. It has a low-budget feeling. It’s more realistic. It says “I’m one of you,” to my audience members, and that makes the topic more accessible.
In the process of shooting the videos I learned not to be camera shy. It doesn’t have to be perfect. It’s not about you. It’s about your audience and what they can learn.
People told me I should release the videos in phases. But I wanted to be the most comprehensive kombucha home brewer resource. So I released all the videos at once. I didn’t want any of it to be incomplete in any way. They’re like a 101 entry-level college course.
To promote them, I posted in the Facebook home brewer groups. Some groups are open to sharing of self-created resources, and others aren’t. But I trusted the information was good and that people who wanted it would find it.
And they did. In under a year, my subscribers grew to more than 11,000. I’ve enjoyed engaging with a small but zealous community of followers – or “discerning enthusiasts” as I like to call them. (I consider myself a discerning enthusiast too). Many of them are in the United States, and some are from as far away as Brazil and Australia.
What are the “do’s” you observe in social?
Be authentic and genuine. That’s the first thing. Just make it; never fake it till you make it.
Give credit. If you repost, find the source and give credit. This is important because the reason people make things is to create joy or inspire some other feeling or reaction. They deserve credit for their work.
Focus on things I’m doing and people I’m with. Those are so much more interesting than too many photos of me.
Teach somebody something or give a new perspective on something.
Let social media spark personal connections. Share your enthusiasm with others. Let it be a catalyst that leads you to dinner or afternoon tea with an old friend or a colleague.
Be careful about negative topics. But don’t sugarcoat like everything is perfect.
How does empathy guide your social involvement?
You never know what state of mind people are in when you put stuff out into the world. And I think about my own state. Rather than using social media as a venting platform that could bring someone else down, I’ll reach out to a circle of friends to talk.
This is so personal and unique to what works for each individual, but if I’m feeling negative, I don’t share in social unless it can spark a constructive dialogue or inspire positive change.
What’s next for you?
My kombucha and tea research is evolving into a focus on Chinese pottery. I’m learning about how different glazes and clays affect tea brewing. And that has led to looking into ceramics classes. That may be the next big thing. It’s all part of my personal quest to be curious in all aspects of life!
Are you as energized by Angelica as I am? Want to learn more about her? Here’s how you can connect:
YT: You Brew Kombucha
IG: @angellykelly | You Brew Kombucha
FB: facebook.com/ange.c.kelly
LI: linkedin.com/in/angelicakelly/
Web: youbrewkombucha.com
Watch for more profiles coming soon. And if you’d like to be profiled, leave me a comment. I’d love to hear from you!
by Caroline Leach | Jul 15, 2018 | Learning, Social Media
If social media is all about reciprocity, so is learning.
That’s what I learned from a recent visit at a sales and service center.
I got great ideas about leadership and service, plus inspiration from and admiration for a group of pros who serve customers every day. (Note: opinions expressed in this blog are my own).
One of the things I love about my employer is the focus on employee resource groups, or ERGs. And I enjoy leading mentor circles with two of them – Women of AT&T and HACEMOS, the Hispanic and Latino group.
So when Shandria Alexander along with Norma Vega-Guadian from one of my mentor circles invited me to speak at their site during a career development week, I was excited to do it.
Was I ever in for a surprise. If you want to make someone feel welcome, here’s how to do it.
Shandria and Norma met me outside the front door when I arrived, along with their leadership colleagues Louie Lewis and Joe Landazabal.
As soon as they opened the door, I was greeted by the leadership team singing, dancing and clapping. Team members took pictures and videos to capture the moments. A banner welcomed me.
And most amazingly, Shandria had my own bitmoji created as Social Media Woman!
It’s now in a visible spot for me every day, as an ever-present reminder that we all have super powers. We can all solve problems. We can all make our workplace better every day.
As we toured the site, the energy and enthusiasm of the team were palpable. The natural sunlight, the fun summer decor and the festive balloon awards for sales milestones make it an engaging place.
Next I met with participants in the company’s leadership development program. They shared their best customer experience tips.
- One person focused on energy, standing up during calls and smiling broadly so his enthusiasm comes through to customers.
- Another person talked about how he strives to bring positivity to the work environment so everyone can do their best work.
- And yet another shared how her study of theater enables her to coach people to connect better with customers and their needs.
Next up was video time with Victor Rosales. He completed his degree in communications and public relations last year, and he’s putting it to great use.
In his recording and editing studio, he has perfectly positioned reminders on the walls to remind people to relax, breathe and have fun on camera.
Victor designed a true-or-false Q&A about social media for career building. And Shandria followed it up with some rapid-fire questions of her own.
The day wrapped up with lunch with the site’s leadership team. What an inspiring group of people. This is a team of people flying in formation, seamlessly passing the baton to each other and bringing their strengths together.
- They talked about getting to know people – their families, their work and their fun – both employees and customers.
- They talked about asking employees what they think and encouraging them to solve problems, rather than simply providing an answer.
- They talked about accountability, and asking team members if the response they gave to solving a problem would be the same one they’d give in an interview. Great question!
With both groups, we talked about social media for career building.
For starters, why is this important? There are three big reasons, from my recent research …
- Building a professional network over time
- Learning continually about your field, your company and your industry, and
- Sharing your knowledge to become a thought leader.
Once you’re clear on the “why,” the “what” takes the form of 10 tips …
1. Follow your company’s social media policy. Make sure you read, understand and follow your company’s policy. Disclose your affiliation with the company. Don’t ever share confidential or propriety information.
A good practice is to keep your posts positive and upbeat. When in doubt about whether something is appropriate for sharing, ask someone such as your supervisor or a social media team member, or simply don’t post.
2. Decide what you want to be known for. Who do you want to be? What is your personal brand? Whether you actively define your personal brand and act in accordance with it or not, you have a brand.
Marketing strategist and author Dorie Clark has an easy way to find out what it is. Ask colleagues for three words that describe you, she advises. Look for patterns in their responses. Is that what you want to be known for? Or do you want to change it? This will help define your content areas of focus in social media.
3. Pick where to play. LinkedIn is the #1 place for professionals and is the nexus of your network. Twitter is for news, real-time events and thought leaderships in micro bursts — and the site I visited is establishing a terrific presence.
Instagram is on the rise for visual brand building. If you want to see people who are representing their professional lives well in Instagram, check out Sparkset App. Curated by Tiffany Frake, this account shows you amazing images of what people do in their careers.
4. Always be connecting. Your network is the community you build in social media. This is more important than ever. Why? Social media algorithms are always changing. Organic reach – the stuff you don’t pay for when you post – is declining. So having a community of committed people is important.
Start with the people in your contact list on your smartphone. Are you connected with all of them on LinkedIn? Following them on Twitter?
Whenever you send a LinkedIn invitation, always personalize it. That makes you more memorable and increases the likelihood your invitation will be accepted.
Scan your calendar each week and see if you’ll be meeting anyone new. You can visit their LinkedIn profile to get to know them in advance, and you can send them a personalized invitation to connect.
Did you join a new community group? How about a mentoring circle? Anytime you join a new group connect with the people in social.
5. Observe other’s content to see what works. Scroll through your LinkedIn home feed every day. See what content catches your eye and why. Look at the engagement – likes, comments and shares.
Many people are doing a great job documenting what they’re doing and what they’re working on (of course, only those things that can be shared publicly). Think about how you could document what you’re doing in the course of your day that would be interesting to your network.
Is a colleague getting an award? Is the team celebrating a win? Are you continuing your learning through courses or seminars? Those could all be topics to share.
6. Get to know leaders and colleagues. People you might not be able to spend a lot of time with are often accessible in social media. You can establish relationships by engaging with their content.
Go beyond liking it and post thoughtful comments. Build on their content by adding your point of view or asking a question. Share the content with your networks if it fits with the topics you focus on.
Just don’t go overboard and engage too much. Once a week is about right.
7. Mention and tag people. To expand the reach of content you post, @mention people who might be interested in it. That way, they’ll be notified of your post. They’re more likely to see it and engage with it.
Again, don’t go overboard and do this too much. One a week is about right.
8. Use hashtags. Use hashtags relevant to the content you post, so more people find it. At AT&T, we use #LifeatATT. And we use #ATTImpact when serving our communities. Your organization probably has its own hashtags.
And you can always create your own. My colleague John Stancliffe uses #KeepUpTheAwesome.
9. Analyze your analytics. Look at the analytics the various social platforms provide, to see which of your content is resonating the most with your network.
Beyond that, you can create and analyze your own data. I created a spreadsheet for deeper analysis of my weekly LinkedIn articles.
This led to discoveries about articles that got the most views and engagement. First, they answered important questions for people. Second, they combined personal knowledge and existing knowledge in new ways that only I could write about.
10. Experiment and learn. Try new things with your content. See how your network responds. Sometimes what you expect to get a lot of engagement WON’T, and vice versa.
For example, to test the data point that “it takes 20 LinkedIn posts every month to reach 60% of your audience,” I did an experiment. I posted content every weekday for a month to see what I’d learn. That post did well with almost 1,000 views.
Another time I was annoyed by immediate spam messages people sent me after I accepted their LinkedIn invitations.
So I started a list of “what not to do in LinkedIn.” Then I Googled the topic to see if I’d be covering new ground. It turns out, I wasn’t. So I wrote a different article. But I mentioned the “what not to do” piece I’d considered.
Jason Dunn left a comment and said he was interested in “what not to do.” So I posted it after all.
It’s my most viewed article to date, with 1,200 clicks. And I almost didn’t share it.
The lesson? Keep experimenting!
by Caroline Leach | Jun 17, 2018 | Learning, Social Media
There’s only one you in the world. No one else has traveled your exact professional path, experienced identical situations or learned the same lessons.
Of the more than 560 million LinkedIn users and counting, only you can tell your unique professional story.
That’s the big takeaway from analyzing 49 articles I posted to LinkedIn starting in May 2017. The top articles were largely inspired by my personal experience:
If you aren’t already posting LinkedIn articles, here are some reasons to consider it. And if you’re already writing articles, this may help you up your game.
Just over a year ago, I started an experiment on LinkedIn. I posted to LinkedIn every weekday for a month. Why? To test the data point that it takes 20 LinkedIn posts each month to reach 60% of your audience.
In developing an editorial calendar, one of the easy ways to share content was to repurpose my blog posts at carolineleach.com. This solved another problem – promoting my posts. Repurposing posts as LinkedIn articles reached a broader audience among my LinkedIn network.
In analyzing the data over the past year and reflecting on my experience, here’s what I learned in the form of benefits from regular article writing. By writing an article weekly, as I did, or probably even monthly, you’re likely to:
Create a sustainable writing schedule. When I began writing articles a year ago, there was a healthy backlog of blog posts. It was simply a matter of organizing the topics in a logical flow, making minor content updates to ensure timeliness, posting the articles and sharing them with my network.
Once the backlog was done, though, a weekly article needed to be written. With a busy professional position and an active family with two teens, where was the time going to come from?
Here’s one of the ways having teens can be a blessing. They generally sleep in on the weekends. That’s why early mornings on the weekends became my writing time. And the weekly article was ready to repurpose on LinkedIn during the week when more people visit it.
Committing to a weekly article pushed me to create a sustainable writing schedule every week. If you’re a lark like me, or a night owl like my teens, you can take advantage of early mornings or late nights. Or you could turn part of your lunchtime or your public transport commute into writing times.
There’s an ideal intersection. It’s between areas when you can carve out time and when your brain is operating a high level of efficiency. Look for those times.
Grow your network. My articles that attracted the most engagement have been those where I’ve done experiments and collected and analyzed related data. That made me wonder how my network grew between May 2017 and June 2018.
LinkedIn has a handy feature where you can download all of your connections into an Excel spreadsheet. BTW, this is a good practice to do every 3 to 6 months, so you always have an up-to-date record of your contacts. You never know when you might need it!
While I thought my network had grown over the last year, it was surprising to see connections were up more than 60%! There are many reasons for this, and I believe my weekly articles are a big one. Why? Because people mention them in their connection requests.
While connections went from about 1,900 to 3,160, followers also grew from zero to 440 in the same time period. The combined group is just over 3,600. That data helped me set a stretch goal for this year of 5,000.
Establish yourself as an expert and increase your influence. By sharing your professional expertise and your unique perspective, you can establish yourself as a thought leader in your area of focus.
How can you measure this? The growth in your network connections and followers gives you one indication.
You can also look at the trend of your profile views. How are they increasing over time? What’s the makeup of people looking at your profile? Is it the group you want to reach, whether it’s industry leaders, peers or recruiters?
You can also look at speaking requests. Because of my LinkedIn articles, I’ve been invited to speak to …
A highlight was joining the team of social influencers at the inaugural AT&T Business Summit in 2017. John Starkweather, Michelle Smith and I along with several others shared our experiences in LinkedIn articles. (Note: opinions expressed in this blog are my own.)
What’s next? This spring I did research on how people are using social media to boost their careers. That identified several people who are doing it well. I’ve begun interviewing people who are crushing it in social media and will start sharing profiles of them soon.
The ascendence of AI, artificial intelligence, and AR, augmented reality, are fascinating in how they are influencing social media. These are areas I look forward to researching and conducting experiments.
The best part about reflecting on that last year? Seeing a holistic view that added up to significant progress. Without pausing to reflect, the feeling of moving forward wouldn’t be as strong.
And having a sense of forward momentum is what creates “the best inner work lives,” according to authors Teresa Amabile and Steven Kramer. They studied and wrote about the importance of daily action toward meaningful goals in The Progress Principle.
How are you making regular progress in sharing your expertise with the world?
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