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Welcome to the first episode of “Get on Track, Stay on Track” where I invite experts to help you with your online strategy.
This week I interviewed Christine Degraff, aka “The Circle Queen”. But in truth she is so much more.
Christine is listed as one of the Top 500 US Female Profiles on Google Plus which is an amazing achievement considering that she was – in her own words – “late to the social media” party!
After a few years of trial and error, Christine decided that G+ and Twitter suited her needs the most. She got truly serious in the last six months, and her persistence and passion paid off as her number of followers increased exponentially across almost all social media platforms. People hang on to her every word. Truly, Christine DeGraff is an inspiration.
Listen in as she discusses “How to monetize Social Media”
Watch “How to Monetize Social Media” on Youtube
Article Written by: Krithika Rangarajan
With such popularity, you would assume that she would have monetized her success by now and become super-rich, right?! Wrong!
DeGraff is not one to take the ‘short cut’. Her motto: “I have to believe in what I am promoting in order to gain credibility and trust”
And – that – in one sentence – is Ms Degraff’s essence… and why she is much loved in the social media community.
She is honest, transparent and passionate about people and her causes I firmly believe that short-cuts are for social fads. Christine DeGraff is well on her way to become a social legend.
In the interview, I pointed out that there are two kinds of people using social media for business: (a) those who want to drive traffic to an existing product and service; (b) those who build a network first and become the product or service
Christine falls in the latter category and is a true believer of the fact that not all social monetization is dollar and cents.
Social currency is – in many ways- more powerful in this virtual community than actual money! Judging by this criteria, I would say Christine is super-rich!
She practices the belief of paying it forward – i.e., help others, and they will want you back. Of course, this doesn’t imply that you assist people with any expectation of having your favors returned. You do your job without any expectations, and the rewards will far exceed any expectations.
I am reminded of a saying from India: “Do your job. Don’t worry about the fruits. Success will follow if you are sincere.”
Is it any wonder than Ms DeGraff is such a mega-success?!
Social Media works best for those who have an aptitude for being social, who are willing and ready to help others grow, who are just as invested in others as others are in them.
Providing value to others will help you position (again, this is Christine’s phrase) yourself as not just a thought-leader in the field, but – more importantly – as someone who cares. And, like Christine DeGraff said, “People buy from brands. People do business with people”
Pay attention to others and they will pay attention to you. Who doesn’t love a nice person?!
And Christine is nice – very nice, which is her greatest ‘brand asset’. She’s genuine and real. I’m sure lots of people are clamoring to work with her. And I’m sure she deserves every opportunity. If anyone can leave an indelible mark on our society, it’s this incredible woman!
I’ll let you guys go with one final thought from Christine – my FAVORITE takeaway:
“Opportunity is only limited to imagination”
Well put, darling!
Overall, this was a educational HOA with the amazing Christine DeGraff . Do yourself a favor and watch or listen.
So let’s take Christine’s advice to heart and not wait for some product and service. Let’s use the unlimited and vast power (and possibility) of our imagination to build a reputable name for ourselves – let’s focus on building our own brand, one that embraces our uniqueness and guides others to embrace their own!
Be sure to visit Christine on her Blog and her G+ profile
Host of "Get on Track, Stay on Track" weekly interview series, helping your small business one expert at a time.And CEO of Wiser Sites, a general contractor and marketing agency - connecting your customers with your products.
I’m glad I found this. #onTrackTips and your SEO HO are on my radar!
Hey Neil It’s great to see you here. Thanks for the support. Much appreciated. What are some topics you think I should cover? Who is one person that you would like to see on the program?