Posts Tagged ‘social networking’
Friday, June 20th, 2008
I logged into LinkedIn this evening to post a question to their Answers section and was surprised to see that Barak Obama is using LinkedIn to get answers to his questions.
Now that’s using social networking to make change!
Tags: Barack Obama, LinkedIn, social networking
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Tuesday, June 17th, 2008
Where web 1.0 was a monologue, web 2.0 is a conversation. Ultimately, web 2.0 is about building relationships online through blogs, social networking websites, online reviews and wikis.
Web 2.0 is a good thing but it’s also created overwhelm and confusion in non-techies trying to figure out how to apply it to their own business. I equate it to being born and raised in the cornfields of Iowa and then moving to New York City. All the sights, all the sounds, and all the options are fascinating but they’re pretty overwhelming too.
I’m all for any effort to help demystify web 2.0 which is why I was thrilled to be invited to join the
Web 2.0 Media Group. The purpose of the Web 2.0 Media Group is to help non-techies get a clear, jargon-free overview of new ways to market and manage their business using online media.
I met Wayne through
Biznik (my favorite social networking website) when I responded to an article her wrote. I had recently signed up for BaseCamp to manage client projects and wanted to know how Joint Contact was different than BaseCamp. In minutes I got a reply from Wayne with a list of about a dozen ways Joint Contact is better than BaseCamp. I gave Joint Contact a try and am now using it to manage all my projects. Now that’s leveraging the internet to build business!
Wayne, who is based in Seattle, got the idea for the Web 2.0 Media Group after noticing that there was a disconnect between the business community and the tech community. I’ve noticed it here in Portland too. “Business People” and “Tech People” network in their own little worlds and rarely do their paths cross. It’s as if they live in parallel universes. Wayne is one of the few who lives in both worlds.
Wayne also noticed that there were dozens of tech start ups with great ideas and products that didn’t get talked about because they didn’t have VC funding or angel investors. So he decided to start the Web 2.0 Media Group to help non-techies learn how to leverage new technologies in their own business and get tech start ups in front of a new audience.
The
Web 2.0 Media Group is getting the word out in a variety of ways. There is a free introductory in-person seminar called “Introducing Web 2.0″ designed to give the attendee an overview of the various technologies and how they can be used to build a business. There is a half or full day paid seminar that goes into more depth about exactly how to use the various technologies. There are also plans for an online community dedicated to answering the questions that come up as people try out web 2.0 technologies.
One of the goals for the Web 2.0 Media Group is to make a connection between cyber-space and physical space which is why it’s offering in-person seminars. Currently the seminars are only offered in Seattle but I plan to bring them to Portland in the fall. Email me if you’re interested in attending and I’ll keep you posted.
Tags: Biznik, blogging, Joint Contact, social networking, Web 2.0 Media Group
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Friday, May 23rd, 2008
Last week I was on a panel on social networking for the Portland chapter of SECP (Self Employed Creative Professionals).
Jeff Fisher who is a graphic designer, author and speaker was on the panel too. He fielded several questions about how he’s very successfully used social networking to promote his latest book “Identity Crisis: 50 Redesigns That Transformed Stale Identities into Successful Brands“.
Jeff blogged about which social networks he uses and the results he’s gotten from each on his bLogo-Motives blog. If you’re looking to promote a book with social networking, it’s an excellent example of how to do it. Jeff also maintains a blog specific to the book. Check out the Identity Crisis blog to see how he’s using a blog to promote his book as well.
Tags: case study, Jeff Fisher, LogoMotives, social networking
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Friday, April 18th, 2008
I often see the terms “social networking” and “social media” used interchangeably when in fact they are two different concepts. Attracting clients via the internet is hard work that requires a tightly focused plan. If you’re going to do it effectively and efficiently, you have to know the difference between the two so you can target the right activities, have realistic goals and achieve them. So here’s the scoop.
Social Networking is very much like face to face networking. The primary goal is to connect with other people (old classmates, new friends, love interests, potential clients and sub-contractors) for similar purposes and start conversations that can lead to specific outcomes.
Social Media is about content: articles, news, videos, absurd stories, jokes. It’s about using the wisdom of crowds to find interesting stuff on the internet and bringing it to other people’s attention. Social media websites enable users to decide what’s important on the internet by voting on it, sharing it and commenting on it.
The reason why the two terms get used interchangeably is because social networking and social media are increasing found in the same places. (Biznik is an excellent example!)
- Things social networking and social media have in common:
- Designed to create a dialogue
- You need an online profile to participate
- There is an element of trust (which differentiates it from the general internet)
- Typically gather around a particular topic, area of interest or purpose
Why Do I Need to Care About the Difference?
If you want social networking or social media to work, you need to consider the purposes for each and how they fit into your overall eMarketing strategy.
Connecting vs. Sharing – Social networking is about meeting people while social media is about sharing what you know with the hope it will be helpful.
Proactive vs. Passive – While with social networking it’s generally okay to be proactive about seeking out introductions, it’s not okay to be proactive about seeking votes for your social media content. (Yeah. People do it but if you get caught, you will have to dig yourself out of a public relations nightmare.)
Meeting People vs. Getting Links – Social networking is about making human links while social media is about getting website links.
Hopefully, knowing the difference between social networking and social media will help you decide which combination of the two will work best for your business. Please! Let me know fi you have any questions!
Tags: difference, social media, social networking
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Tuesday, April 8th, 2008
Your social networking profile is important. People visiting your profile are making conclusions about you and your business from very little information. Small things, like your picture (also known as your Avatar) and your email address can say a lot about you. Your bio and your company description will say even more about you. Don’t just throw your social networking profile together. Put the time and effort into creating a profile that’s informative and compelling. Doing so will make a huge difference in how you are perceived by your social network.
Every directory and social networking site wants slightly different stuff so it’s hard to say “This is exactly what you need.” But if you have the basics, you can edit or add as needed. The following is a list of information you will most likely be asked to add to your profile (assuming your profile is mainly for business purposes).
Components of a Social Networking Profile:
- Screen name – Base it on your name or business name. “Cutesy” screen names make you look unprofessional.
- Job title
- Company
- Website URL
- Blog URL
- Tagline
- Email address – Use a professional email address not your personal email address. If you have a website, have your webmaster set up an email addresses at your domain name. It looks a lot more professional than a Yahoo or Comcast email address.
- Thumbnail picture (aka Avatar) – Get a good headshot! Don’t have your kid or spouse line you up against the wall and take a photo. It’s unprofessional and can be downright scary. You don’t have to spend a fortune on professional pictures. I recommend going to a high school portrait photographer and asking them for a CD of the pictures.
- Summary or Bio of different lengths – It is crucial that your summary or bio be well written. Don’t just throw it together on the fly! Spend some time working on it or get help with it. Tailor it to the audience of the specific social networking site.
- Key words and phrases that describe your products or services. These are words your target markets would use to find you so be careful about using industry specific jargon.
Information you might need or want to include:
- Education and job history – If you’re in a field where these types of credentials are important and you don’t mind disclosing them, go ahead but be mindful of how much information you’re giving out.
- Recommendations or Testimonials – You do have these, right? Well put them on your profile! Show people this isn’t your first day on the job.
- Interests or Hobbies – Remember; people are looking for information about who you are. Adding pertinent interests and hobbies can make you memorable.
- Groups and Associations – Listing these adds to your credibility. If you have access to the group or association logo, add it if possible.
Tags: network online, social networking, social networking profile
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Friday, March 28th, 2008
I was asked to write an article on tips for creating a social networking profile and came across the following resources about social networking I thought were particularly helpful.
Social Networking Resources:
A short video with an overview of social networking. (CommonCraft who produced this video also has other helpful overview videos on blogging, wikis and RSS.):
http://www.commoncraft.com/video-social-networking
(Or see it on YouTube) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6a_KF7TYKVc
An in depth history of online social networking that includes links to the major players:
http://www.pbs.org/mediashift/2007/08/digging_deeperyour_guide_to_so_1.html
Social Networking Blog where you can learn about latest developments and new tools.
http://www.socialnetworking-weblog.com/
Search engines specifically for finding social networks:
http://www.digfoot.com/
http://www.findasocialnetwork.com/search.php
List of Social Networking Sites organized by category (i.e. books, business, family)
http://mashable.com/2007/10/23/social-networking-god/
A good list of Social Networking Aggregators. (Yeah. There are so many of them you need to worry about putting them all in one place.):
http://mashable.com/2007/07/17/social-network-aggregators/
Tags: social networking, social networking lists, social networking resources
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Sunday, December 2nd, 2007
The Newbiew Guide to Social Networking – This is a good primer on social networking. It does a good job describing how to find niche social networks and things to consider when setting up your account.
The Blogger’s Guide to SEO – I don’t agree with everything they say in this guide (sucha s telling you not to use a service like Blogger) but it does give you good info for how to think of your blog from an SEO perspective.
SEO Digger – With this SEO tool you can find out for which keywords your site ranks high enough to be in Google Top 20. You can analyze your own sites as well as sites of your competition. The only problem is that you can’t tell it which key words to search for.
Tips for Using Digg – I’m doing reserach for an article on social media and came across this video on SEOmoz. I had to watch it several times to understand the points Matt makes but it’s worth the effort.
Tags: social networking
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