Plumbing the Depths of Social

Posted on August 3, 2011 by admin

The possibilities and excitement of social media continue to amaze me. Mando Lopes is a friend of mine and a gadget freak.  He is generally the first to buy the the latest must have item.  He is also a plumber. Now plumbers have had their fair share of abuse when it comes to stereotyping and, really, what could be interesting about it? Mando is going green with his plumbing and he’s taking it social.  I am a social media catalyst, a champion and an evangelist.  But even I was not sure that there would be a place for a plumber … Continue reading →

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Hi-Fi Corporation Goes Social, Gets Funky

Posted on July 27, 2011 by admin

A number of South African big brands are making their way on to the social web. Only a handful are coming close to making a good shake at it. The rest are not doing too well at all. The change of mindset required for social media can be almost impossible to fathom for a business and the bigger the business the more difficult it becomes. One brand that is taking small steps and taking the time to come to grips with how it works is Hi-Fi Corporation and being engaged is beginning to show positive results. According to Digital Manager, Anne … Continue reading →

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Can Social Lighten up Stuffy Corporate? Sappi thinks so.

Posted on July 25, 2011 by admin

In March this year I wrote an article about how The Dream Team Catalyst are using Yammer as a social media platform for internal communication.  It was a revelation for me. While chatting with Carol Milner, a friend who works for Sappi, the subject came up and she said Sappi had been using Yammer in the workplace and it was very popular. I jumped at the chance to meet with some peeps over at Sappi to find out how it is working for them. In the case of Dream Team, Yammer made sense.  They are a small,  tight-knit, fun bunch of … Continue reading →

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Our Heads are in the Cloud

Posted on July 19, 2011 by admin

The Cloud. It’s been talked about for sometime and it’s here. Not dissimilar to “The Grid” (think Tron) but unfortunately far less 3D stimulating (for now). When I first read of the concept somewhere around 2008 I thought it was a ridiculous premise given the cost and state of broadband in South Africa and I gave it little thought after that. But like all grand concepts its takes over through a gradual erosion of fixed ideas.  Just like online purchasing; just like social media. This all came home to me in the last week.  I will soon be purchasing the … Continue reading →

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Google+ Circles a Powerful Tool for Business Collaboration

Posted on July 18, 2011 by admin

I have been very interested in restricted social media platforms that provide a way for a business to be social among its employees. Both Yammer and Podio are platforms that are used and do the job very well. But I’ve been bothered by the fact that it necessitates being involved in two ecosystems. On the one hand this seems right; the perfect way to keep business and personal separate. In theory you log on to Facebook at home and Yammer at work. Enter Google+. The perfect platform to do it all.  By simply creating a company you can collaborate and … Continue reading →

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Own your own Social Media Programme

Posted on July 13, 2011 by admin

When it comes to Social Media it’s a tricky time for business.  There are so many opinions about how business should tackle social media.  In fact you’d be hard pressed to get the same opinion from 3 different “experts”. And that is the promise and the peril:  Social Media is so new, so dynamic, so volatile it is impossible to base decisions on any kind of precedent yet there is a world of willing and waiting customers if you get it right. There is one thing I’m sure of:  Social Media will benefit a business in direct proportion to how … Continue reading →

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Is the Social Web big enough for Facebook and Google+?

Posted on July 4, 2011 by admin

I got my invitation to Google’s latest effort to take on the world of Social Media, Google+ I always love trying out new things, it’s like getting a new toy that is so full of promise and something you feel might just be everything you hope. I love Google+. It’s most talked about feature is “circles”.  Using circles makes it a cinch to put friends into groups – family, colleagues, friends, whatever.  People can be in multiple circles.  And controlling which people see your posts is really easy.  It is a great feature and one that trumps Facebook.  Facebook’s managing … Continue reading →

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RIP Facebook? LOL!

Posted on June 13, 2011 by admin

According this article on Mashable the worlds biggest social network is seeing slowed growth.   If the figures are correct and the trend continues it means that Facebook’s growth is finally slowing. For the first time since its inception there was a decrease in the number of users in the US & Canada.  However strong growth outside these countries means Facebook is still growing overall. More interesting than the article itself were the comments where several people are predicting the demise of Facebook. In addition the Sunday Times suggests the Social Media bubble might soon burst. To plagiarize and butcher a … Continue reading →

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Can Your Professional and Personal Life be Separated on Social Media?

Posted on June 7, 2011 by admin

I read an article which talks about the 30 things you should not share on social media.  It was written almost 18 months ago so I think it it has slightly. I agree with most things on the list but I found number 19 kind of interesting: “Don’t link personal sites to professional business sites like LinkedIn. Don’t mix business with pleasure.” It is my experience that social media has forever blurred the line between your personal and your professional life. While some people remain intensely private about who they link up with on Facebook, more and more people are … Continue reading →

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Gag Order? Sure, Let’s Just Turn off the Internet

Posted on May 23, 2011 by admin

The modern information age is the proverbial genie in a bottle.  Once you’ve let it out there is no putting it back. On a global level, social media is playing a large role in cutting off dictators at the knees. Dictatorships are only possible when a regime controls the information.  Once information is free it spreads and revolution is inevitable.  Witness protests in Iran, Eqypt, Lybia and others. Never before has information been so sharable. Information can be shared so conveniently that it moves globally very rapidly. On a more personal level, a big story that broke over the weekend … Continue reading →

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