This article, What are the most useful social media tools for small business? – Trends in the Living Networks, has a great list of a range of online tools you can use as a small business to communicate, connect, organize and run your small business. Many of them you may already be familiar with, but there’s likely a few that will be new to you.
I also recommend this list to anyone who works for a larger company but is responsible for using social media within their part of the organization. These could be the right low cost for you and your group if you don’t have a larger, enterprise-wide solution to tap into.
Nieman Journalism Lab has provided a great example of how to crowdsource, courtesy of the Guardian.
The Guardian’s had a big problem, they were going to get scooped by a competitor while having to deal with too much data to process in too little time. Solution? Crowdsourcing.
So what did they do?
“….wait for the associated public-records dump, shovel it all on your Web site next to a simple feedback interface and enlist more than 20,000 volunteers to help you find the needles in the haystack.
Your cost for the operation? One full week from a software developer, a few days’ help from others in his department, and £50 to rent temporary servers.”
Sounds easy, right? Well not easy, but not as hard as it might seem if you follow the lessons offered in this article. Check it out, as well as the Nieman Journalism Lab in general.
…can be seen in this video here:
[youtube="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dn1brUCqEjE"]
Lots of fascinating statistics, linked with a theme, presented well. One of the reasons for the powerful changes that digital technology is bringing on like the juggernaut that it is.
Thanks to thetrendwatch.com for this.
There’s a good interview with the Director of Innovation at Kraft on why they are charging 99 cents for their app when they could just give it away. Anyone developing and marketing an iPhone App should check this out in Advertising Age.
National Resource Canada – part of the Government of Canada is recruiting in 2009. Here’s part of their pitch to new recruits:
“At Natural Resources Canada, we don’t just think outside the box. We work outside the box.
As well as pens, paper and computers, the tools of the trade might include a pick, or a shovel, a GPS and camping gear. And on some days, the closest thing to a colleague might have feathers or fur.
….
We don’t block YouTube or Facebook. Our people decide what tools help them to work as a team and to get the job done. Our very own Wiki helps give wings to the most creative ideas, whether they come from a senior manager or someone at entry level.”
For companies that are recruiting new (and not so new) hires, you should be aware that some organizations competing for the same people are offering access to social media tools as a benefit. I think you should too.
