Here’s a little something new I’m adding to my blog—a weekly Friday download of a few stories about digital communications that caught my eye recently. Of course, I’ll be adding my two cents to each post and would love to hear your comments about these topics too.
Take a look at what’s been filling up my news feed lately:
A Stroll Down Memory Lane for the 10th Birthday of Twitter
What’s your favourite social network? For me, it’s Twitter. I know it’s taken a bit of downward journey lately, but it will always remain near and dear to me. In the early days, it was a place for having public yet, informative and conversations with others almost like an intimate online gathering. It was all about relationship building and many of us who met there online for the first time made a point of meeting in public, without letting geographical boundaries get in our way.
You know all the negative comments we hear about brands too often using Twitter as a broadcast tool? Well, in the old days, it was something people actually got excited about but that’s because we still regularly tweeted with each other with real conversations, even if they only were 140 characters long.
How do you use Twitter? Do you miss the old days?
Caplansky’s deli goes national with restaurants ‘built for Instagram’
Okay, my friends and colleagues are always telling me I’m way too humble about my accomplishments. So, when I read this headline the other day, after reading the article – yes, I read everything before I share, don’t you? – after congratulating Zane about his new branding, I asked his permission to lay my own claim to one of his firsts. Yes, you read that right, it was me who got him using Instagram in the first place. We’d known each other online for a while when I brought my family for a meal at the original Caplansky’s Delicatessen. I documented the entire meal in photos then shared them on my Instagram and Twitter accounts, but there was one problem. Zane wasn’t on Instagram yet! He’s so amazing at engaging with all his friends and customers online that he joined immediately and now he’s building Instagram-friendly restaurants. Hmm, do you think he’s on Snapchat now too?
FTC’s Lord & Taylor case: In native advertising, clear disclosure is always in style
Time to get on my soapbox here. At the risk of sounding like the social media police, I’ve always been a strong advocate of disclosure of material relationships and/or any other potential conflicts in social media. In Canada we can adopt best practices. In the United States, the FTC poses and enforces regulation as you’ll see the Lord & Taylor decision. Now Google is taking a stand that will impact everyone regardless of geographical boundaries. How do you feel about disclosure?
Wanted: Web developers and coders for Canada’s tech ‘gold rush’
University student or recent grad looking for work? Time to get busy coding!
I had the pleasure of speaking the on Social Media & Technology panel at Rotman’s Womens Leadership Symposium 2016, with Lara Morgan, AVP, Technology Solutions – Delivery at TD, Lauren Brown, Social Media Specialist at Shopify and my friend and colleague Martin Waxman, President at Martin Waxman Communications. Much of the panel’s focus was around the skills new grads to get hired in almost any business role. As is no surprise by the title of the discussion, we all agreed that social media was no longer a nice-to-have but expected. At the very least, new grads should have their own web page, Twitter and LinkedIn account so that prospective employers are given some idea of how people entering the workforce think. We also agreed that even a basic understanding of programming was critical and that knowledge of coding gives young job seekers an edge.
What’s caught your eye lately? Share it with us in the comments.
