Is the new Google+ format a Facebook killer?

For some months many of us have been wondering why a large empty space has been positioned on the right hand side of the Google+ stream. Now we know.

The Google+ stream has now become a multi-column affair. Which adjusts between one, two or three columns depending on the device being used.  I for one, think it works really well.

It's now possible to quickly scan through numerous updates. With a wide range of picture sizes now being used, it's also a visually appealing experience.

The other major benefit that Google+ has maintained is that YOU decide what to read. Either by perusing the stream which shows updates from all your "connections". Or by allocating connections to specific "circles" and viewing the stream for each specific circle. 

Compared to Facebook which heavily filters the updates you see, Google+ now gives you a better visual experience with content that is under your control. The updates displayed on the LinkedIn home page are certainly not as visually impressive as those on Google+, with the rendering of pictures often being far from perfect. Neither service offers the level of personalisation which you can achieve using Google+ circles.

Savvy business people will be able to use Google+ as a very effective information source. Don't be surprised to see a another major increase in the usage of Google+ over the coming months.

Other new Google+ enhancements include:

Hashtags - When these are clicked, they now "flip" the current item and allow you to browse a range of related information, right from within the Google+ stream.

Hangouts - The group video application has been enhanced to operate across desktops, Android and iPhone devices.

Photos - Improved photo editing features have been made available, including an auto-enhance feature.

Now's the time to establish yourself on Google+. It's really starting to take off, which is the best time to grow your network on any social media service.

To see the new Google+ stream in action go to: http://googleplusproject.blogspot.com.au/2013/05/new-google-stream-hangouts-and-photos.html

Are You Taking Advantage Of These LinkedIn Profile Changes?

With over 3 billion searches being carried out on LinkedIn every month, your profile is probably being viewed a lot more often than you think. But is it creating the right image? Or are you losing potential clients without even knowing it.

The past 12 months have seen a raft of innovations at LinkedIn. One of the major changes is the introduction of a new style of personal profile. If you implement some of the new features available, it really does provide you with a much enhanced online presence.

HOWEVER...some of the changes implemented may have disrupted the entries already included in your profile. As most LinkedIn accounts now seem to have been migrated to the new profile format, it's time to check how the following changes have affected the presentation of your own profile.

New Headline Section

Headline Section - Your profile picture is now displayed in a larger format, along with your "Headline" being more prominently positioned. Make sure your photo still presents a good quality image. And there's even more reason to have a descriptive headline (not just a job title).

Contact Information - These details are now hidden (but available as a drop down menu under the headline section). It's still very worthwhile having these completed and including links to appropriate web resources. Be sure to name your web links, don't just leave them with the default labels.

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Activity - Your recent activity on LinkedIn is now also more prominently shown, directly under the above Headline section. This makes it even more important to issue well composed updates on a regular basis.

Summary Section - The summary and specialities sections have been combined but you can only use a limited amount of characters in the combined section. Make sure your entry looks OK within the new format. Edit the section if required. If you've not done a summary section as yet, it's time to get cracking. The summary section may be the only thing visitors to your profile read and it's also an important factor in search results.

Applications (Apps) - There's bad news, if you used any of the LinkedIn profile apps to display additional information (e.g. blog posts, articles, pictures etc.)  - THEY'RE GONE! However, there is in new feature within the Experience section (see below) which may be even better for you.

Recommendations & Web Links in the Experience Section

Experience Section - Two major enhancements in this section. Recommendations are now displayed under each role. This looks really good but there is no longer an overall recommendation count shown anywhere on the profile. Secondly, you can now insert links to images, documents, videos and presentations related to each of your roles. THIS IS A REALLY GREAT WAY OF ENHANCING YOUR PROFILE. Just make sure any links you insert provide appropriate and good quality images.

The new link insertion feature is also available under the Summary and Eduction sections.

Web Link Insertion Symbol

Note: Even if you have been migrated to the new profile format, the ability to insert links may not yet be available to you. Look out for the symbol shown on the right. When it starts appearing on your profile the feature has been activated.

Company Logo for Business Connection Resources

Company Logos - These are now displayed alongside entries in the Experience section. To enable this facility, however, you need to have your company logo loaded onto the LinkedIn Company Page for the related business. It does enhance the look of individual profiles and is good exposure for the company concerned. So make sure this has been done.

Endorsements as they now appear in the Skills & Expertise Section

Skills & Expertise Section - You're probably already aware of this feature, as LinkedIn have been actively promoting it for some months. It allows you to endorse the skills or expertise of your connections with a single click of the mouse. Make sure you've included the skills categories that are important to you within this section. Having skills endorsed seems almost certain to become increasingly important for search results within LinkedIn (and maybe with the major search engines themselves).

Move Profile Section Button

Moving Profile Sections - It's now easier to move sections around within your profile. For instance, as your endorsements grow, you may wish to move the Skills & Expertise section to a more prominent location.

Additional Information - Some Personal Information entries have now been transferred into an Additional Information section with a somewhat different structure. Make sure your original information is now appropriately displayed. It's now also possible to add additional details on the organisations with which you're associated.

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Groups - LinkedIn groups are now more predominantly displayed with their logos. Unfortunately they appear on your profile in alphabetical order. There is also a drop down menu if you are a member of more than eight. Make sure you're happy with the groups that are being displayed. If not, you can hide individual groups via the Groups, Companies & Applications section in your LinkedIn settings.

New Section Options

Other New Sections - Information on Projects, Languages, Publications, Courses, Patents, Certifications and Volunteering can now all be provided within their own discrete sections. When you're in the process of editing your profile, the option to add these sections is displayed on the right hand side of your profile.

Nowadays, like it or not, you're expected to have professional, well crafted profiles on social media sites. If you don't, you will certainly miss out on business opportunities.


You can find my LinkedIn profile at:  http://au.linkedin.com/in/businessconnections                         

Be sure to let me know if you would like to connect on LinkedIn.


What do you think of the new LinkedIn profile set-up? Are there any other features you've found particularly useful?

Google+ Has 400 Million Members - Mashable

Google+ has also managed to reach 100 million active users within 12 months! It took Facebook many years to reach the same number of active users.

Full Article:  Google+ Has 400 Million Members

Social Business takes on a new level of urgency as organizations shift from an Information Age “informing” model to a Communication Age “communicating and engaging” model - Daniel Burrus.

Full Article:  20 Game-Changing Technology Trends That Will Create Both Disruption and Opportunity on a Global Level

You cannot have credibility saying you are customer-centric if you ignore your customers in social media channels - Charlene Li

Full Article:  The Crisis of Courage in Social Media

Eighty-one percent of executives believe their brands can get more sales and bigger market share by using social media - Article by Ryan Holmes CEO at HootSuite

Full Article: Are You Leaving $1.3 Trillion on the Table? Why Fortune 500 Companies Are Racing to Social Media

New LinkedIn Endorsement Feature

LinkedIn have just added a new Endorsement feature for profiles. This feature allows you to endorse the specific skills (or expertise) of your connections with a single click of the mouse.

How can you utilise this new feature?

There are three options:

A) When you go to a connection's LinkedIn profile, you may be prompted to make an endorsement through a new section which is displayed at the top of that profile. It will be similar to this one:

You can delete any skills you're not in a position to endorse. Or even type in a skill you would like to add to the selection shown. (My experience so far is that this section does not always display the most appropriate skills for the person concerned.)

Just click the “Endorse” button to confirm your endorsement.

B) Once you have made an endorsement as described in A) above, you are often also offered the chance to make additional endorsements, to other LinkedIn connections, through a panel like this:

Just click the appropriate “Endorse” button to confirm endorsements. (Once again, the most appropriate skills do not always appear to be displayed in this section and you can only endorse the single skill displayed.)

C) In my opinion, the most effective way to make endorsements is to scroll down a profile to the actual “Skills & Expertise” section. Then select the specific skills you would like to endorse. This section now looks like this (with or without the prompt from LinkedIn):

Simply click on the cross adjacent to the skills you wish to endorse.

Once you have endorsed a skill, your picture is shown on that person's profile, alongside the endorsed skill.

What do you need to do to take advantage of this new feature?

Make sure you have added the “Skills & Expertise” section to your LinkedIn profile. If not, you can add this section via the “Add sections” tab available when you select the “Edit Profile” option.

Also, ensure that your most pertinent skills are listed first in the “Skills & Expertise” section. So that they are easy for people to select. Although from what I have seen so far, it appears that LinkedIn is automatically re-ordering the “Skills & Expertise” section to reflect the number of endorsements received.

How significant will this new feature become?

It's hard to tell how widely accepted the LinkedIn Endorsements feature will become at this stage. But it is certainly a nice way to acknowledge the business capabilities of those with whom you work most closely.

Pricing Rip-Off's For Software

Australian's are being significantly overcharged for software according to an article in today's Sydney Morning Herald. That's even more true for businesses that don't take advantage of the great range of FREE software and services that are now available.

But how do you find free products that are effective, reliable and well-supported? 

Follow this blog for a start. It will provide regular information on the latest free offerings.

 Want to start using the best free products straight away? Then get our sister publication - Free Business Resources. It will provide you with a catelouge of over 130 carefully reviewed free products that are suitable for business use.

Free Business Resources can save your business thousands of dollars. And offer you a host of ways to improve efficiency.

Is Software About To Destroy Your Business?

Is your business about to be decimated by a software application? Is it time to stop worrying about low-cost overseas competition and start preparing for the arrival of software which supersedes your business altogether?

If even part of your business operations involve the supply and/or processing of information, the answer to both of the above questions may well be yes. 

By Patrick Horsley @ flickr

Software eats part of the world, a recent article by John Hempton of Bronte Capital, provides numerous examples of how companies producing physical products are being "appified". By which he means, their business models are being dramatically undermined by newly emerging software applications. This process may be even more disruptive to professional service companies, whose competitive advantages often revolve around their handling of information.

There are already many examples of "software" businesses that have have changed whole industries. Just think of Amazon, Google, Netflix and Apple's iTunes. 

The time has now arrived when many more businesses are under the threat of having, at least, a part of their operations "appified". Three reasons why this impending treat must now be taken seriously by an ever increasing range of businesses are provided in an Essay by Marc Andreessen in the Wall Street Journal. The reasons are:

 By thomcochrane @ flickr

• Over two billion people already use broadband Internet.
• Within the decade over five billion people will own smartphones with Internet access.
• The cost of placing an application on the Internet and making it easily available to a worldwide market has now dropped to just $1,500 per month.

So how do you ensure your business continues to thrive? 

• Watch out for the emergence of software applications which could impact your business model. And don't underestimate which areas of your business may be effected.
• Embrace software which can make your business more effective. (You'll find some of my suggestions covered in this blog from time to time.)
• Focus your business on activities that are hard to replicate with software. These will include, in particular, activities based around personal relationships, collaboration, partnerships, combining skills and creativity.

What other ways are there to evolve a business in order to compete with the inevitable "digitisation" of traditional business processes? Your thoughts will be welcome.