Wednesday, February 17, 2010

#137 - How do you BUZZ all about it?


Have you been following Joel Mark Witt's column about Google Buzz for the last couple of weeks? Joel has a great handle on the upside and the downside (and everything in between) when it comes to Google's latest entry into social networking.

Check out Joel's easy-to-follow, comprehensive article at FolkMedia - http://folkmedia.org/google-buzz-in-gmail/

For beginners, you can watch this quick YouTube video Google produced to give us all a basic understanding of what Buzz does.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yi50KlsCBio

I am quite surprised after some reading, video viewing and playtime at my own Buzz site, that I find myself thinking that Buzz may work better for me personally than Twitter. I certainly don't have time to manage both. How about you?

Perhaps the creators of Twitter should be worried. Yes, Twitter is the current go-to for many people who like to socialize while on the go, and PR professionals intent on spreading the word. Still, social media is a very fickle place and things here can take on a life of their own. Twitter could burn out just as quickly as it originally ignited. So, will the masses move to Buzz? Only time will tell.

Seriously, I doubt Twitter will go anywhere soon (although stranger things have happened). From Buzz and Twitter to Facebook's Fan pages, it's all about business. This product may be social in nature but like every form of media today, it is ultimately advertising supported. If the producers don't profit then the medium either changes or disappears. The bottom line is always financial.

So, let's Buzz on and check out the link to Joel's post today at FolkMedia. The best advice we are sharing is that NOW is the best time to establish your Buzz profile. Do some experimenting of your own. Dive in. It's important (as a student of all things social media-related) to test the waters while the tech is new. (It's that whole "early bird catches the worm" thing.)

Have you already visited Buzz to set up an account or update status? You can find me at
http://www.google.com/profiles/msuwordsmith. Let's share our experiences here by commenting in the box below.

Meanwhile, back at the Google lab...

Google is still working on additional features to make Buzz work for businesses and schools, and it will be interesting to see how that plays out. Buzz isn't yet available in Google Apps - but stay tuned. If you have a gmail account, just log in to automatically see the new "Buzz" link under "Inbox," that means Buzz is on for you. If you want to learn more in the meantime, just visit
buzz.google.com.

One on One with Tony Horton


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