Thursday, August 9, 2007
The world thinks the world of Web 2.0
Just this week, global Internet information provider comScore released a study revealing social networking's dramatic global expansion over the past year, especially among major social networking sites.
Here's what I found most interesting (in light of our recent Friendster post):
These figures are an important reminder for North American businesses to forego regional myopia, and remember the “world” part of World Wide Web. Tapping into an area's preferred social network -- rather than your preferred sites -- and reaching out to your intended audience on their turf increases your chances for connection.
Better yet, find out why these sites are more attractive to people in different regions. How do they use the sites? What features or benefits appeal to them? You can then use this insight into their style and usage preferences to further develop your online product or service.
The result: By expanding your digital worldview, you'll broaden your business's horizons, too.
Here's what I found most interesting (in light of our recent Friendster post):
"While attracting global users, specific social networks have a tendency to skew in popularity in different regions. For example, both MySpace.com (62 percent) and Facebook.com (68 percent) attract approximately two-thirds of their respective audiences from North America. That said, each has already amassed a large international visitor base and both appear poised to continue their global expansion. Bebo.com has a particularly strong grasp on Europe, attracting nearly 63 percent of its visitors from that region, while Orkut is firmly entrenched in Latin America (49 percent) and Asia-Pacific (43 percent). Friendster also attracts a significant proportion of its visitors (89 percent) from the Asia-Pacific region. Both Hi5.com and Tagged.com exhibit more balance in their respective visitor bases, drawing at least 8 percent from each of the five worldwide regions."
These figures are an important reminder for North American businesses to forego regional myopia, and remember the “world” part of World Wide Web. Tapping into an area's preferred social network -- rather than your preferred sites -- and reaching out to your intended audience on their turf increases your chances for connection.
Better yet, find out why these sites are more attractive to people in different regions. How do they use the sites? What features or benefits appeal to them? You can then use this insight into their style and usage preferences to further develop your online product or service.
The result: By expanding your digital worldview, you'll broaden your business's horizons, too.
Labels: comScore, Social Networking
Friday, July 20, 2007
Four pillars make a sturdy network
What makes certain social networking sites fly, and others flop?
Web 2.0 and social computing expert Dion Hinchcliffe has the answer. He analyzed the components of successful social networking sites, and distilled them into four simple methods -- the pillars of social networking.
You can read Dion's full explanation in Social Computing Magazine, or you can enjoy the Cliff Notes version here:
Establish handles. Pure anonymity in the social networking sphere is often a direct path to a chaotic and inefficient site. Require participants to use handles, or user names. It will help you track who said what, and ensure people use your site properly. Handles also let users find each other and form groups within the social networking site, which builds community.
Allow for members in good standing. This is a fancy way of saying "lead by example." Create a connection between handles and their social behavior, and it will show other users what is and is not permitted. It also helps you recognize users who contribute positively to the site.
Build barriers to participation. Controlling who can and cannot participate on your site gives the site greater focus and credibility -- and gives you greater control. Basically, it's another layer of protection against chaos, and builds a social order without stifling the conversation.
Protect conversations from scale. Most Web conversations are two-way communications. So when you have hundreds or even thousands of users, tracking conversations and participating becomes nearly impossible. Create a method for users to organize themselves into smaller, more manageable groups. It will increase their involvement, and build your community.
As Dion says, "the exciting part of the Web is that it's made of people." That means YOUR challenge is to make the experience exciting for your audience, and useful for your business.
Web 2.0 and social computing expert Dion Hinchcliffe has the answer. He analyzed the components of successful social networking sites, and distilled them into four simple methods -- the pillars of social networking.
You can read Dion's full explanation in Social Computing Magazine, or you can enjoy the Cliff Notes version here:
Establish handles. Pure anonymity in the social networking sphere is often a direct path to a chaotic and inefficient site. Require participants to use handles, or user names. It will help you track who said what, and ensure people use your site properly. Handles also let users find each other and form groups within the social networking site, which builds community.
Allow for members in good standing. This is a fancy way of saying "lead by example." Create a connection between handles and their social behavior, and it will show other users what is and is not permitted. It also helps you recognize users who contribute positively to the site.
Build barriers to participation. Controlling who can and cannot participate on your site gives the site greater focus and credibility -- and gives you greater control. Basically, it's another layer of protection against chaos, and builds a social order without stifling the conversation.
Protect conversations from scale. Most Web conversations are two-way communications. So when you have hundreds or even thousands of users, tracking conversations and participating becomes nearly impossible. Create a method for users to organize themselves into smaller, more manageable groups. It will increase their involvement, and build your community.
As Dion says, "the exciting part of the Web is that it's made of people." That means YOUR challenge is to make the experience exciting for your audience, and useful for your business.
Labels: Dion Hinchcliffe, Social Networking, Web 2.0
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Tagging: You're not it
Who's doing what online? The answer's in a recent BusinessWeek chart based on Forrester Research about social networking users and usage.
The first takeaway: The age of the medium directly reflects the age of its core audience. The Web is twenty-something years old. So are the vast majority of its users. And I bet if you researched who watched the most television -- a 60-year-old medium -- you'd see older boomers and seniors glued to the tube.
The second takeaway: Collecting ain't all it's cracked up to be. Collectors number less than 20 percent, no matter their age. This means RSS feeds and post-share-vote sites like Digg and Reddit have barely made a dent in the social networking landscape, despite the persistent buzz.
To be honest, I'm not sure why RSS is doing so poorly. It's a useful tool that helps you scan information quickly, and saves you the trouble of revisiting sites for updates -- a terrific innovation for a time-starved era.
Conversely, no wonder tagging services are tanking. They add steps by asking people to post and vote. If folks really want to share interesting stories, they can simply e-mail them, and move on to the next thing.
In any event, being a creator, critic, joiner, or spectator is where it's at in social networking. That's why multi-faceted sites like MySpace, Facebook, and YouTube dominate the market: They offer all these functions to any taker. And in doing so, they grab the repeat visitors, the eyeballs, and the ad revenue.
Keep this in mind as you craft personal or corporate social networking strategies. Put your resources where they will reap the greatest reward -- into building a community, developing content, and inviting participation in the medium that matches your audience.
The first takeaway: The age of the medium directly reflects the age of its core audience. The Web is twenty-something years old. So are the vast majority of its users. And I bet if you researched who watched the most television -- a 60-year-old medium -- you'd see older boomers and seniors glued to the tube.
The second takeaway: Collecting ain't all it's cracked up to be. Collectors number less than 20 percent, no matter their age. This means RSS feeds and post-share-vote sites like Digg and Reddit have barely made a dent in the social networking landscape, despite the persistent buzz.
To be honest, I'm not sure why RSS is doing so poorly. It's a useful tool that helps you scan information quickly, and saves you the trouble of revisiting sites for updates -- a terrific innovation for a time-starved era.
Conversely, no wonder tagging services are tanking. They add steps by asking people to post and vote. If folks really want to share interesting stories, they can simply e-mail them, and move on to the next thing.
In any event, being a creator, critic, joiner, or spectator is where it's at in social networking. That's why multi-faceted sites like MySpace, Facebook, and YouTube dominate the market: They offer all these functions to any taker. And in doing so, they grab the repeat visitors, the eyeballs, and the ad revenue.
Keep this in mind as you craft personal or corporate social networking strategies. Put your resources where they will reap the greatest reward -- into building a community, developing content, and inviting participation in the medium that matches your audience.
Labels: BusinessWeek, Forrester Research, RSS, Social Networking, Tagging
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Bringing the customer closer
Business isn't what it used to be. Past generations of customers didn't have many choices. Shopping was usually done in the town where they lived. So if the shoe store didn't have the color sneakers someone wanted, too bad.
But in today's world, customers have all the power. They can now shop online to find the products they want, and search from Tennessee to Tokyo.
So how do you connect to this new breed of customers across the country and around the world? Businesses used to build reputations through personal contact, but the detached nature of the Internet makes cultivating relationships tricky -- unless you know the tricks of the trade.
Social Computing Magazine tells all with a list of the Top 10 Web 2.0 Technologies for Getting Closer to Your Customers. The takeaway: Communication between companies and patrons has never been easier, even though many customer service departments might never see a customer's face.
I've often discussed the importance of social networking, blogging, and podcasting here, but that's only the tip of the iceberg. As the list shows, there are plenty of methods to try. My recommendations:
* RSS feeds. This keeps customers and partners automatically updated about changes in your company or services.
* Search engine optimization. You can include key copy in your Web site that makes sure search engines send relevant queries right to it.
* Tagging. Customers can rate the usefulness of answers and information provided. And with each rating, merchants gain important feedback they can use to improve customer service and effectiveness.
In the end, personalizing a customer's experience in a largely impersonal technological realm can make a world of difference in repeat business and sales.
The secret is to foster conversation between customer and company, and build a strong user community, in whichever Web 2.0 medium works best for your biz.
But in today's world, customers have all the power. They can now shop online to find the products they want, and search from Tennessee to Tokyo.
So how do you connect to this new breed of customers across the country and around the world? Businesses used to build reputations through personal contact, but the detached nature of the Internet makes cultivating relationships tricky -- unless you know the tricks of the trade.
Social Computing Magazine tells all with a list of the Top 10 Web 2.0 Technologies for Getting Closer to Your Customers. The takeaway: Communication between companies and patrons has never been easier, even though many customer service departments might never see a customer's face.
I've often discussed the importance of social networking, blogging, and podcasting here
* RSS feeds. This keeps customers and partners automatically updated about changes in your company or services.
* Search engine optimization. You can include key copy in your Web site that makes sure search engines send relevant queries right to it.
* Tagging. Customers can rate the usefulness of answers and information provided. And with each rating, merchants gain important feedback they can use to improve customer service and effectiveness.
In the end, personalizing a customer's experience in a largely impersonal technological realm can make a world of difference in repeat business and sales.
The secret is to foster conversation between customer and company, and build a strong user community, in whichever Web 2.0 medium works best for your biz.
Labels: Blog, Podcast, Small business, Social Networking, Web 2.0
Friday, June 29, 2007
Friendster? Really?
File this story under "Great Comebacks of the 21st Century," right after the Boston Red Sox and before Lance Armstrong.
VentureBeat reported that pioneering social network Friendster experienced a 41 percent surge in page views in May -- about 9 billion views total. This gives it a 4th place finish in the social networking race, and a leading position among second-tier sites. (Keep in mind that Friendster has gained its popularity in secondary markets, which are not as valuable as the U.S. market.)
Friendster's resurrection is a good case study for other Web 2.0 businesses just getting started, or trying to overcome market setbacks. Here's the backstory: The company crashed and burned three years ago. It relinquished its market leadership to MySpace and then Facebook came in which didn’t help either. The future looked bleak.
But Friendster refused to admit defeat. Instead, it re-architected its site. The debilitating technology bugs were fixed and improved. And the company went toe-to-toe with rivals by adding classifieds, classmate search, invite prompts, and automatic friend updates.
Friendster also relaxed its views on who could be a member of the site, and stopped deleting accounts for cities, colleges, clubs, and people who just liked adding random people to their contact lists. In effect, they began copying the business model that killed them in the first place.
Now place this transformation within the context of social network community growth. Friendster passed through early buzz, plunged into obscurity, and presently enjoys self-sustaining growth (in member acquisition, not necessarily bottom line growth) in secondary markets to the United States.
Friendster will never regain the spotlight that it once had before being crushed by MySpace, but it can gain some ground in markets where MySpace doesn’t hold a death grip on the market.
It's already capturing valuable share in the Pacific Rim, and can overtake MySpace and Facebook in these markets if their growth continues at a decent clip. That said, I am not optimistic that it can continue at this rate without strong penetration in the U.S.
Will Friendster’s victory over MySpace in secondary markets happen tomorrow? No. Will Friendster ever become a leading social network in the U.S. and not look like a ghost town? Probably not.
After all, it took Friendster three years just to reach this hopeful turning and possibly tipping point, so reaching the No. 1 spot could take another few years, if ever.
Still, market velocity might be Friendster's new best buddy. Web 2.0's offerings and audience are growing exponentially and rapidly. This in turn will accelerate the growth model, and drive social networks along the curve faster than expected.
So what can start-up social networks learn from Friendster? One, business is business, online or off. Survival always demands strategy, flexibility, and adaptation.
Two, Web 2.0 is unpredictable. Friendster came back once, but they could easily slide back. And a new social network might be waiting in the wings, ready to make its own grand entrance and upstage the classic sites.
The takeaway: Just because there's a market leader doesn't mean you can't come along and redefine the space with a better, smarter feature set that reaches more users or a different set of users. Most recent example: the Apple iPhone, which has upset the telecom industry simply by attempting to redefine what a mobile phone is.
So take the existing paradigm, and reinvent it or break it -- even if that paradigm is your own.
VentureBeat reported that pioneering social network Friendster experienced a 41 percent surge in page views in May -- about 9 billion views total. This gives it a 4th place finish in the social networking race, and a leading position among second-tier sites. (Keep in mind that Friendster has gained its popularity in secondary markets, which are not as valuable as the U.S. market.)
Friendster's resurrection is a good case study for other Web 2.0 businesses just getting started, or trying to overcome market setbacks. Here's the backstory: The company crashed and burned three years ago. It relinquished its market leadership to MySpace and then Facebook came in which didn’t help either. The future looked bleak.
But Friendster refused to admit defeat. Instead, it re-architected its site. The debilitating technology bugs were fixed and improved. And the company went toe-to-toe with rivals by adding classifieds, classmate search, invite prompts, and automatic friend updates.
Friendster also relaxed its views on who could be a member of the site, and stopped deleting accounts for cities, colleges, clubs, and people who just liked adding random people to their contact lists. In effect, they began copying the business model that killed them in the first place.
Now place this transformation within the context of social network community growth. Friendster passed through early buzz, plunged into obscurity, and presently enjoys self-sustaining growth (in member acquisition, not necessarily bottom line growth) in secondary markets to the United States.
Friendster will never regain the spotlight that it once had before being crushed by MySpace, but it can gain some ground in markets where MySpace doesn’t hold a death grip on the market.
It's already capturing valuable share in the Pacific Rim, and can overtake MySpace and Facebook in these markets if their growth continues at a decent clip. That said, I am not optimistic that it can continue at this rate without strong penetration in the U.S.
Will Friendster’s victory over MySpace in secondary markets happen tomorrow? No. Will Friendster ever become a leading social network in the U.S. and not look like a ghost town? Probably not.
After all, it took Friendster three years just to reach this hopeful turning and possibly tipping point, so reaching the No. 1 spot could take another few years, if ever.
Still, market velocity might be Friendster's new best buddy. Web 2.0's offerings and audience are growing exponentially and rapidly. This in turn will accelerate the growth model, and drive social networks along the curve faster than expected.
So what can start-up social networks learn from Friendster? One, business is business, online or off. Survival always demands strategy, flexibility, and adaptation.
Two, Web 2.0 is unpredictable. Friendster came back once, but they could easily slide back. And a new social network might be waiting in the wings, ready to make its own grand entrance and upstage the classic sites.
The takeaway: Just because there's a market leader doesn't mean you can't come along and redefine the space with a better, smarter feature set that reaches more users or a different set of users. Most recent example: the Apple iPhone, which has upset the telecom industry simply by attempting to redefine what a mobile phone is.
So take the existing paradigm, and reinvent it or break it -- even if that paradigm is your own.
Labels: Friendster, Social Networking, VentureBeat
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Wooing the new
The young have spoken. And they want Web 2.0.
According to a recent article in InformationWeek, employers are finding that their younger workers -- such as the new batch of college graduates entering the market right now -- are pushing to have Web 2.0 technologies available in the work place.
Employers are also finding that if companies don't adopt the technologies, such as wikis, blogs, and social networking sites, their younger employees are likely to use them covertly, which eliminates an employer's control, management, and ability to secure these networks.
Many IT managers have already started preparing to integrate Web 2.0 technologies into their business practices, a common topic at last week's Enterprise 2.0 conference in Boston.
For the new generation of budding employees, these tools are just as valuable as technologies such as e-mail to the generation of workers that preceded them.
Employers take heed: Martina De Beer, a senior VP with Cisco Systems, says that if these technologies are not provided, younger employees will leave for a more tech-capable environment.
So if you're looking to attract and retain the tech-savvy generation quickly seeping into the work force, I suggest you go Web 2.0 now. No matter what, dealing with its integration will soon be necessary. So what's stopping you from jumping on the movement now?
According to a recent article in InformationWeek, employers are finding that their younger workers -- such as the new batch of college graduates entering the market right now -- are pushing to have Web 2.0 technologies available in the work place.
Employers are also finding that if companies don't adopt the technologies, such as wikis, blogs, and social networking sites, their younger employees are likely to use them covertly, which eliminates an employer's control, management, and ability to secure these networks.
Many IT managers have already started preparing to integrate Web 2.0 technologies into their business practices, a common topic at last week's Enterprise 2.0 conference in Boston.
For the new generation of budding employees, these tools are just as valuable as technologies such as e-mail to the generation of workers that preceded them.
Employers take heed: Martina De Beer, a senior VP with Cisco Systems, says that if these technologies are not provided, younger employees will leave for a more tech-capable environment.
So if you're looking to attract and retain the tech-savvy generation quickly seeping into the work force, I suggest you go Web 2.0 now. No matter what, dealing with its integration will soon be necessary. So what's stopping you from jumping on the movement now?
Labels: Blog, Social Networking, Web 2.0, Wiki
Friday, June 1, 2007
The great customer hunt: Selling to social networkers
Your target market is out there, tapping away at their keyboards as we speak. The question is, how do you reach them?
Some of the newest and, some say, most efficient methods of communication are the Web's social networking sites.
Over half of Canadians who use the Web are on some sort of social networking forum, according to an article by Kathleen Lau for Canadian Technology News, IT Business.
That's roughly 11,220,000 people on social networks in Canada alone. And in the U.S., an estimated 70 million people now use social networking sites, with the number increasing daily. Now add in the rest of the planet.
Companies are discovering these groups are more effective than advertising, because they organically foster word of mouth -- which is free, and more effective, because it's inarguably credible.
Better yet, this audience is inhaling the 24-hour, all-you-can-eat social networking smorgasbord, just waiting for your business to pop up and feed their need for whatever it is your business does -- if you understand how to communicate in this realm.
Are you ready to mine these social networks? If you are, stay tuned. We'll show you some techniques to get started in our next posts.
Some of the newest and, some say, most efficient methods of communication are the Web's social networking sites.
Over half of Canadians who use the Web are on some sort of social networking forum, according to an article by Kathleen Lau for Canadian Technology News, IT Business.
That's roughly 11,220,000 people on social networks in Canada alone. And in the U.S., an estimated 70 million people now use social networking sites, with the number increasing daily. Now add in the rest of the planet.
Companies are discovering these groups are more effective than advertising, because they organically foster word of mouth -- which is free, and more effective, because it's inarguably credible.
Better yet, this audience is inhaling the 24-hour, all-you-can-eat social networking smorgasbord, just waiting for your business to pop up and feed their need for whatever it is your business does -- if you understand how to communicate in this realm.
Are you ready to mine these social networks? If you are, stay tuned. We'll show you some techniques to get started in our next posts.
Labels: Canadian Technology News, Social Networking
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Study uncovers surprising social networking trends
Welcome back from Memorial Day, everyone! I hope you had a pleasant break from your energy-consuming business ventures (and cash-consuming gasoline prices).
I spent the morning getting back into the swing of things by trolling the blogosphere for interesting articles. I stumbled upon a fascinating article in a most unlikely place: Rent to Own Online. The site covered various studies, trends, legislation, news -- all the resources that impact business operations.
One article that caught my eye highlighted just-released survey results from the Institute for Corporate Productivity (i4cp). Its key finding: 65 percent of business professionals now use personal AND professional networking sites.
Intrigued, I tracked down the original study: The Social Network Practitioner Consensus Survey, conducted by i4cp in conjunction with HR.com just this month. A total of 323 organizations participated.
Some of the highlights:
Professionals' top picks. LinkedIn, Yahoo! 360, and MySpace led the charge as the most popular sites for professionals.
New social networks for traditional business uses. Just over half (52 percent) of respondents whose organizations use social networking sites do it to keep internal staff and remote employees connected. Forty-seven percent tap the networks to connect with potential clients and showcase their skills. And 35 percent say they job-hunt through social networks.
Social networks as organizational IQ boosters. Over half (55 percent) of businesses who have internal social networks use them to share best practices with colleagues, while 49 percent use them to get answers to pressing issues or challenges.
Turn non-users into users. Some respondents don't use social networks. The top reason for 37 percent: They just don't know what networks to use. However, the majority of respondents (59 percent) said they would get on board with social networks if they knew it would assist their professional development. And 77 percent would definitely join the parade if they thought networks could aid organizational efficiency.
Interesting stuff. For me, the study raises as many questions as it answers. How do organizations set up these networks? How do they choose them? Do the business managers run them, or do they require IT staff and support? Do they rely on external networks, or build them internally? How do they get employees on board? And what do social networks offer to smaller businesses who have lean staffs?
I'm trying to get in touch with Jay Jamrog, i4cp senior vice president, to see what more there might be to this study, and see if he'd like to join me in a podcast to discuss same. Stay tuned.
I spent the morning getting back into the swing of things by trolling the blogosphere for interesting articles. I stumbled upon a fascinating article in a most unlikely place: Rent to Own Online. The site covered various studies, trends, legislation, news -- all the resources that impact business operations.
One article that caught my eye highlighted just-released survey results from the Institute for Corporate Productivity (i4cp). Its key finding: 65 percent of business professionals now use personal AND professional networking sites.
Intrigued, I tracked down the original study: The Social Network Practitioner Consensus Survey, conducted by i4cp in conjunction with HR.com just this month. A total of 323 organizations participated.
Some of the highlights:
Professionals' top picks. LinkedIn, Yahoo! 360, and MySpace led the charge as the most popular sites for professionals.
New social networks for traditional business uses. Just over half (52 percent) of respondents whose organizations use social networking sites do it to keep internal staff and remote employees connected. Forty-seven percent tap the networks to connect with potential clients and showcase their skills. And 35 percent say they job-hunt through social networks.
Social networks as organizational IQ boosters. Over half (55 percent) of businesses who have internal social networks use them to share best practices with colleagues, while 49 percent use them to get answers to pressing issues or challenges.
Turn non-users into users. Some respondents don't use social networks. The top reason for 37 percent: They just don't know what networks to use. However, the majority of respondents (59 percent) said they would get on board with social networks if they knew it would assist their professional development. And 77 percent would definitely join the parade if they thought networks could aid organizational efficiency.
Interesting stuff. For me, the study raises as many questions as it answers. How do organizations set up these networks? How do they choose them? Do the business managers run them, or do they require IT staff and support? Do they rely on external networks, or build them internally? How do they get employees on board? And what do social networks offer to smaller businesses who have lean staffs?
I'm trying to get in touch with Jay Jamrog, i4cp senior vice president, to see what more there might be to this study, and see if he'd like to join me in a podcast to discuss same. Stay tuned.
Labels: Institute for Corporate Productivity, Social Networking, Survey
Monday, May 14, 2007
Putting Web 2.0 on the map
Ferdinand Magellan was the first to sail around the world. Lewis and Clark were the first to go overland to the Pacific and back. And now xkcd is the first to give us a cartographic breakdown of Web communities.
I wouldn't recommend using this map to traverse the globe, but even with tongue firmly in cheek, the cartoon highlights where people are congregating online, and how they're using the Internet. Case in point: the enormous MySpace continent.
Think for a moment what this map would have looked like 10, five, even two years ago. Google, Yahoo!, Amazon, chat rooms, and other Web 1.0 states would have taken up half the area, crowding smaller players into their own island clusters.
One can only imagine what changes lie ahead, as Web 2.0 continues to alter the online landscape, and whatever comes next (Web 3.0 anyone?) rattles the planet. Boundaries will be redrawn, continents will shift, seas will shrink, and fortunes will be won and lost.
I wouldn't recommend using this map to traverse the globe, but even with tongue firmly in cheek, the cartoon highlights where people are congregating online, and how they're using the Internet. Case in point: the enormous MySpace continent.
Think for a moment what this map would have looked like 10, five, even two years ago. Google, Yahoo!, Amazon, chat rooms, and other Web 1.0 states would have taken up half the area, crowding smaller players into their own island clusters.
One can only imagine what changes lie ahead, as Web 2.0 continues to alter the online landscape, and whatever comes next (Web 3.0 anyone?) rattles the planet. Boundaries will be redrawn, continents will shift, seas will shrink, and fortunes will be won and lost.
Labels: Humor, Social Networking, Web 2.0, xkcd
Monday, May 7, 2007
Untangling Web 2.0, part 3
Let's get the week started by picking up where I left off last week. I've laid the groundwork for understanding social networking, creating profiles for your business, and learning best practices for building contacts.
And now the best part: How to leverage those guidelines to build traction for your business.
Like skinning a cat, this can be accomplished in several ways:
Send individual e-mails. A feature of every social network is a personal Inbox where you can send messages to your contacts and other members. By crafting clear, well-focused, short messages, you can pass along brief information about your business.
This works well when you want to converse quickly with one person. They're also good for individual follow-up questions about your company.
However, sending e-mails one at a time is time consuming. And if they're not short and punchy, the receiver might not even read it. So it's important to quickly and succinctly sneak your message in.
Comment on your contacts' profile pages. Leaving a friendly hello on your contacts' profiles is a good way to get to know your neighbors and form relationships. Once you build rapport, you can try subtly plugging your product, service, or business in your comment.
You can take it a step further by adding an occasional picture or video to your comments. Think of commenting as a public e-mail. Anyone who comes across that person's profile can see it. Also a bit time-consuming, but it's a great way to market yourself, have people stumble upon you, and request you to be part of their contacts.
Post bulletins. This is where the real bang comes from. Posting bulletins basically means sending mass e-mail to your contacts. However, instead of going to your contacts' Inboxes, the message is posted in their internal bulletin boards page. This way, you can efficiently spread your message to your entire network without clogging mailboxes.
Just go to the internal bulletin board (MySpace has the best one), click 'post new bulletin,' and type a message. It's in the same format as e-mail, so use the same guidelines that you would for any e-mail message.
Start and join groups. You can form groups about ANYTHING -- from the serious, such as Green Thumbs (if you have a landscaping business), to the wacky, such as People Who Love Cherry-Flavored Lollipops (if you love cherry-flavored lollipops). Then you invite members to join.
You can use groups in a few ways to build traction for your business. One is to form a focus group, and ask members for their opinions on your products and business. People will usually be honest -- whether positively or negatively -- especially the college kids. If they think you are selling junk, they will tell you exactly that.
The key is not to get discouraged by negative comments, and instead dig deeper to find out why that comment was posted. How do you do this? Simply use the e-mail function, and do a follow-up with that particular person in the way I outlined above. (See how all these tools eventually come together? They make life a heck of a lot easier.)
Likewise, be on the lookout for groups to join. You can easily search for groups by topic, and click to join them. You can view the members' profiles, too. It's a great way to network and build more relationships with other like-minded people.
Blog within the community. I've talked about blogs so much lately that I'm blue in the face. So, check out my 13 blog tips. They all apply to blogging within a social network, since there's no difference between having a blog on your personal Web page, or within a social network.
The purpose is the same: Opine on your passion, cultivate an audience, and get people talking about your business. A blog on a social network can act as your everyday blog if you want. Just direct all your clients to that blog through your social network profile.
This might look like a ton of stuff to digest, but if you look at it piece by piece, you'll see that none of it is tough to do. Plus, you don't even have to be tech-savvy. That's the beauty of the Web 2.0 revolution, as it makes the Internet accessible to anyone. And now that the Web is untangled, it's more understandable, too!
And now the best part: How to leverage those guidelines to build traction for your business.
Like skinning a cat, this can be accomplished in several ways:
Send individual e-mails. A feature of every social network is a personal Inbox where you can send messages to your contacts and other members. By crafting clear, well-focused, short messages, you can pass along brief information about your business.
This works well when you want to converse quickly with one person. They're also good for individual follow-up questions about your company.
However, sending e-mails one at a time is time consuming. And if they're not short and punchy, the receiver might not even read it. So it's important to quickly and succinctly sneak your message in.
Comment on your contacts' profile pages. Leaving a friendly hello on your contacts' profiles is a good way to get to know your neighbors and form relationships. Once you build rapport, you can try subtly plugging your product, service, or business in your comment.
You can take it a step further by adding an occasional picture or video to your comments. Think of commenting as a public e-mail. Anyone who comes across that person's profile can see it. Also a bit time-consuming, but it's a great way to market yourself, have people stumble upon you, and request you to be part of their contacts.
Post bulletins. This is where the real bang comes from. Posting bulletins basically means sending mass e-mail to your contacts. However, instead of going to your contacts' Inboxes, the message is posted in their internal bulletin boards page. This way, you can efficiently spread your message to your entire network without clogging mailboxes.
Just go to the internal bulletin board (MySpace has the best one), click 'post new bulletin,' and type a message. It's in the same format as e-mail, so use the same guidelines that you would for any e-mail message.
Start and join groups. You can form groups about ANYTHING -- from the serious, such as Green Thumbs (if you have a landscaping business), to the wacky, such as People Who Love Cherry-Flavored Lollipops (if you love cherry-flavored lollipops). Then you invite members to join.
You can use groups in a few ways to build traction for your business. One is to form a focus group, and ask members for their opinions on your products and business. People will usually be honest -- whether positively or negatively -- especially the college kids. If they think you are selling junk, they will tell you exactly that.
The key is not to get discouraged by negative comments, and instead dig deeper to find out why that comment was posted. How do you do this? Simply use the e-mail function, and do a follow-up with that particular person in the way I outlined above. (See how all these tools eventually come together? They make life a heck of a lot easier.)
Likewise, be on the lookout for groups to join. You can easily search for groups by topic, and click to join them. You can view the members' profiles, too. It's a great way to network and build more relationships with other like-minded people.
Blog within the community. I've talked about blogs so much lately that I'm blue in the face. So, check out my 13 blog tips. They all apply to blogging within a social network, since there's no difference between having a blog on your personal Web page, or within a social network.
The purpose is the same: Opine on your passion, cultivate an audience, and get people talking about your business. A blog on a social network can act as your everyday blog if you want. Just direct all your clients to that blog through your social network profile.
This might look like a ton of stuff to digest, but if you look at it piece by piece, you'll see that none of it is tough to do. Plus, you don't even have to be tech-savvy. That's the beauty of the Web 2.0 revolution, as it makes the Internet accessible to anyone. And now that the Web is untangled, it's more understandable, too!
Labels: MySpace, Social Networking, Web 2.0
Thursday, May 3, 2007
More untangling of Web 2.0
The first step to solving your problem is admitting you have one. I'm admitting it. I'm addicted to blogging. But I'm not too interested in solving it, because where would that leave all you loyal IncPlace readers?
Case in point: I just had to return to my keyboard and bang out part two of social networking how-to's. Let's get started!
First, activate your account and build your profile. This can be as easy or as difficult as you want. Most social networks have templates you can choose from, so you don't have to be a designer in order to have something that looks professional.
Like I said before, these social networks are geared to individuals, so the areas to fill out info might seem a bit strange. However, they can be adapted for business use. In the "about me" section, fill out any info that you want people to know.
In the "interests and hobbies" section, you might list your products, or keywords relating to your business.
The pictures section is a great place to put your company logo, and those shots of you at the company Christmas party.
Don't forget that you can join more than one social network, so your messages should be tailored to the audience that visits the networks. If you can relate to them, they can relate to you.
Once this basic info is set up, it's time to grow your network and meet vital contacts.
Don't be intimidated -- this is pretty easy to do. Start by browsing profiles and adding them to your buddy list. Browsing for profiles is a very simple task, since all social networks do it the same way.
It's important to keep two things in mind when adding people to your friend or contact list. You can add anybody you want -- but remember, you're a business, so you want to add people who share common interests with your product or service. You also want to find your target market.
This is why I recommend MySpace as the best option to date. You can do a site search to find members who fit your audience. For example, if you sell trendy clothes, you might want to search for people who are into fashion and friend request them.
Once you start adding friends, you'll see the networking effect take place. Soon people will be requesting to add you to their contact list. But beware, some of these accounts are fake. The good news is, it's pretty easy to tell the fake from the legit. Here are my guidelines for what's fake:
Friend requests from a celebrity, such as Tom Cruise or the ever-popular Jenna Jameson. Chances are celebs don't have an interest in your business. The proof? Search a social network for Tom Cruise. There are hundreds of impersonators.
On the other hand, if your goal is to just add as many people as you can, then by all means, accept Tom's invitation. You're not going to be in any type of online danger. However, it might weaken your credibility if you have a ton of celebs as buddies (unless you're an agent).
Friend requests from someone in Alabama. In order to create mass spam accounts, people use computer programs to automatically make specific profile choices. The easiest location choice is the first on the drop down menu: Alabama.
This is also the reason many webcam girls come from Alabama. Check out this post from Seun for an explanation.
Friend requests from someone who asks you to check out their webcam. Don't click on the webcam -- no matter how tempting it might be.
Profiles without pictures. Social networkers tend to be quite a photogenic bunch, so accounts without pictures, or just one picture, are likely fake.
Profiles full of nonsense comments. Something like "Thanx for da add" is probably the work of a robot. Also, accounts with no signs of intelligent back-and-forth chit-chatting between friends are probably fake as well.
Profiles containing get-rich-quick schemes. They're a scam, simple as that.
"Now Andy," you might say, "it sounds like I'll be stuck with a ton of fake accounts, and all my personal information will be stolen." This is not the case. I'm just giving you a heads-up about what is out there.
Above all, use your common sense. Street smarts work well in the online world, too. If someone off the street offered you free money, you'd just keep walking. Online is no different.
Now that you've got your profile up and made some friends, what do you do with them? PARTYYY!
Well, not quite ... Uh oh, Seun just walked in front my desk with an urgent matter. BRB, friends, I'll have the final installment of social networking 101 soon!
Case in point: I just had to return to my keyboard and bang out part two of social networking how-to's. Let's get started!
First, activate your account and build your profile. This can be as easy or as difficult as you want. Most social networks have templates you can choose from, so you don't have to be a designer in order to have something that looks professional.
Like I said before, these social networks are geared to individuals, so the areas to fill out info might seem a bit strange. However, they can be adapted for business use. In the "about me" section, fill out any info that you want people to know.
In the "interests and hobbies" section, you might list your products, or keywords relating to your business.
The pictures section is a great place to put your company logo, and those shots of you at the company Christmas party.
Don't forget that you can join more than one social network, so your messages should be tailored to the audience that visits the networks. If you can relate to them, they can relate to you.
Once this basic info is set up, it's time to grow your network and meet vital contacts.
Don't be intimidated -- this is pretty easy to do. Start by browsing profiles and adding them to your buddy list. Browsing for profiles is a very simple task, since all social networks do it the same way.
It's important to keep two things in mind when adding people to your friend or contact list. You can add anybody you want -- but remember, you're a business, so you want to add people who share common interests with your product or service. You also want to find your target market.
This is why I recommend MySpace as the best option to date. You can do a site search to find members who fit your audience. For example, if you sell trendy clothes, you might want to search for people who are into fashion and friend request them.
Once you start adding friends, you'll see the networking effect take place. Soon people will be requesting to add you to their contact list. But beware, some of these accounts are fake. The good news is, it's pretty easy to tell the fake from the legit. Here are my guidelines for what's fake:
Friend requests from a celebrity, such as Tom Cruise or the ever-popular Jenna Jameson. Chances are celebs don't have an interest in your business. The proof? Search a social network for Tom Cruise. There are hundreds of impersonators.
On the other hand, if your goal is to just add as many people as you can, then by all means, accept Tom's invitation. You're not going to be in any type of online danger. However, it might weaken your credibility if you have a ton of celebs as buddies (unless you're an agent).
Friend requests from someone in Alabama. In order to create mass spam accounts, people use computer programs to automatically make specific profile choices. The easiest location choice is the first on the drop down menu: Alabama.
This is also the reason many webcam girls come from Alabama. Check out this post from Seun for an explanation.
Friend requests from someone who asks you to check out their webcam. Don't click on the webcam -- no matter how tempting it might be.
Profiles without pictures. Social networkers tend to be quite a photogenic bunch, so accounts without pictures, or just one picture, are likely fake.
Profiles full of nonsense comments. Something like "Thanx for da add" is probably the work of a robot. Also, accounts with no signs of intelligent back-and-forth chit-chatting between friends are probably fake as well.
Profiles containing get-rich-quick schemes. They're a scam, simple as that.
"Now Andy," you might say, "it sounds like I'll be stuck with a ton of fake accounts, and all my personal information will be stolen." This is not the case. I'm just giving you a heads-up about what is out there.
Above all, use your common sense. Street smarts work well in the online world, too. If someone off the street offered you free money, you'd just keep walking. Online is no different.
Now that you've got your profile up and made some friends, what do you do with them? PARTYYY!
Well, not quite ... Uh oh, Seun just walked in front my desk with an urgent matter. BRB, friends, I'll have the final installment of social networking 101 soon!
Labels: MySpace, Social Networking, Web 2.0
Wednesday, May 2, 2007
Oh, what a tangled Web 2.0 we weave ...
Quick! When I say Web, you say 2.0. Web! [2.0!]
Web! [2.0!]
Web! [2.0!]
You got it! ... Or do you?
Web 2.0 is all about community, collaboration, and social networking. This is all fine and well if you understand how to use it to your advantage. And that's what I'm here for, folks.
Many business owners ask me how they can become part of these online communities. Most believe it's hard to get involved in community-based networks, and even harder to use them. This is a myth. These things are so easy to use, even a diaper-donning baby can have great success with them. (Well, you get the point.)
For those who don’t know what social networking is, let me take a moment to clarify. It’s the new buzzword for what used to be called word-of-mouth advertising (WOM). The buzzword was created so that some guy could rake in millions by making something people already did sound brand-new -- a total crock, but who am I to argue with a great business plan?
In order to understand how to use social networks to grow your business and spread the word online, we have to first define what networks will give you the most bang for your buck. And by buck I mean time put into networking, since most of the sites are free.
Consider the big three: Facebook, LinkedIn, and MySpace. These sites are the most well-known social networking sites. Facebook caters to the college- and high school-based audience.
LinkedIn is a resume-trading site that's fairly complex and difficult to navigate. It's the only network of the three that was intended for any type of business use. But there really isn’t much else to do on it besides share resumes with friends and coworkers.
And then there's MySpace. Anyone can join it. And even though it's not business-oriented, it is the most viable option for businesses right now because of its open policies.
The real work starts from here, so buckle your boots. I'll have more social networking tools and tips soon!
Web! [2.0!]
Web! [2.0!]
You got it! ... Or do you?
Web 2.0 is all about community, collaboration, and social networking. This is all fine and well if you understand how to use it to your advantage. And that's what I'm here for, folks.
Many business owners ask me how they can become part of these online communities. Most believe it's hard to get involved in community-based networks, and even harder to use them. This is a myth. These things are so easy to use, even a diaper-donning baby can have great success with them. (Well, you get the point.)
For those who don’t know what social networking is, let me take a moment to clarify. It’s the new buzzword for what used to be called word-of-mouth advertising (WOM). The buzzword was created so that some guy could rake in millions by making something people already did sound brand-new -- a total crock, but who am I to argue with a great business plan?
In order to understand how to use social networks to grow your business and spread the word online, we have to first define what networks will give you the most bang for your buck. And by buck I mean time put into networking, since most of the sites are free.
Consider the big three: Facebook, LinkedIn, and MySpace. These sites are the most well-known social networking sites. Facebook caters to the college- and high school-based audience.
LinkedIn is a resume-trading site that's fairly complex and difficult to navigate. It's the only network of the three that was intended for any type of business use. But there really isn’t much else to do on it besides share resumes with friends and coworkers.
And then there's MySpace. Anyone can join it. And even though it's not business-oriented, it is the most viable option for businesses right now because of its open policies.
The real work starts from here, so buckle your boots. I'll have more social networking tools and tips soon!
Labels: Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace, Social Networking, Web 2.0, Word of mouth
Thursday, April 5, 2007
Identity 2.0
A VC blog gets the online party started with this post about the future of social networking -- emphasis on the "social."
Lead A VC blogger Fred Wilson makes some great points about the appeal of a more personal Web. How quickly we forget what it was like before sites such as Facebook, MySpace, and Flickr brought us all together into a greater online community! We just wandered around in a cold, connection-less cyberspace, searching for a kind human touch.
So it only makes sense to tap into the friendly synergy created by this new phase, and spread the love. In many tech circles, this is known as Identity 2.0, the next step in Web networking that will replace the singular experience of message boards and forums with interactive online communities and open, distributed networks.
And it's already catching on, especially on sites that aren't necessarily Web 2.0. The recently revamped USAToday.com, for example, invites readers to comment on articles, provides a tagging option for recommending stories, and even color-codes article categories. (I classify Tech as burnt sienna.)
Color wheel aside, we're clearly on our way to a socially-based Web. And it pays for business owners to board this train now before it pulls out of the station, and they are left in the lonely, anti-social world of Identity 1.0.
Lead A VC blogger Fred Wilson makes some great points about the appeal of a more personal Web. How quickly we forget what it was like before sites such as Facebook, MySpace, and Flickr brought us all together into a greater online community! We just wandered around in a cold, connection-less cyberspace, searching for a kind human touch.
So it only makes sense to tap into the friendly synergy created by this new phase, and spread the love. In many tech circles, this is known as Identity 2.0, the next step in Web networking that will replace the singular experience of message boards and forums with interactive online communities and open, distributed networks.
And it's already catching on, especially on sites that aren't necessarily Web 2.0. The recently revamped USAToday.com, for example, invites readers to comment on articles, provides a tagging option for recommending stories, and even color-codes article categories. (I classify Tech as burnt sienna.)
Color wheel aside, we're clearly on our way to a socially-based Web. And it pays for business owners to board this train now before it pulls out of the station, and they are left in the lonely, anti-social world of Identity 1.0.
Labels: A VC, Fred Wilson, Identity 2.0, Social Networking
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Roeder trip!
Takes one to know one. That's why we immediately zeroed in on Linda Roeder, one of the chief writers for the Social Networking Weblog, as the perfect person to talk to about social networking and blogging.
And what better way to hit up the queen of the Internet than through e-mail? Here's an in-depth Q&A that shares every insider tip known to man -- all from a lady who knows her stuff.
Tell us a little bit about yourself, Linda. How did you become involved in social networking and blogging? Why did you start?
In 1998 I became the guide for the Personal Web Pages site on About.com. When I first started the site, the word "blog" was non-existent. Back then they were called online diaries, and some of them were really artistic and well thought-out Web sites. In fact, some of them are still around today.
The main focus of the [Personal Web Pages] site was to teach people how to create their own personal Web site. This often meant teaching HTML, showing people how to organize their pages so people can find what they're looking for, and teaching design, color, and layout. As the site grew, HTML started to become less important, because a lot of sites started coming out with editors that let people design without code.
One day the word "weblog" crossed me, soon shortened to "blog." Blogs, wikis, and social networking sites started popping up all over the place. I tried a little of each. I like the idea of blogs. Blogs create a sense of community on the Internet. I've discovered that bloggers like other bloggers.
Social networking sites create community too, but only within the specific social networking site. It works even better if the social networking site is topic-specific -- you know, those that focus on specific things like athletes or weight loss. Wikis are a great way to create community, too. I don't know why they're not being used more.
Anyway, I started my blog to talk about my kids. One is an aspiring star on the bicycle racing circuit, one has Asperger's, and the other has PDD, a high functioning form of Autism.
I needed a place to vent and show off my kids, so I started a personal blog. I didn't do it to meet people, but I did end up giving the URL to other parents of kids with PDD and Asperger's. I ended up meeting new friends and getting advice.
I have a photo blog for my oldest son where I chronicle his bike racing. I like to add pictures and create a story out of them. People have told me it's very funny.
I started social networking to find old friends I went to school with. I managed to find a few, but I live in an area where, it seems, not very many people are computer literate.
What were you doing in your previous life (lives)?
Before I started working with About.com (formerly The Mining Company), I was an accountant. Funny, isn't it? I have a BA in accounting and business administration. I worked as a material buyer and assistant controller for a factory Pillsbury owned before I started working on the Net.
I was always fascinated with computers. I had my first computer when I was 13. That was a big thing back then. It was an Apple, and you had to plug it into the TV because it didn't come with a monitor. You needed a boot disk to start it up, and if you started it in the wrong order you had big problems.
I learned to code in eighth grade. I don't remember the name of the language.
Is this your first tech-reporting venture? What other experience do you have in this space?
Before working for Creative Weblogging doing the Social Networking site, I wrote for several other sites, and still write for a few of them.
As I mentioned above, I run the Personal Web Pages site for About.com. I also write articles for Suite101 about the Internet and Bike Racing. I used to write a site for AllInfoAbout.com on the topic of raising boys, but recently gave up that site.
Other sites I write for are How To Do Things and Associated Content.
What made you decide to launch (or come on board) at Social Networking Weblog? What attracted you to it?
I had been working as an editor for Suite101.com. When they restructured their business model in January, they cut half the editors. I was one of those laid off.
While looking for something else to do, I had been told of the Creative Weblogging site before, so I went to there to see what they had to offer. I asked about writing a different blog, but they thought I would be interested in doing the Social Networking blog. I accepted.
Since I worked with social networking sites a lot on my Personal Web pages site, it seemed a perfect fit for me to do the Social Networking Weblog. What I've learned from my Personal Web Pages site helps me write the Social Networking Weblog, and what I've learned while doing research for the Social Networking Weblogs improves my Personal Web Pages site. It's a win-win situation.
How exactly did you (or the Social Networking Weblog creators) launch the blog? Take us through the steps.
The Social Networking Weblog was already launched when I took it over. It's currently 19 months old, and I have been doing it for two months. They just gave me the tools and the password, and let me go at it.
I use Movable Type to write the blog. Creative Weblogging has another area where I can manage the links on the site and get my stats.
What do you do to get the blog noticed? How do you reach out, and to whom?
I go to blogs similar to mine and post comments. This is especially fun if they posted comments on my site first, or when they find my comments and come to my site to post something for me.
I try to link to other blogs and add them to my blog roll. I also make sure my site is listed with the major search engines, and make sure that some of my posts are optimized for search. I Digg my better posts.
I also have profiles on quite a few social networking sites. I don't have time to actively participate in all of them, but I do make an effort to choose a couple each week and do something with them.
What’s the No. 1 lesson you have learned about starting and writing blogs? The biggest challenge? The biggest surprise?
It's hard to get people to read more than one page at a time. A blog is like a story; you need to read more than one page, but most people don't.
So you need to bring something unique to the table. Talk in real words and talk to the reader. Don't talk about the same thing all the time. Shake it up a little. It's also hard to monetize a blog.
My biggest surprise would have to be how many good comments I get. I'm surprised that people like what I have to say, and actually respond to it in a positive way.
What’s the unique value of Social Networking Weblog? Why should this blog make the short list for blog readers?
This blog talks about more than just what the latest social networking site is -- the site de jour, if you will. I like to talk about how to stay safe on the Net, how to design your site so it's not just like everyone else's, what's going on in the news with social networking, what's happening in the world of social networking, and much more.
It's more than just social networking sites, but social networking on the Web in general. Sometimes I get a little more into the realm of what your site should have or shouldn't have on it, and sometimes I like to talk about making friends online.
Take us "behind the screens." How does a typical day go for you? How do you generate ideas and topics? What’s your writing routine?
I get up at 5:30, and get my husband and my teenage son up and moving. Then I go through all my e-mails for the different things I do. Then I get my husband and son out of the house, and get my other boys up and ready for school.
Once they are dressed and eating, I check to see what I have to do that day. I have a list broken down by days of the week. I have three different sites I write for regularly, so I need to keep it all straight somehow. Then I open all the Web pages and tools I'll need to start that day's work.
After I get the kids off to school, I start working. I'm not good at sitting still for too long, so I take a lot of breaks. This helps to clear my mind and maybe get some laundry done or something. Some days I work on the Social Networking Weblog, some days I work on my Personal Web Pages site, and other days I work on my Suite101 articles or writing for other sites.
To get ideas for the Social Networking Weblog, I typically see what's going on in the news or what other blogs are writing about. The best way I have found to do this is by using Google Alerts. I tell them what keywords I want and it sends me what blogs, news, and other sites are writing about that topic.
I like to put my own spin on everything when I can. Some posts are just telling about a new social networking site I've come across, and what I like or dislike about it. Others are more opinion on how to do or how to avoid something that's going on. Sometimes I come across a blog post, and will tell why I agree or disagree with what they are saying.
Why write about social networking and blogging when so many others are writing about this space? How does a new blogger/social networker add value amid so much noise? Specifically, how do YOU add value?
Since I have been writing about online social networking since before the term existed, and before there were online social networking sites, I think I bring a unique perspective. I know what people on the Internet want and are looking for because I've been answering their questions for nearly nine years now.
A new blogger or social networker who wants to add value has to add a unique voice to the Internet. They have to say things that people want to know about, or that people want to hear about. Choose a topic and stick with it.
I like to add my opinion and base it on something in real life. I also like to link my blog to others’ by commenting on their post, writing my own opinion about what they said, and have them comment on my post. I think this will get readers of either blog to read further into both blogs.
What are the top issues in the social networking space?
Security is up there, especially when it comes to kids. Kids are very naive, VERY, even the street smart kids. I recently wrote about my niece who was putting all kinds of personal information on her MySpace profile. She's 16 and had no clue how dangerous this was. It's dangerous for adults, too. We all need to be more aware of this.
Design is important to a lot of people. They want their profile to look special, say who they are. They are out there looking for templates to add to their social networking sites so they can personalize their profile and have it look the way they want.
Also, the ability to add things like music, video, and toys to profiles is important. I think what people really want is a personal Web page that they can alter and add to all the time. Some social networking sites let you add things, and others don't.
And how about spam? Man, I hate that stuff. I'm always getting messages on MySpace from sites that no longer exist.
I think there are many ways that businesses and other Web sites can use things like social networking and wikis to enhance what they already do. News sites are starting to use social networking, and I think shopping sites like Amazon should start using them too.
What’s the prevailing view about social networking and blogging? Do your views differ? How do you zag where others are zigging?
I think the prevailing view is that social networking is primarily for the young. I don't believe this for an instant. I know lots of 30-, 40-, 50-somethings and even older people who use social networking. I use it to connect with friends -- new friends, old friends, online friends, offline friends -- and I'm 30-something myself.
There are lots of different reasons people use social networking sites, though. Like I said, I use them to connect with my friends. Some people use them just to make as many "friends" as possible. Others use them instead of creating a personal Web site just so they have a face on the Internet.
I see social networking as a tool. Blogs and wikis are tools, personal Web pages are tools. They all serve their own purpose. I have at least one of each, or more. They are there for their own reasons.
I like to connect them all together and create one big master site for me where people can come and socialize (social networking), read about me (blogging), join in (wiki), or just see what my life is about (personal Web site).
What blogs do you regularly read? Are you part of any social networks?
I guess you could say I regularly read the blogs that are on my blog roll. I read through them once a week to see if there is anything I want to comment on or post about.
I'm part of many social networking sites. I join a lot of them to see what they're about and browse through them so I can write about them. Some of them I add to my bookmarks and visit regularly.
There are so many social networking sites coming out that are topic-specific. There are social network sites for weight loss, parenting, military families, women, NASCAR fans, sports, artists, and even for children. My oldest son belongs to two sports social networks because he is a bicycle racer.
What’s the No. 1 mistake you see other people make in the social networking/blogging space?
Giving out personal information is a biggie. I can't believe how many people like to tell the whole world where they live, where they work, where their kids go to school and play. This is just so dangerous in the world we live in. I wish the Internet could be as carefree and innocent as they make it out to be on cartoons, but it's just not.
The other thing is background colors. I like background and unique designs as much as the next person. But if your background is too busy, or too close in color to your text and the other things on your site, people will not be able to read anything or tell one thing from another.
What’s your best piece of advice for people who want to start a blog or social network?
If you want to start a social networking service of your own, make sure you are unique. Most social networks don't make it past the first year. Why? One, because it's hard to get people to join a site that doesn't have people on it yet. Two, because they are not unique enough, and people get bored easily.
If you want to become a big blogger, same thing goes. Be unique and be yourself. People can tell when you're fake. Be honest; people like to hear it like it is. Blog every day. Again, people get bored. If you want people to keep going to your blog, you have to give them something to go there for.
And what better way to hit up the queen of the Internet than through e-mail? Here's an in-depth Q&A that shares every insider tip known to man -- all from a lady who knows her stuff.
Tell us a little bit about yourself, Linda. How did you become involved in social networking and blogging? Why did you start?
In 1998 I became the guide for the Personal Web Pages site on About.com. When I first started the site, the word "blog" was non-existent. Back then they were called online diaries, and some of them were really artistic and well thought-out Web sites. In fact, some of them are still around today.
The main focus of the [Personal Web Pages] site was to teach people how to create their own personal Web site. This often meant teaching HTML, showing people how to organize their pages so people can find what they're looking for, and teaching design, color, and layout. As the site grew, HTML started to become less important, because a lot of sites started coming out with editors that let people design without code.
One day the word "weblog" crossed me, soon shortened to "blog." Blogs, wikis, and social networking sites started popping up all over the place. I tried a little of each. I like the idea of blogs. Blogs create a sense of community on the Internet. I've discovered that bloggers like other bloggers.
Social networking sites create community too, but only within the specific social networking site. It works even better if the social networking site is topic-specific -- you know, those that focus on specific things like athletes or weight loss. Wikis are a great way to create community, too. I don't know why they're not being used more.
Anyway, I started my blog to talk about my kids. One is an aspiring star on the bicycle racing circuit, one has Asperger's, and the other has PDD, a high functioning form of Autism.
I needed a place to vent and show off my kids, so I started a personal blog. I didn't do it to meet people, but I did end up giving the URL to other parents of kids with PDD and Asperger's. I ended up meeting new friends and getting advice.
I have a photo blog for my oldest son where I chronicle his bike racing. I like to add pictures and create a story out of them. People have told me it's very funny.
I started social networking to find old friends I went to school with. I managed to find a few, but I live in an area where, it seems, not very many people are computer literate.
What were you doing in your previous life (lives)?
Before I started working with About.com (formerly The Mining Company), I was an accountant. Funny, isn't it? I have a BA in accounting and business administration. I worked as a material buyer and assistant controller for a factory Pillsbury owned before I started working on the Net.
I was always fascinated with computers. I had my first computer when I was 13. That was a big thing back then. It was an Apple, and you had to plug it into the TV because it didn't come with a monitor. You needed a boot disk to start it up, and if you started it in the wrong order you had big problems.
I learned to code in eighth grade. I don't remember the name of the language.
Is this your first tech-reporting venture? What other experience do you have in this space?
Before working for Creative Weblogging doing the Social Networking site, I wrote for several other sites, and still write for a few of them.
As I mentioned above, I run the Personal Web Pages site for About.com. I also write articles for Suite101 about the Internet and Bike Racing. I used to write a site for AllInfoAbout.com on the topic of raising boys, but recently gave up that site.
Other sites I write for are How To Do Things and Associated Content.
What made you decide to launch (or come on board) at Social Networking Weblog? What attracted you to it?
I had been working as an editor for Suite101.com. When they restructured their business model in January, they cut half the editors. I was one of those laid off.
While looking for something else to do, I had been told of the Creative Weblogging site before, so I went to there to see what they had to offer. I asked about writing a different blog, but they thought I would be interested in doing the Social Networking blog. I accepted.
Since I worked with social networking sites a lot on my Personal Web pages site, it seemed a perfect fit for me to do the Social Networking Weblog. What I've learned from my Personal Web Pages site helps me write the Social Networking Weblog, and what I've learned while doing research for the Social Networking Weblogs improves my Personal Web Pages site. It's a win-win situation.
How exactly did you (or the Social Networking Weblog creators) launch the blog? Take us through the steps.
The Social Networking Weblog was already launched when I took it over. It's currently 19 months old, and I have been doing it for two months. They just gave me the tools and the password, and let me go at it.
I use Movable Type to write the blog. Creative Weblogging has another area where I can manage the links on the site and get my stats.
What do you do to get the blog noticed? How do you reach out, and to whom?
I go to blogs similar to mine and post comments. This is especially fun if they posted comments on my site first, or when they find my comments and come to my site to post something for me.
I try to link to other blogs and add them to my blog roll. I also make sure my site is listed with the major search engines, and make sure that some of my posts are optimized for search. I Digg my better posts.
I also have profiles on quite a few social networking sites. I don't have time to actively participate in all of them, but I do make an effort to choose a couple each week and do something with them.
What’s the No. 1 lesson you have learned about starting and writing blogs? The biggest challenge? The biggest surprise?
It's hard to get people to read more than one page at a time. A blog is like a story; you need to read more than one page, but most people don't.
So you need to bring something unique to the table. Talk in real words and talk to the reader. Don't talk about the same thing all the time. Shake it up a little. It's also hard to monetize a blog.
My biggest surprise would have to be how many good comments I get. I'm surprised that people like what I have to say, and actually respond to it in a positive way.
What’s the unique value of Social Networking Weblog? Why should this blog make the short list for blog readers?
This blog talks about more than just what the latest social networking site is -- the site de jour, if you will. I like to talk about how to stay safe on the Net, how to design your site so it's not just like everyone else's, what's going on in the news with social networking, what's happening in the world of social networking, and much more.
It's more than just social networking sites, but social networking on the Web in general. Sometimes I get a little more into the realm of what your site should have or shouldn't have on it, and sometimes I like to talk about making friends online.
Take us "behind the screens." How does a typical day go for you? How do you generate ideas and topics? What’s your writing routine?
I get up at 5:30, and get my husband and my teenage son up and moving. Then I go through all my e-mails for the different things I do. Then I get my husband and son out of the house, and get my other boys up and ready for school.
Once they are dressed and eating, I check to see what I have to do that day. I have a list broken down by days of the week. I have three different sites I write for regularly, so I need to keep it all straight somehow. Then I open all the Web pages and tools I'll need to start that day's work.
After I get the kids off to school, I start working. I'm not good at sitting still for too long, so I take a lot of breaks. This helps to clear my mind and maybe get some laundry done or something. Some days I work on the Social Networking Weblog, some days I work on my Personal Web Pages site, and other days I work on my Suite101 articles or writing for other sites.
To get ideas for the Social Networking Weblog, I typically see what's going on in the news or what other blogs are writing about. The best way I have found to do this is by using Google Alerts. I tell them what keywords I want and it sends me what blogs, news, and other sites are writing about that topic.
I like to put my own spin on everything when I can. Some posts are just telling about a new social networking site I've come across, and what I like or dislike about it. Others are more opinion on how to do or how to avoid something that's going on. Sometimes I come across a blog post, and will tell why I agree or disagree with what they are saying.
Why write about social networking and blogging when so many others are writing about this space? How does a new blogger/social networker add value amid so much noise? Specifically, how do YOU add value?
Since I have been writing about online social networking since before the term existed, and before there were online social networking sites, I think I bring a unique perspective. I know what people on the Internet want and are looking for because I've been answering their questions for nearly nine years now.
A new blogger or social networker who wants to add value has to add a unique voice to the Internet. They have to say things that people want to know about, or that people want to hear about. Choose a topic and stick with it.
I like to add my opinion and base it on something in real life. I also like to link my blog to others’ by commenting on their post, writing my own opinion about what they said, and have them comment on my post. I think this will get readers of either blog to read further into both blogs.
What are the top issues in the social networking space?
Security is up there, especially when it comes to kids. Kids are very naive, VERY, even the street smart kids. I recently wrote about my niece who was putting all kinds of personal information on her MySpace profile. She's 16 and had no clue how dangerous this was. It's dangerous for adults, too. We all need to be more aware of this.
Design is important to a lot of people. They want their profile to look special, say who they are. They are out there looking for templates to add to their social networking sites so they can personalize their profile and have it look the way they want.
Also, the ability to add things like music, video, and toys to profiles is important. I think what people really want is a personal Web page that they can alter and add to all the time. Some social networking sites let you add things, and others don't.
And how about spam? Man, I hate that stuff. I'm always getting messages on MySpace from sites that no longer exist.
I think there are many ways that businesses and other Web sites can use things like social networking and wikis to enhance what they already do. News sites are starting to use social networking, and I think shopping sites like Amazon should start using them too.
What’s the prevailing view about social networking and blogging? Do your views differ? How do you zag where others are zigging?
I think the prevailing view is that social networking is primarily for the young. I don't believe this for an instant. I know lots of 30-, 40-, 50-somethings and even older people who use social networking. I use it to connect with friends -- new friends, old friends, online friends, offline friends -- and I'm 30-something myself.
There are lots of different reasons people use social networking sites, though. Like I said, I use them to connect with my friends. Some people use them just to make as many "friends" as possible. Others use them instead of creating a personal Web site just so they have a face on the Internet.
I see social networking as a tool. Blogs and wikis are tools, personal Web pages are tools. They all serve their own purpose. I have at least one of each, or more. They are there for their own reasons.
I like to connect them all together and create one big master site for me where people can come and socialize (social networking), read about me (blogging), join in (wiki), or just see what my life is about (personal Web site).
What blogs do you regularly read? Are you part of any social networks?
I guess you could say I regularly read the blogs that are on my blog roll. I read through them once a week to see if there is anything I want to comment on or post about.
I'm part of many social networking sites. I join a lot of them to see what they're about and browse through them so I can write about them. Some of them I add to my bookmarks and visit regularly.
There are so many social networking sites coming out that are topic-specific. There are social network sites for weight loss, parenting, military families, women, NASCAR fans, sports, artists, and even for children. My oldest son belongs to two sports social networks because he is a bicycle racer.
What’s the No. 1 mistake you see other people make in the social networking/blogging space?
Giving out personal information is a biggie. I can't believe how many people like to tell the whole world where they live, where they work, where their kids go to school and play. This is just so dangerous in the world we live in. I wish the Internet could be as carefree and innocent as they make it out to be on cartoons, but it's just not.
The other thing is background colors. I like background and unique designs as much as the next person. But if your background is too busy, or too close in color to your text and the other things on your site, people will not be able to read anything or tell one thing from another.
What’s your best piece of advice for people who want to start a blog or social network?
If you want to start a social networking service of your own, make sure you are unique. Most social networks don't make it past the first year. Why? One, because it's hard to get people to join a site that doesn't have people on it yet. Two, because they are not unique enough, and people get bored easily.
If you want to become a big blogger, same thing goes. Be unique and be yourself. People can tell when you're fake. Be honest; people like to hear it like it is. Blog every day. Again, people get bored. If you want people to keep going to your blog, you have to give them something to go there for.
Labels: Blog, Linda Roeder, Social Networking, Social Networking Weblog, Wiki
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
InformationWeek strengthens our convictions
Think social networking is a dying fad? Then you're in good company with a recent article on InformationWeek's Mobile Weblog -- and out of step with our response.
Like I said to blogger Stephen Wellman, who was covering Michael Hirschorn's piece from The Atlantic Monthly, social networking will never die. It will simply be reborn under a different moniker, and continue reconnecting online lives.
Just something to consider if you're worried about dipping your toe in the social networking ocean. We say, be brave! Take the plunge. It's well worth it.
Like I said to blogger Stephen Wellman, who was covering Michael Hirschorn's piece from The Atlantic Monthly, social networking will never die. It will simply be reborn under a different moniker, and continue reconnecting online lives.
Just something to consider if you're worried about dipping your toe in the social networking ocean. We say, be brave! Take the plunge. It's well worth it.
Labels: Atlantic Monthly, InformationWeek, Michael Hirschorn, Social Networking
Tuesday, March 6, 2007
Mark (Cuban) my words
Let me introduce you to my blogging soul mate: Mark Cuban, the blogger behind Blog Maverick, and the only online guy who's as edgy as I am!
He just wrote a rant about companies' ongoing inability to 'get' social networking. I couldn't agree more, so I chimed in with my own analysis.
Read in tandem, these posts should give you enough curmudgeonly chit-chat to get you through the week. But if not, share your beef with me, and together, maybe we can get companies to realize the error of their Web 2.0 ways.
He just wrote a rant about companies' ongoing inability to 'get' social networking. I couldn't agree more, so I chimed in with my own analysis.
Read in tandem, these posts should give you enough curmudgeonly chit-chat to get you through the week. But if not, share your beef with me, and together, maybe we can get companies to realize the error of their Web 2.0 ways.
Labels: Blog Maverick, Comment, Mark Cuban, Social Networking
Friday, February 2, 2007
SuperPages' social network far from super
File this news under "Right Idea, Wrong Way": SuperPages just launched 'Reviewer of the Week', a competitive program intended to spur user-generated content and reviews.
Too bad it's doomed to fail.
Nobody is going to make SuperPages their destination place for social networking. It's too corporate. Hell, it's a phonebook.
The company is making an artificial social network because 'social network' is the buzzword of the day. I see this turning (and burning) out the exact same way Wal-Mart's social network attempt did: as straight garbage nobody cares about because the corporate entity controls everything.
In fact, that's the No. 1 reason such contrived networks fall on their faces: People can't get a sense that their input is valuable or valued.
People typically don't want to help large corporations. They consider them money-grubbing giants, which is why Google had the whole "We're not evil" lobbying campaign going.
A million to one, people want to help other people -- namely, their friends and community. And they are not dumb. If a company tries to create a false sense of community, their audience will know.
Yet this seems to be where SuperPages is headed. I certainly don't see 'Reviewer of the Week' as a threat to organic, vital, honest social networks. It's only a cheap marketing ploy to get viewers to the site.
Too bad it's doomed to fail.
Nobody is going to make SuperPages their destination place for social networking. It's too corporate. Hell, it's a phonebook.
The company is making an artificial social network because 'social network' is the buzzword of the day. I see this turning (and burning) out the exact same way Wal-Mart's social network attempt did: as straight garbage nobody cares about because the corporate entity controls everything.
In fact, that's the No. 1 reason such contrived networks fall on their faces: People can't get a sense that their input is valuable or valued.
People typically don't want to help large corporations. They consider them money-grubbing giants, which is why Google had the whole "We're not evil" lobbying campaign going.
A million to one, people want to help other people -- namely, their friends and community. And they are not dumb. If a company tries to create a false sense of community, their audience will know.
Yet this seems to be where SuperPages is headed. I certainly don't see 'Reviewer of the Week' as a threat to organic, vital, honest social networks. It's only a cheap marketing ploy to get viewers to the site.
Labels: Social Networking, SuperPages, Wal-Mart
