Tool Tuesday - TweetStats

Today, I'd like to share a simple but effective tool for all you Tweet-hearts.  It is deceptively simple, yet very telling and informative.  May I humbly introduce you to, TweetStats.

TweetStats, is as it's namesake implies, a place the provide all of us analytically minded folks with more data than we can shake a fail whale at!  Starting with a tool has never been easier, it is as simple as adding your twitter username into the front page, hitting "Graph My Tweets" and you are off and running!

One of my personal favorites is looking at your daily Tweet Density, or in layman's terms, "what times do I tweet?"  As an example, here is mine, which tells me I'm doing a lot in the afternoon and evening.

Now, this may not matter to you, but to me, it lets me look back at the last week and start to push myself to do things differently.  As an example, I try to NOT be on computers between 6 and 9, or connected to anything other than my kids, their homework, and their needs.  Sure, sometimes that involves computers, but I don't think my 4 year old cares about the latest chip release retweet from Intel I did, nor honestly, should he.  It does however remind me, hey SocialMo, refocus in the evenings and try and shift those times to when the kids are in bed or earlier in the day.  Level setting, it's a wonderful thing.

Additionally, another great graph they provide (have I mentioned this is all free so far too?), is this one on who you ReTweet.  Sure we all "think" we know who we ReTweet, but this can tell you quite a bit about who you follow, and who is Tweeting things you want to tell your world about.

Finally, not to be outdone, if you click on the very top of the graph page, where there are three small buttons (Tweet Stats, Tweet Cloud, and Follower Stats) you can see your Cloud.  For wordsmiths, this is something to behold.  For example, I have a colleague who is adamant about not using the word "great" in any tweets or Facebook posts.  As you can see by my cloud, I use that a bit much so I'm sure it drives him batty.

Yes, TweetStats has a lot of information... well, actually, the web does, and they are just serving it up in a unique, and free, way, that provides value to you.  Whether you are looking for validation, recalibration, or just plain information, TweetStats is a must have tool in your Social Tool Box!

Where there is a Wil, there's a way

Have you ever been watching an awards show, like the Grammy's or the Emmy's or some other "...my's" show and that moment happens?  You know, the one where the overzealous "artist" takes the time during their "acceptance" speech to not just thank everyone, but decides it's time to become a politician?  Yeah, that moment.

I've never been a fan of that moment.  In fact, I've never really been a fan of awards shows overall.  I've always found them quite overrated and save for a few magical moments in their long and continuous return, have only provided constant material for comedians to consume.  With that intro, I give you this....

From SocialTimes.com - with a warning: this post has censored language from a celebrity that may be found as offensive to some readers. Star Trek Actor Launches Vitriolic Tumblr Rant Against Google +

Essentially, Wil Wheaton, who is adorned by geeks and nerds alike, and not just for being "that kid from Star Trek",took to Tumblr to vent his frustration about the capability to "+1" a video on YouTube (his own video) without being forced to upgrade to Google+ first.  

Cussing and ranting aside, the thing that stuck out to me here was his comment, "...the core of my audience is tech-savvy and may not want to "upgrade" to yet another <expletive> social network they don't want or need."

"...they don't want or need."  That is what stuck out at me.  See, I've talked about the Shiny Ball Syndrome before, and as a culture, we seem to be more and more like moths to the new social flames these days.  Look at Pinterest's growth in the last year if you don't believe me.  Yet Wil, if I may use his first name, takes the time to point out that he thinks the tech-savvy crowd doesn't want or need more social networks.  So, of course, as always, my brain started churning.

I asked a few of my tech-savvy friends today about this and you know what some of the responses I received were?  "Yeah, honestly, I could care less if another social network is released, I'm so dug in on Facebook and Twitter right now, I won't ever escape."  That shocked me!  And it was more than a handful who responded in that manner.

So I ask you, dear readers.  Tech-savvy or not, are you fed up with more and more social networks?  Are you spent with the multitudes of options and the ever spawning eco-sphere of social-biotics?  Are you so entrenched with your current networks that changing would be as painful as changing from cable to satellite or from Android to iPhone?  

I for one have always welcomed change and new things.  I too though, like Wil, would prefer them not to force me to "Like" something before I have tried it.  The double edges of this sword lie in the mass amount of networks for utilization and the flip side of how those networks use their data, or rather, our data.  

What Google+ is asking of Wil, and anyone, isn't any different than what Facebook or others ask of their users.  It just so happens it is "another" network gathering data and utilizing and bending it to their own end, and that is where the crux of our celebrity's frustration may really stem.  

I only speculate though, but I am curious on your thoughts, and where you stand (or sit) in this evolving digital world.

PS - In the spirit of full disclosure, I've never been a Star Trek fan, but I do like some of the things Wil Wheaton has offered the world of geeks and nerds, most notably, his newest series he was trying to +1, TableTop on YouTube.

The Power of the #Tag

As most of you know, while I consult on Social Media, I also hold down a day job as a Global Sales Operations leader at Dell, inc.  Today and tomorrow, we're hosting the Dell Annual Analyst Conference.  As you can imagine, industry analysts in high tech are power users when it comes to social media!  Interestingly enough though, I had a question poised to me today I didn't expect.  "Do you just use hashtags randomly or how should they really be used?"  

This took me by surprise, but not for the person asking or how they asked, more that I realized I took for granted the smallest and yet coolest tool we use on a day to day basis, the #!

Most of you who follow me realize that my answer to that question is no, I don't use them randomly.  I personally use them to add context and tone to my tweets.  I feel 140 characters is a very minimal amount of space and the correct utilization of a properly included hashtag can easily change the receipt of your message.

For example, let us say the message I'm about to tweet is this, "What a time at the event today!"  I know, I'm not the cheerleader tweeter so I'd never really post this, but roll with me on this one.  For starters, most people will take that simple line as it was a good event.  But, let's expand it and see how we can change it:

Example 1: "What a time at the event today! #Sarcasm"

Example 2: "What a time at the event today! #PraiseToTheStaff"

Example 3: "What a time at the event today! #TGIF"

Example 4: "What a time at the event today! #ExcellentDiscussions"

See how things change so quickly?  Example one now looks like the event was terrible and I'm being smarky.  Example two now looks like the event's facilities and logistics took precedence over the content.  Example three meanwhile implies I'm more interested in the weekend's activities than the actual event and could be construed as smarky again, or just aloof.  Then finally, example four clearly spells out the benefits of attending.

All saying the same thing, but with added context, flavor and meaning behind them!  Now, there is something to be said for utilization of hashtags when it comes to the consistency part of personal and professional branding.  If all you do is insert sarcastic hashtags to comments, the times you do use genuine tags, they more than likely will be seen as veiled sarcasm.  Conversely, if you aren't witty or good with quick jabs, adding that snidly hashtag may be seen as almost rude since your audience may be so used to your good nature and often informational tags!  As with everything social, while your content is King, your consistency is Queen!

When wrapped up in the Twitterverse, we may not take the time to think about hashtagging and how it can impact our tweets, but if you do, you can easily set yourself apart, both in your immediate tweet, but in your consistent approach.  Hashtagging opens the door to a bigger picture on your comments, and one that allows users to see a personal side of you if done right.  I challenge you to be creative with your hashtags, but not so much that no one knows was #WJLKFHPIT stands for.

Oh, and for the record, "What a time at the event today! #SuperbChats #CantWaitForTomorrow" :)

Growth Spurt?

If you have kids, you'll follow me on this.  If you don't, well, you'll have to trust the rest of us.  I myself have three children, two of which are little boys.  They are six and four to be exact.  Oh, and they eat like horses.  Hungry, near starving horses.  All. The. Time.  And every once in a while, they hit this plateau, where they gain a bit of weight, get the "chunky cheeks" look, and then they go through this massive growth spurt.

For instance, my 4 year old, who just turned so on Saint Patrick's Day, grew over 3 inches since his last birthday.  Seriously folks, they are like plants.  Just add water and some tender loving care, and they'll sprout up... all around you!  Why am I telling you this?  Because there is a connection to the next level of social media and where we go from here.  So today's question is, "Are we at a plateau in Social Media where we are about to go through a growth spurt?"

I know, it's an odd question.  Consider these statistics:

• Facebook has more than 800 million users with 200 million of them added in 2011
• 80% of Americans use a social network 
• ~23% of all online time is spent on a social network
• Every day there are more than 290 million tweets made
• over 50% of people (not users, but ACTUAL people on the earth) get their news from social media outlets rather than traditional news outlets

These numbers are staggering.  They are almost at a point where you think to yourself, "Can we really grow anymore?" or "Are there any final frontiers left to conquer?"

Where do we go?  Where can we go?  Simple.  When I look at my children, I know the answer.  The youth.  Facebook wasn't made popular because the local bridge club wanted to connect with other card players, no, it was made wildly popular on campuses and colleges nationwide by the youth.  The Twitter movement wasn't adopted by senior citizens looking to share information on discount prescriptions, no it was embraced by young celebrities and entrepreneurs as a way to grow mind-share.  Google Plus?  Well, some would argue it is still popularizing itself, but it too has been adopted by the younger, technical demographic first.

We've all felt this way if you are over 35.  You look at a younger person and know they have grown up developing a skill set through tools you never had access to.  They are competing against you in the workforce and they have been raised in a digital generation that gave them access to things we could barely dream of!  Now, take that a step, well, backwards.  Look at someone who is 10 today and think about how they see things.  How are they marketed to?  How do they develop habits?  What do they do in their daily lives, with technology and social media, that is going to differentiate them tomorrow?

The youth, under 10 in the world, will have a completely different perspective about it, their surroundings, and the all-mighty data that drives this eco-sphere.  It won't be long before they are the ones the businesses are marketing to, the social networks are adapting to, and it will be them shaping their surroundings based on their experiences.

If you want to get creative, think about how you can use social media today, to make a fan for life out of a child.  How could you engage, passively or directly, in ways that the younger generations see as unique and differentiating?  Those who can answer those questions, capture the digital imagination of the youth, and tap into the future, will be the one's that experience the rapid growth spurts and dramatic changes over the next few years!

Plus or Division?

Google Plus has gone through a bit of a makeover.  If you haven't seen it, here's a quick overview:




If you have never tried Google Plus before, this is the perfect time to try it out, but if you are one of those people, this article isn't for you.  No, rather today, I'm going to ask a simple question; Is Google Plus really a plus, or is it more of a division?
I'm not very political, but in years like this, when the mass media just latches on and takes hole of candidates like they are the bar in front of them on a roller coaster ride where no one can let go, well, quite frankly, it's hard not to have an opinion.  Don't worry, I'm going somewhere with this that isn't political.  For a while, I've had the feeling that Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum have been dividing their own party.  It seemed for a while, they were neck and neck, with both man pulling the same amount of support as the other.  So a thought entered my head, "Are these two doing good for the Republican party, or are they dividing it?  In other words, wouldn't they be better together?"
Now today, I'm having a similar discussion rolling around in my noggin, which is, are Google Plus and Facebook helping each other, or hurting social media altogether?
A while back I posted an article that included a link to a piece by the Wall Street Journal about the dismal numbers on Google Plus users.  In short, it wasn't good.  Google Plus, with all it's brilliant design and engineering minds behind it, seems to be going the same direction Google Wave did, waving goodbye.  For example, when I started on Google Plus, I had over 200 people in my circles in the matter of days.  Now, I have less than 50.  The conversations soon became blog posts where the author never seemed to comment on them past their initial post, and today, the majority of users are, shockingly, engineers.  
The numbers are always iffy when people say "we have X many milloin users" as they can mean almost anything.  Users may be people who signed in once.  It may be actively using it more than once a month.  The thing is, even at it's highest publicized number, Google touts 170 Million people, whereas Facebook has 480+ million active (signing in once a month or more) and 800+ total users.  It dwarfs Google Plus.  Sure, yes, they had a head start, but when two out of every three searches on the internet are done at Google, we're not talking about a "mom and pops" shop trying to take on the "Walmart" of social.
Now there is a lot happening on Google Plus.  This new makeover is going to make MANY people happy.  I for one think it looks beautiful.  But, it still glaring reminds me that all my friends I interact with are not there.  Why is this?  Simple.  To me, I think the majority of people on Google Plus, are Google Fanboys.  They are people who love Google's philosophy, their attitude, what they stand for, and, in many cases, are like Apple Fanboys.  They love their "product", be it the new Google Plus design or the new iPad, and they love it with great passion!
This does however, cause a divide.  I have friends who consistently use Google Plus WAY more than anything else.  Since I don't, I seem to have lost touch with many of them.  The majority using Facebook though, I'm completely in touch with, and happy mind you.  But... I miss my friends on Google Plus.  So from time to time I go chat with them there.  I'm not alone either.  About 80% of the people I speak to tell me that Google Plus is nothing but a "splinter" social network for them.  They have a small concentration of friends, who they keep in touch with sporadically, but it's not their primary social destination.
Google Plus can, and will, grow.  Where though will that growth come from?  As I say many times, if you want to see the future, look into a child's eyes.  Google Plus's greatest potential lies with the youth of the world.  The youth that aren't already immensely ingrained in Facebook.  No, rather, the youth who are utilizing Google for everything else!  In school doing searches for papers and homework.  At work to look up competitor products (I've seen many Best Buy teens do this in front of customers) and in entertainment looking up their favorite celebrities or movies or songs.  These youth are exposed to every layer of Google, from gmail to their Google play store to their Google Plus network, and they are learning their interfaces as "digital muscle memory".
In the end, those of us in the social world will ultimately be in one "eco-sphere" while meanwhile, the younger generation will be within a completely different one.  Not all of them mind you, but a growing and growing portion will be.  Ultimately making Google Plus, more of long division, than anything else.  So while Google Plus may make itself out to be the best thing since sliced bread, the reality is it's dividing the social landscape.    The final question being, "is it for the better?"

Tool Tuesday - LinkedIn Boosters

LinkedIn is THE place for professional networking.  I know, everyone who is anyone with "friends" on Facebook is getting bombarded with "Branch Out" invitations, but let's face it, we use LinkedIn for a reason and we use Facebook for a reason, and for the most part, neither the tween shall meet.

LinkedIn today has more than one hundred and  fifty million (150M) professionals signed up with an average of over two new members per second!  The majority of professionals use LinkedIn weekly, over 60% of the users if you are curious!  But, if you are like most, you've pretty much only put your resume out there, maybe added a picture, and hopefully where you went to school... and then you left it alone.  Well fret not tool box lovers, for I have some suggestions for you on how you can pimp your profile to make it extraordinary!


While I normally provide insight and details on a specific tool each week, this week I have three suggested additions to your LinkedIn profile that will help, drive thought and conversation, and more importantly, help you build your brand!

InMaps: 

Caveat to us:  You must have 50 connections and a profile that is 75 percent completed and this is an "experimental" app, so use at your own risk.


InMaps is a wonderful way to SEE your network!  Not just read about it, but SEE it!  After logging into InMaps with your LinkedIn account, it will build a marvelous spider web of all your connections.  At first glance, you can easily see where and how people are connected or related to each other, but upon further inspection, this tool offers a lot of power.


You can edit labels.  You can move people around.  You can even see direct connections people have to each other and get to understand how your network lives and breathes, which will put you in a better position when networking with these folks, as well as what actions you need to take, if you see an area not as represented as you may have thought it was.

Amazon Reading List:

Reading an awesome book?  Want to share with the world without having the same 15 minute conversation with everyone you know?  The Amazon Reading List application is an excellent way to share your professional library, as well as let others see a personal side of you.  I have a friend who loves baseball, and is possibly the worlds most infamous walking encyclopedia on the subject, yet until he added the book "The Yogi Book: 'I really didn't say everything I said.'" many of his contacts had no idea of his love of the game, had that not struck up a conversation on sports with him.

This is a great tool to indirectly share your thoughts, insights, and passions, and one that is highly recommended.  

SlideShare:

SlideShare isn't a LinkedIn App as much as it is a social PowerPoint App that just happens to be massively used on, and well suited for, LinkedIn.  SlideShare is the world's largest community for sharing Slide Based Power Point presentations and interconnects wonderfully in LinkedIn.

Utilizing this tool not only lets you share your slides with clients, customers, colleagues, and others, but it also lets you highlight slides on your LinkedIn page.  Have a presentation that is all about you, your accomplishments, and/or what your business can do?  Share away!  No more downloading by your connections, they can see it right there on your portfolio! 

More importantly, it works with YouTube videos!  Go a step beyond and impress people with not just a resume and words, but with moving, living, breathing shots of you, explaining everything you need to let others know why they should be connected to and with you!

Taking your profile to the next level is how you can share and build your personal brand with those in your network as well as those searching for people like you.  In today's world, most recruiters hit LinkedIn before any other social networking site, so believe you me, these searches are happening all the time.  Apps like these three, and many, many others available on LinkedIn, allow you customized features to set you apart and make you, and your brand, all that more powerful!

The future is so bright, I gotta wear shades!

Google is an amazing company.  I'm waiting for someone to do a thesis on the company, it's effect on society, and it's impact on the lifestyle of human beings.  Apart from how much we use it, Google has probably more cached information on humanity than anyone, or anything, in existence.  And now, they are shooting to give you some hands free, super cool, not-so-far in the distance glasses!

If you are familiar with the corning "A Day Made of Glass" video, this one from Google will feel somewhat familiar, with it's "what if?" theme and the bright future in store for us.  Take a gander:

The big question is, would you wear glasses like these, that augment your reality, and keep you in touch with almost every aspect of your life?  For those of us who wear glasses today, may not be much of a stretch.  But for those of us who don't wear glasses on a regular basis... would it?

My first concern is the size of the battery I'd have to have in my backpack to plug these into, but hey, this isn't something coming out next week, so I'm sure they'll solve that pesky power problem along the way.  That said though, the concept of being socially and digitally connected, AND hands free all the time, is quite enticing!

Augmented Reality is a term that has been around for quite a while.  There are several apps today that aim to provide a more "augmented" or "improved" view of the world around you via social information.  Unfortunately, for the most part, this isn't a technology or mindset that has really peaked yet in terms of adoption, for several reasons.  Most impacting to the space, is no one has put out something that can be a "standard" for use and posting of data.  With so many "small hubs" to go to, it's hard to truly augment anything.

That all said, if the right company, with the right data, gets behind the concept, then you can easily see how relevant, top of mind or immediate sentiment data can provide a more user friendly world, with more immediate capabilities to make decisions that will delight and reward us.  Now, if we only knew of a company with a massive amount of cash, research engineers, developers, and data... hmmm... 

Thinking back ten years ago, "Facebooking" wasn't anything more than a sniglet at a dinner party, and today's it's as natural, well, as wearing glasses.  A good friend of mine told me today, "Science fiction more often than not, becomes science fact."  Now, given all this information, I pose the question, what could/would/should a device as amazing as "Google Glasses" do for your social networking capabilities, and potentially, even your lifestyle?

Tool Tuesday - About.Me

In February I was at a conference where LinkedIn marketing professionals were showing everyone how to "Pimp your profile."  It was a lighthearted review of your LinkedIn page with suggestions and tips to make it better, along with a nice professional photo.  Ironically, when one of the marketing pros sat with me, the first thing she said was, "What's this about.me link you have here?"  Our discussion then went on for 15 minutes of the benefits and advantages of this lovely tool, which she had not seen before, but I'm happy to share with you today!

About.Me is quite simple, yet amazingly great!  It is essentially a hub, or central spot to point everyone to, for all your social and online profiles and, or, properties.  Mine for example, is a mixture of personal and professional flare with links to my Twitter and LinkedIn profiles along with, of course, this blog.  I have it on my business cards, and I use it as the primary link I provide folks so they can reach me.  It's a great central area, where you can use beautiful imagery the site has, or be very creative and artistic given the depth of your talents.

When logging into About.Me, you'll have the options of connecting with a new account, or linking to your Facebook or Twitter.  As always, especially with Facebook, I always suggest thinking about this, as when you log in like this, you not only grant access to the account but you also add a new layer of management to ensure postings are displayed as, and to whom, you want them to.

After logging in, you'll have the simple options of adding a bio (which you can add HTML to if you are knowledgeable on it), you can choose a background or upload your own (I designed my own in photoshop), change colors, fonts, and the most powerful, "add a service."

Adding a service means you can then link any of your social properties you would like.  Today, you can add  naturally any of the following:

In addition, you can click the "Add a URL" button and add any custom URL, like your web site, team's site, or other social platform not shown above.

Once added, anyone can then click on the icon of these items in your About.Me profile, and viola, they have your latest updates, information and can link directly to you on these platforms.

After set up, there is a great dashboard providing you insights into views, clicks, and links to you, along with historical views, time spent on page, and new visitors.  Above those details, you also get Klout integration (our tool from last Tuesday), showing your Klout score, total reach, amplification and your network!

In addition, About.Me is partnered with Moo.com to provide business cards that are like your new, beautiful About.Me profile as well!  Finally, you can even have an email address if you like, ending in "@about.me".

All together, it's hard to find a more flexible, customized front end to send all your online friends and visitors too so they can find out more about you, connect to you in all the places you want to share, and provide a great service!  About.Me should definitely be in everyone's social tool box when it comes to displaying your brand!

Just a Pinch Away From Pluto

By guest blogger, Joe Pacheco:


Growing up, I loved looking at maps of all kinds: The world, my nation, roadmaps, topography and even the occasional treasure map.  The trusty AAA roadmap, perfectly folded in the glove compartment, was a treat to the eyes and an opportunity to be the navigator on family road trips.  These maps were a memorable part of how I learned about the world around me.  Today I see the same excitement in my children, but the Rand McNally is now a touch screen tablet.  

With a flick of the finger I can zoom out to see the solar system or pinch my way back to a satellite image of my back yard, I’ve even spent a few hours identifying planes at the Airplane Graveyard on Google Maps.  This process of how we learn about our surroundings is called GeoCognition and increasingly, our electronic devices are an important part of it.  Of particular interest to me are Social GeoCognitive tools.  

These are applications like FourSquare, Yelp, Zillow and new entrant Echoer, where rich data can be layered onto a specific geographic location to supplement the user’s perception of where they are and who’s been there before them.  As a result, this rich data is dynamic and consequently perishable, in other words, data left to sit out without social interaction becomes less relevant over time until eventually it can be considered spoiled.  

For example, let’s say you've launched an application that allows users to tag their favorite Christmas light displays around town.  This data is most ripe between the point it is collected and the New Year.  In January, when the lights begin to come down the data is less relevant, or it is spoiled.  Zillow, a real estate portal, is another example; while historical sales prices might be valuable to some, most of us are interested in today’s availability and cost.  

What data spoilage creates is unwelcome noise on the explorer’s expedition, and less likelihood that they will use your map next time.  As social media expands further into geocognition the leaders will not only have good content, but will protect their relevance by adding a temporal component to the dynamic layer of data.  In the meantime, those that are eager for social media to drive results for them should get on the map and keep the data fresh.

Joe Pacheco is a father and a husband. He is habitually curious and always looking around the next corner. He is in perpetual pursuit of understanding the "why" behind the "what" in industries, organizations and individuals. He tweets as @Capitopolis

Mob Mentality

If you haven't heard about the Spike Lee tweet involved in the Trayvon Martin shooting take a second and read that link.  Don't worry, this isn't about to get political or anything of the sort.  In fact, it's a much different post than most here, but one that this story has me thinking deeply on.  I pose this question today, "Is social media just a digital mob?"  

We hear every day about people getting news from Twitter or other online sources faster, and in more real time, than ever before.  In most cases, people see the news happening instead of reading about it after.  Think back to the Egyptian situation last year or the Libyan battles being told in real time.  The masses hear something, make a judgement call, and move on.  I personally, as mentioned in my "One Word" post, tend to lean towards truth and honesty, with integrity above all in my postings and online activities.  I'm the skeptic, the one who reads and asks "how" or "why" before making a judgement call.  Sadly, not everyone ever even wants to get to either of those.  They are happy being informed, be it truth or rumor, and moving forward with their initial assessment.

If you have never been involved in a "mob mentality" type situation, believe you me, they are frightening and amazing at the same time!  They've been like that since the days of the Roman Colosseum, and it's with that thought that I ask, has anything really changed other than the medium?  Are we still making judgement calls as they did so many years ago in those arenas, just through Twitter or Facebook providing the "cheering" to egg us on.

One of the nice and amazing things that LinkedIn has done is make us honest about our work history.  No more fiibbing and fudging saying that you graduated top of your class or that you held a vice presidents job at a manufacturing company (no one has ever heard of).  If you do that today on LinkedIn, someone in your network will cry foul.  The same goes for pretty much every social platform out there actually.  The "green curtain" that may have been up for some is now down, and everyone can see "your inner wizard".

Yet, for all the good that can come form this level of transparency, the same level of malice can be wrought as well.  This is why I stress so heavily that it is a great differentiator to have, and manage, a personal branding strategy.  If I post something filled with malice and malcontent, similar to me saying I was VP of Ford, most people would cry foul and not believe it.  Most would, and should, call me crazy.  In addition, they would immediately call me out publicly on it through my social networks.  

In this case, this post doesn't appear to have done any damage initially, but in the long run, who knows?  Is this any different than someone running into a theater and yelling "Fire!" at the top of their lungs?  Some people, believe it or not, believe everything they read, even on the internet.  I know, it's shocking.  Yet centuries removed from the gladiator battles, we still tend to give that which we read the "Caesar Treatment" of "Thumbs up or down" at first pass.  Heck, we're even prompted to do so on almost every page of the internet in print, with the famous "like" button staring us in the face.  Add into that the potential size of the mob being ten fold with someone's social reach and the results could be staggering.  

The only question left, is will your actions and strategy lead you to do good things with this kind of power?  With that, I leave you with a famous quote from someone well aligned with this article: 

"Men are nearly always willing to believe what they wish." - Julius Caesar.

Tool Tuesday - Klout

Clout:  noun pull; strong influence; muscle, especially political power

Klout: noun a tool designed to measure one's clout in social media

By now, you may have heard of Klout.com.  It's an amazing thing.  At it's core, it's a combination of mathematics and algorithms that is supposed to display your reach, your presence, and your influence in social networks that you connect to Klout.  But, when you lift it up to a closer inspection, there is a lot more than a simple score.

First thing is first, if you don't have a Klout account, you can set one up at Klout.com or you can log in with Facebook or Twitter.  The first thing you will do is add networks to your Klout account.  You can add any combination, or one of, Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus, LinkedIn, Foursquare, YouTube, Instagram, Tumbler, Blogger, Wordpress, Last.fm, or Flicker.  Whew, I'm tired just listing them.

After you connect your accounts you are then greeted with your first summarized Klout score, which will look like this:

Now, first I must say, the mistake everyone makes, self included, is thinking that the higher that number is, the better things are.  This could not be further from the truth!  There are some key indicators though, and here's how you can, once knowing said number, see if your personal strategy is reflected in your actions.

The first thing I like to look at is my Klout Style.  This is found by clicking on your name in the upper right and then on Klout Style on the left hand menu of the new page.  Style uses a similar method to a magic quadrant and shows you a varying scale of where you land, based on your activity.  For example, here is mine:

This alone can immediately tell you if you are aligned to your strategy.  In my example, I am "Focused" and "Consistent" which directly aligns to my strategy for my connected platforms on Klout.  I personally have LinkedIn, Google Plus, Facebook, Twitter and Foursquare connected only.  As such, I tend to ensure that what and how I talk about things on those platforms is steady and similar, and in this case, Klout confirms that.  If I saw myself at the Consistent end but maybe a box higher, I may become concerned I'm roaming too much on my topics.  

Perhaps yours shows you in the upper left or lower left corners?  Neither is bad, in fact none of this is bad, which is myth some people need to be made aware of.  If I'm new to social media, this should show me as more Casual or Listening than anything else.  If it said I was Focused and Consistent, well, it wouldn't carry much Klout now would it?

So now we know a bit more about Style, what about Topics and Influencers?  Topics are interesting to me as at times, I've seen Klout mark a topic in my "top 5" and I've made only two or three comments on it.  Sometimes it seems that "recency" can trump "actual volume" so buyer  beware on this.  So if you are a game manufacturer and you see "dog walking" in your top 5 Topics, double check you haven't made a few comments recently about walking Fido around the block, or you can do what I do, which is just delete the "randomly" added Topics that don't align to your strategy.  No worries, it won't impact your score, but it could make managing your account a bit simpler.

Influences is a very interesting menu as well.  This will have two tabs, and show you both who you influence and who is influenced by you.  Now, similar to the "secret sauce" I don't have a direct feed into the math behind this, so I take Klout at it's face value, but for the most part, it's spot on.  People who retweet me, or comment on my postings on my platforms tend to show up in my "you influence" menu.  While at the same time, those I retweet or comment on show up in the "your influencers" menu.  In either case, I find it an interesting review to see what I know about those people's styles, and if them being an influencer for me is something I'd say aligns with my persona strategy.  

If you have other friends or colleagues on Klout, you can give them +K points in specific topics as well, which is a very nice way of showing the world, "Hey, this guy knows what he is talking about.".  At times, yes, it can be gamed, like any other system similar in nature, but I stand by my moniker that it is really hard to trick the internet, and even harder to trick those connected to it.  Sooner or later, gamed accounts can be seen a mile away.

This is only the tip of the iceberg with Klout as well.  There is a lot of useful information in the tool, if you are inclined to check it out.  I will defiantly warn you not to get number envy though.  It's easy, it happens, we're human and for some reason, human's like big numbers, but in Klout's case, it's more of a baseline than an actual grade.  So as you add a potential new tool to your tool box, remember what it is used for, what it can be used for, and if it will help you achieve your goals!

One Word

Truth be told, today's post will be a lot more than one word, but at the root, the goal from our "conversation" here will be for you to find your "One Word".

I talk a lot about personal branding.  Actually, it seems like a lot of people do.  However, I find not many people really take the time to stop talking and actually think about it.  Let's face it, no one just creates a brand, they develop over time.  If I could snap my fingers and be the perfect person in everyone's eyes, I'd be selling that in a bottle, somehow!  In fact, in most cases, people "end up" at their brand, rather than strategically designing it, let along understanding how they got there.

With that, today, I'd like to challenge you on something that may sound very simple, but trust me, can be a  challenge, albeit, one worth completing!  Today I would like you to think very hard, and very deep internally, as to what you stand for.  What do you want to project as a brand?  What are the beliefs that you want visible in your brand?  Then, I want you to think about what one word, a singular word, that describes that brand, those values, and that image.

Sounds easy right?  Well, mine took me almost a decade to figure out, so don't think this challenge is a one time, one session, sit down and crank it out thing.  No, this is more of a starting point, with the journey really being the joy, and yet the destination being just as rewarding.

My brand?  I focus it around my one word.  Trust.  I manage all my communications, all my discussions, all my interactions online, and in person for that matter, with one thought in mind, "Am I being honest and received as trustworthy?"  

This one question is something that runs through my head every day, in every meeting, blog post I write, topic I discuss, everything.  I've developed it over time as I said, in fact my original word was 'Dedicated'.  Over time I started to realize that I never liked posting in what I call "Clintonisms", which is where you give only enough info to lead someone in a specific direction.  I also realized I never liked giving out so much information that it may impact anyone involved.  It was slow, and I have had several different words, none bad, but all increasingly better than the last, to help focus me as a person, but also as someone interacting online.

Social Media extends conversations and networking opportunities.  If we try and "act" like someone online, sooner or later people will see through that and see who you really are and what you really stand for as a person or brand.  If you are not true to yourself in these cases, well, frankly, not many will be true back to you and you'll find your image, your brand, and your reputation hurting for it.

Finding your "One Word" will help you more than you think.  It'll become the basis for you your interactions online.  It'll make you think about what you are posting and if it would be perceived as that word.  It'll then bleed into your interactions in person, and soon, it'll be truthfully, who you are, what you stand for, and how other's perceive you and your brand.

Existentially, sure, this could be a discussion on "find out who you really are", but as most people tell me, "I still don't know what I want to be when I grow up", and they are in their forties!  Take time today to think about what you would like people to describe you as, what you would like people to say about you, and then think, if they were asked what your "One Word" was, what word would they choose for you?  If it doesn't align with what you think today, then the question is how can you change that?

If it does, bravo to you, as you are well down the path to perfecting your personal brand!  Believe me, while I feel I'm in a good place with mine, I know I'm not even close to done evolving, as a person, or as a perceived brand.  It is a lengthy journey, but with a singular focus of "One Word" to keep you on track, it's a journey worth taking!

Pinteresting Pinformation

Pinterest.com is without a doubt, the new Shiny Ball!  It's not often the average Joe gets excited when you start talking about different platforms, but when it comes to  Pinterest, everyone who is anyone seems to perk up, light up, and want to talk about their "boards" their "pins" and the projects.  The later of which, is the crux of my question today; "Have you bought anything because of Pinterest?"

Why would I ask that and what do I exactly mean?  Quite simple.  Has anything you have seen on  Pinterest made you buy the product you saw.  Has any click on any pin that takes you to the originating site caused you to purchase that exact object?  My bets are, for the most part, the answer is going to be "No."

No don't get me wrong, I like Pinterest a lot.  In fact I think it has staying power as I've talked about before, with it being so visual and so engaging because of the way they pull off the visuals.  That said though, I am beginning to develop and solidify the opinion that Pinterest is not a place where you can drive massive amounts of revenue from a business perspective.  The majority of people I know who are on Pinterest at least once a week always say the same type of thing, which usually sounds like this, "Oh, I saw the coolest thing on Pinterest the other day!  I'm going to make one this weekend!"

Even I have fallen victim to Pinterest consuming my "honey do" list.  No one is safe.  For that matter, I'm not really complaining either, as it isn't costing me as much as if I were buying the things my better half has decided we should now make directly from a business.  We are buying some supplies mind you, but at a fraction of the cost had we bought the finished good from a manufacturer.

I'm sure several people can prove me wrong and show me examples of corporations or businesses driving revenue through Pinterest, and I'm sure they are there and doing well! I just don't believe they are the majority.  I have come to the determination that Pinterest is just that, Pins to gain your Interest, and as such, they are musing more than marketing. They are providing more self-inspiration than monetary investment.

Is this bad?  Not at all, it's quite a good thing in my opinion.  It's actually quite refreshing when you think about it given the propensity for social sites to immediately "have" to drive revenue.  However, when the next person tells me how much potential Pinterest has to drive said revenue, I will more than likely remind them that it is just that, only potential... for the moment.

BiG Ideas!

Today I had the pleasure of volunteering some time to teach a class at BiG Austin on social media platforms and basics through the eyes of an entrepreneur!  BiG Austin is a not-for-profit agency designed to help small business owners with micro-loans and business acumen training.  What more, they are about to have their "BiG Idea" day very soon!

What's BiG Idea day?  I'm glad you asked!  As BiG austin's site says:

BiG Idea day celebrates local small businesses that have made Austin America’s No.1 “Boom Town” according to Forbes Magazine.  BiG|idea day is the largest annual fundraiser for BiGAUSTIN with over 300 attendees made up of small business owners, financial institutions, corporations and community leaders. Attendees have the opportunity to witness what small business owners are doing to “Keep Austin businesses competitive and profitable” in today’s marketplace.  This event will provide a diverse arena for businesses to network and share valuable information with all in attendance while showcasing the finalists of our annual business plan competitions and shopping with local vendors in the BiGMarketplace. 

Here is a recap of BiG Idea day 2011 below.  I hope if you are local and involved in the community, you can join in the celebration and networking!

Tool Tuesday

Last week we spoke a bit about Manageflitter.com and how it can help you be in more control of your Twitter account.  This week on Tool Tuesday, I'd like to review something called MediaFeedia.com, billed as "The business tool for Facebook!"  Let's face it, being the most powerful social media platform, Facebook is a goldmine for businesses!

MediaFeedia.com is a tool that allows you to manage multiple accounts at once, receive email from pages, easily set up administrators for your pages, as well as protection, and can schedule posts for users.  The later being one of the more powerful tools for a brand or business on Facebook.

The conversation is happening, the only choice is are you going to be a part of it.  Today, with 800+ Million people on Facebook, and over 480+ Million being active daily (1), there is a lot of discussions happening and a lot of potential customers talking about... well, you!  Sure, you may not have the biggest, most robust business out there, but you have customers, and chances are, they are on Facebook.

Let's take a look at an example of MeedFeedia's offers for instance and what it can do for your business:

Easy to see the power of managing deals and offers from your page and connecting with your fans.  The possibilities are endless!  In addition though, MeedFeedia.com allows you to manage multiple pages fro one hub.  If your business has multiple pages, or if you are coordinated with several businesses together, this is a great way to share the same content to the different audiences you want to reach, through all your pages, at once.


And the scheduling, well, let us face it, we're all not online ALL the time.  Good marketers know when their targets are looking at them.  Just like TV advertising, there are more prime time slots than non-prime, and when it comes to ensuring in the constant steam of media that you and your business get seen, having the capability to release your posts into the wild, at the prime times your customers use social media is very valuable!


Even more, they have a new feature that allows you to not only schedule your posts, but repeat them!  What's this mean?  Well, it means you can run the same offers or same news items at specific intervals to ensure consistency.  Run a coffee shop and want customers who are fans to always get notified of the "Flavor of the day" on Friday's at 7 am?  Can do.  And as you remember, consistency, well, she is the Queen!

There is quite a bit to like to about MeediaFeedia.com, but I will caution you that it truly is a business owner's tool!  That said, as an entrepreneur and small business owner, this can take your business to the next level in Facebook integration with your fans!


Notations:

(1) http://newsroom.fb.com/content/default.aspx?NewsAreaId=22 

It's all fun and games...

I have a friend, who shall remain nameless, who has a Facebook page for his dog.  Yes, his dog.  All four legs and cute wagging tail of him.  And no, he’s not alone.  Notwithstanding the four legged invasion, the smaller two legged invasion is happening as well.  Today, 15% of the total population of users on Facebook and Twitter are under seventeen!  So my question today is what age is right to get your kids into social media platforms?

In full disclosure, I have an eighteen year old daughter, and six and four year old sons.  When setting up my daughter on Facebook, I think it was a harder decision and process than the cell phone one!  Conversely, my boys mostly interact socially through xbox games or ipad games, not in actual conversation platforms. 

It was about three years ago that we got my daughter on Facebook.  We gave in to her pressures, but with rules around it.  Password control, friends rules, scheduled time, etc.  I’ll give you a bit hint here, there is no right answer to the posed question in paragraph one, but whatever is the answer for you and yours, it is best when wrapped around rules!

I think about my two boys and how they are growing up with Social Media interlaced in everything they do.  While my 6 year old may only think of being “social” as his time at baseball practice, he sees Facebook every time he boots up the Xbox to play a Lego game, and has a small group of friends he can play with online.  At the same time, he understands leaderboards, as does our four year old, and how he can ping those people who are higher up than him.  When you think about it, it’s not too far of a leap to social sites like Facebook and Twitter from there.

Kids my boys’ age today are going to grow up with Social Media sites and networks as much of a normal part of their life as you and I did with TV.  To them, their generation may very well be the most “open” or “connected” generation ever.  But if we don’t teach them about being “open”, how to manage these things, well, it’ll just be like me going through high school and looking back now wishing there was a stock market class!  No teaching means unskilled use of tools!  (And trust me, I’m not blogging because I’m an investment millionaire who is bored… well, not yet at least!)

Don’t get me wrong either, this is hard stuff.  We had friends call us “Fuddy duddies” for all the rules we put around our daughter’s use of Facebook.  Name calling aside, my wife and I know we helped her understand the impacts of good and bad “social behavior” and helped her think about the image she projects, which at her age, being seen as responsible and reputable is a huge factor for college bounds kids!

Now when it comes to my boys, I have yet to see a benefit for them, at this point in their lives.  While many schools have teachers on Facebook to help answer kids questions, or groups to help, that is still geared at the teen ages and not the elementary level.  That said, I’m a big fan of positive social connections in this manner, as if I had a direct line to my teachers, I may have passed a few of my tougher subjects with a higher grade.

Depending on your situation, you may be ok with your six year old on Facebook, and for that matter, they may be comfortable with it as well!  Nothing is wrong with that in my opinion, providing you are involved and engaged with them.  There is no right or wrong answer, but as long as you know the rules, and more importantly, play by them, there are benefits to be found.

Yes, I know the underlying discussion here is parenting and parental involvement.  No, I’m not going to preach to you about what I think you should do.  Only you can determine what’s best for you and your family.  That said, most things are good… in moderation.  This is true in social media as well, be it six or sixty.  The key is finding the balance, where the benefits are, and if the benefits out weight the risk, especially when we are talking about our children’s safety!

Speaking of, here are some great resources for parents with connected kids:

Kids Rules for Online Safety (for pre-teens), from Safekids.com:
http://www.safekids.com/kids-rules-for-online-safety/

Netsmartz information for kids of all ages:
http://www.netsmartz.org/Parents

FBI Parent’s Guide to Internet Safety:
http://www.fbi.gov/stats-services/publications/parent-guide

I highly recommend this to be one of the “talk” opportunities for you and your kids.  It’s both a positive chat, one that’s laced with technology (which will make you look cool to know this stuff) and will help keep them safe, which is the most important part!

Sonar - Ambient Social Networking

If you read my post on Highlight last week, you're familiar with the concept of "Ambient social Networking"  Todya, I'd like to share with you a short clip on a new application in this line called Sonar.  This video highlights (pardon the pun) the founder of the company, Brett Martin taking the time to be part of the series, "Elevator Pitch" with Alan Meckler.

What do you think so far of the "Ambient Social Networking" rage?  Have you tried it?  If not, why?  Would you invest in Sonar?  Whatever the future holds for apps like this, I think this is 4 minutes well spent for an individual involved in social media, or for entrepreneurs.

It's not if you win or lose, but how you play the Gamification!

With the recent announcement of Gowalla closing it's doors the term Gamification is rolling around in my head a lot.  Gowalla, especially being close to home in Austin here, did a good job of both competing with Foursquare for Geo-Locaiton Check-Ins, but also making it pretty and fun to compete for badges and honors.  But is this type of offers something good for business to be involved in?  In short, yes, if managed right!

 

Now, make no mistake, while Gowalla looked slick, and three years ago had a great run with South by South West (SXSW), Foursquare crushed it.  Now, while many people will mention Facebook Places, the trouble with nailing down how well that is doing is that they don't seem to provide numbers on "consistent" users, rather, leading to "number of people who have tried Places".

In the end, unless we all know a LOT of people out in the wild, who are always out and about, Geo-Location services are really not a necessity of life, hence the term, Gamification.  Some people love gamification, others think the worst of it.  Essentially, looking at Foursquare and Gowalla, they used the fun and bragging rights for badges and "mayorships" to instill a competition system, and thus, turn "where you hang out" into a game.

Some businesses have adopted using these services very well while to advertise their business and to reward their clients.  One that comes to mind is Chili's restaurant.  When you check in on Foursquare with two others in your party (so three total check-ins at the same time) you get a free appetizer.  Now, for people familiar with these services, that's a nice bonus.  For the restaurant, it's word of mouth ads and a salty starter that could ensure more beverage purchases at a good margin.  However, the only bad part is when you do that, and your server has no clue what Foursquare is and spends the next 15 minutes trying to get a manger that does, assuming they do, for help.

Corporations, small businesses, and brands have a great tool with Geo-Location Game-based apps out there today.  Maybe you have a business that, well, honestly, isn't too much fun in it's normal surroundings.  Let's say, a laundromat.  I mean, what's fun about doing your clothes right?  Ok, maybe some of you like that, and more power to you, but for me, it's a bore.  But, if I were to go to a local Laundromat and check in Foursquare, it sure would be nice if the Mayor of that location got, say a discount coupon once a month, or even free soap or something.  Rewarding consistency and loyalty, getting your name out there, and making people want to come and check in if they were just stopping by before.

Another example you say?  Ok, let's get more powerful. You own a gas station, or manage one.  Anyone ever walk into a gas station, or stroll up to the pump lately and say, "Man, I'm so HAPPY to be here!".  No, usually it is, "What!? It's how much per gallon now!?".  Well, you see things like, "Free car wash with 8 gallons or more purchase" all the time, so why not a "Mayors get a free car wash" or "$0.05 per gallon off when you check in"? The latter would be very powerful these days!  And, when three's a gas station on every corner in some places, it's a deferential that could get people to come to your corner first!

More powerful you say?  OK, what about plumbing?  Anyone get a drain snaked lately?  If not, let me attest, it's expensive.  But how can you check in to a business that comes to you?  Well, with a bit of creativity, the owner of said plumbing company could make a generic spot on Foursquare, let their client check in (so as not to give away their home location if not desired) and then provide a 5% or 10% discount for checking in when they arrive at your house.  Creative, discounting something that's helpful, and you can't say that being the Mayor of "Generic Guy's Plumbing" wouldn't start a conversation next time you are with your social friends!  This alone is word of mouth gold for the creative businessperson behind it!

I warn you fair reader, that while this all sounds positive, as with most of our discussions here, your personal and professional brand can be impacted greatly if the people you hire are unaware of these things.  When that server walks away with your phone (you'd be surprised how many do when you show them the ad in the app), or when the customer service rep at the counter looks at you like you have three heads, it's game over!  As with any other social strategy for a company or person, if all the players in this game aren't aware of the rules, well, it's not a very fun game.  So take the time to ensure everyone knows the offers, rewards, and the apps involved.  A short review and continued (remember consistency!) reminders, goes a long way when we are talking about experiences!

Whatever your reward system, we're living in an age where instant gratification spells great reward for those willing to play the game well, and with a focus on their customers.  The more creative you are with these opportunities, the more you will build brand loyalty and see it spread rapidly as well!  So go on, get your game on and don't forget to check in so you can get checked out!