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

Take Time to Relax

Hey there, Parker here.  Actually, I'm here, there and everywhere in between.  I'm accessible by home phone, work phone, iphone, blackberry, email, gmail, instant message, facebook, foursquare, linkedin, google video chat, msn messenger, skype, text, voicemail and yellow post-it notes.


At any given moment you can reach me in my car, in my house, in my yard, at the park, at the grocery store and even at the dentist office while I'm waiting in the chair.


But as of next week, all of that changes.

gratuitous pic of cute guy

I will be out of reach, out of the office, out of pocket, out of touch, off the grid, offline and checked-out for the first time in a very long time.  That's right, folks - Parker is taking a vacation!


My standard away messages have always been "leave a message and I'll get back to you."  Not this time.  If you call me, text me, skype me, email me, instant message me, ping me, or knock on my door you will get this:  I'm out.  Peace.


And why is this important?  Because we all need to take time out and regroup.  Everyone should have a moment of silent reflection to gather their thoughts and understand the big picture in life.  If you work hard you deserve to play just as hard.  So I encourage everyone to take time out and rest.  Just know that when you return to the hustle and bustle of your daily routine, you will handle it with a better frame of mind.


And with that - I'm out!  Peace!


Parker

Google

Hi there, Parker here. Let's keep this one brief - Google. Enough said, right? Well I'm here to say I'm sold, I believe the hype, I'm drinking the kool-aid and I am a Google products stalker.

Why? Because they get me. They know I need metrics to evaluate the performance of my website and ads.  They know I like talking to my friends by video and instant message.  They understand that Parker needs to access all of her 26 different pop-mail accounts that she's been selfishly holding on to since AOL was doling them out like candy in the 90s.

And they get advertising.

Repeat - Google gets online advertising.  They make advertising so easy a kid could do it. And if said kid chose to develop an advertising campaign around the latest fizzing, popping, pink cotton candy, Google has all of the tools necessary to make it happen in a single swoop.  Let's see it in action.

Product: Fizzing, Popping, Pink Cotton-Candy
Goal: Sell a lot of it
Tools: Everything Google has available


First Step: How Do We Get Our Candy In Front of Consumers?

Google Solution - AdWords that push our candy and website on Google's network.

Second Step: We've Built It Online, How Can They Find Us Offline?
Google Solutions - Google Places allows you to post updates, maps, directions, company information and even coupons!

Third Step: We're Too Far From Their House, They Want To Shop Online - How?
Google Solution - Merchant Center and Checkout so they can buy your candy in the comfort of their own living room.

Fourth Step: They've Bought Our Candy, How Do We Measure Our Online Success?
Google Solution - Analytics and Website Optimizer to review your site usage and maximize conversion rates.

Fifth Step: They've Come, They've Bought, They're Telling Their Friends!
Google Solution - GMail and Google Friend Connect will let folks send messages and use social media to evangalize your candy.

Final Step: Success!
With minimal cost and setup you can have your fizzing, popping, pink cotton candy in front of your consumers. With a proper marketing plan in place, those consumers will become your customers. With the right fizzing, popping, pink cotton candy, a solid customer service experience and ease of purchase, your customers will become repeat customers.

So, who's with me on liking Google?

Best,
Parker