Posts Tagged social networking
Should Google+ Focus on Enterprise Collaboration Instead?
Posted by The Running Start in B2B Marketing, Online businesses, Random Thoughts on May 29, 2012
This week, a social media contact of mine tweeted a message saying that “Google+ is a ghost town.” I will admit 
that I use Google+ less frequently than other social media platforms, simply because most of my contacts are already on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. However, I do admire the platform for its intuitiveness and have read reviews from popular social media evangelists like Guy Kawasaki praising the platform for providing “a religious experience.” So, I have not yet ruled it out as a contender in the B2C social media universe.
Still, I think Google+ is missing out on a huge opportunity to capitalize on the enterprise market. An article written yesterday by Kim Davis on InternetEvolution.com suggested that many conversations and moments of deep engagement on Google+ happen in private – via hangouts and circles that not everyone else can see. Ironically, that is exactly what major corporations are seeking for their internal social networking platforms, as they work to foster internal and partner cloud collaboration – partly because their employees demand it and partly because that is the way that people now expect to work with each other. And you can’t do that on Facebook.
There are a number of enterprise products emerging in the market that offer custom-built social networking platforms for businesses. And Since Google+ is struggling to steal eyeballs in the consumer space from Facebook, they could consider this alternative. What would make Google+ even better than competitor enterprise social networking platforms is its potential to integrate with Google Docs, Picasa and Google Drive – creating a seamless team collaboration platform.
Google+ could be making a boat load of money from selling platform customization and per user logins via a private B2B tool. But will they? Can they turn their focus away from trying to eat Facebook’s lunch? What do you think? Please share your opinion in the comment section below.
Disclosure – I worked at Google in advertising sales prior to starting my own blog/company.
Don’t be Afraid to Make a Turkey of Yourself
Posted by The Running Start in Entrepreneurs, Online businesses on October 24, 2010
Second Harvest "Turkey Run" at the Toronto Scotiabank Marathon
I’ve been told that one of the secrets to successful networking is to show that you are vulnerable. If you don’t let people know that you need their help and ask for it, you’ll never get anywhere. I recently made the brave decision to become a freelancer. So, I’ve spent the past few weeks contacting people that I’ve previously worked with to find out how I can help them with their business and/or find out if they know anyone else who I might want to speak with? My goal is to talk to anyone who will listen and who might want to give me some advice.
So far, I’ve been overwhelmed by the amount of people who have offered to help by either sitting down to talk over coffee or by introducing me to someone else who might be a great contact. People truly do want to help you if you give them the chance. As a result, I have met some very interesting and inspiring people and I feel extremely grateful to all of them.
I used to shy away from networking because I was afraid of making a fool of myself but now my mantra is “always be networking”. What do you have to lose? You just never know who you might meet and everyone has a great story to tell. You might even make some new friends along the way. I figure, if I can dress up in a turkey costume and run 5K in front of thousands of people, I can definitely call someone up and ask them to go for coffee and chat. This week, I am staying open to all possibilities!
Taking a Leap of Faith
Posted by The Running Start in Uncategorized on October 22, 2010
Me (Andrea Wahbe) at the finish line of my first triathlon
After gathering up the courage to leave a job that was definitely not for me, I have decided that it’s time to take a chance and go out on my own for a while. The reason for this leap of faith is that I have recently been on countless job interviews and have yet to find a role that I feel is the right next step in my career. So, I figure that taking on a few short-term contracts is the way to go. I’m hoping that I will have the chance to be exposed to new roles that I would never have had a chance to try out as a full-time employee. Luckily, I live in the fabulous city of Toronto – where new start-ups and entrepreneurial ventures are popping up all over the place. I’ve decided to document the challenges that I am facing as a budding entrepreneur who is trying to start my own freelancing business.
To get my first gig, I have reached out to a lot of people who I have worked with in the past. I figure that people who know what it’s like to work with me and the quality of work that I put out is the best place to start. From there, I’m hoping that I will be able to get new clients as I will have built up my experience.
I have been experimenting with a number of social media tools like Twitter and LinkedIn and have discovered a lot of new companies and other entrepreneurs in the Toronto area through these platforms. I also recently attended a “SproutUp” event in Toronto to hear from other entrepreneurs and get some inspiration about what works in regards to promoting yourself and staying true to what you have to offer to the world. If you haven’t heard of Sprouter.com, definitely check them out. They have “SproutUps” every month in Toronto and have an online social media platform to connect with other budding entrepreneurs. The energy in the room at the “SproutUp” was infectious and I really feel that Toronto is just ripe for growth in the start-up arena. It’s a very exciting time to be living here!
This week, I’m also teaching myself how to use WordPress. Hello world! I’m also interested in learning more about the tools that work with Twitter and how I can track my tweets and followers more efficiently. I feel like a new University graduate again and am trying to get my first break! It sounds funny but I feel more alive in my career now than I ever did in previous jobs in the past. I would equate this feeling to training for my first ever triathlon. I know that it’s going to be a long road ahead but if I stick to my plan and persevere, I can reach the finish line!
Stay tuned for my next blog post. I’ll let you know how some of my exploratory meetings with former colleagues go.
Free Presentation
Subscribe to my feed- Looking Forward to Canada 3.0 2013 May 9, 2013Hi Everyone, I know it’s been a long time since my last post. I am still on maternity leave (and enjoying every minute with our new son) but I do plan to attend Canada 3.0 2013 in Toronto next week! I’ll be there on Tuesday to check out some amazing speakers like Amber Mac, Chris […]
- The Year Ahead January 9, 2013Happy 2013 everyone! I’m excited to start another great year of blogging and sharing my personal business stories, challenges and ideas with you. This is a very special year because my husband and I are expecting our first child. I am extremely excited and can’t wait to meet our little one. While I plan to […]
- Looking Forward to Canada 3.0 2013 May 9, 2013
