There are a lot of reasons, but one sticks out to me. Google wants to be in front of you all day. Google wants to be there when you wake up and look at your phone. It wants to be there when you turn on your TV. It wants to be there when you’re commuting to work. It wants to be in your face as much as possible.

Google’s main competitors aren’t Yahoo, Microsoft or Apple. Google’s competitors are activities like driving, watching TV, going to the movies or anything else that takes you away from their products. So what does Google do? They come up with ways to insert themselves into the areas of your life they don’t yet have access to. Genius? Yes.

I love that Google has invested in making a car that drives automatically. Getting stuck in traffic no longer becomes a source of much rage, but becomes a time to catch up on work, to read, to talk to old friends, to plan a date, to think of a new business, to innovate, to relax, to catch up on sleep, to be free.

So keep it up Google. Keep innovating and trying to insert yourself into my life. If you make an awesome product that solves a problem in my life, then I’ll buy it.

So this post comes down to the real question: Is Google trying to take over the world?

You might think I’m just saying Chrome is faster when I mention speed. While that may be true, that’s not the kind of speed I mean. This is not about Chrome or Internet Explorer per se. It’s about Microsoft.

Microsoft is a great company. It’s full of genius people creating marvelous new technologies and products. But why is Internet Explorer losing market share? Why is Apple, a major competitor of Microsoft, growing so quickly? Why are people projecting that the Windows mobile operating system will be all but gone within the next 4 years? The main problem is Microsoft’s lack of company speed and disconnect from the consumer.

Let me give you an example of what I’m talking about: About nine years ago Microsoft started developing a revolutionary technology now known as Microsoft Surface. They were developing the first multi-touch multi-user computer! This was before cellphones where being used by the masses. At this point only cool people like Zack Morris and his Dad had them. This technology was unheard of, and is still really cool. Click here to check it out in this 2008 video demonstration.

That video is two years old! So what the heck happened? Why is Apple the golden child of phones, tablets, and MP3 players? Because Apple released their technology quickly and in a format where average customers could consume it. Microsoft had the technology, they had the money, they had plenty of smart people around, but they just didn’t have the foresight or the speed to be the first to come out with a product that could be used by the masses, a.k.a. the iPad.

This brings us to Internet Explorer and the recent reports of its continuing loss of market share. Internet Explorer has been around for a long time, and for a while was the only real browser you could realistically use, which resulted in a poor product. Now we have Firefox, Safari, and Chrome (my favorite) which have improved on an otherwise slow and annoying experience. Internet Explorer 9 may have improved its speed and a few other issues, but it’s too late. The brand is broken. People who have abandoned Internet Explorer, like myself, have left IE forever and will convince as many people as they can to get away from it. Why? Because Internet Explorer only improved when it had to, not because they cared about developing a quality product. If they were connected with the consumer they would have improved their product long before other browsers corrected the problems.

The point of this post isn’t to rail on Microsoft. The point is to drive home the importance of understanding the consumer and getting your products or services out as quickly as possible without sacrificing quality. If you don’t provide what people can use when they need it, then you will lose sales to your competitors. It’s simple economics.

Until a couple of months ago my father worked as Director of Compensation at a large hospital in Florida. When he discovered LinkedIn over a year ago, he recognized the potential it had to help him network with other business professionals, even though he already had a secure job. He created a LinkedIn profile and began connecting with dozens of people. He joined LinkedIn groups that brought others from his profession together. He took a few minutes each day to grow his online network, never allowing his profile to lie dormant. He made sure his resume on LinkedIn was current, professional and creative. He used language in his profile that detailed specific talents he possesses and professional victories he’s achieved, avoiding generic or clichéd terms. For example, under his “Specialties” category on LinkedIn, he wrote:

“Compensation structure and design, competitive pricing analyses, HCROI and HVCA human capital metric to strategy analysis, executive compensation and long-term incentive plan design, annual salary and bonus planning process, performance appraisal process, M&A workforce integration, compensation statistical analysis, benefit plan design, funding arrangements, contribution methodologies, cost containment strategies, 401(k), 403(b), and 457(b).”

Now I don’t know what the heck any of that means, but the executives at a large railroad holding company in Florida did, and they were impressed. A recruiter, looking for an expert in Compensation, stumbled upon my father’s LinkedIn profile and introduced him to folks at this railroad company. They offered him a higher-paying job as their new Director of Compensation, which he just accepted. It was an unexpected blessing for our family.

All thanks to social networking. The moral of the story is that it’s silly not to take advantage of tools like LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter or blogging, especially to build your brand as an individual or business. But you can’t just use them, you must use them well. Create online profiles that are detailed, charismatic and that accurately portray your professional skills. Like a good resume, it should stand out and be accurate. Even if you currently have a job, you should be growing your social networks.

As our friend Whitney Young said, “It is better to be prepared for an opportunity and not have one than to have an opportunity and not be prepared.”

So what do you do? Some person or group has invaded your Facebook Page, your blog, or some other online community, and is causing a ruckus. Do you respond or just ignore them? It depends. Here are a few pointers:

1. Delete comments if they are offensive or use bad language – It’s important that people feel comfortable coming to your online community. Generally speaking, if people come to your site and see offensive language or comments that degrade individuals or groups, they most likely won’t feel comfortable coming back. If someone posts something regarded as ugly or offensive (particularly if it’s racist, sexist or bigoted), it’s best to delete the comment. As tempting as it may be, do not delete someone’s comment just because he or she said something negative about you or your product. You’ll never have a strong community if you restrict differing opinions. Just make it clear that you delete offensive comments but encourage debate.
2. Let it be – Sometimes you’ll get a Whiner or Troll who says something that is totally irrelevant, makes no sense, or is just plain dumb. In this case, ignore it. Keep an eye on the comment to see if other people begin voicing the same concern–then you may want to consider responding. In a lot of cases you won’t need to because most will just ignore stupid or irrelevant complaints.
3. Let your fans defend you – Often the Whiner’s complaint isn’t something that you have to respond to because your fans will for you. If you’ve done a good job of creating an interactive culture in your online community, people will be used to contributing and discussing. If someone starts ranting, the community is usually equipped to take care of the situation. Your defenders can also say things that your company can’t without getting in trouble.
4. Respond directly – Sometimes the whining is warranted. Your company messed up, your product is bad, or you just made a mistake. If someone complains or calls your company out on a mistake, respond appropriately. Sometimes your response can be a simple explanation, and sometimes you may have to change the way you do things. If you let a legitimate complaint slide it can come back to bite you. Just look at how Steve Jobs is getting all sorts of backlash on how he’s handled the new iPhone debacle.

Don’t let Whiners and Trolls get under your skin. Respond when you need to. Otherwise, just let the openness of the Internet take care of it.

What do you think? Have you had any experiences dealing with Whiners and Trolls?

While the actual oil spill has been terrible, the PR around the oil spill has been just as bad. I’m not going to talk about BP in this post; they have all sorts of problems I could talk about. Click here to read an interesting post about some things BP’s PR could have done better. Click here to see some parodies on BP’s response.

My focus today is on the Obama administration and their PR problems. People are upset, and rightfully so. They are mad at BP, they are mad at the damage to their beaches and businesses, they are mad at Obama, they are just mad. They don’t care who fixes the problem, they just want it fixed.

It’s been very interesting to watch Obama and his response. He is mad and wants to figure out whose “booty to kick” (he didn’t use the word booty, but you get the idea). He is very defensive of his administration and spends a lot of time explaining that he is very angry at what’s going on. I’m sure people are happy that Obama is mad, but the problem is that people aren’t seeing action.

So what should the government do? I believe they should better explain what they’re doing to stop this catastrophe. If they’re consulting with experts about how to clean oil spills, then tell us. If they are planning on sending resources to aid in the clean up, send out a press release. If Obama just gave an earful to the CEO of BP, then tweet about it. This is simple PR!

In this new age of communication, when people can find anything they want by typing it into their search engine, when people can vent their frustrations on blogs, Facebook and Twitter, good PR is a must. But it goes much further than having good PR. Your organization has to be willing to do and to change if necessary. If all you’re doing is talking, then people will call you out on it.

What do you think?

This morning I want to write about the next step in evolving your social sites into positive and dynamic networking tools: professionalize.

What does that mean? Well, if you haven’t figured out by now that social networks play a commanding role in 21^st century personal branding, it’s time to take a crash course in reality. Like it or not, Facebook matters in the business world. So do LinkedIn, blogging and a host of other “new media” channels. These are robust, highly compelling tools to use in your networking and job searching endeavors. So you must professionalize your social networks—you must develop them into qualified, focused sites that employers, coworkers, interviewers, former professors and colleagues will respect, value and share with others. However, you don’t have to turn all your social networks into stale, emotionless resumes. You can still use Facebook and Twitter for personal or social reasons…just be aware that employers and business people will see your sites. You want them to look great.

(The following suggestions are for those that already have existing social networks, like Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn. If you currently don’t use any social networks, but want to start building your social media presence, go here.)

Upload good profile pictures. Online profile pictures can make significant first impressions on potential employers and others. You definitely don’t want a photo of your recent drunken late-night escapade greeting every visitor to your social networks. Your Facebook profile photo doesn’t have to be uber-professional, but it should be well-cropped and likable. LinkedIn profile shots can have a more professional feel, depending on your industry. Make sure your Twitter profile picture is cropped well and shows your face clearly (unless your Twitter page is based around a product or company). Remember, you’re branding yourself.

Maintain a well-written bio. Most social networks give you the option to include a small biography about yourself. Use this to your advantage! Include work and professional information about yourself on Facebook and especially LinkedIn. Bring some of the strongest parts of your resume over to your social networks. If you’re using Twitter, make your bio short, but full of key words that stand out to people searching about your industry.

Keep your blog focused. Maintaining a consistent, professional blog can be one of the most effective and rewarding online networking tools. If you do have a blog, make sure it caters to a specific industry or niche—and keep it focused! What is your expertise? Your greatest talent? Write about that, and little else. Whether its finance, politics, cooking or PR, keep your blog relevant to one industry. You’ll begin to attract readers from your field that will respect your writing and take notice of your skills. Your status as an opinion leader will grow—and that is a big deal to employers.

Fill out your LinkedIn profile. Build your summary, grow your contacts, ask for recommendations, use LinkedIn’s “Q & A” feature, etc, etc. Go here to learn how to grow and effectively utilize your LinkedIn presence. You really can use it as a great online resume.

Create a custom background on Twitter. This isn’t absolutely necessary, but it’s a nice addition to your Twitter presence, and could really impress potential employers and colleagues. Go here to learn how to get started.

Professionalize! Make your social networks attractive, interesting and, most importantly, impressive to potential employers. Remove all the childish rubbish and consistently update your profiles with genuine and professional content.

My next few posts will focus on specific social networks and how to use each one to build your personal brand. Stay tuned!

What is your target audience? Cater your posts to your niche.

Why do you use Twitter, Facebook or a blog? Are you trying to reach a specific niche, like business people, moms, teenagers or social media experts? Who do you want reading what you post? These are questions I recommend you ask yourself often to keep the correct perspective before posting different social messages.

Sometimes, as a social media professional, I find myself tweeting less of the things I find interesting (articles, videos, etc) because they’ve already been shared online by millions of people. For example, just look at the Mashable home page and you’ll see that hundreds and sometimes thousands of people tweet Mashable’s content regularly. I find myself less motivated to tweet this popular content because it seems like everyone has seen it already. But this is false! Just because I’ve read or seen a piece of content doesn’t mean the people who follow me have encountered it too.

In reality, it doesn’t matter if you post a piece of content someone may have already seen. The point is to post content that is interesting to you, and what you believe your audience will appreciate. I don’t care if some social media person sees my profile and thinks, “I’ve already read that.” Why? Because they’re not my target audience. My target audience includes the people who don’t read all of the social media blogs. They don’t have time to read the hundreds of interesting posts out there, so they come to me to read the ones I feel are the best. Why do they care? Because I consistently post things they like.

The moral of the story: no matter what industry you’re in, don’t forget that your target audience comes to you for updates. They’re not visiting all of the sites you’re visiting. They rely on you to sift through what’s good and what’s not.

You thought Facebook and Twitter were social media? Sorry, you’re wrong.

Social media, or as Olivier Blanchard put it, social communications (a label I like), is not a Facebook page, a Twitter account, or a blog. It’s not getting the most fans or followers. It’s not pushing a message out into the newest social network. It’s not putting little social networking logos on your web page. It’s not even posting regular content to your different accounts.

So what is social media/social communications? Here are a few ideas:

It’s being in the right spot

In order to reach your target markets you have to be where they are.  Are they on Twitter? Are your markets on Facebook? Do your target markets read the newspaper? Do they respond to billboards? Do they watch television? Do they go to trade shows or congregate at certain events? Are you where your markets are? All forms of media today can be social. If you’re not communicating with your markets where your markets are located, you aren’t being social.

It’s integration

Once you know where you markets are, you need to integrate. If you aren’t convinced that Facebook is going to be around for very long then you need to click here. When it boils down to it, Facebook has over 450 million active user. There is a good chance your markets are on Facebook. Does that mean you stop pursuing traditional marketing efforts? No! It means you start using your traditional marketing efforts more effectively. Come up with ideas to use traditional methods that will point people to your different social networks. Tell people to communicate with your company on Facebook, on Twitter or on your corporate blog. As you invite them to some sort of an action, you will see more people coming to your pages to interact with you.

It’s listening

Now that your social networks are budding with activity, what are people saying? Are you listening on Twitter? Are people commenting on your blog? Are people saying things that make you uncomfortable? Are they unhappy with your product or are they raving about how amazing you are? Are you listening?

It’s changing

If you’re truly listening to people, then you’ll need to make changes. If people are saying bad things, then you obviously need to change. If they’re saying good things, then surprise people with something even better. If people aren’t saying anything, then you need to do something to get people talking. Here are a couple of great posts by Olivier you really need to read about how a company can listen and change using social media in a crisis: Greenpeace vs. Nestle part 1 and part 2.

It’s communicating

To truly use social media, you have to communicate with people. True communication is a two way dialogue. You can’t just push a message out and hope you see results. You have to find out what people want, what they’re saying and respond appropriately. We live in an age where people all over the world can be a part of a community. Regardless of the role you want to have in that community, if you’re going to be a part of it you’re going to have to communicate effectively.

If you don’t know how to communicate, how to listen, how to change, how to integrate new and traditional media, or if you don’t know where your markets are, then don’t waste time on social networks. Why? Because you’re probably going out of business.

Here’s the short version of the story: On March 5th Conan decided to randomly follow one person on Twitter. He chose Sarah Killen, a.k.a. @lovelybutton. She immediately went from a few followers to almost 25,000 in six days…crazy. Click here to read more.

So what? Good for Sarah, no big deal right? Wrong. If Sarah is smart she will do something with this unexpected fame. If you watch this ABC report, you’ll see that she got a few things for her wedding. She is even encouraging people to donate to a cancer fund. That’s wonderful, but she needs to do something more. This is an amazing opportunity!

So Sarah, here are a few ideas on what you could do with your new-found fame:

1. Start a blog: You already have thousands of people who are listening to what you’re saying on Twitter. As a result, you would get thousands of hits on your blog. You already have people sending you free stuff for your wedding, just think of how many people would pay you to have an ad in the sidebar of your blog. You could generate a pretty good income just from advertisements. Make sure your blog has focus and isn’t just a diary of your life. Make it about something of worth and it will grow instead of fading out when all of the hype dies down. If you’re not a good writer then take a writing class ASAP!
2. Start a business: What do you like to do? What are you good at? Start a business and use your audience to help it grow.
3. Become an unofficial spokesperson for a good cause: Pick a topic or cause that you’re passionate about. Maybe it’s helping to cure cancer. I’m sure the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation would love your help and support, and may even pay you to be an official spokesperson for them.
4. Connect with other celebrities: You could try to connect with other comedians or celebrities. They may be interested in getting in on the joke. As they connect with you more people will follow you, which would increase your ability to influence.

Please be smart, Sarah! Do something more than just tweeting random stuff. You could do so much. Of course if you want more advice let me know!

It's finally time to clean up your social networks.

Over the last few years, two remarkably surprising and unpredictable phenomena have radically changed the way most Americans spend their time and lives. One is the rise of social media. The other is the Great Recession.

First, social media is quickly altering the way humans communicate and interact with one another. Don’t believe me? 95% of employers polled in a recent business survey say they use LinkedIn to attract job candidates. The United States government just eased sanctions on Iran and Cuba to encourage social media use among their citizens. CNN now sees Facebook as a bigger competitor than FOX News. And on and on it goes.

In the mean time, the economic recession has paralyzed millions of businesses, families and nations. It’s harder now for a recent college graduate to find a good job than it’s been in decades.

So what do these two changes have in common? It’s simple: College graduates must use social media to foster personal branding in order to beat the recession. But how?

I was going to spill out a half-dozen suggestions in this blog post today, but my wise business colleague suggested I create a series of posts that address this important issue, step by step. I gladly took his advice, and I’ll focus this morning on the importance of keeping your social networks clean and appropriate.

Clean up your social networks: A study last year revealed that 45% of employers use social networks like Facebook and MySpace to screen potential job candidates. That number is bound to increase as social media becomes even more widely used. What does that mean for you?

• Learn about privacy features on Facebook. I cannot tell you how many people I come across that have no idea that all their Facebook information, including phone numbers, private notes and embarrassing pictures, are public online. Educate yourself and make invisible sensitive information on Facebook.
• If you’re smart, you’ll simply erase any negative or compromising material on Facebook, especially photos. If your friends occasionally post inappropriate comments or pictures on your Facebook wall, see the link in the point above.
• If you have a blog, that is very good. But, like Facebook, make sure your blog is appropriate for all to see, including potential or current employers.
• Make sure spammers aren’t following you on Twitter. Block them. Oftentimes, spammers will use pornographic images in their profile pictures which are visible to someone looking at your Twitter followers.
• Abandon MySpace. It’s filthy and chaotic and ridden with 13-year-olds. It will do little, if anything, to further your career. Say goodbye and walk away.

In short, remember to make your social networks clean and don’t ever post anything online that could come back to embarrass or hurt you.

Over the next couple years, social media will become even more mainstream and will evolve and grow in ways we can’t yet predict. The recession will (hopefully) wither away into oblivion, like the Wicked Witch of the West slowly melting in a pool of oozy water. Those transformations are good, but it highlights the point that the time to use social media to establish your personal brand is now. The world, as it recovers from the economic downturn, will not wait for you to catch up.