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  Carlos Zapater 9:00 am on May 22, 2013 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: business social networks ( 8 ), collaboration networks ( 7 ), enterprise social networks ( 95 ), social networks, video ( 10 ), zyncro ( 184 )   

  Once upon a time… there were social networks 

  Estimated reading time + video: 4 minutes

  Humans are social beings. Communication is a need to relate to others that we carry in our DNA. That need for communication applied to the business world is what has made us evolve from closed, boring and unparticipative ways to the new Social Networks that have emerged thanks to the Internet.

  But how did we make that journey from the birth of the Internet to current collaboration, management and shared knowledge tools of the social web? Discover with Zyncro the history of the Social Networks and their evolution up to the present day. We tell you all about it in this video.

  The new communication tools have transformed our way of working and have demonstrated that being social works! Want to start to work socially in your company? Try Zyncro and tell us about your experience.

  
  
   

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  Jorge Ávila 9:00 am on April 22, 2013 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: enterprise social network ( 68 ), enterprise social networks ( 95 ), internal communication ( 23 ), social communication, social networks   

  Social Communication: The new communication standard in businesses 

  Editor’s note: Today we would like to welcome a new Zyncro Blog author, Jorge Ávila is founder and CEO of @tresensocial, a company dedicated to promoting the professional use of social media in organizations. He is a trainer and keynote speaker in social networks and technology. An Activist’s soul, with a Businessman’s mind and a good Samaritan’s heart. We are especially delighted to have him as part of our usual bloggers, welcome Jorge

  Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

  During the era of email, some of us were blessed with the present that technology gave communication. We used it both in our professional and personal lives. But nowadays, that is not enough.

  In recent years, Social Communication (based on the social media model) has opened the way to such a point that today we know it will be the new communication standard both within and outside any company.

  Social Communication brings many benefits that our businesses are thankful for immediately, like for example:

  • Capturing not just information on your business, but also the conversations your team have around it. In other words, not just the documents that define our operations, but the why and how we have reached that point
  • Eliminating emails where your participation is not required, but at the same time, keeping this information available to you, as in Social Communication you only receive notifications when you are mentioned specifically or when something you have marked as interesting “is triggered”
  • Capitalizing on the talent available throughout your organization, as everyone can contribute (in visible conversations), no matter what their area or position within the company is
  • Integrating contributors in the exact point of the conversation, with all its context available, giving a more efficient communication than dozens of old emails can achieve
  • Having a direct communication, and hence improve our working environment; communicating is complex, and even more so if we have intermediaries that may cause (involuntarily) misunderstandings. Thanks to social communication, nowadays it is easier to have a direct dialog with our entire organization that will help us to transmit our message correctly. We all love being able to start a conversation with our leader

  Companies around the world already use this communication model, and even are inviting their providers and customers to their collaboration platforms, thus creating a collaborative ecosystem throughout the value chain.

  Of course, implementing them is not a platform issue. In a subsequent post I will look at the processes required for correctly adopting Social Communication in organizations. Meanwhile, let me share a “curious” fact: social networks like Facebook and Twitter have been “training” our employees in using Social Communication for years; so it wasn’t a bad idea to open social networks to employees after all, right?

   
   
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  Cristina Aced 9:00 am on April 9, 2013 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: communication ( 32 ), communication 2.0 ( 60 ), corporate communication ( 8 ), enterprise social networks ( 95 ), Public Relations 2.0, social media ( 20 ), social networks   

  Public Relations 2.0: 6 principles that remain current and 4 new ideas 

  Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

  Editor’s note: Today we welcome as author on our blog Cristina Aced (@blogocorp), who will discuss communication 2.0 and social media. We are delighted to have her join us. Thanks, Cristina!

  There are six principles that any communication manager must obey:

  1. Tell the truth.
  2. Prove it with action.
  3. Listen to the customer.
  4. Manage for tomorrow.
  5. Conduct PR activities as if the whole company depends on it.
  6. Remain calm, patient and good-humored.

  In fact, these tips are not mine, they are from Arthur W. Page, who was vice-president of public relations for the American Telegraph and Telephone (AT&T) and contributed to the development of modern public relations. Page was one of the first to join a company as an officer of communications, a usual practice nowadays.

  He established these basic principles at the start of the 20th century, although they could have been written today. It is a good example that shows the bases of corporate communication are still the same and illustrates the need to know the past in order to understand the present (and the future).

  In public relations, there are aspects that are still applicable from their origins, but there are also others that change (as I explain in my book Relaciones públicas 2.0. Cómo gestionar la comunicación corporativa en el entorno digital). Undoubtedly, the Internet and social media draw a new communication scenario, characterized by:

  • Conversation. Nowadays, the roles of emitter and recipient interchange constantly. Companies have to stop seeing themselves as simply emitters of contents and start to listen actively to their audiences on the Internet.
  • Open collaboration. As Pierre Lévy says, “no one knows it all, but everyone knows something”, and the new digital platforms facilitate this exchange of knowledge. Zyncro lets you create enterprise social networks that encourage collaborative work.
  • Economy in our attention. We live surrounded by an excess of information. For example, every minute 72 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube. The difficulty lies not in having a presence on the Internet, but capturing users’ attention.
  • New intermediaries. Social media lets you reach the audience directly (fantastic for the communicator!) However, new gatekeepers have appeared: social tools. As Eli Pariser explains, we live in a filter bubble. Both Google and Facebook apply filters to the contents we receive and often we are unaware of them. For example, in Facebook we see the updates of the people we have “liked” the most before those with whom we have never interacted.

  As we can see, the social web offers new communication opportunities, and public relations professionals need to be ready to take advantage of them. Yet without forgetting the basic principles of a good communicator: honesty, truthfulness, empathy… As Arthur W. Page established at the beginning of the 20th century.

  Cristina Aced (@blogocorp) is a journalist and communication and public relations consultant. She has specialized in the digital area and has published several books on the topic. Her most recent one is Relaciones públicas 2.0. Cómo gestionar la comunicación corporativa en el entorno digital (Editorial UOC). She collaborates as a lecturer at the Universitat Pompeu Fabra, the Open University of Catalonia, and at the Universitat Abat Oliba, among others. Since 2006 she has been writing at Blog-o-corp.

   
   
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  Jose Manuel Perez Marzabal 9:00 am on March 19, 2013 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: legal 2.0, marketing 2.0 ( 2 ), online marketing ( 13 ), social networks   

  The importance of Internet naming for your digital strategy 

  Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

  One of the most critical aspects in online branding strategy is associated with domain names. Historically we found a tense relationship between domain names on the Internet and third-party brands that coincidentally match them. This tension has generated numerous predatory and parasite practices like, among others, the systematic usurpation of domain names for later sale to the highest bidder as a business model.

  From a current and practical perspective, in the context of the so-called Web 2.0 that represents an evolution regarding traditional corporate websites, we are faced by the phenomenon of naming and personalized addresses that social networks provide (“vanity URLs”). In my modest opinion, the previous situation is repeated which gives clear precedent of the figure of the “cybersquatters” before the existing policy of the ICANN was consolidated as a fundamental part of the entire works for registering and resolving controversies stemming from the holder of a domain name and a third party for the registration and abusive exploitation of the name in the scope of Internet domains (also known for its acronym “UDRP”), to favor the resolution of disputes by arbitral mechanisms with the intervention of accredited entities, including World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).

  The elements making up the internet of computer networks need to be identified and differentiated from others through a unique and irrepetible address. Said identification is achieved through IP address and the domain name system (DNS). The domain names, which have the legal nature of immaterial goods, went from being a simple electronic address to being a distinctive sign sui generis that identifies individuals and legal entities, which make up the ecosystem of the Internet.

  However, and here lies a potential source of litigation, practically any user name can be registered as a URL address on the social networks and web applications with the sole requirement that it is available – one of the exceptions possibly is Facebook-. In other words, under the current “open” regime, without prejudice of the service terms and conditions on social environments (which we talked about in the last post), there are hardly any restrictions for individuals or entities that can be registered. However, faced with an infraction, both brand and unfair competition legislation would be applicable, which have the procedural advantage of the possible adoption of preventative measures ab initio.

  While waiting for new developments, the fast growth of social networks, as well as the strategic interest of developing the brand on the Web 2.0, in particular for those companies whose activities cross borders, it also encourages the creation of a wide portfolio of user names. For this reason, it is recommended that all actors with a minimum presence on the internet or that want to have a competitive advantage based on differentiation and brand image should use tools like namechk or Google Alerts before designing their portfolio of domain and brand names that will be used to solidify their digital marketing strategy.

  Jose Manuel Pérez Marzabal (@jmperezmarzabal) a lawyer who specializes in the internet and e-commerce at MTNProjects. He is also a visiting professor at BES La Salle and a teaching consultant at Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC). He has a Master’s in International Law (LL.M.) from WWU Münster and a Diploma in Advanced Studies in International Law and Economics from the University of Barcelona.

   
   
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  Sara Jurado 9:00 am on March 15, 2013 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: enterprise 2.0 ( 90 ), human resources ( 26 ), Recruitment 2.0 ( 3 ), social networks, trends ( 9 )   

  Apply for a job at Google through its social network profile 

  Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

  The Web 2.0 aids talent attraction in HR in numerous ways. Recently we talked about the surge in career sites as a trend, today we’re going to look at another example of this premise: the integration of social networks in job offer sections in corporate websites, in particular, the case of Google.

  

  Google has joined the ranks 2.0 in employee recruitment

  Nowadays companies take advantage of the potential of social networks to create new ways of recruitment, so obviously Google had to be in on the trend too. It is not known if creating an authentication API for making the process easier for applying for vacant positions in the company is a strategy to promote the social network Google+, but the truth is that this technological improvement holds certain advantages:

  1. Not having to complete those typical resume forms, as you can include all your personal and professional details previously defined in the Google+ profile in a single click.

  2. Searching among your contacts to see if anyone works in the company. In fact, the message that appears when you do so encourages you to “get in touch” with that person or ask them for a reference, something that is becoming more usual in job search tools 2.0.

  3. Saving job offers to fill out the application form at a later stage.

  4. Receiving notifications when a job opportunity is posted that you may find of interest according to the settings configured previously as an alert.

  Of course, to do this you need to first connect with your personal Google account, but if you are really interested in working for that company, it’s worth the effort. What’s more, it is a clear-cut process, which is given in user experience in Google Jobs.

  Applying for an offer in Google job offer page

  To prepare yourself properly before starting to use Google Jobs, here are some of the steps you will face:

  1. Attach your resume as text or a file.
  2. Enter your gender and race. The company claims that it asks this information due to the Federal and State Employment Opportunities Directive, but it also gives the option to skip it if the applicant doesn’t want to specify it.
  3. Submit a cover letter. And on this occasion, only a text field appears to do so.

  This way, Google enters the game of recruitment 2.0 of its own employees using its social network profile, like Facebook or LinkedIn did in their day.

  What do you think of these APIs? Have you ever applied for a job in Google? Tell us your experience!

   
   
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  Fernando Errazquin 9:00 am on January 29, 2013 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: cyber-stress, enterprise social network ( 68 ), social media ( 20 ), social networks   

  Social Networks – Do they increase or reduce Cyber-stress? 

  Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

  Psychological terms adapted to the new social situation often filter through to our everyday life, becoming familiar to us, and with a bit of interest from our part we become experts in the subject. Currently society talks of empathy 2.0, which makes us ask the question, as our Zyncro author Mertxe Pasamontes points out in her blog, “how can we feel connected to someone we can’t see or hear?”. There is also a lot of talk about emotional intelligence, a skill that can even be applied to the business environment, as Jose Luis del Campo Villares explained, and in addition, about even lesser-known concepts, such as cyberbullying. But… Where do terms as common as stress fit into the current organizational reality? Has this term also evolved?

  I mention all this because a while ago I started to feel a familiar, but new, state of mind due to the continual generation of content on Social Networks: stress or should I say cyber-stress.

  According to Selye, stress is the body’s non-specific response to a demand placed on it, in which various defense mechanisms enter into play in order to deal with the situation perceived as threatening:

  I’ve got to check my Facebook; the article I published yesterday has been retweeted ten times; I’m going to pin that great photo; wait, wait, I’ll just check in at Foursquare and we’ll go in… All these expressions sound familiar, don’t they? Do you feel a certain level of pressure to develop and create more and more content every day which, in addition, has to be interesting? Well, what you’re feeling is cyber-stress.

  Various American university studies have shown an increase in sleeping disorders and common physiological responses to stress from the continual use of technology connecting us to Social Networks. In fact, according to Dr. Eric Darr, from Harrisburg University, “students realized that if social media, particularly Facebook and instant messaging, isn’t used properly, it can take over their lives”.

  With this statement, we could believe that Social Networks create stress, this so-called cyber-stress, but, let’s look beyond this. There are studies that show pretty much the opposite: the use (which isn’t abuse) of Social Networks can even reduce work stress. Furthermore, research by neuroeconomist Paul J. Zack reveals that a 10-minute break from work to access and interact on Twitter or other Social Networks increases the level of oxytocin (the empathy hormone, which helps work more collaboratively), and also extols our social connections and relationships. In summary, it has been demonstrated that people who use and interact with a Social Network during working hours and take a break from their tasks return refreshed and their performance increases.

  In this regard, to alleviate the possible cyber-stress of your employees, and as relationships on Social Networks release oxytocin, working with an Enterprise Social Network could be very beneficial for releasing stress, because employees generate value within the organization, they feel more involved and create social relationships. All of this helps organizations to grow and evolve, because when all is said and done, a company is nothing more than the people in it.
   
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  Jose Manuel Perez Marzabal 9:00 am on January 23, 2013 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: law 2.0, social networks, terms and conditions   

  Companies and Social Networks: legal issues to consider 

  Estimated reading time: 8 minutes

  Editor’s note: Today we introduce a new section to the blog: law 2.0 with Jose Manuel Pérez Marzabal, a lawyer who specializes in the internet and e-commerce at MTNProjects. He is also a visiting professor at BES La Salle and a teaching consultant at Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC). He has a Master’s in International Law (LL.M.) from WWU Münster and a Diploma in Advanced Studies in International Law and Economics from the University of Barcelona. Welcome Jose

  The web 2.0 phenomenon has had an enormous impact since it became popular in 2004. In the media, we have seen news about its critical mass, the flotation of one of the best known platforms and the infringement of user privacy. However, little public relevance had been given to the issue of its terms of service (TOS) until first Pinterest and more recently Instagram had to modify their terms of service due to copyright issues and those regarding licenses of use of the user’s photographs.

  This post briefly analyzes the specific issue of the general terms and conditions of companies that provide social network services. We refer to the general terms and conditions (GTC) as opposed to the terms of service, as the former is more suitable and comprehensive of the magnitude of the predisposition effect of rules for general agreements.

  The expansion of networks and applications in social environments poses a large number of legal questions for which an easy solution is difficult to find. Regardless, the increase in legal protection in the assessment and compliance of GTC is essential to create stability in the management of electronic transactions and will help facilitate the development of businesses in social environments.

  This modern negotiating technique adapts to the dynamics of networks and applications in social environments thanks to its general, abstract, uniform, rapid and massification aspects. Similarly, the economic interests and risks of their business models also facilitate the management of contracts. The company draws up the terms that are not left to the contingencies of each user, which at the same time allows probabilities and costs to be calculated, thus achieving a better organization of its resources and investments according to its customer base.

  The GTC also give the company a better negotiating ability compared to the user, either by including unfair terms, the exemption from liability, passing risks to users or imposing excessive burdens; powers and prerogatives with no correlation to the terms received in a context of bilateral markets; in particular, in the scope of networks and applications in social environments that depend on data processing, including user segregation techniques and adopting presentation methods, which reduce the number of users who read the GTC, at least until contracting through intelligent agents and other technologies expected in the near future.

  The GTC are presented under the premise take it or leave it. The fact is that should users actual read the GTC, they are unable to understand the legal implications. In practice, a common clause establishes that the parties confirm that they have understood the provisions stated here in their entirety, prior to accepting them.

  More experienced companies in risk analysis and management can more efficiently assess the safeguards of the expectations of risk, and the legal obligations to be conveyed to the consumer -the exact allocation of these risks minimizes the costs of the service on offer-, and optimize the exploitation of user data for advertising based on interests or context. In other words, companies standardize risk, reduce costs and optimize the forms of exploiting users to create their GTC.

  In substantive terms, the GTC of companies that provide social network services should include, inter alia, aspects such as advertising of commercial brands on the platform, the level of service, security measures, handling of personal data and geolocalization, intellectual property of the user-generated content (UGC), and exclusions from liability.

  We should take into account that GTC refer to assumptions that de facto are unlikely to occur, the majority of users have no direct knowledge of the practices of the companies. Technologies such as data mining, or its evolution, popularly known as “big data”, allow service providers to manage their businesses with less exposure to uncertainty in certain areas.

  Access to information regarding user behavior and the sporadic monitoring of their browsing could contribute to a more reliable assessment of their demand, and even allow market segregation. Preferences of users are no longer the most difficult variable to apprehend in the potential demand of a product and become the object of capture in those goods and services more adjusted to the commercial possibilities offered by the network, through “conversations” with users.

  Thanks to the reduction in transaction costs and the disintermediation of the internet, networks and applications in social environments not only allow the company value chain to be optimized, but also the exploitation of business models associated to the same in a global market. Recessions are opportunities and the current situation we are living should be a magnificent opportunity for companies, both multinationals and SMEs, to reconsider their competitive strategy for the network society.

  

  Post published under the Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Derivative works 3.0 Spanish license. It may be copied, distributed and broadcast provided that the author is cited; derivative works are not permitted. The full license can be consulted on http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/3.0/es/deed.es.

   
   
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  Carlos Zapater 9:00 am on November 19, 2012 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: brand experiences ( 3 ), online reputation ( 2 ), social media ( 20 ), social networks, video ( 10 )   

  Real Case Study. How to manage tantrums on your social network 

  Estimated reading time + videos: 10 minutes

  Today we’re going to take a temporary break in our series on corporate video production, but we are not going to leave the topic of video aside completely. Some weeks ago, I came across a major piece. It was one of those viral videos that involved a customer’s tantrum on a social network that had gone viral due to the original way in which it was published. However, the affected company reacted brilliantly, taking advantage of the viral effect of the complaint to use it in its favor, even multiplying the effect. Let’s look at it in more detail.

  First, the background. At this stage, we’re all sick of seeing those typical commercials on TV for feminine products in which each time a women gets her period, it’s like she’s won the sweepstakes, has a body that makes Jolie or Johansson bite dust, and has got her boss’s space in the parking lot without him realizing. I’m sure you’ve all seen those Kotex commercials, so you know what I mean. A typical brand in the UK market would be Bodyform:

  And then the harsh reality of the collateral effects of menstruation kicks in…
  So it seemed a cloud of resignation floated eternally over the sufferers/consumers who had to support these commercials day in, day out. Until one guy decided to post a comment on Bodyform’s Facebook page, explaining with a very British sense of humor, what he thought of those adverts compared to his personal experience.

  

  The result? To date, there are more than 100,000 likes, as can be seen on the Bodyform Facebook page

  Obviously, the company didn’t let the effect of that particular comment slide. Having reached that point, the options were to ignore what’s happening on the social networks (in Spain, we’re experts on that, unfortunately), respond in a conventional manner, or respond… like Bodyform did.

  Throwing caution to the wind, and in just a week, it posted a response video as can be seen in the previous link. In this video, a fictitious Bodyform CEO explains the reasons why nowadays we still think of those dance classes, horse-riding and water-skiing… Check it out for yourselves, as you can’t miss this one:

  And the number of hits? In 24 hours, 175,000, and in a week… nothing less than almost three million. To that impact, you need to add the number of positive opinions on the handling of the affair with originality, freshness and a great sense of humor.

  The Bodyform case is a clear example of how to take advantage of a rebound effect by combining Video + Social Networks.

  Those in charge of the decision-making took advantage of the “kick” of the initial tantrum to drive their video into the stratosphere (Baumgartner’s jump was nothing compared to this) and with it, its brand image. Had any of you heard of the Bodyform brand before reading this article?

  Think how you can extrapolate this case to an Enterprise Social Network like Zyncro. Imagine a motivating video for your employees? Can’t you see a great management system for virals before they hit the social networks? Aren’t you seduced by the three million hits for a few cents? Because if a brand that tells everyone that having your period is fabulous can do it, you tell me why the rest of us can’t do it…
  
  
   
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  Yolanda Torres 9:00 am on October 8, 2012 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: communication 2.0 ( 60 ), social media ( 20 ), social networks   

  SOCIAL IN CAPITALS!! 

  Estimated reading time + video: 8 minutes

  Good morning! It’s Fall already, how time goes by. I wanted to share with you some thoughts that fall within communication trends, but I came to the conclusion that “marketing” is nothing more than reviewing our behaviorial habits: the digital age is changing us and changing marketing. Or to be more precise, changing values and the way of understanding the world.

  I’m not just talking about business and corporate changes: the success of Zyncro and its swift growth consolidates the organizational change towards social business, social sales, social communication, social partners… in short, social networking.

  When I say “Social”, I mean using Social Media, combined at times with the concept of Social thinking or Social commitment.

  • Collaboration
  • Commitment
  • Decision
  • Exponential development
  • Help

  At Social Media Week held some weeks ago, I attended some talks such as that given by the organization Change.org, where thousands of anonymous citizens support common causes. A signature, thousands of signatures can change reality

  The digital society is LOCAL, SOCIAL, and MOBILE. At other times, Social is combined with “collaboration.” More and more we are thinking in environments where we can achieve our shared goals.

  • Crowdfunding
  • Time sharing
  • Car sharing
  • Wifi sharing
  • Business incubators

  Undoubtedly, the word “share” will replace “possess” on an infinity of occasions.

  And now, a sonata by Beethoven, Moonlight, that more than 6M of us internet users have listened to, while you finish reading this post, I want to share what I’m feeling with you: social attachment

  Eager to win us and aware of our power, brands have no other alternative than to give us service. It is the age of the so-called Servile Brands, fruit of the power of the internet, of the community where sales habits have changed radically:

  • Flexibility
  • Service
  • Choice/trial
  • Satisfaction
  • Ease

  The Social Community has changed the rules of the game. It is changing the world and our way of relating to one another. Now our voice can be heard loud and clear and we are demanding. As Steve Jobs said, “Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.”

  • Hyper-connected
  • Hyper-informed
  • Demanding
  • Brave
  • Socially relevent
  • United

  We internet users have recovered the strength brought by union. Social media have multiplied our capacity to relate expontentially. The world is ours and we can make it whatever we want. Dare to try?

   
   
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  Mari Carmen Martin 9:00 am on September 20, 2012 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: social media ( 20 ), social networks   

  Don’t listen to the Social Media gurus 

  Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

  Editor’s note: Today, we’d like to welcome our latest addition as ZyncroBlogger. Mari Carmen Martín is a trained Industrial Psychologist and expert in HR. With a MBA and a PDE from ESADE Business School, she has worked in Change Management consultancy and HR management. Currently she works for Cloudtalent, a company of the Humannova group, where she is responsible for creating Personal Branding programs for executives and professionals.
  It is a pleasure to have you join our ZyncroBlog, Mari Carmen

  The term guru comes from Sanskrit, meaning spiritual master, though the word guru is often used incorrectly to designate a mere professor or trainer in any area. In the case in point, in Social Media, this new use is also taking over. Following the original etymology, a true guru is a divinely enlightened master that has exceeded all limitations and created his/her identity with the Omnipresent Spirit. Such a master is singularly capable of guiding others on their inner journey towards the perception of God. Wow!! Basically that doesn’t apply to any management gurus we know, the ones that publish in the Harvard Business Review or teach classes in some prestigious universities or business schools in the US and old Europe. Of course, nor does it apply to Social Media or any other discipline, including experts in Quantum Physics and Astrophysics who amaze us every time they open their mouths.

  Well, if you are with me to this point, we already agree that a guru according to the etymological concept of the word is not the equivalent of a master. The paradox is the following: if a discipline as recent as Social Media where everything changes constantly, even the social networks themselves, the applications that monitor them, the concepts, the case studies, etc. how are we going to follow the advice of someone who is capable of guiding us? And where will they guide us to? Not long ago, the Holy Grail was Facebook. Today it’s Twitter, and tomorrow, what will it be? Yesterday, it was the number of followers, and now people, the conversations are the key. A few days ago, one of the main #TT conversations on Twitter was the applications that discover false followers, with the accounts with millions of followers like that of @Ladygaga or even the president of the United States, @BarackObama , estimated to having up to 20% of pretend followers.

  I’m sure you’ll agree that the most important thing in Social Media will always be and must always be the conversations and people, not numbers. If anyone tries to tell you otherwise, don’t trust them. We are humans interacting in a virtual world… never forget that. Naturalness, our own style, what we are in essence, and what we like to do and what we do professionally forms part of our personal brand. Without mentioning the social influence indicators @Klout, @Kred and the many others that will emerge.

  I’d like to finish off the way I started, by encouraging you to enjoy social media. Trial and error is the key: trial to try not to make a mistake, and if you do make one, don’t worry, I’m sure that you’ll learn a lot from it. Above all, use your discretion, deciding to do the right thing at each moment. Measure your results. Without analysis you can never know how you are doing, so have fun and measure. To finish, don’t believe everything I tell you either.
  
  

  Mari Carmen Martin and Nuno Bernardes are discussing. Toggle Comments

   
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    Nuno Bernardes 2:48 pm on September 20, 2012 Permalink | Reply

    I didn’t, I don’t and I won’t believe everything you say, but I couldn’t agree more on this article Like it! ( and believe me, I really did like it!)

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    Mari Carmen Martin 8:51 pm on September 25, 2012 Permalink | Reply

    Thank you, I also agree that’s why I got inspired and wrote!! You’re doing right!!