When starting out, social media is fun, engaging and exciting. But as your online social networks begin to grow, the interactions with others becomes (or should become) more frequent in both quantity and quality.

So, what happens if you can’t keep up?

I found that for the majority of my recent pregnancy and after the birth of my newest son, keeping up with my personal social networks has taken a backseat to the social networks I’m required to maintain as part of my job. At the end of the day, I just don’t have enough time or energy to participate in both work-related AND personal social media.

For me, Twitter was — and is — the hardest social media outlet for me to maintain. The frequency of entries expected is what makes Twitter so demanding. Of course, if utilized, it’s also one of the most satisfying social media mediums in which I’ve participated. To be able to instantly connect with other professionals in my field has proven invaluable to me in the past.

Facebook, on the other hand, has been the one social media avenue in which I’ve been able to continue my personal social media efforts.  The problem with Facebook is that I find it difficult to make new connections with people and tend to only connect with those I already know when using the site.

LinkedIn is another important social networking site I have been failing to utilize as well I could.

And lastly, blogging.  I love to blog, but lately I haven’t making time to take part in this enjoyable pastime.  Hopefully this trend is changing, because I miss sharing my thoughts here.  Even if my husband is probably the only one to read them besides me!

I know how important it is to maintain my professional contacts and networks, and yet I have been so pressed for time that entertaining my personal social media interests feel somewhat indulgent and nearly impossible right now.

Talk to me.  What do you do to balance your family while still maintaining your personal and work-related social media involvement?

Would you feel comfortable entering an industry where the required skill-set changes almost weekly? For those in the Wed Development field, that is exactly the job atmosphere they face.

Don’t believe me? Just think back at how much Web Development has changed since its inception almost 50 years ago. The Internet has gone from an ugly text-based data storage and transmittal device for scientists, to an interactive knowledge, information, and entertainment portal for anyone who has Internet access and a Web browser.

These changes have inevitably affected the day-to-day tasks and challenges faced by those in the Web Development profession as they struggle to keep up with the rapid growth, and changing technology in their field.

Art Meets Technology

It’s no longer enough for Webmasters to know how to properly code a Website that functions properly. Don’t get me wrong, a functional Website is still critically important, but it isn’t the only consideration for Web Developers today.

Modern Websites need to also have an appealing design that indicates a well-organized navigational structure, visual hierarchy, graphical elements, and well-written, concise digital content. As such, contemporary Web Development professionals need a fundamental understanding and working knowledge of graphic design and Web writing principals.

Marketing for the Web

A fairly new expertise Web Development professionals are required to understand and incorporate into any successful Website launch is emarketing, or Internet marketing. Different than its traditional marketing counterpart, emarketing is a discipline within the Web Development field that incorporates ecommerce, Internet marketing, and search engine optimization (SEO) to create a findable, and memorable Website.

Constant Change

The only constant in the Web Development industry is change. The skill-set needed by Web Development professionals today will probably have changed by this time next year. In a field this integrated with current technology, it can be expected that the evolution of Web Development will be constant, and those who bore easily will likely thrive in this ever-changing, multidisciplinary field.

What do you think are important skills for a Web Developer to possess? What are some ways Web Developers can stay current on the changing technology?

Following the birth of TIVO and DVR, we began seeing television shows that are so diluted with product placements, that it’s difficult to determine if the writers even had a say in the script. A typical character line (even in those so-called reality shows) might sound something like this, “After I get back from this XYZ cruise, I’m going to take you to Pearflys for dinner so we can talk about our new Electurbo car purchase.” In the background, music from a carefully selected artist is playing, and the characters are most likely drinking an energy drink while watching another one of the networks t.v. shows, and plugging away on a recognizable brand of laptop. Once you realize this is happening, you will never watch t.v. without noticing the persuasive ploys of these brand pushers again.

You might be thinking, yeah Jenny, we all know about the product placement inundating our favorite t.v. shows. I get that. But what about the product placement creeping into the blogs we all turn to for uncensored, brutally honest thoughts and assessments on a variety of subjects–including products?

I was surprised to have companies start pitching me several weeks after starting this blog. I would hear something like, “We have this new product and we want you to write about it on your blog. We will pay you for every lead/sale/customer you bring in.” The funny thing is, the products never even have anything to do with the subject of my blog–social media and eMarketing. And lets get real, is my blog really the one you want to pitch to draw an audience? I’ve only been blogging for about three weeks! I have six subscribers, and I’m pretty sure one of them is my husband.

Being pitched like this led me to wonder: How many bloggers are being paid-off by companies to favorably represent the subjects they write about? Apparently, quite a few.

After a little bit of research into the subject, I have determined what I deem to be ethical when it comes to blogging about companies or products for cash. Here it is:

• Disclose your relationship with the company. If you’ve been blogging for awhile, your audience will have grown accustomed to your tone and subject. Blogging about a company or subject you are receiving an incentive for is fine–if you disclose the relationship. Your readers are smart. They will see right through you.
• Don’t agree to blog favorably about a company. It’s one thing to agree to include information about a company or product into your blog for money (if you disclose the relationship to your readers), but it’s another to have your opinions on the company/product dictated to you. Which leads me to my next point.
• Be real. I can not stress enough how important I think this is. Your readers trust you to give your honest opinion about your subject. If you’re lying, THEY WILL KNOW. Then all that trust you’ve built? Gone.

I’m not saying that blogging about a company or product is always bad. I’m saying that using good judgment when deciding whether to agree to such a relationship is important.

What do you think about product placement in blogs? If you’re a blogger, have you been pitched to blog about a company or product? If so, how do you base your decision?

********
Other articles you may find interesting:
Product placement as marketing malfeasance
Marqui Product Placement in Blogs
Product Placement on Blogs, An Ethical Dilemma?

It’s been nearly two weeks since I took the plunge. Joining the ranks of social media and eMarketing bloggers everywhere has been an exhilarating process, but things have not gone perfectly. I’m still in the process of learning all of the blogging etiquette rules–and as I’m sure many new bloggers can relate–I’ve unintentionally broken a rule (or two…or three).

While I’m the first person to acknowledge that some rules are meant to be broken, these are a few of the blogging mishaps I don’t plan to repeat going forward:

• Not ending each post with a question to elicit conversation and opinions from others. If the whole point of a blog is to start a conversation, build community, and learn from a collective pool of knowledge, then asking readers for their opinions only makes good sense.
• Adding a signature line including (gasp) my Web address to comments posted to other blogs. I think most blog applications include a form for those leaving comments to register by filling in a name, email address and a Web address. The email address remains annoymous to everyone other than the moderator of the blog, but the name will typically appear as the header to the comment and readers can click-through the name to a Web URL if one was entered. I’m so used to the notorious email signature, that not leaving a signature on blog comments is taking some getting used to.
• Reading a blog post, having an opinion, and not posting my thoughts. Contributing to the ongoing conversation blogs cultivate is part of the fun (and responsibility) of being part of the blogging community. It takes participation to keep a community going, and in the blogsphere, that participation translates into providing comments on other blogs when you have an opinion.

Mistakes are just part of the learning process. Blogging is a great way to share ideas and gain perspective, and I’m willing to stumble a little as I master this new art. Sometimes messy paintings turn into great masterpieces, and I’m not about to let a potentially great blog slip away because I wasn’t willing to endure a few stray brush strokes along the way.

What do you think are some additional blunders that bloggers should try to avoid? What mistakes did you make when you first began blogging?

I selected these blogs as the best because they are either helping me along the road to social media enlightenment, or because they stuck out in my mind as containing valuable, engaging, timely, or amusing information related to social media. So without further ado, here are my top 4 social media blog picks (in no particular order):

Best Social Media Blog #1 :: Lara Kretlers’s Blog

http://www.larakretler.com/

Lara’s was the first social media blog I stumbled across after joining the microblogging community Twitter early last week. It’s witty and full of insightful social media related information. A must read for anyone who participates, or is interested in social media.

Best Social Media Blog #2 :: The Harte of Marketing

http://www.theharteofmarketing.com/

Beth Harte’s The Harte of Marketing blog is full of interesting posts about marketing, social media and communications. The October 6th post titled “Who are you? And why should I follow you?” is a fascinating glimpse into the culture and etiquette of Twitter for both newbies and veterans alike.

Best Social Media Blog #3 :: Hajj E. Flemings Blog

http://www.hajjflemings.com/blog/

Hajj’s recent post titled “Mastering 140 Characters: Personal Branding Tips for Twitter” is an outstanding source for those that use, or plan to use Twitter. Again, I am definetly in “Twitter Mode” this week, so any smart content related to Twitter is capturing my attention in a big way.

Best Social Media Blog #4 :: Shannon Paul’s Very Official Blog

http://shannonpaul.wordpress.com/

Shannon has loads of fantastic information about social media and Web 2.0 on her blog. It’s certainly worth reading if your a social media or Web 2.0 junkie like me.

That’s it! Thank you to all the social media bloggers out there for sharing your knowledge with us. The well-written blogs I’ve encountered in the past week have BY FAR given me much more insight into this social media phenomenon than any book I’ve ever read. Seriously.

Do you have a favorite blog that discusses social media trends? If so, please share it with us!

A screenshot of my Twitter page @jennymccutcheon

Although I have only been using Twitter for about six days, I have already experienced the value of this social networking tool. Twitter has pointed me to interesting articles and blog posts that I wouldn’t have known about otherwise. What makes these articles and blogs so interesting, is that they are being posted by actual people. These are people that comment on the personal comings and goings of their days in addition to posting useful links to blog entries, articles, photos, and videos. Participating in Twitter has provided me with unlimited access to professionals in my field, and individuals with shared hobbies and interests.

As mentioned in my last post, I am interested in how social media tools can be effectively leveraged by businesses to open the lines of communication between companies and their customers. By following several companies on Twitter this past week (e.g., Starbucks, Whole Foods, CNN, WOSU, etc.), I have learned the following:

1. It’s important for companies to reciprocate follows on Twitter by following back. It’s hard to tell when your company is going to come up in conversation (or “tweets”). By following those that follow your company, you’ll gain a clearer picture of your target audience. What do your followers do for a living, what t.v. shows do they watch, what music do they listen to, where do they hang out, etc.? It’s amazing how much can be revealed about target segments if companies stop to listen.
2. Companies should post useful, amusing, or personal messages through Twitter rather than just pushing their own services or products. For example, thanking people for attending an open house (@Fahlgren did this beautifully), or pointing followers to interesting articles that are relevant, but not about your company (@wholefoods does a nice job of this). Providing personal responses to comments makes people feel like they’re dealing with a person rather than a faceless entity.
3. While following those that follow you is a good way to learn more about your audience, it’s still important to regularly search for your company name to see who else is talking about you. If you see your company name mentioned, follow that person. Listen in on the conversation about your products or services without being pushy where applicable. People are going to talk about your company, don’t you want to hear what they’re saying?

Although it has only been about a week, my understanding of Twitter as an important tool for businesses is blossoming quickly.

Follow me on Twitter at @jennymccutcheon.

What do YOU think companies can do to effectively use Twitter? I would love to hear your observations/opinions.

The Tuesday meeting turned out to be a medium sized group (maybe 25-30 people) from nonprofits such as Ohio State University (OSU), WOSU and COSI, but also included individuals from other companies, some devoted Columbus bloggers, a Fisher college MBA student, and even a high school student.  Three presentations by OSU employees provided insight into how OSU is utilizing social media, and what the response has been from OSU students, Alumni, and employees. The diverse group made for an interesting discussion about how social media is being used by companies and consumers today.

Above :: Columbus Social Media Cafe’s (CSMC) new logo.

Last month I graduated with a B.S. in eMarketing from Franklin University, and as much as I love this newly emerging field, it’s sometimes difficult to find like-minded people within this evolving industry.  I was grateful to be referred to the CSMC by a new connection I made while interviewing for a position at OSU.

I am particularly interested to discover how B2B for-profit companies are successfully using social media such as Facebook, Twitter, Blogs and LinkedIn.  The folks at CSMC had some great feedback regarding the use of social media in this space.  A couple of suggestions I heard for using blogs in a B2B for-profit setting were as follows:

1. Provide a personal voice to blog entries rather than just using the company blog as a place to push press releases.
2. Encourage employees to use blogging as a way to discuss new product development.

The idea is that people are going to discuss your company whether you choose to listen or not.  As a business, would you rather keep track of those conversations about your products and service–and possibly participate–or pretend like the conversations aren’t happening?

I think the wave of social media (social networking sites, blogging, etc.) being used by groups of varying demographics will most certainly revolutionize the way we think about doing business.  What does this mean for businesses?  I think it means it’s time to either be a part of the conversation, or be left behind.