The 2010 Social Networking Map [Infographic]

Well, it is that time of the year where you either look back at what has happened during tha past 12 months or look forward to what is likely to take place in the upcoming year.

Let’s start with a landscaping of social networking in 2010. I dug this visualization map on the ever-infographic-prolific Flowtown.

Click on image to enlarge.

Some would argue that is it too exclusively U.S.-centered and does not give its rightful place to less-known networks in Japan for example.

Feel free to comment, copy, embed, share and always name the original source. Thanks!

9 Pointers for LinkedIn Profiles

Today’s post comes from guest contributor Janet Slack, Business Coach, Social Media Trainer, Consultant and Solopreneur Expert at Solopreneur.Biz

LinkedIn doesn’t get the attention and press that other social media sites like Twitter and Facebook do, but it is one of the most powerful despite the “lack of love”. There are more than 65 million members of LinkedIn and it is growing at over 2 million members every month. One of the most vital uses of the site is as a resource for learning about other people. Not long ago, people started to Google someone when they wanted to know more about that person. Now they Google them and then look them up on LinkedIn. Regardless of your field, it is now imperative to have a very strong LinkedIn profile.

Here are the important elements to a strong profile.

1. Professional headline: this is the second line of the profile and is displayed with all your LinkedIn activity. Make sure to use keywords that build your credibility and describe how you solve your target market’s problems.

2. Photo: use a professional style headshot. No logos, casual pictures or photos with your spouse, pet or children.

3. Website: customize the link for your website to a short phrase that is appealing and will get people to click through to your site. Do not leave this as “My website” or “My Blog”.

4. Public profile: this is the URL address of your LinkedIn profile. Customize this by editing to your name or your business name.

5. Summary: tell your story and be interesting here. Do not worry about length, this can be as long as needed. Be sure to use keywords that describe your business and your target market.

6. Specialties: you must include this section for your profile to be considered “complete” by LinkedIn. Again, include those keywords.

7. Experience: this is what you have done in your career and your accomplishments, not just a listing of jobs like you might include on a resume. Include special trainings, licenses, seminars you have conducted, awards, companies you have helped, whatever shows your experience. The first item I have listed on mine is my Facebook page!

8. Recommendations: these are important on LinkedIn, especially if you don’t have any. Get at least 3 other LinkedIn members to write about you and your work. The best recommendations come from someone related to your most recent position.

9. Email address: include your email address somewhere in your profile as you want to encourage people to contact you if they are interested in your business. LinkedIn does not give you a standard place for an email address.

—–
Many thanks to Janet for sharing this with us. If you’d like to take a look at her examplary LinkedIn profile, go here. Mine is here or you can click on the button on the right sidebar to follow me on any of my main online profiles: Twitter or Facebook.

Let us know what you think of these tips. Did you do all these ? How did you set up your profile and how do you like it ? If you’re a business, how does it fare in terms of lead generation ?

Fringe smwf: Meet My Peeps

The last and most personal one of my series of posts in covering the SMWF ! TGIF !!

I’d really like to introduce you to the people who I think are innovative forward thinkers and great to be around.

Top participant: Josh Chandler
At 19, he was by far the youngest blogger / influencer. And despite his post on the logistics of the conference, he was also, by far, the most upbeat, about smwf when most were disappointed. AND he also holds the record of the most helpful guy around, running from the conference rooms to the bloggers lounge to lend his iPhone charger to bloggers he’d never met before.

Top brand name and product discovery: wtfJeans ! A line of jean’s specifically designed for geeks, it keeps your stuff (all of it) snug . A great idea by Sanja Rastovac who’s also a blogger.
Sanja is the girl with the red hair and the great ideas: her business card is half the size of yours (not mine, obviously, since I don’t do biz cards) and says “Remember me , I’m the one with red hair!”. Then there are 2 keys, one “delete” and another “save”. The perfect geeky girl statement. I LOVE it !

Friendliest exhibitors: the Viadeo team.
Yes, it is another online social/professional network but its focus markets are the southern ones. Smart thinking. They have properly staffed their stand with 4 people (5 at times) and offered daily sweepstakes for a magnum of Moët & Chandon champagne … and had huge, I mean HUGE, — erm… shall I call them vase-like containers ? — huge containers filled with sweets and lollipops (lollies as they say in the UK) of all sorts.
On top of that, I had the opportunity to talk business with them. I’m actually on their network and well, as you may have noticed, the code of the share button for Viadeo was corrupted and I had to tell them… They thanked me with even more sweets (how old am I, exactly again ?).
—> A special mention to Wayne Gibbins (@waynegibbins) who’s currently on some beach in Asia (it’s ok for some, eh ?) and Rosveisa Curioca (@Rosveisa) their über multi-cultural and social girl. You guys are definitely good at socializing on and off line !!

Multi-lingual blogger Karin Aldea put me to shame. I can speak a few languages but have elected to blog in English. She, on the other hand, tweets and blogs in three languages: English, Hebrew and… not sure about the third one but I think it’s French, eh oui ! She came all the way from Tel Aviv, Israel.
Am impressed.

Finally, an impromptu group of bloggers formed at smwf at the “bloggers lounge”, as the first day was drawing to an end.

I’d spoken to Chloe Nicholls, aka @ThatGirl_Chloe on Twitter but not seen her. She recognized my smile as she came and sat next to me at the lounge.
Sanja I’d met in the morning as I was trying to get connected to the more-than-unreliable wifi juice. She sat there too at the end of the first afternoon.
Nichola Stott was typing away all day and I sort of just walked up to her and started chit chatting. She is very very very much the dream professional and business owner. Her drive and energy are truly inspiring.

Then, last but not least as she’s co-moderating the SixDegs event organization issue with me on here, Hannah Keys, aka @hannahrohi from Skimlinks. Thank you Hannah for diving right in !

So there, see, I did have a good time.

And I networked as usual. This morning, Nichola sent out a really great #FF to me as “Multi-lingual and uber-social @merrybubbles is one kick-ass blogger.”

Thank you !

In conclusion: smwf wasn’t all that bad — thanks to the fringe happenings !

My favorite quotes from smwf

A typical, light-hearted Friday post: quotes heard and collected on and off-stage. Unexpected, funny, geeky, … etc. Here’s my selection of 6 of them. Enjoy !

- Most agreed upon, on and off-stage: “enough of social media… let’s call it something else” – Suggestions were mainly for “digital”

- Most unexpected statement (and funniest): “Hello. I’m on my own, as always”, then turns his back to us. Eh ? I call them words of wisdom from a proud standalone at the Monday PM shindig while two of us were trying to be social as he was standing on his own (yeah, well) in a corner…

- Geekiest: “The pub with the plug”, describing our geeky bloggers’ needs for chilling out and power connection — quench our thirst and plug our devices (mainly laptops and iPhones, if you must know)

- Most tweeted single line: “Can anyone lend me his/her iPhone charger please ?” — a huge shortage apparently. Which practically raised status of the owners and lenders to semi-gods for geeks (I love geeks)

- Gimmick: “Control is so 20th century” — Lewis PR COO Paul Charles, advocating for clear and up-to-date internal digital guidelines

- Most personal – as it’s my personal branding line: I don’t do business cards, I connect to people and send emails right away. People were most of the time giving me the look, the bad one. But hey, guess what: another woman was doing the same… as blogger Josh Chandler reported: “I met Rebecca Hollis of Intuit yesterday, and she really drove home this message of “Not accepting business cards, and making a real-life connection with someone”. There, thanks Rebecca for the punchline !

Happy Friday everyone and thank you for reading my Friday mash !

SMWF Bloggers’ De-Light: voice how you feel and make suggestions for SixDegs

Hello,

If you’re reading this, it’s probably because you’ve seen tweets going around: we’re collecting your comments and will be sending them onto SixDegrees.

Ian, SixDegs’ Managing Director, has gotten in touch with us and we’ve decided to step up to the plate and be constructive about it.
Thank you to those of you who have already left they contribution on the original post , they will be taken into account.

We’re setting this one up just for you to vent (yes!) and contribute positively :

–> what were your expectations for smwf ?
–> how would you suggest SixDegrees deals with it at next year’s event ?

Hannah Keys, aka Hannarohi of Skimlinks and myself have joined forces to co-moderate.

The floor is yours, fire away !

Image source: SAUWS