Week 5
Today, we'll be learning about some more social media applications/strategies, organizing information with Plaxo and Ning, and join/influence sites (Meetup and YouTube). I hope that you'll be able to use these additional sites for more than the typical "connecting" opportunities. Using today's additions, you can think about positioning yourself as an expert in a topic or field, sharing that expertise with others, and developing a following or perhaps landing a job. After all, who doesn't want to associate with someone who's the best at something?
PLAXO
Plaxo is an online address book. It's designed to be "smart," meaning as your contacts update their various online presences, Plaxo will automatically update their contact info and sync your address book. That means your contacts will be unified across myriad resources. No more distress over email address, name changes, or similar life events. Users and their contacts store their information in the cloud on Plaxo's servers. When this information is edited by the user, the changes appear in the address books of all those who listed the account changer in their own books. Once contacts are stored in the central location, it is possible to list connections between contacts and access the address book from anywhere. A Plaxo plug-in supports major address books including Outlook/Outlook Express, Mozilla Thunderbird, and Mac OS X's Address Book, iOS and BlackBerry, and others can be supported through an application programming interface. Additionally, Plaxo can be maintained online. |
NING
This site allows users to create social networking websites. It is a paid service. By creating a social website, you can turn "fans" into friendships and build an ever-growing base of potential employers, contacts, or customers. Ning makes it easy to transform social traffic into lifelong relationships. |
MEETUP
Meetup is an online community of people around the world. It helps groups of people with shared interests and experiences plan events and facilitate real-world group meetings in various places around the world. Begun by some New Yorkers in response to 9/11 who were stunned by how few people knew their neighbors, it's grown into a global phenomenon. Imagine starting your own group, posting meetings, and then gathering together with potential friends, colleagues, customers, or employers to share your information. Quite a few businesses got their start as Meetup groups. |
YOUTUBE
This incredibly popular site allows users to create and upload videos for viewing by people all over the world. |