PartnerPoint has partnered with the Microsoft® Students to Business (S2B) team again to drive awareness of their incredible service to our members. The Microsoft® Students to Business (S2B) team helps you locate qualified entry-level and internship candidates with Microsoft skills for your business. See more here:
http://www.partnerpoint.com/Communities/S2BProgram/tabid/542/Default.aspx
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You may have recently received an email invite from me to join and connect to me thru a new site called TripIt (www.tripit.com) . Although I think the social networking aspect of TripIt is pretty cool, and I would like to connect to you if you want, I am more impressed by their technology. This is an impressive application.
If you are like me and travel a lot, you understand how difficult it is to organize, and make readily available, your travel itinerary, especially if your trips include multiple flights, cities, hotels, etc. It is just difficult. This site does it perfectly.
All you do is send a copy of any confirmation email you have, from your airline, hotel, car rental, or travel site like Travelocity to plans@tripit.com. It figures out who you are, parses the appropriate information from the email, and creates a beautiful iternary for you, and in seconds. Here is a sample which I created by simply forwarding Southwest confirmation emails from previous trips:
Another cool feature is the “TripIt To Me” feature. If you want to retrieve any part of your itinerary while on the road, simply send an email to plans@tripit.com with a specific keyword in the body, and TripIt will decipher the request and return the info via email. For example, an email with “get trip” sent will return your entire trip itinerary in seconds. Here is a Wallet Card Command List they provide:
So, its these features that excite me the most. The social features are nice as well but pale a bit in comparison to the above technology. You can share trip details with others, view their trip info if they invite you, see who will be in the same place while your there, see who has trips coming up and to where, and see how much other people travel… all nice, but not earth shattering.
Thks!
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PartnerPoint is now offering a new series of webcasts on Search Engine Optimization designed specifically for Microsoft Partners. These webcasts are designed to give you valuable training and tips you can apply immediately to your web properties which should improve your site traffic and lead flow.
David Foreman
PartnerPoint’s SEO partner is Interactive Limited, LLC. Interactive Limited’s founder and CEO Dave Foreman will be the instructor for the new SEO series of webcasts.
In addition to being responsible for PartnerPoint’s SEO and SEM strategies, Dave has been focused recently on working with Microsoft partners to help optimize their web properties performance. In addition, Dave has been asked by Microsoft to speak at Several Partner Events around the topic of Search Engine Optimization.
The first in this series have been scheduled and our open for registration. You can register or learn more here:
www.partnerpoint.com/NewsBlogs/SEOWebcastSeries/tabid/924/Default.aspx
Thks!
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Well, I got the formal notification from LinkedIn today that they have launched their eagerly awaited Applications, and I thought I would let you know in case you had’nt heard.
LinkedIn Application Sample Screen Shot
I LOVE the idea of having more ways to customize our presence on LinkedIn, similar to what we can do on FaceBook, and I really hope they extend this funtionality to their Groups since our PartnerPoint Group is getting so much usage these days (over 100 active discussions going on now).
I must report that as of this morning, I have been unable to get any of the Applications to work on my profile. I am hoping that it is simply an issue of the third party Application vendors servers being hammered with traffic since LI just made the announcement, but we’ll see. If there is an issue, I am sure it will be fixed quickly since they have made the annoucement public. I have read some blogs from users that seem to suggest others are getting them to work fine, so maybe its just my old 8088 PC acting up.
I plan to add many of the apps on my profile and play around with them a bit, so if you’d like to see them in action before you add them, feel free to send me a connect request.
Here is the email annoucement I got this morning:
Dear Brian,
Today we’re announcing many more ways to interact with your network on LinkedIn. Whether it’s a new way to create projects and collaborate, share information, customize your profile, or gain key insights, the new LinkedIn Applications deliver.
Click here and you’ll be able to add applications that enable you to:
Work collaboratively with your network.
Share information and keep up to date with your network.
Present yourself and your work in new ways.
Gain key insights that will make you more effective.
Get started by clicking here to visit the Application Directory and add any of the applications listed above.
Regards,
The LinkedIn Team
Posted in Community, Cool Tech Stuff, Professional Networking, Social Networking | Leave a Comment »
We have added a cool new feature to your Facebook account if you have added our PartnerPoint Community Application . If you haven’t added this yet and are curious, you can click on the previous link to learn more. We have about 2,200 member installs to date.
This new feature will now show a PartnerPoint icon in the box that comes up when you send someone a message thru FaceBook. It looks like this:
If you click this link, and then click “Attach”, it will append a PartnerPoint image to the bottom of your message. If you are sending a message to someone in the technology sector who you think may benefit by our services, please consider adding this as a simple way to grow awareness. The more active members we have, the more Microsoft and our other Vendor Partners will listen to us.
Though I do recognize the self serving nature of this request, it is a pretty cool app that utilizes the Viral strength of FaceBook, and its completely optional obviously…
As always, I’m eager to hear your thoughts, comments, complaints, and compliments.. :->
Brian
Posted in Community, Cool Tech Stuff, Microsoft, Professional Networking, Social Networking | Leave a Comment »
We recently asked our members to consider adding a link to our community on their websites, and the response was overwhelming. I would like to thank all of you that participated. It is greatly appreciated. As promised, I have added a link for each of you on our new Member Spotlight page which you can see here:
http://www.partnerpoint.com/PartnerPoint/MemberSpotlight/tabid/509/Default.aspx
If you paticipated and dont see your company listing, I apologize and just let me know and we’ll get it added. Also, I wanted to provide the newly updated link design here for those of you that had problems with the last version we provided. It looks like this:
And here is the appropriate code:
———————————————————-
<table cellspacing=”0″ cellpadding=”0″ width=”150″ bgcolor=”#ffffff” border=”0″>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td align=”center” colspan=”2″ cellpadding=”2″><a target=”_blank” href=”http://www.partnerpoint.com”><img height=”36″ alt=”PartnerPoint | An Online Community of Microsoft Partners – Find Microsoft Partners” width=”150″ border=”0″ src=”http://www.partnerpoint.com/portals/0/images/logo_link.gif” /></a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align=”center” rowspan=”2″ cellpadding=”2″><img height=”1″ alt=”" width=”41″ src=”http://www.partnerpoint.com/portals/0/images/spacer.gif” /></td>
<td align=”center” cellpadding=”2″><img height=”1″ alt=”" width=”109″ src=”http://www.partnerpoint.com/portals/0/images/spacer.gif” /></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td cellpadding=”2″><a target=”_blank” href=”http://www.partnerpoint.com”><font face=”Tahoma” color=”#e97e17″ size=”1″>An Online Community<br />
of Microsoft Partners</font></a></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
————————————————————
Thks!
Brian
PartnerPoint – An Online Community of Microsoft Partners
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As you are probably aware, LinkedIn has released quite a few new features lately. One new set of features was the upgraded Group functionality that we have been eagerly awaiting. It is a great start for sure, and I hope they continue to upgrade it (For example, I wish it was easier to tell what was new since my last visit, and I hope they include these new Discussions in the searching capability).
Our group is quite active on the new Group Forums. Over 2,900 of our members have joined our LinkedIn Group, and in the first week since the launch, we have 19 different “threads” going already. You can see our group here:
http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=2393&trk=hb_side_g
Also, I ran across a great blog from the LinkedIn Team, with a good video explaining some of the new features in their new release… you should check it out:
http://blog.linkedin.com/blog/2008/02/whats-new-at-li.html
Thks!
Brian
PartnerPoint – An Online Community of Microsoft Partners
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Based on requests and feedback from our FaceBook members, we have created and launched our Partner2Partner Email List and Marketplace. This will allow our members to send messages to other members, with us moderating the process. All members can submit a message for other members. We will combine messages and forward to the group on a regular basis. Also, all messages are kept on our Marketplace for exposure to visitors to our portal as well. You can view the Marketplace and submit your message here:
http://www.partnerpoint.com/PartnerPointHome/Partner2PartnerMarketplace/tabid/731/Default.aspx
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I participated in a Panel recently for the GBTC in Baltimore Md. The topic was the ROI of Social Networking for Businesses. Our presentation time was limited, so I thought I would post my short presentation with a bit more detail… but not much more. Keep in mind that there are many experts on the topic, and I am not one of them. I am just a active user who has the luxury of using Social Networks as part of his job. I also have the role of Group Administrator for several Social Networks, so have access to a different view point above the standard User view point.
“…FaceBook? I dont get it Brian! Facebook is for kids…”
(a response from a member to our recent PartnerPoint FaceBook Community Announcement)
My presentation was an attempt to give a bit of value to about 200 business folks on what they should be doing in Social Networking, and what they should expect in return, but in 8 minutes or less. I broke the presentation down into What, Where, Why, and How sections.
What?
What is Social Networking? Social Networking is typically defined as two-way online communications between two or more people who share common interests or objectives.
For purposes of explanation, I break down Social Networking into two components:
· Social Networking – collaboration about non work related topics
· Professional Networking – collaboration about work topics
(You could argue these definitions for sure, but I will use them for purposes of this presentation.)
Where?
Where does a business looking to explore the value of Social Networking start? I believe the answer is with FaceBook and LinkedIn. Facebook is a Social Network, and LinkedIn a Professional Network. I believe this is the best place to start simply because they seem to have the most momentum with our peers.
Keep in mind that most people do not choose a Network because of the sophistication of the tool set, or because of the appeal of the visual design. It is usually because of the of the membership. They go where their friends, coworkers, or clients are.
I believe Social and Professional Networks are converging. Social Networks are trying to become more Professional because they understand that is where the highest revenue potential is. Professional Networks are trying to become more Social because their users are requesting it, or demanding it by voting with their feet for options with more social components.
This convergence is fun to watch. Here is an exact quote from a college daughter of one of members. This member decided to join FaceBook when she got a PartnerPoint invitiation. Once a member, she uploaded her AIM buddy list and saw that her college daugher was a member, so she sent her a friend request. Her daughter quickly replied, and I quote:
“please remove yourself from facebook immediately. seriously mom. there is no way i am accepting your friend request. its just creepy. facebook is not for parents.”
(Full Story HERE :->)
In fact, you can see this everyday with FaceBook and LinkedIn. Facebook is quickly adding features for businesses such as Pages, Ad Serving, and a complete open API for custom Widget Development. LinkedIn on the other hand is actively adding Social features, such as their Beta Home Page with News updates, the addition of Photos, and their own open API release coming soon.
Why?
So why should I use FaceBook or LinkedIn for my business? In general, my answer is simply because the benefits outweigh the costs. I don’t think it is likely that any of these networks will drastically change your business tomorrow, nor will they replace your sales and marketing teams. However, they certainly can add value today, most certainly will add value in a year from now, and cost little to use.
Since the jury is out on how valuable they might be down the road, why not create as large of a footprint as possible within each network so that when the “killer app for business” is created, you are better prepared to leverage it.
Specifically, I believe LinkedIn and Facebook each have one core benefit that you can utilize for your business today. Their other features and functions are simply fluff in my opinion. For LinkedIn, it is “Trusted Connections”, and for FaceBook, it is “Viral Marketing”.
LinkedIn – “Trusted Connections”
LinkedIn provides the ability to create and utilize Trusted Connections better than any business tool I have ever seen or used. It is an incredible feature that can provide immediate value to your firm, and I constantly amazed as the results I see.
A Trusted Connection is simply a connection between you and people you know and trust. If you need an specialized Attorney for example, but you don’t know of any, you can search your network of friends. Chance are one of your friends knows one that they trust. Or, your friends may not, but their friends do, and so on. In theory, a trusted friend of a friend is a safer bet than an unknown firm found thru Google.
To give you an idea of the scale that LinkedIn has, here is my network as of the day of this post:
So, I have direct access to 2.3 Million people thru my Trusted Connections. Of all of the people I have desired to connect with and searched for thru LinkedIn, probably 95% have been within my three degree network! This continues to amazes me. In other words, thanks to Kevin Bacon, I am already connected to most of the people that I desire to talk to! Of the 20 or so people I have requested contact with thru my LinkedIn Network to date, all but one have replied almost instantly. I would argue that had I attempted to contact these individuals (all which were of the “hard to get a hold of” type) directly, I may have heard back from 5% – 10% or so at best.
Another reason I believe the LinkedIn Trusted Connections work so well is:
· The network is self-policed – members tend to not refer requests from people they don’t know or trust
· Provides easy research – when a member gets a request from someone, they can simply click on the link of the requester to view his profile. They can quickly learn more about the person, what their background is, any friends they may have in common, any references they have, or any groups they belong to.
FaceBook – “Viral Marketing”
Facebook doesn’t provide the value to Businesses today that LinkedIn does, but that is simply because our peers are not using it in high numbers yet. Once that happens, I believe it may exceed LinkedIn’s value for businesses for various reasons and will be an incredible resource. However we are at least a year away from that day.
This doesn’t mean however that you should ignore Facebook for now. There is value today, and I believe you should create as large as a footprint now as you can so that when our peers begin to join, you are better positioned to leverage to value and won’t have to play catch up.
The one value unique value that I see Facebook providing to businesses today is its Viral Marketing capabilities. This is actually something that I didn’t expect when I began to embrace Facebook for our business.
I have only been using FaceBook for about four months or so. And, the only reason I began to investigate it was because Microsoft bought about 1% of Facebook for $150 Million last year…. This was an eye opener for me, and told me that I had better take a peek and see what is going on. I have also noticed that a disproportionate percentage of Facebook business users are Microsoft employees, which tells me that there must be a Facebook buzz in the hallways of Redmond.
Everything Facebook does is viral. I guess this should be expected seeing how they began. I believe they were a student collaboration platform at universities initially, and you know the root of that culture is knowing what your friends are doing, and letting them know what you are doing, every second of the day and night.
This viral nature is what I think gives Facebook its appeal. I am fortunate enough to get to use FaceBook and LinkedIn everyday for my work, and I can tell you one thing for sure: FaceBook is more fun! LinkedIn may be more valuable now, but FaceBook is just more fun, and I think this will translate long term into more users, more activity, and eventually more networking value for business.
The viral nature of the FaceBook services is also quite interesting from a marketing perspective. It provides an incredible engine for getting a Brand or Message out quickly. Everything you do in Facebook has a viral hook of some kind, and this includes adding Widgets [A Widget is simply a custom application that you can develop to hook into the FaceBook Community].
For example, when a user installs a Widget, it automatically prompts them to invite their friends…. and if any of them decide to install it, they are asked to invite their friends…. and so on.
Obviously, your News/Content/Widget/Event/Question has to have value or no will use or forward it on, but if it does, it is quite exciting to watch the viral machine go into action. Our Microsoft Partner Community Widget had over 1,200 installs in the first 48 hours of our launch, which blew us away based on how few of our peers are actually on FaceBook now.
How?
How specifically should a business use Social Networks today? Well, here is my recommendations of specific things you should consider doing today to leverage this new form of media.
· Create a Profile, and invite “Contacts”
· Have as many of your team create profiles as are willing – Firms are beginning to use LinkedIn for researching firms, so this is a good way to show the depth of your organization
· Upgrade one or more key accounts – There are features available to upgraded accounts which can be valuable, such as the ability to contact someone who is not in your network. I recommend upgrading at least one key account in your organization. I would upgrade the CEO, or as high as you are able so that you have as much “brand” power when making contacts to others. In other words, a CEO is more likely to respond to another CEO…. I know, it is silly but true.
· Use LinkedIn to contact key people – When you need to contact someone, search thru LinkedIn and if they are in your Network, send a message thru your trusted connections. If not, use your upgraded account to send a request.
· Join any appropriate groups, as this can quickly extend your network to appropriate peers
· Respect the Network and do not use it for broad-based direct marketing, spamming, or other inappropriate use.
· Only refer requests from people you know and trust.
· Create a Profile, and invite “Friends”
· Have as many of your team create profiles as are willing
· Create a “Page” for your company or product, and invite “Fans”
· Create a “Group” if appropriate, and invite “Members”
· Use the tools provided for Events, Polls, etc.
· Use Mobile app for photo uploads in real time
· Build Custom Widgets – Though these require the most work and potentially the most cost, these represent the most business value I believe because these give you complete control of your content, functions, and other aspects of your firms collaboration with your community.
Posted in Community, Cool Tech Stuff, Professional Networking, microsoft partners | 2 Comments »
