A new paradigm is emerging for how people become valuable online. I’ll call it “leadership.” It started about five years ago with the introduction of blogs, and has continued more recently through the advent of social media, typified by MySpace, Facebook and Twitter. Central to this evolution has been the emergence of a new type of authority- authentic, opinionated, transparent, available, real. The culture of authority as being untouchable has given way to a new culture of authority that can be accessed, and interacted with, in real-time. The most influential people in social media, the leaders, leverage this new type of authority…More
Feeds, Friends and Follows: On Leadership in Social Media
]]>February 25th, 2009
![[Post to Twitter]](http://informationknot.com/wp-content/plugins/tweet-this/icons/tt-twitter.png){kind=icon}
]]>By Kerry Newberry from Oregon Wine Press
Pop icon Madonna gyrated into 1984 with her inaugural album “Like a Virgin.” Fingerless gloves and fishnet stockings took stage as she crooned catchy tunes such as “Shoo-Bee-Doo” and “Material Girl.” Lyrics from the latter song: “Cause we are living in a material world/And I am a material girl” sing veritably today if you slip in the adjective “virtual.” Three decades later and without the fingerless gloves, we are living in a virtual world, and I think I am a virtual girl.
Virtually everything is available online: music and movies, couture and cuisine, love, romance and, now, wine. Yes, it is all a mere mouse-click away. Welcome to Web 2.0, the second generation of web development and design, where dynamic communication, information sharing and collaboration are key. For this new and improved web world, think of sites with user-generated content, web-based communities, podcasts, social networking sites, video-sharing platforms, wikis and blogs.
More writing from Kerry here.
Read more about the dos and don’ts of conducting webinars.
]]>The pace of technological change is increasing. This week, as I read the recent news from Neilson about Twitter growing 1,382% over the past year, and I was reminded of Moore’s Law which says that the number of transistors that can be integrated into a circuit doubles every two years. These implications are far reaching and thought provoking, especially when I think about the myriad of new tools that will be invented for information to flow faster. I also thought of the ideas from futurists like Ray Kurzweil who predict a technological singularity or theoritical future point of unprecented technological progress. As far as information technology goes, it seems like that future is here. Brian Solis of P.R. 2.0 has even dubbed this era the Social Revolution. He says,
The business of information creation and distribution has driven and defined our global economies. In the last century, the increasingly rapid pace of innovation has globalized, localized, and streamlined the distribution of information, what we thought about, and how we processed, news, trends and current events – and in turn, influenced how our societies evolved in the real world….
…Towards the end of the 1990s, the Web, and its architects, forged the tools that would spark a renaissance of influence and empowerment. These tools would inspire people to build new interconnected platforms for content that would collectively and ultimately ignite a social revolution and usher a new exchange for information that has all the signs and economic potential of a modern day Industrial Revolution.
Just a year ago, we were asking ourselves “why would I want to post what I am doing right now” on some site and in 140 characters or less? At least I was. But it turns out there are many reasons to do so. And businesses think so to. Many businesses have embraced this technology wholeheartedly. Quickly evolving past status updates, businesses are using Twitter and other micro media tools to grow their brands and connect with others faster than ever. Ingrid Catlin of the Cheeky Marketeer explains on her blog that businesses are using Twitter to broadcast news and events, provide customer service, promote sales, build communities around their brand.
Twitter was founded in 2006 and in three short years, it has lodged itself squarely in the middle of our collective consciousness. If the medium is the message, Twitter is loud and clear even if the message is only 140 characters or less. My only question is, if Twitter can become this pervasive in such a short time, what’s next? I can’t wait for tomorrow.
]]>Computer Shopper - “Parents need to “clue up” on what their children are doing online, according to Symantec. The company’s research showed that UK kids are spending more than twice as much time on the web as their parents think they are, and a third of them say their parents have no idea what they view online.”
]]>]]>Sure, facebook and myspace can be useful tools for networking with consumers and peers, but what about all the other social networks on the web with more specific purposes or narrower audiences? The list is endless and runs the gamut, but the eight below are some of our favorites.
1. APSense.com: Tap into an affiliate marketing revenue stream by promoting products and sites on your business profile, and get paid for the friends you refer.
2. Biznik.com: Join your local business community to connect and collaborate with nearby entrepreneurs, and find out about local seminars and events.
3. Entrepreneur Connect: Share ideas, join groups, publish content and promote your business on Entrepreneur’s own network.
4. FastPitchNetworking.com: Create a profile, product listings and blog, and take advantage of e-mail marketing and virtual trade shows.
5. GoBigNetwork.com: Get serious about fast growth in this startup community focused on finding funding, talent and expert advice.
6. Konnects.com: Build a network among other startup entrepreneurs and launch your own branded network when you’re ready.
7. Marzar.com: Connect with other business owners while promoting products and services in the marketplace.
8. Xing.com: Search this global site for business partners, contacts and professional opportunities.