The numbers game: Real relationships in social media

Five ways to keep up with Social Media

Web interfaces such as Twitter, Facebook and Google have been stealing news headlines left and right, and there are now enough Social Media phrases to fill a modern dictionary.

If you chose to go on a social media binge, it can be a challenge to keep four personal profiles updated with accurate information. Much less, do most people have time to stay ahead of new trends and tools that become available. How does one stay on top of social media without inducing a coronary or aneurysm?

Five simple methods that require little effort:

1. Stop watching Lost. Obviously, you have to make SOME time to learn. One can only begin to fathom the amount productive free time possible if one stops watching mindless TV.

2. Start an RSS feed. Instead of surfing web sites, simply set up Google Reader (it takes 60 seconds or less, proven) and start following relevant blogs, sites and developers. Each day, check it once for new content and read what appeals to you.

3. Google Alerts. This is how it works: type in a few key phrases (Social Media and Web 3.0, for example) and have Google do the research for you. You will receive emails, at an interval of your choosing, listing links and sites where your key phrases have appeared. Companies also use this method as a way to keep track of who is talking about them in the blogosphere.

4. Del.icio.us and Digg. You're not going to find everything by yourself. Social bookmarking provides an enormous advantage to peer into what others have (dugg) up. The Internet is too big for anyone to navigate solo.

5. Talk to others and pose questions. Word of mouth is still one of the most effective communication tools. Start conversations with people who are interested in similar topics and ask questions. Even if you don't think they would know the answer, brainstorming is the first step toward original ideas!

Three blogs to add to your RSS feed (these are all PR, marketing and social media pros):
Seth Godin
Brian Solis
Todd Defren

There couldn't be a more appropriate video for this post:


Helpful? I hope so. Send me an email at pauljmatson@gmail.com or leave a comment!

The Social Media Lifestyle

From Internet forums, message boards, weblogs, wikis, podcasts, vlogs, to Twitter, Facebook and Second Life; the sky is limit when it comes to Social Media tools. Today's PR practitioner not only has the task of being knowledgeable about what tools are available, but must know which programs to use at what time. With the wide variety of Web 2.0-driven software, it can be a hot mess trying to discover the best social mediums for a brand.

Technology, of course, is only going become more advanced with time and will do so at an ever-increasing pace. An avid news junkie may even have trouble keeping tabs on the latest Social Media trend or daily Web 2.0 fad. A RSS feed of new SM tools and reading industry advice is not the end all solution. To be most effective, an industry practitioner needs to make Social Media a part of their daily lifestyle.

Your grandmother's Facebook

It's no secret that some of the Baby Boomers still have trouble understanding "the Google." Much less would you expect to be talking to your grandmother on Facebook chat, sharing your favorite sites with her on Del.icio.us or finding her blog on Technorati. There's nothing wrong with that, of course- it's just not a part of her lifestyle.

The Internet is a common ground for all information seekers with technology at their disposal. Unless one is immersed in Social Media tools on a regular basis, no one can expect to know the lingo, trends, or rules associated with every SM tool out there. Twitter may be easy to use, but there is an etiquette to be followed and methods to reach broader audiences that are not obvious to a first-time user.

No such thing as an expert

The bottom line is this: it takes time to learn how to EFFECTIVELY use Social Media. You wouldn't pick up a hammer out of your tool box and start whacking away unless you knew how to use it. Social Media can be profoundly effective or equally destructive if utilized poorly. Having a user name and password to every latest SM site does not make you an expert on to use it!

Take time to read about the programs, but not just from the homepage. Read blogs about the SM tool, scroll through public forums, and pay close attention to mainstream headlines when they happen to pop up in the news. Most importantly, use the tool regularly and pay close attention to how popular users operate their account.

Don't forget that the one characteristic that makes Social Media unique is the fact that it is user created and driven. Companies make the algorithm and concept, but people make the content.

And that, fellow blog reader, includes you.

Love or hate what you've read, please leave a comment or drop me an email at pauljmatson@gmail.com.

Playground Politics

This article could easily be about the election. But who wants to hear more about polls? The only conclusion that has been reached is that the results are inconclusive. Surprise, surprise. The best advice is to ignore the media, do your own cross-referenced research on each candidates' web site, and don't believe your neighbor's misinformed conspiracy rant. We will know who the next President is when they are elected. Onward.

The cool kid on the blacktop

The truth behind big business and branding is this: sometimes, it really is about being popular. We all love to think that we are far more mature that our colleagues and classmates. Popularity and social drama? We left that behind in high school! Not so fast, Mr. Rogers. As society becomes adults, we have simply learned to streamline popularity contests, manipulating our chosen industry to show our best side. Case and point:

1. Media - How much explaining is necessary? There are hundreds of dissertations that can qualitatively demonstrate how credible publications such as The New York Times and even the The Wall Street journal use propaganda. Actual CNN headline in February: "Will Hillary's shorter hair attract the mommy vote?"

2. Retail - Gucci, Brooks Brothers, Tiffany's. Quality, yes. In most of the world, with money comes social status. With social status can come popularity. The irony we ignore is that consumers want your brand to be popular to they can be popular with you. It's the ultimate buy-in. Don't stop at retail - this applies to any tangible product or service sold in a capitalist market.

3. Schools and education - The academic standard has long since stopped being the primary motivation for attending an institution of higher education. A great football team with a mediocre curriculum can sadly trump some schools with the opposite traits. Attended an Ivy League school? An employer may not know many facts about the institution. You may have earned a degree in South Indian Basketweaving. Regardless, you can rest easy knowing your portfolio will still be near the top of the stack of candidates. I already feel smarter by association.

Social Media

Ask yourself: what is the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear the word social?

Friends? After-work gatherings? Dating? You might even think of one person in particular who you see as exceptionally extroverted or introverted. Regardless, life is more about the popularity contest than we want to believe. Most people will never be able to admit it, even to themselves.

1. Facebook & Myspace - How would describe someone who has 20 friends and 3,000 wall posts? What about a person who has 4,000 pictures tagged of themselves?

2. Twitter - How many updates do they have? Here's an actual friend calculator that will measure your popularity on the micro-blogging site.

3. Blogs - Don't pretend that you're not more interested in a web site that has been read several thousand times. If you come upon an article that has only been read 12-13 times on the internet, you're ten times more likely to continue surfing.

Our failed mentality is this: "Everyone else didn't think it was important, so why should I?"

Read this carefully: To everyone else, we are everyone else.

The bottom line

Only your educated opinion matters!

Cutting through the social clutter isn't easy, but instead of ignoring it, learn to face it and demand transparency. George Bush has low polls again? Find out who was called and surveyed. Nike comes out with a new amazing running shoe? Check their competitors (same shoe, better deal. Always).

Love or hate what you've read, leave a comment or feel free to send me an email at pauljmatson@gmail.com.

The social networking animal

Things are getting hot in here... the Internet that is. With so many web sites to join, it can make you dizzy just thinking about which one is the right one for you. As an aspiring PR pro, I've realized that it is critical to stay at the battle front of the explosion of social networking, mobile marketing, blogging, twittering... you get the idea.

Web 2.0 - the name of the game

Those of you who know me - you're aware of my tendency to propagate Gmail and other google-related services. But there's much more to the madness. So finally, both reluctantly and proactively, I have compiled a list of EVERYTHING I stay active on with regard to the Internet. I've also included my personal link to each. Enjoy.

Here it is: (drum roll)

Google Mail
Gmail - pauljmatson@gmail.com
Seriously, people. Unless you use a work address full time, there's no excuse not to adapt to this service. Not only do you have virtually unlimited storage (I currently have 781 emails in my inbox using 3% of my alloted storage capacity), but you have the ability to chat online through instant messenger and it's accessible anywhere on the planet. Not to mention it's FREE?

Google services
Besides Gmail, I also utilize
1. Google Calendar (VERY similar to the functionality of Outlook and other related services)
2. Reader (RSS feeder)
3. Picasa Web Albums (automatically saves any photos I upload online)
4. Documents (using Google as a document host server)
5. Orkut (international professional networking) - Find me at Paul Matson
6. Analytics (which is how I track my blog exposure)
7. Talk (instant messenger through Google)

Blogspot
Currently what I am using to host my blog. The sign-up, set-up and maintenance is a piece of cake. If you have something ot say... get a blog!
my blogs:
paulmatson.blogspot.com
ouprssa.blogspot.com

Chase Online Banking
I can transfer funds, pay my credit card, and a number of other services. Most major banks provide this service for free. Make your life easier!

Mint Financial Tracking
A free online service that tracks your spending and savings and offers tips on how to save and earn more money without making major changes to your lifestyle. You have to see it to believe it.

Networking

LinkedIn - Business/professional networking
Think of it as a much classier Facebook. It also appears in Google searching, so you might to consider joining in you're in the job market or looking to hire! Find me

Technorati - Premiere blog searching
Whether you're looking to increase your blog's web traffic or search blogs efficiently, there's no better place to start. Find me

PRopenmic - Profile server for PR addicts
It's relatively new, but has the potential for some great idea bouncing and provides an excellent opportunity for some PR networking. Find me

Facebook
Need I say much more? Find me

Myspace
Also likely to appear on Google searches, you might want to consider signing up just to make sure you have some control over what the Internet reveals about you. Undoubtedly, this can be used to your advantage. Find me

Twitter - Microblogging
If you haven't already signed up, DO IT now! It's an unparalleled way to make quick news releases or just give your friends a quick update on your whereabouts. There's lots of cool stories about what Twitter has done for people both in the professional and personal realms. Sign up today! Find me

And just for fun...

Pandora - Online Radio
Forget iTunes radio. Pandora will literally tailor it's playlist to the music you like. Not by genre, but by algorithm. Stop wasting your money on iTunes and sign up (also free, of course).

There you have it.

Confused or have questions? Drop me an email at pauljmatson@gmail.com or leave a comment. Happy surfing!

The Facebook IPO

Facebook for $6 Billion? Wrong Question

Amid a rumor that Facebook is now worth $6 billion to somebody like Microsoft, I think John Battelle gets it right: Mark Zuckerberg doesn't need anybody now. Through savvy moves like the recent opening up of its service to outside Web developers, it's seeing a surge of interest from users. Of course, Battelle raises the right question, which is what will Facebook's business model be? Apparently not traditional online ads, if this report is indicative (and it's probably not, so early in the game). Dave McClure has some interesting insights, basically that once you divine people's intent through their Facebook applications, you can provide them... well, he calls it content, but the more cynical among us still call it advertising. But advertising you might actually be interested in. I also like Scott Karp's idea:

What if there were a way for companies to identify which Facebook users were actually using their products, and then create a mechanism for the users to highlight their use of the product to their friends — and then put those users into the economic value chain.

I’m just making this up — but it’s clear that Facebook and other social networks are in need of the aha moment that happened at Google when someone realized — hey, if we rank the ads based on RELEVANCE as well as price bid, then people would be more likely to actually CLICK on the ad, and we’d make more money.

Then there's Lookery, Scott Rafer's soon-to-be-launched Facebook app ad network. And fbExchange. Whaddya bet, though, that Zuckerberg & Co. will come up with something that surprises us all?

The only way that Zuckerberg sells out before the IPO is if the number is in double-digit billions, and the only 2 companies who can pull that trigger are Microsoft & Google. But i bet they won't, and i bet Zuckerberg won't sell until after the IPO, if ever.

Why?

Because the IPO market *itself* is the 3rd bidder at the table, and i bet the market will pay more than either MSFT or GOOG. Thus, as with eBay and PayPal previously, the deal won't happen until *after* the market sets a floor price for Facebook.

That said, if there's any way either Ballmer or Schmidt can get a deal done with Facebook, they should do so.. and before the IPO if possible.

But if i'm Zuckerberg, there's no way i say yes until after IPO.