Convince and Convert with Jay Baer

Written by anni on Wednesday, February 15th, 2012 with 0 comments

Jay Baer is considered one of America’s top three social media consultants. His clients include Sony, MetLife, Allstate, California Travel & Tourism Commission, Billabong, and Caterpillar. Baer teaches hype-free social media—how to harness the power of social media without forgetting that it’s just one of the tools businesses can use to succeed. Baer has been a digital marketing consultant since 1994 and has worked with 29 of the Fortune 500.

As a keynote speaker, Baer relies on humor and practical examples to energize crowds and leave them with actionable strategies for using social media in their businesses. Baer is also an author with the release of his first book, The NOW Revolution: 7 Shifts to Make Your Company Faster, Smarter, and More Social. His blog, Convince and Convert, is currently ranked as the #1 content marketing blog in the world.

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What attracted you to social media and how did you first get involved?

My first career was political consulting. My second career was digital marketing. I love social media because it’s a hybrid of the two – the math and speed of digital, with the relationships emphasis of politics. I started Convince & Convert in 2008 after I sold my last digital agency. I started a blog, wrote a book and became a speaker/author/consultant, which is the new actress/singer/model !

 

How do you keep on top of emerging trends, new tools, and public opinion? Is it a full time job?

I am fortunate enough to do this for a living, and spend considerable time every day reading, watching, and learning. I also have an amazing team at Convince & Convert that keeps me on my toes.

 

If you had to choose, what would you say are the three most important aspects of social media?

Worrying about being social, more so than doing social media.

Having a reasonable scoreboard that makes sense.

Realizing that ultimately this has very little to do with technology, and everything to do with people and corporate culture and trust.

 

What potential problems does social media present to businesses?

The biggest challenges social presents to business are the fact that every customer is a reporter; the emergence of speed as a defining success factor; and the importance of being less formal and more open in every customer interaction.

 

What three words would you use to describe your speaking style?

Energetic, humorous, anecdotes.

 

How do you prepare for a large speaking event? Do you still get nervous?

Speaking is one of my very favorite things to do. I don’t get nervous, but I sort of go into a trance. It’s a little bit “out of body” sometimes. It’s what I imagine athletes often feel before a game.

 

What was one of your best moments as a public speaker?

Last year my parents got to see me rock a presentation for a large group. It’s the first time they’d ever seen me really do it up big. That was gratifying.

 

What is your favorite social media tool and why?

I love Buffer for setting up tweets and Facebook updates in advance and then sending them automatically throughout the day like a time release capsule. Very useful when on the road.

 

If you could give one piece of advice about social media to a new start-up entrepreneur, what would it be?

Find a way to use social media to educate and be helpful, and shine the light on other people. If you do that consistently, the light will shine back on you 10-fold.