MEGO: My Eyes Glaze Over

Social Networks and the Net Generation at Work

Mar 15, 2009 Blogs, Books, Customer Service, Digital Marketing & Metrics, Internet General, Marketing & Communication, Microblogging, Social Bookmarking, Social Media

When I joined the workforce e-mail was pretty standard as a method for communication and the Internet was commonly used for research purposes. But, in the early days of email many business owners and managers did not allow e-mail in the offices for fear that their employees would not get any work done, they were concerned over how to manage, store and capture e-mailed information, and of course they grappled with security issues surrounding e-mail. Today, business owners and managers have realized that e-mail has increased the speed of business communication, and concerns over data capture and management as well as security have largely been overcome.

Social Networks Stats and Facts

There is a new tool that has caused much consternation and hand-wringing for IT Managers and business owners – social networks and social media.  A new report by Nielson puts social networks ahead of e-mail in online activities according to a recent article in the Globe and Mail.  Neilson found that 1 in 11 minutes online is spent on a social network or blog site, bringing social networks and blogs to the fourth most popular activity following search, general interest portals and software manufacturers. More telling is the growth seen by social networks during the period of the study (Dec 2007-Dec 2008) which saw between 1.4 and 1.9% growth for the top three activities versus an incredible 5.4% for social networking.

There are 150 Million active Facebook users and a recent research study from Pew Inernet shows that 11% of online adults say they have used the social network Twitter. A Netpop report shows that 7 Million people in the U.S. are contributing to content online and that social networking sites have grown a whopping 93% since 2006!

Despite the growth in the use of social media and social networks specifically, many corporations have decided to bury their head in the sand and hope it goes away, much like they did when e-mail came on the scene. Instead of facing the issues these companies have decided to simply block employees access.

Blocking Access

The concerns for social media are similar to those in the 1990s when e-mail entered the workplace: productivity, data capture, privacy and security. The approach the same – block, refuse access, refer employees to old technology (oddly in the case of social media it is often e-mail!). But this is short-sighted, unrealistic and a passive approach that will eventually (if not already!) be seen as anti-productive.

Let’s look at the concerns companies have regarding social media:

Productivity: This has to be the most ridiculous of the reasons. 1) If employees want to be slack off all they need to do is go stand by someone else’s desk, go for a smoke break, chat at the water cooler, close their eyes and have a snooze. Let’s face it if you can’t trust your employees are doing their job…then you didn’t hire the right people or they are bored, unchallenged or unempowered. 2) If employees are allowed to use social media they can actually become more productive! (More on this in next post)

Data Capture/Management: Many social networks are easily followed, stored and saved. People have clearly moved beyond this issue with e-mail – and this can be accomplished with Social Networks. Ownership can be overcome by businesses as well by contracting space on sites for block of space that would be under control of the company as suggested by Salesforce.com precedent. Another alternative is to set up internal IM systems, social networks and Wikis for use with Internal Communication. While this does not help customer and vendor communication it can allow employees some use of tools that will help productivity while maintaining data security and capture.

Privacy and Security: This is a biggie, and closely related to data capture and management. Panic has ensued amongst business owners with regards to data privacy and corporate secrets. And, of course it can be an issue as more and more employees spend time on social networks discussing their lives (which includes work) with Facebook status changes, LinkedIn profiles, and of course the tweets on Twitter. Companies obviously want to limit and retain close control over sensitive company information, at the same time they also must find ways to engage and communicate directly with their customers (or risk losing them). As social media becomes increasingly interconnected and more customers EXPECT companies to be active on social networks it will become inadequate to simply block social media sites and use URL filtering. Instead companies can help alleviate the privacy and security (and avoid potential lawsuits) issues by creating policies and educating employees on safe data handling. (Note: There are also IT tools available on the market to help monitor, examine historic patterns of leaks and discover and eliminate malware that have in the past been issues with some Web 2.0 sites). Privacy and security is an issue whether your employees are using social media or not – but a easy to understand policy, and a central contact for questions related to privacy and security can help companies avoid future issues.

Net Generation at Work

Companies that decide to limit or block use of social media are not only unnecessarily limiting their communication with their customers through online methods, they are also forfeiting the chance to discover new tools for collaboration within the organization. By closing the company off from social media they are also driving away younger employees who are looking to work for companies whose culture fits their life and ideals.  Don Tapscott in his book Grown Up Digital says the “Net gener [age 18-32] arrives at work, eager to use his social networking tools to collaborate and create and contribute to the company. For starters he’s shocked to find that the company’s technological tools are more primitive than the ones he used in high school…And they are surprised, perhaps naively, to learn that corporations have antiquated ways of working.” These same Net Generation workers can, if given a chance, show companies how to collaborate in new ways more effectively and efficiently. But, these workers don’t stick around long according to Tapscott – they usually only last two years before moving on. Which is too bad since Tapscott’s research shows that those companies that embrace the Net Gen norms perform better than those that don’t..

This generation, of which I am a part of (well I missed it by a month…), view life and work different from other generations according to Tapscott – and that view is defined by 8 characteristics or norms: Freedom, Customization, Scrutiny, Openness, Fun/Entertainment in life and work, Collaboration, Speed, Innovation.

Tapscott definies these characteristics as they relate to work (summary):

Freedom: Net Geners expect to mix work and their personal lives, and this includes choosing when and where they work. They want flexible hours, the ability to telecommute, and other services that make their lives easier.

Customization: They want employers to treat them as individuals and this means giving them learning and development opportunities that are right for them. They want an adaptable work environment, job descriptions that are project based and customized, flexible benefits,  and more frequent discussions on their contribution to the organization.

Scrutiny: How we search for jobs has changed and how we research the company before we make a change has as well.  According to Grown Up Digital 60% of Net Geners check out a company before accepting a job offer. They want to work for companies that are transparent, share information, and have integrity. Tapscott says: “Young people respond well to management integrity…there is greater loyalty and lower turnover, and employees are more likely to do the right thing.” (For example more likely to get their job done even if they take a break to check Facebook, and more likely to hold company secrets sacred and follow company privacy policy).

Collaboration: Net Geners want to work with other people and collaboration is how they get stuff done. To them the workplace should be less about hierarchies and departmental silos and more about connecting with others to solve a problem. Using social networks, social bookmarking, Wikis, aps like LinkedIn Huddle Workpaces or Virtual worlds (Second Life) to meet, collaborate, plan, and execute.

Fun/Entertainment: Fun and work go hand in hand for this generation – they don’t need to be separate. Cultures that allow employees to have a little fun at work end up with more productive staff. We all need a break before diving back into another round of work – and if surfing on a social network is that little bit of fun – why block it?

Speed: This generation is used to speed and instant responses. Why not? We no longer have to wait for dial-up or snail mail! For Net Geners red tape is frustrating, feedback should be in real-time and bureaucracy can mean doom in the market. They use social media tools such as Wikis and IM to speed up communication within the workplace.

Innovation: This is a fascinating point Tapscott makes: “If video games taught this Net Generation anything, it’s that every problem has seemingly endless solutions” and so this generation is looking for new ways to their jobs, to be innovative in their workplace, to challenge status quo. Many of these young workers bring their knowledge of social media to the work place creating new communication channels, building collaborative work systems, and finding new ways to solve a business problem.

In the End

Social media such as instant messaging, blogging and social networks have gained ground as communication tools outside the workplace by leaps and bounds, and it is only a matter of time before they, like e-mail before them, become necessary and an acceptable part of the work place.  The concerns for productivity,  data management, and security and privacy are valid – however they can be overcome by education, corporate policy and new IT tools. Ultimately, if a company hires good people they will need less process and bureaucracy to police the space – as the employees in an open and empowered culture will be more likely to use social media tools wisely. Through using social media in the workplace employees will find new ways to harness collective knowledge, collaborate, and create ways to communication effectively internally and externally.

As always  – connect on Twitter and Google Friend Connet (right hand side). And, if you enjoyed this content – subscribe!

Images from Stocl.xchng (bigevil600, brokenarts, glennpeb)

Popularity: 100% [?]

Tags: facebook, Grown Up Digital: How the Net Generation is Changing Your World HC, linkedin, socia, Social Bookmarking, social media, social network, twitter, Work

Twittering Television

Mar 9, 2009 Digital Marketing & Metrics, Microblogging, Social Media, social networks, word of mouth

Last night on Twitter Mack Collier tweeted (rather retweeted @kathyoreilly)

It reminded me something that I had thought about a few times – TV is more fun with friends,  and therefore TV is more fun with Twitter! During the U.S election I watched the news, and twittered; after the bruhaha in Parliament Stephane Dion and Stephen Harper made speeches on Canadian television and I listened to the speeches while joining the conversation on Twitter. Beyond politics, I have twittered about Lost, Grey’s Anatomy and the Oscars. Last night I tweeted about my dislike of the Simpson’s (simply tired of it….):

I received a number of replies – only one admonishing my remark, the remainder agreeing and one suggesting that the Family Guy is far superior. But, I digress…

We already know that many people are using their computers while watching television – multi-tasking at its best. We are more engaged checking our email, chatting, surfing social networks, playing games and tweeting than we are with the television program.  Of course what we are doing on the Internet doesn’t usually have to do with what we are watching on TV. Except in the case of the social networks as we often IM, tweet and change our status reflecting what is going on with the television program at hand.

Some of my recent tweets for example were regarding a program Inside the McDonald’s Empire.

So, what better way then for the networks to engage with its audience again then through social networks like Twitter that are “real time”.

According to Mack Collier who immediately tweeted back to me in reply to my comment there are some Interactive uses in the US through Dish.

Here in Canada we can get “more info” on some Sat channels such as CBC and The Weather Network. The Weather Network for example allows you to choose your region. Occassionnally I have seen news casters refer to a Facebook group, and increasingly I have seen and heard Twitter mentioned (The View, Canada AM, The Hour, The Daily Show).

But while TV isn’t always a “social”, we do often end up in social situations talking about TV. So, why not bring those two things together? As, you saw from the first “tweet” – on Sunday night the 5 of the top 10 trending topics were TV programs, so what is the opportunity for networks? How can they get some excitement back into TV? Is there a possibility for new revenue streams?

What if our favourite shows advertised a Twitter hashtag in the corner for people to follow along? What kind of conversations would take place? Could there be trivia? Maybe polls? Analysis by crowd? A real-time forum to discuss the intricacies of our favourite dramas! Fact checking could be shared with others watching the same debate/interview/speech; programs could request real-time questions and requests from their audience; or perhaps during the Oscars they could share tidbits from live tweets on the best/worst dressed. There could be special access to clues or theories (for Lost!), or  a “backstage pass” as producers tweet behind the scenes (imagine the green room at Letterman….or MTV awards).  A live event such as concert, sporting event would become social even if you can’t make it to the event! Of course there could be shared links to pictures, video, or interviews with the stars or experts.

What else can you think of? Would you participate?

As always  – connect on Twitter and Google Friend Connet (right hand side). And, if you enjoyed this content – subscribe!

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Tags: canada, Family Guy, mack collier, Politics, social network, stephen harper, television, twitter

Social Media “Marketing”

Feb 22, 2009 Branding, Customer Service, Digital Marketing & Metrics, Marketing & Communication, PR, Social Media, social networks

Some time ago (before my sleepless night) Beth Harte had an interesting post “Is Social Media the Same as Marketing?” She questioned the term “Social Media Marketing” and said “the term social media marketing is not working for me: social media is about sharing and discussing information. It’s communications, not marketing.” What ensued in the comments section was not only a discussion of whether we could call social media – marketing or social media marketing; but a conversation examining the hierarchy and definition of Marketing itself. Now I am a little late jumping into the discussion – believe it or not this has been in the “drafts” for a long time!

Define Marketing…

Some comments on the post placed Communications squarely as part of marketing, others separated marketing and communications as though it were Church and State. The four Ps are mentioned, and then suggested they are an over simplification of marketing.  Marketing runs the show. Communications runs the show. One comment says PR, Sales, Marketing, and advertising are all different disciplines. Another says MarCom and PR are separate but collaborate more often. Still another commenter says that the P for Promotion stands for various communication techniques that would include PR, personal selling, advertising and publicity.

Dale Evans, the author of Social Media an Hour a Day said

“marketing is being defined more and more by what consumers experience and translate into shared content than it is by what a marketer has to say directly”

Walter Pike quotes Peter Drucker:

“The aim of marketing is to know and understand the customer so well the product or service fits him and sells itself”

As does Gabriel Rossi:

“Because the purpose of business is to create a customer, the business enterprise has two–and only two–basic functions: marketing and innovation. Marketing and innovation produce results; all the rest are costs. Marketing is the distinguishing, unique function of the business.”

And Laurie Broderick quotes the AMA

“Marketing is an organizational function and a set of processes for creating, communicating, and delivering value to customers and for managing customer relationships in ways that benefit the organization and its stakeholders.”

the original market

Ultimately, I don’t think it was necessarily the definition of marketing that was really in question, as all definitions brought up seem to recognize that the role of marketing is to have such solid understanding of their customer base that they strategically create, deliver, and appropriately price the products or services that this customer wants or needs. The original meaning came from literally going to the market to buy or sell goods. However,  I think confusion surrounding the definition comes when we assume that Marketing is just sales promotion.

From the variety of comments it may be that the trouble is not defining marketing, but defining the roles that fall in the umbrella of marketing. In particular, the role of Communication and Marketing Communication.  My understanding has always been that MarCom would fall into “Promotion” – one of the simplified 4P’s of Marketing. In, my working experience it has always been that MarCom and PR have reported into Marketing.  I realize that is not always the case.

Start with the Basics

I took a look at Marketing using the perhaps over simplified 4ps (from my school days, many years ago!):

The Marketing Mix:

Product: Create a product that fits the needs or wants of your customer. Specifications of the goods or services should meet those requirements.

Placement: Otherwise known as distribution and refers to the channel in which a product or service is sold.

Pricing: This is the process marketers use to set the price of a product for market.

Promotion: Textbook definition houses the following in this “P” – Advertising, Sales Promotion, Publicity, Personal Selling (Sales), Branding and other methods to promote product or service.

It is this final P that seems to be the conundrum. Many businesses house these promotional roles in a variety of silos, others have them report directly to Marketing, still others work in tandem with the Marketing group, and of course still others outsource some of these roles to (a variety of ) agencies. Some include only those aspects that would be considered Marketing Communications:

According to Wikipedia: “Marketing communication is concerned with the general behavior of an organization and the perceptions of the organization that are promoted to stakeholders through these touch points. The six areas usually associated in this representation are: Advertising, Public Relations, Promotions, Direct Marketing, Event Marketing, and New Media.”

Others see MarCom as those “selling” aspects of Communication and leave PR out of the mix – seeing it as a Communication role.

Needless to say it is all a bit of a mixed bag.

We also need to examine Marketing as potentially having three additional Ps  (often associated with Service but could just as well work when talking about products):

People: Any person coming into contact with customers can have an impact on overall satisfaction. In the customer’s eyes, the people are generally inseparable from the company and they can therefore highly affect the customer’s experience.

Process: This is the procedures involved in providing a service (or product) which can be crucial to customer satisfaction. Example I buy a new Humidifier at Sears for my baby’s room, take it home and discover it sounds like an airplane jetting off so I take it back – but have to wander the store (with stroller and baby in tow) find an elevator and return it to hardware (where there is no immediate staff member to help) – despite numerous “Service” desks on the main floor.

Physical evidence: To reduce the feeling of risk, thus improving success, it is often vital to offer potential customers the chance to see what a service (or product – especially key for online shopping) would be like. This is done by providing physical evidence, such as case studies, or testimonials. This could also refer, I suppose to the physical appearance of the product – the quality (or lack of) it promises.

Is it Marketing vs Communication?

After reading Beth’s post and the numerous comments I decided I would search about to figure out if there was a rule of thumb for the relationship between Marketing and Communication. It seems once again that there are two schools of thought. In fact- this leads to two possible hierarchies.

1) Marketing is the 1-way, the push, the sell. Communication is two-way. They are two different disciplines. Two different departments.

2) Communication is a piece of the marketing puzzle. It is the tactics used to market and to converse with the target market. Same discipline. Same department.

Hmmm. Doesn’t help does it? While I believe that Communication must work in an integrated manner with the Marketing department, it seems that there are just as many that see the two as very separate pieces of the corporate puzzle.  If separate how do we ensure that all communications are sending the same messages? And, where does Social Media fit in – Marketing or Communications? Both?

The Dreaded Social Media

Like Beth, I dislike the term Social Media Marketing.

Social Media is defined as “primarily Internet- and mobile-based tools for sharing and discussing information among human beings. The term most often refers to activities that integrate technology, telecommunications and social interaction, and the construction of words, pictures, videos and audio.” (Wikipedia). The words “sharing” and “discussing” being an important factor to differentiate the “media” from other one-way channels such as television.

The problems I see with the term “Social Media Marketing”:

It is a name that in a few years will be dated. The web is, and has been for years – social. What happens when every site has some sort of forum, profile sharing, comment field etc. Will we still call it “social”? Or will that be rather redundant?I wonder if the even the term “media” too closely relates it to Television and Print Media which are traditionally used in an interruption method which as of now is a method which has not worked for the web.

and Social Media cannot be seen as only a tool to send simple outgoing marketing messages, as it also allows for two-way communication which can help an organization do much more. Amber Naslund said it best in the comments to Beth Harte’s post:

“Social media doesn’t just need to fit into marketing or public relations or other disciplines that are used to communicate. It’s also about customer service, technology and user experience, client relationship management, product and service innovation. It’s an undercurrent of so many more business touchpoints than we’ve ever seen, and I think that’s causing some consternation. In a good way, but it’s still hard.”

Social Media is two-way, it is authentic conversation between customer and company – and in such should fall under Communication. However, look at it in another way it works to benefit marketing in a number of ways:

Let’s just look at a few examples:

Product Idea Generation and Product Innovation

Sites such as My Starbucks Idea and Dell Ideastorm allow customers to work along with the company to develop products and innovations. To work this must be a collaboration between Marketing and the customer. However, as always it must remain “on brand” and conversational – so Communication must also be at play.

Customer Support Forums

Software companies have for quite some time had self-service support forums, allowing customers help other customers. These types of forums allow customers help others trouble-shoot, personalize and understand the product or service. Examples could include Apple iPod Discussion Forum; or the more community oriented Ubuntu site. This type of support can have an effect on how the brand is perceived, and despite the fact these are not employees of the company, on overall satisfaction with the product or service.

Customer Support via Twitter

Many companies are using Twitter to promote products or services, or drive traffic to their website. More effective however, have been the companies such as JetBlue, Starbucks,  and others who have also offered Customer Support through their Twitter accounts.

Corporate Blogs

There are certainly corporate blogs that are using the blogging platform as a tool to promote only, either to solely offer information on products or to drive traffic to their corporate site by optimizing for search using the blog. However, these are generally not successful in engaging their customers.  Other blogs that offer more insight, helpful content, and increased depth of information such as Graco’s Corporate Blog or Fiskars Fisk-A-Teers Blog have helped to build loyalty amongst their target demographic while of course increasing brand awareness. But, once again is this genuwine communication – Marketing? or Communication?

There are an amazing number of examples of Consumer Generated Content (wikis, videos, blogs, even advertising), File Sharing (photos, videos), Fan Pages, Social Networks, desktop widgets, online widgets,  – Peter Kim has an amazing list of social media examples.

Clearly, it seems to me if we treat these social media examples as “marketing”  or a simple tactical tool to sell products or services we are missing out a vast amount of information, we are missing out on a authentic conversation with our stakeholders and customers.  On the other hand, if it lies in Communication – then Marketing can miss out on an incredible space for innovation and collaboration.

This brings us to my 3rd point on why I dislike the term Social Media Marketing

It cannot be a silo. social media needs to fit in the grand scheme of the brand strategy. It needs to be consistent with other communication channels and it needs to work with the 7 Ps of Marketing. Because of this -  hierarchies may need to change.  Perhaps an executive level that joins the discipline of Marketing and Communication, and Customer Service allowing an integrated approach to communicating and marketing to all stakeholders, to all customer touch points.

The problem that Beth Harte recognized is that if we place social media in this type of integrated approach is that “the mashup will allow for people [aka agencies] to offer services like Social Media Marketing or PR Communications or Marketing Relations or… (really, you don’t want me to go on right?) without having a firm grasp on any of the disciplines that they are trying to deliver or implement.”

This kind of approach means that any advertising agency, PR agency, boutique can claim the title of “social media” expert since they work in the realm of communication or marketing, or advertising. The onus is then on us (the “us” that work on client-side) to flesh out the agencies that “know” and those that “think they know” or “don’t know” social media. As Beth says ” the walls need to come down and the need for two-way communications is forcing a sledge hammer through the walls. But at what cost?”.

This comes down to my reason for blogging in the first place. As someone working on the client-side I believe I need to understand what the agencies I work with are trying to sell me. I understand my business best, but if I just take what the agency is telling me without actually comprehending it, and being involved myself then I am not doing my brand justice. So I am involved in social media – social networks, blogging, listening and contributing. We need to be accountable to our brands and unfortunately this will mean sorting out the agencies selling “snake-oil” and those that are true communication “experts”.

As always  – connect on Twitter and Google Friend Connet (right hand side). And, if you enjoyed this content – subscribe!

Images: stock.xchng

Popularity: 42% [?]

Tags: 4 p's, 7 p's, Advertising, amber nasland, Apple, beth harte, business, community, dell, fiskar, graco, Internet, jetblue, marketing & communication, Marketing communications, Marketing Mix, peter kim, Public relations, social media, social network, starbucks, ubuntu

10 Things You Should Be Doing Now to Prepare for Future Job Search (Web 2.0 Style!)

Jan 16, 2009 Digital Marketing & Metrics, Social Media, social networks

I wonder how Social Media and Web 2.0 will change the way we present ourselves to potential employers. Will the resume be enough to make you stand out in the future?

A few months ago I had the task of going through applications for a Marketing Coordinator who would be working with me until I went on mat leave. I was shocked at the quality of résumé and the lack of personal websites, or participation in social networks. This may be understandable if I were looking to hire a accountant or a trades person – but I expect a marketing professional (junior or senior) to be able to sell themselves – and what better way then using the Internet. Just a LinkedIn account would be a start. In the future, I believe this will be the bare minimum for many positions in the workforce – not just those that work in Creative or Marketing.

Given that the news is sadly filled with layoffs, downsizing, and economic ugliness – what are you doing to ensure that you are “recession proof”? If you were to lose your job tomorrow – what would you do? Would you immediately start furiously writing a new résumé, applying for any and all jobs that you might be qualified for – posted on Workopolis and Monster and then wait, wait, wait for the darn phone to ring.

I was laid off once, and I implore you be prepared. Be ready 2009 style.

So here are the things you need to do, just in case:

Social Network

1 . Network online and offline. Extend your network by connecting with like-minded individuals. Don’t underestimate the power of social networks including Facebook, and Twitter.

2. LinkedIn of course is the obvious choice for business networking. Keep your profile up-to-date, and of course add colleagues, friends and connections to your LinkedIn network.

3. With all social networks share, collaborate and help followers and friends.  Post interesting articles (including, but not exclusive to your own), answer questions, and comment on tweets, status’ and posts. Get involved and check-in regularly.

4. Don’t forget social networking started off-line – and despite our dependence on computers you can still get out there and meet new people! Attend community events, professional meetups, conferences, classes and Tweetups!

Create an online résumé and portfolio

5. The problem with a résumé is that it is just a piece of paper. There are no hyperlinks (oh sure you can add them but once it is printed out, or placed in a text only application form…poof it’s gone), there are no pictures, no graphs, no presentations, no videos and no personality. An online portfolio however can be all of that.

Take a look at mine – (a work in progress) at MichelleKostya.com

Be an expert in your field

6.  Start a blog. Why not – everyone is doing it!  Write about what you love, what you know, and what you wish you knew! Be passionate and personal (eventually people WILL read your blog!)

7.  Perhaps you are more of a talker then a writer. Start a podcast and broadcast your expertise. Equipment can be relatively inexpensive and there are a plethora of places you can post your podcast out into the world.

8.  Create Videos, E-books, Host Webinars or Guest Post – all are ways to get your name out in your field.

9.  Even if you aren’t a blogger consider commenting on blogs (with all the bloggers commenting it is a bit of a echo chamber!). This will help you expand your network, encourage you to read and learn more, and maybe even enhance your confidence and writing skills! Consider using FriendFeed so you can “lifestream” your comments and share your expertise!

10.  Get active on industry forums and discussion groups. Help out others…and they may reciprocate when you need it. Ah…Karma.

Added bonus…you could also do this:

job offer t-shirt

Image from Flickr Creative Commons- SocialisBetter

In Summary…

Don’t rely on a piece of paper when and if the time comes that you need to get out there and find a new job. As Dan Udey (@danudey) said in a Tweet to me when I asked Twitterland about the relvence of résumé:  “resumes are becoming less interesting than who you are and what you’ve done”.

And, never assume you are safe. When it comes down to it – only you will look after YOU. During a recession – a company will just look at numbers – so sympathy, years, experience, or passion may not help you keep your job. Don’t wait until it is too late to update your résumé, skills and portfolio.

What do you think – are résumés still enough? What else are you doing?

Popularity: 34% [?]

Tags: blogging, career, facebook, Internet, job hunting, jobs, linkedin, online portfolio, podcasting, resume, social media, social network, top 10, twitter, web 2.0

Twitter: The Friendly Social Network

Jan 14, 2009 Digital Marketing & Metrics, Social Media, Vacations, social networks

I just got back from the East Coast. My two boys and I spent a week and a half in the friendly Halifax Regional Municipality. By two boys I mean my baby and three year old. Husband was working.

This is the second time I have traveled alone with the two of them, and each time I think – I need to have my head examined. This is how it goes:

Husband drops me off at the airport with two 60 lb suitcases, 1 giant Graco SUV stroller, 1 baby car seat and base, 1 diaper bag, 1 laptop bag (can’t leave it behind), and 1 small suitcase that my three year old is supposed to look after.

Note – he drops me off because in Toronto he isn’t allowed to leave the car unless he goes to short-term parking (which costs a small fortune).  So, we balance everything precariously on a $2 cart.

I carry baby in sling (can’t push cart and stroller) and drag three year old with one hand while attempting to move cart with the other. All the way to the ticket desk. Where I can finally drop off the excess bags.

In Halifax, things are a bit easier as my parents meet me at arrivals and get my bags with me. Also, the airline felt I had too much stuff so they lost a piece for me (the base to the car seat).

On the return home my family drops me off at the front and then goes to park the car. They helped carry the bags inside- but couldn’t leave the car for long – so after getting my boarding pass I struggle to find a way to get the bags to the desk (all of the free carts are gone). Some wonderful East Coasters offer to help. In fact I had about five people offer in a matter of minutes.

I manage to get my brood up to the gate and onto the plane. We were given seats where there wasn’t an additional mask for the baby so the flight attendant had to ask a lady to switch seats. This woman was not inclined to give up her seat for an identical seat. Eventually the attendant convinced her that it had to be done, but I couldn’t help thinking to myself – this woman cannot be an East Coaster.

When we arrive in Toronto we grab a cart at the luggage carousel. I am trying to watch three -year old who is running around and around, look after baby AND grab suitcases. I struggle with supper heavy (Christmas gift laden) suitcases, then put baby in sling and attempt to put stroller on top of luggage. People walk by, look at me and move on. One person said watch the the babies head – as the monkey was staring up at the lights (note he has use of his neck…it was not flopping around!) But, not one person offered to help me.

Twitter is the East Coast

I know,  get to the point: What does this have to do with Twitter?

I got to thinking Twitter is such a nice place. Ask a question and followers will answer, share a link and they will thank you, tweet a story and they will laugh with you.  Say a simple “good morning” and get five back. It is a social network where we can  talk with the famous, the literati, the news makers, companies we love (and hate) and social media gurus – on an even playing field.  It is a place where anyone can connect, without the limits of geography and time, to find people with similar passions.

In a small city people offer to help, they stop and share a hello or a story with a perfect stranger, they smile as they walk by actually looking you in the eye. I recall a friends first visit to Halifax, we were walking along the waterfront and a man walked by and said ” Morning, how are you today? Lovely isn’t it”. After the short chat, my friend from Toronto says “who was that?”.  I answered ” Just a guy out for a walk, like us!”

Sure, there are people who are jerks out east. Those who butt in front of you in line, or complain about everything, who drive to fast in a school zone, and double park on a narrow street. On Twitter, there are the spammers, the folks who just blast self-promotion, and the occasional individual who just wants to push-buttons to start an arguments. But, they are few and far between. Plus, on Twitter you can “block” them if you want, something you can’t do in life.

I wonder though, what will happen as Twitter grows? Already, Mashable reports incredible growth on Twitter in 2008 – 752%, with 4.43 Million Unique visitors in December. There are no studies that I know of that link population with cranky humans – but my experience having lived in various sized cities is that there is something to say for small cities being “friendlier”.  In the big cities people rarely look you in the eye, they walk head down avoiding having to be a helping hand, and rarely start a conversation with a stranger. Perhaps, it is due to the fact that we rarely run into the same people? No need to be nice, if we never see them again? In a small city, chances are you will run into the same people at the grocery store, at the public school, in the mall or at your workplace. I have nothing against big cities, heck I live in the GTA – but they are certainly less personable than cities I have lived in previously Ottawa, and Halifax. Perhaps I wrongly correlate this with the populations (Toronto 6 million, Ottawa 1.5 million, Halifax 400,000) but from my experience it seems to work.

So, what happens to Twitter as it grows? Will it go the way of a big city? Will we eventually only help only our closest connections? Avoiding others? While we can block followers, and not follow others – what can we do about those Twitter users who abuse the system by using #hashtags to get involved in Twitter chats such as #GNO and #journchat? With growth, does Twitter become more susceptible to spam? Will the spammers and pains in the butts find more ways to annoy?

What do you think? Will Twitter sustain the friendliness simply because we choose to be there?

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Tags: east coast, friendly, growth, halifax, kids, social network, toronto, travel, twitter