My Favorite iPhone App

I made the switch from Droid to Apple this past weekend.

The main reason I made the move was because my HTC Evo shift was beginning to have performance problems, with numerous stalls throughout the day, and there wasn’t another droid on the Sprint market that I was interested in.

This post isn’t to compare droid to ios, because you can find many of those discussions here or here. They can be heated.

Even as I was buying my new phone, the sales rep. continued to tell me why droid was better.

I will say, I love my new iPhone. Obsessively really. I spent most of the weekend reading blogs on users favorite apps.

The one I came across that is now at the top of my list (with Instagr.am as a close second) is Momento.

One of my goals for 2012 is to document more of “the little things” in life. A mini-personal blog if you will. Quick prayers. Small milestones in my children’s lives. A moment of clarity in a difficult decision.

Not a long journal (I have one of those), but just moments where I think to myself, I’d love to remember this.

Momento seems to be the perfect app. for this. Not only does it have a beautiful (award-winning) interface, but it allows me to capture moments however I see fit: with a photo, a Facebook update, Youtube video, etc.

I can even add “tags” to my moments. So in a few months, if I want to go back and read all my moments where I needed peace, or inspiration, or even a laugh, I can tag those moments appropriately, and re-read them. One functionality that a pen and paper wont allow.

What’s your favorite app?

“It’s not you, it’s . . . you.” Passive Aggressiveness on Social Media.

My recent post What Annoys Me MOST about Facebook, stirred some fairly heated conversations among my colleagues and friends. “Are you talking about me?” “Were you talking about ___ (insert name here)?” Apparently it struck a nerve. Both positive and negative. I had numerous emails and tweets that agreed with me. Still others were defensive even if they had not specifically written any of my “top annoyances” on their page. I even had someone come up to me at a conference and say “I agree. I don’t care what type of chilli you’re making.” I was taken back for a second then laughed as I knew what he was referencing.

On the off chance you will get offended at this blog, please note, that my writings come from weeks of research. I mean, any social media “guru” knows I just need to study something for a few weeks and I can be called an “expert.”

A colleague, who I consider a good friend, knew I was writing this post and cautioned “Adam, you’re not a psychologist.” I agree. So please, get off my couch and just listen.

“Passive Aggressive” is defined by Dictionary.com as ” being, marked by, or displaying behavior characterized by expression of negative feelings, resentment, and aggression in an unassertive way (as through procrastination, stubbornness, and unwillingness to communicate) < span=””> <>passive-aggressive  personality”

You’ve seen it. A recent break-up. A friendship gone sour. Or simply just being unhappy about the way someone treated you. They are all painful experiences. I’m certainly not making light of them because we all know how painful those experiences are. Heartbreaking even.

But then, it all starts to unfold before our eyes in our news stream. A song posted with jabbing lyrics. Changing of a favorite quote to “If someone you love hurts you cry a river, build a bridge, and get over it.” Then like it or not, we are forced to choose sides. Or at least feel sympathy and “like” their status. After all, I’m not a good friend if I don’t publicly sympathize with their pain by clicking my mouse.

I like what Teresa Boarman said in her blog “A social media tip for the passive aggressive:”

“In general you can say anything to your twitter, or facebook, friends or in blog comments, emails or even text messages if you know the rules. Write what ever you want to and just end it with a “:)” or a “LOL”.  It goes something like this: “You suck LOL” or “I can’t stand you I would be surprised if your own mother loved you ”

So friends, I leave you with this: stop being passive aggressive on social media. The rest of us just want to get on FB and see cute photos of your kids, funny things that happened that day, or meaningful updates about your life.

I really would rather not be sucked into taking sides. And if I do take sides, I’ll let you know privately. LOL. =)

5 Wishes for Updated Tweetdeck Functionality

Back in May, Twitter.com purchased Tweetdeck, a popular Twitter desktop application. By far, it is my favorite application for Twitter. Though they are  constantly making improvements, I’ve compiled a list of “wants” that I would like to see incorporated. Some of the items on my wish list are simply just to make easier edits to my profile, while others I feel are important to the business that my organization is in.

Wish 1: Ability to update your profile/pic from Tweetdeck.

I hardly ever log on to Twitter.com except to update my profile pic/information. I should be able to easily do this right from Tweetdeck.

Wish 2: Ability to see followers/following from Tweetdeck.

In our business, seeing who’s connected to who is important. Currently, I have to go to Twitter.com if  I want to see who else a particular person is following.

Wish 3: Add sharing ability to Google+.

I can share information on  Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, Google Buzz (uh, what’s that!?), and FourSquare. I should be able to share within Google+ now.

Wish 4: Add functionality of sites like “Followerwonk.com” to Tweetdeck.

You can do basic searches within Tweetdeck. But one of my favorite sites to use to find professionals is Followerwonk.com. I train our Recruiters to use this site to find technology professionals in their area. It would be great if this type of searching was incorporated into Tweetdeck. Then you could run your search and easily add your new followers into a Twitter group.

Wish 5: Share information with only certain groups on Twitter, much like Google+ Circles.

This wish directly relates to wish four. Once I’ve created a group, let’s say “Java Developers,” and I’ve used the new searching feature within Tweetdeck, now I’d like to be able to share Java Development related materials specifically with those in that list. Not all my Tweets need to be separated, but since Twitter is already allowing you to separate your friends, shouldn’t you be able to share specific information with only that group? You could say that Google+ hit the nail on the head with their Circles feature.

Now, if I could just get my wish list in front of Jack Dorsey.

What annoys me MOST about Facebook.

The early days of Twitter were filled with bad publicity and sarcastic cuts to its real value. I would agree that initially, people didn’t know what to tweet, so they said stuff such as “I’m at Starbucks.” or “I just ate lunch.” Even Verizon made a commercial to poke fun at the pointless Twitter updates. Listen for “I’m sitting on the patio.”

Yet over the past year I’ve seen Twitter move from mindless 140 character crap, to real engaging and informative information shared by some of the most influential people around the world.

Where Twitter has been gaining more sustainability as a true place to gather insightful information, Facebook on the other hand, seems to be  filled with annoying status updates. I even saw one from a friend the other day that said “Hanging out on my back porch!” Hello? Isn’t that what frustrated people about Twitter?

Yes, some companies (and individuals) post insightful information. And no, not EVERY status update has to be helpful or thought-provoking. But is it just ME or does it seem like the pointless updates are getting more and more out of control than every before?

Now before all of my friends get insecure that I’m talking about your status updates, let me preface by saying: Your Facebook page is just that, yours. But remember, whether you like it or not, you are “branding” yourself. You’re telling your friends (and in some instances the world) about the type of person you are.

Try it: Go back and look at the last month of your status updates. Were they filled with pointless updates? Were they fishing for compliments? Or is there a “negative” undertone in all your posts? People really do judge you on your status updates. Like it or not. Your thoughts are out there for all to see.

I saw a quote recently that I think sums up my feeling about status updates:

“It’s not a Twitter account, poetry slam, existential sounding board, or political soapbox. It’s a Facebook status. If it’s not funny, about your physical/mental health, sociological classification, or geographical location, it’s probably not your status.”

I’m not trying to tell you what you should or shouldn’t post on your Facebook page. After all, it’s your “space” to do with what you please.

But, pointless, uninteresting status updates is what annoys me most about Facebook.

How about you? What annoys you most?

Unplugging – There’s (not) an App for that.

On my morning drive into work, I shuffle between several radio stations. News Talk, Country, Top 40, and “Family Friendly.” On Monday morning, I found myself engaged in a conversation that was taking place on Atlanta’s Q100.

The topic: are we too “plugged in”? Particularly, they were focusing on kids that play video games and watch movies for hours each day.

But, that evening, as I was thinking through the conversation and the amount of time that the parents and kids spend in front of their computers, TVs, videos etc., I started thinking of how social media has elevated the amount of time professionals spend “plugged in”.

Twitter. 4-square. Facebook. Apps. iPhones. Droids. iPads. iPods, Kindles. Blogs. The list could go on and on.

I was sitting on the couch and took a moment to look around. The scene in my house looked like this:

My wife and I were both on our laptops.
The TV was on.
I had Twitter, Facebook, and a blog up.
Both of us had our cell phones near our lap.
One ear-bud of my iPod was in so I could hear the music I wanted to download.
And did I mention I was trying to carry on IM chats with several kids in my church youth group?

Don’t get me wrong, I love social media (obviously). And the technology that our generation has at our finger tips is nothing but astounding.

But, being in a business where “building relationships” is key, it’s hard to learn the boundaries. According to HR Examiner, the most influential recruiters are those “plugged in”. In fact, 100% have a blog, 40% have more than one blog, 96% are on Facebook, 88% on Twitter, and on average have over seven different presences in social media (LinkedIn, MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, Blogs etc).

Should I even touch on how many passwords you need to remember?

So, my question to you, does our generation know how to unplug? Is there an app for that? Should one of the 3,000 text messages teens send per month say “turn off UR cell”. I also believe one of the main reasons 64% of Americans watch TV online is so they can multitask.

It’s hard. Trust me. I tried last night and lasted till about 9pm when I checked the weather online, then found myself bouncing off into four other sites within a matter of minutes.

My prediction for social media in 2011 – people will be seeking “balance”. Learning how to leverage the powerful tools, yet not spend their energy trying to be in all conversations at all times – becoming better at targeting the right conversations.

So, now that I’ve written this blog, I’m going to turn-off my computer and go for a run. . . after I check Facebook one last time.

Takeaways from #SocialFresh. Social Media Atlanta Week – 2010.

Thanks to Bob Kennedy from ExactTarget, I was able to get into the afternoon session of the sold-out SocialFresh meeting (part of Social Media Atlanta Week).

Main topic of discussion: Facebook.

I still think many companies roll their eyes when they hear that Facebook is one of the best tools for business. To all you eye-rollers, that’s fine, the rest of us will connect with your customers. (At least for the next five years).

Case-in-point – Chick-fil-a.

Not only one of the best designed Facebook pages I’ve seen, but they truly interact with their audience. They have their “corporate” page (actually founded by a fan), but they also have local restaurant fanpages. I don’t think I’ve met anyone that is “lukewarm” about Chick-fil-a. They either love it, or don’t. So for them, interacting locally on Facebook with their “fans” is really paying off.

Me and My Son trying the Spicy Chicken. I reserved mine through Facebook. Then promoted through Twitter. May 2010

Corporately it’s paying off too. Most of their marketing for the Spicy Chicken Sandwhich was done through social media. I don’t have the exact number, but over 1 million people “reserved” a spot to go into a local restaurant and try the new sandwich. 1 million people made reservations at a FAST FOOD joint! (Myself included.) Tell them that social media doesn’t work . .

Moving on  . . .

Other takeaways:

• Facebook is going public in 2012.

• Don’t use bit.ly for shortening URLs (guilty). It’s an open site. So just putting a + after any bit.ly URL shows all of the clicked information. Try it. Copy this url – http://bit.ly/aU5o0j – put it into your brower, then but a + right after and hit enter. (Thanks to Yvett Evans from Vitrue for that insight).
• Studies show that campaigns that start on Facebook perform better if you drive the audience to another page on Facebook. So, instead of creating ads that then drive the audience to your website, drive them to a uniquely created tab on Facebook. – Thanks to @justinkistner for that insight.
• Engagement life of targeted campaigns on Facebook – two weeks.
• Companies are modeling their websites after social media. More social. More interaction. Which wasn’t cutting-edge news to me, but it’s good to hear. If you think about it, 90% of websites are one-way communication. But, allowing your audience to interact with your brand on your website is key. Especially if and when social media starts to lose it’s hype.

The afternoon ended with a great panel discussion (Vitrue, Graco, and Webtrends) on the use of Facebook for business.

From Left to Right.

Erika Brookes is the vice president, marketing for Vitrue.

Kelly Voelker Public Relations and Social Media Manager, Graco Children’s Products.

Justin Kistner is the Senior Manager of Social Media Marketing for Webtrends

“You’re so vain, I’ll bet you think this [POST] is about you.”

It’s a virus that is affecting and infecting numerous social media “gurus” in epidemic proportions.  Doctors would say they need to be quarantined; given a double-dose of humility, and once their symptoms subside, allowed back into the community. What’s the name of the virus? Celebrityitis.

I do tend to point fingers at the actual Hollywood celebrities. With their contagious battles for the most followers and vigorously promoting themselves all over the media.

Apparently this virus goes “viral,” through social media.

The symptoms of someone infected with Celebrityitis are:

1. Feverishly narcissistic about who they talk to at networking events. Only talking with those with equal or more followers than them.
2. Diarrhea of the mouth – about themselves, their speaking engagements, their moods, their blog hit count.
3. Hot and Cold spells about authentically connecting with “non-celebrities”.

If indeed you come across someone with the symptoms, protect yourself first. Take all necessary precautions to keep yourself well (and humble).

Let’s all remember that social media is best used when you’re “helping” others. Meaning, even if you’re trying to promote business, you’re really first trying to help them with a problem. More so, let’s remember that though some have been using social media for a few years now, it’s still relatively new. So, if someone is just starting out, help them.

And to the infected: if you have thousands of followers on Twitter/Facebook or numerous people subscribing to your blog, make sure you don’t have the above symptoms. If so, take a tablespoon full of humility. Let’s not forget that social media can tear you down as quickly as it “built you up.”

P.S. Here’s a little music to help during recovery.

Your ‘Office’ Social Media Personalities – That’s What She Said.

Most people know the socially and professionally awkward Michael Scott. His inappropriate one-liners and off-color humor catapulted The Office to the top of the ratings for the past few years. As I was watching the other night, I thought about the different characters, and how they would use social media if Dunder Mifflin encouraged it.

Click Here to read by post on the MATRIX Blog about the typical social media personalities in your office.

What Happens on Twitter Stays . . . Everywhere.

I don’t think people actually realize that what happens on Twitter can hang around like an unwelcome in-law (none of mine of course, I love all mine). If you are looking for a job, or just want to KEEP the job you have, think twice, and maybe three times about what you tweet. Social media can be a very powerful tool for finding a job, gathering information, and networking. However, it can royally mess up your career, or land you in court, if you don’t use common sense when updating.

Below are actual tweets I found by doing a few simple searches on Twitter:

1. So since my boss is a #$%*@, I have today off and may get fired tomorrow.
2. En route to work…still drunk
3. So I came to work this morning w/ my shirt inside out, my hair a mess, and kinda drunk. . .
4. From the moment I got into work today, all I’ve wanted to do is get drunk…
5. I hate my job, boss and schedule.
6. People are stupid. I hate them. My boss just walked in. I hate him too.
7. I hate when my boss trys to wear feminine color polish on her manly @*$ hands!!!!
8. One of my coworkers will realize that smell is actually his breath….
9. So according to my coworkers my new shampoo and conditioner makes me smell like im drunk? Haha how does that work?
10. Got drunk as hell last night….at work bout to pass out
11. At work but not working, wassup wit u
12. I’m having a fantastic time not working at work, lol.

Though I got a good laugh out of some of the tweets, especially number 7, I couldn’t help but think of what might happen to these people if someone in their organization saw their tweet.

I don’t mean to “scare” you so you never use social media. It’s a great tool. But just re-think that status update or tweet before you hit publish.

Your company is Tweeting, Facebooking, and Blogging. So what?

So, your company is on Twitter, Facebook, and has started a blog. So what?

Are you connecting to the right people? Are you seeing any results from your efforts?

Every self-proclaimed social media mogul says “listen first,” then speak. I agree, but where do you listen, who do you listen to, and how do you listen on SM?

I usually pick a “target audience” every few days and concentrate on building a relationship with them.

For example, let’s say your company wants to sell Zen Gardens to stressed-out CEOs. (It was the first thing I saw when I looked around my desk).

Step 1 – Connect. First, I suggest checking your database for all CEOs  that your currently working with. Run internal searches to see if any of them are on social media. It’s important to connect with people you already know, and see who they are connected with. Done that already? Then, how about running a boolean search (you can use this one) on Google and find CEO’s on LinkedIn that are also on Twitter.

Step 2 – Listen. How do you listen on social media? All those people you just connected with in Step 1, now it’s time to listen, not in a stalkerish way, but in a way that knows what’s going on in their world. Are they asking questions you can provide input to? Can you help sponsor an event? Do you have common personal interests/goals? All of those things are conversations to be on the lookout for. I like using Twitter Lists on TweetDeck so I can put people into categories and quickly monitor what that group is saying. By quickly, I mean scanning through their tweets once or twice a day.

Step 3 – Interact. I think this is where many companies potentially drop the ball.  They get their SM sites going, then, like Field of Dreams they hope customers will come. Building a true social media platform takes a bit of an entrepreneurial spirit. Always thinking of ways to interact and build relationships.  A few basic examples: comment on a blog post, RT their information, support them in their speaking engagements, just interact with them! People on SM love when their content spreads.

Step 4 – Give. I like to use the word give because relationships never work if your a “taker.” So, give to your connections. Provide meaningful content via a blog or Twitter feed. Support their efforts whether speaking or blogging. Could they benefit from knowing another one your connections? Introduce them. Do you have an event they might be interested in attending? Invite them. Let your connections know that you are not all about you.

Step 5 – Engage. Now that you’ve had meaningful interactions with them, it’s time to pull the “relationship” even closer. Maybe they could guest author on your blog about the stress CEOs are facing. Or you could sponsor a series of Webinars for other CEOs. I’m making this up but you get the point. Your goal is for them to become an advocate of your SM efforts and of your organization.

I’m not claiming to be a sales expert. But, most sales people would agree that the best “deals” are done with those who they’ve built a solid relationship with. Social Media is a great tool to lay the foundation for a good relationship.

If all of this stresses you out,  I’ve got a Zen Garden with your name on it.