Good news and bad news…the good news is that new ideas on how to connect and communicate are still coming…enhancements to Facebook, Google Buzz…lots of good ideas.  The bad news is that folks seem to have forgotten that there are a lot of bad guys out there and you need to protect your social networks just as much as you need virus protection software for your pc and a firewall for your network.

Keep in mind that hacking has taken on a new strategy whereby the hacker gets in and keeps their presence quiet so that they can pick my opportunity to take advantage…no longer are they just attacking…hackers are in stealth mode and your social network is a great target.  Also note that hackers post successes for others to read…so that when one gets in, the rest can follow.

Social networks are the new big “Greenfield” opportunity for hackers.  People are forgetting that your network has a ton of info about you and a ton of info about your friends.   I have been seeing reports of Facebook hacking scams where a hacker gets in to your page, changes the password so that you cannot get in and then scams your friends by telling them you are trapped in some foreign country and need money.   Your friends respond by sending you money…only problem is that you don’t get the money…the hacker does.    Facebook has a form that must be filled out if your account has been compromised.   Make sure that you know where to find it on their site as it might come in handy some day.

Other tips include limiting the info that is on your page…don’t have your complete birthday (just the month and date are good enough) and don’t put your full name or address or cell number on the page.  Also watch out for information that you unwittingly include…such as your schools name on a sweatshirt or a license plate on a car.  Hackers are smart people…don’t forget that…and your friends already know how to get in touch with you.  Also make sure that you review the privacy settings…don’t just go with the default.

Google Buzz…you have to love the notion of using your email list to automatically create your social network.  I think that this is a great idea because the people that I email all the time are great candidates for my social network.  Only problem is that my contacts could become publically available.  Don’t worry as Google is fixing the issue, but this is a great example of a well meaning company making a mistake.  Google is getting real serious about social networking and Buzz won’t be the last we hear from them.

So what is the bottom line…for me it is that you have to pay attention to the details and make sure you information is protected no matter where it is stored.

The worst of the recession looks to be over and companies are starting to hire again.  Great news.  So if you are in the market to find a new job or career – then where do you look?  The same is true if you are just coming out of college and are looking for employment that might not be in your main field of study.   Since I have spent the last 20 years in tech, I may be biased, however I recommend technology.

The demand for tech is continuing to grow with many tech jobs remaining in demand during even the bottom of the recession.    AND…technology jobs are going to be one of the first to return…I have already seen this to be true with IT job demand since the January 1!

So if you aren’t a techie, but want to be…or at least think about it…what positions are the most in demand?

Well, the folks at Network world did some research and came up with the following listing…I am only going to directly discuss the first two and add one that is not on the list.  The entire list can be found at www.networkworld.com.

First on the list is Security specialist/ethical hacker.   Most websites are Swiss cheese and hackers are having a fun time hacking in to everything they can.  There are even websites that list sites that are vulnerable and how to break in.   Want to be surprised…go to YouTube.com and search on “hacking how to” videos…there are plenty of them.  This is going to be a major field, so get in now, with the Wash/Balt region becoming the epicenter for IT security for the world – you can’t go wrong.

Next on the list is Virtual Systems Manager.  If you aren’t familiar with the concepts of Software as a Service (Saas) and Cloud technologies, take a few minutes and read up on these topics.  Predictions are that more than 50% of all software will be purchased using a Saas model – meaning that you will pay as you go.    Cloud technology and virtualization allow for companies to significantly reduce their risk and costs by using technology computing resources that are “in the cloud”..you no longer need to know where your servers are…let someone else worry about it and cut your costs by 50%.  Amazing.

Other positions on the list include Capacity Manager, Network Engineer, Open Source Specialist, Service Assurance Manager, Electronic Health Records Manager, Sourcing Specialist, Service Catalog Manager and Business Process Engineer.  All good jobs and worthy of some research should you be interested in choosing a new career.

Also give some thought to a Social Media Analyst.  These folks are very much in demand as everyone works to grapple with the best way to utilize Facebook, Twitter and FourSquare to create and maintain communities of friends, clients, customers, prospects, vendors…Being able to do a little HTML will dramatically raise your price tag for this position.

So the good news is that companies are starting to hire and tech positions are one of the first to gain momentum.    Do some research and jump in…a bright future awaits.  If you want more information on what the Baltimore business community is looking for in IT positions, feel free to visit www.g1440.com and check our list of positions that businesses are looking for.

Just when you were learning how to send Tweets on Twitter…there’s a new social media network that wants to link you to your friends. It is called FourSquare and is part connection tool and part game…depending on just how social you are, you could end up being named the Mayor of your favorite social gathering spot!

So, what is the deal?  Well, more and more technology is dedicated to connecting people. Just look at the way that Social Media is taking the world by storm…Twitter and Facebook ask users to answer one simple question…what is on your mind?  Foursquare answers the question where are you and what are you doing?

Now Foursquare notifies your friends of your location every time you “check in”.  You can use your cell phone to check in from almost anywhere…at a coffee shop, bar, restaurant, art gallery or even The Daily Records offices, and when you check in, Foursquare alerts your friends to your current location so they can drop by and say hello.

What is so special about Foursquare? Foursquare has several competitors, but has attracted more attention because it incorporates elements of gaming and social competition. Most people are very competitive (whether they know it or not) and Foursquare awards points and virtual badges to players depending on how often they go out and which places they visit. The top designation is when you become the Mayor of your favorite location. How can you become the Mayor? Simple…just check in from your fav hangout more than anyone else.

Anyone can join Foursquare, all you need is a phone with text capability or preferably access to the web so that you can check in and also receive updates of where your friends are. You can even check in from your PC if need be. For the best experience, you will need to load an app on your phone. The Foursquare iPhone or Android apps use the phone’s GPS to determine your location and suggest nearby establishments to check in from.  An app for Blackberry is on its way.

What about privacy concerns?  Of course there are some privacy concerns with Foursquare, as you may not want everyone knowing exactly where you are. But, like other social networking sites, you can tweak the settings so only certain people know of your whereabouts.

Have a great time and I’ll see you around Baltimore!

Yanni & I, the Marketing Interns, have posted our second episode of Intern1440, our behind-the-scenes video series.

Check it out below or on the G.1440 Facebook page, leave some comments, and let us know if there’s something or someone you’d like us to dig into here at G.1440!

G.1440 interns have begun roaming the office, video equipment in hand, in order to film their upcoming series “Intern1440″.

The series will kick off with Fall 2009 Marketing Interns, Yanni Giannaros and Katie Mackiewicz, as they take viewers behind the scenes on employee interviews, important staff meetings, and the daily grind of the G.1440 team.

The interns decided to embark on a social media project that would add something fun to G.1440’s Facebook page. Seeking to reveal how multi-media can integrate and engage social networks, the interns are on a mission.

G.1440 Marketing Manager, Tim Kassouf, states “This project is really a learning experience for everyone, and it’s great to see the interns pushing their creativity and continuing to have a genuine impact here.”

While creating the series, interns will learn film and editing techniques along with both social media and viral marketing strategies and implementation.

Keep a lookout for Yanni & Katie’s videos right here on the Tech Blender, as well as YouTube and Facebook!!

Finally, don’t be shy! Let us know who you want to meet and what you want to know about anything and everything G.1440. Consider the interns your messengers…

I’m a huge proponent of a well thought out social media marketing strategy.  I’ve seen organizations from small, local businesses to large, international brands do really creative things with social networks to drive excitement, awareness and sales.  I’ve also seen companies establish Facebook pages and flounder to find fans let alone do any real business good.

So, I was excited to see a local Italian restaurant hawking their Facebook page on table-tops:

Seems like a solid, low cost way to stay in touch with customers, and hopefully find new ones.  Instead of following “Field of Dreams” marketing and hoping that if they build it, people will come, they’re offering a pretty good specific promotion, and $5 seems like a good enough incentive to simply fan the page.

Makes sense for them, too!  It only takes one person that loves the garlic bread to start talking, refer one new customer and deliver an ROI on this cheap campaign.  And if the place is having a slow day, they can quickly get a message out with a special daily offer to customers that already know them.

The strategy is simple and I don’t think that their Facebook promotion is going to double their revenue anytime soon.  But I definitely think that this is a great example of a local business taking a great step towards social media marketing.

I also think that I’d like to get my hands on one of those $5 gift certificates!  But there’s only one problem…

Mamma!  Where are you?

I’ll still head over for lunch from time to time, but they’re missing out on the money I would have absolutely spent to subsidize my free $5… It’s a loss for the restaurant, no doubt.  And it’s a lesson that even a good strategy falls flat without execution.

“Social Media” is easily one of the biggest buzzwords out there, but as more and more of our clients ask us to help them navigate the exciting waters of social media, I have to stress the importance of focusing on business goals.

For example, if sales are the goal, what good is a huge Twitter following if you’re not ultimately increasing sales?  Some could argue that there are other goals, like brand awareness that are important to a company looking to drive sales.  True enough, but the ultimate goal of brand awareness is to drive sales!

Setting up a Twitter account or a Facebook page are simple enough, but ultimately, a waste of time and resources if you’re not operating under a larger strategy that is pointed at your organization’s goals.  I often look at social media today the same way that people did when the Internet was finally becoming mainstream.  Organizations clamored to have a website because everyone was getting on the web, but after building a page, were stunned to find that users didn’t just show up.

The same thing can and is happening in social media.  Someone realizes that social media is for real, and the organization decides to join the party.  But after a series of half-hearted promotions there are still only a relative handful of users, followers, or fans and there’s been almost no measurable business success – despite the resources poured into the effort.

Don’t misunderstand, though!  I have no doubt that social media can drive incredible results for business.  I’m a huge fan of everything that these tools can do, and I’m versed in using them to accomplish real business objectives.  I just want to remind everyone to look before you leap!  An awesome facebook page is no substitute for strategy…

Advertising Age published an article earlier today detailing how Facebook has limited application developers from using user information in ads, and it’s a good read: http://adage.com/digitalnext/post.php?article_id=138256

The bottom line? Publishers still have an open platform to create apps that include “virtual goods, subscriptions, advertising, or whatever you choose.” But Facebook has drawn limits around excessive use of personal user information that can be used, shared, etc.

Both as a Facebook user and an online marketer, I think this is great. For the most part, I don’t use 3rd party apps on facebook. Most of the functionality that I need and want comes baked into facebook and its proprietary applications. While other apps might be interesting or fun, they’re always so annoyingly bent on world domination that they’re so bogged down with ads and sharing requirements that they’re ultimately not worth whatever small benefit they would have provided.

Making applications less annoying and safer for users has the potential to increase adoption of apps in general, which would benefit marketers using apps effectively.

But I’m still a huge fan of the “Block this application” button, and have no plans to install “Little Green Patch” anytime soon…

We spend half our lives online…buying and selling stuff, creating social media pages, passwords, gaming personas…so what happens to our online life when we pass away in real life. Someone needs to manage and/or shut down all those accounts…and to do that, they will need access.  To solve this issue, online companies are setting up websites to help you manage your digital persona after you pass away as well as to create memorials for loved ones that have passed away.  The online world has become so important to people, that your digital life and digital memories of loved ones are now being preserved by a host of companies.

In case you haven’t thought about all of your personal data that is stored on the web, here are some examples of online information that could be/should be preserved and communicated to someone after you pass away… online banking/stock passwords and transactions, copies of wills, bank accounts, gaming personas such as Second life that will continue to live (at least a little while), eBay items that are sold and PayPal accounts, domains that are owned that must be managed…. the  list goes on and on… the list gets big in a hurry.

More and more people are beginning to recognize that your passwords and online info needs to be passed on to your wife or husband, but the offline solutions don’t really work in the online world.  For our real lives, we have safety deposit boxes and wills…but the online world that is full of passwords and logins that aren’t really written down anywhere.  And what is worse, think of the bind that we will leave for loved ones or friends in if they have to try to figure all of this information out after we are gone.

There are a number of companies that are working on solving this issue… here are just a few….www.legacylocker.com; www.assetlock.com, www.slightlymorbid.com, www.findagrave.com, www.deathswitch.com, www.eternalspace.com, …interesting names, huh.   More are available and they are easy to find on your favorite search engine.

A Legacy Locker account costs $29.99 a year. While setting up an account, you specify who gets access to your info should you no longer be in need of signing on…if you know what I mean!  Once you pass away, your designees contact Legacy Locker and once a verification process is completed, the information is turned over to you.

There is one very big risk to all of this… hacking.  While it is great that companies are working to solve this need, this creates a hacking bonanza or nightmare depending on how you look at it. Security is going to be critical for this information, and this means that you need to be familiar with the security policies of any company prior to hiring them.

So what are some of the services that you can hire these types of companies to do?  Well, everything from a secure online safe deposit box for digital copies of documents, wishes, letters and emails, to planning real life activities – the funeral, the memorial, the grave site, to virtual memorial pages for videos, pictures and tributes.

The interesting trend here is that as our online lives continue to become more important, the early adopters of online technology are beginning to think about their own mortality…this is a logical thought pattern to follow… when the internet was new, so were our accounts and online lives…now it is 15 years later, and the internet is much more important to us.

Be sure to do your due diligence should you consider hiring one of these firms.  I will continue to keep you posted as this develops.

Social media is a great way to share information quickly….that is the good news.  It is also the bad news! The popularity of sites like Facebook and Myspace make it easy for people to stay in touch and keep tabs on what’s new….but, what if people want to share details about you….that you don’t want everyone to know…..then what do you do?

People are discovering that they may be exposing too much information about themselves on social media sites.  In addition to issues related to the practice of YOU sharing too much info about YOU (someone I know recently posted that he was in the bathroom at Starbucks), is the large issue that you cannot control what your friends say about you and to each other. To make matters even worse, even if you block them, they can log on as someone else and continue to post comments for all to see or just post their comments on their own pages.

Think of social media as a big “room” where anyone can talk to anyone at anytime……..you can also jump from “room” to “room” to meet with any of your friends (and their friends). You can also access the conversations for total strangers that do not control their profile and access…..as we are finding out, this is good and bad all at the same time.

Here is a recent example I found of a man and woman that were getting divorced. The wife was posting angry comments on the husband’s Facebook wall. The husband was embarrassed and tried to block the wife from posting any future comments. Ever after the husband blocked her access; she continued to post comments by logging on as another friend.

One last “gotcha” is that HR folks and lawyers can make use of this data too. HR folks and recruiters routinely access social media sites looking for information regarding candidates. Exposing too much information to potential employers about our social lives can be an issue whether we like it or not. Attorneys are using data gathered from Social Media sites in divorce cases where people are posting information regarding boyfriends, girlfriends and gifts.

Why is this happening? The early users of Social Media are aging and employers are becoming more savvy. Social networking is great for connecting, but not so much for disconnecting, therefore resulting in a online tabloid where people are reduced to airing their dirty laundry in front of their friends and co-workers….it is real reality TV.

How did this all start? Well…..with Google. The popular search engine enabled all of us to become private eyes — we can look up anyone and anything on the Internet with the simple click of the mouse. Social media was just the next step to complete and open access to everyone’s “digital dirt” 24X7.

What can I do?

• Remember that once a pic or message is out on the internet, then it is generally out in the public domain for good….so the best thing to do is to not post questionable information.
• Be careful who you friend and make sure that your security settings are as tight as they can be……many profiles let anyone see anything….not good.
• Everyone should make a habit of searching yourself to see what comes up.  This is called Narcisurfing……be sure to go to multiple search engines and see what is out there.
• If you find something about you that is objectionable, you should try to remove it or contact the webmaster of the site and get them to remove it.
• Be sure to manage your profile regularly.

Can you turn the tables? Yes, of course you can. If you are a job seeker, use Google to learn something about your interviewer and potentially establish rapport during the interview. Social media can actually help you. LinkedIn is a great source for useful professional information.

Have fun being social….but don’t be too social….if you know what I mean!