Why I Was Anti-Social & Didn’t Shake Hands at Social Media Marketing World

For the past couple of days, I had no choice but be anti-social at the amazing Social Media Marketing World, where some oSocial-media-marketing-world-2014-19f the biggest names in social media participated in 80+ sessions, during which they shared tips and tools that can boost your social media platform.
In fact, I didn’t shake one person’s event at this great conference, sponsored by the Social Media Examiner.
For months, I’d been eagerly looking forward to being social and attending programs with wuch compelling speakers as Social Media Examiner founder Michael A. Stelzner, who I interviewed a while back on my Gab with the Gurus Show) after his book, Launch, was released; Copyblogger mastermaind Brian Clark; Facebook guru Mari Smith (who also appeared on my Gab with the Gurus Show), Chris Brogan (whom I’d also on Ginterveiwed); “Podcast Answer Man” Cliff Ravenscraft; “The Connector” Larry Benet, “hype-free marketing consultant” Jay Baer, author of YouTility; Michael Hyatt, author of Platform); and many more.
So why would I be anti-social, especally now that after two years, I’m re-emerging after My Dark Night of the Soul, including My Bittersweet Last Year with Mom?
I couldn’t in good conscience get up close or shake hands with anyone, because the day of the event, I was landslided by a nasty cold, complete with sore and scrathy throat, stuffy nose, awful headache, annoying congestion, and utter exhaustion. Of course, I just didn’t want to get anyone sick.
Although I t didn’t shake hands, I didn’t follow the great advice about what to do when you have a bad cold.I was smart enough to pass up the 6 am networking walks that I’d been eagerly awaiting.
Anyhow, I’m full of great ideas after attending this great Social Media Marketing World.
I just have to get better first before I can implement them. Off to go take a nap.
Join the conversation. Have you not shaken hands with a colleague so you wouldn’t get that person sick? Share your thoughts.

Gab with the Gurus Presents Experts Galore for 3-Year Anniversary

This week marks the three-year anniversary of my show, Gab with the Gurus on BlogTalkRadio.
Here is a press release now being distributed about the show.
World-Renowned Sleep Doctor Dr. Michael Breus, Love Expert Lauren Frances, Emotional Wellness Guru Deborah King, Social Media Wizard, Mike Stelzner Begin Celebration of Gab with the Gurus Three-Year Anniversary
Experts Regularly Empower Listeners Around the World on the Gab with the Gurus Show
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 13, 2011
NEW YORK–Starting week, world-renowned “Sleep Doctor” Dr. Michael Breus, love coach Lauren Frances, emotional wellness expert Deborah King, spiritual leader Marianne Williamson, and social media wizard Mike Stelzner appear on the Gab with the Gurus Show (www.GabWithTheGurus.com), which is celebrating its three-year anniversary.
The Gab with the Gurus Show—which is hosted by internationally recognized speaker, bestselling author, journalist, and Freedom Coach Connie Bennett—regularly presents internationally acclaimed guests, who are bestselling authors, celebrities, and recognized experts from a variety of fields.
Gab with the Gurus guests give worldwide listeners valuable, life-changing information about a variety of subjects, including health, fitness, wealth, social networking, business development, self-help, personal empowerment, the Law of Attraction, business, blogging, social networking, relationships, human potential, self-growth, celebrities, and more. The show–which airs on the acclaimed BlogTalkRadio.com–also features popular TV and film stars, as well as best-selling fiction writers.
“Every week, we’re pleased to present internationally recognized gurus and celebrities, who are here to educate, empower and motivate listeners to Get a Life That Rocks™,” says Gab with the Gurus founder and host Connie Bennett.
“Each guest gives listeners one or more simple tips that are easy to implement immediately,” adds Bennett, who normally hosts the Gab with the Gurus Show every Wednesday at 2 pm EST.
As part of the three-year-anniversary celebration for the rest of the month, Gab with the Gurus shows will air every weekday at 2 pm EST. (Most shows are live interviews.)
People from around the world can listen to Gab with the Gurus Show on BlogTalkRadio several ways:
Listen live at 2 pm EST on the BlogTalkRadio site, www.GabWithTheGurus.com, or download later, a podcast
Listen after the show airs on Bennett’s blog, www.SugarShockBlog.com
Later, on the Gab with the Gurus Facebook fan page, www.Facebook.com/GabWithTheGurus and also Bennett’s Smart Habits Fans page
Download or subscribe via iTunes at http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/gab-gurus-with-connie-bennett/id290617732
During the Gab with the Gurus three-year anniversary celebration this month, these best-selling authors and world-renowned experts are scheduled:
Transformational teacher Marianne Williamson, author of A Course in Weight Loss
Love coach Lauren Frances, author of Dating, Mating, and Man Handling
Deborah King, emotional wellness expert and author of the new book, Be Your Own Shaman
Happiness and love expert Marci Shimoff, author of Happy for No Reason and Love for No Reason
Social media wizard Mike Stelzner, author of the new book, Launch: How to Quickly Propel Your Business Beyond the Competition
“Sleep Doctor” Dr. Michael Breus, author of the new book, The Sleep Doctor’s Diet Plan
Renowned love expert Dr. Diana Krischner, author of the new book, Sealing the Deal
Dave Kerpen, CEO of Likeable Media, a social media marketing firm and author of new book, Likeable Social Media: How to Delight Your Customers, Create an Irresistible Brand, and Be Generally Amazing on Facebook (& Other Social Networks)
Stress Relief Expert Lauren E. Miller, author of 99 Things You Wish You Know Before Stressing Out
Positive change advocate Brian Vaszily, author of the new book, The 9 Intense Experiences
World-renowned Lauren Mackler, author of the new book, Soleness: Master the Art of Aloneness and Transform Your Life
The late “Grandfather of Fitness” Jack LaLanne (this is a replay of a previous show)
Equinox Group Fitness Manager Mark Hendricks on the value and fun of exercising
Michael Port, author of Book Yourself Solid and the Think Big Manifesto
And more

Book Promoting: Should We Authors Be Outrageous, Provocative & Original to Become Bestselling?

Whether you’re a reader, an author or a publishing insider, I invite you to join in the interesting discussion now brewing about what constitutes good book promotion.
Last weekend, I did what I thought was a fun, humorous, zany, admittedly provocative sandwich-board publicity stunt at BookExpo America, the largest book publishing event in North America.
I first wrote about my unusual promoting here and here.
To summarize, my intentions were:
* To drum up interest among potential readers in my first book SUGAR SHOCK!;
* To intrigue people in my upcoming, as-yet-unpublished second book, The Weight-Loss Habits of Highly Successful Losers (working title);
* To acquaint people like you (my target audience) with my work so they can learn how to break free of their bad habits or what I call “babits™” so that they can lose weight, get energy, boost their libido, become happier, etc.;
* To garner media attention;
* To make contacts within and outside the publishing industry, which could lead to a variety of exciting partnerships; and, of course;
* To build my platform even bigger.
DSC00094 My gimmick at BEA was this: On two days (of the three-day event), I walked around selected places at the Javits Center in New York City wearing a sandwich board that jokingly asked, “Are You `The One?'” (I did so with permission and for a fee.)
The sign also was displayed all weekend long at my booth.
My sandwich board — which was humorously designed by renowned graphic artist and author Hillary Carlip to look like a single’s personal ad — poked fun of the fact that I’m a single woman and an author available to both the right man and publisher.(Incidentally, Hillary — who has done work for Jennifer Anniston — also designed my Gab With the Gurus radio show blog and my new site to promote my upcoming book, The Weight-Loss Habits of Highly Successful Losers.)
My sign also provocatively stated, “Will put out on first date!!” (Yes, I was embarrassed by this remark, but, of course, I was just joking. What I meant is that I would “put out” information about my next book, The Weight-Loss Habits of Highly Successful Losers; tell you about my first book SUGAR SHOCK! (you can sneak a peek here); and share how I help people break their bad habits or babits™.
Wow! I thought I was just cleverly showing that, in these uncertain economic times and crowded market, authors who want to make a splash need to be what I call “author-preneurs.” In other words, to boost our platforms and build interest in our books, we should show initiative, originality and a sense of humor.
At BEA last weekend and afterward, as I sorted through business cards and email addresses of of people I’d met, I thought I’d at least partially succeeded in my goals. My off-the-wall marketing gimmick made lots of people laugh and chuckle. More importantly, it gave me the opportunity to meet hundreds of people in the book industry — booksellers, librarians, editors, authors, publishers, etc. — as well as members of the media.
But since BEA, I’ve taken some flack and had a change to think more about my ususual marketing approach. In particular, my gutsy, guerialla-book promoting, sandwich-board-wearing efforts were criticized first here and then again here by Lynn Price, editorial director of Behler Publications, who writes the Behler Blog.
After Lynn’s less-than-flattering remarks about my publicity stunt, I took time to reply to both of her posts — first her initial post, “Authorpreneurs my stinky foot,” and then to the second one, “It’s All About the Show.” (Incidentally, since then, Lynnn and I also have shared polite, private emails.)
Now that I’ve been blasted and compared to tactless authors, who wear toilet bowls on their heads (ouch!), I’m wondering: Was I wrong to be so provocative, adventurous and and flagrantly innovative at BEA?
Did I goof bigtime or was I right to walk around wearing an innovative sandwich board, which asked, “Are You `The One?'”
Did my publicity stunt turn off you, my dear readers? Or, if it backfired, who exactly was annoyed by it?
While I hoped my marketing efforts would get attention, I hadn’t planned on being condemned. But of course, I should be prepared for that — obviously, that goes with the territory. But, hey, I’m now willing to learn from the experience.
Clearly, I have a lot more to learn about successful book promoting.
While I’ve attended numerous, great conferences featuring such people as Mark Victor Hansen, Alex Mandossian, Michael Drew and Warren Whitlock, I guess I need more foolproof, innovative marketing ideas.
Obviously, I should continue to pay close attention to such whizzes as Chris Brogan, Seth Godin, Tim Ferriss, John Kremer, Shel Israel, Robert Scoble, Arielle Ford and David Meerman Scott.
So, since I always strive to improve, please tell me what you think.
Did you think my sandwich board gimmick at BEA was creative and funny or misguided and stupid? Feel free to be honest.
And what do you think are the best, most clever ways to get the word out about my next book, The Weight-Loss Habits of Highly Successful Losers? (FYI, I already use my blogs, Twitter, Facebook, my radio show and my massive email list.)
What do you think I should do to spread the word about my next book?
Please don’t just tell me to write a good book. I’m hard at work on that. Besides, that’s not nearly enough in this economic climate. As mentioned earlier, we authors need to become author-preneurs.
For those of you here who are familiar with SUGAR SHOCK! and this blog, I invite you to become a pivotal VIP Super Friend of my upcoming book. Please visit my new blog, www.BetterHabitsDiet.com, to learn more about how to spread the word.
And if you’re here, because you’re struggling with sugar or other unhealthy habits, I invite you to join my four-week Break Free program, which begins tomorrow night.