Do you have a Young Spirit? Try it on Social Networks!
I heard many people say that they are "too old" for social. I don't buy this at all. Social has nothing to do with age..... but a young spirit. We all need to keep a youthful attitude instead of not changing or adapting. This works in life as well as with Social Networks!
Social networking is not just used by the young and the restless. Which age groups are using social media?
Did you know that:
- 72% of all internet users are now active on social media
- 18-29 year olds have an 89% usage
- The 30-49 bracket sits at 72%
- 60 percent of 50 to 60 year olds are active on social media
- In the 65 plus bracket, 43% are using social media
(You can see more stats at: http://www.jeffbullas.com/2014/01/17/20-social-media-facts-and-statistics-you-should-know-in-2014/#V5IbWy4JKG1D2bpu.9)
Also per Pew Research:
Some tips!
1. Learn some tools like Facebook, Twitter, or whatever your "crowd" leverages. Do this in person at social classes that are offered for free (our library did free classes this weekend!) or online. You can do it!
2. Set goals. That means we need to chase our dreams and work toward our goals. It could be personal like keeping in touch with friends or grandkids. Or it could be work related. When you wake up with something to accomplish, and you don't settle for watching the world go by, you keep that spirit young and fresh!
3. Keep laughing! If you ever watch a child, they laugh and have fun. You may not get it right away but don't get down on yourself. Keep moving -- have a laugh and collect the stories.
We know that digital natives love technology and social networks but the fastest growing group on social today are those digital immigrants. Immigrants always take risks and drive forward!
Start today!
Cloud, Analytics, Mobile and Social were in ALL the 2015 trends - but what are they really?
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3 Core Social Business Learnings and Aha moments!
Last night I was at a holiday party, and my colleague asked me "what are you going to blog on tomorrow?" So I told him I didn't know but as the night went on, and he asked me questions, he received a lot of value from a few simple learnings so I thought I'd share with you and hope I deliver value to you as well!
1. #IWillRideWithYou The tragedy that occurred in Sydney Australia broke my heart. But one thing that came out was a powerful and positive use of social media. After the tragedy, there were some women from certain faiths that were fearful about the repercussions to them. So a group started the hashtag that assured that "I will ride with you!" to support them. This use of social was a reinforcement that social is a positive force!
2. Social Selling. I was struck this week by 2 phrases that I heard from major Fortune 100 companies and start-ups. The first was that ABC is now not Always Be Selling but now it is Always be connecting. The second was your Networth is your Network. Powerful Tidbits!
3. Images are currency. Images have surpassed text as the currency of choice in social conversations. This week alone in numerous conversations I heard about how companies are using emojis, emoticons, and stickers as integral parts of their social media conversations. Have you heard of the Unicode Consortium ? I just learned about them and found over 200 new symbols. And from my techy meetings, I learned that emojis are "code", not images, so metrics can be driven through textual tools.
What were your AHAs this week? Please share!
The evolution of retail: EyeQ and RosieApp from North America Regionals move on to SmartCamp Global Finals
We're seeing an incredible transformation in retail right now driven by Cloud-Analytics-Mobile-Social (CAMS)! Nowhere was this more evident than at the US Regional SmartCamp Finals recently. The winners chosen by our crack judging team of VCs and startup experts both had something in common: they are transforming the customer experience for retailers and brands.
eyeQ gathers data about in-store customers to help retailers understand how purchase decisions are made at the shelf. How does the customer react to a given product? What role does gender bias play? How much time are they taking to make a purchase decision? eyeQ collects all this information on the Bluemix cloud platform, giving brands better customer insight. (Follow them on Twitter @eyeQinsights)
Likewise, Rosie makes it possible for small and medium-sized brick-and-mortar stores to offer a robust online shopping experience for their customers. They collect data on a shopper's buying habits and then translate that into an enhanced online shopping experience. Their platform brings together the whole retail supply chain to deliver exceptional customer experience. The mobile-based RosieApp lets customers keep control of when their key groceries run out and order and deliver them automatically! A powerful recommendation engine suggests relevant products. (Follow them on Twitter @RosieApp)
Winning their second People's Choice Award, BeehiveID's solution for authenticating online identities clearly has a popular following of supporters and customers. Their solution is a critical service in our increasingly mobile and online lives! (Follow them on Twitter @BeehiveID)
Congrats to all our winners! And we look forward to seeing eyeQ and Rosie at our SmartCamp Global Finals!
Helpful links:
eyeQ -> http://www.eyeqinsights.com/
Rosie -> https://www.rosieapp.com/
BeehiveID -> http://beehiveid.com/
Infographic: IBM Digital Analytics Predictions for Black Friday!
IBM ExperienceOne Benchmark Live
ibm.biz/BdESmh
IBM Digital Analytics Benchmark Hub
ibm.com/benchmark
Holiday Shopping Predictions Report
ibm.biz/BdESm6
Take back control of your work day!!! My Top 3 Work Transformations!
Today work is changing! There are 3 things that I see as significant changes in the work day:
1. Prioritization is critical in the new work world due to information overload. I get over 500 emails a day! I have to be able to prioritize the most important work. This makes me think of what Gandhi once said, "Action expresses priorities."
So, everyday I have a list and cross off those items that don't make the cut! This is one reason I love IBM Verse! With help from analytics, my inbox is now organized and prioritized, showing the top five actions that I owe or that I am owed, and when they are due! Sweet!!!
2. Sharing is now more powerful than hoarding information
When I went to school, it was all about memorizing information. But today true value is in sharing information. My daughter, in a recent assignment at school, was asked to find the answer to questions through googling. But she had to ensure that the information came from a trusted source.
With this new IBM announcement of IBM Verse, it enables my sharing. I can share a file or conversation in just two clicks. Chat and meeting functions are built in, so collaboration is fluid. It’s easier than ever to share information and build great relationships. How cool is that?!
3. Work when you want but not all the time!
I love being able to work at any moment, but don’t like having to work at every moment. Today, a mobile device is freeing .....and is the new style of work. Doing your mail while waiting to pick up your kids!
With IBM Verse, my team now has integrated business communications even when on the road, and I love it! Sharing is fast and easy. Chat and meeting functions are built in, so collaboration is fluid. And I no longer get lectures from IT about security and cost.”
Here's a quick video that shows you even more ways IBM Verse is designed to help you get your work done more efficiently!
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