Social Networking...Keeping It All Together!

In order to capitalize on the social networking phenomenon, you need to ask yourself some questions....

Who are you?

What are you looking for?

Where do you want this machine to take you?

Why are you here?

When will you have the time?

How do you exchange your ideas?

I am sure you know this but there are oodles and oodles of social sites out on the web to join, and though your first inclination may be to jump on as many as possible, if you become part of too many you will never keep up! Your efforts will be diluted and counterproductive. The idea is to connect, build mutually beneficial relationships, and enjoy a little self expression.

Are you a music buff, does your business fall into or compliment the music world? Then you may like one of these:

Bebo * Imeem * Pandora * Ijigg * Last.FM

http://www.social-music.info/

Are you an art or photography connoisseur, or perhaps you are trying to promote a creative business endeavor? Here are a few sites for you:

Flickr * Stumbleupon * Mixx * Squidoo * Myspace

Are you a news or information addict, does your business provide a service that would be benefited by the exchange of information? Then here are some sites to check out:

Digg * Reddit * Del.icio.us * Mixx * Twitter * Plurk

Are you part of the video revolution or would video help your business? Then these sites may interest you:

Youtube * Vimeo * Seesmic * Dailymotion * Break * Stumbleupon

Are you looking for business collaboration and networking? Then pop on by a few of these:

LinkedIn * Plaxo * Startupnation * Zoom Info * Biznik

I haven't even scratched the surface with this list, I could literally go on for days maybe even months listing social and networking sites. So how do you choose which to join and spend what little time you have on? Your personality, motivation, business style and/or type will dictate which social sites you should sign up for.

Whichever way you go the trick with these sites is to know the website's demographic, to be active, and like the name says BE SOCIAL. If you are not meeting people, creating rapport, and establishing mutually beneficial relationships these sites will not help you. Like high school the more popular you are, the more people you will meet, and the more visible your business and website will be.

Finally do not fake it until you make it, the posers are easy to spot, and they will eat you up and spit you out. Don't waste your time, if you can not be there and be real find another way to market yourself and your business.

Here are few more sources you may want to check out:

Wikipedia Social Website List

http://www.mobile-social-network.info/

http://www.social-travel.info/

http://www.social-tv.info/

Brought to you by: GetSmartWomen

The Funny Web....Where Creativity Rules

Monday is my day to set the tone for the rest of the week!

So show a little inspiration/ show a little spark/ show the world a little act when you show it your heart/ we've got two lives--one we're given,/ and the other one we make/ and the world won't stop/ and actions speak louder/ listen to your heart. ~Mary-Chapin Carpenter

The way we look at Monday's can be with resignation because we know that it means 5 days of work, or we can look at Monday with anticipation because it means 5 days of work! In order to do the latter you of course need to like your work, or like the people you work with, or in the very least like the life your work affords you?

Each day is an opportunity to make a difference (I know cliche much? But it's true). To affect change you do not need to act in a grand scale, it can be as simple as making someone smile.

So how are you going to set the tone today?

Well in my search I stumbled upon a great website (literally it was on Stumbleupon-Thank you Tindink!) that I think charges the imagination, fuels the creative juices, and just makes you smile...

The Funny Web I am not sure why they call it the funny web, there are some funny pictures but most of the artists, photographers, and authors are just amazing not necessarily humorous. Well whatever the case this website is truly incredible, so go check out these awe inspiring images.

These are just a few of the artists who's work is posted on this site:

Painting by Archann

Photos by Julio Segura

Cool photos by David Doubilet

If I have made Monday just a little bit easier for you, then I have reached my goal for today-and if I do nothing else today it will still be a very productive day!!

Enjoy~

Bridget www.getsmartwomen.com

Do You DIGG it?

So it looks like DIGG is changin it up a bit!?! Hallelujah! I am a DIGGer but I have not really DUGG as much as I should. The idea behind this site is great:

"Digg is a place for people to discover and share content from anywhere on the web. From the biggest online destinations to the most obscure blog, Digg surfaces the best stuff as voted on by our users. You won’t find editors at Digg — we’re here to provide a place where people can collectively determine the value of content and we’re changing the way people consume information online."

I find that the reality doesn't meet up with the concept, what I mean by that is that the site is a bit congested and convoluted. When I joined DIGG I thought it would cut down on my web scroungin. I search the net for interesting information, and enjoy it-can we say nerd! This site touts the discover and share component, ergo no need to spend hours searching the web right? Aaah no!

There so much stuff on this site that doesn't interest me it is hard to find the stuff that does. Also if I find something out there I like unless the site has a DIGG button I wont DIGG it, and though I have DIGG Bro's that shoot me shouts that doesn't lead me to those interesting tidbits I am looking for. DIGG, DUGG, shoot, shout if you need the primer for the DIGG Lingo let me know?

So what are they changing over there in the DIGG world? On June 30th the DIGG Blog announced the roll out of the Recommendation Engine

"Now that there are more than 16,000 stories submitted to the Upcoming section every day, it’s difficult to sort through everything to find the best content." The Recommendation Engine uses your past digging activity to identify what we call Diggers Like You to suggest stories you might like.

It's like they read my mind!!

But what exactly does it do and how does it work, will I meet more people-this is a social site right, and will I finally be able find the good stuff?

Well I think that Technology Review's article answered my questions the best: Technology Review: Digging a Smarter Crowd.

Every time a user digs a story, the system compares that action with the actions of everyone else in the system, and it finds which users have the most digs in common. To keep recommendations from being all over the map, the system calculates connections for each topic separately, so that two users who share an interest in video games won't necessarily be thought to have, say, like opinions on political stories. To keep recommendations diverse, the system shows only a certain number of stories from each compatible user and, each time the user requests recommendations, fills out its quota of suggestions employing stories selected by less compatible users. The recommendation engine also limits the effect that a single dig can have, so that someone who digs a very popular story won't suddenly become connected to thousands of other users. Because the system calculates correlations in real time, using separate servers devoted to performing the computations, Kast says that a new dig will affect the recommendation system within one or two minutes.

That was a mouthful, well in essence they are trying to cut down the clutter and get people connected....good concept. I will wait to see the reality of it though, in the meantime I guess I will get back on the DIGG train and see how this new feature plays out. How about you?

Technorati Tags: DIGG,Recommendation engine,Technology Review

Stumble Upon A Visual Stimulant

"If there was ever a time to dare, to make a difference, to embark on something worth doing, It is now. Not for any grand cause, necessarily... but for something that tugs at your heart, something that's your inspiration, something that's your dream." Author Unknown

Thursday I wrote about startin the day off right with the help of your Ipod, today is going to be about visual inspiration or expression. Like many of you I have a Stumble blog, in the beginning I didn't know what to do with this social site-I joined because it is "the thing" to do. I have found lately though that Stumble is a great place to get inspired, offload, meet people, and really get as creative/off the wall as you want to be.

My world is in a bit of an uproar here, I am being pulled in so many directions that sometimes just getting out of bed seems like too much work, because I know that my day will be hectic and overwhelming. I have been in the lending/financial industry for more than 6 years now and though I still have an aptitude for it I am losing the passion. I love the numbers, I love my clients, I love helping people but the turmoil in this industry makes it hard to accomplish those goals. So to tap into that passion again I started a new company Get Smart Women Consulting, which teaches business owners how to brand/build their business on the Internet with the new Web 2.0, social, and Internet marketing trends.

The new company is everything that I want it to be and more, but in this transition I feel like I am working 6 full time jobs. I am still a lender (can't walk away from this just yet, need the money and I can't let go), I am web developer (The website had to be designed, loaded with information 200 pages of videos & articles, updated, maintained, and so much more), I am an owner, marketer, researcher, networker, trainer, IT girl......need I go on. I am excited, inspired, empowered, and totally OVERWHELMED!

This picture fits me perfectly right now:

So what to do; well it is one day at a time for me. I take it as it comes and I try to keep in mind that I am actually pretty lucky to have so many choices, as well people that support me. I use anything that I can get my hands on to get inspiration and Stumble Upon has been such a wonderful place to do that. When I feel like Alice there (The picture is an interpretation of Alice in Wonderland-one of my fav stories, click on it to see other Mad pictures) I go on Stumble, Flickr, or just Google and I start looking for that thing that will give me the pick me up I need.

This picture from the works of Jamey Stillings (Click on picture to get to the website) with this quote "The few wonders of the world only exist while there are those with the sight to see them" -Charles De Lint, for instance made me smile and get back to work.

There is so much to find on Stumble (pictures, poetry, stories, videos, website reviews) that I am just enthralled. Like finding this picture below, that again just put life into perspective for me. The other great thing is that on Stumble you can grab an image and post it, no words or explanations needed-unlike this ridiculously long blog post here. Just kidding we all know I like talking.

So if you are not on Stumble you might want to check it out as a social medium, or as a visual blog source, or just to get inspired. You can take some of those images and post them on your real world inspiration/motivation boards, like the one below.

Not my board, I got it on Flickr from ArtjunkGirl

Why I Like Lijit.com

Lijit is a “personal” search engine it is a tool that allows people to see what you are up to in the big beautiful social Internet world! It covers social and group associations, all of your content, blog statistics, and your blog buddies.

So let’s break down what I like about each area:

Social & Group Associations - Lijit is a handy way of showing people where you are at and how they can find you. The widget is easy to create, you can put it anywhere, and it doesn’t take up much room.




My content – This portion really falls in line with the social & group associations, by clicking on the icons you can go see what I am digging, stumbling, favorite(ing), Twitting, etc. You can also use the search box to search through my blog posts. The thing that would make this a bit cooler would be if you could use the search box and it searched all my social sites as well as my blog for content. It would also be cool if they could add Ted.com I love that site and Qik.com so I have another reason to get a new phone (hint, hint).

Blog Statistics - I like this feature most of all. I am a visual person and I have control issues like clear cut organization with cool graphics, Lijit has that and more. The site shows you page views, top posts, searches, and where readers came from. The where is the coolest because it not only looks at where on the Internet you are coming from but where in the world. It breaks it all down with summaries, charts, graphs, and pictures – yes I am a nerd and proud of it!




Blog Buddies - I haven’t really availed myself of this feature, it includes your blogroll, any blogs you want to watch (Google reader does this for me), blogs in MyBlogLog communities (easier to pick thru than MyBlogLog), and other Lijit users (I don’t have any Lijit buddies).

Search Engine - I hadn’t checked this feature out much until I wrote this post but it is kinda cool if you know what you’re doing with it. You can put in search terms and it will first search my blogs and then you can also search the web (web portion powered by the Google gods). I know that a couple of people have used it because my stats told me so! Whoever you are I hope you found what you were looking for, thanks for not trying to look up porn!

Support – Initially I wasn’t too happy with their support because I couldn’t figure out how to get to them quickly (it’s that instant gratification control thing I have). Then one day I got frustrated because I couldn’t figure out how to get Lijit to recognize MyBlogLog and Flickr, in my frustration I blasted a b*#^chy twit/tweet, whatever. It said something like, “Lijit is p#@^*ing me off and the worst part of it is that it’s probably my fault” well within minutes Tara from Lijit Twitters me. So sweetly too; “I saw your twitter can I help you?” Once I got over my shock and Big Brother conspiracy moment I got her to help me, and I apologized for slamming them on Twitter (my mother told me my mouth would get me in trouble one day)!

Walking the Talk – So it turns out that Lijit is using Twitter to get in touch with their members and for customer support. That is pretty cool…I like it! I am not sure how long they’ll keep that up, have you seen what people put on that site (well duh you just saw what I brilliantly put on there)? But it is pretty sweet that they are out there in the thick of things.

So be careful what you say on Twitter - they are watching….

Social & Business Networking Websites:

These are the sites that I am having the most fun with and the biggest return on my investment. My ROI (return on investment) is based on the time and energy that I am putting into keeping these sites up to date and active. Facebook is on the top of my list but it is the one I have put the least amount of effort into thus far, I wanted to include it however as an alternative to MySpace. From these networking sites I have linked up with people I have not communicated with in a while and I have also made some new, very beneficial contacts. If you want to see what they are all about, you just need to take the leap and jump in. Remember to have fun doing it, I was watching Russell Simons on Donny Deutsch the other night and he said something that resonated with me. "Money doesn't make you happy, but happy makes you money" I know that I am more motivated and productive when I am excited about what I am doing. If you are out there to connect and help others you too will realize a great ROI.



- Facebook – Breaking out as one of the best social networking sites on the Web. More than 64 million active users, an average of 250,000 new registrations per day since Jan. 2007, over 55,000 regional, work-related, collegiate, and high school networks and, the fastest growing demographic is those 25 years old and older. International growth, Canada has the most users outside of the United States, with more than 7 million active users, the U.K. is the third largest country with more than 7 million active users, the remaining top 10 countries in order of active users (outside of the U.S., Canada and UK): Australia, Turkey, Sweden, Norway, South Africa, France, Hong Kong.


- MySpace – A social website that is not just for kids anymore. MySpace has more than 110 million monthly active users around the globe, 1 in 4 Americans is on MySpace, in the UK it’s as common to have a MySpace as it is to own a dog, on average 300,000 new people sign up to MySpace every day. In one month’s time they broke a record and had 4.5 billion page views to the site in one day. MySpace is one of the fastest growing websites with users all over the world, including the U.S., UK, Japan, Australia, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Spain, Mexico, Canada, Netherlands, New Zealand, MySpace en Espanol, Latin America, Austria, Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland.


- LinkedIn – This one is mostly focused on business to business connections. It’s all about using your professional connections to meet other professionals. This is a place where you can link up to 40 million people, where your 60 connections can link you to 300,000 connections. It’s a great place to connect with your community's business leaders, industry professionals, and show others who recommends you as an expert in your field. This website really allows you to open up your business rolodex to others and vice verse.


- Twitter – According to Twitter this social site provides “a service for friends, family, and co–workers to communicate and stay connected through the exchange of quick, frequent answers to one simple question: What are you doing?” With just under 1 million “twitterers” that is a lot of updates, the US is the leading country no surprise there at 40%, with Japan being number to at 39%, then follows Spain, UK, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, and Taiwan. This social network is a good add on, it doesn’t require lengthy blogs or articles it is just a website where you post how your day is going, you know those frequent ups and downs that other members may identify with.


- Active Rain – This one is all about the real estate community with 70,000 plus members. It’s a great place to kick around ideas and have other real estate professionals see your ideas. Plus, there have been some Active Rain profiles in Google lately. An added bonus is that Active Rain has been in the news recently with a round of venture-capital funding, so there may be some new features and growth soon. As we also know in the news means that the consumer now recognizes an inside source to go to find industry scoop, so don’t be surprised if your next clients says they found you on Active Rain.



- Flickr – For the photo enthusiast Flickr's community is a social network of sorts, you can make friends (Flickr calls them contacts) and track their newest photos. Like many social sites Flickr's has organized groups, which let users create and contribute to. Each group has a shared pool of pictures that any of its members can contribute to, some with themes some not, it's like a book club, but for pictures.


- Digg – For the news enthusiast Digg is a community-based news article popularity website claiming to have 20 million viewers a month. It combines social bookmarking, blogging, and syndication. News stories and websites are submitted by users, and then promoted to the front page through a user-based ranking system. This differs from the hierarchical editorial system that many other news sites employ basically the users decide what is relevant in the world not the corporations.