Many of you may know that I’ve been named one of the founding members of  TV host Rick Lake’s new, innovative social television community, #FriendsofRicki.This is the very first social television community, and great place for participants, experts and authors to get exposure.

The Friends of Ricki was founded by Ricki Lake in partnership with  Dabney Porte and Britt Michaelian of Girlfriends Productions LLC. Ricki met Dabney and Britt via their global community Social Media Girlfriends and are the producers of the Friends of Ricki Community as well.

Last week, I had the opportunity to join Ricki Lake and a handful of the 30 incredible founding members to  discuss Friends of Ricki and the impact we are having in the social media community and the world. The good news is you don’t have to be a founding member to get involved  and impact this amazing community – Friends of Ricki is for everyone who wants to express their unique voice, such as my community of aspiring bestselling authors.

As the founder of Bestseller in a Weekend, I work with many business owners who want to write a book so they can increase exposure, attract more clients, and express their voice as a business leader and industry expert. That’s why I’m so ecstatic to be part of the #FriendofRicki collaborative community, as it is such a great resource..

Why?

Well the more you engage and speak up in this community the more exposure you will receive. And, get this: I heard that Ricki Lake’s producers are going to look to this community to get ideas and guests for The Rick Lake Show set to air September 2012.

So you may be asking, How do I get involved? Well, it’s simple. Here are 5 ways to participate in the Friends of Ricki Community :

1. Follow @FriendsofRicki on Twitter.  Introduce yourself to the community and join the conversation. (Don’t forget to use #FriendsofRicki hashtag and cc: @AliciaDunams, I’d love to say HI!)
2. Like the Friends of Ricki Facebook Page and comment on posts on the page that interest you. There are all kinds of weekly activities and hot topics on this page that are fun to talk about and share.
3. Follow @RickiLakeShow on Twitter and Facebook and tell the show that you are one of the #FriendsofRicki.  Retweet posts in the stream that you and/or your audience will resonate with and look for people to connect with in the stream.  Be courteous.  Never include multiple community hashtags in a tweet and enjoy!
4. Subscribe to the Ricki Lake YouTube page and stay updated on our #FriendsofRicki playlist
5. Tell your friends who love social media communities to join the #FriendsofRicki party!

The Ricki Lake Show doesn’t air until September 2012.  However, the Friends of Ricki community will be having a blast on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Ustream and at live events starting now!