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Social Media Challange: What I've Discovered

agardina — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 23:18:35 +0000

I've been taking part in the Social Media Challenge for just over a week. During that time, other participants have shared interesting blogs and intriguing posts, and my Google Reader reading list has doubled. Interestingly, I've not only added posts that fit the Challenge's requirements, but also other blogs that may be more popular, but somehow never made its way onto my RSS reader.

Here's some of the more interesting things I've discovered because of the challenge:

Reading other people's blogs really encourages you to write. When I was reading the same blogs everyday, I wasn't being inspired. The content was solid, but it was repetitive. Now that I'm reading a wide variety of blogs, I'm finding more information that I want to explore myself.

Catching up on your RSS feeds gets a lot more interesting when you're driven to comment. I added another level to my personal Social Media Challenge - before I shared or tweeted a post, I'd comment on it. This practice has made me read more critically and take part in more online conversations.

I may never read every blog relevant to my industry and interests, but I can read a lot of them - and there are a ton sharing great information, written by people who really know what they're talking about. Maybe colleges should offer electives in Blog Reading 101 in addition to English Lit. Just sayin'.

If you're taking part in the Social Media Challenge, what have you learned so far? If you're not, catch up on all the posts we've shared!

Is Mashable the CNN of social media?

agardina — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 01:19:38 +0000

CNN is one of the most-watched and most-visited news providers in the country. On TV, they provide round-the-clock coverage of news, entertainment and fluff. Online, they have access to video and articles on news, entertainment and, of course, fluff. The 24-hour news cycle emphasizes quantity over quality, with in-depth reporting falling to the wayside in favor of anything that gets higher ratings.

And that works for them. Viewers can complain all they want about biased reporting or shallow headlines, but, in the end, it's the responsibility of the viewer to be an active consumer of information. Don't agree with one reporter? Look for other sources online. Educate yourself. Cast a critical eye on any and all declarative statement you question.

This same idea applies to blogs and social media. Mashable, an online social media news source & educational guide, has over 2.3 million followers, fans and subscribers. They are frequently the first to break Internet news and rumors, and their links fill the tweet streams of almost every person on Twitter. Mashable provides great information & tools, but the danger of the 24-hour news cycle remains. Their top user lists are chosen by individual writers, articles dictated by newsworthiness and other priorities, and polls filled with responses from (obviously) biased readers.

There's an ocean of analysis and how-to guides online, beyond the behemoth that is Mashable. By being an active participant in the world of online information, you'll contribute more, learn more and build better and stronger relationships. Mashable is the CNN of social media - a great starting point and overview, but not a source you can count on in any situation, 100% of the time.

Need some suggestions for some new blogs to read? Check out the Social Media Challenge (#smchallenge).

Pay for Play: New York Times and the Definition of Content

agardina — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 07:16:00 +0000

Everyone's talking about The New York Times' new plan for metered charging. In 2011, the newspaper will begin charging users for content beyond a certain (and, as of yet, unspecified) amount of articles. Blogs are buzzing, Twitter is (ha!) a-twitter - and people are all asking the same question: how much will it cost? But what they should be asking is, for what content?

As far as The New York Times is concerned, they do have one of the richest online newspaper sites. Video, audio, photo galleries, blogs and the Sunday Magazine set them apart from the crowd of "let's just move the print product online." The question is, when the Times says they'll charge after a "certain number of articles" are viewed. Are these "articles" text? Video? Photos? What about articles that go for multiple (sometimes more than 7) pages or posts that just come through a news wire?

I think that the Times has opened up a bigger can of worms than they expected. They'll be fighting a battle on several fronts: against those opposed to paying for online content and a fight to decide what their content really is and what it's actually worth. I've said before that I would (gasp!) consider paying for richer, more interactive articles & media. However, in this situation, it seems like the Times is just trying to charge for each page of the paper you flip (turn the page, you wash your hands...).

They're trying to monetize traditionally in a new media world. You can see it in their Q&A on their own site: "You will still be able to read individual articles through search sites like Google, Yahoo and Bing without charge." There are just too many factors to consider for this plan to be effective.

What do you think? Would you pay for online content?

Watching Your Back: Online Reputation Management

agardina — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 02:42:24 +0000

I recently spoke with some awesome students at Ithaca College’s Park School of Communications who are looking to get jobs or internships in the near future. We discussed the role of social media in their searches, and also covered a topic that’s very prevalent: personal online reputation management.

As these students graduate, employers will not only be looking at their resumes and cover letters, but at their Google search results, Facebook profiles, blogs and Twitter pages. Social media is a great equalizer (where else can you talk to a Creative Director at a major agency about baseball?), which is both a good and bad thing. I gave them some advice about making sure that their online reputation matches the image they want to show to potential employers.

The One-Click Rule
As far as marketing yourself (or your product) is concerned, you want whoever is looking for information to get it via the path of least resistance. I recommended that employers be able to find a portfolio, resume and contact information in one-click whenever possible. This means linking all social networks, so that your YouTube page is listed on your LinkedIn page, your Twitter profile linked to your blog, etc. You don’t want to miss out on an opportunity just because someone couldn’t find your email address.

3 Takeaways for Online Reputation Management

Privacy Understanding the privacy policies of any site where you have personal information is key to ensuring that your online reputation is under control. Industry trends, such as Bing making a deal with Facebook to index status updates, may threaten those who use Facebook for solely personal purposes (Beacon, anyone?) Keep up-to-date on any policy changes and take an active role in keeping whatever you want private, private. Most of all, think twice about anything you put online. Just because you have it set as private, doesn’t mean it will stay that way.
Consistency Your message and image should be consistent across all public networks and sites. I emphasize public because you may or may not have your Facebook or MySpace page made private (see above). Aside from those private, social sites, try to use a consistent image, tagline and focus of information. Tweet about what you blog, have your LinkedIn picture reflected on your Flickr profile – make it easy and obvious that this is you on every network.
Cohesiveness If at all possible, list your other social networks on every profile or site you develop. For your blog, add a widget (depending on your content management system) that lists your other social networks. On sites like Flickr, YouTube and LinkedIn, add links to each site that you’d like employers to see.

And, most importantly: Google yourself. Every couple of months, take a look and see if something’s showing up on there that you don’t want public or if your name has been mentioned on any sites you don’t want it associated with. Knoweldge is power, and knowing what’s out there with your name on it can be the difference between hired and fired.