YouTube Getting a Social Makeover

Do you remember the days before social media took over the web? I do, but boy does it seem like a lifetime ago. Back then, we used to visit websites that didn’t even have comments, never mind a Facebook plugin that allows you to share the article with your nearest and dearest friends. But as some sites have embraced and flourished with social media, others have lagged behind the times a bit. YouTube has been one of those sites. But all of that is about to change.

A YouTube employee told Reuters that the video-sharing giant (a social media site in and of itself) is about to get even more social. In the past, you may have expected or wanted to see a Facebook plugin on the site that allows you to easily share and comment on videos by using your Facebook account. But Google (who owns YouTube) just wasn’t having it. I don’t think the relationship between Facebook and Google is the greatest, but I think Google is also out for world domination (and it’s well on its way).

When Google Plus was launched, everyone anticipated where this was going. You didn't have to be a web guru or software engineer to know what was coming next. Google was about to make up for where it lagged in the past, but it would do so on its own terms – with its own social network. So far, we’ve seen the introduction of social to Google’s search engine (which is a huge step) and now we’re about to see social meet social with the integration of Google Plus into YouTube.

In all fairness, YouTube has been integrated into Google Plus since day one with Plus’s “hangout” feature. With 800 million unique visitors, YouTube is a huge market to tap. Google Plus has taken some time to gain popularity, but I think we’re about to see it get a whole lot more important. Do you have your Plus account ready to go?

Don't Engage in Online Bullying

According to a recent survey, nearly half of all Wisconsin students think that bullying is a problem. I don’t that’s much of a secret, but with every new advance in technology comes a new opportunity for students to bully each other. There is a very fine line between free speech and slander, and it’s wise to stay away from the latter. But bullying isn’t just a problem for young kids; college students and even adults have been known to bully their peers. So, here are a few tips for keeping things from getting personal with others online.

1. If someone has done something to upset or offend you, the internet isn’t the place to air your grievance. For one, it doesn’t have to be public. But, when you write something about someone else online, you’re inviting others to chime in, which can lead to some really hard feelings, and things can easily get out of hand.

2. If someone writes something about you online, don’t retaliate. It’s okay to clear up any misconceptions and try to clear your good name, but don’t get into an online brawl; no one wins in that situation. On the other hand, things could get very ugly.

3. Just because you don’t mention someone by name doesn’t mean that everyone doesn’t know who you’re talking about. I see this a lot. Someone will post a “cryptic” message about someone else on their friend feed, and others will chime in with their own cryptic messages about that same person. No one has said a name, but everyone knows who they’re talking about – including the victim of this slander. This kind of behavior is extremely immature (although, I’m always surprised at how often adults are the culprits) and should be avoided at all costs.

4. Block anyone who you think is bullying you online. If you can’t see their nonsense, you’re less likely to chime in with your own.

Rutgers Now Offers Social Networking Classes

Contrary to the belief that American schools are falling behind (gasp!), Rutgers is among the many universities that are showing that there really is no need to be worried. Rutgers has begun to offer social networking classes as part of the standard curriculum inside their hallowed halls, showing an ability to keep up with the times and to give students the skills that they will need in order to succeed in the workplace of tomorrow.

There is actually not much that’s more important these days, whether branding a business or an individual, than to make sure that your online presence is complete and professional. You might think that these classes are only for marketing majors, but that’s just not true. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a personal trainer or a software developer, learning to network online can help you advance in your career and form lasting relationships.

Today, many more people find jobs online than ever before. Also, employers have stated in many articles that they regularly peruse the social media platforms in order to weed out the candidates who lack professionalism.

But, there is more to social networking than simply finding a job. It is, for all intents and purposes, how most young people actually communicate these days. Many people find activity partners and even dates by using the Internet, and more and more people are moving away from real life communication. Although there are benefits to online interactions, this fact is kind of sad.

The bottom line is that social networking classes are the communications classes of today, and Rutgers is setting a shining example for many of the other elite universities around the nation. Regardless of your major, you should seriously consider adding a social networking course to your agenda. You may find a job, a mentor, or you might just find out more than you knew before about your industry. Either way, it's a win-win.

How to Connect with Influential People on Twitter

If you want to be important, you have to hang out with important people. The same holds true online. If you want to have a good reputation on Twitter, you have to get “in” with the people who are most influential. Once you find yourself in their good graces, others will start listening to what you have to say.

The first thing you should do is identify the influential people in your industry. This is crucial. Just because someone has a high Klout score doesn’t mean they’re a good match for you. Someone may be highly influential about knitting, but you want to influence others about scholarships and grants. That person who is influential about knitting is about as useful to you as someone who doesn’t even use Twitter at all. Choose your connections wisely.

It is true that you reap what you sew. You can’t just start out by asking for favors or expecting influential people to interact with you. You need to prove your value to them first. Start by searching through their tweets. Reply, favorite and retweet things that you find interesting. Eventually, this interaction will pay off – trust me. Just remember that there is a fine line between engagement and stalking, so don’t be weird about it, and don’t dedicate every single one of your tweets to one person.

Now that you have spent some time engaging them, they have had the opportunity to learn more about you and recognize that you are both real and engaged. You can now create a specific tweet that is addressed directly to them. In doing so, indicate that you have read their tweets, bio and blog. Also make sure that you are posting something that will be of interest to them. If you don’t receive a reply, spend some more time engaging them before reaching out to them on Twitter once again.

Beginner's Guide to Google Plus

Have you heard about Google Plus? It’s a newbie on the social networking scene, but it has come a long way in a short time. It’s going to take quite a juggernaut to take Facebook’s spot as the top social networking site – and Google might just be that juggernaut. It’s too early to tell for sure, but the new network does show some promise.

There are a couple of things that make Google Plus unique. Its “circles” feature is something that people really seem to like. With this feature, you can write a post and decide who you want to share it with. Sound pointless? Think about this: You just roll out of bed at 2 p.m. after a big night out. You’re hung over. You have the urge to remark how you’re not as young as you used to be, but last night was worth the pain. This might get an interesting convo going between you and your friends about the antics of the previous night – but, does your boss really need to see it? Oh, no. With Google Plus, you can choose to share that status with only your friends.

Another thing that people seem to love about Google Plus is its “hangout” feature. It allows you to create a virtual hangout and talk to your friends face to face (through video) in your own online video chat room. You can even all watch the same YouTube video at the same time and talk and laugh about it too. As good as this feature is for fun, it’s even better for business: you can easily hold quick, impromptu meetings in your hangout.

One feature that I’m personally still on the fence about is the post editing feature. Once you’ve posted something, you can go ahead and edit it. It seems like a good thing on the surface, but I think it may allow for some people to change their story to suit themselves. Time will only tell.

Unlike other social networking sites, Google Plus seems to care about a user's confidentiality. There are many privacy features that are able to be included in a Google Plus profile, allowing people to choose who sees what and how.

Joining the Google Plus community is extremely easy. On the front page of the website there is a section where new users can enter tidbits of information, include a photo and create their profile. You can even edit what you see (or don’t see) in your feed.

Once you get settled on Google Plus, you may find the “What’s Hot” feature to be compelling. It’ll show you what topics are trending on this social network (similar to what Twitter does). The thing that sets Google Plus apart here is the ability for a user to customize the topic in the “What’s Hot” area, so you can see what people are talking about within your own area of interest.

As with any new social network, there will be a short period of adjustment when you first start using Google Plus (think about when you first started with Facebook, or when you switched to the new timeline), but it’s relatively easy once you get the hang of it. This may just be your new social network of choice.

3 Tips for Using Pinterest to its Fullest

I’m a fairly new Pinterest user and I have to say – I’m hooked. I simply love online shopping and I find that Pinterest offers me a way to tag and save things that I want to buy. Sure, it may not still be available by the time I’m ready to make that purchase, but at least I can remember the style and start a hunt to find it elsewhere.

Part of the fun with Pinterest is to see what other people think. I have board that is completely filled with clothing and accessories. If something I pin there gets a lot of repins, I know it’s a hot item and I’ll seriously consider adding it to my wardrobe. I find, it’s kind of like asking a bunch of friends for their opinion. They’re not always going to answer the way you want them to, and you might not even care what they say, but they’ll tell you one way or another.

I know I’m not the only one with Pinterest obsession. In a very short time, this site has emerged on the top 10 lists of social networks, which is amazing when you consider that it’s still technically an invite-only service. So, here are a few tips to help you get the most out of your pins.

1. Always tag an image with a descriptive phrase. Don’t just say “This is cool!.” Say, “This blue velvet clutch is cool!” Descriptive names help your tags show up in search results, which means more exposure.

2. Create themed boards. If you have enough time, create boards with very specific niches. For example, instead of creating a general “wedding ideas” boards, create different boards for each of your ideas. One might be a black and white wedding and other might be Asian themed. People are more likely to follow boards that cater to their very specific area of interest.

3. Follow other people’s boards. Remember, this is a social network. Be social. Follow people who like the same things as you and comment on the things you like. Getting to know people always helps boost your online reputation.

What Not To Say on Social Networks

 I’m sort of amazed that I keep hearing about people getting in trouble at work because of things they’ve posted on social networks. Actually, I’m equally amazed that some of my friends and family members post discipline-worthy things on their pages – all the time. Maybe they have private pages and don’t have co-workers or bosses as friends, but in my opinion, it’s always better to be safe than sorry. With the new Facebook timeline coming up, your boss can easily see what you posted before you were even friends. That’s sort of a recipe for disaster if you aren’t careful, but that’s another story entirely. My point here today is that you should exhibit some self control and avoid posting things that could get you in trouble at work. It’s just not worth it. Even if you don’t care about your current job, future employers definitely don’t want to see that sort of stuff either.

Here are a few posts that could get you into some hot water at work:

“Omg, I’m sooo bored.” -- Posting this during work hours? Not a good idea. If you’re bored, maybe you need more work. Or, maybe you just need a new job. A boss who sees this post might help nudge you in that direction – with a pink slip.

“People around here need an attitude adjustment.” – Again, if you’re posting stuff like this during work hours, everyone knows you’re complaining about your job. They probably even know exactly who you’re complaining about. I’d love to shout this one from the rooftops: Your “cryptic” messages aren’t so cryptic; everyone knows exactly what you’re talking about – and it doesn’t make you look good.

“We just crushed {competitor} in sales this month, yet again” – It’s great to have some “team spirit,” really. Just be careful about what you say about the competition. For one, you might be eating your words when you see they're looking for a senior software engineer and paying much more than you're making, but it also makes your current company look a little petty. Instead, just talk about how great your company is without mentioning the competition.

“Check out this picture of my new [inappropriate] tattoo” – If you don’t want people at work seeing something, don’t post it on the internet. It’s as simple as that.

"This is the best concert I have ever seen in my life!" -- Don't post anything like this after calling in sick to work. It's not very bright and it can get you fired almost immediately. 

What's the Deal with Pinterest?

Although I’ve been spending a lot of time mulling over the pros and cons of jumping on the Google+ bandwagon, Pinterest is another social networking site that I’ve been watching closely. In the new year, I might just add both sites to my social networking repertoire. One thing that’s cool about Pinterest upfront is that you have to be invited – so, it’s kind of like an exclusive club. You can also request an invitation directly on the site, but that’ll take longer (and be less fun).

So what’s the deal with Pinterest?
You can think of Pinterest as an online cork board or idea book. It’s essentially a place where you can gather a bunch of pictures that inspire you in one way or another. Why would that be valuable? Well, think of how women plan weddings. They might clip pictures of dresses, hairstyles and venues, and keep them all neatly tucked away in an idea book. With Pinterest, you can “pin” any picture from the web and neatly tuck it away into a category of your choosing. Because others can see your boards, you can get feedback, and maybe even connect with other people who have similar taste as you. But Pinterest isn’t just for weddings, by far. You can pin anything and create any category your heart desires. I was just browsing the site and stumbled upon a category labeled “boys.” And, you guessed it, there were pictures of many, many boys. From Johnny Dep to Ryan Renynolds – everyone was in attendance. I doubt this was among the most popular boards, but you get the picture. It’s not always about pleasing others. Sometimes you just need a wall full of boys (apparently). Pin what you like.

If you really get into pinning things, you can download the mobile app and browser extension, which both make it easy to create boards on-the-go. See an outfit you love? Pin it to your fashion board. Maybe later you’ll go back and buy it. For the ultimate fashion and social media geek out, create a custom outfit on Polyvore, get some feedback there, and then pin it to a Pinterest board where it can be shared amongst your fashionable followers.

Breaking in to a Social Media Career

Ever since MySpace and Facebook emerged onto the scene, it’s become very apparent that social media is a force to be reckoned with. But unlike in the early days of social media, you’ll find that more companies, from large brands to small businesses, are making their presence felt in this arena. What does that mean for you? Well, it could potentially mean a career. If you searched for the term “social media” on Monster.com five years ago, you wouldn’t have seen many jobs. Do the same thing today and you’ll see that you’ve got a lot of options. So, how do you position yourself as an expert in this field? Be prepared to show the fruits of your labor.

It’s not enough to say “I have Facebook and Twitter accounts.” Um yeah, who doesn’t? Do a Google search for your name and see what comes up. Your Facebook and Twitter (and Google + and LinkedIn and any other social networking sites you may frequent) pages should be on the first page of search results. For most people, this will happen pretty naturally. You just need to setup the accounts with your name and use them. For those with common names or celebrity names, this might be a little challenging.  For example, if your name happens to be Barack Obama, well, you might have to find another way to show results.

Make sure your social networking accounts are impressive. It’s okay if you use Facebook for personal interactions. You don’t have to include it as long as you have other social networking sites that are impressive. If you want a career in social networking, you should have a Twitter account with at least one thousand followers. More is better, but quality counts too. You should also tweet daily and interact with your followers. This will give you a Klout or Kred score to be proud of. Feel free to mention your score to potential employers, but they’ll probably check anyway. Just keep in mind that this advice works best when you’re looking for a career in social media or marketing. If you’re looking for a job as a tattoo artist, your employer will care more about your work portfolio than your Kred score.

Share your social media stats with any potential employer. There are apps that will monitor your accounts and present you with charts that detail how influential you really are online (in greater detail than Klout or Kred). Most apps track twitter, but there are some that will track your other interactions too. Such an app might tell you how likely your tweets are to be retweeted or replied to. They might also tell you how often people click on links that you’ve posted. Your potential employer will want to know that you are actually influencing others online about topics related to their company. Treat this like any other job application and show them what they want to see. The greater your online presence, the greater chance you’ll have of being hired. 

Google+ Do You Recognize My Face?

As a college student, you wear many hats (so-to-speak, and maybe literally too). You have your social life which involves going out and party on the weekends among other things, your school life, which revolves around studies, and your family life, which is pretty tame. On the web, those three worlds can often collide. Mom friends you on Facebook, your friends tag you in embarrassing photos and you post interesting tidbits that you’ve learned while doing a research paper. Most people are pretty good at managing these parts of their lives without any security breaches. But, what happens when they release facial recognition software onto the interwebs? My guess is, all hell will break loose.

The folks at Google have that technology down, but for the moment (fortunately for us), they are using it responsibly. If you’re a member of Google+, you can decide if you want to enable facial recognition software for your account. If you decide to enable it, Google will scour your friends’ accounts for pictures of you. When it finds them, you’ll automatically be tagged. I can’t imagine it’s always perfect, but it’s a pretty intriguing concept. Actually, I can’t wait to try it. Unfortunately, my friends haven’t made their way to Google+ just yet.

Interestingly, Eric Schmidt, former CEO of Google disclosed during an interview that the facial recognition software is the first software Google ever held back from release for fear of misuse. It’s a really interesting concept. I don’t doubt that they can scour the entire web for pictures of me if they can find them in the Google+ userbase. I’m just intrigued to see what’s out there. But, like most people, I’ll probably want to recover any old pictures that are dug up. I have to say, though, I just glad this wasn’t around when I was in college. Not to make myself sound too old, but most cell phones didn’t even have cameras back then, so I should be pretty safe.

It’s an interesting time that we live in. It all just makes you realize that anything you do can end up on a social network like Google+ or Facebook, and there are more and more ways that it can be associated back to you. I guess that old advice “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do,” has a little more meaning these days. But on the other hand, I can really see the benefit to this facial recognition software for anyone who is currently in college learning how to become a CIA agent. It will be really hard for criminals to hide from the law with so much technology around. 

Facebooking with Mom

Ever since your mom set up that Facebook profile, she has been friend requesting you, am I right? Who wants their mom to see the truth about what they did last night, really? Some kids actually do, and I think that’s rather cool, but sharing your online life with the parents isn’t for everyone. So, you have two options. One, you can keep ignoring it and hoping it’ll go away. Two, you can share only the parts of your profile that you want her to see. Problem solved? Let’s take a closer look.

1. You can ignore your mom’s Facebook requests, but that will only make her more intrigued by what she’s missing. You know the drill; if you act like you’ve got something to hide, people are going to start thinking you have something to hide. According to a recent survey, 73 percent of moms who aren’t friends with their children on Facebook view their profiles from someone else’s account. That’s right; while you think your mom is at work taking care of her ever-important administrative assistant duties, she’s actually spying on your Facebook account. Oh yeah; you can run, but you can’t hide. Does it make sense now how your mom seems to know everything about your life?

2. If you share only the parts of your profile you’d like her to see, you may appease the situation somewhat. But, be careful not to overdo it. Hiding everything but your name and contact info sends the same message as ignoring her friend requests. So, you might want to share your pictures, but not give her access to other people’s pictures that you’re tagged in. That just means you can’t post anything that you don’t want her to see, but it’s ok if other people do (as long as she’s not Facebook friends with them too).

3. Now, here’s the third super-stealthy option that I didn’t mention upfront: Start asking mom questions about her profile. You probably didn’t think much about what’s happening on mom’s page, but there may be a thing or two that she’s hiding from you. According to that same study (mentioned above) 46 percent of moms hide all or part of their profiles from their children. Say what? Time to turn the tables, my friend. Ask her to give you full access to her profile before you give her access to yours.