How Google Reader Changed My Life

 I manage social media accounts for multiple organizations and have found that using Google Reader has changed my life and if you're not using it or one of its equivalents, you are probably losing valuable time.

As part of being part of the community of the organizations I serve it is imperative that I stay up to date on industry news from national/regional sources as well as be aware of what is happening within the local landscape of similar organizations.  I use Google Reader to do this.  I track keywords, subscribe to feed from trusted sources and follow relevant blogs.  Google Reader delivers all this information in an organized format right to one place.  No more random searches, no more navigating to each and every pertinent website.  I save valuable time because they all come to me per my specifications. 

If you don't use it, it is quite simple to set up.  First you need a Gmail account.  You can set one up at https://mail.google.com/.

Then go to www.google.com/reader to get started.  It will prompt you to select keywords to help you get started.  Then, as you visit your favorite websites and blogs, subscribe to them via Google Reader.  How and where the subscription opt-ins are will vary by site, but look for it, it's there.

Following your favorites on Facebook and Twitter is also a way to learn good information but it doesn't happen on in your own time.  Stay current, save time and be a leader within your industry with a little assistance from Google Reader.

Quick Guide for Social Media Beginners to Contribute to their Organization's Strategy

Not everyone within an organization is a social media savvy as the next person.  The following provides a guide for those who wish to contribute to the social media presence and strategy of an organization.

When implementing a social media strategy each member of an organization (Board Members, employees, etc.) has a responsibility to participate and interact and further the efforts of that strategy.  This means "liking" a Facebook page and "liking" posts written on the page as they appear.  This allows your friends to see those posts and make a decision as to their opinion on the subject matter and business.  If they decide to "like" that page then their friends are now presented with the same opportunities and the viral possibilities go on from there.

On Twitter, the process starts with "Following" the organization and "Retweeting" its posts so that those "Following" you can see the original posts.  You can also tweet a message back to the organization and include its name in your tweet to, again, put that organization's name in front of your followers.  This is done by using the @username format. 

If you are new to Twitter and don't have many followers, your first order of business should be to go find those individuals or businesses that interest you and "Follow" them.  In turn, they may in turn follow you.  Be careful not to only focus only on national brands and personalities, look at local businesses, organizations, personalities and entertainment options from your community.  Also, remember to use that account and tweet about things that interest you.  You need to be interesting to grow your follower base.

In Summary:
"Like" Facebook fan pages
"Like" Facebook posts
"Follow" on Twitter
"Retweet" posts
Tweet to the organization using @username