Social Media Tools for Business

Social media is rampant and it is going full speed ahead.  Businesses are eagerly jumping aboard in order to stay afloat with these ever-changing times. Social media communication has never been more prominent and it is here to stay.  Throughout the research process, I encountered a plethora of websites dealing with social media, networking strategies for businesses, and more.  These enterprises are eagerly re-evaluating the way they do business in order to accommodate best practices within the organization.

Social media platforms are available for businesses that are a must if a company is seeking online social presence – here is a link that introduces the top 52 Social Media Platforms every marketer should know:  

http://60secondmarketer.com/blog/2010/04/09/top-52-social-media-platforms/  

Social Media Marketing (SMM) is best defined as actualizing changes to enhance a site for promotional campaigns through social media which includes online communities, and websites.  Here are some SMM tips and techniques:

• Adding RSS feeds
• Social news buttons
• Blogging

In addition, incorporating online communication is essential in order to maintain an acceptable level of traffic such as: reviews, forums, images or pictures, videos, and blogs. 

Clearly, this is a synopsis of Social Media but I must say that I can literally spend hours looking at these phenomenal websites which contain a wealth of information.  This link provides the top 10 Twitter pics of the week:

http://mashable.com/2012/02/11/top-10-twitter-pics-4/  

Did you know that February 2012 is Social Media week in NYC?  February 13-17, 2012 – Empowering Change through Collaboration – check it out!

http://socialmediaweek.org/newyork/

http://www.nyc.gov/html/misc/html/social_media.html

Why E-Business?

So you are interested in eBusiness.  Well, the rudimentary elements are very simple in order to be successful in your quest for discovery.  eBusiness is known as doing business electronically which supports any given organizational mission.  What constitutes eBusiness?  An effective eBusiness strategy has the ability to communicate electronically within the internal structure of a company from high-level management through customers and suppliers.  Electronic communication is an integral part which is required when interacting with other companies to order products and services. 

When a company sells their product or services via a website or merely uses the web to find information on the latest trends or even the internet for online banking, it is a relatively strong indicator that eBusiness is the culprit.  

Nowadays, most companies are connected with eBusiness.  Businesses today must make a logical choice in order to assess what type of eBusiness solution makes a right fit.  If a firm has already invested in email, web tools, and is contemplating initiating the intranet, you have already begun the process of converting into eBusiness.       

We are living in the age of the Internet, it is important to know that businesses should consider eBusiness as a Business as opposed to just a company which is technology induced.  A successful eBusiness can adapt to an existing plan, analyze eBusiness ventures, and boost profitability once these basic elements are intact.  

Here are some websites that are popular regarding eBusiness:

http://techcrunch.com/

http://www.digitalpoint.com/

http://www.sitepoint.com/

http://news.cnet.com/

JOB SEARCHING

Alas, there is a glimpse of hope for the weary.  The recession seemed never ending but according to the U.S. Labor Department, employers added 243,000 jobs and the unemployment rate fell to 8.3% from 8.5% in December.  Not too long ago, the unemployment rate was at an all time high of 10.1% in 2009.  The economy is miraculously improving which points in the direction of recovery.  President Obama Stated: ‘The recovery is speeding up’ in a speech delivered at a firehouse in Arlington, Virginia just hours after the Labor Department released this astonishing report.  

In addition, consumers are jumping the band wagon and by resuming back to their increased spending habits.  Recovering businesses are enjoying the turnaround and are offering perks in order to have a steady economic upturn.  Exactly what does all of this mean? Enlightened by this wealth of information, I decided to post the particulars about the most popular employment websites.

ebizmba Rank compiled the most awesome employment websites using tracking data for statistical purposes.  The following is in order of priority  and provides the 15 most sought after employment and career listings.

http://www.ebizmba.com

Networking sites - as you may have already noticed, you should also include Linkedin and MySpace on your list of preferred sites to use when job searching.

I came across a most interesting and informative video with some very helpful and innovative tips on how to take initiative when looking for employment.

App Takes A Quantum Leap

Welcome to the world of apps.  For those of you who do not know what apps are, let me reiterate.  App is short for application.  It is an explicit program downloaded onto mobile devices.  Applications today are commonly used on iPhones which is presently the most sought-after Smartphone today – iPhone 4 made a record breaking sell in the millions.  As it is the most popular gadget around, most vendors are anxious to introduce apps for free or as little as 99 cents.  The iPhone has one of the finest selections around when it comes to apps and you can download them free of charge.  Here are my favorites: 

Pandora – It’s a favorite for music lovers.  It is an online music service that streams music solely on your preferences.  If you type the named of your favorite band, your selection will automatically turn up and will be delivered together with similar genre.   

Stanza- This app has exceptional reading materials, which offers book downloads from several different libraries.  Plenty of their offerings are available from the public domain; however, you can also buy more recent books.

Instapaper – This app lets you bookmark and save online articles to read later, just in case you do not have internet access at the moment.  

Loopt – It is amazing how you can track your friends by GPS through this app.  It has the capability of finding them on a map. 

i.TV.  – This app allows you to obtain TV listings, record a show from TiVo, find a movie in Netflix, and you can even get theatre show times and movie tickets.  

Moreover, apps for business are revolutionizing the way we work.  Since it seems like we can’t keep up with technology today, I’m just going to list the most recent and in order of importance – to me that is: 

Omnifocus – If you need to organize yourself or stay abreast on projects, to-do lists, or simply tracking due dates, this is the app for you.  You can organize notes, prioritize task, create action plans and many more.

Pages by Apple – This magnificent app has the capability to create, edit, and view documents wherever. 

Cisco WebEx Meeting Center - This app is wonderful when you are on the go.  You can participate on online meetings, exchange contact information, and much more.  

Although I listed my personal favorites in this blog, I suggest that you google the latest apps, as you will be pleasantly surprised.  Technology today is ever-changing and is moving rather quickly.  I can’t hardly wait to see what the experts will bring next.  

The Twitter Account

Have you ever wondered who would be the rightful owner of a Twitter account if the creator is no longer employed at the company where it originated?  According to a recent article published by the National Law Journal, this question remains unanswered.  Truth be told, I was quite surprised that this is something which remains unresolved since social policies are created within companies to avoid this sort of thing from happening.  

What are the legal repercussions if the person continues to use the account long after they are gone?  Should companies create social policies to enforce ownership?  These are the questions that should be addressed before deciding to claim ownership of an account that is not really yours for the taking or, before entering into an extensive legal battle.  

Here is a scenario for you:  What if a previous employee maintained a Twitter account for the company XYZ, which grew to an overwhelming 20,000 Twitter followers.  Months later the employee resigns, and the company respectfully asked him to cease using the account.  Instead the employee changes his handle to read his personal name.  

In this particular posting, I leave this topic as an open forum for you to reflect on “What would you do if this happened to you?”  Is it legal?  Is the employee’s twettiquette acceptable behavior?  I’ll leave you with this thought; in this world of social media everyone must abide by some guidelines, I know I would.  

Kindle v. Nook

In a survey that reached the law library community in New York City and the tri-state area, we put both e-book readers to the test.  When it comes to evaluating products, gadgets and new technologies, librarians can pretty much make a logical assessment of the products at hand.  After reading all of the comparable reviews, it was decided that everyone (approximately 75 participants which shared their opinions) wanted to hear from actual owners.

Choosing among these two categories can be overwhelming, especially if this is your first time experience in shopping for the latest trends or the top of the line readers. What makes this poll different from CNET, Barnes & Noble and Amazon, which all provide a detailed description of what each of these products are known for, is that this particular survey relies exclusively on why the preference is for these companies to focus on questions like " what are you looking for? Do you just want to read books? They even take things further by comparing Kindle vs. Nook vs. IPAD.

While most who responded agreed that the Nook allows only text reflows with sometimes horrendous results. The Kindle touch versions are not perfect either and does not have the pdf capabilities.  If you require access to pdf's 3G is only useful if you do not have access to wi-fi network.  The consensus is that Kindle 2, which has both wireless and 3G is highly recommended.  If you are in a wireless area, Kindle signal piggybacks on the ATT Network, so anyone will probably pick up the 3G almost anywhere.  Most participants did not go for the Kindle Fire yet since it is void of any 3G capabilities.

In addition, most which opted for the Kindle says it has a better feel.  If you are interested in the Nook, I would research and visit the Barnes & Nobles stores for support.  Unfortunately, Amazon does not currently have this option. It is a tough decision, but in the end we make choices that suit our lifestyles and if I were you, I would choose Kindle hands down.

The Significance of Barcodes



Barcodes are a series of numbers with "bars" on them - It is virtually on everything.  The size and shape varies according to the type of product. Its purpose is to identify and collect data.  These barcodes are displayed in soda cans, books, magazines, smart phones, and apps just to name a few.  Although, the first barcode ever patented did not contain the basic imprint, the concept remains the same today.  Did you know that the first product to have a barcode included was a packet of Wrigley's gum?

The very first time I saw a barcode was at the supermarket.  I was very young at the time and wondered why the person behind the counter was scanning each item.  I didn't realize the purpose of this until I started working at the CUNY Library Media and Resource Center in the late eighties.  You might be saying right about now, what is all the buzz about?  Well let me tell you that the significance of barcodes is invaluable.  Technology today has exceeded everyone's expectations.  Especially, the latest trends in barcodes available in social media websites, which I must say is my personal favorite.  There are websites available to create your very own mobile barcode generator at: http://www.barcodelink.net/. The general purpose is to allow your visitors to bookmark your site with their mobile phone.  How impressive is that! Hope you find this information useful.