Most of us zone out when we're pumping gas and pay little attention to the ads that show up on the gas tank monitors. We've learned to tune them out and just don't give them a thought.
A recent Tonight Show episode featured a prank at the gas pump which has gone viral. Jack Rafferty surprised a recent visitor to a Burbank gas pump with some charming banter. Much to his surprise, the patron ends up doing some pretty great impromptu karaoke. When his wife gets into the action, the scene really gets some action.
You may have seen this video on Facebook where it's getting rave reviews. The total page views on youtube now exceed 14 million. This is guaranteed to make you smile and start your day in the right tone (no pun intended).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNM0ENUCO5I
Herkimer County Reflection and Recognition Ceremony
Tuesday, May 21, 2013 at 7 p.m.
Herkimer County Community College Gymnasium
The Herkimer County Legislature has proclaimed Tuesday, May 21 a “Day of Reflection and Recognition.” The day will conclude with a ceremony to remember the victims and recognize the brave service of first responder and public safety agencies that responded to the crisis. The general public is invited to attend. For more information, call (315) 867-1112.
Please pass along this information on to your Facebook and Twitter friends.
Happy Friday. First, my apologies for having dropped off the scene for a few weeks. I’ve had lots on my plate and spent some time in California with my 82 year old father. My dad had a bad fall so I needed to go and visit.
I’m sure you have heard of Jessica Jones of CNY Extreme Couponing. She is a fellow community blogger and a celebrity in her own right. She’s also a friend. She helps us all learn how to save money when shopping. Shopping for anything from food to clothing to furniture to personal items. Jessica created the Facebook group, Herkimer County Steals and Deals, an online garage sale. Here folks can post things that they have for sale and others have the option of buying those items. It’s a great way to get rid of that stuff just taking up space at your house, pass it on to someone who might have use for it and meet new folks in the process. I’ve gotten some great deals on this site.
Last year Jessica created the Steals and Deals Garage Sale held at the fairgrounds. It was a big success. So it’s back again this year. Tomorrow, Saturday May 20, at the Herkimer County Fairgrounds from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Admission and parking are free.
In addition to garage sale items, craft vendors will be there along with Scentsy, ItWorks, Tupperware, Avon, Pampered Chef, Origami Owl, Pink Zebra, Mary Kay (me) and much, much more.
The weather should be great. Low 70s with mostly sun. It would make a great family outing.
For more information on the garage sale, please visit http://cnysextremecouponing.com/herkimer-county-indoor-garage-sale-518/.
For more information on the Facebook group Herkimer County Steals and Deals, please visit https://www.facebook.com/groups/116044608513398/. (sorry I can't get the link to connect with this software, so just cut and paste).
Hope to see you there. Come on by and say hello. I’d love to meet you and hear what you’d like me to blog about.
Did you know that Herkimer County has its own app? Have you ever wondered what’s involved in
developing an app?
Last year, our local Herkimer County Chamber of Commerce released “Discover Herkimer County,” a promotional app for both iPhones and Android phones. It’s full of ideas for ways to spend the day and a helpful resource to find local businesses or agencies that meet your needs.
Are you aware of how many hiking and walking trails we have here, or how many playgrounds, or how many handicap access fishing spots? Maybe you’re looking for a new place to eat or nightspot to try.
The app has been created to benefit both local residents and visitors to our communities. More than 50 hours of effort went into compiling the information that is included in the app. The user interface was designed to be simple so app users could quickly search by a category, view possible locations on a map
and get directions.
According to Linda Rockwood, owner of Mohawk Valley GIS and developer of the app, one of the biggest challenges facing app developers is the continuous release of new phone models and versions of the iOS and Android operating systems. What works fine on an iPhone 4S may crash repeatedly on the
newer iPhone 5 until the subtle differences can be identified and recoded. The small screen size on smartphones presents challenges also, particularly for content-rich apps. Additionally, the design must be intuitive so the user can take advantage of all features and easily figure out how to use them.
Discover Herkimer County is available free for download in Apple’s appStore and Google’s Play Store
and is completely ad free. For more information feel free to visit the Herkimer County Chamber of Commerce website at http://www.herkimercountychamber.com/phoneapp.asp.
I was fascinated to hear several reports of the “social media footprint” following the Boston bombings.
Boston has always been my favorite city. I love everything about it. From the old historical landmarks to the new and modern buildings, it has always been a favorite get away spot for me. I love the ocean, the high rise buildings, Faneuil Hall, South Boston, the north end and so much else. So word of the Boston bombings hit deep. I couldn’t believe that something so terrible happened in our country again.
I sat glued to the television as the events of that Monday unfolded. Saddened that some place I loved so much could suffer so much pain and loss by so many. I read the Twitter feeds and the Facebook feeds and seemed to follow all these conversations at once. I find it fascinating about how quickly word gets out and the reactions by others to events just as they are unfolding. I felt personally connected with people as they shared their stories via social media, even from a distance.
So I’m sure you can understand my fascination with stories of how the investigators began using social media to help gain clues as to the perpetrators of the bombing. Fox News reported a “significant social media footprint” providing leads to investigators. More than 30,000 messages were collected by authorities within a one mile radius of the blast for 24 hours before and 24 hours after the attack. These are called “link analysis charts.” They show investigators “the relationships between social media messages that met investigative criteria.” Investigators were particularly interested in messages that seemed “out of place or coded.” They did recognize several conversations fitting their criteria.
Now imagine that for a minute if you will. The ability to gather and review social media conversations that happened 24 hours before and 24 hours after an event. Now fine tune that to a one mile radius. Wow. That’s really all I can say. And those messages were used to help link investigators to their suspects.
The world of technology always fascinates me. I loved the thermal images from the boat and the ability to trace the cell phone calls. It paints a fascinating picture of what the bombers were up too. How they thought they could get away with their evil is beyond me.
At the unveiling of Facebook Home, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg explained the program as a “family of apps” designed to always keep Facebook content front and center on Android phones. Facebook Home lets us “connect with the people we care about.” You’ll never have to launch the Facebook app to obtain updates from friends. They show up on your home screen.
From the moment you turn on your phone, the user sees messages, calls, what friends are sharing, and updates. It’s all right upfront on your phone. Full screen size. Just decide to tap the things you are interested in and swipe away the stuff you are not.
You can even continue to chat while using other apps by simply dragging “chat heads” where you want them. You are free to jump in and out of conversations while doing other things like watching videos or surfing the web. A “chat head” is a little bubble filled with the face of a friend. The message bubble appears and it can be moved around as you need.
Facebook Home has an app launcher to allow for quick access to the apps you use most.
Settings will allow users to customize preferences to make the app more suited for individual taste.
Facebook Home is only available for certain Android and operating systems at this time including HTC One X and HTC One X+, Samsung Galaxy S III and Samsung Galaxy Note II. If you are in the market for a new phone and the idea of Facebook Home intrigues or inspires you, the HTC First smart phone comes with Facebook Home already loaded.
To see a video explaining Facebook Home, please visit https://www.facebook.com/home.
If you have personal experience with Facebook Home, I would love to hear from you.
I talk and write a lot about the Google programs and how they help business. With the many features Google has provided for business, it’s easy for businesses to take advantage of what is available in a quick and fairly painless sign up process. But Google isn’t the only site where a business should be listed. There are search engines, review sites and social media sites where it is really mandatory that your business be listed.
One such site is Yahoo! Local! Yahoo calls this feature Yahoo Search Marketing. Yahoo is a favored internet home page to many and yahoo search is a popular, large search engine. In fact, Yahoo is the fourth largest site in the United States according to Alexa.com. There are over 1.8 million sites linking to Yahoo which makes it a very important site to include in your social media listings.
Yahoo! Local! gives your business the ability to reach millions of potential customers. Basic listings are free of charge and allow a business to showcase their features which includes a photo, operational information and a link to your website. Businesses can advertise the services and goods they provide, address and phone number, accepted payment methods, product brands and so forth. Businesses can choose 5 basic categories in which they wish to be found.
For a monthly fee of $9.95 a business can increase its exposure to a premium listing and receive 10 photographs and an enhanced listing. The enhanced listing includes a company tagline, a detailed profile, additional online links and performance reports.
Setting up your company listing is easy. First, sign up for a yahoo email address as this will be your Yahoo! Local! sign in information. To start with this step simply visit https://edit.yahoo.com/registration.
From there, create your Yahoo!Local! listing by visiting http://listings.local.yahoo.com/overview.php. At the end of the completion of your listing, Yahoo! Local! requires that you verify that you are the proper person responsible for setting up the account . You can either do this by having a code emailed, sent via text or called into your business. You then receive a code which gets put into the listing and the information is then available to go to the Yahoo! Local! staff for their final review. Then your listing is live.
Please let me know if you have any comments or questions about this procedure. It’s really easy and you’ll be glad you took the time to create your listing.
My Android tablet needs wifi to connect with the internet so I am always searching for a place where I can use my tablet. Sometimes it’s a real problem to find a location that is available and free. There is always McDonald’s, Starbucks and even Panera Bread but these locations are not always an easy find. Here are some mobile apps to aid in your search.
JiWire makes it easy to search for free hotspots in more than 144 countries with more than 550,000 locations. After you have downloaded the app, simply tap the GO button to see a list of hotspot locations. Just tap the name of the hotspot you have found and another screen appears allowing you to call, map or obtain more information about the location. The call and map buttons are self-explanatory. The More Information button displays more information about the business and the quality of their internet service. If you find a wifi location not displayed on JiWire, you can notify them of your find and help keep them current. JiWire is a free app for both Android and iOS. It is rated 4.3 stars.
The WifiFreeSpot Directory shows free Wifi hotspots in the United States and other counties. You can find locations by state, company, airport, lodgings and campgrounds. There are listings for RV parks, certain bus and trains as well as vacation properties. This directory also can help you map out locations at your convenience. Please visit www.wififreespot.com.
WeFi has a huge list of hotspots around the world. They even include rural areas. The app is available for Android and iOS and is free.
While searching the internet, I came across a mention of Google Scholarships. I did a little research and discovered that Google is “committed to supporting the education of the future leaders and innovators in technology and business all over the world.” Google has awarded over 8.8 million in scholarship funds to more than 2,100 scholars.
The scholarship programs are available by region. In the USA and Canada, seven different categories of scholarships are offered, with details of each scholarship. The 2013 deadline for some scholarships has passed, but others are available for application now. To find out more information, please visit http://www.google.com/intl/en/jobs/students/proscho/scholarships.
In addition to the scholarships, Google offers programs and competitions as part of an “ongoing commitment to supporting students.” The programs range from camps to online marketing programs and summits. For a complete listing of these interesting and fun activities please visit http://www.google.com/intl/en/jobs/students/proscho/programs/uscanada/
The Food Gardening Guide app from Mother News offers all the gardening information you need right on your mobile device. Get all the expert news on growing most major crops by simply tapping the name o f the crop. You can find out when to plant, how to plant, types and varieties, how to prevent pests and disease, how to harvest, when to harvest, how to save seeds and so much more.
The app also provides information on gardening techniques, watering, rotation, fencings, improving soil and vertical gardening all at the touch of a finger. This app is available for iOS and Android and is free.
Essential Garden helps you to unlock the secrets of backyard gardening. The information offered is the result of over 15 years of contributions from “renowned agricultural institutions and extensions and was originally created for professional and educational purposes. Users start by learning about soil preparation, watering and garden care and then go on to exploring garden fruits and vegetables.
Information is available on 30 common garden vegetables and 8 common fruits. Learn about how to properly plant, care for and harvest as well as common problems that occur with each plant.
This app is available for Android and iOS and costs $1.99. It is rated 3.7 stars.
Those folks at Google have come up with another great one. Google Goggles will change the way we search by allowing us to now search via pictures and images from our mobile devices. We are no longer limited to searching by entering text.
Once you have downloaded the Google Goggles app to your mobile device, you simply take a picture of the item you are wishing for more information on. This can be anything from a business sign or logo to a book. Google Goggles then pulls up the information for you in search format. You can take pictures of everything from business cards to landmarks to famous paintings and Google Goggles will bring the information right to you. It even scans QR and barcodes.
If you happen to be travelling to somewhere you might not know the language, Google Goggles can translate the language for you. For example, you can take a picture of text in a menu and Google Goggles will translate the information. It can even translate street signs and solve a Sudoku puzzle.
Google does caution that technology for picture search is still evolving and Google Goggles does not yet work very well on food, cars, plants or animals. They are even working on such things as identifying a plant by taking a photo of the leaf or making the next chess move.
Don’t worry about too many pictures accumulating; Google Goggles gives you the option of saving the photo to a search history or simply deleting it.
This app is available for Android devices and Apple iPhone, 4.0. Simply go to the market and search. The app is free.
For more information on how this app works and what it will do, a short video is available. Simply visit http://www.google.com/mobile/goggles/#text.
NASCAR driver Jeff Gordon and Pepsi prank a car salesman in this hilarious viral video.
I won't disclose the details of the video here, but many people speculate that the car salesman's reaction is fake and that there were many "takes" of the video. Never mind that, it's a fun video to watch. It's sure to make you smile.
Please be sure and click the link, not the picture!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q02BXGDSDkE
Hashtags are showing up all over the internet. You’ll see them on Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram and Vine. Some folks use them in their blogs. Hashtags, commonly known as the “#” symbol help keep information organized and easily found. Rumor has it they will be coming to Facebook soon.
The hashtag was first used by @ChrisMessina on Twitter on August 23, 2007 when he came up with the idea of using the hashtag, or hatch mark, to set up an inner circle of friends or “whispers” to partially restrict posts to a “small, and more intentional audience.” He wrote two blogs on August 25, 2007 expanding on his idea of “improving content filtering on Twitter by using channel tags.”
Hashtags help people to find others with common interests, event attendees, aid in a disaster, and information on a particular topic or spread news.
Hashtags are a single word or a phrase of words (with no spaces). Numbers are allowed in hashtags, but no special characters such as & or $. Twitter encourages its users to use no more than two hashtags in a single post, although you will see some go crazy with them. Instagram limits the use of hashtags to 30.
If you want to see an increase in the number of people who see your post, use a popular hashtag. I often use #socialmedia when posting. I don’t often use #socialmediamarketing as it takes too many characters. Stay clear of using hashtags that no one is using. It won’t help you a single bit.
Searching for hashtag topics on Twitter is simple. Just type your hashtag idea in the search bar and see what pops up. If you see a hashtag in a post on Twitter, just click it and you’ll see other posts related to the same topic. This is particularly fun during an event such as #PresidentialDebate, #NASCAR or #AmericanIdol. You can see what others are tweeting about at the same time you are watching events unfold.
Becoming familiar with the use of hashtags can make your social media experience more fun. For example, Instagram’s “iseefaces” means a photo of an object that looks like a face. The “tt” tag on Instagram means ThrowbackThursday where users post a picture from their childhood. The #tt tag on Twitter means “trending topic” or something that a large number of people are posting about, such as “#10thingsyouhatetodo from today’s Twitter trending topics.
Most of you know that my husband, Scott, and I own Crazy Otto’s Empire Diner in Herkimer. We’ve been very blessed to own this diner since 2007. Although we don’t live in Herkimer, we consider ourselves an active part of the Herkimer business scene and community members. You all know the story of the tragedy that happened in Herkimer today so I won’t repeat the details here. Suffice it to say it’s been heartbreaking.
I pulled into the parking lot in front of the diner about 9:25 this morning after attending a meeting at HCCC. I went into the diner for something to eat and to stall until an appointment at 11:00 at the Frank J. Basloe Library. About 9:45 a.m., we noticed that there were police cars everywhere, zooming around from place to place, making u-turns in the middle of the road and sirens going off everywhere. We had a great vantage point with the large picture windows in front of the diner and immediately knew something was wrong.
Because of my social media love, I immediately tweeted to the Utica OD about what was going on. At the same time a customer heard over his portable scanner about the shooting. It wasn’t long before a huge amount of police vehicles began to scream down Main Street, ending up about a block away from the diner.
Herkimer was placed on lockdown. The stories began to trickle in. Some of our employees and customers began to report that they couldn’t get back into their apartments on Main Street because of police activity. We heard that the police had found the car, but the gunman was still loose. Then we heard the description and name of the gunman and that the vehicle had been found.
All day long information trickled into the diner and more and more vehicles began to arrive on Main Street. At one point we saw a Homeland Security Command Center vehicle come in. We saw a heavy armored Swat vehicle parked up the street.
The news crews and reporters began to arrive. At first they were permitted down the street and took up their positions where they had a pretty good vantage point. After shots were fired by the alleged gunman, the reporters and crews were moved to our corner. The Frank J. Basloe library was on lockdown.
We saw officers get dressed in their attack clothing (don’t crucify me here if I use the wrong terminology). We saw more vehicles. And then it started to get cold. A group of college students couldn’t get back into their housing and took up temporary shelter in the diner. A constant parade of reporters, onlookers and police came in to use the restroom. And then it began to snow.
All the while rumors were abounding about what had happened and was continuing. We noticed that people were talking together and the community was bonding. Everyone had concern about their neighbors and about helping out and trying to do the right thing. There were a lot of hugs and conversations.
The diner phone rang constantly with everyone trying to get word. Then the names of two of the victims came into the diner. There was a tremendous amount of sadness and hurt over the senseless loss of life.
Emergency shelters have been opened at the Salvation Army on Prospect Street and the Rec Gym at HCCC.
As I’m writing this, there is still an active crime scene. We will all have to wait and see and watch how this unfolds. In the meantime, we can all offer our prayers to the families of the victims and our sincerest thank you to the first responders. They have done a magnificent job.
If you are anything like me, scanning documents can really be a hassle. For some reason, my printer will do everything except scan a document the way it should. It will scan as a photo (sometimes) but never as a pdf. As a result seems I am forever trying to find somewhere to scan documents. Well, no more.
CamScanner turns your mobile device into a scanner. Simply take a photo of your document and CamScanner will take care of the details. With CamScanner you can scan any document quickly, including graphics and text. Simply take a picture of whatever you want scanned. CamScanner then guides you through auto cropping and auto enhancing features which leads to a picture perfect image.
Once you are satisfied with the look of your document, you can send it off as a fax or print it directly from your phone. You can also email your document as a pdf or as a jpeg. You can do a batch scan or search through the documents you have scanned to find something in particular. You can even scan multiple pages or documents.
That’s not all. CamScanner will allow you to access, edit and mange documents anytime and anywhere. You can add notes to any document, tag a document for easy search, copy and move documents to other locations, merge document content, set passwords and restore documents to and from an SD card.
You can save your documents in the cloud, fax or print documents and easily share them via email or fax. So consider how much easier life will be when you scan business cards, receipts or paper documents, just to name a few. No more hunting to find where you might have placed something.
CamScanner is available for Android and iOS devices and is a free app. and is rated 4.6 stars.
For more information, visit the manufacturer’s website http://www.intsig.com/en/camscanner.html. A paid version is CamScanner is also available which will sync to Microsoft Word and Excel.
My email has been burning up the past couple of days regarding the announcement made Thursday by Facebook concerning the release of the redesigned Facebook newsfeed. This newsfeed redesign by Facebook is the first change to the feed in over 18 months. Speculations about the changes are running wild, but it seems relatively simple and easy. Not to be a big major adjustment for most users.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerman announced that the redesign will focus on more visual posts, the ability to view content –specific feeds and more consistency between mobile and desktop. Zuckerman stated users will not be able to “drill into any topic” they want with splits in the newsfeed.
Facebook will be finally consistent between smartphone, desktop and tablet users. A menu will follow you on the left-side of the Facebook page, no matter your device, and allow you to adjust what you are seeing.
No matter how you think of it, it means less clutter and more of what interests you. That’s always welcome.
With the increased photo size and the larger view of cover photos, now might be a good time to reconsider your cover photo and make sure it accurately conveys the message you want friends and users to see. Cover photos are now more important than ever.
For more information on how the newsfeed will look, please visit www.facebook.com/facebookmarketing.
The new design will be slowly rolling out over the next few weeks on all devices. If you would like to get it early, please visit www.facebook.com/newsfeed and add your name to the waiting list.
This semester I will be teaching three classes to help small business owners, entrepreneurs and non-profits learn how to promote their businesses online. In this technical age, it’s so important to step out of the box and learn how to use the internet to reach new markets to promote our businesses. Social media is so much more than Facebook and it can seem very daunting.
On Thursday, March 7 I will be teaching Facebook for Business. We’ll go over how to properly set up a Facebook page, the importance of cover photos and profile pictures. We’ll also cover the marketing tools Facebook offers to promote business such a promoted posts, events and more. We’ll learn how to engage with followers and find new followers and why this is so important.
On Thursday, March 21, it’s LinkedIn for the business professionals. LinkedIn has the power to reach an entirely different target audience. We’ll cover setting up a profile, using a business profile picture, connecting to other individuals, the importance of groups and how to maximize exposure to groups. We’ll also cover adding a company and creating an event. Powerful tools for the business professional.
On Thursday April 4, we’ll learn about the Google Programs. From alerts to analytics to Google+, Google+ for Business and Google+Local, we’ll cover all the options Google makes available to put your business on the map.
Along the way I’ll teach best practices, mobile marketing and more.
Classes are from 6:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. and preregistration and payment are required. It is suggested that students have a working knowledge of the internet and how to use a computer and that a profile picture and logo be brought to class on a thumb drive.
For more information please contact Continuing Education at HCCC, 866.0300.
Like all small business owners with a Facebook page, I’m always on the lookout for that perfect Facebook post. I mean the post that goes viral and everyone knows who you are. The post that shows personality, fun and strengthens my brand. The post that doesn’t brag or beg and shows the best side of our business.
I read a lot about what to post, when to post and what others are posting. I watch videos and attend webinars and connect with the “experts.” I watch to see what others are doing and shake my head when they “break the rules” and feel encouraged when things seem to work. I love to see Facebook pages start with nothing and spiral in the thousands (or more) with new followers.
Up to this point my most successful posts have been those that I’ve “just thrown up there.” The posts I really didn’t think anything about or give a lot of thought to. One such post was when I posted a picture of my husband in his white chef jacket and another picture of him with his black chef jacket. My post simply said “White or black?” I had over 100 responses to this post which just amazed me.
Last Saturday at 5:42 a.m. I just happened to post a picture of a pretty ugly kitchen. The post read “Leave one word describing this kitchen.” I’m sure you can imagine my surprise when this simple post received 1,000 comments. Well, as of this writing, it’s over 2,250 comments, 246 likes, seen by over 60,000 people and been shared 19 times. This post also brought 15 new followers. Holy cow! Who would have ever thought!
I’ve basically come to a few conclusions about Facebook postings. Here are some tips that might help you promote your business. By no means am I an expert, I’m simply well versed in what works for me.
When we lived in California I was always worried about the safety of my family members. Just too much was going on around me. I wanted my children to have some freedom to be with their friends and do fun teenage things, but their safety was always on my mind. It was hard sometimes to let them go with their friends and be a teenager. The mall was the worst. So when we moved here to upstate, they enjoyed a little more freedom but I’m sure I made them crazy always wanting to be sure they were where they were supposed to be. This app would have been perfect for me.
Life360 Family Locator uses GPS tracking to help keep track of family members. The app allows for family members to be found on a map, see when family members are safe or need help, receive alerts when family members reach their destinations or even see a neighborhood snapshot. You can see hospitals, police, fire as well as recent crimes and threats. In the event of an emergency, the app allows for direct emergency calls to 911.
Life360 is rated 4.5 stars. Reviews show it to be a great app and users offer suggestions for its use such as vacations and amusement parks.
It is available for Android or iOS and is a free app. For more information please visit the app store or the developer’s website http://www.life360.com. Product tour videos are available as well as a blog.
By now most of us realize the potential of the information we post on the internet. We know that unbecoming photos can hurt us in the college or job search and that potential employers often do profile searches to find out the character of a potential employee. Most employers really don’t want to hire someone who parties all the time or has a plethora of half dressed photos. Too much of that will eventually leak into the workplace and may cause an employer a lot of extra hassle that they really wish to avoid. All too often the employer will just pass. You might be a great employee, but that is lost in online postings.
Now many employers are going a different route. Some employers have begun to sift through the LinkedIn profiles or Twitter posts to fill job openings and are reaching out personally to the candidates they are interested in. For professionals who are offered employment out of the blue, it can be a great career boost.
Over the course of the last few months I have received several offers of this type. They’ve led to speaking engagements, new clients and new projects. At first I was skeptical, thinking it just spam. When I responded to the first request, and it seemed on the up and up, I began to give these contacts a little more credence.
This newly evolving practice can highlight the importance of always putting your best foot forward in the social media world. Keeping a resume polished and free from clutter will make potential employers more likely to find you. Keep your profile professional and post a nice professional headshot, particularly on LinkedIn, and watch the personal information you put out.
Some individuals feel pretty strong that employers are intruding by using social media in this fashion. They feel that home life should be separated from business life and one has nothing to do with the other. Unfortunately, regardless of how these individuals feel, once the information is out there, it’s free for anyone to see. With technology already heading in this direction, it’s only natural that job searching will follow this direction.
Kim Tranter, of ULearnSocialMedia.com, shares her favorite websites, apps and social media tips.
