I’ve already talked about how you can integrate LinkedIn with Outlook (click here for the Outlook toolbar download). I’ve also talked about how important it is to make the most of your LinkedIn invitations to connect. (I know that’s not a tool, but I wanted to work it in up front because it’s just so darn important.)

But did you also know LinkedIn has browser toolbars for Internet Explorer 3.2 and Mozilla Firefox 3.3 that make LinkedIn even easier to access in a single click? It’s true. I wouldn’t kid ya. Check them out! If for nothing else, the toolbar across the top of your browser will remind you that LinkedIn is there for you to leverage.

Do you have an email signature setup? LinkedIn can help you create a customized email signature for Outlook, Outlook Express and Thunderbird.

Are you smartphone equipped? Keep your digital LinkedIn rolodex at your fingertips.

Are you making the most of LinkedIn Apps? They’re free and they can automatically integrate with other tools you may be using to further enhance your profile. I just added the Legal Updates app by JD Supra to my LinkedIn homepage so I can stay informed of legal issues in the categories of interest to me.

If you’re job-hunting, then downloading the browser tool for LinkedIn Jobs Insider is a MUST. When you open any job posting at Monster, CareerBuilder, HotJobs, Craigslist, SimplyHired, Dice or Vault, you’ll be able to instantly and automatically see the people in your network that work at the hiring company. You can then request an introduction to the hiring manager, get your resume to the right person or find out more about the company via LinkedIn.

LinkedIn Jobs Insider Sidebar box

It’s all there for you to use. And they all work to help you save time.

For the record, this isn’t a plug for LinkedIn. It’s a plug for WEB TOOLS! I try to keep my blog’s RESOURCES page up to date with all of the great web tools I come across, but every now and again, I come across a few that I find worthy of a little special attention. If you use LinkedIn at all — and, as of July 2010, 70 million professionals do — these tools are unquestionably handy to have in place.

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I hear ya.

Your sense of personal privacy is being tested. Your understanding of work-life boundaries is being challenged. And you would simply prefer to remain virtually underexposed. You would prefer the security and familiarity of “controlled,” offline socializing in the “real” world.

I’ve been there. So how did I get here?

The answer? One connection at a time.

With every connection I have made on any of the social platforms — and I mean “real” connections…the kind where a real dialogue happens and you find yourself typing your reply with a smile or even scheduling a coffee meetup to further the conversation — I have become more and more comfortable with all of this information that “belongs” to me being released. Out there. To the world. To whomever may find it interesting.

And despite what you may be thinking…it doesn’t feel like a waste of my time or theirs.

I’m writing about this because people keep asking me about this. Here’s the deal: It’s fine with me if people don’t read what I write and it’s fine with me if they do. Throughout all of this “exposure,” my respect for personal privacy remains fully in tact. Believe it or not, I’m actually a very private person. I’ve set my own personal boundaries in these online spaces that preserve my sense of privacy. I also take personal security and identity theft rather seriously, so I’m not blind to the perceived risks. (Standby for “Online Privacy: Part 2 of 2.”) But, at the end of the day, what I’ve learned from social media is that the group exposure you allow yourself to engage in leads to one-on-one connections (nurtured old ones, interesting new ones) that are as tangible to me online as they would be if I were chatting with or introducing myself to you at a party or professional gathering. The risks can be managed and the rewards can be meaningful.

It’s not just staying in touch with people you know, but opening yourself up to meeting NEW people.

And once those online connections are made, it doesn’t feel so strange to “tweet” to the world that your basement flooded, or that you just got back from Jamaica, or that your fish just died or that you need another cup of coffee. While “personal” posts like those do not represent the bulk of what I post on Facebook or Twitter or anywhere else…the life-stuff just slips in there every now and again. And whether it’s a great business link or a personal side note, what I post is of value to me FIRST…then I share it via these handy little (free) social tools to (perhaps) provide some value (or a little piece of humanity) to whomever might find it…um…interesting. These things I say online are the same things I’d be telling you in person because they matter to me. They represent part of my experiences. They may even resonate with yours and they may even ignite a new conversation.

“Silly” is in the eye of the beholder.

If it’s not privacy concerns, again and again and again I hear people who are not online talk about why they’re not online — because of how ridiculous some people’s status updates are and how they don’t care about what Sally had for breakfast, and they don’t have time for all of that nonsense…yada, yada, yada. Well that’s fine. But chances are that someone cares what Sally had for breakfast, so get over it. If it feels like noise to you, it’s pretty darn easy to scroll right on by to something else that may be of great interest to you. We all lead busy, busy lives these days, and I’m THRILLED that social media tools enable me to remain connected to people I do care about but aren’t able to see quite as often as life once allowed. If the choice were between never getting to see those people or getting to see one of their so-called “meaningless” status updates, I choose the meaningless status update — and when it’s a good one, I’ll likely retweet it or give it a “like” when I can.

Does telling “the world” that I have a dog (or three), that I have a life outside my business, that I like sailing, that I love Nanci Griffith, that I went on vacation or that I love a particular song make me somehow more vulnerable or less productive than people who aren’t publishing online content? Does it make me feel like my privacy is compromised? Does it make me feel a tad bit silly?

The truth is, it just makes me feel…good.

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TEDx MidAtlantic Live Video Stream

Click the image above or head on over to http://tedxmidatlantic.com/live/.

See how nice it is to share?

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• Watch Day 1 of TEDIndia live, for free (ted.com)

But this is not the point.

I was scanning the Twitter stream the other day and noticed one of my posts was “retweeted,” so I went to send a “Thx for the RT” which led me to a closer examination of the fellow’s Twitter bio — now he turned out to be very Italian. That’s when I officially met the “master of the Italian card game Scopa.” And then I took a moment to enjoy a flashback to more than 15 years ago when I played the game on a regular basis while living in Europe. Molto bene!

But this is not the point, either.

I invite the two of you who are still with me to follow this pictorial trail (if you’re reading this through your RSS feed reader or your email inbox and not seeing pictures, click here) and I promise to usher you directly to my point, which is about how you can use social media to build a community around ANYTHING that is of interest to you and why that matters.

Hmm…what’s this “Meetup” about…(click) –>

Hmm…wonder what other groups are on Meetup.com that would interest me…

Okay…I’ve arrived at my point. (Grazie for your patience.)

THE POINT: (drum roll…) My Twitter time went from Scopa (a long forgotten personal interest) to Meetup (an online community building tool I simply hadn’t stumbled upon before) to a search of other Meetup groups…and, because I can never turn off the marketer in my mind, the realization that if I were the community manager for a business, I’d want to know what Meetup groups are out there and where they’re meeting. I’d want to see how my business could add value to the group, whether in promoting group participation within my own company or in offering a sponsorship of an activity to one of the groups — whatever. The point is (another point?), THIS is where social media and social business meet. (Or, “meetup” in this case.) And meetup.com is just one of the multitude of places they’re meeting using social media tools.

On a personal note, I found some groups that appeal to my unique interests, such as groups for “Chinese Language Learners.” Seriously. Who knew people were meeting up to chat in Chinese (or to try to, at least!)? I think that’s 酷.

Business. Personal. Italian. Chinese. Social Media. Social Business. It’s a mix that requires you — the mixer — to stir things up and engage.

I think this post serves as a case study on multiple levels:

• How Twitter can be a valuable tool for business AND personal use
• Why it’s important to READ PEOPLE’S Twitter bios and make sure yours reflects your interests
• Why taking a second to send a personal note to someone on Twitter can be worthwhile
• There is some truth in advertising (when they say “there’s an app for that,” they’re not kidding)
• There are people meeting up everywhere over just about everything — consider what that could mean for you and your business
• There is networking value to overlapping the professional and the personal online (safely and cautiously, of course)
• And for my new Italian friend, be careful where you invite “@usegraymatter” because she’ll end up posting about it

Scopa Cards (translated in Italian, "Scopa" means "sweep"). Points are awarded on each deal and when a player "sweeps" or wins all the cards on the table.

To think, all of this came out of a little tweet about a little deck of cards.

Meet online. Move offline. Maintain your network.

Scopa!

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You are one rockin’ community.

This blog is focused on social media, yes…but I’ve come to realize more and more that it’s really about time — my time, your time, our collective time using social tools to communicate with each other.

So what has the year taught me about time? About blogging? About social media?

Let’s start with time:

1. It flies. I try to make the most of it by doing what I enjoy doing whenever and as often I can – at work and at play.
2. If you think there’s a faster way to do something online, there probably is — just ask someone. (Wish this had occurred to me sooner.) Or simply google it…anything you want to know is only ever just a few clicks away.
3. Social media and social technology, when used properly and with discipline, can maximize your time in 1,000 different ways, personally and professionally. But you’ve got to be willing to accommodate the time it takes for the learning curve to run its course.

What have I learned about blogging?

1. It’s bleepin’ hard (because it’s so time-consuming).
2. It’s an amazing creative outlet.
3. It’s a great way to meet new people and learn new things. I’m doing what I can to share this part of my experience through my Social Gets Local (social media case study) directory, which remains immensely important to me, even as I struggle to find the time to work on it.

And what pearls of wisdom can I share about social media as it has evolved all around me over the course of the past year?

photo by Michael Dawes via Flickr

1. Input equals output. Period. If you’re not getting anything out of your time in social media, then you either need a quick lesson on a few basic tools (you surely know someone you can ask!) or you’re simply not putting the time/effort into it. At the end of the day, what is it all about? What’s in it for you? Information. Education. (Which is why my Social Media RESOURCES page is the most visited page on my blog — people love learning new things, my list just makes finding what they want to know a bit easier.) If you have the right disposition, then you’ll earn new friendships and business connections, too. But at the very least, there is something to be learned on the social webs. Every day. I kid you not. And that’s just if you’re a regular civilian! If you’re in marketing, then it’s like being in the green room of a great wave that never closes out. Now if you’re a business owner and you haven’t dipped your toe in the water, I’m telling you, you’re missing the “opportunity boat” altogether.
2. We learn the most from our mistakes. In this case, I owe Mr. Peter Kim a thank you, (a humble and sincere thank you), for unknowingly teaching me an important online life lesson through the course of 1 tweet, 1 email and 1 phone call — lessons that have stayed with me and guided my personal social media policies and best practices ever since. Through his blog, he is also responsible for shifting my approach and thinking about social media toward social business. As a marketer, this idea remains critical to leading with and leveraging the power of the social technologies currently being developed.
3. Go online to get offline. It’s not about sitting in front of your computer every day, posting what you had for lunch to your Twitter account. The point is to move your conversations offline. Get out and about on your terms. Social media has led me to attend some great events, like the Ignite Events. (These are not your grandfather’s networking events. They’re the most fun I’ve ever had in a room full of strangers…well, unless I count that hostel in Budapest — but that’s another story altogether.) BlogPotomac was also fantastic. And, if you haven’t heard, TED is coming to Baltimore. This is HUGE! (Thanks for the head’s up Mr. D.) Because of social media, “networking” has been forever redefined for me and the bar has been irrevocably raised for “networking events” in general. The “cold call” is dead (with the social tools available to you today, you can warm almost any lead or call effectively) and the content and appeal of a networking event truly needs to skyrocket past the quality of the venue and/or the hors d’oeuvres.

It just keeps getting better.

This blog has been a remarkable tool for me, for my business, for my creativity and for networking on my terms. I have been empowered. And I love giving talks and presentations (something I would not have even considered before I started this blog) because I love watching that glimmer of empowerment light up in someone else’s eyes. When I share what I have learned with others, be it businesses or individuals, I am not ever pitching to do the work for anyone…rather, I’m teaching other people to do the work for themselves. THAT has been the biggest reward this blog has brought to my life.

With your valued support, I look forward to continuing to expand my gray matter in the years to come.

I’ve heard it all.

And I’m not here to convince you otherwise unless you ask me to…so feel free to sidestep social media if you’d like, but there’s a 3-step strategy that anyone who has a name, social security number, personal or professional interest, and a resume should know.

These are 3 simple steps that will keep you in step with “the latest technology,” even if you want to sidestep social media.

I always bring these three things up when I speak to a group about anything that’s going on online, and the pens/pencils always come out. (Oh, who am I kidding? No one uses pencils anymore.) These are pearls of Web 2.0 wisdom folks, three easy essentials that will cover you on the basics until you accept the power of social technology into your hearts and minds (and businesses).

1. MONITOR: Set up Google Alerts. This is so easy; I almost didn’t include it but for the fact that it always surprises me how many people haven’t done it. If you want to be alerted ANYTIME your name (or your family members’ names or any other keywords that are important to your personal security or professional development) is published online, anywhere in the world, set up an “alert” using Google’s FREE Google Alerts tool and you’ll get an email notification. THE QUESTION: I have been asked, “Why would I want to know when my name is published?” THE ANSWER: My response is always the same, why wouldn’t you? Always a good idea to do regular vanity searches by googling yourself so you can see what other people would see if they googled you, but even better to set up an automated system to alert you and keep you informed and aware of your digital trail. (And these days, we ALL have a digital trail.) While you’re at it, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to have some kind of identity fraud protection on your SSN. It would cost less per month than what you might spend at Starbucks and delivers peace of mind without the caffeine.
2. MANAGE: Set up an RSS feed reader. I’ve talked about this before. I even put together a handy “how to set up an RSS feed reader” step-by-step guide that you can download for free. Gratis. That’s how much this means to me. It’s my little gift to you. THE QUESTION: How do you get the information that interests you most? THE ANSWER: You do an online search. Everything is about SEARCH these days. THE NEXT QUESTION: Are you controlling the flow of information in your life or are you overwhelmed by noise, a slave to pages and pages of search results? THE REALLY IMPORTANT QUESTION: Do you only seek information when you need it, or have you set up an RSS feed reader so the information you desire most comes to you AUTOMATICALLY and is thus available to you to peruse or share at your convenience? THE DRIVE-MY-POINT-HOME QUESTION: In the Web 2.0 world of information overload, are you a victim of the volume or in control of your content consumption? THE EASY ANSWER TO ALL OF THESE QUESTIONS: Manage the content, kids — set up an RSS feed reader and live a happier online existence.
3. MAINTAIN: Set up your LinkedIn profile. Got a phone? Got email? How about a job or a desire to have a job? THE QUESTION: How can you have all of that and not have a LinkedIn profile set up in the year 2009? THE ANSWER: Sorry, but you’re going to have to tell me the answer because I cannot come up with one! I’m not saying LinkedIn will revolutionize your life, but gee-whiz, it sure can serve to make your life easier. (Yes, I still say “gee-whiz.”) There are lots of ways to use LinkedIn. Use it as an online, access-from-anywhere Rolodex of contacts; use it as an online resume you can refer people to quickly and simply; and use it to throw your hat in the virtual ring because people who you liked once upon a time and lost track of might love to send some business your way. You don’t have to post status updates if you don’t want to in this space. (Though it is recommended.) You don’t have to post photos of your kids. You don’t have to connect with anyone with whom you don’t wish to connect. You don’t have to post what you ate for lunch on anyone’s “wall.” You don’t have to tweet anything. But you do have to be there and properly maintain your presence and your profile. It’s your online “web cred” and, all things considered, it’s pretty low maintenance. Seriously, not being there is like going to a meeting without a business card. You can sidestep Facebook, Twitter, FriendFeed, YouTube, etc., but I can’t figure out why one would opt out of LinkedIn if you’re in business. IF someone looks for you there for professional purposes and you’re not there, you miss the chance to make or enhance an impression. Being there is one more way to make it easier for business contacts to reach you if they haven’t seen you in a while or refer you to people within their networks in a few simple clicks. How is this a bad idea? I don’t see LinkedIn as being about social media as much as I see it as being about good business. Furthermore, should you ever find yourself in a position of needing to change jobs, LinkedIn ensures your network is quite literally at your fingertips. The big question here is: what impression do you think it leaves on prospects if you’re not on LinkedIn?

These are technology basics that EVERYONE in these curious times should consider, IMHO.

You can snub the social media mania for a while longer, if you’d like. As it was with the telephone and email, new communication tools are scary to some folks, and I’m down with that. But I swear by my Technology 3-Step.

Monitor, Manage, Maintain. It’s the very least you can do — for you.

How were they going to manage this?

This post is about how this couple’s community of friends stepped in with the help of a social platform that just blew me away: Lotsa Helping Hands.

A free-of-charge, private, web-based community you can use to organize family, friends, neighbors, and colleagues – a family’s ‘circles of community’ — during times of need. Easily coordinate activities and manage volunteers with our intuitive group calendar. Communicate and share information using announcements, messages boards, and photos.

It was amazing. LotsaHelpingHands.com provided a complete online solution to coordinating support and sharing support tasks across their network of friends. Not only did this site benefit my friend and her husband, but it provided clear and easy access for all of their friends who wanted to help them out.

It was a win-win for everyone.

Anyone who is a caregiver, knows caregivers, coordinates volunteers, cares for the elderly, is helping out new parents or parents in crisis, or anyone who is a part of a community supporting military families when soldiers are deployed can benefit from a social site like this. School organizers could use it, too, to organize classroom activities, fundraising events and more.

There are a multitude of applications that can be more easily managed with this truly helpful platform.

I didn’t imagine using “social media” in this way. So incredibly glad someone else did.

The fact is, I don’t get out much during the week. Monday through Friday is a tumbler of parenting, working full time, managing two businesses, running a household and maintaining our zoo of domesticated animals.

So when I do venture out, I have incredibly high expectations.

Repeatedly, Ignite Baltimore has delivered, as has Ignite DC. And I’m counting on nothing less than total satisfaction from Ignite Annapolis (now in early planning stages).

The palpable energy at these events lights me up every time.

Haven’t been to an Ignite event? Let me quickly tell you what it is: a cross between a stage performance, networking event, block party, lecture series, improv show and a local mixer. More specifically, it’s a collection of 15 or so people from any given city, each allotted 5 minutes on stage with 20 slides behind them that are automatically rotated every 15 seconds, ready or not.

Who are the speakers?

Every man and every woman. Artists, technologists, thinkers, entrepreneurs, employees, personalities, professionals, unprofessionals and students, to name a few – and all of them brave enough to stand up in front of the Baltimore-DC-Annapolis-Etc. communities and share something.

Ignite events (started in Seattle in 2006 by Brady Forrest and Bre Pettis) are the most valuable organized events I’ve ever attended, professionally speaking. I’ve been to three and walked away from each equally energized and entertained by people who weren’t trying to sell me anything, but just had something cool to share.

It’s NOT all about social media – it IS all about your local community.

While the local Twitter population came out in force, there were plenty of non-twitterers amidst the presenters and spectators at the Ignite events I’ve attended. It’s amazing to have the chance to see what other people in the community are doing as opposed to hearing what someone is pitching, proposing, or otherwise “pushing.” These events are absolutely about sharing interests and ideas. They also avoid the awkwardness that can occur at more traditional “forced networking” events (you know, the ones that start with “Hello My Name Is…” badges and end with a pocketful of business cards that you’re unlikely to follow up on).

For example, I was fascinated at Ignite Baltimore #3 last week to learn about “The Archimedes Palimpsest,” now on loan at The Walters Art Museum, from Curator of Manuscripts, Will Noel. The guy and the topic that ignites him were fascinating. And Matt Castner, a blogger and recent college grad made “the case for being a generalist” with a polished, practiced and perfect delivery that also included one of the best impromptu and spontaneous laughs of the night. Jim Kucher, Melody Hildebrandt and Peter Corbett dazzled in their ideasharing about capitalism, the bailout-free web and crappy web apps (respectively), Amanda Schwarz has me rethinking my relationship with tea (black, green, oolong and herbal!), Debra Rubino encouraged me to do more eavesdropping, and Anne Draddy forever changed the way I’ll look at the tree canopy in downtown Baltimore.

It was a pot-luck of information and entertainment.

And it was an absolute delight to be exposed to such bright and interesting people in such a unique and lively format. Even the most “offbeat” presentation of the night was interesting in its, well, “offbeatness.”

Tickets are free. And you can do as much or as little actual socializing as you want.

To learn more about the Ignite event in your area, visit ignite.oreilly.com or wikipedia. Find out if your city has one and by all means give attendance some serious consideration. DEFINITELY worth your time, IMHO.

Local to me? Check out:

• Ignite Baltimore (Next event on 10/22 at The Walters)
• Ignite DC
• Ignite Annapolis
• Ignite Philly
• Ignite Wilmington

You can follow Ignite events on Twitter, as well:

• @IgniteBaltimore
• @IgniteDC
• @IgniteAnnapolis
• @IgnitePhilly
• @IgniteWilm

Oftentimes these events are webcast live, in case the workload, laundry and litter box keep you housebound. Just check their respective websites for the deets.

Bottom line? Ignite events are good for anyone’s gray matter.

I appreciate inspiration wherever I find it – I bring the energy from Ignite events right back into my work, into my personal interests and into my creative pursuits. So I want to issue a formal thank you to Mike Subelsky and Patti Chan, Ignite Baltimore co-founders, for lighting things up for all of those attending the event on June 25.

I look forward to getting lit again…hope I’ve adequately communicated why I think you should, too!

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• Ignite YouTube Channel (Best of Ignites from around the world)

Twhat?

About a month or so ago, I was sitting at my dining room table with my cousin (who, for his protection, will remain nameless) and he mentions something about this Twitter thing.  “I have heard of that. What is it?” I ask. His answer: “It is the ultimate tool for narcissists. Basically it is folks thinking that they need to share with the world when they drink their coffee, eat a ham sandwich and use the bathroom.”  Hmm. I don’t think I would be very interested in that.

Fast forward a week. I am chatting with my good friend and “social media stylist” (@usegraymatter). I need advice because I am going to be a regular contributor to The Legal Intelligencer blog, Pennsylvania’s local legal publication, and I had only written traditional (print) articles before. She brings up this Twitter thing again and I share my cousin’s perspective.

I tell her I am not sure how Twitter would be useful for a jury consultant like me. I get an earful.

In a few hours, I have a Twitter profile up and am searching around to see if there is anyone in the legal profession tweeping or tweeting or twipping or whatever they call it. I am not very hopeful. I know that none of my clients have ever set foot on twitter. They barely have time to check their email.

TwaHa!

What I find is something pretty incredible.  Folks in the profession are not only on there, but are really using Twitter as a professional tool. I see folks using Twitter as a platform to share ideas, articles, legal blogs and ask for referrals. Only the occasional ham sandwich rears its head. Pretty cool. So, I start to follow people. And they start to follow me back.

But what to tweet?

I am pretty sure no one is interested in the half-eaten granola bar sitting on my desk, so I start to tweet about what I would be interested in: good quotes, articles about courtroom psychology, blogs, things that jurors tweet about their jury duty experience. More people in the legal field follow. I follow more people.

Twa Moral of the Story…

So far, my take on using twitter professionally can be summed up in a comment I made on @lancegodard‘s  blog posting  “Aren’t you on Twitter yet?”

I think it is important to realize what social media may and may not be for legal marketers. For my business, I find that the point of marketing is to not only look at immediate gratification, but at the long term benefits.

Specifically, I am tapping into a whole new potential client base through Twitter-folks who may or may not need a jury consultant in the future, but who I know are going to be the future leaders in their industry — they are already setting themselves apart as the experts of their field through their blogs and such.

I realize that Twitter will likely not lead to immediate business, but it is getting my name out there in another form and with a new group of folks. That is never a negative for anyone as long as you put yourself out there in a meaningful way.

When I started my solo practice after years at a big litigation consulting firm, a good client advised me: “It doesn’t matter how you do it, just keep your name in front of people in a meaningful way. That way, if something comes along next week, next year or 10 years from now, your name will be the one to pop in their heads.”

I think Twitter is a great way to do that.

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• Jurors’ Twitter posts worry trial lawyers (msnbc.msn.com)

Check this out: http://www.youtube.com/edu

No really. Right now. Go check it out. (Well, here’s a screengrab to keep you here for another second:)

This is all about power. Power in the form of easy-to-access information – on ANYTHING – and it’s getting easier to access by the microsecond. It’s about CONTENT CONSUMPTION (if I could write the code to make that word blink, flash or otherwise pop about on the page, I would…there’s probably a tutorial on it somewhere on youtube!) and what you do with it.

These are amazing times. You can learn something new every day – for free. You can become smarter, more resourceful, better informed…virtually bionic, man.

How cool is that? Still not convinced?

Think all of this doesn’t tie into your business’ bottom line?

Well get your kaizen on, friend, and take a look at this: http://www.ted.com/

Wow. I’m excited. Are you excited?

Web 2.0 is an opportunity for each of us to engage our inner student. Whether you’re on youtube, facebook, twitter, blogs, your iPod, whatever…it’s a chance to absorb new information and feed our hungry brains in a multitude of different, fun and innovative ways. It can actually be entertaining at times, but if you think it’s all about silly videos, irrelevant status updates or how many “friends” have “friended” you then you need to go back to school.

I’ll save you a seat. (I can’t get enough of this stuff!)

Content. It’s everywhere. Tons of it. Anytime you open your web browser, you are opening a virtual vortex.

You search. You learn. You connect. You are in control of your Internet adventure and you can type, click and link your way to anywhere. Sometimes you know where you want to go and sometimes you happen upon an new place after following an unexpected trail of clickthroughs.

The networking possibilities online are mind-numbing. The educational opportunities,  abundant. The chance to make quality connections simply rests in HOW you consume, manage and distribute content. Period.

There is so much information out there…you can truly get lost in it.

Or…you can do your best to manage it.

As the Internet grows and new content is published at incomprehensible volumes, how on Earth can you maximize your Internet experience—and your time? I think it all starts with a 3-step approach.

1. Search. EVERYTHING online comes down to search. That is, it’s all about how you find things and how you can optimize your own content so it can be found easily. There are search tools for everything. Use them. Want a list? Start here.
2. RSS. You guys, I’m telling you…this is the secret sauce to content management. If you do not know what an RSS feed is or if you DO NOT HAVE AN RSS FEED READER, PLEASE learn what it is and how to use it TODAY. Information is currency…whoever finds the best information (and shares it) WINS on so many levels. Find good content, automate its delivery, organize it and distribute it to your network. How? RSS. It takes WAAAAAAY less time than you think, if you take the time to learn how to use it. Speaking of your network, this brings me to my third key to being your own best content manager….
3. Networks/Communities. Still poo-poo the “social media craze?” Be my guest. But what good is having information if you don’t USE it. Write a book, tell a story, pass on a bad joke…whatever. The point is, you distribute content, somewhere and somehow. Every day. You know people – online and offline – you are connected to people. When you have a phone call to chat…there’s content in that call. When you send an email…again, you’ve created new content. When you have a face-to-face chat, your conversation is content. So, you see, you’ve been managing content your entire life – sharing it with your friends, family, coworkers…um…you know, your social circles. You don’t have to “join” a community, because you’re already part of one, or two or three. The question is, how are you managing the sharing of that content with those communities and how much time does it take you. You add an Internet connection to all of the content you were creating and sharing anyway, and you are suddenly positioned to share more content with more people in less time.

This all seems obvious, right?

Well if it were, I wouldn’t STILL be having discussions with people about why I don’t think twitter is stupid and why facebook is about so much more than “information I don’t care about from people I’m not really friends with…” Baloney, I say. I don’t care if you think twitter is a waste of time or if facebook is juvenile. You can use them or not. The fact is, if you have an Internet connection, you consciously or subconsciously manage the content you consume online in one way or another.

So pick your platform(s) – online or offline – and pay attention to managing your time and your content.

Doesn’t matter how you communicate, as far as I’m concerned. But recognize this: the web has put the power of information into the hands of anyone with an Internet connection. There’s content all around you. Do you feel overwhelmed? Or empowered? If you’re dismissive of “social media,” could it be because it overwhelms you? It doesn’t have to…just remember it’s all about three things, IMHO: 1) Search and the tools that enable quality search, 2) RSS automation, and 3) Sharing your content with your network.

Social Media is a contact sport. Get in the game and find out what’s behind door #3. You have nothing to lose…except some really great content.

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• The Future of Social Media Monitoring (readwriteweb.com)

I put together a little poll, if you would indulge me…

I have also posted a similarly worded poll on LinkedIn to reach my non-twittering, non-blog-reading connections. Feel free to click here to view the LinkedIn poll results if that is your preferred venue.

Lastly…if you take this poll and check ANYTHING other than “YES! And my primary use for it is to share what I find with my network,” please do take a look at this (free and downloadable explanation) so you can leverage the RAW POWER of your RSS feed collection in order to:

• Add value to your network with GREAT links and resources.
• Stay top-of-mind with your clients/prospects.
• Stay informed of the latest industry trends.
• Save tons and tons and tons and tons of time searching for the information you need.
• Get the newest information published on the web sent directly to you (automatically).
• Experience the full range of benefits that come with sharing quality information.

Maximize your content consumption!

Thanks to my exposure to a recent blog post, “What Is RSS? Avoid These RSS Feed Syndication Mistakes,” by Lenin AND to a recent speaking engagement, I realize that I can’t understate (nor state often enough) the value of using RSS feeds EFFECTIVELY and EFFICIENTLY, whether you’re a business owner, employee or lucky enough to be neither.

I’m on a mission to spread RSS understanding wherever it is absent.

If you’re going to make the most of your time maneuvering around online, you’ve just got to trust me when I tell you that an RSS feed will revolutionize the way you consume and use Internet content.

Learn what an RSS feed reader is TODAY and start grabbing the content you care about most!

Guess that’s all I have to say about that.

If you haven’t made a commitment to learning how to use an RSS feed, do it now. Right now.

If what I’m hearing on the streets is anything to go by, there are a lot of people out there who don’t know what an RSS feed is, let alone how efficient it can make your web browsing, information gathering and content management. (Not to mention the power it can put behind your networking efforts!)

Fear not! I’m here to answer your RSS SOS.

Without further ado, I’ve put together this little RSS “How To” and “Why Should I?” Guide under a Creative Commons‘ BY-NC-ND license which enables you to download, share and redistribute this work (unaltered) at your discretion.

Click here or on the image above to download the full PDF presentation, or view it online at SlideShare.

Oh, and if this tutorial doesn’t get the job done, by all means, walk right out of your home or office immediately and find someone who can take a few minutes to sit down and show you how valuable a tool this can be.

Final thoughts? Enjoy and befriend the feed. Trust me, it’ll be well worth your time.

If you have any questions, you can always find me on twitter @usegraymatter. (Which reminds me to add that if you are using twitter, believe me when I tell you that twittering without tweetdeck is like riding a bike with one eye closed and without the benefit of handlebars.)

If not, then why not?

When I find myself talking about why I like spending time in the online socialsphere, I always like to make the point that, for me, it’s not about sitting in front of my computer for hours on end. It’s about meeting new people and building those relationships into a quality network.

Consider your ratio of social networking to social business.

I have to credit Peter Kim for raising my awareness of the term “social business,” and his point is not lost on me. If you’ve ever had to explain “social media” to a C-level executive, I’d highly recommend the “social business” positioning. Of course I’m not saying you need to be all business all the time, but the fact is many of us have integrated social media into our workdays. We learn here. We share here. We connect here. Sure, I’m entertained in and by the process, but I also have a job to do, clients to serve and projects to complete. So I take the time I spend on the socialwebs somewhat seriously.

What’s more personal than talking or meeting offline?

Time is money. So I do my very best to put my money (and my time) where my mouth is. (Literally.) That means I want to talk with you offline. Sometimes we’ll connect on a business level and sometimes on a personal level. I’m happy either way. This post is NOT about looking at everyone with “what-can-you-do-for-me?” eyes. It’s about further personalizing your engagement, your conversations and your network. Or, as Jacob Morgan puts it, “You ARE a social network.”

Call or meet a virtual contact today. If you enjoy your time talking with people online, imagine the reward of talking with those same people offline. Go ahead, do it.  I triple dog dare you.

And now the TRANSPARENCY DISCLAIMER: I’m behind on my calls, (for obvious reasons), but I look very forward to speaking with @JoshSmith12 @ariherzog @CharityHisle @bruceyang @ApothecaryJeri @peabodytweets @mrshadeed @cirqueldesign @JohnSheridan and @GusSent. Talk to you all soon. (Well, as soon as I can!)

“Ping me.”

That’s what we all keep saying, right? This directive for making personal or business contact is de rigueur. I say it, myself. Often.

Maybe I’m a bit old-fashioned, but lately, I’ve been feeling reminiscent about the good old days, when we used to say, “call me.” (You know, on the telephone.)

These days, we use our “mobile devices” to text each other; some of us have abandoned our landlines altogether. Now we post our status, twitter, microshare and RSS-feed our friends and colleagues.

It’s a brave new world.

In a business transaction with a 25-year old programmer a few months back, I was told via IM (Instant Message) that I was “out of touch with his generation” because I asked him if we could speak over the phone. (This, in lieu of conducting our entire business discussion via IM, which is, in fact, what he insisted we do.) I had a stack of subsequent projects for which I had hoped to engage his services, but my fingers ached at the prospect of all that typing.

Is there an anti-telephone trend or am I peculiarly phone-dependent?

Am I a lone holdout in my preference for a phone call at some point during any given business transaction? I mean, of course I recognize that not every online transaction requires a phone call. I certainly don’t feel any need to call Amazon.com when I order a book. But when you’re dealing with a business that is providing you with a service (not a retail transaction), I suppose I still consider email a prelude to (and a bridge between) a phone call or meeting.

Are phone calls an unnecessary disruption of our workflow?

Sometimes. But so is email unless you set parameters around reading and/or responding to it. Is a text message an interruption? Or does it feel less intrusive because it doesn’t take up as much of your time. (Funny how things on this blog always seem to be a consideration of time!)☺

Speaking of time, I’ve been told that Tim Ferriss’ talks about how you can save tons of time in his book, The 4-Hour Workweek, by never picking up your phone, managing when you call people back and pushing them to email, which you can outsource for even greater efficiency. Hmmm…I like saving time as much as the next gal and I realize phone calls can interrupt my work, but if it’s the people I work for who are calling, then I hope the phone doesn’t stop ringing! In fact, I still make it a practice to call clients (yes, on the telephone) to review the files I send them via email—but I’m starting to wonder if this is a service or an interference!? Is this proclivity of mine passé in light of the more popular ping?

Who are the peeps pushing for the ping?

In the spirit of due diligence, I connected with one of my online business contacts to get another POV on this topic. Here’s a blip of what the more ping-prone are saying:

“It’s not that people don’t want to be helpful. They may be shy, communicate better when not bothered or interrupted, or they might need more time to think. Maybe they stutter. Who knows? People just want to get more done, and the phone is an old-school way of connecting.”

This is not an unpopular position to take. And I’m not here to knock it. Consider the following “contact policy” posted on the website of a technology services business. You can click through for the full policy, but this snippet delivers the gist:

Sooo, they want my business, but would prefer not to talk to me? Or is it that I just need to get with the times and adapt to their style of business and communication preferences? Maybe they’re forcing me to be more efficient. I’m not picking on this company or their protocol, I’m trying to understand if there’s a trend happening in which some businesses are fine with weeding out the “phone-talkers?” I’m really trying not to take this trend personally. Different strokes for different folks. Whatever works for you. I think I just get hung up when the hypothetical “you” is working for “me.” What about my communication preferences as the customer?

Does social media promote the ping?

And what of the role that social media plays in all of this? Yes, I twitter, email, post and link like it’s my job, but, when the conversation calls for it, (pun intended), I don’t hesitate to pick up the phone. Makes no matter to me if you’re around the corner or on another continent…it’s the sound of your voice that makes our social connection even more sociable.

Chris Brogan posted recently about being on the hook for unreasonable turnaround times with all of this pinging going on, which is surely amplified and unrelenting when you scale it to his 17,000-plus readership. I’m absolutely in favor of his call for boundaries and I’m very interested in reading more about successful bloggers’ social media management systems. I think, however, this particular trend I’m trying to figure out here raises some very traditional questions for businesses:

• Should we all be posting “communication policies” like the company did in the above example to let people know how and when we can and should be pinged or called?
• Is it okay if we sound a bit…unsociable?
• Would such a policy improve business operations by maximizing technology’s time efficiencies or does it restrict relationship-building efforts?
• Where is the line between setting expecatations and meeting them? If a company sets their communication boundaries and they don’t align with my expectations, technically that’s “my” problem. Not theirs. Right?
• What does setting boundaries mean for a service business? You’ll listen to the customer, but only on the channels of your choosing? Is that bad business or good policy-making?
• Is it any different from posting your business “hours of operation” or is this just a backlash from 24/7 web-access overload?
• If you’re building a tribe à la Seth Godin, perhaps you’re leading a cultural shift in communications protocol. Maybe you’re the forward-thinking “heretic” and I’m “resisting change,” hanging on to my telephone for dear life. Is this the future? Am I living in the past?

Is the ping the new king?

To be clear on this point, I have no problem with a well-appointed ping. It can be very time-efficient. Nor do I take issue with email or texting. I love them both. Honest. What I’m doing here is simply taking a look at the business community’s ping-to-ring ratio and wondering if I should be trying to uh, cut the cord, on my telephone dependency. That’s not what my instincts are telling me, but is that what the trend is telling me?

Though I mean no offense in this petite ping protest, someone is sure be affronted by this post.

In fact, I fully expect to get pinged to a pulp on this one, drawing the ire of blackberry addicts, serial texters, email enthusiasts, instant message loyalists, generations X, Y and Z, in addition to anyone who may have an aversion to the telephone or an affinity for the post-modernization of telecommunications. The irony is that I generally don’t really even like to talk on the phone and, yet, here I am suddenly ready to defend it to the death. (?)

I’m not saying all of the “new” ways of communicating aren’t valuable; I’m just saying that listening to the rhythms, tones and subtleties in someone else’s voice still…um, rings my bell.

Image via Wikipedia

Go ahead. It’s your turn to be heard (though, clearly, not in the literal sense). Ping me. I know I’ve got it coming.

(Please be advised, if you’re going to call me “old” or “out of touch” I must warn you that I’m not nearly as old as I may sound. But, then, you’d have to call me so I could prove it…)