Kristi: You are such a successful business owner, sought after speaker and thought leader in the social media arena. For those who haven’ t met you, tell us, who is Shama Kabani?
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A Must Read:‘ The Zen of Social Media Marketing’
Shama: As a professional, I wear many hats: CEO, entrepreneur, multimedia journalist, bestselling author, TV personality, and speaker. On a personal level, I am married and very close to my family. I prefer a good book to a late night out on the town. I have a zest for learning new things, and I believe that makes me a student for life.
Kristi: What made you start a business after leaving college instead of going into corporate?
Shama: Well, for starters the industry I wanted to go into didn’ t really exist in the corporate world. Over 18 major consulting companies told me they didn’ t understand why their clients would ever need to engage with social media. At that point, I was seeing something which they weren’ t – yet. Rather than give up my passion, I pursued it. Today, social media is an integral part of business and life. And, my company has grown into a full scale web marketing and digital PR firm with a team of 30, serving clients around the world. It has been an intensely gratifying journey.
Kristi: What is the biggest thing or who do you contribute to your success?
Shama: My parents who instilled in me a lifelong love of learning. I only wish that I am able to do the same for my kids! My teachers, who always seemed to see something in me that I didn’ t see in myself, and my husband who believed and encouraged me to dream bigger.
Kristi: Back to those high-level speaking engagements- what advice would you give to a startup wanting to gain speaking engagements using social media?
Shama: First, you have to have a message that resonates with people. Choose topics which you get asked about most often and create a talk around that. Second, add as much value as possible when you do get the opportunity to speak. I often survey the audience beforehand to make sure the talk covers exactly what they need, and will often follow-up with even more value for the attendees in the form of white papers, articles, etc. Third, use social media to increase visibility for your brand in a way which adds value to everyone. I’ ll often share nuggets from my speaking engagements across platforms.
Kristi: So many entrepreneurs think that if they slap their name and website up on a social media platform that it will automatically bring in customers. You mention this in the book on what people want“ it” to do. Could you tell us what a business, new to social media, can expect to happen within 1 year of joining a platform AND what an example simple day to day social media plan could / should look like using say Facebook, Twitter and Youtube?
Shama: A good social media campaign is a combination of strategy, consistency, and patience. When any of these ingredients are missing, the campaign will fall short. We always recommend that businesses put their business goals first and then see if and how social media can help. Don’ t setup a page or a Twitter account just because that’ s what you feel you must do. The medium is not a substitute for the message. Companies who do well on social media have a very clear sense of their audience and how they can create value for their audience.
Kristi: Your book dives right into the good stuff- but for someone who hasn’ t read your bestselling book‘ The Zen of Social Media Marketing’, can you explain“ The ACT Methodology” and how a startup should apply it?
Shama: The ACT methodology is essentially how online marketing works in a nutshell. It stands for Attract, Convert, and Transform. You attract
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