social

Recently my boss, Jeff Hilimire, wrote a blog post about the idea of transferring his blog over to Tumblr and the idea sparked a lot of healthy debate among the DIG group.

The ideas presenting really got me wondering, with the social media overload we are all facing (especially when it’s your job as well as your day-to-day life) what purpose does each social network serve?

I’ve set a few boundaries for myself and my many networks. Here’s a sample of some of my favorites:

Facebook: Most Popular – Everyone you know is on Facebook, from your best friend in preschool , your college roommate and even your parents. For me, this is my “personal” site. Photo tagging, event updates, brand relationships, and people I only know and care about are here.

Twitter: Most Outgoing – Twitter has become my personal RSS feed. Why subscribe to a billion blogs when I can follow them, get updates and read at my own will. I try to keep sharing to a professional and news worthy level, but spur of the moment “what are you doing?” updates fly.

Linked-In: The CEO – Linked-In was my go to source fro job hunting. A message here to a colleague of mine actually led to my new job at Engauge. Staying on top of connections, who’s viewed your profile, or who you may know are all key to keep networking ongoing after that tweet-up.

WordPress: The Brains – Well, you’re here, and hopefully you can see for me this platform helps me think outside of 140 characters and discuss new emerging media topics.

Blogger: Gossip Girl – I used blogger for my 365 day photo project and found it great for informal blogging, for those who take blogging more seriously, I feel WordPress has bundles of extra tools.

Foursquare: Jetsetter – This one can get spammy and creepy quickly if you’re not careful, but it can also lead to some great deals and tips. I always check out tips led by other users when trying out a new restaurant, only sharing via Twitter if I feel it adds to the conversation.

Tumblr: Class Clown – I’ve tried this one a few times, but since finishing my 365 photo blog, I’ve been looking for a new way to blog casually and this one seems to be a great answer. I really enjoy the re-blogging feature and sharing the content of those around you.

So, of the many choices out there, what are your favorite social networks and what purpose does each serve for you?

It’s no secret that google runs my life. It may sound like a joke, but since my first days with UGA HEROs, I have been addicted to everything Google has to offer to organize my life. I run on Gmail, google docs, gchat and even gave Buzz more than a week to impress me (though our relationship ended there).

What makes Google even better are its ad ons. Many of the features can be found in Google’s Labs, but often a little gem comes along from somewhere else. And a post from Nick Lucido, a friend of mine on Twitter and PRSSA National President, caught my eye as one such feature.

No need to email someone new, perform a Google search and them find them on various social networks. Rapportive does it for you and all within Gmail.

What does this person do? What do they look like? Where are they based? The tool answers it all and more. Take a look at the sample of mine to the left.

Rapportive is simple, it allows a user to install the add on to Gmail in literally ONE click. The tool is fairly new (the company itself was only started in January 2010) but if it hasn’t yet found information on a person, you can help out by adding notes and information for a user.

The tool currently sees more than 20 million lookups in the system each month and people are talking. A lot. Check it out for yourself.

As the online identity becomes more integrated with each facet of our daily lives, tools like this are not only cool and innovative, but also highly effective it making work easier – and in turn my life.

Could it be any easier to be social? Give it a try.