Make or Break Your Career with Social Media

all is fair in love and social media domination

Hey there, Parker here.  Sharing my thoughts on current events, marketing and social media.  Also, my DVR didn't record yesterday's daytime Law & Order episodes so I have an idle hour or two.

Anyway, the most popular and respected search engine company just upped their game and are playing for keeps.  Google easily chopped Alta Vista in half, turned dogpile into a dog pile, and had Ask Jeeve's asking "what happened?".  They KO'd their opponents but they've tipped their hand with this latest development - all Google employees are tied to the success of social media.  Wow.  They sound worried.

bing. meet. facebook

Now that Bing and Facebook are best buddies, I guess social media is the most logical step in securing global online domination.  Google is asking employees to enlist the help of family and friends to push social product releases.  If they aren't soliciting feedback I would frown upon the practice of manipulating or skewing data by asking friends and family to vote favorably just for voting's sake.  But knowing Google as well as I do (see my previous love for Google post), I'm sure they are truly testing products for a better user experience, and not just popularity.

Face it folks, we all know building a following using social media takes time and consumer trust and I'm a blatant fan of all things Google. However, my personal experiences with their social media channels have been hit or miss.  For instance;

this is a real thing

I tried Orkut because it was a default add-on while creating my Google Identity.  No one in my social circle was on it (or even heard of it) so that was the last time I bothered to log-in.

Picasa was cool when signed up and I still like it.  Sometimes I want to share photos independent of Facebook and Picasa serves my efforts well.

Wave was all mystery and I was green-eyed that I never got the invite while EVERYONE ELSE I KNEW was asked to test it.  Then I found out what it was and sort of wished I'd stayed in the dark.

i use it

Gmail chat is awesome!  I love the ease of using chat right within my Gmail screen.  And the video chat was as simple to use as a click of a button.  Literally.

Blogger - um, duh! You're reading my blog now.

YouTube's embed feature was my first experience with embedding video or any widget on a web page and loved the simplicity of it.

+1 brings out my inner paranoid conspiracy theorist.  Sometimes I don't want to know what my 'friends' have read nor do I want them to know what I've read. If I post online, it's fair game, but if I'm browsing the web, much like a library, I have an expectation of privacy.

i see google making more money

Buzz made me mad.  Unlike Facebook, I couldn't hide much of my information from search engines (or anyone).  So I worry about buzzing on non-web or professional matters.

No one asked for my two-cents but that has never stopped me from spreading the wealth.  I'm all for their decision.  Top down and bottom up - all administrative, professional and middle management employees have been drafted and will be held responsible for Google's social media efforts.

I can dig it.  I'm watching them closely and I'm taking notes.

I won't be surprised if in 2-3 years we find ourselves ranking Orkut (or whatever new platform they develop or buy) as our preferred vehicle of online conversation and community.

Best,
Parker

What's in an Email Signature?

Hey there, Parker here.

There's a lot to be said about your email signature.  You are not only signaling a close to a correspondance, but you're telling people more about your self than you may realize.

For a long time I would simply say "Thanks, Parker" and leave it at that.  No follow-up contact information, not even my email address or my full name.  (Okay, I still sign my emails "Parker" but I now include every way possible for the recipient to reach out to me).

This is because not everyone sends or accepts a vCard.  Some folks get the information they need and delete their emails to keep an organized inbox (I'm guilty).  Many people are using their mobile devices to send and receive their emails so why not let them view your website or return a call with a tap of the screen?

It's easy and it is the right thing to do in our modern world.

But there's another advantage to properly using your email signature - promotion.  That's right!  You can leave your name, number, email address, website, social media URLs and a quick tag line about your recent award, recognition or innovative product launch.

Simply put, use the email signature to your advantage and view it as yet another other tool in your marketing arsenal.



Best,
Parker

Parker's Thoughts: Social Media and Your Personal Brand Risks

Hi there, it's Parker here.  This has been on my mind lately so I have to say something.  Often you hear stories of a person who accidentally leaves the speaker phone unmuted and speaks his true feelings about the boss aloud for the entire group to hear.  Or someone who gossips about another in the restroom, not knowing said person is in the next stall.  Embarrassing right?  Well people, that's called risk.


You open your mouth, you take a risk that your words will come back to haunt you.


Does that mean you should stop talking, sew your mouth shut or rip out a vocal cord?  Well, maybe (don't get offensive, some of you should consider those options).  But why do that when your instant message, tweet, facebook status update or 4-square check-in could be just as incriminating?


Social media allows you to broadcast your every thought, your every whim, to a world-wide audience in real-time.  Your forum comments and blog posts get collected in search engines and displayed in search results.  If you're a celebrity, your tweets are often screen-captured and that image is saved for later reference.  Take it from me, 7 years later and my rant about Beyonce still comes up!


Just like you can't unspeak those disparaging remarks about your boss, you can't always un-tweet the 140 character text about your night filled with binge-drinking and debauchery that lead to you calling your boss requesting time off to care for your ailing family-member (the hangover).  Either way, your boss finds out the truth.


If your personal marketing strategy involves a venture into online social media, understand that every keystroke and finger tap is contributing to your personal brand.  For better or for worse.  


Here are some options:

• Lose the brand equity you've spent years cultivating and start all over with a new online identity. (no!)
  
• Split your energy in half, worrisomely manage two completely separate personal and professional online identities, and never the twain shall meet. (pffft!)
  
• Treat risk management and social media as a high priority and develop a zero tolerance policy. (yes!)

The choice is simple.


Best, 
Parker