Benefits to Using Social Media in A Job Search

1. Networking. In the business sector, what you know is as important as who you know. If you know the “right” people, doors are opened to you that may be closed to other folks. Social media lets you rub elbows with prospective employers, permitting your personality to radiate online. For many job seekers, social media offers the greatest opportunity to make a first-rate inaugural impression and eventually land the dream job you have been craving.

TIP: Don’t be an idiot online, keep your party photos on your phone and your ‘political insights’ to yourself. (You can however post cute pictures of your cats… but be reasonable)

2. Get the latest on new jobs. Networking with potential employers online puts you in a unique position. Since these prospective employers know you and may already be considering you for a job opportunity, you are the first in line when a new position is scheduled to come down the pipeline. This gives you a major competitive edge when it comes time to apply.

TIP: When you add, follow, or friend a prospective employer don’t be a ‘needy Neddy’, no one likes it when you beg for something – simply connect with them. Don’t over do it, let serendipity take place in the relationship

3. Exposure. Your connected profiles, résumés and data are instantly more accessible than ever before. Social media means having the chance to rub elbows with business big shots, but it also gives those big shots a chance to work on your behalf. People you network with might recommend you to other colleagues and employers, doubling your chances of landing a great job, without any extra effort on your part.

TIP: If you already have a job but are searching for a new one, for the love of Cheetos, be discrete. You’re probably friends with coworkers, or even your current boss. Don’t be the idiot who posts “omg I need a new job, anyone have any ideas?”, this will not excite potential employers, and will probably get you a meeting with HR.

Some results of using Linkedin to find a job:

(click here to find out more about Linkedinfluence.*)

Drawbacks

1. Crossing lines. Social media can interlock your personal and professional lives, and often does. Employers can now see your profiles, status updates, links and ensuing commentary on friend’s posts. Because of this, checking in to your localized irrigating hole can endanger your chances with prospective employers, in the event that the employer perceives your conduct negatively.

TIP: Again, just don’t be an idiot online.

2. Preference puzzles. Your cyberspace profiles openly display your “likes”, preferred music, spiritual druthers and a wide variety of other personal insights. In spite of the fact that discriminating against someone because of these things is against the law, these publicized insights can operate against you during a job hunt, and an employer never has to admit to that.

TIP: Lets say you’re looking to get hired by Dell HQ, you’re a great engineer and you know your stuff, but on your Facebook you love everything Apple, heck your profile picture is you kissing your iPad, this might make for some awkward questions at the interview.

3. Overburden. Suddenly, social networking could begin to feel like it is chore. You might feel as if you have to second-guess everything you say or do online. You might even start to feel as though you cannot be “yourself” any longer when you are online.

TIP: Sorry to say it, but if you’re active in social media – you’re going to have to censor yourself a little bit. Campfire’s and bars are designed for hilarious stories of vandalism and public urination, not Facebook or Twitter. If you put it online, it stays online.

Some Ideas: Consider making assorted social media profiles, each with a specific purpose. For example, if you have a personal Facebook page, think about making a fan page to share with employers, relegating what they see and what they cannot. If that does not work, you might want to consider only sharing your LinkedIn profile with potential employers, and keeping your Facebook profile locked down and private.

Nevertheless, whenever you permit employers to be a part of your individual electronic network, all bets are off, even when you already have the job. At the end of the day, your online profiles act as an extension of you, make yours the most respectable it can be and you will never go wrong. And again, don’t be afraid to post pictures of your cats.

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First, is good observation. Good humor often provides insight into a common situation and is the first step in the build up to a good punchline. A humorist has to understand a situation before he can point out its inherent humor, or add some of his own. You can do a lot with the most mundane situations, but you have to understand them first.

Once a good observation is made, a good way to get a laugh is by adding a little absurdity. Whether by exaggeration, embellishing an anecdote until the mundane becomes epic is silly and often hilarious. If you prefer the deadpan a joke or scene that is outlandish and ridiculous written with a serious tone or told with a straight face will almost certainly evoke laughter. Such absurdities help build up the punch line by loosening up the audience. Preliminary laughs during the set up are like appetizers before a big entrée; they go a long way to increase comedic tension.

While building this comedic tension, it’s important to pay attention to your delivery. If the storytelling is an appetizer, then the execution is seasoning. The way you tell your jokes whether written or spoken goes a long way in determining how funny your material is. Nowhere is this more important than in written comedy, where the tone of the writing requires so much more fine tuning. Word order, sentence structure, and the all important diction are essential. There is a popularly suggested guideline that the funniest word in a sentence should go at the end of the sentence, and the funniest sentence should go at the end of the paragraph.

Before the end of the paragraph, you should be sure to load your comedy writing with detail, as much as you can fit while still making it as succinct as it can be. The more you can draw your audience into your material, the more real you can make it in their minds the bigger the emotional payoff. This is as true for comedy as it is for drama. The more imagery you build to draw your audience in the more potent your punch line will be.

TIP:  The funniest word in a sentence should go at the end of the sentence, and the funniest sentence should go at the end of the paragraph.

That’s what you’re going for: a powerful punch line. For a powerful punch line, in addition to a good build, you up a few words, no more than one or two sentences, which brings the funny home to the audience. At this point you want to take the audience by surprise. Give an unexpected ending to your anecdote, an unrelated tangent if you want to build on the absurdity you introduced earlier, or a poignant observation that gives the audience something to think about.

It’s important to tie humor into your blogging, mainly because people are just @#%$ing bored with 90% of what they have to read on a daily basis.

1. Set a goal, know your goal.

What do you want to blog to say about you? What areas are you a subject matter expert in? Some people might be connoisseurs of their own lives, but possess a flair for describing the mundane in a comical or entertaining way that makes people want to read about it. Other folks may be armchair political analysts or business professionals wanting to share insight and experience. Before you pick up the pen, know where you are going to take your blog.

2. Know your audience, before they know they are your audience.

Think about who will be reading your blog. Are you gearing it toward consumers, enticing them to buy your product or use you company? Are you thinking about using your blog to network with other industry professionals? Know your audience before they even become your audience and write your blog for them.

3. Consistency is crucial.

You can’t sell a $32 can of eye shadow if just yesterday you decried the evils of paying over $20 for make-up. You have to be consistent with what you say and who you are across the board. A blog that is all over the place never gets off the ground. Segment and niche your blog around consistency and find yourself rewarded with reader loyalty.

4. Never give up.

Initially your readership will be exclusive to your closest friends and family. Blogs take a while before they get noticed. That doesn’t mean you should stop blogging. In fact, the opposite is true. You need to blog more. The less frequently you update your blog, the less useful and timely it is. Update your blog a few times a week to keep readers engaged with new, fresh content and attract new readers.

5. Use your social clout.

Involve your readers in the conversation either by linking a social media page to your blog or by giving readers a call to action at the end of it. Ask your audience a question at the end of each post and then respond to the most interesting answers or tidbits in your next post. This accomplishes two things: it shows you are approachable and human and it gives you fresh content for a new post all at the same time. Show your readers you appreciate their loyalty by acknowledging them, and challenging them to come up with great feedback if they want to be noticed.

6. Don’t be a secret blogger.

Visit other blogs and ask if you can do a guest post or feature. Use social bookmarking tools to get your blog out there, promote your blog on social media outlets and link to your blog in email signatures and forum posts. You have to be active and pro-active to build your readership. You can’t just expect to put up a blog and have it flooded with traffic tomorrow if you don’t put in any effort to promote it.

7. Use widgets and plug-ins.

Widgets are cool and people love cool stuff. That doesn’t mean, however, that you need to showcase all of the widgets available to you. Find the plug-ins most relevant to your cause. For example, if your blog is about politics, install a news widget with the most updated political headlines. This makes your blog look and feel professional and helps showcase your expertise on your selected subject matter.

8. Take risks.

Controversy sells. Chances are, you are not a bland person full of insipid opinions. Don’t be afraid to speak your mind. It may not always be popular, but it will get people talking and sharing your blog more so than mundane posts ever will. In fact, you can increase you readership even if someone doesn’t agree with one post. Usually readers will check out more of your content and realize you aren’t so bad after all, and could just become a fan.

9. Stay up to date with your industry.

You need to be aware of trending changes in your industry –yes, blogging is an industry. Be prepared to change and adapt with the times and use new tools. If you don’t, you lose readers and all the work you have done to build your blog will have been for naught.

10. Be you, always.

If you put a fake persona online, if you are phony in your blog, eventually you will be found out. Be yourself. While you might not be everyone’s cup of tea, the best way to build your personal brand is to be authentic. Think about the most controversial personalities of our day and you will notice they all have one thing in common: they are never anyone but themselves. Write what you know and be who you are. The rest will fall into place.

Can pillar content help with SEO?

Yes, pillar content is good for SEO purposes. Posts that can be considered pillar articles are usually some of the longest posts on your web site. They are also highly focused around a particular subject, which means by nature they contain a lot of long tail keywords that people will type into search engines and discover your post through. If you do a bit of keyword research before writing one of these posts, you can be sure to include some of the most common long tail keywords and make it even easier for visitors to find your site.

The other main SEO benefit of pillar content is that not only can you include keywords naturally, but it attracts natural links as well. Because this content is written to be as helpful and comprehensive as possible, people will want to share links to it with their own readers or on social networking sites. There are also internal linking opportunities with these kinds of posts that you should take advantage of. Any time you write a smaller post that references something in a pillar article, link to it.

How is pillar content good for my visitors?

The main reason pillar content is important is because it helps your visitors with a problem or question they have. If a visitor found your article through a search engine, it means he or she was looking for something specific. Maybe it was an answer to a question, maybe it was help with a particular problem, maybe it was some basic information on something he or she had a passing interest in. Whatever it was, your article is what will provide it. If this person is a regular reader of your blog, it means he or she is already interested in the topic and so your pillar articles will be of significant value.

Good pillar content is timeless, which means it does not matter how old the post is when the newest information-seeker happens upon it. Updating the article from time to time, when it becomes necessary, is a good way to make sure the content is always relevant and useful. Besides providing any specific help visitors are looking to find, a well-written pillar article can tell readers something they did not even realize they wanted to know. Giving this kind of value to your visitors is the best way to increase your reputation as an expert in your field.

Writing pillar content will show people that I am an expert?

Your writing is a reflection of yourself, and the articles that make up your pillar content should be your best writing on your site. These articles are informative and detailed, and really show your readers that you do in fact know what you are talking about. Write them in an educated, informed style but keep in mind that you are trying to teach your audience, so the writing must be easy to understand and relate to as well.

The most effective kinds of pillar content will rely heavily on your own personal experiences with the subject matter. This way your readers see that you have history with the topic and will trust your authority on it. Do thorough research when planning a pillar article, draw from your own successes and failures, and provide in-depth information that will make visitors realize you are definitely the person they should be learning from. Make it possible for readers to ask you questions, or even encourage them to do so, and the best or most frequent questions can provide topics for future pillar articles.

Okay, so how else do you go about planning pillar content for a site?

Taking questions directly from your audience is one of the best ways to get ideas for pillar articles. But before you have an audience to get questions from, there are still many ways to brainstorm topics. A simple one is by making a mind map: write down one of the main subjects of your blog on a piece of paper, and then branch off from that into subcategories. Some of these subcategories can have subcategories of their own, and so on. Each of the things that you write down can become the focus of a pillar content article, or even a whole series of articles.

Other places to look for potential topics are forums relating to your blog’s main focus. Find out what people interested in the subject are asking each other, and try to provide the answers for them on your blog. Step-by-step how-to posts are always a safe bet. You can also try to ask yourself, your friends and your family members what someone would want to know about your subject, or what kinds of problems people have relating to it that you could help them with. Remember, you want your pillar content to be as useful as possible.

It can be a good idea to carry a small notebook with you so when inspiration strikes you can write down your ideas. When coming up with post topics or actually writing the articles, one essential thing to keep in mind is that they should involve your real-life experience as much as possible. Include ideas such as:

• What sorts of problems have you had?
• How have you tried to solve these problems yourself?
• Were you successful?

Always keep in mind that your visitors are looking for real-world solutions and answers that someone else has found that they can benefit from. Pillar content is about sharing your knowledge and making even a small difference in the life of a visitor to your site, all while making your site stronger in the process.

So you want to make more video’s, produce them fast, and loose the headache? Follow the steps in the video below and this will become a breeze!

Step 1: Buy Jing Pro ($14 per year!).

Step 2: Visit answer question sites… Yahoo Answers, Quora, Reddit, really any site that they ask questions on.

Step 3: Record your answer to their question with Jing, and upload automatically to YouTube, post it as the answer and post it on your blog!

Easy breezy!

Question: Out of curiousity, what CMS are you using on mozilla.org, the Firefox site, support.mozilla.org, et al.? You guys have an awful lot of pages to manage.

Answer

Most of our websites nowadays are based on Django, and the content is not usually user-editable. We have a Django-based framework called playdoh that we use for almost all our websites, with a few notable exceptions.

One of those exceptions is We actually don’t use a pre-made CMS on mozilla.org. Instead, it is currently a slim PHP framework with lots of pages. Here’s a technical description of how this is glued together. However, since that’s a legacy thing and somewhat hard to maintain, we are in the process of switching all that over to a Django-based site as well.

Question: What’s your deployment strategy ? What do you test in your codebase and how ?

Answer

Testing - To add to what Fred said, we also use jstestnet (kumar303 wrote it) to include our QUnit(JavaScript/front-end unit tests) in our CI results. Our WebQA and Automation teams are big contributors to and consumers of the Selenium test automation project. We’re working to get those tests included with the nose/QUnit results, because a failure is a failure is a failure, no matter where it failed.

We also have developed a culture of testing–this is something I’ve been meaning to write a blog post about. That means a few things:

1. Time to write tests is included in how long it takes to write the code under test. A feature isn’t complete without tests.
2. If you break the tests, there’s some good-natured teasing, and you lose points in the CI game. Light social pressure is incredibly helpful.
3. If you break the tests, your first priority is fixing them.

Next I want to develop a culture of performance.

Deployment - This is my favorite topic! I’ve been giving talks on it for around a year now. I actually started putting a joke about that into my talks about it.

My goal with all the projects I touch is to deploy continuously. Not only does continuous deployment mean fixes get to users as fast as possible, but it has a bunch of requirements that are great in-and-of themselves, like…

1. You must have a robust, automated, and fast deployment pipeline. One-button and wait.
2. You must have a high confidence level from automated tests so you don’t break things.
3. You must have active, real-time monitoring of the site.
4. You must keep master/trunk/whatever branch in a clean, working state, all the time.
5. Developers must develop a sense of ownership over their code that lasts all the way out the door.

It also has a number of side benefits, like not doing code pushes at night when people are tired, or about to leave for the day.

Some projects are closer than others. We learned a lot from Etsy (link to blog post and video, watch Kellan and Erik’s sections). But their Deployinator tool is Ruby, and it took them a while to open source it, so we built Chiefto do the same thing (run some shell scripts, print a bunch of output).

We’ve got push-button production deploys with Chief or other, ad-hoc tools, for a few sites now. We’ve got it set up in the -stage environment Fred mentioned for a few more. We use another tool called Freddo to deploy -dev environments on Github post-push hooks. My goal is to have all new environments set up with Freddo and Chief by default in the future.

More Answers:

Our deployment strategies vary a little bit between projects, but as a general idea, we have three (sets of) servers: -dev, -stage, and production. When you commit something to the codebase, it automatically updates -dev. -dev always represents trunk and it thus a moving target, and not too stable for manual testing. Once a release is code complete, it is pushed to -stage, which will then remain like this until the release. QA tests on stage, and once we are confident that we can release, we update the production servers. For comparability, the stage setup is supposed to be a smaller version of the production servers, but with the same hardware and software setup (so, for example, if production has 4 databases and 10 webservers, then stage would have 2 databases and 2 webservers).

Testing is a big deal at Mozilla: We (try to) unit test everything, and have a continuous integration server that gets angry at us when tests break. Our test framework is the one that’s built into Django, along with nose and a few of our own extensions. When doing code reviews, we reject patches that are untested. Once that tested code has landed, we also have a very capable QA team (and contributors!) that focuses on integration testing as well as test automation for “user flows”. For example, “can a user upload an add-on on AMO?”. QA has their own CI server that also complains when something breaks. The tool we use for this is Selenium.

Question: As I heard you use a lot mysql. Since mysql is oracle stuff now, you have any intention to moving to another DB like postgres? And what about NoSQL the webdev team had the intention of using a db like mongodb?

Answer

We’re using MySQL for a lot (not: all) of our webapps, that’s true. As long as MySQL remains an active open source project, there’s no reason for us to abandon it based on who owns the company maintaining it. We also have two DB admins on staff who are really experienced with MySQL (but not only).

That said, we are using Postgres for some projects already and will continue using it whenever it’s good for a project. Same goes for “NoSQL” databases: We’re using Redis for on AMO, for example, and a number of us have used MongoDB on smaller projects before, though not on big Mozilla projects.

In general, we strongly believe in using the “right tool for the job” and are thus open to new technologies whenever they make sense.

Question: Don’t you feel that the Chrome dev team is leading the web forward (with the exception of some evil moves by Google like Dart) like you were before ? If so what, in your opinion, are you missing ? Developers ? Money ? Also, is Lion compatibility a priority, and how many contributors/developers are on it ?

Answer

I as a web developer do think that Chrome is moving the web forward in certain ways. And that’s a good thing! However, make no mistake that Mozilla and Firefox is working any less hard on advancing the web. Just one example, here is a meta bug on all the “new web APIs” we are working on.

Good question, sadly I don’t know how the team size compares. However, I am fairly certain that Google’s teams, in every aspect of what we do, by far outnumber Mozilla’s team sizes. So resources are definitely an issue.

As for the motives, I agree that the individual developers on Chrome probably share our views of advancing the Open Web.

Do I feel like Chrome is a leader in innovation? Most certainly. Do I feel like Firefox is another leader? Absolutely. Chrome’s number 1 distinction point is speed, while Firefox’s is user experience and privacy, for example. Luckily, there is not only one way to advance the Web.

Question: What are your views on Node.js? Would Mozilla considering switching to Node.js? ( Bringing ALL of the products, Firefox, Thunderbird, and website frontend to be made with js ) Would you stop using node.js because the Engine is made by a competitor ( V8 from Chrome )

Answer

Node.js is great! There are a few things that we’re already doing in Node. The most well-known one is probably the backend to BrowserID (not a webdev project, mind you). That its JS engine is V8 is not an issue.

That said, switching over all projects to node does not seem to make a lot of sense. I don’t think Node is (currently) a good all-purpose platform, and we don’t need its specific strengths for all our projects.

For example, I have an iGoogle-like project on the drawing board, but it’s likely that I’ll have to use either Django+Node.js or Tornado or Bottle+gevent because the few RSS/Atom-parsing libraries I’ve found for Node.js are immature (Everyone’s focused on JSON-based Activity Streams) while Django and the WSGI API weren’t designed with server-push and long-lived connections in mind.

Question: How many of you work remote – and do you think that it makes the job easier/harder?

Answer

Mozilla is a very, very remote-friendly company in general, and our team is (I think) remote as a majority. Personally, I’m hooked on it and would have a hard time going back to an office, now.

IMO, the “easier” part is being able to work without outside interruptions, but the “harder” part is being self-motivated enough to work without interrupting yourself. My home office is mere steps away from a fully-stocked entertainment center with an Xbox. Of course, the office in Mountain View has that, too, but at least there my co-workers can see me slacking off

There’s also the issue of communications – but we attack that problem with documentation, IRC, IM, VoIP, video chat, and whatever else we can come up with.

That’s actually a good thing to attack, too, because we make Open Source software. Barely any contributors from the community have the advantage of being present in a Mozilla office, so being remote helps to keep Mozilla employees on the same level with non-employee contributors because most of the communication tech we use is not exclusive to the company.

(For instance, did you know that our weekly all-company meeting is a public conference call? Every week.)

I think more than half of us are remote, probably around 2/3rds. Most of us remoties work from home. (Some people are in a Mozilla office, but are the only webdev there, which is kind of like being remote.)

I think it has challenges. We get together in meatspace pretty regularly, because it’s valuable and some things are easier solved with no communication lag time. We also do a lot of phone and video conferences for that reason.

But once you have a critical mass of remote people, it starts to get easier. There isn’t a stigma to being on the other side of the webcam or phone, if 2/3rds of the people are. Even folks in conference rooms at the office are usually talking to a camera. And we have to put things in asynchronous tools like email, wiki pages, github comments, which also makes it easier for us to include community members.

EDIT: On a personal note, working from home is about a wash with being in the office, having done both. I go a little stir crazy, but I have a more flexible schedule. I don’t see people during the day, but that makes me have a more active social life at night and on weekends, etc.

Question: What should a upcoming Mozilla webdev intern know before coming in?

Answer

This question implies that you have already been accepted as an intern (correct me if I’m wrong), so that would assume you have shown that you can work in a team, are interested in the things we are doing, and that have written some relevant code.

If you want to get a head start on the code side, familiarize yourself with Python and Django, as well as HTML / CSS and JavaScript. You will, however, get plenty of code reviews and advice, so don’t panic

You are also welcome to pick any Mozilla website you find interesting and take a look at its code, ask questions, maybe even file a bug or submit a patch. Also, go ahead and find us on IRC (http://irc.mozilla.org for instructions, channel #webdev) and say hi!

Looking forward to meeting you soon

These are just a few questions that I liked, Want to read the rest? Click Here

How many times have you visited a site, found the blog, got really excited by the post, and then were extremely disappointed to see it was posted in 2009 and has had no updates since? It is hard to trust a source that is inconsistent and seemingly out of touch. Just like nobody likes a flaky person, nobody likes a flaky blog. If you want consistent followers, you need to give them consistent information.You want people to remember your blog and visit it often. For this to be worth their while it is so important to update consistently, at least a few times a week.

2. Audience:

Keep it personal. Even though there may be thousands of people following your blog (woohoo!), individuals are reading it, and people like to feel important. Give them a reason to feel like you are communicating just to them. Keep your tone conversational, ask questions, provide insights, and most importantly…continue the conversations through comments. There is no greater feeling than knowing someone has taken the time to respond to your thoughts. Engage your followers and you will create fans.

3. Theme:

There should be an overarching theme to your blog that lets the reader know right away who you are, what the blog is about, and why that person should spend their precious time reading it. Having a theme also helps with consistency. When you have a focused goal, it is much easier to find topics to write about.

4. Resource:

Most people follow a blog because it gives them some sort of value. It might make them feel connected, provide them with valuable information, or just be an enjoyable experience. You have to find out what kind of a resource you are and be sure to always give that to your followers. And it doesn’t always have to be heavy, for example I follow The Daybook because she makes me laugh…like when she posts cute pictures of her newborn baby (too cute!). Makes me laugh, makes me happy, keeps me following. Be sure to also include links and information to other resources and blogs where applicable. This will show your readers that you truly are a source of information and value and will keep them coming back.

5. Visual:

People. Love. Pictures. It is a fact of life that we are physical, visual creatures. Anything you can add to your posts (whether it be charts, videos, or photos of cute babies in mustaches) will keep people engaged and interested. Plus, having a visual will also make your blog easier and more enjoyable for others to share via Facebook, Pinterest, Email and any other social media sources.

6. Sales:

Keep in mind: People hate to be sold to directly. As much as your blog can be helpful or even vital to your sales, it is important to not make this obvious. The focus of your blog should still be to provide value to your customers or followers. There are many ways (that we will discuss in future posts) to make your blog profitable without shoving it in your followers faces. One simple tactic for now is to keep your products visible throughout the blog post (usually on the sides) so that your brand and product or service is top of mind.

{Happy blogging!}

Fascinating

Adventurous

Timely

We all have these qualities to one degree or another, but in writing you need to put these qualities into overdrive. Think of the articles you like to read and share, what do you enjoy about them? Many times the author takes an adventurous approach to a topic and sheds new light on it, activating your emotional juices.

Or, perhaps they live a fascinating way of life and you enjoy reading their perspective on topics. Timely is pretty obvious, not to many of us would be interested in reading an article today about how funny sounding the name of the ‘iPad’ is, it’s old news. Also it refers to writing posts on a consistent basis.

How do you exemplify these qualities in your writing?

First off you need to understand that all of us have these three qualities built into us, we just need to let them shine! To be more fascinating simply provide fascinating antidotes from your life to help prove a point or give a perspective. For instance, I grew up working on a pheasant farm, I have many a fascinating story that I could draw from using that perspective.

To be more adventurous in your writing don’t be afraid to make people mad, or to be honest about how you really think. Write about things your competition wouldn’t, don’t be afraid to ruffle some feathers.

Being timely consists of doing the following two things. Mainly we want to be consistently adding new content in a timely manner, creating a blogging calendar and sticking with it. Also it can refer to writing on timely subjects that relate to your field, give your perspective on something big in the news. This requires you to act quickly, and be informed.

What other qualities do you think a great blogger should have?

Link to generate code: Click Here

Note if you have issues with the height of the subscribe button add this value next to the widge value in the code: height=”50px”

You’ve probably run into this situation before. You’re trying to get your point across to someone or a group of people and it seems like no one really want’s to listen to what you have to say, they’re waiting for you to take a deep enough breath to cut you off and tell their point of view. Chances are, you were telling them something but you weren’t captivating them. This applies in a one on one discussion, a speech to an audience, or something you’re writing.

To take the lead in any kind of discussion you need vision, energy, authority and a natural strategic ability. However, just those traits alone wont inspire people to listen to you or take action on what you have to say. There are a few other qualities you need to demonstrate if you really want to grab hold of their attention and keep them enthralled in what you’re telling them.

Qualities You Need to Captivate & Inspire

1. Be Human. No one wants to hear you carry on and on about how amazing of a person you are, chances are if you’re trying to convince people of your extra ordinary prowess you’re probably exaggerating anyways. Bring the conversation down to earth, build a connection by revealing your weaknesses to your audience; and perhaps even share how you overcame them. This will build a connection, and also bring you down to earth.
2. Intuition. Read your audience, if you’re talking one on one with someone take visual ques from their body language and adjust accordingly. This seems obvious, but so many people miss this and just keep jabbering on and on when clearly no ones listening.
3. Tough Love. If you don’t like conflict this one can be difficult, but its an important one. If you care about your audience (which you should, why else would you be talking to them?) its important that you set your expectations high. You’ve probably experienced a teacher or mentor who pushed you beyond your limits and told you when you weren’t living up to their expectations. This moved you to try even harder and excel even more at the task at hand. Do this with your audience, tell them how much you expect from them and you will gain their respect.
4. Uniqueness. Demonstrate through deed or example your unique qualities. This should not be confused with bragging about your achievements, its simply a way to help qualify yourself as someone who can lead the conversation.

These traits are often found in leaders around us, but we sometimes ignore the importance of them. Next time you’re writing or talking to an audience- do what you can to demonstrate these four qualities.