BlueCamroo Blog

I cautioned readers of the Roo Blog not to abandon Google Plus. I'm starting to see some green shoots of Google Plus's emergence as a viable social networking platform, all thanks to Google Hangouts. Google Hangouts are a great, free way to conduct a video-based webinar or panel discussion.

The problem with putting too much stock in Klout and other influence rating systems is the desire to game the system. We figure out what it takes to get a higher Klout rating and we just do more of that. Many would counter argue and say "well, don't we do a lot to game Google's Page Rank metric via various SEO techniques?" True. But Page Rank has a direct, measurable effect on where your web page appears in search results, which in turn has a measurable effect on sales/conversions. Increasing your Klout score can have no effect, theoretically.

Following a person or following a person back is a first step. But replying to their tweets actually raises your influence with them. Raising influence is about building personal relationships and the perception of a personal relationship. It takes time. Using a robot to follow/unfollow people to build numbers is a complete waste of time.

The most powerful trend these days in communicating information is the "infographic". As the name implies, it's communicating information using images. Anyone who has ever witnessed a political race knows how powerful a pie chart or bar chart can be ("Number babies my opponent eats per month"). Good infographics take it to the next level, presenting complex information in ways that are easy to digest and scales/relationships can be quickly grasped.