"Heyyyy Must Be the Money!"

To My Fellow Bloggers/Followers,

This will be the last blog I leave for you. It has been one exciting semester filled with insightful articles that taught us how social networking has shaped and continues to do so throughout the world.

This weeks blog post will focus on the ROI of social media. When viewing the "ROI for Social Media" article by Jason Falls, it was really interesting to see that people have "measured a sales return investment on social media is like trying to take multiple choice metrics and apply them to an essay question". Traffic=money because at the end of the day you are putting yourself out there for the world to see. Social medias are a great stepping stool.

The second article I read "Gauging the Value of Social Media 'Data'" reminded me of the outlets companies turn to. Companies have used Twitter to update its customers about the latest news of its products/services. They have also used Facebook to discuss problems and upcoming news. At the end of the day, all that matters is the PR of your company. Companies have really utilized these social medias for their benefit.

Have a great year everyone

CHANDOO OUT!!!


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The Future of Social Media

When trying to figure out the future of social media, I took a very simple yet effective approach to find the answer. I Google-d it!

When reading "Six Social Media Trends For 2010" I noticed how big of an impact social media not only plays a role amongst adolescents but also in the business world. According to David Armano:

"The New York Times iPhone application recently added sharing functionality which allows a user to easily broadcast an article across networks such as Facebook and Twitter. Many websites already support this functionality, but it's likely that we will see an increase in user behavior as it becomes more mainstream for people to share with networks what they used to do with e-mail lists."

The second article, "What is the Future of Social Media?" really looked at the popularity of social network advertising across the globe. It was really interesting to see that Non-US spending would increase and overtake US spending over the next couple of years. I never would have thought that. It really shows how important social medias are in the success/popularity of a company.

That's all for this week.

Stay tuned next week! CHANDOO OUT!!!


Source

Image Provided By Jim Tobin

Armano, David. Six Social Media Trends for 2010. Harvard Business Review, November 2,2009.
http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2009/11/six_social_media_trends.html

What is the Future of Social Media?. eMarketer. February 12, 2010.
http://www.emarketer.com/Article.aspx?R=1007513

Welcome to My Site!

Here is the "how to" in order to make a successful website/blog and how to maximize search engine optimization:
- Relevant content in your message
- Tags
- Anything that could add more attention to the site (i.e. videos and pictures)
- read more here

A combination of these examples will bloggers and internet authors to attract customers and make their sites more enjoyable. Customers will also be able to access relevant content they are searching and therefor become a customer lifetime value (CLV), rather than just a new page view.

CLV....now this is something interesting to read about. When setting up my Google Analytics account for my blog, I was so concerned about how many people were viewing my blogs and was paying much attention to which blog entry was the most appealing and why. This article made it very clear that an internet blogger/author must always put a face to a number to see what content on their site is being most accessed and by whom.

That is all for this week folks

Stay Tuned Next Week! CHANDOO OUT!!!


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Let's Get a Job!

I find it harder and harder to find a job as my day of graduation nears. I have created all sorts of accounts to and profiles to get my resume and name out there in the "working world". We face tough times during this time in our economy. And most of us face problems of some sort.

When reading "Working with Financial Recruiters Laid Off and Looking" I was able to relate to aspect of how recruiters always promise to stay in touch with you, but somehow are unable to do so. I understand that recruiters sometimes have a large candidate pool to sift through, but what I don't understand is how they are unable to even write a generic email to the people who did not get the position?

In the second article read, "The Blog is the New Resume" I couldn't help but question if blogs could really tell that much about a person. Blogs can be used to express someones thoughts, tell fantasy/real life stories, or be professional. I feel that a blog can either hurt you or help you depending on the type of employer looking at the blog. While having a professional blog does not hurt having, having a satirical or not serious blog can be construed as childish or unqualified.

That is all for this week

Stay tuned next week. CHANDOO OUT!

Cyber Communication

As we have come to notice, the ability to communicate with others has become easier and a lot more impersonal. We no longer have to meet someone face to face to deliver a message and we can now sit on a computer and talk to someone across seas. Not only has communication been simplified but so has the access to information

The transfer of knowledge has become so fluid that it only takes a few clicks of a mouse to access anything your little heart desires. When reading "Corporate Culture, Not Technology, Drives Online Collaboration" and "Students Discovering Online Collaboration" I began to realize how much the methods of teaching and the conduct of business, corporate culture, has changed.

When I was a first grader, we never had tools such as Twitter or social medias to express opinions or communicate to our classmates. Does anyone else remember their early years of childhood and what we had/didn't have growing up?

The Epic Fantasy Team

I'm not going to be talking about my fantasy basketball team....sorry. In fact, I have something a little more interesting to talk about.

When reading "How to Pick Your Million Dollar Crew" and "Collaboration Tools are Ready for the Battlefield", I was surprise to find out the key players of teams and how they can be connected together by the internet to form strong virtual teams.

The first article made it clear that one shouldn't pick a teammate they know, but instead have pick a teammate that has unique talent or personality that differs from the group. Also, the smaller the group the more fluid the transfer of information.

The second article stressed that as long as virtual teams exist, the location of individuals becomes insignificant. Personally, I'm not a fan of virtual teams because of the lack of clarity and emotions that sometimes can not be stressed over distances.

Overall, interesting reads. ESPECIALLY "How to Pick Your Million Dollar Crew"

That's all for this week.

Stay tuned next week. CHANDOO OUT!!

Avatar...And I'm Not Talking About the Movie

NICE CRIB!

Has anyone actually looked into this new technology before?... It's called "Second Life"

It takes the whole idea of Sims to a whole new level. In the article, Virtual World, Real Money in 'Second Life', the author states that the ability to perform any task is endless. It mentions how you can earn REAL money by trading products and services in VIRTUAL world. The article also mentions how professors can use an innovative tool such as Second Life to provide lessons and field trips from the location of one's computer desk. How cool is that?!

The second article I happened to read was a transcript of an interview, Firms Seek Elusive Real Profit in Virtual Business. I understand that one can use services and buy things in the Second Life world by paying real money, but I couldn't help but think how odd it is to "live" in Second Life. Everything is based in a virtual reality, so how could it possibly effect me in the real world? I can see why it would be used for education purposes.

That's all for this week

Stay tuned...CHANDOO OUT!

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I Heard It's the New "In" Thing

Talk about the most efficient way to network and get a job

Linkedin now makes it easier to find a job and/or get obtain those crucial connections for the real world, not the show.

When reading the articles, Job Hunting with Social Media and How to Change the World: 10 Ways to Use LinkedIn, I found myself questioning about how certain I was to find a good job once I graduate. I was wondering if I wasn't making myself visible to the public enough and being to limited in my job searches.

Both articles made it very clear that the world was changing, technology wise, everyday and that social networking media is a crucial aspect to obtaining networks for the future. We can no longer search for jobs the "old fashioned way" due to the increased intensity of job search due to recent lay offs. Online networking media is the future of job finding.

As much as I am eager to graduate, I am anxious that my job hunt will deem unsuccessful. At least there aids such as Monster.com or LinkedIn that can help you with finding jobs and make those networking connections for life.

That is all for this week. CHANDOO OUT!

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Ohh, It's Gettin Hot In Here Alright

Its been happening everywhere

The craze even hit American University's main quad just last year

What is it you ask?....Flash Mobs

When looking at the video clips from 24 Flash Mobs You Need to See to Believe, it made me realize how much planning and coordination it took to organize the one at American University. On top of that, the ones at Grand Central and Trafalgar Square were at a larger scale. Making hundreds of people freeze and unfreeze at the exact time is not as easy at it sounds.

Last year's flash mob at American University was organized through Facebook. It's interesting what social networking sites are used for these days.

The next and more serious article I read, Rise and Rise of the GPS Mobile, was talked about smartphones and GPS enabled phones. I agree with the article about the pros of GPS on phones, but i felt as if the cons weren't stressed enough. There already has been issues with the FBI tapping cell phones and listen into every conversation and cell phone user has even when the phone is off, but now there is another security issue on the table about the precise location of all phone users at all times.

I feel like one of those kids that have GPS chips implanted in him so when I get lost my Mommy can find me. It's kind of sick. I'm all about privacy and making sure I have the right. I don't want everyone knowing what I'm up to, or what I'm talking about. My private life isn't Facebook for the whole world to see.

What do you think?

Until next week. CHANDOO OUT!

Corporate Blogging- A Way of Life

SNOWMAGEDDON is over! (Now we have to deal with the aftermath of shoveling ourselves out)

I had a great weekend, but now its time to get back to that school week mode. Today, I read "On Corporate Blogging: Interview with Don Martelli of MS&L"and "Shut Up- You're Helping the Customer!".

The first article I read, "On Corporate Blogging...", was an interesting introductory to corporate blogging. Up till taking this ITEC class, I never would have thought that blogging could be a significant asset to a company. I figured corporate blogging was like Twittering, the constant update of what is going on with the company, but I never would have thought that it was a another way for advertising and marketing...the things you learn about blogging every week amazes me

The second article, "Shut up- You're Helping the Customer!", was a very intriguing article that left me thinking of a lot of questions and really doubted my trust in big corporations, i.e. Fortune 500s. How can it be perfectly natural for companies to not trust the image of their organization in the hands of their employees? On a daily basis, employees are presenting their organization's reputation through products and services. It seems very silly that companies will not allow employees who specialize in a product or service to provide input or give feedback to comments about a product.

The world is becoming more dependent on internet services while consumers are becoming more dependent on information from blogging. While blogging may not provide 100% fact, it does provide an opinion and information that had to be addressed.
INFORMATION = POWER

That's all for this week. Hope everyone enjoys the day off tomorrow! (YES! NO SCHOOL ON MONDAY!)

Stay tuned next week. CHANDOO OUT!

The Internet: Friend or Foe?

Wow!!

One word to describe my reaction to both these articles

So far, I've only been reading and hearing about how great the internet has made the world. How it's connected people from across the world in ways we never would have imagined 20 years ago. How it has allowed the flow of information to reach different parts of the world in a matter of seconds.

I completely disagree with what Doris Lessing said, quoted in Nobel Laureate Says The Internet Makes Us Dumb, We Say: Meh. I think the internet has allowed those with internet capabilities to access tons of information very quickly. The internet has been a detriment in one area though, social interaction.

The face to face interaction we encounter with one another has been dwindled down to Skype/AIM/MSN. We no longer have to physically walk to someone's house or meet up for coffee if we want to "catch up". It removes the experience of human interaction and makes us socially awkward. An example of this is internet dating.

The second article I read, The Digital Emperor Has No Clothes, bashed mostly on bloggers. I don't think bloggers are trying to take away the credibility of writers for The New York Times or The Washington Post. Bloggers are trying to express an opinion or different side to the story. There are always two sides to a story and its always interesting to know both sides. Web 2.0 can allow for an amateur blogger/writer to gain merit or a credibility through other credible writers/authors/bloggers. So there is a system in place that can allow readers to realize the authenticity of an article or blogger along with the information contained within it.

That's it for this week

Stay Tuned! CHANDOO OUT!

Elementary My Dear Watson

The internet has allowed for users to become innovative! The whole idea of crowdsourcing is something I would have considered a fad. Taking ideas and suggestions from people around the world and having experts work on those ideas is a very unconventional type of teamwork. Innovators, such as the average blogger/inventor are playing a crucial role in the success of many companies.

Users and companies seem to share a similar relationship to that of Dr. Watson and Sherlock Holmes. It's pretty cool how these two relationships benefit from one another, according to CBC- The-Current- Cambrian House Crowdsourcing. Its like companies are outsourcing ideas. Something I thought never could have been outsourced.

The following article I read, Big Firms Eye 'Open Innovation' for Ideas, really complimented the first. It also showed the alternative reaction of this relationship between independent inventor and big company. The big company can literally STEAL of the inventor's idea pitch. SO at the same, we as the average person, should watch out for this and make sure all the necessary forms be filled.

I found that crowdsourcing is the new way for both inventors to be creative and make a living, other than the conventional 9-5 job, and for companies to get an edge of competitors by having that outside thinking. At the same time, I feel that ethically, there can be some gray areas that can be exploited by the companies.

Interesting materials I looked at. Pretty cool stuff.

Stay tuned next week! CHANDOO OUT!

Social Capital, Six Degrees, & SNA

For my first week's blog post, I have decided to comment on the article/video I viewed:

"YouTube: Visualizing The US Senate by Social Graph" [video]

&

"Improving Your Ability to Share and Connect" [article]

For the video I watched, I realized how informative it was to use a social graph. I never realized one would be able to see how a group is performing, or the unity of the group, just through the use of social graphing. It was very cool to see how our two political parties, Democrats and Republicans, were fairing in the various events we experienced here in the US. I suggest viewing this video for yourself.

It's hard to go one day without Facebook; now I know why. Its amazing to read how Facebook has to constantly keep up with customer needs and the 21st century. We are constantly yearning for more information and a easy way to access it; Facebook provides us with that, in a social environment. Facebook has come a long way since 2004, and I can see why it has lasted and has stayed as popular as long as it has.

Personally, I don't like frequent change. We all know about how much and often Facebook modifies or updates its site. Though I may not "Be A Fan", in order for Facebook to maintain its competitive edge in the ability to connect and share amongst the world, Facebook NEEDS to keep improving and updating constantly.

I had never thought about this till now

Stay Tuned Next Week....CHANDOO OUT!

The Pledge

This is the first blog I have ever written. I'm a student at American University and blogging is an essential part for the course I am enrolled in. This is no ordinary blog you may run in to. I will be relating my posts to some aspect of the business world. This is how i will do it...

Every week, I will be required to enter a new blog on articles or readings have completed for the week. I will share my insight weekly. Don't worry, I promise to keep it insightful and bore free. Stay tuned. CHANDOO OUT!

“On my honor, all posts on this blog are my own”