Ed Schipul concluded his social media workshop on August 28 with a list of five things we should all do to plug into the social media world. They are:
1. Read blogs (find some on your topics of interest at www.technorati.com).
2. Set up an RSS Feed Reader (www.google.com/reader) to keep up with your favorite Web sites.
3. Join Facebook (www.facebook.com).
4. Join Flickr (www.flickr.com).
5. Track the buzz about you (www.google.com/alerts).
All good advice. My first to-do was to start a blog, which I have done here and have gotten into the habit of making time each week to write it. I have not, however, been reading blogs, other than my son’s for obvious reasons. I need to carve some extra time here each week to do this.
Once I found out what an RSS feeder is, it does seem like a good service to have. It lets Google scan your favorite Web sites for new information then alerts you to such. Again, more time to set aside to look at the reader.
I have joined Facebook, although that’s all I have done. We have an IABC/Houston group. I’ve gotten a flurry of emails from people wanting to be my friend. Good for the ego, I guess. I’m not quite sure what to do with Facebook now that I have joined. I will need some extra time each week to figure that out and use to my advantage.
I have not joined Flickr. Thought it was just for photographers, but again seems like a neat site and a good way to share photos. More time needed there to learn the benefits of this site.
Tracking the buzz with Google alerts sounds cool and I hope to do this soon. Just another matter of finding that extra time.
I think what I’ll do is make a point each week to do one of these items–actually mark it on my calendar to get in the habit of checking and using Facebook and Flickr and finding out what’s happening on other sites and blogs. If I keep doing this, then it will become habit and social media will just be a way of life.
