Facebook is a funny thing, not unlike Marmite.  Half the people you know love it and can’t get by without their daily fix.  The other half aren’t involved and are pretty sure that it’s not for them.  The objections you hear from the latter camp typically include “It’s just for teenagers and 20-somethings”, “I’m too busy for that sort of thing”, and “I don’t like getting my private life and business life blended together online”. 

There is an risk here that Facebook is becoming synonymous with social networking in the same way that Hoover is the shorthand for vacuum cleaner.  Yes, quite possibly Facebook isn’t the thing for you.  However, there are other options out there and one that might very well be right for you is LinkedIn. (more…)

I had a great chat yesterday with Jen Harris, who looks after social media marketing for the excellent Tsheets.  (Aside:  Tsheets is pure magic for any business that charges for its time – it is a very neat, simple-to-use timesheet application that finally lets you keep a truly accurate picture of how your people spend their time.  Try it – it’s fantastic.)

We were talking about Twitter and whether it is something that companies in general need to wake up to.  Jen drew my attention to a real slamdunk argument – Dell recently came out and said that Twittering has brought it an additional $1 million in revenues.  Yep, $1 million.  The Industry Standard has the news here. (more…)

A postscript to my previous comments on the BlackBerry Storm. After a week of serious frustration trying to type anything quickly, highlight text or get through the day without the battery dying on me, my Storm and I will today part company.  In its place will come a spiffy new Bold.  Slightly less ‘of the moment’, but a product that hopefully does BlackBerries are renowned for.

What has come out of this is a new respect for Vodafone – those guys have jumped right on it in arranging a swap.  That’s the kind of behaviour that really underpins a brand.  I’m impressed.

Hooray!  I’ve managed to get my hands on one of the last remaining BlackBerry Storms in the UK.  This is the product touted by RIM as its iPhone rival, but better in some respects thanks to its clickable touch screen.  So, great excitement at getting to grips with this pocket wonder.

However, although it’s very early days, the signs are that this smart phone definitely falls into the category of ‘good, but not great’.  The good things include the versatility of the product, the ever-dependable functionality of the email, and – to an extent – the clickable screen, which can be satisfying when you get it right.  However, I’m already wondering if/thinking that I made a mistake in not going for the highly rated but more evolutionary BlackBerry Bold.  (more…)