Joel Comm's Blog, page 37

Why I Don’t Own an Apple Watch

I bought my first computer in 1980 and was dialing in to online services that same year. I built my first site in 1995, shopped online and auctioned on eBay in 1996, started blogging in 2003, uploaded my first YouTube video in 2006, purchased the first iPhone for $600 in 2007 and had one of the first thousands apps in the appstore in 2008. I’ve owned Apple computers dating back to AppleIIe and enjoyed almost every variety of Mac since inception. I also use PCs as I am a computer gamer. Apple just doesn’t compare in that arena. I’ve owned iPods, iPhones and iPads over the years. The only reason I’m rolling out my long history of technology use is to make one thing clear. I am an early adopter, if not occasionally a pioneer. I love checking out the latest tech and grabbing that which I believe is worthwhile long before many are even aware that the technology exists. Of course, when it came to Apple Watch it was impossible to not be aware of its pending release. Wearable technology is in the news and the media was all abuzz about Apple’s first major post-Steve Jobs initiative. As the world’s wealthiest corporation, pundits questioned whether Apple could err at all. I stopped wearing a wristwatch about three years ago. With an iPhone in my pocket, I found no compelling reason to continue wearing one. To find the time I would merely reach into my pocket and look at my phone. After decades of wearing a wristwatch, liberating my left arm from the timepiece was liberating. Since I rarely wore a watch for fashion reasons, leaving the watch behind meant one less thing for me to keep up with. So when the hype machine for the Apple Watch began, I wasn’t interested. Not even a little. I couldn’t imagine what features the watch would have that would make it compelling enough for me to put it on my wrist. I didn’t bother reading much about it and I didn’t go to an Apple store to see one. The first time I saw one was shortly after people started getting theirs. I noticed a friend had one on his wrist and I asked if he liked it. At that time, he wasn’t certain. I asked if I could see it. After asking a few questions to understand how it worked, I played with his watch for a couple minutes. I was bored with it almost instantaneously and handed it back to him. (Insert yawn here…) I’ve not felt like I’m missing a thing by not having an Apple Watch. However, my friend Tom Beal recently did a podcast sharing why he absolutely loves his Apple Watch. Wanting to keep an open mind, I decided to listen to his show to see if he would say something that would make me want to take a second look. I’m not above saying I am wrong, and perhaps I was secretly hoping that his take would win me over to taking the plunge. It didn’t happen. As he discussed the convenience of using his Apple Watch to communicate faster with friends, trigger Siri commands, receive driving directions, use the workout app, make phone calls, call for an Uber and manage his travel all without removing his phone from his pocket, I was excited that HE was excited about the technology. But none of the functionality he described (which is all available by pulling your phone out of your pocket) provided a compelling enough reason for me to start wearing a watch again. Not even close. That said, I totally get why Tom loves his watch. For his needs, his wants and his lifestyle, it makes complete sense. I’m thrilled that he loves his watch, and you’ll never find me bashing people who wear one. That’s just silly. We’re all unique individuals and there is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to taste and personal preference. However, this article is titled “Why I Don’t Wear an Apple Watch,” and not “Why No One Should Wear an Apple Watch.” I’m happy to keep my wrist tech-free, at least for the time being. I wouldn’t be surprised if a second or third iteration of Apple Watch, or that of some other manufacturer, creates enough excitement for me to purchase and habitually wear/use a device that resides on my wrist. I just know that the time is not now. The Apple Watch is undoubtedly an interesting gadget for some, but for me it isn’t anything revolutionary. And frankly, I personally don’t even find it all that interesting. What about you? Did you purchase an Apple Watch? If so, are you still wearing it? If not, why not? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below. It’s time.

How Blab.im Will Beat Google Hangouts at Their Own Game

Live video streaming has become all the rage amongst many marketers and people with online businesses. The immediacy of being able to stream from an app on a mobile device has lowered the bar and leveled the playing field so that anyone can get started right away. In a previous post, I referred to my top 4 streaming video apps, and I made mention of a new desktop app called Blab.im. I’ve had the opportunity to spend a lot of time as a Beta user of this site, and I now feel confident enough to make this statement. Blab.im provides the user experience that Google Hangouts intended to, but never lived up to. Blab has made their interface easy-to-use and engaging for all, whether they are one of the four currently on camera or participating from the chat pane. I’ve been conducting both spontaneous and scheduled Blabs for just over a week, and the people I am inviting and engaging with on the site are universally excited about the service. In fact, the last time I was this excited about a new opportunity in technology was when Apple announced that they were making the software development kit available to make apps for the iPhone. Yes, Blab is that relevant. And since I am on the cutting edge with this technology, YOU have an opportunity to do so as well. I’m not going to use the space on this blog to go in depth of how to use Blab because I feel the easiest way to understand it is to just join a Blab and see for yourself. It’s so intuitive and easy-to-use that I’m confident you will figure it out. I couldn’t say the same about Google Hangouts, which many found to be both confusing and technically challenging. What I will do is invite you to join me on one of my Blabs, where you can either just watch the broadcast OR interact with me by becoming an active participant! As of this writing, the Blab team has released an iOS app for iPhone and iPad, with Andoid still to come. But I prefer the desktop/laptop experience to Blabbing. Once you see how Blab works, I’m confident many of my readers’ minds will be reeling with possibilities. I see it as one of the greatest opportunities for building your platform and growing a following. The proof is in the number of hours I am spending on Blab, vesting myself in the technology and the community. Are you ready to take my word for it? Start by following me on Blab at www.Blab.im/joelcomm Simply login with your Twitter account (required to use Blab) and click the follow button next to my name. Then SUBSCRIBE to one of my upcoming Blabs. I have regularly scheduled interviews with top social and business leaders. Be sure you have notifications turned ON when given the option, or just add a scheduled blab to your calendar to be alerted. And then get ready to experience what so many in the social media world are super-excited about.

How to Process $150 Million in Transactions

How does someone start with an idea and build a business that processes almost $150 million in just three years? As co-founder of JVZoo.com, E. Brian Rose has done exactly that. I had the privilege of having EBR as a guest on my show, and we discussed this and many other things. Utilizing the new Blab.im platform, our discussion included his time in the poker world, the genesis of JVZoo, and his new book that is now available for pre-order, The Millionaire Within. This content-packed replay also includes cameos by Dan Nickerson, Kim Garst and Blab.im CEO, Shaan Puri. Watch the replay below, and be sure to follow The Joel Comm Show on Blab.im for new episodes!

4 Top Live Streaming Video Apps

Online live video streaming isn’t a new phenomenon. Back in 2008, I was using Ustream.tv to broadcast Joel Comm Live. A few people were doing 24-hour lifecasts (such as Justin.tv), and Google Hangouts weren’t too far behind. However, most of these streaming applications required a desktop computer in order to enjoy the full benefits of creating a show. All that has changed in 2015, with a number of new apps that are leading the way into the live video streaming revolution. I’ll just go ahead and say it now… Just as though early to blogging were able to build and grow sizable audiences, those who jump on live video streaming have a similar opportunity to carve out a piece of the pie and be a voice to their market. As a fan of video, and live video in particular, I’ve kept a close eye on the latest developments. As of this writing, here are the top 4 live streaming video apps you need to know about. #1) Meerkat A favorite of mine since I first encountered it just before SXSW 2015, this was the first app that made it truly simple to begin live streaming from anywhere. Connected to Twitter, any of your followers that were on Twitter instantly became followers when they installed Meerkat. That is, until Twitter cut Meerkat off from their social graph. While I can appreciate why Twitter did this, I think it was an unkind move that completely went against the spirit of Twitter’s connected platform. Pffft. Meerkat allows people to comment on your stream. As they do, each comment becomes a tweet. Even without Twitter’s support, Meerkat moves forward with innovation and it continues to maintain a loyal audience. One of my favorite things is that they provide an embed tool that allows you to place your live stream on a web page. If you look in the right column of any of my blog pages, you’ll notice the Meerkat widget. And if I happen to be streaming live while you are on my pages, you’ll hear me talking and likely spot the live stream. Another thing I like is that your streams can be saved to your Meerkat page, where they can be replayed. #2) Periscope Twitter’s answer to Meerkat, Periscope is a pretty cool app that is picking up users at a rapid pace. Easy to instantly begin streaming with a simple tweet, Periscope is like the Wal-mart of live video streaming. While the technology is fairly solid, many find the audience on Periscope to be untargeted. Since people can login and pick any current stream to view, there are many “drive-by” viewers who pop in without having a clue what they are watching. Sometimes these people can be disruptive. The good news is that it is easy to block those people with a simple swipe on the screen. Unlike Meerkat, Periscope replays are available for only 24 hours. #3) LIVE for Facebook Mentions Facebook is not just one app anymore. Messenger, Pages and other apps make up the whole of the mobile experience. One app that is available only to Public Figures is called Mentions. A “public figure” is someone who has a fan page which sports the little blue verified check mark. I’m fortunate to have such a page at facebook.com/joelcommfan. As part of Facebook’s entry into live video streaming, they rolled out their first attempt to those who are able to use the Mentions app. What’s the key benefit of live streaming with this app? The stream automatically shows up on the news feed of some who have liked your page! Just as native Facebook video begins playing as you mouse-over the image, so does the livestream kick in the same way. The app is very basic at this time, but I’ve no doubt Facebook will be updating with new features. Beyond Facebook integration (which is a HUGE plus), two key benefits are that the stream lives on your timeline for replay indefinitely and that comments made in the app appear on the Facebook stream and vice-versa. They also recently announced that LIVE will soon be available for personal profiles with verified status. It’s my take that it won’t be long before the functionality is made available to all profiles. #4) Blab.im The latest entry to the live streaming parade, and perhaps the one I am most excited about, is Blab.im. Unlike the previous apps mentioned, Blab is more like Google Hangouts, where you can host a number of other people to join you on-screen. Like Hangouts, Blab has a chat window and the ability to share to social (via Twitter). Unlike Hangouts, it’s sleeker and more elegant, and far less buggy, even in its early stage. With Blab, you simply start or schedule your session, and away you go. Participants can request a seat, but the moderator must approve who joins via webcam. This makes it a great platform for hosting guests or taking questions from the audience. As with the other streaming tools, people can follow you and be notified when your broadcast is going live. I am testing Blab as a new platform for conducting interviews and am regularly scheduling them on my page at www.blab.im/joelcomm As of this writing, Blab now has an app so you may stream from your desktop or mobile device. Live video streaming is still in the learning-to-walk stage, but it’s my belief that those who jump on board now will have a headstart on the masses who will soon be rushing to leverage this technology. The key, just as with blogging, is to create quality content, connect with your audience, and build a fan base that will come back to see you again and again. Have you tried any of the live streaming videos apps? What are your thoughts on the future of this technology? Please share your thoughts below!

Seeing Obstacles as Opportunities

No is one of the hardest words for most people to hear. We want what we want, and when don’t get what we want, we can feel angry, hurt, sad or disappointed. As a young man breaking into sales in the early 90’s, I was tossed into survival-of-the-fittest situations. The managers at my company didn’t care who made sales. They just wanted sales. And they knew that whoever was able to hear the word “no” again and again were the ones most likely to get to “yes.” It takes a lot of fortitude and persistence to push through all the no’s to get to yes. It takes courage to turn a no into a yes. And it takes creativity and ingenuity to embrace no as a welcome obstacle that is seen as a blessing in disguise. I’ve discovered that opportunity is often shrouded by the obstacles placed in our path. And when we recognize those opportunities, the doors that can open before us are often bigger and better than the ones we initially knocked on. I’ve got three examples I’ll share with you to illustrate my point. In 2009, I was served legal papers by a competing application company stating that I unfairly made sales of my app through unscrupulous means. The company demanded that I send them $50,000 in order to make things right. Rather than pay them for something they didn’t deserve or quietly manage the issue, I contacted my lawyer and suggested that we make a public spectacle of the whole thing. The result was more media coverage than ever before, which included a segment on John Stewart’s The Daily Show. In 2010, I submitted an app to the iTunes appstore which Apple rejected. Rather than put my tail between my legs and give up, moving on to the next project, I decided to create a video appeal directly to Steve Jobs. Accompanied by a press release, the story got picked up by major tech publications, the video was viewed tens of thousands of times, and my app was approved into the app store a short time thereafter. And just this week, Facebook illegitimately closed my account. It’s been re-opened, but I’m grateful for the experience. By reaching out to the right people, I was contacted by a real living, breathing person at Facebook. I now have a contact at the mysterious headquarters so I may address my concerns and have them managed in a more personal manner. Getting served papers and being threatened by a competing app company opened the doors to an opportunity to get more media coverage than I thought possible. Getting rejected by Apple allowed me to publicly tell a story that I never would have crafted had the app been accepted. And having my Facebook account closed became the doorway to making contact with someone at the company. It was totally worth it. These are just a few of my personal experiences, but I’ve got many more to share. The bottom line is this. How you view your obstacles has a lot to do with how successful you will be. When you hit a wall, put a big smile on your face, think about how you can make lemonade out of your lemons and seize the opportunity that is before you. Be thankful for the obstacle and watch it become a pogo stick that will take you higher. What obstacles have you faced which you discovered to be the greatest opportunities? Please share your story with me in the comments below!

Facebook Closed My Account… Again

I’m not the first person it’s happened to, and it’s not the first time it has happened to me. But nevertheless, it did happen a second time. Back in 2009, Facebook closed my account because I was at my 5000 friend limit and I was messaging people who wanted to connect with me, inviting them to like my new fan page. Apparently that labeled me as a spammer and my account was shut down. Robert Scoble came to my rescue, helping connect me with people who could do something about it, and my account was reinstated. Imagine my surprise when I woke up this morning to find this message on Facebook. Wait a second. I was removed for “pretending to be someone else”? I’ll come back to this in a moment. For now, I’m thinking “Great. Here we go again.” To Facebook’s credit, they don’t completely cut you off when they ban your account. You are taken to this page that has a link you can click if you think they have banned you in error. Upon clicking the link you are invited to upload a photo of official identification (such as a driver’s license or passport). Once uploaded, you are told that they will review your case. I texted Robert Scoble, who reached out to Facebook on his page. (Thanks, Robert!) It turns out my identification and appeal reached the Facebook support team before anyone else came to my rescue. But through Robert’s post, I met someone at Facebook who is now a contact for me should this happen again. But let’s jump into some thoughts I have on the ban, the issues I am having with Facebook, and an idea which might help alleviate some of these issues. I have two main pages on Facebook. There’s my personal profile page… And there’s my fan page. I started the fan page when my personal page topped out at 5000 friends. Last year, this page was verified, so it has the little blue check mark next to my name. However, engagement on my fan page is much lower than my personal page due to Facebook’s EdgeRank formula. So I post on my personal page far more often. Because I am a public figure, my photos are often taken from the web and used without my permission. Unfortunately, there are scammers throughout the world who use my photos in order to con others (usually women) out of money. In fact, I receive reports from both friends and strangers who spot my photo on a page this isn’t mine. Sometimes I’ll hear from women that tell me a conversation with someone they thought was me had been taking place for days or weeks. The perpetrator declares their “love” for this person and then asks them for money so that they may travel to meet them in person. It’s scumbaggery at its worst. And it’s a major headache for me. If you were to see my Facebook support dashboard, it would reveal dozens of reports from profiles using my photos. Most of the time when I submit these, Facebook takes a look and the fake account is closed. But another pops up almost immediately. It’s like playing a never-ending game of whack-a-Joel! And sometimes I’ll submit a report of an impersonator, as I did for the one above, and I’ll get a message like this. Now I understand if there is an automated system that closes accounts that are suspected to be impersonating someone else until proof to the contrary is provided. But I have no idea how a human being can look at the profile I shared above and NOT see that they are using my photo! I submitted this report twice and appealed both times with the same reply from Facebook. It took multiple people reporting the profile in order for it finally be removed. It’s very frustrating. Here are my thoughts on the ban my account sustained and how Facebook can put the kabosh on some of these impersonators. How did my account get banned in the first place? I suspect it was one of the impersonators that got tired of me calling them out who reported my account. Which begs the questions, was it an automated ban? If so, I suppose I could understand. But if it wasn’t, who in their right mind would look at an account that has been open since 2007, has thousands of posts and photos, along with videos, and is connected to a page which is verified as me, and still think I was impersonating someone else? After I submitted my identification, the account was re-opened without a problem. But how did this happen in the first place, especially if I have such a hard time getting REAL imposters pulled down from the site? One way to resolve this problem would be to VERIFY my personal account. However, after conversations with Facebook I discovered that it is not their policy to verify more than one account per person. I have to choose between my personal account and my fan page. Regardless, I know I am not the only person that is having their photos swiped and used in illegitimate ways. Since Facebook has implemented facial recognition software that can detect my face in photos that have never been uploaded to the site before, can’t they use similar technology to scan profile photos when people upload them to their account? The photos used by the imposters are ALWAYS photos that are attached to my personal account. So couldn’t they modify software to detect a picture that has already been used by someone else, and then do one of two things: 1) Notify the person uploading that the profile photo appears to be attached to another person’s account and ask them to verify that it is truly them. 2) Notify you if it appears that your photo is being used on another person’s profile so you can check it out and confirm if it is legit […]

Facebook Live Streaming is Here…. and it’s VERY good

I’ve been streaming live video online since 2008, when I first started using uStream.tv. But with the rise of mobile and social media, streaming has grown up considerably. And the last few months have seen the release of several apps which allow anyone to stream live video directly from their mobile devices. First there was Meerkat (to which I have been partial as I started using it just before it blew up at SXSW). Next, Twitter launched Periscope (and spread some bad mojo by cutting off Meerkat from their social graph). David Beckham (yes, THAT David Beckham) recently answered with the launch of MyEye (which I have not yet tried). But all that may now be academic, because as of today Facebook has entered the live video streaming arena within the Facebook Mentions app. And it is powerful stuff! First, the bad news. Live for Facebook Mentions, as they are calling it, is currently available only to those who have verified Facebook pages. That means they are looking for public figures to help ramp things up. If you’ve got the little blue check mark by your page name, you are verified, such as my page at Facebook.com/joelcommfan. For simplicity, I’m just going to call it Facebook Live. I would expect Facebook to open up live streaming to the entire user base at some point, but for now you’ve got to have a verified account. Sorry. Launching your live stream is easy. Simply click POST at the bottom and you are presented with a number of ways to engage. Among the options is Live Video. (I’ve not yet tried Q & A, though it has piqued my curiosity!) Just as with Meerkat and Periscope, you can then enter text that will be posted with your stream. Then click the GO LIVE button. A 3-2-1 countdown signals the beginning of your stream. And voila, you are live! The video now shows in your feed and those following you may see it pop up in their feed just as any other video posted. The video will begin playing automatically, but it will also be muted. To hear, you’ll need to unmute. Here’s where it gets really interesting… When you comment in the app, it also posts the comment to the Facebook post… and vice-versa. So now the person streaming can engage with viewers in real-time (My viewers told me they experienced a delay of anywhere from 5 to 10 seconds), and the broadcasters feed is populated with comments from the conversation. THIS is indeed powerful for increasing engagement. I spent about 45 minutes in my first Facebook Live broadcast. During that time, my viewer count continually increased. By the time I accidentally ended my stream, I had about 350 concurrent viewers. What’s more, unlike Periscope and Meerkat, the recording doesn’t disappear after 24 hours. It seems to be archived on Facebook for on-demand replay with continued like, comment and share functionality perpetually available. If Periscope and Meerkat aren’t quaking in their boots, they should be. Were it not for the fact that Facebook is not yet making this available to their entire userbase, I’d say that the other services are in big trouble. The sound and audio quality of the stream is quite good, with many of my viewers saying it was superior to Periscope. Functionality is basic at this point. You can’t click links within the app (though you CAN if you visit the comments on the page), nor can you click on individual users to get more information. But I’m sure that many new features will be coming soon. I’d like the ability to embed my live and recorded streams on my site. For now, I’ll just link to the replay of my stream here so you can check it out. It wouldn’t surprise me to see an update to Facebook.com and their mobile app with a “Who’s Live Now” option to be able to instantly tune into current live streams. Facebook is very quickly going to become a premier video channel on the web. I’m excited that I got to play with Facebook Live on Day One! This is the beginning of something very big. What are your thoughts? Did Facebook just take over the live video streaming app business with one simple release?

Worst 8 Places to Find Me on Social Media

With so many social media sites to choose from, it’s impossible to use them all. Last week, I wrote about the sites you are most likely to find me using. Today, I’m going to share sites which are of interest, but that I really don’t use much if at all. That’s not to say these sites don’t hold value. On the contrary, some of them are incredibly valuable. Others, not so much. Regardless, here are sites and services which are on my radar, but I don’t give the time of day. My commentary on these will be much briefer for obvious reasons. 1) About.me – This is a social site that really isn’t all that social. Rather, it’s a one-stop page that acts as a bio/resume/here’s-where-to-find-me on the rest of the web site. The thing is, I already have a site like that. It’s called this blog. True, I have a page there. But it’s really just to say “I’m here” in case you haven’t figured out how to use a search engine to locate me. 2) Quora – A fairly nifty place to ask questions and contribute to the database of answers, Quora is pretty useful. That is, were is not for the fact that I don’t use it. I do get notifications that people are following me and my answers, but I think I’ve contributed less than a handful in the time I’ve been there. Perhaps someone could submit the question “why doesn’t Joel Comm use Quora?” 3) Snapchat – I know all the kids are using it. A handful of my peers are using it as well. But to be honest, I don’t get it. Why do I want to take pictures that disappear? I’m sure that’s useful for conversations that you don’t want anyone else to see, but when I take a photo it’s usually because I am capturing a memory in visual format. And what’s with stories on Snapchat? Sigh… I guess I am not cool enough to understand Snapchat, and I’m okay with that. 4) Google Plus – I’ve never thought much of Google Plus. Sure, there is a diehard bunch there who swear by it and the community they have formed, but Google continues to fail in the social media space. Google Wave, Google Buzz and a few others are all part of the Google Social Media Graveyard (GSMG as I like to say). Google Plus is no different. It’s a nice place to visit, but in order to get value from the community you have to invest quite a bit of time. I already have that at Facebook. So I’ll continue to post some content at G+ as long as it exists, but I don’t see it ever becoming a significant thing for the masses. 5) Slideshare – This is a very valuable site. And I never go there. I have uploaded a copy presentations, but it’s just not something I think of when I am doing research or want to kill some time. It’s a shame because I know there’s a lot of great content there. Part of using social media is understanding that you can’t do it all. Slideshare is something I am willing to sacrifice to maintain healthy time limitations on my social media use. 6) Ello – When Ello came out, they promised to be an ad-free uncluttered alternative to Facebook. Well, it is that. But I don’t need an alternative to Facebook. So Ello? Goodbye. 7) Pinterest – Hugely popular, but not with me. Pinterest is a great site for images, and many businesses are generating significant traffic from the site. As for me, I have a page but I rarely pin stuff. It’s just not my thing. 8) MySpace – Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha! Wait, I have some more to say about this. HA HA HA HA HA HA! Enough said. Which of these sites do you use? Do you believe I’m missing out by not pinning images or posting on Slideshare? Am I being to harsh with MySpace? As always, I invite you to leave your comments below.

22 Tips for a More Useful Facebook Feed from Robert Scoble

With over 1.4 billion users around the world, Facebook is the 800 lb. gorilla of social media. They’ve done an incredible job of creating, maintaining and growing a tool that allows us to engage with others in ways that enhance our lives. Yet, it sometimes seems like getting the kind of engagement we desire, and seeing the content we enjoy, can be a moving target. Robert Scoble has done a great deal of research and experimentation into making his own Facebook feed more useful. As a result, he has become a huge fan of Facebook and receives a ton of value from it. The content he creates is equally useful for his 600,000+ followers. He recently shared a number of tips that anyone can apply to make their own feed more useful, and with his permission, I have created an infographic highlighting these tips. Robert pointed out to me that #5 is perhaps the most important of all the tips he shared. I hope you find his tips as useful as I have. If so, be sure to stop by his page and let him know!

Top 8 Social Media Sites of 2015

If there’s one thing that never changes in the social media world, it’s that change is inevitable. New sites appear faster than popcorn popping in a microwave. Many of them disappear into obscurity just as quickly. Existing sites try new features and discard those that aren’t working, seeking to evolve into one-stop destinations for members. This constant change affects how I engage with various social sites, and likely does for you as well. While I’ve written about the sites that I am active on in the past, I thought it might be interesting to start an annual mid-year tradition of listing sites which I am currently using. I understand that others’ derive benefit from sites that I haven’t listed here and I think that’s great. We all get to use social in our way, so this is merely a list of sites and apps that I personally find useful. Since most lists are nothing more than someone’s opinion, this list is my opinion. So let’s get started with the top 8 social sites of 2015. 1) Facebook – The 800-pound gorilla maintains its place as my most popular hangout. After going through a period of maxing out my friend limit, I now am directly connected to just over 2000 people as friends, though I suspect there are a number that I don’t really know. I’ve got approximately 9200 people following my feed and my fan page is liked by nearly 39,000 people. While those fan page numbers are far greater than my personal page, it’s the persona page that gets the greatest engagement. I’ve discovered that content on my fan page gets likes, comments and shares only when I post others’ videos and photos that I find highly entertaining or inspirational. Ironic, isn’t it? It’s fine, because the most rewarding engagement is from those who I actually have a relationship of some sort with. And for that, no body does it better than Facebook. 2) Twitter – When I started with Twitter in 2007, I had no idea what to make of it. Obviously, I caught on and quickly built a following. My book came out soon thereafter and two follow-up editions were released. I am not a heavy Twitter user, but I do post weekly and I like to others’ content even more often. It’s a great place to post short videos and photos, especially photoquotes (which I am particularly fond of.) 3) LinkedIn – The go-to social network for business, the site occasionally gets a little spammy. However, I use it to connect to as many people as possible with the premise that the entire point is to be able to connect with the right person at the right time. Since you never know who knows who, I find the larger my network, the more likely I am to be able to connect with my target. I also have no problem paying the monthly fee for a premium account as I find the InMail feature to be quite valuable. The only connections I don’t approve are from foreign staffing firms (which usually have their entire team sending me connection requests) and those without profile photos. If you aren’t going to show me who you are, you are taking a whole lot of social away from the social network. 4) YouTube – The King of online video has been a preferred site for me to upload my videos since 2006. I still upload my videos there. However, it pays to note that Facebook’s native video feature is quickly becoming stronger. The fact that videos autoplay on Facebook provides a great advantage towards the likelihood that a video will be viewed. Still, YouTube is powerful and I will continue to upload videos there as well. 5) Instagram – For as long as I’ve been on Instagram, you’d think I would use it all the time. I don’t. But I do enjoy posting photos from time-to-time, especially if I’ve got a photoquote to share. But I’m not very involved in the social aspect of the app. My loss, I suppose. 6) Meerkat – In the battle for live video streaming apps, I still prefer Meerkat to Periscope. Perhaps it’s the fact that Twitter snubbed Meerkat to build their own service while cutting their competition off from the social graph. Maybe its that I used Meerkat first when it exploded at SXSW in March 2015. Or perhaps it’s just the cute little critter combined with the yellow theme, which happens to be my favorite color. Whatever the case, when I stream video I find that I get more engagement on Meerkat. I think the primary reason is that Periscope is packed with “drive-by viewers” just checking in to see what’s on but having no clue why they are watching. Meerkat seems to attract a higher-quality audience and they’ve got a cool tool that lets you embed live-streaming on your site. In fact, if you are reading this on my blog you can see it in the right column. I’m betting on Meerkat. 7) Vine – I don’t Vine much. Well, rarely. But I do like the app and turns out I’ve got some followers there. Sometimes I’ll post a video. 8) Klout – They say Klout is dead. They say Klout doesn’t matter. I say they are right… and wrong. The site isn’t dead, but the continued implementation under the new owners is lame. And does your Klout score matter? No, except when it does. In other words, there are businesses and individuals that still pay attention to the score. If they are paying attention in choosing who to hire, or for some other outcome, it matters. It mattered to me when The Denver Business Journal did a cover story on the top influencers in the state and they based it on Klout score. It positioned me as tied for #2. The social sharing tool on the site isn’t bad, but there’s not much reason to spend time on Klout. The perks […]