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.