Barry Hurd of 123 Social Media & SMC Seattle

Posted by admin

June 29, 2009

Meet Barry Hurd, SMC Seattle board member and the mind behind local social media consulting firm, 123 Social Media. With over a dozen years of experience in online marketing and brand reputation management, Barry knows his stuff when it comes to social media. When he isn’t out helping companies realize social media isn’t sticking an ad on Facebook, Barry can be found enjoying his other hobbies, which include anything from being outdoors to cooking up some fresh salmon.

As a board member of SMC Seattle, Barry can be found at every SMC Seattle event. I suggest you chat it up with him there; he’s funny a guy who’s very knowledgeable on all things related to social media.

The Basics:

1. What is your name?
Barry Hurd

2. E-mail?
barry dot hurd at 123socialmedia dot com

3. What is your occupation/company?
Online media, brand, and reputation – President @ 123SocialMedia.com.

4. Originally from? When and how did you end up in the Greater Seattle area? (if applicable)
Yakima, Washington, native. Spent a few years in various cities and ended up in Seattle a decade ago.

5. How can people find you on the web?
Type Barry Hurd into Google.

You can also find me @:
www.123socialmedia.com
twitter.com/123socialmedia
www.linkedin.com/in/barryhurd
www.visualcv.com/barryhurd
www.peoplepond.com/barryhurd

Social Media:

6. Why do you like social media?
The ever-changing evolution. Every time someone creates a new way of doing things, it shifts hundreds of other cards in the deck. This creates a very fluid and dynamic environment that allows me to flex my problem-solving skills and examine new ways solving problems or leveraging opportunities that may not have existed a month ago.

7. How do you utilize social media?
A better question is how do I not?
I look at social media as an opportunity to transform and accelerate relationships across dozens of areas ranging from business processes to where I am going to find a good place to eat. With that in mind, I always look at new tools and ask myself “How can I use that?” and I completely disregard the intent it was created for. In this way, I can use my own ingenuity to find simple and revolutionary ways of doing what I need to do.

8. What is the one thing that mainstream population should know about social media?
That it isn’t just about business or marketing and that it can be utilized for any group, whether it is a method of keeping in touch with family or an opportunity to make the next mega-corporation.

9. If people follow you on Twitter, what can they expect?
I tend to point to a lot of information that revolves around online brand and reputation material, often pertaining to public relations and how professionals are perceived online. I also chat with members of the SMC Seattle crew and some national personalities.

10. How would you describe the social media scene in Seattle?
There are a lot of bright minds in Seattle looking at where we are heading rather than where we are. As a community, we have dozens (if not hundreds) of thought-leaders who are finding niches to explore.

11. Do you have a good social media success story or “wow” moment?
Most of the “wow” moments I have are over a quiet cup of coffee as I discard the information and focus on the business tasks at hand. As a business person, I continuously refer ideas to professionals in my network that have the bandwidth and talent required to see the idea succeed.

12. Are there any social media events or conferences in the future you would like to let people know about? Please include dates, locations, etc. Where can more information be found?
There are so many great events in Seattle that cover an amazing amount of ideas. I routinely monitor sites like Meetup, Eventbrite, Upcoming, Biznik, Seattle 2.0, SMC Seattle, and many others for different niche events. The key is to do some searching online and find a community that relates to social media in a way you understand.

Just For Fun:

13. What are your hobbies?
Airsoft, social media (yes, it is a hobby), networking, camping (without technology, everyone needs a break), and whatever my eight-year-old son wants to try next.

14. Favorite vacation spot? Thing to do there?
The San Juan islands are great. They provide a little bit of everything: camping, kayaking, cycling, hiking….

15. Favorite restaurant in Seattle? Favorite food?
The Melting Pot just north of the Science Center. If I am preparing it, fresh salmon.

16. Favorite things to do in Seattle in the summer?
Although I love Seattle, everything I love to do in the summer is outside of Seattle… hiking, camping, visiting friends…

17. Most embarrassing CD you own?
I don’t own any CDs. That is so 90s.

18. Any hidden talents?
Cooking (at least everyone says I should be a chef instead of a social media professional), writing poetry, singing, marksmanship, problem solving, and games of strategy.

19. What would you like everyone to know about you?
I am just a down-to-earth guy who loves what I do. Reach out and touch base with me. I love connecting with professionals and discovering how our niche expertise overlaps. If there is a question they have about social media and how it can interact with them in a beneficial way, I am always open to a cup of coffee.