Web 2.What?

It only makes sense to make the first post of 2009 about what’s ahead this year for social media. Please add your input, as I’m really just providing a few jumping points. Maybe at the end of the year, we can look back and see how well we did.

1. Twitter will hit critical mass

And no, I don’t think it has already because many of my friends still gave me odd looks when I mention my “tweeple” or that I’m heading to a “tweetup.” However, in 2008 Twitter had so much momentum and I think it will just keep growing. Also I think Twitter may start trying to monetize. Not sure how, though, ads? Any other ideas?

2. “Personal branding” will have more clout

I have been telling my friends all year to get online and start building their personal brands. Start a blog, an online portfolio, get on Twitter, ‘professionalize’ your Facebook profile, etc.

Now with words like ‘recession,’ and unemployment at an all-time high, finding a job is much more about marketing yourself. Companies are going to be faced with increased competition for positions, and you can make yourself stand out by showing your ability to change with the times and demonstrated initiative.

3. 2009 will be the year of meaningful metrics

With budgets tightened and staff skimped, many companies will turn to social media to maximize ROI–this is nothing new, but the tools to measure success need improvements. I track the traffic to Web2dotwhat.com using three tools- Google Analytics, Feedburner and Clicky. Sadly all three report different numbers (not sure which is correct, but I think Clicky is most accurate). Those who have a really good understanding of metrics and analytics will be in a great position to help others. I for one hope to see an easy-to-understand/use tool aimed at PR/marketing folk for blog tracking.

4. Content quality will become the crucial element

Right now, if you are publishing any sort of content, if it’s not blatantly terrible you’ll probably get traffic, comments, new subscribers, conversions, etc. However this year I think quality will trump quantity as the noise ratio out there is just getting too high. When hiring someone to produce content, make sure he/she has solid communication and writing skills, as well as an expert understanding of the medium.

5. It’s all about you, forget about me

I don’t mean literally! But there’s still a lot of “me, me, me” content out there, when it should be “you, you, you.” While this concept is certainly nothing new, it desperately needs to be put in practice. If you’re not sure what I mean, find a site you like and read through it, is it speaking to YOU, or is it talking about ME (or we)? Chances are, if you like it, it’s probably speaking to you. If you think the content comes across as cocky or arrogant, it’s probably speaking about itself. As competition steepens and budgets deplete this will be more important than ever.

So what do you think? Am I accurate? Do you have other predictions to add?

Dave Forde over at Profectio has initiated a contest to find out who is Canada’s most influencial man and woman in social media. Voting closes at midnight Dec. 31.

I am extremely honoured to have been nominated as one of Canada’s most influential women in social media, but I do feel like I have a lot more to do before I’d be worthy the title. So I’d love your support but I also acknowledge there are many other fabulous women on the list who certainly do deserve it! Also I’m super happy to see someone from Ottawa on the list, though I wish I had been paying attention during nominations because there’s a few other Ottawa gals who should most definitely be there. (@Suzemuse and @zchamu come immediately to mind)

As for the men, there’s quite the list. I actually haven’t decided who to vote for because there are so many great choices. (And a few Ottawa folks too–9 by my quick count!) So what are you waiting for, go vote!

OK, so it’s been a while, but SM2 is one of the tools I’ve been enthusiastic about reviewing since I started. (To recap, you can check out my review of Social Radar as well as Radian6). One thing I particularly loved about Techrigy SM2 is it has a ‘freenium’ option! Which is really handy if you do not have a big brand and lots of keywords to manage and no budget for social media monitoring–such as I do.

But on to the good stuff. There’s two things that really stood out about SM2, for starters I was impressed with what they offered in a free account and secondly it looks very similar to Google Analytics. This is great because if you’re already a GA user, you’ll have no trouble finding your way around.

One thing about SM2 is it says it’s created specifically for PR/Marketing agencies. However, I would argue that it’s a perfect tool for small companies that have a big presence online. Not to say it’s not good for agencies as well, as you can create separate profiles per client, but it’s easy to use and again, looking like Google Analytics makes it easy for anyone already familiar with the layout.

Here’s a few screenshots of the product (from the site as they’re much more interesting than the ones I tried to make:

Demographics--breaking down your audience (click for larger)

Trends - keyword mentions by day

So to re-cap, here’s what I like about SM2:

• Familiarity in design (similar to Google Analytics)
• Great data about your audience. Gives you gender and age of authors writing about you, which is great if you are sending pitches to bloggers.
• Author tags give you an idea of what other topics sites that mention you are talking about. Again great for crafting pitches, as well as to give you context to what people are writing about.
• Collection from a variety of sources, includes microblogs
• Sends you a daily email of search results on your keywords. Love this, don’t need to log in everyday, get a quick summary and I can go in for more details when needed.

The only downside I saw to SM2 is it doesn’t have the build-your-own dashboard that the other tools I’ve seen had, it’s definitely a solid tool that will definitely ease your analytic mind. And I am definitely going to continue using it for my own work at SmartHippo.

I’m incredibly excited to announce the next Social Media Breakfast in Ottawa is happening on Thursday, Dec. 11. Why am I so excited? Because the guest will be none other than Bryan Person - the man who started it all (Social Media Breakfast). Bryan will discuss the Social Media Year in Review, along with what’s ahead in social media for 2009. If you want more info, here about it straight from Bryan in this video clip about it.

Definitely not one to miss!

It takes place at the Gowling office at 200 Elgin Street (at Laurier). Register quickly because they always fill up!

Times are tough right now and only getting tougher. This means finding a job right now amidst mass layoffs and a tanking economy is definitely not easy. But I’m saying fret not, and use the power of social media to land a new gig.

Whether you’re looking for a job *in* social media or a traditional communications role that probably involves social media, you can definitely use it to your advantage in your job search. In fact, I’ve had great luck with job opportunities through social media and I’ve done the traditional job searching and it’s never worked to my advantage.

Here are some tactics you can start right now which can help you find job opportunities and also to put yourself out there and let the opportunities find you:

Get on Twitter

Image by via CrunchBase

This is the first thing I tell anyone who’s looking for a job. Actually I pretty much tell everyone to join Twitter for any reason really. I’m sure you already know networking is the best way to land a job and I consider Twitter to be the ultimate networking tool. If you aren’t sure what to post about (You don’t have to take “What are you doing?” so literally) start by posting articles, blog posts and web sites that you find interesting.  Build a profile that includes a real photo (doesn’t have to be a photo of you, but something personal yet professional will work best). Include a brief bio that includes what you are interested and what you like to tweet about. When you’ve got a few posts up, head over to Twitter Search and start searching topics that interest you and find interesting people tweeting about them and follow them. When you start to follow people, reply to their tweets (by starting yours with @[username]) to start a conversation. Once you get going it’s a lot of fun and you’ll meet lots of interesting people. Once you join, follow me and let me know you read my post and I’ll send some interesting tweeters your way. (Oh, and if you’re in Ottawa looking for a job you may want to follow @ottawatweetjobs - my other Twitter account.)

Join relevant social networks

Image by via CrunchBase

There are literally thousands of active social networks these days and chances are there’s a handful that touch upon your interests or that can help you in your job search. First of all, if you aren’t on LinkedIn, get on and start finding all your past colleagues and acquaintences. Complete your profile and consider asking for recommendations from former bosses and co-workers as recruiters do regularly use the sites to find candidates. I can recommend a handful of others depending on what you’re looking for, so feel free to contact me if you’re having problems finding ones to join.

Build an online portfolio

Showcase your work so it’s not only easy to send to potential employers, but it will come up in Google searches and also allow for others to pass along. If you’re worried about your technical abilities, worry not–just head over to Blogger.com and start a blog as a hosting place for your online portfolio. Put links to social networks you’re a part of (Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, if it’s not too personal) and include a link to your resume. For an example, you can see an online portfolio I put together a while back on blogger…

Once you’ve built the portfolio (and tested all your links!) be sure you reference it in cover letters to potential employers and even include the link in your email signature. You never know when a potential opportunity may be hiding in a regular email communication.

Read and comment on blogs that interest you

If this is all new to you, you may want to start with iGoogle. It is a personalized Google homepage that displays RSS subscriptions as widgets (and you can get other handy widgets like the weather, your gmail account etc.) The City of Ottawa has a fabulous page that explains how you can set up your iGoogle page for RSS. Once you’re all set up, use Google Blog Search or Technorati to scope out blogs that interest you and click the RSS subscribe button (usually a little orange icon).

Start your own blog

If you’re really passionate about what you want to do, and can dedicate the time to maintain a blog, then consider starting your own. Blogging is a rewarding experience in its own, especially if you love to write. Check out my previous post “Social media and community management resources” for links and resources for blogging. Consider joining communities like MyBlogLog or the Bloggeries forum to help learn as you go and to promote your blog.

Tips to succeed in social media

Think you’re ready to go out and conquer social media to help find your dream job? That’s great, but it also involves a lot of ‘putting yourself out there’ and if you’re not careful it could backfire. So here’s a few quick tips to keep you on the path to success:

• Consistency across social media - If you’re building a personal brand you want to make sure you get credit for all your effort. Build your own ‘brand’ by developing a user name, photo and brief bio to use across all social networks so that people will recognize you at each and it won’t seem like you’ve developed a multiple personality disorder.
• Think before you post - Sometimes when we finally open our mouths, we can’t seem to shut them again! Remember that *anyone* could be reading what you’re writing so you may want to steer clear of controversial topics like religion or politics. Also you’ll want to ensure that you come across as a responsible professional so don’t drink and tweet!
• Commit time to do it all - An abandoned profile or blog may give off a negative impression of you, so before you start, make sure you can commit the necessary time to keep it up.
• Remember it’s about conversations - Be kind and polite to others, and always try to respond to comments posted on your profile page or tweets or however some one may be reaching out to you… Even if they don’t have a job offer for you.

That’s all I have for now! Have any tips that have helped you land a job? Have you tried something else I didn’t list here? Leave a comment!

Do you get social media, but still wondering how to effectively measure it? Are you in (or planning to be in) Ottawa next week? Well good news for you because there’s a couple of great events happening!

Third Tuesday is happening next Wednesday, November 26, at the Clocktower brew pub on Bank St. (Which brews in-house some fabulous beer, I like the raspberry wheat) but the real treat is the topic (Making the case for new tools in tough times: Measure now, don’t be sorry later) and the speakers, Chris Johnson, President of dna13, Craig Comeau from Radian6 and Parker Mason from CNW Group.

As you may recall, I’ve reviewed Radian6 here before, and I had the pleasure of meeting Parker Mason last time he was in town so I’m definitely excited for this lineup. Hope you can make it out! Register through Meetup (free registration required)

If you can’t make it out on Wednesday, the DigitalOttawa Meetup Group is hosting an event with Radian6 the next day, Thursday, November 27. Unfortunately I can’t make this one as I’ll be at StartupCamp Montreal, where SmartHippo is selected as a presenter! Hope to see you there.

Here’s a little success story I’d love to share because it affected me personally! Back in September, I wrote about some social media apps/community sites that had fallen out of favour with me or just off my the radar. One of those applications was socialmedian a social news sharing site that I had struggled to get interested in. In fact because I had lost interest I was actually getting annoyed by the daily emails I was receiving about it. Though I thought it was done and over with I hadn’t got around to unsubscribing which is why it made my list.

Well socialmedian founder Jason Goldberg reached out right away via the comments with a heart-filled request to give socialmedian another chance. I remembered when I originally signed up that I saw a lot of potential in the site, so I took his advice and committed to giving it another chance. Well now I love it. I’m skimming my news almost daily, clipping articles and even commenting on news story I like. I haven’t worked it into my everyday social media routine but I’m well on my way.

And *that* is why it’s important to follow your brand online and reach out when necessary. Not only am I re-engaged in the site, but I’m writing about it here! Great work Jason, and keep it up with socialmedian!

PS- Check out what I’m reading and sharing at socialmedian

**UPDATE** Looks like Mashable wrote did a much more in-depth review/interview with Jason Goldberg. Check it out…

I’m speaking to the Algonquin Public Relations students about social media and community management  and I wanted to share a few resources with them. I was going to throw it all in a PowerPoint presentation, but that’s not very Web 2.0. So here it is compiled in a blog post. Of course if you have anything to add, drop a comment! Also, be sure to check the comments for more great suggestions

First, a little primer in social media:

(more videos like these on Commoncraft.com)

Books to read:

Groundswell (which I’ve reviewed here before) is written by two senior Forrester Research analysts. It is focused on social media strategy for enterprise businesses. It includes some great case studies of large brands using various social media.

Cluetrain Manifesto does an excellent job of explaining the idea of markets being conversations, and the importance of companies listening to their customers. It clearly details the backbone of social media–and it was actually written 10 years ago! (And hey–the authors are so passionate about their ideas, that the entire text of this book is available on the web site..for free!)

The New Rules of Marketing and PR by David Meerman Scott is next on my reading list, but I feel confident recommending this book because of the great reviews it’s received and because I really dig David’s blog…

Want to get started? Here’s a few blogs to learn more…

Web Strategy by Jeremiah - A ’social computing’ analyst for Forrester and long-time social media advocate
Chris Brogan - a well-known expert in social media and community
Six Pixels of Separation (blog and podcast) Mitch Joel is “Canada’s Digital Marketing Rockstar”

Prefer to listen? Try these podcasts
(podcasts are simply audio and/or files, which you can listen/view to from a web site, or subscribe to receive each episode in iTunes and listen from your computer or mp3 player)

• Inside PR
• For Immediate Release
• Managing the Gray

Want to build your personal brand? Try getting involved with these sites…

• Twitter (warning! Can be highly addictive!)
• LinkedIn (unofficially called Facebook for professionals)
• MyRagan (social network for PR professionals)
• Sixent(a very cool Ottawa-based social network that lets you manage multiple profiles)

Want to start blogging?

• If you have a good understanding of the web/HTML/CSS Check out Wordpress (If you’re really savvy-go self-hosted)
• If it’s all new to you, Blogger is a great starter blogging platform..Have your blog up and running in minutes!
• Somewhere in between? TypePad is a good choice too.
• Oh, and check out the Bloggeries Forum for tricks and tips to promote your blog!

Social media tools for PR people

• CNW Social Media Releases - Canada’s leading news wire now offers social media release services
• Pitchengine - create a social media release, free!
• PRWeb - a newswire services that allows you to incorporate social media elements and search engine optimization into your news release
• Radian6 - A social media monitoring service for PR firms (previously reviewed)
• Social Radar by Infegy - A social media monitoring service for small/medium businesses (also reviewed)
• SM2 by Techrigy - Another social media monitoring software that gets talked about a lot.

Want to network with social media folks? Check out these regular events in Ottawa

• Social Media Breakfast Ottawa - part of a franchise started in Boston by Bryan Person, and brought to Ottawa by Ryan Anderson, Simon Chen and Rob Lane.
• Third Tuesday Ottawa - Usually happens around the third Tuesday of each month. Started by Joe Thornley of Thornley Fallis, a PR firm that’s really tuned into social media.
• Podcamp Ottawa is an unconference that happens once a year, and it’s coming up November 23. Organized by Mark Blevis, Andrea Ross,Bob Goyetche, Maurizio Ortolani

And finally, some random tools that make your life easier:

• Delicious.com - social bookmarking site. Don’t you hate when you’re on a different computer and can’t access your bookmarks? Wish you could share bookmarks with friends? Delicious addresses both these. You’ll never use browser bookmarks again!
• Digg is a news site where users vote on the news they like best. The more votes they more exposure the news gets.
• MyBlogLog - Promote your blog and find other bloggers
• Evernote - If you use multiple computers and a mobile device, this really rich notes program syncs them all. (thanks to @jpblogger for this tip)
• Firefox is the essential browser for the social media junkie, because you can get all sorts of add-ons to manage your social media tools efficiently.
• StumbleUpon is a fun program that takes you to a random web site based on your interests. Also it’s great for promoting blog posts.
• Ning - If you’re really ambitious and passionate about something, why not start your own social network around it?
• Socialmedia.alltop.com - Guy Kawasaki kindly put all the best social media blogs on one convenient. In fact, go to alltop.com to find an Alltop page on almost any subject!
• CoComment is another great tool if you are commenting on people’s blogs… It will track all your comments and follow up comments all in one place.

As Canadians, we’re pretty affected by US politics. In fact, as the most powerful nation right now, most of the world is affected by US politics. So, if you’re not a US resident, don’t you wish you could have your say?

While it’s nothing official, iftheworldcouldvote.com is a cool idea where anyone in the world can ‘cast a vote’ for the oh-so-important election tomorrow. Looks like the whole world is loving Obama…

Ok, if you don’t have a costume by now… it’s probably too late (as a matter of fact, as of this writing, I do not have one myself!)

Anyway these last few days I have been frantically trying to find something and have come across these hilarious ideas (and others) that I thought you’d enjoy!

1. Facebook Profile

If you google “Facebook profile halloween” you’ll find quite a few, but I particularly like this one.

2. LOLCat

As a cat lover–actually a lolcat lover–this is one of my fav costume ideas. Google’s Matt Cutts even dressed up as one last year!

3. Fail Whale

This is new for 2008, but has been abuzz the last few weeks. No photos, but you can check out the Fail Whale fan club for inspiration.

4. Youtube video

If you love your online video, why not dress up as one?
More funny web 2.0 costume ideas at Now Public…