For travelers, getting advice from someone who has been there, done that has become second nature with traveler advice sites like TripAdvisor, Yelp!, Google Maps and others. But most of the time, we have no idea who those people are that are giving the advice.

Social Networking should be smarter
Is it someone like me? or are they someone with different values, interests and attitudes. I know I’ve seen reviews for places I’ve stayed that in no way reflect my experience.

It’s a foggy area that can make it difficult to interpret the relevance of travel reviews for me.  I want to know how much I have in common with the person leaving the reviewbefore assigning any level of credibility, validity or relevance.

The ideal travel review site would be a little more like LinkedIn and Twitter.

LinkedIn uses business connections to help me find people who are connected to people I know and easily network with people in my industry. Folks I’m connected to there have more in common with me than most, but the nature of my work, doesn’t fully define my interests and attitudes.

Twitter probably does the best job of finding people like me:
I’ve found quite a few people on Twitter, that I’ve later met in person and hit it off with from the get-go. I could have followed almost any early adopter on twitter and I would certainly have found a kindred spirit in the tech area, but these sort of connections clearly aren’t so easy for the non-techie. Twitters new “Suggestions of Users to Follow” tool may be a step in the right direction toward finding people who are a lot like me. Until now, twitter searches, twitter lists, Follow Friday advice has given me really neat, interesting people to follow, but it can be a lot of work. I wonder if Twitters algorithm, using people you follow and the people they follow as a starting point will offer users access to more people who are a lot like themselves.

Facebook integration with Travel Reviews

Many Facebook users I’m connected with have credibility and I trust their opinions because I already know most of the folks I follow there personally.  User profiles, photos, uploads, status updates and activities give me a good overall picture of any Facebook user’s interests and attitudes.

Wouldn’t it be great to connect my trusted sources to my upcoming trips?  Having my Facebook friends, Twitter followers, LinkedIn connections offer travel advice would be much more valuable than a collection of reviews whose credibility is in question.

As if in answer to this half-written blog post, along comes TripAdvisor TripFriends and Bootsnall Traveler Connect app.  Both connect with Facebook to enhance travel experiences.   TripFriends helps me connect with my Facebook friends to get advice from people I already know.  As Steve Kaufer, TripAdvisor founder says, “Get great travel advice from your friends before you go.”  Traveler Connect helps me find other travelers going to the same place I am, or connect with locals living there. According to Bootsnall founder Sean Keener, “I can ask travel questions, arrange to meet for a drink, and create some unique experiences not found in a guidebook.”

What’s Next for Travel Review sites?
I see a future where I’ll be able to get travel advice exclusively from people who share my outlook on the world.   Connecting all my social networks to travel reviews will take time, but these two projects are a great start.  Over time,  I’ll be able to quickly bring into focus the 10% of travel reviews that really mean something to me.

Have you seen any social network that comes closer to finding people like you than Twitter or LinkedIn?  Seen anything to rival the new TripAdvisor TripFriends and Bootsnall Traveler Connect projects?

Does Facebook ever stop being in the Canadian news?  I am sure the guys at Facebook head office would wish the Canadian Privacy Commissioners office would just go away.  But, maybe the PR is something they enjoy as well.

Last week I shared with you some information I found in the Calgary Herald on the Canadian Privacy Commissioners latest challenges with the online giant, Facebook.  There is a buzz in the Canadian press right now on Facebook privacy, not sure if it actual real news or simply propaganda generated by the Privacy Commissioner’s office.

Here is what I think about this whole privacy debate.  Facebook still has never come to my Calgary home and put a gun to my head and said “Open an account or die”.  Even since I have been in the States they have never tracked me down to go through this registration ritual.  It is a total voluntary thing.  You open an account, you understand the risks associated, you agree by reading the terms and conditions…and away you guy.  You click upload, you click “like”, you click “share”….you do things, they don’t do things on your behalf.

Why the big mess about Facebook?  I haven’t seen any news in the US Papers this week about Facebook and privacy.  Is it only a Canadian concern?  Perhaps, is it valid…of course to some who have kids and perhaps they share every bit of information about what they are doing online.  Just like many, I am  disgusted that some pervert would take Facebook pictures of kids and post them on some website for him and his buddies to enjoy…but is that a fault of Facebook?

Actually, in a recent Facebook article from Vancouver Sun reporter Gillian Shaw, many online services are mentioned, not just Facebook.  Flickr and the list goes on.  Can Facebook tighten their security, of course…so can Microsoft, Apple and everyone else in the IT world.  But remember, you don’t have to be on Facebook to survive in today’s world.  You still elect to open your account.

I do recommend that you put online the files, pictures or status updates that you feel comfortable with.  This is what you get with a free service.  Want more security, want more privacy…it is time to open your wallet and maybe fork over a few dollars per month to ensure you have the heightened security you are comfortable with.

Mark Zuckerberg, founder of Facebook has been quoted in the papers and stating he doesn’t believe in privacy.  I think privacy in the free online community is long gone as well.  No one wants to take ownership of privacy, so they leave everything wide open…it is the wild west in the social media world today.  I think we need to get over it or simply turn off the computer.  Like I said, no one is holding a gun to your head forcing you to create an account, post pictures and share information.

Here is an interesting email that came from a friend in the nursing industry in Ontario.  Their licensing agency is also concern professionally about the whole online world…driving professionals underground!

Unfortunately being a nurse and being out here on a public forum don’t always go together. The College of Nurses, the regulatory body, that issues our licenses to us each year sees our professional and private lives as a bit of a grey area, especially when it comes to social networking.  It is for this reason that I have decided to merge my two face-book accounts. I have one under my pen-name and one under my birth name. Now they’ll both be under my pen-name.

Where do you stand with this whole online privacy thing? Would love to hear what you have to say?

I recently read an article by a Calgary Social Media Support Specialist on why your Calgary business needs to be on social media.  I have respect for the author of this article however I need to share my views on why the article is leading a typical small business owner down the wrong path when it comes to social media.  I really don’t agree with this article at all and to be honest it is pretty standard for a lot of the junk out there today.  It is this sort of FUD which is leaving many business owners uncertain about social media and the purpose of social networking in their business.

Social Media in my opinion is important but it is not for everyone.  This is where our team at Ulistic helps Realtors, small business owners, IT Professionals and many other types of business understand your entire online marketing strategy.  Not to toot our own horn too much, but we are business people first, teachers and educators second, consultants third and then somewhere deep in the order of priority, guys who understand social media.  We use social media in our business but it is NOT for what many of our peers in the industry will try to tell you.

The author of this article talks over and over about building followers, lists of friends and great connections.  True, social media can do this for the selected few.  But, let’s be real, the average person really only has about 25 followers on Twitter, about the same on LinkedIn and maybe 100 friends on Facebook from their high school and college days.

One other items the author talks about is that your competitors are beating you out of customers because of social media. If you are losing customers it is because of your lack of service or a sales/marketing delivery not because of social media is winning them away.  Yes, a client may read a post and follow a link to an article, but think about it, if you are giving exceptional service what do you have to worry about?

Online marketing is more than social media.

Social media is just one small component of your overall online marketing strategy for your business.  I am not saying you should ignore it as social media does have a place in your business.  However if you focus on your blogs, Google reviews, your marketing website and your own personal network, social media strategies can fit in very naturally and actually support what you are doing in your marketing activities.

This is what we strive to achieve for everyone who engages with us at Ulistic.  Service comes first and our mentoring and coaching program helps every business understand what needs to be a priority and what are nice to have, according to your goals, objectives and desired outcomes.  If some consultant says you need to be on social media or you will go out of business, without sitting down with you and understanding your business first, turn around and run away really fast.

Also, the last myth to squash, social media may help on some search rankings.  A great blog, an awesome website, your business articles and engaging in the online community will help you more than simply sending out a few tweets, putting someone else’s link on your Facebook page or posting a someone else’s story in your LinkedIn group.

Learn the truth about social media for business by contact Ulistic today.

Sure, many will argue that email, Facebook or Twitter maybe interacting with other humans and it is very easy to get sucked into sitting on your laptop 18 hours a day, typing and sending email after email, perhaps you are a supervisor who elects to bark electronic commands to those we lead and maybe you are in sales and would rather send out your quotes via email or some other electronic mechanism never to meet with a client/prospect face-to-face.

Yes, I understand that I am a web marketing consultant and our team at Ulistic understands the importance of having your business online, but aligned with your business requirements and objectives.  It must be balanced.  We have to sometimes get up from our keyboard and perhaps pick up a telephone, go for coffee or simply go for a walk and stop by to meet someone.

I also get lazy from time to time using the Internet, email and social networking to communicate and then think…what would happen if I simply pick up the phone and stop typing?

I think I spend 18 hours or more each day online.  Since I work and own a vibrant Calgary Internet Marketing Consulting firm, well I should be online most of my day.  My word processor is online, my email sits in a data centre somewhere in the world and you want to catch up with what I am doing…tune into my online services.

My fellow Canadians are now tuning into YouTube and other online video sources to get their video entertainment, hurting the television advertising industry.  Canadians are shift their viewing to online media vs. cable television and of course fueling a heated debate about a so-called TV Tax we are facing here in Canada.  This unrest in the cable TV community and the traditional television networks such as Global, CBC or CTV are causing many Canadians to review the value of our modern-day television services.

What do you think?

Are you turning to online resources to watch video or even traditional television programs?

During CBC’s National, Peter Mansbridge reported about a family who has completely cancelled their cable service and switched completely to the Internet for their online television or video watching.  Bypassing the traditional advertisers and the parents actually claim they can even control the content being viewed in their home.

Social networking is consuming Canadians time, efforts and attention span.  We saw reports this week about Facebook, Twitter and other services are now part of people’s daily routine.  Social Media is woven into the fabric of almost every Canadians life, many checking Facebook first thing in the morning and just before they go to bed.

Why are we still trying to figure out if Social Media is something we need to get involved with?

Combine this with iPhones and other smart telephones and now…well the world is truly connected.

Viruses were small files that were attached to files on a floppy disk that spread by people passing infected disks back and forth.  Not really a big threat to the average computer user, we just had to be cautious about scanning any type of floppy disk that came our way.

Wow, lots has changed since those days…

I received an email today from my colleagues at CRN Canada about a brand new type of cyber threat to hit the social networking circles.  Yes, now the popular pastime for many is now being targeted.  CRN informed me this morning about a Facebook password scam making its way around the Internet.

Social Networking Services are an obvious and very attractive avenue for password scams, phishing sites and other malicious activities which our out there just like the old virus on the floppy was, to disrupt life for the unsuspecting computer user out there.  However, these malicious and “pain in the butt” activities are now out there to steal our personal and perhaps corporate information.

Important reminder about password requests via the Internet

If or when you get an email from Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or any other social media service or website in general asking you about your password…Don’t follow the instructions. Legit companies of any shape or size would never send you an email asking you information about your password or requesting you follow some sort of instructions about changing your password.

These types of scams are nothing new and they have been around for a while.  So all you security freaks out there, don’t go running around saying social networking is bad (the same thing happened to a number of industries out there).

I am sure the banking industry is thankful for social media because the pressure and the focus may be off them for a while.

Read more about the Facebook Password Reset Scam.

I have been following some of the networking tips shared by Bob Burg over the past little while about networking etiquette and what is acceptable bahaviour when it comes to handing out your business card at events, lunches etc.  Well, according to all the experts and networking gurus they state “never give out your card until someone asks for it”.  Good advice in my opinion.

This same approach can spill over to the online world.  Especially one of my favourite business to business sites, LinkedIn.  Why do some people reach out to you when you really have no relationship?  There are legitimate people out there looking for help or advice, great this is what social networking is all about.  Some maybe looking to sell to you, this is what social networking is not about.

Therefore, if you are reaching out to sell something using online social technologies, don’t.  If you are looking at linking up with some to build a network, share experiences, share client needs or seek help or advice….make sure you state that in your request.  You will have a better chance of successfully building your online and face-to-face networks.

Don’t through your card in someone’s face…wait for them to ask for it.

This evening I managed to invest some time with HTG1 and the HTG Advisory Council here in the Valley of the Sun, Phoenix, Arizona.  Tonight is a sad night for me.  It was my official last social engagement as a member of Heartland Tech Groups (HTG) and the HTG Advisory Council.  A great bunch of awesome guys, however with my new career direction in the Calgary Search Engine Optimization and Social Media world. it is unfortunate but I am no longer a fit for HTG, as a member at least.  There maybe something else we can figure out, hopefully.

Canada’s Social Media Landscape

Yesterday I mentioned the Social Landscape and what I feel are contributors to the overall landscape in our socially connected online world that we live in.  A critically important online world that can’t be overlooked any longer by business, families and anyone else who is stuck in a log cabin up north totally disconnect from all human interaction.

Many of us as professionals in social media, throw the words “social media” around pretty loosely.  But really what is social media?  Many of my peers including myself have different descriptions for social media and as a consultant serving the Calgary community I may just continue to use it, out of context in my mind, because that is what people know.

In my opinion, Social Media is simply the art of communicating, the art of delivering the message to a reader, the crafting of the message for people to view, and the reaction to the original message or posting.  Print media is the same thing, the newspaper you read is the tool for reading print media.  I can get the message in a magazine, paper or even a cocktail napkin.  In our online world, Facebook is just a tool for you to read social (online) media.  I hope this make sense to many of you.

Social media is the message, Facebook is the tool, and social networking is the art of creating mutual win-win online relationships and social currency is the “go giver” of the online world.  Like I said, I hope this makes sense to many of you.

Here is another example.  If you are a publicly traded firm in Canada and need to combat some negative press coverage in the print media world, you can turn to social media to help share your side of the story to reach your audience.  Different tools and perhaps the same message.  Twitter can be a service or tool for you to get your word out (the media).

Love to hear what you all think on the this topic.  This is my first leg of what I can the “Social Landscape”.

A simple approach to a very powerful online tool for your small business

This is an all too common question within the business community today. I can see it still, you have been in business for many years and some “social media experts” waltzes through your front door and says “Hey man, you gotta use social media or you are out of business in the next few years, can I sell you my Social Media package?”. This sort of over-the-top approach to online marketing is leaving many business owners confused and scratching their heads.

There is some truth to how important social media in business is today, however it is just one “spoke” in your overall marketing strategy. It is a very big spoke and tools such as LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com) can help you build strong and vibrant online communities, surround yourself with other thought leaders, give you an avenue to build your own crowd source network and open new doors that you may have never had in the past.

Many small business owners, sales professionals and those who work in the vibrant small business community are still confused by all the pressure to embrace social media and other social technologies within their own businesses. In reality, it is not confusing at all. You need someone to help you. Someone to debunk the myth and show you how the power can be harnessed without taking you away from your core role.

There are many social technologies available to us today, but which one is the best and why?

The answer to this question is multi-faceted – we need to decide what your end goal is. What are you looking to do? When do you want to do this? and Why?

Social media and its related technologies can help you create a loyal following of people interested in what you have to say, but only when you make it interesting. If you are boring or come across as always having something to sell, you may risk having people turn you off instead of achieving your end goal.

It is this behaviour that has the naysayers waving their flags and telling the world social media is just a passing fad?

Are you being told that you must be present on Twitter and Facebook, but can’t understand why?

Are you seeing your colleagues win more business simply by being found on the Internet?

The way people connect and share information is changing drastically.  People are sharing information openly about everything.  Searches on Google are hitting all time highs.  Requests for “good people” are happening everyday on LinkedIn and the Twitter phenomenon is changing to serious inquiries about business.  Are you ready?

Social Media is taking off however many of Calgary’s vibrant small business community is playing catch up.  Are you wanting to know more about how social media may fit into your business?  Sitting on fence and not sure what direction to take.  ULISTIC may just have the answer for you.  Come on out on Feb 25, 2010 at the Blackfoot Inn from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM to learn from David and I on how we have embraced the power of social technologies to grow several businesses across North America and especially right here in Calgary.  Social Media has changed the way businesses work online and also how “word of mouth” referrals makes the rounds online.

Dave and I want to share how we did things so you can do it for yourselves.

Register today by clicking here

During this full day training session, which is $197.00 + GST for each attendee (we have heard similar social media courses in Calgary are running for almost $500) you will what David and I have done over the past 3 – 5 years to promote our businesses online and win new business opportunities.  Social Media is not rocket science, but you need to know where to start, what to do, how to automate all the services and also how to track your reach and effectiveness online.

Bring your laptop (or we can loan you one) for this hands on training, because you will be doing work and not just watching a bunch of confusing PowerPoint type slides.  We guaranteed you will leave with new tips and tricks on social media and also if you haven’t even started using Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn for your business, you will be the end of this interactive training day.

Here are what some of our past students have said about taking our social media training in the past.

“Stuart has always shown great confidence in his area of experience and has effective teaching skills. I enjoy Stuart’s easy manner and ability to set all participants at ease.”
Carolyn Jones, Happy Earth Inc.

“Stuart has been teaching us the basics to Social Media. We started with blogging, and now on Linkedin. We are very impressed and now we have learning the extra benefits and focus on the why.”
Jo-Ann Grimwood, Business Owner

Here is what we plan to cover during our time together:

1. The importance of Social Media
2. An overview of the top Social Media sites and how to use them.
3. Hands on setting up your Social Media accounts.
4. Preventing the fatal mistakes with your online communications.
5. Build your Social Media followers – how to get good followers.
6. How to place yourself as an industry expert with your followers.
7. Reach people with practical online videos that tell your story & how to syndicate your videos.
8. Automate… how to manage your Social Media strategy for multiple sites with one tool!

This is a great opportunity for you to get a jump on what social media can do for your business.  Register today by clicking here

Hope to see you on Feb 25.

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