John McElhenney Talks about Social Media

John McElhenney Talks about Social Media and his Web Site Fluent Search

Where are you from originally?

Austin, Texas - "native"


What university did you go to?

UT


What brought you to Austin?

Mom and Dad.


What is your passion and strength?

I enjoy rallying teams and seeing new ideas built to completion. New technologies and social media sites have to enhance our abilities to do our jobs rather than waste time. Figuring out how to engage and not get lost is a plan I am constantly building and refining.


What need does it fulfill?

Establishing a social media plan for business development and growth. Using ideas learned within big companies can help smaller companies level the playing field. It's all about responding to the needs of your customers.


What exactly do you bring to startups?

With a passion to communicate and a deep understanding of technology and social media networks, I work with companies wanting to set up and work the web for customer engagement and lead generation.


What was the most challenging aspect of starting up a business?

Continuing to focus on what drives revenue. It is easy to get distracted by all of the opportunities to get involved, but staying focused on your long term objectives is critical to not being sidetracked by all the shiny objects that can be labeled social media.


What advice do you have for entrepreneurs?

Going out into social media with no plan CAN hurt your business. The goal of any social media system is to be responsive and flexible in communicating with customers, potential customers, media and vendors.


What Austin-based resource have you found to be the most helpful and why?

The SXSW community has proven to be a strong and durable resource for me. Participating and speaking at SXSW brought a group of people into my life that have continued to inspire and encourage me.

Please Note: If you would like to see John McElhenney's presentation on social media topics please go to AEN Courses.