Moving forward, a year ago today, I started my journey in the real world. Some of you may recall, I started off in Houston at OmNovia Technologies, but soon realized the company and culture was not meant for me. Then after many discussions with my parents and some close family members, I decided to pack up and leave Houston for Dallas. Dallas is where I discovered OrgSync and it’s where I’m currently growing my young marketing career. To recap, here are the things that transpired over the past year:

1. Moved a total of three times
2. Became the chief social media evangelist for OrgSync (controlling the brands presence on Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin, Youtube and other social networks)
3. Published a total of 17 blog posts on OrgSync’s Blog
4. Learned that sometimes you just have to move on, even though you feel as if you have failed
5. Joined the Texas Young Professionals
6. Published my first article for a major social media blog, Socialfresh.com
7. Released my first press release and earned media coverage in a major industry publication
8. Introduced OrgSync’s quarterly newsletter
9. Developed a trusting relationship with the people I work with because I truly believe in the mission and vision of OrgSync
10. Took active control of OrgSync’s blog to provide regular content to our buyers
11. Made accountable to implement and execute all marketing needs and strategies for Career Colleges, a new market segment OrgSync is beginning to enter
12. Bought a new MacBook Pro
13. Took part in a major UI release by OrgSync, Community Home
14. Came to the realization that I’m truly a nerd that enjoys reading marketing, social media, business and technology books
15. Learned basic HTML
16. Started understanding Adobe Creative Suite 5.5 and all the magically things that come with it

This year has been a great learning experience for me both professionally and personally. However, I have to take a moment to acknowledge everyone I work so closely with, especially the Marketing and Design team at OrgSync. It’s an absolute honor to work with each and every one of you, and I can’t wait to see what next year has in store for all of us.

I’m looking forward to the many more opportunities and challenges that come my way and can guarantee I’m excited to see what comes next at OrgSync and my professional career. If you’re interested in joining OrgSync and our fast-growing company, I recommend you take a look at the job openings we have. Also, feel free to reach out to me anytime and I’ll be happy to answer any questions.

2010 has been a great year. I graduated from college, learned a life lesson, revamped my blog and came out of 2010 with a new job to start off 2011. For those new to my blog, first off welcome, and to fill you in, I recently decided to join OrgSync as their Marketing Coordinator. In this year, I’ve been grateful to read and learn from other bloggers, community leaders and my valuable Twitter followers on things I can improve on. I initially started this blog to show my talents and passions outside my resume and cover letter in order to land a job after graduation. But, blogging turned into an obsession and soon filled a void I had to write and share my ideas and thoughts with the world. The following are some lessons I learned in 2010 after my first year of blogging:

1. Inspiration for content can come from anywhere.

When coming up with topics to post, I usually am inspired by current topics in the news, reading updates from people that post in the communities I’m involved in and sometimes in the most odd of places. The last one is usually a random occurance or thought I may have while running errands or taking a shower. But, since most my insipiration comes from others sharing content, I make sure to subscribe to an affluent number of blogs related to the topics I discuss (Thank you Google Reader!). Bottom line, you never know where your insipiration comes from, so keep an eye out.

2. WordPress is awesome.

There are three reasons why this statement is true. First, WordPress comes with millions of plugins, which are add-ons that can enhance your blog and create a better experience for your readers. Some of my favorite plugins include: Zemanta,  Postrank, Twitter Retweet Button and SEO Ultimate. Second, if you stumble upon any problems or need ideas to help improve your blog, Wordpress’s incredibly passionate user base have posted how-to videos, blog posts, open-forums and communities around this topic. Finally, this user-friendly platform allows newbies to get started blogging almost immediately while also being advanced for professional designers and programmers to work their magic and make changes based on their specific needs. It’s the best of both worlds.

3. Criticism can hurt, but you have to be open to it.

As Winston Chruchill said, “Criticism may not be agreeable, but it is necessary. It fulfills the same function as pain in the human body. It calls attention to an unhealthy state of things.” When you first start blogging and begin sharing your posts to your initial social graph, be open to people’s criticism about your writing, your topics and your blog. Criticism can range from thoughts about your writing (punctation, grammar etc) to formating multimedia in your posts. I have definitely been criticized for both, but instead of being defensive, I’ve learned to be pleasant and acknowledge my readers on their observations. Some comments sting, but the beauty of social media is having the opportunity to share your opinion. It’s how you react to these comments that judges how your readers will perceive you. Even the most experienced and influential bloggers get criticized, so don’t let this discourage you from blogging.

4. Just because you write it, doesn’t mean it’s great.

Think about this statement. Just because you write something and believe it’s spectacular, doesn’t necessarily mean your readers will think the same. Sometimes you may spend an overly amount of time on a post, think it will be of value to your readers and bring you more readers and traffic to your blog. Sometimes you can only dream. Realize that not everything you write will have a strong reception. The best thing to do if you realize this: acknowledge it and move on. Blogging is a learning experience, however you will never learn if you don’t take any risks.

5. You have to be proactive and share your content in communities that are relevant to you.

In order to increase more eyeballs to your posts (aka readership), you have go where your potential readers are. I’ve been proactively sharing my posts to the different communities on my social map. Some things I’ve been doing are: blog commenting, posting a link to my blog with relevant commentary to interest groups inside social networks, tweeting and submitting some of my posts to sites that curate relevant topics, like Bizsugar.com. Readers aren’t just magically going to show up, so get out there and do some research, find out where they are and start sharing. However, this doesn’t mean spam communities and other bloggers.

Bonus!

Pay to host your blog by using a web hosting service. When I first started blogging I hosted my site on WordPress.com, but as I started developing my blog I soon realized I needed more features and to back-up my blog (plug-ins aren’t offered on WordPress.com). So I turned over to Bluehost.com, which I’ve personally experienced has expectional customer service, and paid to host my blog. The problem with this is that I had to re-do the blog because there is no way to simple transfer your blog from WordPress.com to WordPress.org, which is the platfrom you use on your own hosted site. Long story short, pay for web hosting now in case your blog grows and in addition, you also have more control over your blog

What have you learned as a blogger?

Related articles

• 5 Things to Consider Before Selecting a WordPress Theme (shoutmeloud.com)
• What PostRank Helps Me Do (chrisbrogan.com)
• 10 Realistic Blogging Goals for the New Year (tjantunen.com)

Image via CrunchBase

Linkedin has grown into one of the premier social networks for professionals eager to connect with new clients, business partners or any other reason to connect and reach-out to someone in their industry. Reportedly, the social network has over 85 million users and is adding a member every second. Many use the network specifically to build and sustain a network of people that they do business with or would like to do business with in the future. A very distinctive feature and selling point that makes the network so popular and unique from others. I’ve personally been using the service, for the past three years, to stay in touch with past employers, classmates and bloggers I’ve reached out to. Here are some basic enhancements I picked up in order to get the most out of my Linkedin profile and make it more appealing for those wanting to connect and reach out to me.

1. Add a picture.

Simply, people want to know who they are dealing with. Adding a professional picture allows those trying to connect with you to put a face to a name.

2. Put your name is ALL CAPS.

This was a tip I picked up from Kodak CMO, Jeffrey Hayzlett. Putting your name in all caps distinguishes you from an overwhelming list of connections. Also, your name will pop out and grab attention.

3. Connect your Twitter account.

Adding your Twitter account is a simple way to get more followers on Twitter and let users see the kinds of information you talk about and share. Like I mentioned earlier, people like to know who they are dealing with and what they are about.

4. Get two Recommendations.

Think of recommendations as your mini “references available upon request.” This section lets past employers spotlight your work and gives them the opportunity to genuinely write about tangibles you possess outside your profile. You’ve worked hard and I can bet any boss would be happy to write you a recommendation for the work you accomplished, so don’t hesitate to ask.

5. Update your work history.

Keep all pervious work history up to date. Highlight key responsibilities and accomplishments from each work experience. Take some time to read over this section and make sure it’s fluid and concise.

6. Update your “Summary” section.

Make sure to keep this section fresh and current to your goals and professional endeavors. If you think about it, the “Summary” section should highlight key accomplishments, current status and tell a little about you. Most people only read this section and skim the rest of your profile, so keep it updated and current. Think of it as a short bio or about me.

7. Be able to be contacted.

Make it easy for those interested in reaching you, to do just that, contact you. We’ve joined Linkedin for professional reasons, now make it easy and simple for future connections to get a hold of you. I realize on the upper right hand corner of your profile says “Contact [Your Name],” but try to post updated emails. Some users may be relecutant to contact you via Linkedin, so be open and make it simple for them to reach you.

8. Join groups you are interested in.

Joining specific groups that interest you and pertain to your industry show that you’re active on Linkedin and are geniunely interested in sharing and learning from others. Also, joining these groups will put a badge on your profile page so that others may see what your interests and specialities are.

9. Add applications.

Use the Linkedin applications feature to connect your blog, slideshare, enable a polling feature and other applications they provide. Connecting other aspects of your professional social map that couldn’t be highlighted in the text section of your profile, will allow you to show off your expertise.

10. Link to  your company website.

I’m surprised by so many profiles on Linkedin that neglect, in my opinion, the most valuable asset on the page. Make sure you link your company website and any other digital properties you own, which you believe will give the person visiting your page reason to check out. Additionally, this simple change allows more exposure to your company or employer and has some SEO value too.

Any effective suggestions or recommendations you’ve implemented on your Linkedin profile?

Feel free to add me as a connection.

Related articles

• HOW TO: Optimize Your LinkedIn Profile (mashable.com)
• LinkedIn Reveals the 10 Most Overused Job-Hunter Buzzwords (mashable.com)
• How to Optimize Your LinkedIn Profile (e1evation.com)

As more and more technology start-ups begin developing around the sphere of social media, we as social consumers tend to get overwhelmed with all they offer. Many of us get carried away and begin to lose track of which social network, social sharing or social media tool we signed up for. In fact, many don’t realize how these companies are adding to our digital footprint. This is the main reason why I developed my first “social map.” A social map, which is simply a overview of all the digital communities or companies I participate in, is a fantastic look at your digital footprint on the Internet. From the example below, you can see that I divide my map into five categories: networking, consuming, creating, communicating and organizing. You should also note that some platforms I use may fit in more than one category, however, I choose one specific category for each platform based on how I approach them. For example, the popular user review community, Blippy, is in the “creating” category because I only use it to write reviews on recent purchases. However, some people may only use Blippy for primarily reading other reviews and recommendations, which would go under the “consuming” category.

Developing a social map can be very beneficial for both your personal brand and your company’s brand because it allows you to view each and every tool you use. Also, it is a helpful visual tool for a social media strategist explaining to their boss or client exactly how current strategies are currently being implemented and on which networks or tools they are engaged in. Furthermore, it’s refreshing to see where your social map is and where you would like it to be in the upcoming year.

For those thinking about creating their first social map, here are some tips to get you started:

1. Start out by writing all the communities and tools you use on a piece of paper. Call me old-fashion, but I always like to first create a list of everything on a sheet of paper and then start building my map.
2. Use a mind mapping tool to help you with the layout. I recommend using Xmind, which is a free mind mapping tool you can download. I wouldn’t worry about purchasing the Pro pack from them because all you need are the basic features to create a map similar to mine.
3. Look at other examples from experts and social media strategists. I actually spent a lot of time on the Lifestream Blog particularly their informative How-To Social Map blog post.
4. Choose four to five categories. Having too many may make your map difficult to understand and comprehend.
5. Keep revisiting your social map and updating it to fit your company or personal brand’s current strategy. I would also recommend sharing your map with your blog visitors and especially your employees and social media department.

If you’d like to download the PDF file of my social map, you can find the document here.

Related articles

• Social Networking Map Shows Rise of Online Communities [IMAGES] (mashable.com)

I’m even more concerned and surprised that many of my peers either don’t care about this story or simply don’t know about it. Well, I’m personally here to tell you that this is a HUGE deal for anyone that cares about freely sharing what is important to them and to whomever they please on the social network juggarnot. We all are aware of how large Facebook has become and its partical application on business and our personal lives, which has had a huge impact in the way our generation talks, connects, shares and spends our time. Facebook warrants their actions on Lamebook’s desire to piggy back off their name, but if you think about it, any social consumer knows the difference between Facebook and a satire. In my opinion, Facebook simply didn’t just ban a satirical website because of “trademark infringement,” they blocked the right for YOU to share and discuss content you enjoy and this should worry you because:

1. Social Media is about sharing and openly discussing about topics that are important to you.
2. Facebook has shown it now has the ability to block you from discussing controversial topics and sharing relevant information with close friends.
3. For those interested in Facebook Mail, you may want to think about how restrictions like this can cause you to become frustrated with the service.
4. As a millennial, you grew-up with the freedom of expressing yourself no matter who or what was watching and you always made sure you stuck behind a cause you were emotionally attached to.
5. As a business owner or avid user, you rely on Facebook to share, network and keep-in-touch with people that are important to you. Also, you use Facebook as a way to generate traffic and awareness to your site. What will happen if your ability to do this is banned?

So what happens next?

Recently and kuddos go out to the PR team at Facebook for responding quickly, their CTO Bret Taylor released this statement.

In addition, a “Save Lamebook” fan page has been created that is holding just over 700 likes. Maybe this isn’t a big deal to you or maybe you don’t realize what Facebook enables you to do. Nonetheless, I strongly urge you to take sometime and think about what Facebook did and express your concerns. This may not be as important as privacy, however, Facebook is starting to show their censorship, which resembles that of Fox (extreme, I know, but you get the picture).

So what are your thoughts? Do you even care Facebook did this or are you worried they may take the same action to your fan page or even personal profile in the future?

Related articles

• Oops! The Facebook-Lamebook mess gets uglier (news.cnet.com)
• Facebook Putting the Squeeze on Lamebook (mediabistro.com)
• Facebook Sues Austin’s Lamebook for Trademark Infringement (austinist.com)