credit: wholenewweb.com
This post is about Gini Dietrich, a woman I’ve never met, spoken with, hired, been hired by, or referred business to. (She is founder and CEO of Arment Dietrich.) Yesterday, she impressed me so much I have to tell you about it. Mind you, yesterday was not my first introduction to Gini; here’s my full disclosure:
- I subscribe to her Ad Age Power 150 (and other accolades) Spin Sucks blog via email.
- When she posts a vlog on YouTube I generally take a look and send a comment in return (have told her she’s the most natural on camera I’ve seen).
- I first interacted with her on a blog chat for Headway Themes with Danny Brown where she was answering questions about public relations and I was stepping on her toes alongside (however, I didn’t “know” her then).
- I tweet her on occasion, and she responds.
So let me tell you why I say you ought to be like Gini (not Mike); she’s everywhere on social media, and if that doesn’t do something for brand and image, I don’t know what does.
- On Feb. 3, 2011, I first received Danny Brown’s blog post by email and it was on being a CEO, written by Gini Dietrich. In this piece, Gini spoke about how she tried to conduct diligence on how to be a CEO and realized it was up to each person’s style.
- Spin Sucks arrived in my box, and I watched Gini’s wobbly video taken up and down blizzard-hit Chicago’s Southport Street (my favorite haunt for food, friends and shopping), so I posted a snark about her videography on YouTube (she had already warned us).
- Then, Sarah Robinson’s blog series arrived via email, “Get Your Shit Together,” and guess who guest authored? Well, Ms. Dietrich, of course. If you read nothing else from these links, I encourage you to plug in to:
- Sarah Robinson. I just began to interact with her for the first time this week and stumbled on her blog series; it deserves high kudos. I am incredibly impressed, from merely three days, with her marketing prowess as a coach and her lineup of venerable authorities, herself included, for 28 days this month.
- Read Gini Dietrich’s guest post on Sarah’s blog series yesterday (link above). It gives an amazing perspective about how she accomplishes all she does throughout the day and still makes time for her husband, exercise, running a company and taking videos with her dog on a snow day all while no longer working weekends.
Wait, I’m not done.
- Throughout the afternoon, I saw Gini’s comedic banter on Twitter, and I had to insert myself into one thread as she was “fighting” with Les McKeown, Sarah Robinson’s first guest author in her blog series. We four exchanged a tweet or two, and it lent me some laughs for the day.
In a conversation I had with a new Twitter colleague soon-to-be featured on Momaraderie, I learned that Gini had even referred business to Ivonne Vazquez who offers virtual assistant services.
Where I’m going with this is not necessarily what you think (The Gini Dietrich Fan Club?). It has more to do with whose social media branding and public relations model you might emulate, and I’m suggesting an authority and influencer right here.
While I’ve not engaged on Arment Dietrich’s Facebook page, it exists, and it’s chock full of tips and interactive questions for all audiences. So, she’s got the primary bases covered – an award-winning blog, an interactive Facebook page, a YouTube channel, vlogs on a weekly basis, a Twitter community with genuine engagement, guest posts on other highly acclaimed blogs, and the list goes on although this is just what popped into my purview on Feb. 3, 2011.
It takes extreme amounts of time to make an impression like this. Is my impression measurable? Until I wrote this blog post, I can guarantee Gini, Sarah, Danny, Les, Ivonne, and anyone else had no idea I had even read their materials yesterday as I didn’t post a comment on anyone’s blog (merely the YouTube video).
While public relations practitioners have struggled with measurement our entire lives, this type of social media measurement is absolutely up for grabs, too. Over the course of one day, my silent observations about Gini Dietrich exponentially increased to become an explosion and result of this post. How do you measure that? Kind of reminds me of that archaic advertising rule we learned in college oriented to 9 impressions to begin paying attention and 27 impressions to make a purchase?
My conclusion from yesterday for any of us practicing our professions is this:
- Social media begins with community and until you create one you’ll not have the opportunity to engage beyond your own protected and comfy confines. Not only does social media require engagement, it also requires listening.
- The audiences you attract when engaging in social media will run the gamut from students, newbies, peers, competitors, employees, stakeholders, media, customers, and hopefully a business prospect or two to help monetize. When you hold a position of authority, it’s important to respond genuinely to your community because everyone wants a piece of the star.
- Being prolific is not necessary; being thoughtfully relevant is.
- The balancing act each of us manages is precarious. Know your own limits and set boundaries. When idle and unproductive engagement happens more often than not, then it’s time to rethink strategy and look at the conversations and with whom.
What other thoughts resonate with you about the Gini Dietrich Social Media Model? And, let me please remind you of my disclosure above – I’ve never been hired by Gini, spoken with her, met her, or sent business her way. When I see something that needs acknowledgment, then that’s the gift I give.
LOL! I am running super late so I’ll come back later, but I LOVE YOU Jayme!
Just giving credit where it’s due, Lady. You rock. See you later.
I suspect Gini doesn’t sleep, or else she takes sleep in pill form and just keeps going. I hope she comments here on how she does in fact manage to be everywhere.
Yesterday, as said, was such an explosion of impressions on me. While we all know posts are written in advance oftentimes and scheduled, the effect all at once is, well, impressionable! Not sure if Danny Brown knew of the other posts or not, but they’ve been bantering back and forth, too. (She said she’d stop in later.)
I don’t think Danny knew about the posts. I just had an extra burst of energy on Tuesday and wrote a bunch at once. And people published when they got them. So the lesson is? Write and send to bloggers all at once. 🙂
You know what’s really funny? I DO sleep! If I don’t get eight hours of sleep a night, I’m toast the next day (I really do best on nine hours). But I don’t watch any TV or do many extracurricular activities (other than riding my bike). And…I have clones. Yes, you too can have a clone for a mere 12 gazillion dollars.
Good morning Jayme,
LOVE YOUR POST. I would add two bullet points to your list.
One would be “authenticity” and the other would be “passion.”
I dont think there is any substitute for simply being yourself. I know when I read Jayme Soulati, it is really Jayme and I get the feeling that you really enjoy what you do, you are really into it. When I find a person’s voice is getting muddied up, or when it feels like a lumbering mastadon is doing the writing, plodding through something assigned… I lose interest. It doesn’t matter if the mud comes from corporate-speak or advertising-speak, or even walk-on-eggshells-speak… when the authenticity is lost, so is the trust, and for me, when the passion is gone, so is my interest. Did I mention that I learn something whenever I read your stuff?
Thanks Jayme!
Oh, wow, John. Blown away here. Wasn’t expecting to receive gifts back and you’ve made my day truly. Thank you for saying so and spreading it on thick!! I do enjoy this, and so wish I could get more qualified time to put my heart into every post. That’s not happening! So, when the homer is hit, and it feels good, the only thing better is to be acknowledged as you’ve done. Thank you again.
Hello, Jayme.
I’ve been a huge fan of @ginidietrich from the beginning. Her authenticity, savvy and warmth comes through in everything she posts. Anyone who vlogs with their dog (Jack) howling in the background has my vote, any day! I’ve attended webinars by Gini and have come away with better understanding, energized and ready to put things into action.
The fact that she referred business to me recently was incredibly generous and truly humbling, as I hold her in such high esteem.
So, I wholeheartedly agree with you, Jayme. If there is someone whose social media authenticity and habits one should emulate, it would be Gini’s.
PS…Ms. @Soulati is right up there, too! 🙂
Well, thank you, Ivonne. And, I’m late to the party, for sure!
And I adore YOU! You have been extremely generous with your time and in helping me with a client issue.
Hee Jayme, First I’m gonna get to your conclusions, then to Gini. Engagement starts with listening; you can’t just wait for your turn to talk or type. Respecting your audience by being real, no matter who you or THEY are, to me that is social. LOVE the diff of being prolific vs. “thoughtfully relevant.” And in all things: wine, crazy Food Network cake building, life and work, there is balance. Now, Gini:
It does seem like Gini Dietrich Week w/ all the guest posts and everything. Some theories on how Gini does it: alien DNA? Lightning strike resulting in superpowers? Maybe she’s perfected cloning and has one Gini who’s the Grinch, the taskmaster getting everything done, bribing folks like Danny Brown to write about her; another whose hikes and bike rides sound so tough, makes me want to take a nap just reading about them; and the fun one who is a video star, drinks wine, cracks jokes on the Internets.
Or like John said, she’s Gini and WYSIWYG: authentic passion for what she does, walking the talk, doing her own thing, no b.s. Which if she is a Cylon bent on world domination, it works for her and I say “Hail, our alien robot overlord.” 😉 FWIW.
Always love your insightful sharing b/c I’m always LOLING (see, that’s text speak w/ “ing” ending). Agree re the Cylon robot with a smile and not one red eye.
Alien DNA. Someone call Mulder & Scully! I WANT TO BELIEVE! Should we set up a site to track where Gini is on the web on a minute by minute basis? kidding…
Absolutely agree with you about what makes engagement, well, engagement. It puzzles me how people still want to treat social media as a broadcasting tool when it’s so clear that this is the formula that WORKS.
There is a stat that says the average American spends four hours online, which I use when I speak. Invariably there is someone in the audience who either says, “I don’t spend that much time online” or “My customer doesn’t spend any time online” (I love that one). I always retort with, “I make up for you…I spend 13 hours a day online so I’m adding to your average.”
Same, I’m on my computer all the time.. definitely blow the curve.
Me too. I don’t watch TV, but I spend quite a lot of time online. Love the interactivity of it. Like Gini, I’m helping balance everyone else out.
I watch my TV too, love “my shows” I have to admit. That’s timeshifting via DVR and sometimes, watch online while tweeting, checking email, drafting blog posts. 😉
Ding! Ding! Ding! I have perfected cloning!
Davina, you are so right about where engagement starts and YOU, my friend, are fantastic on it. I just caught a tweet where you said you’re verbose in your wit. I actually disagree with that. There is nothing verbose about you, but you are extremely witty!
Also, hail our alien robot overlord?! LMAO!
Hi Jayme,
In full disclosure, Gini paid the Bonsai Interactive Marketing agency to get her full exposure on that day, She also appeared on my business partner’s blog:
https://www.troyclaus.com/hiring-decisions/
Actually, she never paid us, but she should have, haha! 🙂
Huh. Can’t believe I missed a Gini appearance on Troy’s blog, Danny. I agree, we all ought to get a piece of Arment Dietrich’s profits; like a profit-sharing program for social media promotions and publicity! Thanks for popping in!
My mom’s monthly check to you is in the mail.
Plus, today she’s over here, being charming, witty, clever and insightful:
https://predictablesuccess.com/blog/gini-dietrich-on-predictable-success/
It’s a Gini blitz. It’s enough to make some of us weep.
Hi, Les! Danny Brown prompted by profit-sharing program for all the promotions and publicity oriented to the Gini Dietrich Social Media Model and Fan Club. Hah, I like it.
Our CFO is on maternity leave so I’m adding this profit sharing line item in before she gets back.
HOLY CRAP!!!!!!!!!!! Did Les just say something about me that’s NICE, IN PUBLIC?!?
Depends how you interpret the last sentence, but I’d say, Yes.
OK! Back!
I don’t really know where to begin. I am blown away by this. Thank you!
When I read your paragraph about what popped into your purview yesterday, it makes even me tired!
Valeria Maltoni and I had a conversation the other day about blog readers and who comments. It turns out, less than one percent of subscribers typically comment. So we know you’re out there (and you have readers who don’t comment, as well). We just don’t always know what you’re thinking!
If I may, I’m going to address your four points:
1. I’d also add it requires some back scratching (or ego boosting). When I have really busy weeks and am not able to get to my Reader until the weekend (like this week), it’s VERY apparent both in our blog comments and in our social media interaction. I have the 80/20 rule: Eighty percent of what you do should be about other people and 20 percent can be about yourself. That goes for listening, too.
2. So, so, so important! The moment you get too big for your britches and only speak to the perceived influencers, you’re finished. We had an employee who suggested we derive our influencers and I speak only to them. Notice the word “had.”
3. Seth Godin isn’t prolific, yet he certainly says some really powerful things.
4. Yes, yes, yes! I recommend looking at your social media time spent every 45 days or so and see what it’s netting you.
It’s funny how you meet people online that you like instantly and absorb everything they do. You are one of those people for me, Jayme.
Thank you again!
P.S. Your disclaimer is hilarious!
Hey, Guys? Today was a gem of a day on the blogosphere for me; thanks for making it so and for all the banter. No way you can measure that or event try to monetize ‘cuz it’s priceless. See you all on Twittah! (Thanks, Gini, for the fodder, now go take a nap.)
Thank you for such a compelling piece. It definitely inspired, encouraged and motiviate me to delve deeper in establishing a socail media footprint. The way that you presented your article made the strategy for success clearer than ever before! You are awesome!
Thanks for stopping in to say so! Please come back and add more of yourself here; thanks!
Did you know that Gini Dietrich powers the sun and is 100% responsible for crops being watered during the summer?
I think she also has sustainable qualities, too, Howie!