Crossroads of Life: The Traffics a Blur

I’m at a crossroads and the traffic is buzzing by in a blur. I want to go straight ahead to get where I was planning to go, but it might be safer and quicker to take a right turn. A little bit down the road I will do a U-turn to get back to the road I need to be on.

Does this sound familiar? Have you ever taken this route in life, personally or professionally?

I’ve certainly been there. And at times I’ve waited until the “traffic” cleared up so I could go straight, but other times I take that right turn either because I was impatient or because I thought it was still a good choice.

I haven’t posted here in a while. The main reason being that I’ve been at a crossroads. We all know life isn’t easy, but we have to play with the cards we’re dealt. And there is really no good reason to look back.

How do you approach a crossroad in life?

Until next time…

Will B

If I were CEO of Google.

Something New

I was excited to try it. Heck, I’m always excited to try something new. It brings excitement to life. So for about a month I made time in my day that I didn’t necessarily have.

Over time I slowly quit this new task that for about a month filled me with excitement. I was done. No time for something I can already get elsewhere. And I was on my way back to my old routine.

Mind-blowing Stats

What am I talking about? Well, Google+ of course.  For quite a while I wanted to write a post, but I never seemed to have anything that wasn’t already being said. So I didn’t see the point of me adding to the ocean of posts about Google+ that covered my point of view.

That was until I read a stat on monthly users for a Google product we all know, YouTube. According to Mashable, YouTube has approximately 450 million unique monthly users. 450 million unique monthly users! 

And then the thought came to the little brain in this over-sized head of mine. How would I have entered the world of social media if I were CEO of Google?

If I were CEO of Google

In my opinion, this is easy. If I have a site that is already pulling in 450 million unique users a month then I want to build off of that user base. I would have called in my major thought leaders in the company and would tell them to come up with a way we can turn YouTube into the social networking leader.

As the CEO, my goal is to improve the product offerings we have with the end goal of bringing more users. The idea of starting a new social media networking site from scratch would be and should have been at the bottom of the list.

Problem with Starting from Scratch

Maybe someone else can explain it to me, but I can’t figure out why Google would start at 0 with Google+. The only thing I can come up with is that Google execs are so full of themselves and their company that they honestly thought everyone would come flocking to their new baby.

OK, well, people came, but no one is really staying. No one of real importance to the average user that is and that is who Google should be worried about. Who the heck cares if Chris Brogan is posting multiple times a day. The majority of Facebook users don’t and if their friends aren’t on the almighty G+ then they won’t follow.

Final Point

I don’t have real stats here, but common sense tells me most of the YouTube monthly users are more than likely also using Facebook or Twitter. Many people already have a community of friends and followers on YouTube. Therefore, building off of what was already there would do one of two things:

1. Google would provide awesome updates and new features which in return would bring new users to the site to join their friends already there, or
2. Google would provide lackluster results with the updates and new features which would upset some users and cause them to leave. However, like what continues to happen with Facebook, most users would live with the changes and continue to use the site.

Of course, if I were CEO number 2 wouldn’t even be an option.

Until next time…

Will Berend

Merry Christmas Friends!

It’s such a wonderful thing to see and hear the delight of children on Christmas morning. My 3 year old is great at expressing his surprise. He inhaled and let out a very excited “WOW” when he walked around the corner into the living room this morning.

As I sit here listening to them play and act out a treasure hunt (they scored in the Pirate department) I think back to Christmas and the holiday season when I was a kid. Here are some memories I came up with that I would like to share with you. 

1. It was a tradition in my family to open presents from each other on Christmas Eve and then we opened the Santa gifts on Christmas morning. I always loved the walk down the hallway from my room to the den at my parent’s house on Christmas morning. It was one filled with great excitement!
2. We would alternate the years we spent Christmas with my Mom and Dad’s families. On my Dad’s side I do miss the gatherings of 20+ first cousins. As a young child I recall all of us cramming into my Grandparent’s living room to open presents. Later we began using the Knight’s of Columbus Hall down the street from their house. My Mom’s family is much smaller, but the memories we spent in Bryan. Texas every other Christmas bring me more joy than you can imagine. 
3. For my family the week between Christmas and New Years always meant skiing. We would pack up (I suppose I should say my parent’s would pack up) and drive the 13 hour trip from Wichita Falls, Texas to Keystone, Colorado. The next week would be spent skiing, playing games, doing a puzzle, watching movies and enjoying the beauty of the Rocky Mountains. I love that place and miss our trips there dearly.
4. When I think about Christmas and spending time with my extended families the one thing that always comes to mind is football. It seems that no matter who we were with we would almost always play football. When we were with the Berends many times we would walk over to the high school stadium and play on the field of the Windthorst Trojans. When in Bryan the games usually occurred in the front yard dodging or hiding behind trees. Either way it was always fun even if they usually ended with someone getting hurt or upset.
5. The final memory I will share surprised me at first, but it kept coming up as a special memory from my childhood. My brother’s and I were altar boys at our church. I remember the times we “served” during Christmas. I know my parents were always proud of us being up there and what a good job we did. Maybe that is why it stands out for me as a special memory.

I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. You can also see my family’s Virtual Christmas card over at Motherly Law

Until next time…

Will Berend

I Believe in Me

I need to get something off my mind. I don’t usually use this blog for a lot of touchy feely stuff, but I need to release.

The other night during a TweetNMeet one of the questions was “What is the best thing that has happened to you this year?” You know what’s sad about this? I was totally stumped.

2011 has been one of the rockiest years my family and I have experienced.  We have experienced more loss in a year than I can ever remember. My cousin’s husband lost his battle to cancer in March, a childhood friend was killed by a drunk driver in August, my Grandfather passed away in August, and my 8 year old St. Bernard died last week.  And I’m sorry if I’ve missed something that I should be remembering

And that doesn’t even count the other ups and downs in my personal and professional life. I ended up answering the previously mentioned question by saying that losing my job in February has probably turned out to be the best thing. Really? Yes, really.

That really made me question what has or has not happened in my life this year. I do know and realize that I have a lot and am very thankful for that. However, it is easy to focus on the things that bring you down. The below comment by a Twitter/Facebook friend left this morning helped me realize I was currently approaching life all wrong.

There is one word that gets me through, BELIEVE. Believe in whatever you want, big or small, just believe.

This is spot on! So I thought I would end this post with an uplifting list of some of the things I BELIEVE.

1. I believe we will succeed.
2. I believe we will bounce back.
3. I believe there is a reason of greater good involved in everything that occurs even if the event is a loss.
4. I believe in love.
5. I believe in Anna and all that she does.
6. I believe I can build my business into a successful social media consulting group.
7. I believe there is a God and that we are all loved.
8. I believe my boys are truly amazing even though they push me more than I’ve ever been pushed.
9. I believe a smile can turn a day around.
10. I believe in ME.

Thanks for bearing with me through today’s post. I’ve needed to say this.

What do you believe?

Until next time…

Will Berend

Why are the Dallas Cowboys Scared?

In case you missed all of the talk this weekend, Melissa Kellerman (was @MelissaRae), a Dallas Cowboys’ Cheerleader, was tackled during the game on Thursday by the team’s tight end Jason Witten. Witten helped Kellerman up and they both went on their way.

The next day Kellerman posted the below on Twitter.

Pretty harmless, right? Well, as reported by Yahoo! Sports, the Dallas Cowboys didn’t think so. The organization forced Kellerman to delete her Twitter account. Yes, her complete account and not just the messages.

This is a complete FAIL by the Cowboys. They have turned this situation into a fiasco. We all would have moved on after a few days and forgotten the incident. Now the media will talk about it, papers will write about it, and everyone else with post about it.

I know some will say any press is good press, but in this case only Kellerman and Witten come out clean. In my opinion, this is a paranoid move by the Cowboys. They are scared of what might happen and clearly do not understand social media.

If I were the decision maker for the Dallas Cowboys here is how I would have handled the situation.

1. Post the video of Kellerman getting tackled to the Cowboys’ Twitter and Facebook accounts and talk about how tough Kellerman is and how well Witten handled the situation. 
2. On Friday after Kellerman tweeted I would have replied to her like this: “Hi Melissa! Glad you’re not hurting. Keep up the great work!”

The bottom line is don’t react scared. Every circumstance is different, but in regards to this incident the Cowboys should have reacted positively instead of negatively.

What do you think? How would you have handled it?

Until next time…

Will Berend

Friday 5: Answers to my Question 11.18.2011

When I decided to start this blog series I first asked people I knew on Twitter and Facebook. I knew these people and was fairly aware of their opinions and the type of questions they could answer. However, for the industries I thought I needed more representation I went to LinkedIn Groups.

One of these groups I posted in was Social Media for Higher Education and I’ve been totally blown away by the response I’ve received. And the exciting part of it was the variety of the roles these individuals represent in higher education.

Furthermore, I decided to ask a question specifically to five people that work in higher education and use social media. Thanks to everyone for their help. I continue to be extremely pleased with the quality answers I receive.

Why do you use social media in your position or role in higher education, and what results are you looking to gain from using social media?

My role is social media. I’m Community Manager and Social Media Strategist for the iSchool at Syracuse University. I use social media to engage with our growing community, increase brand awareness, spread news of our events, and keep our community updated on some of the latest news in our field.

Our main goals are great customer service to our students and alumni, becoming known as leaders in social media on campus and beyond, and spreading brand awareness/recognition that will eventually translate into an even higher demand for iSchool Syracuse education.

Kelly Lux

Community Manager & Social Media Strategist

Syracuse University iSchool

http://ischool.syr.edu/

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I use social media in almost every aspect of my daily work.

Primarily, I blog (The Summa - profalbrecht.wordpress.com) on professional issues affecting the government regulation of accounting rules and the auditing profession. There are several purposes of my blog. First, I provide a professor’s perspective concerning theoretical insights and issues so they might factor into policy discussions both in the United States and in Europe. Second, I take positions on the issues and argue for them, hoping to provide important insight into policy discussions that might sway decisions in a direction that I would like to see. Because of my work, I am widely considered to be an influential person in the American accounting industry, part of the brain trust of the profession.

I continually use various social media platforms for communication with many people in the accounting industry and higher education industries, both in the United States and world-wide. I use Twitter for several reasons. Chief among them are to serve as conduits for other professionals to contact me, or to recommend interesting news items. In truth, I send out announcements related to my blog and to my off-the-cuff reactions to the latest developments in the field. To a certain extent, I also maintain personal communications with other media professionals, such as bloggers and journalists.

I am a heavy user of LinkedIn. Not only do I engage in several hosted discussion groups, but I frequently send out emails to subsets of my network. It is an extremely useful channel through which I send most of my email communication.

I believe through using various social media I have become much more adept at social interactions, both online and in person. Moreover, my social media awareness has helped me maintain a sharing/helping point of view on my blog.

David Albrecht

Associate Professor of Accounting

Concordia College

http://profalbrecht.wordpress.com/

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I use social media to reach out to a wider pool of applicants/prospects. In our business, our applicants are always at the same age but we keep getting older. Therefore, it’s my responsibility to keep up with their trends to make sure I use their channels to reach out to them. As an innovative business school, we like to experiment with new things and change our approach.

In the recent years, social media has shown great improvement. It has gone beyond a socializing tool and is now used in any and every aspect of life. We know when consumers want to try out a new product, their first checkpoint is the product’s Facebook page or they try to reach out to other consumers for feedback via social media. Companies have also started to take social media more seriously and realized how powerful it could be if used effectively. They are now more engaged.

As a reputable business school, we use the same logic. We try to interact with our applicants/prospects via Twitter and Facebook. We use LinkedIn to stay in touch with our alumni.

To sum up, we have a multi-purpose use of social media. We try to raise awareness, add value to the student life experience and through ongoing interaction we would like to improve our conversion rates.

Claire Gumus

Assistant Director

Rotman School of Managment, University of Toronto

http://www.rotman.utoronto.ca

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Social media is a 24/7 direct connection to the world of higher education and the myriad of experts in the fields of web content management, marketing, instructional technology, and academic research. Twitter provides access to news and information as it happens. A blog is a platform to share or consume reflection and commentary on tools and applications. Delicious and CiteULike offer means to catalog and archive. Wikis, Dropbox, and Google support collaboration.

My professional network is limitless because of social media. I am not restricted by governing entities as with traditional professional networking organizations. I am not limited to the information found in newsletters or web publications that are ‘pushed out’ to specific groups within higher ed. I am not restricted to collaborating with people at my institution or in my local college consortium. I don’t have to wait until a regional or national higher ed conference to meet new people, interact with former colleagues, or hangout with higher ed friends. I am not limited to people I have met or have worked with. I am not limited to the US.

Social media brings the world of higher ed to my computer screen and mobile devices. In a matter of seconds, I can tap into a pool of experts in a niche field, such as Internet accessibility or instructional technology. I can target my inquiries to specific groups of people (via #tags, LinkedIn Groups or G+ Circles) or share them publicly. I easily monitor trends in higher ed using RSS subscriptions to blogs and online publications (i.e. InsideHigherEd, .eduGuru, the Chronicle of Higher Education). I can demonstrate my expertise by responding to questions, participating in online conversations, and sharing what I am doing with others.

Social media enables me to continue to learn, develop, collaborate, investigate, share and grow. Without social media I would be less aware of trends in my field, less likely to connect with colleagues at other institutions when I need answers to a question, and I would have fewer opportunities to contribute ideas and solutions.

Carrie L Saarinen

Instructional Designer

Brown University

http://www.linkedin.com/in/clsaarinen

Kickstarter: Funding Creativity

Creativity, in my opinion, is one of the greatest gifts given to the human race. Without creativity most of what we use, consume and do would not be possible. In this day and age creativity is extremely important to stay ahead of the game.

Many times people who are trying to make a living by fulfilling their creative passions do not have the money to complete these dreams. Thanks to Kickstarter.com these folks can create a project to raise funds for their creative venture. 

I first learned of Kickstarter.com about this time last year from a friend that is a musician in Washington D.C. He forwarded me a link to a project of a female singer that was trying to raise money to complete an album. And this summer that same friend, Rene Moffatt, also successfully raised funds on Kickstarter.com to pay for a music video he was shooting.

Kickstarter.com has to be one of the best things to hit the internet for the creative thinkers. There might be other sites that are similar, but Kickstarter.com is currently on top.

I’ve decided to profile three projects from Kickstarter. The first is an exciting product that was created by a Facebook acquaintance here in the Twin Cities and the other two I chose because I felt they needed the help to reach their goal. If you can please take the time to review these projects and give if you can. All projects have rewards that are given to those that donate certain amounts.

Profiles

1. TekBack - Ahmed Thabit of Minneapolis, MN is the brain behind this ingenious product. TekBack organizes all of your essentials, giving you a desk “to-go.” It is a multifunctional tool designed specifically to give laptop and tablet users fast and convenient access to their most indispensable tools. TekBack prominently displays the user’s cell phone, iPod, CDs, papers, pens and pencils while providing a flexible light and expanding a single USB port from the laptop into three ports. TekBack has 55 days left before the end of the project and there are currently $1,376 of the $50,000 goal pledged. Help Ahmed out by submitting a pledge for TekBack.

2. The Duck Eggs of Living the Dream Farm - Khaiti and Andrew French are small scale farmers in Wisconsin that just finished their first full year of farming. Living the Dream Farm is known for their “glorious” duck eggs. Duck eggs are a delicious superfood that have more fat and nutrition than chicken eggs. They currently cannot keep up with the demand and would like to expand the farm infrastructure to create a new habitat for a new flock of ducks next spring. Khaiti and Andrew have 14 days left on their project and $9,204 of the $16,000 goal has been pledged. Let’s help the Living the Dream Farm make their goal.

3. Don’t Go Back to School: A handbook for learning anything - Don’t Go Back to School is a handbook for independent learning that shows you how to learn almost anything without school. The author, Kio Stark, says, “If you’re thinking about going back to school or about the possibility of self-taught learning, read this book first.” Her goal is to raise funds that will go toward supporting her work interviewing and writing, paying for transcription, book design, proofreading, printing the books, and postage to ship the books to backers. Don’t Go Back to School has 28 days left and has $10,753 of the $14,500 goal pledged. Help Kio reach her goal by pledging today.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this post and the above projects that I’ve profiled. If you haven’t been to Kickstarter.com take some time to browse through the projects. I would love to hear what you think.

Until next time…

Will Berend

QR Codes Don’t Make You One of the Cool Kids

I don’t like QR Codes. Not only are they clunky and not appealing to the eye most businesses that use this technology seem to be using QR Codes just to do it. They want to be one of the cool kids.

Well, it doesn’t make you cool. The cool kids are the ones doing the research and ensuring it makes sense for their company. It’s not as easy as linking a QR code to your website.

“Whaddya talking ‘bout Will(is)?”

The reason I would not automatically link to the home page of a website is because the home page typically does not contain the most information about the business. Mobile users want to find information quickly and with ease. Therefore, direct the user to a page that provides content that is of interest to your client. For example, have the link go to the about page or product listing.

Furthermore, linking a QR code to a website that is not mobile ready is pointless. Those going to your site will more than likely click off immediately or within a minute because it is too much of a hassle to navigate your site that is built for your browser on your computer.

Personally, I feel this technology will be replaced by a yet-to-be-seen option within a few years. However, even though I’m not a fan of the QR Code I think it can be effective if used in a certain way. Here are some tips for using QR Codes.

1.  Link the QR Code to a mobile ready website. If the site is not compatible with smart phones then visitors to your site will leave as quickly as they came to it.
2. Don’t create a QR Code and put it in an advertisement, flier, menu, etc. just to do it. Think it through and determine if your customers will benefit from the use of the QR Code.
3. Take a close look at your industry and determine if using a QR Code to promote your business or yourself makes sense. If you are applying for a Social Media position, for example, it would be a creative idea to place a QR Code on your resume that links to a short video clip stating why you want to work for that company. Most, if not everyone, in the world of social media carries a smart phone. Here is an example of this: http://vimeo.com/21228618.
4. Providing a QR Code on an event or contest flyer that links to a registration form is a great way to make it easier for people to sign up for your contest or event. Make sure to also provide the direct link for those without smart phones.
5. Many times a business card can help create a first impression. It’s very important for your business card to be attractive to the eyes. Therefore, if you feel the need to place a QR code on your business card I would recommend placing it on the back of the card.
6. Don’t leave customers out of a deal because they don’t have a smart phone. If you are offering a special deal or coupon through a QR Code I recommend also having the same deal available for those without access.

The main point here is to not over do it. In my opinion, most businesses are using QR Codes in a way that will annoy rather than benefit customers. Always think about how a new technology will affect your customers before thinking if it will make you look cool or not.

If you are interested here is a link to an article from Mashable about creating your own QR Code.

Does your business use QR Codes? Is there a specific QR Code that sticks out in your mind? I would love to hear more from you.

Until next time…

Will Berend

Friday 5: Answers to my Question

Happy Friday! Blogging truly is the mother of all social media. Before Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc. people were sharing through blogs. One thing has not changed and that is how important it is to build a loyal following.

Today I’ve asked five individuals that author a blog and/or vlog, and have built a loyal following in their niche. These folks represent the gaming community, parents, social media and businesses, and provide great tips for building a strong community.

What are 3 key points that have helped you build a loyal following for your blog/vlog?

1. Care about what you blog about – It may sound overused but having passion and deep personal interest in your subject matter will take you a long way. This helps with consistency and quality of posting. When you really enjoy learning and sharing that knowledge with others it comes through and people can see that.
2. Share your posts – You can have a great blog but if you’re not sharing those posts with others it will just sit there collecting digital dust. You need to draw others in by letting them know you’re out there. If you see a post about a similar subject on a different social site or blog suggest a particular you’ve done. That way you can engage in the conversation and share your blog with others
3. Meet in real life – One of the best things you can do is take the time to actually meet people who follow you. I believe this deepens relationships greatly. If you have the opportunity to meet anyone who follows you do it. You’ll be surprised how many new friends you’ll make!

Ryan Ott

I am MN nice.

http://www.iammnnice.com/

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Be genuine. Be consistent. Be a servant.

Blogging is all about “being.” When we reach deep within ourselves we tend to grow, and in effect, become better bloggers in the process. I believe that if you’re a good person then naturally, you’re blog is going to be good too, as long as you practice the three key points I identified above. Your loyal following will grow as a byproduct of this entire process.

1. Be Genuine – Don’t blog about what other people are blogging about, and don’t say what you think others might want to hear. Blog from the heart, and the rest will take care of itself. It’s important to remember that your blog is simply and appendage of self.
2. Be Consistent – Being consistent is very important if you want to develop a growing fan base. You’ll find it difficult to grow if you post every other week, sometimes monthly, here and there, back again and all over the place. Your readers will become frustrated in not knowing when to expect content. The longer the time period between the content the greater chance people will forget to return to see what’s new.
3. Be a Servant – The last (not least) part in generating loyal blog fans is seeking to always be a servant. What I mean by this, is finding ways to serve your readers. If you have special talents, expertise and knowledge; find ways to give the back to the community in which you’re involved. Karma (or whatever we want to call it) works in mysterious ways, causing your gifts of generosity to grow for your benefit. Your blog will grow, readers will enjoy your content and they’ll support and share along the way. Make serving your priority, and remove all  hopes of gain, and you’ll experience success.

Christian Hollingsworth

Smart Boy Designs

http://smartboydesigns.com/

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The top 3 things that have helped me build a loyal following for my blog/vlog.

1. Interaction with my readers via twitter and facebook, discussing what they thought of the articles.
2. Fielding questions on my social media outlets to gain a better sense of the material that people would like to see.
3. Providing consistent and constant content for my readers/viewers. I suppose gaming video kind of counts as a “vlog” 2 to 3 videos a week minimum.

Matt McKnight

Lethal Frag

http://twitter.com/lethalfrag

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1. Having a consistent voice – I know this is said all the time, but having a voice true to yourself and your brand has been so incredibly helpful with building my online community. Blogging is super fun, but it’s also a super ton of work. When the deadlines near and I need to finish my post it’s been fairly easy to do so on-time because I’m consistently writing in my own voice. And not only has consistency with my voice/style been helpful, but so has consistency with post content and post frequency. Once you gain a supportive community they will really look forward to your updates.
2. Social Media – Sporadic, silly updates about my day, new products, and our puppy, Bauer; nearly anything where I can share my day with the Gussy Sews community. And this totally makes sense to me, because I, too, love when bloggers I adore share updates that make me feel like I’m hanging out with them, even if they live across the country!
3. Posting a vlog – It’s hard to imagine what someone is really like in person, and let’s be honest nothing is more fun than a quick video of someone you adore. I’ve found vlogging to be super helpful when I’m introducing new products or sharing a tutorial on how I style my hair, hah! Which reminds me of another tip: answering your community’s questions via a vlog is a fun way to change things up from post-to-post.

Maggie Whitley

Gussy Sews

http://www.gussysews.com/

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1. I think the most important thing that has helped me build a loyal following relates back to content that resonates. The first thing I think anyone should do before starting a blog is to determine your audience. Creating and sharing content that connects your readers to your site is the best way to keep them coming back. I think it takes a lot of trial and error to do so. I write mostly about my kids and they’re both toddlers. Most of my readership (the ones that aren’t related to me) have children of a similar age and can relate to the stories I’m sharing. They also have similar concerns, experiences and lifestyles as I do. Ensuring that readers leave your site relating your content back to their own lives is a great way to ensure they’ll be back!
2. Another really important factor is to keep fresh and new content on your site that is relevant to current times. Assuming it’s a major holiday or school’s starting (if you’re a parent/educator blogger) it might be a good time to share something about that. As important as keeping your content fresh and new is posting on a consistent and regular basis. Your readers will come to expect they can see a post every day or on a certain day at certain time if you’re consistent and posting regularly. The best way to lose a reader is to have them come to your site and not see anything new. After too long they’ll stop coming back to check. Making it easy for the reader to rely on your site to provide new, fresh content at a regular day/time is the best way to ensure they’re going to come back for more.
3. There’s more than one way to let people know you have something to share. If you put up a new post on your site the only way someone will know it’s there is if they actually visit your site. The best way to ensure they know you have something new is to “pus” content or at least notification of your content. You can do this by having users subscribe to your site via RSS. When they do this they’ll receive an automatic email from your site letting them know there’s new content. The other way is via Social Media/Networking. I love using Facebook and Twitter to share posts that I have. Since most of my readers are on Facebook and Twitter already they don’t have to go anywhere new to see that I have new content. Other great sites include LinkedIn and Google+. Want readers to keep coming back to your site? Make sure they know you have something to share!

Josh Becker

Dad Street

http://www.dadstreet.com/

If you want to be added to my “ask list” or if you have a question you think I should ask please send me a note through my Contact Us page.

Until next time…

Will Berend

Friday 5: Answers to my Question

I am happy to have another great and diverse group of individuals with answers for this week’s question. I asked the five folks this week about the all important third party application. I know most everyone uses at least one and these tools make the work we do and the time we spend on the social media networks much easier.

If you want to be added to my “ask list” or if you have question you think I should ask please send me a note through my Contact Us page.

What 3^rd party social media application do you use that everyone should know about and what is so great about this application?

Though I often criticize it and wish it was more transparent, I think Klout is on to something, doing something right in the social media analytics space. Far too often we simply look at Follower Count and Fans to determine influence and account validity. But Klout and I see eye to eye in that someone with few followers can be influential (and on the flip side, someone with a ton can be speaking to a proverbial empty forest.) Just like in real life, they realize that there are people who might have a small, tight knit social circle where they are leaned upon to provide credible, authentic, trusted opinions. Klout measures and finds those people, the friend you turn to for restaurant reviews, the family member that knows everything about home improvement.

Colin Burns

AT&T

Social Media Strategist, Public Relations

www.dadinchucks.com

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A couple of weeks ago I would have said Hootsuite because of the scheduling feature. Now because of the problems with Facebook and Hootsuite I would have to say Radian6. Radian6 is a social media analytics/listening platform. It’s the ‘top dog’ of the social media analytics industry. I like it because I’m able to setup dashboards for my favorite types of information. Right now we monitor our limited time offers on a specific dashboard to see how they are fairing compared to other menu items. It allows us to really dial into our guests and figure out what they are thinking about. Give Radian6 a try and have some fun.

Adam Evers

Famous Dave’s

Social Media Marketer

http://links.adamevers.com

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Content management is one of the most time consuming tasks for our social media plans. Using Google Reader and then trying to schedule posts in Tweetdeck or Hootsuite would take us at least an hour and a half for my personal account alone. When we added Bundlepost to our toolbox, that was cut down to about 20 minutes per account while still posting between 15-25 times per day.

The beauty of Bundlepost is that it is not an automation tool; but merely a scheduling tool. It allows you to personally select and modify the content that you want put through your Twitter stream. Bundlepost dramatically speeds up the process by bringing the timeslots, content URLs and hashtag lists all into one location. I’m a hands-on guy who wants 100% control over what is being fed through my social stream; so this has been the perfect fit for the way we prefer to manage our social campaigns.

Brad Miller

Crosspoint Creative Marketing, LLC

Owner

@_bradmiller

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Radian6 Engagement Console – This is an absolute gem for me from a business standpoint. Radian6 is, in my opinion, the best monitoring tool on the market. Their Engagement Console allows me to monitor, respond, track, categorize all the conversations going on about our brand from one, convenient app. Instead of switching between tabs, monitoring from one app and responding from another; the Engagement Console brings it all together. It also makes monitoring our competitors a lot easier and less time consuming. It also has a number of plug-ins that make the tool even more valuable – Klout, Bit.ly, Twitpic, Trending Topics…it’s an absolute gem. The Engagement Console is free for those with a Radian6 account. It has made my job a lot easier. I can’t see myself using any other tool.

Kasey Skala

Great Clips

Communications Specialist

www.everythinggreat.com

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I don’t think I could do my daily job without TweetDeck. Up until the end of May 2011 or so, this was a true third-party program. Since then, it’s been acquired by Twitter, but it’s just as integral to my work as before. Some of the things I appreciate about TweetDeck include the ease with which I can monitor multiple streams of information, lists and add/delete key searches based on issues of the moment. I particularly appreciate the “New Followers” column – since social media is about connecting and building relationships, this is an important way for me to acknowledge new followers and to begin that relationship building. This feature has helped me a number of times, and it doesn’t hurt that it keeps the idea of new followers front and center. (I’d love a column that tracks the opposite – “You’ve Been Dumped By…” because it would allow me to go back to those who unfollow and, if it’s appropriate, ask what led to them leaving and so on.) The ability to schedule tweets is invaluable, especially from an official organizational perspective. I still have to monitor what’s going on during the weekends and time off, but I don’t have to worry so much about making sure events and topics important to the college can be slotted when it works in my day.

Stephanie Weiss

Augsburg College

News and Media Services

www.augsburg.edu

What’s your favorite third party application and why? Leave a comment. I would love to hear from you.