A Special Interview With Dave Kerpen ~ CEO Of Likeable Media

Carol recently had the pleasure of interviewing Dave Kerpen. Dave is the CEO of Likeable Media and best selling author of Likeable Social Media: How to Delight Your Customers, Create an Irresistible Brand, and Be Generally Amazing on Facebook (And Other Social Networks)

Carol:  Dave, please tell us about yourself, your family and how you began your social media journey.

Dave: I am the very proud parent of two girls. Charlotte is 8 an amazing artist, loved and loving. Kate is 4 and so very full of life. Carrie is their incredible mom and my wife and partner in all things. I have always loved connecting with people and have always been very public, so social media was in many ways a perfect fit. Began with blogs and Facebook in 2007 and never looked back. 

Carol:  Who came up with the idea for your wedding? Can you briefly give us some juicy details?


Dave: Carrie and I came up with it together, but it was mostly her. It was a lot of fun - here is a link to one of my favorite media pieces from the wedding - http://tinyurl.com/kerpenwedding. The only juicy details I can think of was getting free stuff we didn't even ask for, like teeth-whitening from Bright Smile.  

Carol: How did you go about putting your wedding together and was there any doubt that it might not work?

Dave: We pitched the Brooklyn Cyclones first, because we needed a promotional partner that would have the inventory to trade. Then we approached contacts we had made through our radio and integrated marketing career. Once we landed 1-800-Flowers.com, Smirnoff and Entenmann's it was easier to get more partners. Once the NY Times piece hit, that led to other media. A few family members had their doubts, but we never doubted it  would work.

Carol: What inspired you to write Likeable Social Media?

Dave: I really wanted to help small businesses leverage social media well. We work with a lot of larger companies but I wanted a cheaper way smaller organizations could access our knowledge and best practices to grow their businesses and be more successful with Facebook, Twitter and the social web.  

Carol: What do you think of the new Google+ platform? Where do you see G+ heading in the future?

Dave: I think Google+ is promising. It will take a lot to shift the average consumer from Facebook but Google is off to a good start, and Google+ will surely help their core search product.  

Carol: Can you share what the publishing process has been like for you?

Dave: I learned a lot about publishing :) It had its ups and downs but I feel much more prepared now for my 2nd book.  

Carol: Where do you see social media heading in the future?

Dave: Social media will become increasingly mobile and increasingly part of how we spend our lives and jobs each day.  

Carol: What would you say to a business, author or entrepreneur who has yet to take advantage of social media?

Dave: Get started now! It's never too early or too late.  

Carol: Can you share your #1 tip for attracting new clients?

Create great content and give it away to the right people.  

Carol: As a social media manager/coordinator, I primarily work with authors. Do you have any advice for authors on how to promote their books and themselves through the use of social media?

Dave: Here is a blog post Megan from my team wrote about this: http://www.likeable.com/2011/06/how-to-use-social-media-to-launch-a-best-selling-book/
My advice is to get involved with social media and building your community way before you publish a book.  

Carol: I put together Virtual Book Tours for authors. Have you ever participated in a virtual book tour and do you feel they are a good alternative or addition to physical book tours for authors 

Dave: I haven't participated in a formal virtual book tour so I can't really say, but it's seems a lot more cost-effective than a physical book tour these days! 

Carol: I know some publishing houses and literary agents vary in their opinion on the importance of a author platform. Do you feel having an author online platform is a priority for a new author to create before their book becomes available?

Dave: Yes, the larger the platform, the better. That's the reality.  

Carol: How do you structure your day to be the most productive for you?


Dave: I use my calendar very carefully. 6am-9am is family time. 9am-6pm is work time, with social media built in along the way. 6pm-10pm is family time, then 10pm-2am is catch up time on emails and social media, and writing.  

Carol: What's next for Dave Kerpen?

Dave: I'm writing a 2nd book, tentatively titled Likeable Business: Why Consumers Today Demand More, & How Brands Can Deliver. I'm, hoping to speak more and at larger conferences in 2012. I'm building our business (INC 500 #118 in 2011, hoping to keep growing exponentially) and most important, I'm spending time with my family.  

Carol: Do you ever take a break from social media? 

Dave: No. Seriously, I take an occasional 24 hour or 48 hour break during vacations.  

Carol: Thanks Dave for being so personable and approachable to your fans and for taking the time to answer my questions. I really appreciate it.

Dave:  My pleasure and here you go: 

Likeable:
Website/Blog/Facebook/Twitter
Personal links:
Facebook/Twitter/LinkedIn/Quora/Foursquare/Google+
You may also want to check out:
#118 in the 2011 Inc 500 Fastest Growing Private Companies in America
Facebook Preferred Developer Consultant
Only 3-time WOMMIE Award Winner (2008, 2009, 2010)

Schedule a call or meeting with me @ tungle.me

Interview By: Carol Lawrence