One of the more fun social sites I use is Facebook. I connect with old classmates, people I just met, bloggers that I follow, and of course family. My page is simple, and easy to read, especially if someone is looking for my personal information to link up for a meeting. I've never been one for add ons, so most of the invitations I receive I simply "Ignore." Not to say anything is wrong with them, I am just not interested in being a zombie, vampire, super hugged, or super poked. I've seen a lot of movies and I've heard a lot of music, but I don't need a trivia quiz to tell me how bad my memory is.
Facebook is my all around social site where I display a wide spectrum of interests. On my Facebook I make sure one of the top "addons" that I display is my LinkedIn profile. The second is my Flickr account. Thirdly I have my Twitter account followed by an interesting add on called Socialight that was introduced to me by Chris Brogan. Thanks Chris! This is all I have on my site because nothing annoys me more than looking at someone's profile and not being able to see information because I do not have an add on installed onto my Facebook. I keep it simple and clean.
Flickr
I've had a Flickr account for at least a year but I've never really utilized it. I would upload a few pics from time to time of family or events, but it was just one of those sites that I signed up to because I was persuaded. Over the past few weeks I read some great articles suggesting uses for my Flickr account and needless to say I've been inspired. Some of the people that I have followed are iJustine, Leo Laporte, and Merlin Mann (of 43Folders fame). Something I've noticed is how many pictures they take of their day. They literally document their entire life. It's not professional photography, but the pictures are a real slice of their life that they are sharing with the world.
With that in mind I have purchased a small digital camera that I now carry with me. I will start taking pictures of my life and guiding people through my day. It's a great way to connect and begin conversation. Sometimes when we write we forget that their are people on the other end of the screen, and Flickr reminds us of just how amazing and interesting each of our lives can be.
What can I say about Twitter? The best way to describe Twitter would be to say it is the Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) of the social networking sites. This microblogger comes quick and fast, but is a blast if utilized correctly.
Twitter can be used to document your daily activities, share news, links, photos, begin conversations, ask questions, and most importantly meet amazing people that you would not have met surfing the web. Dialog, that is what this is all about. This community building program has been expanded and built upon to run in toolbars, iPhones, Windows Mobile Phones, Instant Messengers, Blog sites;there is no reason why Twitter cannot work for you.
If anyone has ever spoken badly about Twitter it's because they never gave it a chance. I was a skeptic at the beginning thinking that no one would care what I do day to day. Who cares that I want a margarita? Who cares that I just read an interesting article about technology? Who cares that my son has strep throat? I will tell you, people care! That is what you will find on Twitter. With only 140 characters allowed, people are forced to share their thoughts quickly, but it's amazing how much we say in such few words. Give Twitter a try! It takes some getting used to but once you find people of like interests to follow then perhaps they will follow you. That's how the twitter community grows.
Here are a few other amazing articles on Twitter:
- Guide to Twitter as a Tool for Marketing and PR
- Newbies Guide to Twitter
- Deeper Twitter - Turning Twitter for Value
This site has really grown on me over the last two weeks. LinkedIn is where I put my professional foot forward and connect with other professionals and contacts across a wide array of industries. Closely related to my post on networking and who you know, LinkedIn looks to connect professionals via people they already know. For example, if I were looking for a job with the Red Cross I could scan the job sites and/or contact HR and find out what positions are posted. I could apply for them and then wait for a response. OR using LinkedIn I could look through my network and see if someone I know knows someone that works with the Red Cross in some capacity and then use my contact to introduce me to the person already working for the Red Cross. It can sound a little far fetched but I have known people who have gotten their current jobs because of LinkedIn, once again proving that sometimes it is who you know.
What I like about LinkedIn is that of all the social sites, it is set up specifically to highlight the professional. There are no fancy add ons, no boy bands to listen to, or advertisements with moving targets promising you big prizes. Rather it's a place to gather to share ideas, answer questions regarding your respective industry, and keep a very detailed profile of all of your contacts.
The recommendation system is one of my favorite aspects on the site. LinkedIn allows you to write a recommendation for the person who is in your network. When job hunters come across your profile, having recommendations on hand is an excellent way to have people speak on your behalf before they even contact you.
Here are a few articles to help you grow within the LinkedIn community:
- Five Things to Do on LinkedIn
- Three Things LinkedIn Does Better than Facebook
- Ten Ways to Use LinkedIn
The most important lesson in all this, is the idea of community. That is what all of these sites are building. The world is bigger than your surroundings. The only way to grow within the world community is to interact;involve yourself in discussion, comment on others photos, videos, and blogs.
Which social sites do you use and how has it impacted you the most?
Photo Credit, b_d_solis
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