Mobile Social Networking No Longer Requires Typing

As is the case with many other entrepreneurial ideas, the Voice on the Go Application for the iPhone has the potential to completely revolutionize social networking from mobile devices. iPhone capabilities already provide users the ability to manage endless social networking accounts anywhere there is cell phone service. However, updating, posting, and tweeting all require physical effort on the part of the user to interact over social network. This seemingly exhausting task on typing on a phone is soon to be replaced by simple voice commands.

Voice on the Go will be released as an application on the iPhone and it allows the user to simply speak into the phones microphone and the application will interpret the command and take appropriate action. The application will include typical cell phone features including speaking to make a call or open a particular category. But unlike other voice command applications, Voice on the Go will enable the user to open other applications, create and manage contacts, and manage social networking accounts. These things are possible through the voice recognition technology included in the application that will virtually type and record your exact words and expressions and upload them to myspace, facebook, twitter, etc. The feature can also be used to dial a phone number, add a contact, and construct a e-mail or text message (1).

The application is focused towards those who like to use their phones while driving, but other typical uses for these hands-free features are soon to hit the iPhone and eventually other mobile devices. Not only is Voice on the Go good for simplifying mobile phone usage, the benefit of reducing distractions from phones while driving offers an intriguing and unique way to increase road awareness and overall safety while driving.

(1)http://modmyi.com/forums/iphone-news/690449-voice-go-safe-emailing-texting-facebooking-car.html

Who expresses their thoughts the best?

When it comes to corporate blogging sites, it is easy to tell which companies have effectively utilized blogs in the development of their business. But when less than 1% of blogs on the internet are purely for corporate use, analyzing and drawing out the best personal blogs from the other 99% of online blogs can be a little bit more difficult. (1)

Below is the list of the ten highest rated blogs according to TopBlogArea.com:

1. donpepot
2. De Todo Blog
3. read my mind
4. CuriosoBlog
5. David's Musings
6. NoSeas.com
7. Los Ziegler in Canada
8. Raini the Braini
9. Life, the Universe, and Everything
10. Maybe it's just me...

While this list is not original to my observation, after studying these particular sites, it is clear to see why TopBlogArea.com and other sites and users have rated these sites so high. Each of these blogs sites is unique but there are certain features that put them ahead of others. These features include:

• Unique, and sometimes obscure opinions on popular and random topics. These opinions are humorous and informative posts that present a completely original view on certain themes.
• RSS feeds that allow for readers to get notifications and updates regarding new posts of comments immediately when they are uploaded to the site.
• Media in posts (i.e. pictures, games, videos, etc.) . These "extras" not only add visual appeal to the site, but also credibility and additional information supporting the view of the author.
• Links to other blogs and sites.
• Unique and appealing color scheme and layout.
• An endless variety of topics that are being blogged about. There is no "hallowed ground" in any of these blogs. Where corporate blogs are confined and focused on the company's practices and functions, all of these personal blogs are extremely diverse and cover topics anywhere from politics to teddy bears.

These characteristics are very important in developing an effective personal blog. But just as you might think, the content of your posts is the most important thing in blogging. Thus, according to these sites, the more random, opinionated, and wide-spread your content is, the more interesting, effective, and popular your blog will be.

(1) http://blogsurvey.backbonemedia.com/archives/2006/03/fortune_500_tak_1.html

Ten Corporate Blogs Done Right

First, I will just list the ten corporate blogs that I found to be the most effective, unique, important, and well-managed.

1. Dell

2. Adobe

3. BBC

4. Southwest Airlines

5. Marriott International

6. General Motors

7. Accenture

8. Amazon Web Services

9. 37 Signals

10. Freshbooks

Now there are many things that I think make these companies, in particular, good bloggers. As you can probably guess, each company has their own unique ideas and techniques when it comes to blogging. However, there is a couple commonalities that all of these companies utilize in their corporate blogs. Each of these blogs are used announce corporate news through blogs as opposed to frequent press releases and press conferences. Each of these companies also are very frequent in posting updates on their blogs. For example, Dell will update its blog with new information, announcements, etc. anywhere between 1-3 times per day. (1)

Individually, these companies display some very important and cutting-edge blogging techniques. These techniques include:

• 37Signals and Freshbooks take advantage of blogs to post about ideas as opposed to news or products. They will share insights about business, designs, editorials, and other topics that give readers an idea of how the company goes about business. (2)
• GM and Accenture take the opportunity to not only discuss their news and products, but they devote many blogs posts to discussing issues and offering advice to its readers about general topics such as "Becoming Green." (3)
• Companies like Amazon Web Services use a entirely different voice in their blogs. As opposed to a professional, corporate big-wig posting proper business writings, Amazon's blogs utilize a very "fired-up" and "fan-boy" style of writing to present ideas, product information, and news. (4)
• BBC offers "behind-the-scenes" and "Editor's" blogs where additional information and even evaluation of news coverage can be found. Reserving certain information for blogs and offering intra-business evaluation and opinions stimulates readers with new and unique ideas. (5)
• Adobe chooses to host many employee blogs as opposed to a few large corporate blogs. In these employee blogs, the workers have posted information about products, reviews about Adobe products and competitor's products, and even tutorials describing how to do certain task or effectively use Adobe's products. (6)

Each of these companies takes a different approach to their blogs. But because of the unique and effective presentation techniques, variety of information posted, and the structure and voice of the blogs, these companies are seen as the pioneers of corporate blogs.

(1) http://en.community.dell.com/blogs/direct2dell/

(2) http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2008/08/08/15-companies-that-really-get-corporate-blogging/

(3) http://www.accenture.com/Global/Accenture_Blogs/

(4) http://aws.typepad.com/

(5) http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/worldupdate/2009/10/russia_china_future.html

(6) http://blogs.adobe.com/

Darwin's Theory of Evolution Includes Blogging???

Blogging is evolving! It is quickly becoming one of the most advanced, unique, and utilized tools in communication today. Like web sites and the internet itself, blog sites have become ever more interesting, interactive, informative, and profitable for those utilizing its features.

At its conception, the internet brought forth simple-minded websites aimed at informing its users of particular events, topics, etc. From that initial intention, we now experience websites not only offering information, but also providing entertainment, social networking pathways, and even personal databases. As we have all experienced this website evolution from a single-purposed tool to an infinite "source of everything,"(1) we, in turn, have also seen progression and evolution in blogging applications offered online.

Blogs are continually utilized for the presentation of news, information, questions, and advertising. Just like the first websites, blogs were initially created to inform readers of basic news and ideas. Now they offer the same unique and wide-ranged capabilities that most websites do. Blogs are now capable of entertaining through interactive puzzles, games, pictures, videos, etc. They also can be used for social networking as can be seen in many celebrity blogs. Lastly, blogs are now offering its users opportunities to profit from their ideas and posts. Through advertising and personal marketing, a blogger can actually make a living off of his/her ideas and posts.

Blogs have quickly become one of the most advanced and unique applications that can be utilized by any single person or business entity. The ever-increasing resources and options that are at the disposal of bloggers allow each of them to inform, entertain, network, and profit. This evolution of blogging presents a potential for success and fun that seems light-years away from its original, focused intent to simply present ideas. Blogs, like websites, have truly undergone a serious transformation.

Corporate Blogging Policies

I have done a little bit of research and come up with what I think are a couple good blogging guidelines that should be followed by those in a corporate environment.

1. Represent your company, not yourself. Don't allow personal biases and personal information leak into your blogs regarding the company. Only blog topics and information about your company and its corporate stance on a particular theme (1). If you are relaying your personal ideas and opinions, be sure you state that those views are yours and do not necessarily represent the views of the company as a whole.

2. Be careful with your blogs. Be sure that the information you disclose in your posts will not pose any kind of security threat to you or your company. Include only information that will not harm the image or workings of the company.

3. Be respectful. Because blogging is a public space (2), and you are representing a particular company, be sure that you respect the company's opinions and stances as well as the ideas of others who may post or comment on your blog.

4. Comply with Corporate Requests. If your company asks you to blog on a certain topic, or remove certain posts, comply with their requests. The company will ultimately decide whether your posts will protect and enhance the company's image. If they feel you are not being successful in that nature, remove your posts and be more cooperative with the blogging goals of the company.

5. Use Facts. Make sure that you only state facts in your blogs. Limit the use of assumptions, inferences, and opinions that don't directly reflect the feelings of the company.

6. Think about consequences. Make sure that you analyze your writings to ensure that you aren't including biased information, secure information, or other unnecessary thoughts. These things, as well as quality and spelling errors, can lead to certain consequences. Saying and posting anything that can endanger your company can endanger your job.

These ideas are things that should be followed strictly in order to represent your company effectively. If you are using a personal blog, following these guidelines when blogging about your company is also a good idea.

(1)http://www.corporateblogging.info/2004/06/corporate-blogging-policies.asp

(2)http://feedster.blogs.com/corporate/2005/03/corporate_blogg.html

How Blogs Can Help a Business

Blogs have the ability to transform how a business functions. They have the ability to alter how a particular company interacts with its customers and with its employees. The mass amount of information and sheer number of blogs currently online opens a new portal for a management team to motivate, lead, and inform employees and consumers.

Business Week notes that there are over nine million blogs currently published on the internet, with another 40,000 original blogs published each day. Business Week even takes it a step further to assume that even if 99.9% of these blogs are unimportant, useless jumbles of information that have no impact on an industry, market, or business, there is still 40 new blogs posted daily that have some relevance to the enhancement, progression, innovation, etc. of a particular business or industry.

A management team that simply seeks out motivational ideas or new working habits through blogs, can have a massive impact on the well-being of the company's performance and of the performance and efficiency of its employees. Incorporating new business techniques and ideas for intra-business purposes is one way to utilize the massive collection of blogs, but blogging sites can be used as a medium to interact with customers as well.

With no restrictions on who can publish his or her ideas on blogging sites, the internet allows for a massive collection of consumer feedback to be readily available to companies who are seeking it. One disgruntled mother's post about poor customer service can urge a company to rework how their training program should reemphasize customer care. This wide-spread customer feedback network available through blogs can help a business better its practices and policies. The opposite, where a customer can benefits from corporate blogs, is also true.

A company that regularly publishes a blog reaches a new, technological market. As is the case with celebrities and socialites who post their every waking moment on personal blogs, businesses who maintain a blog are capable of marketing and informing the different sectors of the public of new offers, press releases, events, etc. The ability to advertise and share ideas with the public through a FREE medium can be effective, and can promote a positive brand image throughout the company's market. It also allows the company to reach a new market of consumers who may not visit the company's websites or see their television advertisement, and, in the case of small businesses, provide the only place where the company can afford to advertise and promote their business.

Blogs are an increasingly useful network of ideas that, if utilized, can help a company grow, motivate employees, receive customer feedback, enhance business practices, and test and market new ideas. The importance of blogging within a corporate system can provide an answer to any question, problem, or idea that a company may have; all while maintaining a modern and up-to-date approach to public interaction.

Source: http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/05_18/b3931001_mz001.htm