LinkedIn Gets a New Look

LinkedIn has become a vital part of doing business these days. I find myself spending more and more time on the site. If you are like me, and you do not like change, then the recent roll out of a new user interface from LinkedIn probably has you scratching your head.

The facelift combines elements from Facebook and Google+ and has debuted following the loss of the Twitter feed from its site. Now, the homepage includes a less cluttered design with quick links at the top and a revamped view that gives the latest updates without having to refresh the page.

LinkedIn has also added social gestures such as “like,” “comment” and “share”. The site is attempting to become more of a daily social networking destination, especially now that Facebook plans to create its own social job recruitment product.

The new design arrives just after some recent controversy. LinkedIn has had numerous security issues.

This is just the beginning for LinkedIn as they are working hard at offering more customization and functionality later this year. Change is hard, but as the battle continues among the social media giants, we can expect to see more of it soon.

Back Up and Protect your PC

The recent news that a global DNSChanger malware virus was about to knock out my internet connection, got me thinking of how I try to protect myself from such things.

First of all, I make sure that I back up all my important data i.e. pictures, music and any financial data. I have two options here, I can use my external hard drive or I can back up my files in the cloud.  Once I have backed everything up, I make sure that I schedule periodic backups moving forward.

When it comes to anti-virus software, I have many options, and most of them are free.  I use a combination of free applications such as Microsoft Security Essentials, SpyBot, CleanUp, and Advanced SystemCare.  I always use more than one and I keep them up to date.   I also run them on a weekly schedule, usually on the weekend.

I also pay attention to any news stories I hear about viruses and other malware issues.  They often include helpful tips, like the one I got for the latest virus at www.dcwg.org

So remember to identify all important files on your computer and back them up.  Then update and run your favorite anti-virus applications on a regular basis.

Xobni a Smarter Way to Track Emails and Contacts

I was recently re-introduced to a cool piece of technology called Xobni.

Xobni (the word inbox spelled backwards) is a plug in for Outlook and it helps you organize your inbox and contacts in a unique way.

Xobni finds all the people you know through your emails, SMS messages and phone calls, and automatically creates a rich profile for them. Profiles include a photo, job title, company details, email history as well as updates from your contacts on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.

Xobni is available in a free version, and a paid version.  I use the free version.  You can download the free version and install it in under five minutes.  Xobni displays a sidebar that slides in an out from the right and over the reading pane.

Unlike many other Outlook add-ons, both free and upgraded versions of Xobni add functionality without greatly dragging down Outlook's performance. The interface doesn't get in the way, and, in fact, makes communication easier.

I recommend Xobni for any Outlook user.

Using LinkedIn for CRM

Since 2003 LinkedIn has become one of the top social networking sites, and is the largest professional network on the Internet.  LinkedIn has become a valuable tool for every professional out there.  The network boasts more than 161 million members in over 200 countries, representing 170 industries.  Professionals are signing up to join LinkedIn at a rate of approximately two new members per second.

Ironically, it is also becoming something else, a constantly updated and comprehensive CRM system, used for lead generation, relationship management and a great resource for customer information.  I have sold various CRM systems over the years, and the biggest issue out there is keeping data up to date and accurate, LinkedIn does this very well.

A sales rep looking for a key point of contact at a company can find that information easily. Following introductions via connections, the rep and the potential client can develop a relationship, and the process works the other way, too. If a potential client is looking for someone who offers a particular product or service, a simple search can give them what they need.

Additional tools like groups and forums can really help reps use LinkedIn to get the word out about their organizations, as well as about new releases or product launches.

Selling always has been, and always will be, about communicating with others – no matter how that communication takes place. Social networking in general and LinkedIn in particular, is a great way to facilitate that communication and build stronger customer relationships.

Collaboration - Social Software for Business

News that Microsoft is buying Yammer for 1.2 Billion represents another big-dollar endorsement of social networking technology in business.  Big companies, including a large percentage of Fortune 500 companies, are now looking to leverage this technology.

We have all seen the power of social media, with Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.  Now companies are looking to embrace this trend and to build internal social networking sites using Yammer, Jive Software, or Salesforce.com's Chatter.

These products bring the power of social networking to the enterprise in a private and secure environment. They are as easy to use, but designed for business collaboration. They connect people, content, and conversations across all of your business applications with productivity software that employees love to use.

It was only a matter of time for companies to jump on the social networking bandwagon, and now they can reap all the benefits while maintaining control of the users and the data.

Take Control of Your Data

These days we hear a lot about Big Data and how companies are struggling to manage all the data they have.  We should also be concerned about how much of our own personal data is out there, and how much control we have over it.

Every time you go online you share information about yourself, and the more you do online the more important it is that you and your personal data are protected.

The iPhone secretly tracks your location. Amazon has lost your files in the cloud. Hackers have stolen the details of 100 million customers from Sony. This string of revelations has left many people wondering how they can get more control over their personal data.

Whenever you sign up to a website or install an app, you are potentially giving the company behind the service access to your personal data - even if you don't realize it. There are a lot of great aspects to “Web 2.0” and the rise of social media. But be aware that much of the online world is based on a business model of exploiting data about you without your knowledge or participation.

There are things you can do to take control, but it takes vigilance.

You can monitor for appearances of your personal data on the Web using a new tool that Google has introduced. “Me on the Web” appears on your Google Dashboard (requires a free Google account) and can send you email alerts when the data show up.

If you have serious concerns about your reputation on the Web, Reputation.com offers a unique set of paid services to help alleviate negative information or, conversely, to promote a positive personal brand. The website also offers a free set of suggestions to take an active role in controlling your reputation.

And finally, a Web startup is looking to turn the control of personal data on its head.  Rather than let marketers use possibly inaccurate information about you to shape your Web experience, Personal.com seeks to create a business model in which you take ownership of your data, organized into “gems,” and grant those gems to websites based on what you want them to know about you.

It's a wakeup call to be more aware of who has control of your personal data.  Keep an eye out for applications and tools that will make it easier for you to take back control.

The New Bitly

This morning I was doing my usual social media postings, and I went to use Bitly to shorten one of my URLs, and I was quite surprised to see that Bitly has completed changed its site.  I have always liked the simple user interface and speed of the old Bitly site.

Bitly has expanding its service beyond URL shortening into something that looks like its own social network.  The update includes a new user interface, new user profile pages, more visibility for what friends are sharing, a new iPhone app, an improved search tool, better privacy controls and more.

The URL shortening almost seems like an afterthought in the new design. Or, more likely, it’s being purposely played down in favor of the focus on content and sharing.

This led me to consider other options, and I found a few.  The first is one that I have known for a while called Tiny URL.  I also discovered that Google has their own URL shortner, big surprise.  I will try them all and choose the one that is the fastest and easiest URL shortener.

While most sites are doing all that they can to copy the simple interface of Google, Bitly has decided to move in a different direction.  Only time will tell if this bet pays off.