I met Lukasz Zelezny over four years ago at a Searchmetrics event in Central London. Since, then, I have seen him speak at some London conferences including my own Search London, while his profile has risen through the years.

What prompted you to start speaking and why so many places around the world? (Is there somewhere you have not spoken at but want to?)

The reason I started was because I just wanted to do something in addition. Both of my parents were teachers, so sharing knowledge is something that comes naturally to me. It’s also something that I enjoy and find quite fun. Speaking also gives me the ability to meet lots of new people who are often willing to share their insights with me and discuss the happenings in the industry. Of course, personal speaking has also given my personal brand a boost but that is an extra positive, and not the main reason why I speak at events.

How long have you been doing social media for and how did you get into it?

I’ve been using Social Media since the early days of MySpace, when I used to share my DJ tracks with friends and fans. I have also had profiles on Twitter and LinkedIn since their early days. The two other platforms that I use a lot and have profiles on are Facebook and Instagram – these aren’t my first choices though, not when it comes to using social media for business. I find Twitter and LinkedIn to be much more beneficial. Another site I like to use a lot is Vine. I’m really sad to hear that Twitter is considering closing this platform down.

What has been the highlight of during your time in working in social media?

I have had many highlights during my time working in social media, two in particular stand out, however. The first is the ability to share knowledge with a lot of talented startup owners. A lot of the people I have met have a really innovative business idea but struggle with the marketing side of it. I’ve really enjoyed helping these people out. Social media has also helped me to build my personal brand, and I think this is one of the main reasons why I’ve received bookings for conferences in faraway destinations like Indonesia and China. This would have been much more difficult without social media.

What five tips would you give to someone looking to start using social media?

1. Remember that you shouldn’t just be promoting yourself. Sharing other people’s thoughts and links to their content is just as important.
2. If you’re using social media for business, try and establish yourself as an expert in a specific area. Being too general is never good.
3. Try and automate posts whenever you can – this will save you a lot of time. Use hootsuite, crowdfire, commun.it.
4. Start on just one or two social media platforms and grow from there. If you spread yourself too thin at the start, you won’t be able to engage with your audience to the best of your ability.
5. Make sure you respond to people who reach out to you – try not to keep people waiting for more than a day.

What is the biggest social media myth you have heard ? (eg You will naturally get FB Likes)

One of the biggest myths I have heard tossed around is that the more your social media posts are shared, the more your organic search rankings improve for those keywords. This is not true, and if it was, it would be easy for anyone with enough time on their hands to trick Google into placing their website in the number one search position.

What do you prefer more – SEO or Social Media (You started in SEO first correct?)

I use both SEO and social media, and honestly enjoy using both of them. SEO appeals to my inner-nerd. I like looking at analytics and analysing how my changes have led to results. There’s something about quantifiable data that really appeals, and I like to see results in data form. That said, social media fits my human nature. I enjoy getting to know new people and learn more from them. This is something that social media offers me, and I have made many friends through the platforms I am on. SEO is more of a science whilst social media is more of an art – I like both.

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