Did you miss the first part of our interview with Jess? Read it here!

Jess Weiner - Creating a Confident World Together

9.  What is fun and what is difficult about working as a sole “wild web” entrepreneur?

Fun: Every day is different. Opportunities abound. And life is a great big playground for me to build from.

Difficult: The buck stops (and starts) with me. So the pressure to perform can be tough and I have no one to blame for that but me!

10.  You are a very self-driven individual who values productivity; which web tools helped you increase your productivity the most? Specifically, in what ways did they improve your productivity?

I think Twitter has given me a crash course in how to relay a message as concisely and creatively as possible. It’s been a great brainteaser for me to hone my skills in pitching and enticing. I sometimes find myself creating tweets in my head while I’m driving or exercising – and I love the immediate feedback a great tweet can create for my business.

11.  Do you have any personal “wild web” role models? If so, what do you admire about this person?

Well, would it look like brown-nosing if I mention the original Wild Web Woman – Lorrie Thomas Ross?  (I say yes, but we’ll let it slide, because I would have to agree with you, Lorrie is awesome…wait, does that look like brown-nosing?!?)

She showed me that navigating a business online doesn’t have to be like living on Stress-A-Me Street. It can be fun and loose, and fluid. I also admire Samantha Ettus who writes a great column for ForbesWomen.com – she is a consistent voice in branding and her online web presence is as authentic as it gets!

12.  As far as dealing with competition in your line of work: do you pay special attention to their marketing strategies and adjust yours to stay ahead OR do you mostly focus on your individual marketing plan without worrying too much about your competitors?

I always look around to see what’s happening but I learned early on to run my own race. My career and my work as an entrepreneur is about running a marathon not a sprint. I find that if I continue to weave my voice and my vision into my marketing strategies I feel the most solid. When I try to emulate someone else, it never works out as well.

13.  Being a successful professional embodies being an excellent marketer (so that people know your name and service!), how do you reach out to your wide range of customers to build a trusting relationship?

Nothing in social media can ever replace the genuine feeling of meeting someone in person. I try to live my marketing life as in 3-D as it will allow me to. I love our virtual world for the ease and quickness it may provide but you can’t underestimate the sound of a voice, eye contact, or a shared laugh. That goes a long way to creating an authentic relationship and my relationships are the strongest tool I’ve used to build my business.

14.  Do you utilize both traditional PR and new PR? What is the ratio of your web marketing to traditional marketing (print ads, local newspapers…etc)?

For my kind of work, referrals and word of mouth are more effective than traditional PR and marketing.

In 17 years, I’ve never paid to advertise. I’ve worked to leverage my public image as an expert and TV personality to cultivate new relationships for my business. But I think nowadays I think it’s best to create a combo of traditional and social media PR for your business.  Again, run your own race. If you find that you get great results with ads – do it. But don’t be afraid to try something new or pull back in an area that doesn’t bring you results. Everyone is trying to find the magic fit – and PR is not about magic. It’s always about relationships and perception. Not always in that order. J

15.  When marketing your business, do you find yourself more often seeking risks or avoiding risks? What are some risks you have taken on the web that resulted in positive outcomes?

I took a big risk – personally and professionally – writing a very intimate piece for a national women’s magazine that basically was going to reveal to my most loyal fans that a big part of my past brand rhetoric was changing and evolving. I took a risk knowing I could lose a few fans. And I did. But what I gained far outweighed the positives. I reached millions of people with this new line of honest communication, I opened up a new portal for doing business in an area I’ve been wanting to explore, and my loyal fans became even more loyal because they saw me take a public risk and applauded me for it.

16.  Business-wise, where do you see yourself in ten years?

I hope no matter where I am in my career, that I continue to be this happy, excited by life, and healthy to enjoy it!

Thank you Jess for sharing your inner-most online marketing thoughts with me and our readers!  We so appreciate all of your words of wisdom!  Connect with Jess to be inspired daily at @JessWeiner or on Facebook or read one of her best selling books “A Very Hungry Girl” or “Life Doesn’t begin 5 Pounds from Now“.  Have a WONDERFUL day!

Meet Jess Weiner - Positive Web Marketing Role Model and Wild Web Woman

I have been wanting to interview Jess for a LONG time, and the stars finally aligned to allow the tiniest break in her very busy schedule, so I got the chance to hear from Jess about how SHE became a Wild Web Woman as well as learn more about what drives her passion to “Create a Confident World Together” and how she creates such a wonderful online community.  Read on to be inspired, to laugh and to learn!  There is a reason that Forbes.com named Jess one of the top 14 Power Women to follow on Twitter – she has a LOT to say!

1.  Why did you choose your current career and how did you get started?

I don’t know if I chose this career or if this career chose me? I started my first business at the age of 21 and I’ve been an entrepreneur for 17 years. I wanted to find a way to turn my passion into a profitable business model and have been able to do so – running a boutique consulting firm specializing in media strategy, authentic brand management, and utilizing my skills as a speaker, author and confidence expert.

2.  What is your favorite tech-y word? (i.e. “tweet”, “Facebook poke”…etc.)

I love Tumblr – because of the horrible grammar involved – w/ tech talk we become masters of short cuts but I can hear all of my English teachers from school groan collectively when we leave out the “e” on Tumblr.

3.  As far as utilizing social media tools such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn to communicate your business to your clients, what are some of the challenges and what are some of the benefits to your business?

A challenge is that I work with and sometimes represent large brands and businesses where my ability to be as candid or spontaneous in social media isn’t always an option due to corporate policy. But within my personal brand I find using social media tools gives my fans and clients such an instant access to what inspires me, informs me, and moves me in the world. It’s and efficient, concise and authentic way to connect and since those words define the DNA of my business – it’s great.

4.  Out of all the social media tools on the web you use, which one (if any) are you most “addicted” to just for fun?

Hands down: Facebook. I can lose hours of my life looking at your cute baby photos, your parent’s anniversary pictures, or reading crazy rants by my very outspoken friends!

5.  What are some of the valuable mistakes you have made in the past regarding online marketing and what have you learned from these past setbacks?

What I’ve learned in online marketing is that not everything is one size fits all. Even though something may be a great trend it doesn’t make it great for my business. So I try to be unafraid to take my time and find the best tools that work for my unique brand of work. Also, I’ve learned that everything – especially our websites are pretty much always in beta mode – so I am working on being more flexible creatively and within my own strategy online.

6.  Looking at your history of great professional achievements, what are some of your proudest accomplishments? Reflecting upon these, what skill or personal factor do you believe helped you the most in achieving this accomplishment? (i.e. What motivates you to your success?)

My motivation is simple: I’ve wanted to entertain, inspire, and assist people as they grow personally. I’ve chosen the path to get me there by creating a platform that sits at the intersection of PR, Marketing, and Corporate Social Responsibility. I work directly within the media because it’s the greatest platform available to reach my audience of women and girls. The reason behind my success is also simple: My family, friends, and mentors. Without the strong foundation of a family who said, “YES” to my dreams and the everyday support of friends who are there to pick me up when I fall – I wouldn’t have been able to do this work. And mentors have literally opened doors for me in business that have made me lots of money and created my next level of success. I’m eternally grateful to this amazing group of cheerleaders.

7.  Do you have a personal mantra that you would like to share with other Web Marketing Therapy readers?

My new favorite quote – and one that I have written on the dry erase board in my office is my new mantra for 2012:  “Anything or anyone that does not bring you alive is too small for you.”  I use this to remember who I am when I’m making deals, cultivating my dreams, and reviewing offers for work. I choose now to create and participate in work that makes me feel alive!

8.  If you were shipwrecked on an island and had to run your business from there, what three web tools would you bring with you to use?

I’d really bring 2:  Facebook and LinkedIn. You can find anything and anyone between those two. And the third tool I’d bring is a stack of legal notebooks. I still do my best creating longhand (take that technology!)

Join us on Monday to hear more about what motivates Jess and how she has utilized social media to inspire women and girls all over the country !

Lorrie Thomas Ross, Web Marketing Therapy CEO, teams up with Jim Sterne, President of Target Marketing and Founder of eMetrics Marketing Optimization Summit, and Eric Petersen, Founder and President of Mission Web Marketing, to share their marketing expertise on attendee’s questions.

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LinkedIn Today 101: What You Might Have Missed in 2011

Most companies understand the importance of social media, and some may even understand all of the different networks available. However, there is one social network that does more than just offer a place for people to connect and share their thoughts and/or business promotions—LinkedIn. Although the feature has been available since March of 2011, many publishers as well as consumers are unaware of what is known as LinkedIn Today.

3 Ways LinkedIn Today Gets Personal

LinkedIn Today is a way for LinkedIn users to access different news stories circulating the web. Not only is it great because it pulls different news sources together, but it gives readers an easy way to sift through the site and only read the information that interests them. The best part: the feature actually pulls news stories that LinkedIn thinks you would enjoy. The network pulls these articles based on a three things:

1. Connections: LinkedIn will take a look at your connections and see what types of information these connections are reading and discussing. This works for LinkedIn because it is the professional network, so chances are there is a common theme amongst a profile’s connections. This would probably not work with a network like Facebook nearly as well, but has proven to work great with the professional platform.
2. Follow Patterns: LinkedIn offers the feature of following certain industries. This is a surefire way to know exactly what interests a user when it comes to news about their careers.
3. Industry Connections: Once LinkedIn Today finds the industries you are following and pulls articles based on those industries, they actually look to what other industries are saying about a particular article or topic. This is a great way to keep up with what others are saying about a subject that likely connects with your profession or future profession.

Not only is LinkedIn Today great for users looking to keep up on news that affects them, but it also works extremely well for publishers. Articles are shown to users based on popularity, so it’s important that your news source gains as much visibility as possible (obviously). Many companies are already doing what they can to increase their SEO as well as social media efforts, but they must make sure they stay active on LinkedIn through sharing and connecting. Once your company becomes more popular and starts becoming recommended to users on LinkedIn Today, you’ve tapped into a great source!

Amber King is a writer and marketer for a Calvin Klein Underwear retailer. She also writes for various blogs and marketing communities giving startup companies financial advice.

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