Almost Savvy » Blogging

Top 5 Signs Your Business Should Not Be Using Social Media

Irene Koehler — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 15:59:32 +0000

Beware the hidden dangers of social media.

Social media is all the rage. All the cool kids are using it; at least, that’s what the cool kids on the internet are telling us. The number of businesses on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, and YouTube is mind-boggling, but the real question is how many of them are using the tools wisely?

If you own a business, work for or with businesses, I’m sure you’ve heard from nearly everyone you know that you must be using social media. The pressure to jump into the game immediately, plus the perception that social media success is both free and easy, have led many businesses to make very visible mistakes online. A poorly constructed and executed social plan often leads to results more problematic than had the business done nothing at all.

How many businesses have we all seen have their efforts undermined because they failed to recognize the signs that they weren’t prepared? The good news is that we can all learn from their mistakes, a few of which have led to…

Signs Your Business Should Not Be Using Social Media (Yet)

1. You Like It Because You Think It’s Free

Your primary reason for wanting to use social media is that you think it’s the “modern” way to send your promotional messages out to large numbers of people all at once with very little cost and effort. Perhaps, you’ve sent out promotional postcards (a.k.a. junk mail) in the past and are now looking for a more cost effective way to reach more people. If this is your primary activity online, you are not a marketer. You are a spammer.

2. You’re Obsessed with ROI

You are under the impression that you must know the precise ROI (Return on Investment) of your social media efforts before you begin. Using digital platforms successfully to build community, relationships, and trust is an iterative process. It is, and should be, a strategic approach beginning with thoughtful first steps, followed by measuring the results and adjusting things where appropriate.

Anyone who tells you that if you do X [some social media task], you will achieve Y [specific number of Facebook fans, % increase in sales, etc.] is blowing smoke in your direction. Did you calculate the ROI of the telephone or the company car before you invested in them? Did you know up front how to connect those investments to the bottom line? Of course not, but you knew they were important to the business and you have continually evaluated your use of them to maximize their value. Understanding exactly what you want to measure and how to measure it takes time. Don’t expect to have this completely nailed down before you even begin.

3. Meet Your New Chief of Social Media: The Neighbor’s Kid

The kid spends all day on Facebook anyway, so it makes sense to let him handle all of the social media for your business, right? Plus, you don’t need to pay him. He’s happy to put in a couple of hours a week just to have access to your swimming pool in the summer. If this is the direction you’re heading, or a similar plan to assign the task to a student who will work for peanuts <ahem, intern>, I encourage you to do some research and consider finding someone who is qualified to guide your efforts. Spoiler alert: Being able to tweet or post photos to Facebook from a smartphone doesn’t count as a qualification.

4. Set Up Your Social Accounts, Watch the Money Roll In

You’ve heard the stories; a bookstore (or was it a coffee shop, no wait, it was a computer company, or was it a magazine, it’s so hard to remember) set up a Facebook Page and six weeks later had 2.5 million Facebook fans and increased sales by 420%.

Stories are just that – stories, not reality. Here’s the truth about social media: It’s not magic; it takes work. It is not a “set it and forget it” proposition. Like most things in life, success comes with focus, competence, passion, a unique vision and, yes, work. In fact, simply setting up pages and then letting them go stale without any activity can do more harm to your brand than had you never set them up in the first place.

5. Your Business Sucks

Incorporating social media tools into an overall business strategy definitely offers important opportunities which wouldn’t have been possible any other way. That said, investing in social media will not save you if your product or service, uhm, sucks. If your customers or your employees aren’t happy, adopting social media will not save your sinking ship. Social media provides a larger platform to be who we are and amplifies the voices of those talking about you. If whatever you’re selling doesn’t work the way it’s supposed to, it might be best to focus your efforts on fixing that problem first and tackle social media once the business sucks a little less.

If these signs describe your view of social media, take heart, you aren’t the only one. Too many are under the impression that going online is a sure-fire way to boost business with little to no effort. If you take the time to really understand the benefits, risks and best practices (or partner with someone else who understands this), you could well be on your way to building the kind of online presence that suits your business best. It won’t happen overnight, but it can happen.

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Image courtesy of upyernoz

Old Habits, New Skills: Repetitive Injuries and Voice Recognition Software

Irene Koehler — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 14:55:49 +0000

The Problem

I’ve been in pain for the last month. At first, the pain in my hand would come and go. Gradually, the pain moved to my wrist, up my arm and eventually to my shoulder.

I spend too much time on the computer, there’s just no way around it. Between email, blogging, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn, my fingers are constantly tap-tapping away. I’m typing away at the keyboard for most of the day and when I’m not sitting in front of my laptop, I’m often clicking away at my smart phone, delightfully unaware of the abuse I’m inflicting upon my body. And the truth is, once I began to realize that this was likely the cause of my pain, I should have acted more quickly to change my habits.

My hand and my arm, from my knuckles to my shoulder, were in such intense pain, that the doctor was unable to do a thorough assessment lest I break down in tears. For the time being, my arm is completely immobilized with a rigid cast sort of thing that runs from the top of my hand through my shoulder.

The Solution

A few days ago, I suddenly found myself in the search for an alternate way to work on the computer without the need for my fingers to dance upon the keys. My situation is not unique. There are many who, due to injuries, limitation, disability, or occupation, similarly find typing on the computer for extended periods of time a challenge. Surely, I could easily learn a new way to get work done.

Many of my friends recommended the same software, something called Dragon Naturally Speaking which works on PCs. I ended up buying the sister product called Dragon Dictate, which is designed to work on a Mac. I would like to say that the software has been simple to use and immediately provided a solution allowing me to keep my hands off the keyboard. I would really like to say that, but it just wouldn’t be true. While its ability to turn my spoken words into text is impressive, I have found the software to be anything but intuitive.

In my mind a program like Dragon dictate has three main functions. First and foremost, is the ability to listen to my words and transcribed them into text. Second, are the features which enable me to edit the text I dictated; to go back and make additions or corrections where necessary. Third, Dragon Dictate also includes numerous commands which (theoretically) allow the user to navigate between various windows and programs.

The Problem With The Solution

Getting started is deceptively easy. The first step involves training the software to understand your voice. All that’s required is to read a couple paragraphs of text aloud. After doing this, the training is done and you’re off and running. Unfortunately, I quickly found myself needing to edit content when the software misunderstood me. The process of learning the edit and navigation commands has been surprisingly difficult. Ordinarily, I’m extremely comfortable learning to use a new piece of software. Most software today is designed to be user-friendly and intuitive; it is rarely necessary to read instructions or search the help documents which are provided with any new program. I’ve found Dragon Dictate to be neither user-friendly, not intuitive. Not only are there no video tutorials with Dragon Dictate, searching the help documents is an extremely frustrating experience. Still, despite the temptation to give up, it is still enormously better than the alternative.

Please see the video below for a real-time example of the program as I use it. Be sure to watch it in full-screen mode.

Most of this post was originally written by speaking into Dragon Dictate, though many manual edits and corrections were necessary.

Though exasperating, I will keep at it and am certain that my mastery will improve.

What has been your experience? Have you used voice recognition software before? Do you have any tips to share with those of us who spend too much time at the keyboard?

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What Was the Hottest Topic at LeWeb 2010?

Irene Koehler — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 21:00:58 +0000

With a two-day program filled with tech thought leaders and innovators, there was one subject which seemed to consistently rise about the rest and dominate so many of the conversations at LeWeb. What was it? Wikileaks.

While I didn’t go into LeWeb expecting to hear so many opinions about Wikileaks – it’s mission, it’s founder, it’s future – it shouldn’t have been a surprise. The issues surrounding Wikileaks and its release of mountains of sensitive information exist at the intersection of privacy, safety, security, technology, social media and politics. In the midst of a smart, savvy and international crowd, seemingly everyone had an interest and strong opinions on the matter.

I found the opportunity to listen to such diverse ideas rising from the multicultural group fascinating. We talked, we argued, we blamed. Well, OK, most often I got blamed. In several of the conversations, I was the only one present from the United States and was asked repeatedly to explain why the US would allow a relatively low-level 22 year-old access to such information. The blaming was all in good fun, but the exchanges were open and enlightening.

While you aren’t able to listen in on those dinner conversations from last week, I invite you to watch the LeWeb Media Panel, on which traditional and new media experts shared their views on Wikileaks, what some see as censorship and the future of sharing such confidential information.

The panel included:

Adrian Monck, Managing Director, Head of Communications & Media, World Economic Forum (Moderator)
Julio Alonso, Founder & CEO, Weblogs SL
Pierre Chappaz, Founder & CEO, Wikio
Kenneth “KC” Estenson, Senior Vice President & General Manager, CNN.com
Gabe Rivera, Founder & CEO, Techmeme
Ben Rooney, Technology Editor, The Wall Street Journal Europe

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How to Screw-Up a Blogger Pitch in 4 Easy Steps

Irene Koehler — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 18:55:50 +0000

In addition to all of the presentations and workshops, one of the many wonderful aspects of the recent LeWeb conference in Paris is the opportunity to connect with others who are working on innovative projects and developing new applications which make our lives easier or more productive.

As I was listed as one of the LeWeb Official Bloggers, I received a few requests to meet from those interested in obtaining coverage for their product or for one of their clients. Anyone who reads my blog will easily see that this really isn’t the way I work. My posts about new tools and applications represent a small proportion of my content.

Still, there was one guy who sent me several messages hoping to set up a time to meet with me while at LeWeb. Since I’ll be using our exchange to highlight how not to approach and pitch a blogger for coverage, I won’t share his name or the name of his application. To keep things simple, I’ll just call him “ThisGuy.”

Mistake #1: Misrepresent Your Reasons for Wanting to Connect

I sent and received many messages in advance of the conference, all in an effort to meet interesting people. The chance to take online connections offline is one to be savored and I was determined to make the most of the opportunity. I was delighted to receive messages from other attendees, but had a gut feeling about ThisGuy’s email. I even replied and asked if the reason for his request was to pitch me his application. His reply was vague, something about how it would be beneficial for the two of us to meet. There was so much great content at LeWeb that I tried my best to manage my time effectively. In the end, I didn’t agree to his meeting request.

On the second day of LeWeb, unbeknownst to me, I happened to wander by where ThisGuy had set himself up and he recognized me. His computer was open and he launched into discussing why I’d want to use his application. Now, let’s be clear. It didn’t hurt my feelings that some guy I don’t know didn’t genuinely want to meet me just for the thrill of knowing me. My problem was not that he wanted to pitch anything; it’s that he wasn’t up front about it. If the reason you want to get in touch with a blogger is to tell them about your totally life-changing product, let them know that up front. Don’t try to pretend that the request is anything else.

Mistake #2: Do Absolutely No Homework Up Front

Once ambushed, ThisGuy’s first question was “What tool are you currently using to get more Twitter followers?” Not, “Do you use such a tool?” Bad move.

Does it seem inconceivable that the number of Twitter followers I have could have possibly grown organically? Yes, I do realize that many, many people use such tools, but I never have. Again, if he had taken the time to read my blog or communicate with me up front, he likely would have known this and we would have avoided the awkward conversation which followed. It hadn’t even occurred to him that I might not be using such a tool and was therefore stunned that I also had no interest in using his tool, which was created for this purpose. Doing some very basic research up front saves time for both parties and increases the likelihood that you’ve reached someone who might be interested in what you’re pitching.

Mistake #3: Do Not Assess the Market for Your Product

In addition to growing one’s Twitter numbers, ThisGuy’s application is designed to managed auto-DMs (automated direct messages) on Twitter. He explained that this is the one true way to engage with others and have meaningful conversations. Bullcrap. Either he’s living in a bubble and only talking with others who automate their online presence and/or he has failed to see that many people consider sending auto-DMs as being extremely poor etiquette. Even I’ve written about the reasons I will automatically unfollow someone on Twitter, with auto-DMs being one of my big pet peeves. The fact that this all seemed to take him by surprise told me that he didn’t do him homework because it was much easier to assume that everyone thinks the way he does.

Mistake #4: Argue and Get Personal

All this leads to the biggest problem with our little encounter. If we were in a boxing ring and there was an announcer, I imagine the commentary would have gone something like this…

“In this corner, with a laptop, an application and a belief that there is only one way to succeed online…….ThisGuy!”

“And this corner, a blogger who has shunned automation, preferring to have more public and genuine conversations online……Irene!”

“ThisGuy comes out swinging. He sizes up the competition and concludes that Irene is not truly interested in getting to know her followers because, if she was, she’d be using auto-DMs to do so. Irene begins to respond by explaining that not everyone has the same point of view and that she feels that having real-time, open conversations (which allow others to listen, learn and join) are, in fact, more genuine. ThisGuy scoffs and is determined to prevail. Irene quickly excuses herself from the ring and leaves.”

Seriously? If I’m not a fan of what you’re pitching, you’re going to insult me and suggest I don’t know what I’m doing? Forget pitching, this is just plain rude and uninformed. Stellar move. Yes, you’ve got twice as many Twitter followers as I do. I know how you got them and I don’t care. Next time, a little homework (and etiquette) might prove helpful.

Tech Innovators + Paris = 100% Awesome

Irene Koehler — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 16:10:08 +0000

Has it been a year already?

It’s hard to believe that I’ll be heading to Paris in just a few days. I’m thrilled that I’ve once again been selected as an Official Blogger for LeWeb, Europe’s largest and most exciting tech event. It’s an honor to be included among such a diverse group of multinational bloggers.

The event is a wonderful mix of tech presentations and discussions, start-ups, networking, socializing, learning and sharing. Even a quick glance at the agenda for the two-day event makes it clear that the opportunities to find interesting content will be plentiful.

Listen to LeWeb’s co-founders, Loic and Geraldine Le Meur, giving an overview of what’s in store for the 2,400+ people from over 50 countries who will be in attendance.

Will you be at LeWeb? If not, will you be watching online and which sessions interest you the most? Part of my role as an Official Blogger will be to write a post about the event, so look for that following LeWeb. Of course, you’ll also be able to view the livestream and follow the #leweb tweets online.

There’s still time to get a ticket if you have a last-minute desire to join us. Don’t forget your passport!

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Sorry It’s Been So Long; I’ve Got More Important Things To Do Right Now

Irene Koehler — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 21:25:56 +0000

For any normal person, not connecting online for a short while doesn’t seem odd. In fact, it seems, well, normal. When I notice that someone hasn’t posted in a few days, I assume they are out and about living their lives. When a social media geek like me doesn’t post updates to Facebook or Twitter and too many days have passed since my last blog post, people begin to wonder if I’ve fallen off the face of the Earth.

The good news is that gravity has not betrayed me. I’m still here, feet firmly planted on the ground. So, why the relative silence? Well, frankly, I’ve been tied up doing things which are more important that talking to you. Before you feel offended, please know that there is little I enjoy more than interacting with my friends and reaching out to help those new to social media learn what it’s all about. You know it has to be something pretty important to keep me away from all this – and you.

I’m busy being a good daughter right now, at least trying to be. My mother had some fairly brutal surgery to fix something that needed some serious fixing. The initial problem aside, the surgery itself wasn’t a cakewalk and recovery requires time and hard work. Apparently, our bodies don’t like it much when people in white coats armed with sharp instruments get within close proximity.

I’m accustomed to the luxury of being able to work virtually. As long as I’ve got my laptop and a good wireless connection, I’m in business. Most of what I do, I can do from anywhere. No matter where I am, though, what I do need is time. I naively overestimated my control of this last variable. Cooking, washing dishes, doing laundry, encouraging/nudging her to do her exercises, counting pills, trips to the pharmacy and doctor appointments, communicating with friends and family members has been consuming all of my time and attention. (And, by the way, who knew that my mother had so many friends? When did that happen?)

What a wimp I am; especially when you consider that I’m healthy and not the one doing the real work here. There’s only so much we can do for someone who needs to heal, the hardest work is their job alone. I’ve got to say that she is one tough cookie. I’d be whining all day and not nearly as compliant when told that it’s time to exercise, eat or take medication. I’m happy to report that, thanks to her determination over the last few months and that of my fabulous brother, she is improving rapidly. I’m just playing a supporting role by putting in a cameo appearance.

Family is a an amazing construct. We grow up, move away and get one each other’s nerves from time to time (not naming any names here, but I’m sure the person responsible has a name that starts with an ‘I’). Still, when it comes to the important stuff, none of that nonsense matters.

Soon, my time will be my own again. Until then, I hope you’ll forgive me if I don’t seem as present as usual. I’ve got more important things to do right now.

Note to Mom (who sometimes reads my blog): Hi there! Stop slacking off at the computer reading your email, it’s time to do some more exercises. You are one strong broad!

Image courtesy of FUNKYAH.

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Blogging for Tickets. Am I Selling Out?

Irene Koehler — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 21:48:50 +0000

I’m torn at the moment. Ethically speaking, I made the right decision. Practically speaking, I’m disappointed.

You may be aware that journalists and bloggers are sometimes offered free stuff in exchange for media coverage of some sort. This free stuff may come in the form of anything from products to services to tickets. In exchange, they are usually expected to provide advertising/promotion, reviews or direct sales pitches. Often, you may not even know that the blogger had received something in exchange for writing the post or article, although this is changing due to a relatively recent FTC ruling requiring such disclosure.

My Conundrum

I was just offered a ticket to an event I really wanted to attend. I had been aware of it earlier, but decided not to attend due to the time and expense required, even though I knew it would have been an excellent learning and networking opportunity. To receive the free ticket, the caveat was that I would need to publish a post promoting the event – right now. It just didn’t feel right. Well, let me clarify. There is nothing wrong with an event organizer offering free admission to select people with some degree of reach and influence who they feel are well positioned to help spread the word. This happens all the time and there are many who are more than happy to take them up on the offer.

Instead, I suggested that I blog about key learnings from the conference which I felt would benefit my readers and community. As this would have taken place following the event, this did not provide the up-front exposure they sought. Again, this was their choice to make and I completely respect that.

I’m Not So Pure

Before it appears that I’m aiming to set myself ethically above others who may have agreed to publish a promotional post, I need to share that I have done this before. When I was selected as one of the Official Bloggers to attend LeWeb, the largest tech event in Europe, it was an honor. I was given free registration for the conference, though I paid all travel expenses out of pocket – quite a hit on my credit card. LeWeb does require their Official Bloggers to post related content prior to and following the event. I didn’t feel this was much of a burden as I was able to craft it to suit my style and audience. Plus, it was kind of a big deal to be selected.

I also agreed to blog after attending a Cirque du Soleil show in Las Vegas. There was absolutely no caveat about what exactly I would write, only that I shared that I’d attended the show. To craft my post to fit my style and audience, I also wrote about Cirque du Soleil’s stellar social media program and their strategic outreach to bloggers. I saw LOVE, by the way. It is so much more than a show, it is an incredible experience. (And, no, I earn no extra Cirque points to mention it again a year later.)

Where Do We/I Draw the Line?

As with many things in life, we aren’t easily able to define exactly where the line is, but we know in our gut when it’s been crossed. Being asked to post this promotional piece didn’t feel right to me. I’m sure the fact that the post had to be written the same day I was asked didn’t help me feel any more comfortable.

The reason I care so strongly about where that line is drawn is you. Without you, no one will be around to read my blog. Without you, the community around Almost Savvy is nothing. They just wouldn’t exist; rather, they would exist, but they would have little value in terms of momentum and engagement. You have many sources of information competing for your time and attention. You choose those which interest you; you choose those you trust.

I am ever mindful of the value of your trust. Trust is often compared to a bank account. It takes a long time to build a substantial balance. Day after day, I try to share helpful information through my blog, Twitter, the Almost Savvy page on Facebook, speaking engagements, etc. The hope is that each of these actions result in small deposits being made into my trust account. As you get to know me, you come to trust me and what I offer. Simply because I wanted to attend this event did not seem to be enough of a reason for me to make a withdrawal from that account.

What’s Most Important: Your Feedback

I shared this on the Almost Savvy page on Facebook and asked if I had made the right decision. I was delighted with the insightful and thoughtful replies I received. The feedback ranged from “You made the right decision…and showed integrity” to “I think it would be OK if you disclosed the fact that you were compensated” to “No blogger or journalist should ever publish something where the content is pre-determined in exchange for something of value.” (I’ve paraphrased, you can view all the original comments here.)

What I’ve Decided – This Time

While I very much appreciate some members of the Almost Savvy community being willing to cut me some slack and support me in publishing a promotional post, I’m sticking by my decision not to do it. I’m not saying I won’t ever do it. I know enough to never say never. Still, I couldn’t get out of my head the fact that I did want to hear the content presented and meet others in attendance. I chose the best of both worlds and bought a ticket. I won’t always be in a position to do this, but I got lucky and it happened to work out this time. I hope to be able to share some of what I learned with you in the near future – on my terms.

What Do You Think I Should Have Done?

This is a tricky area, one which I want to navigate carefully. Your input and thoughts are most appreciated. Please let me know in the comments below what you think I should have done.

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Introducing Social Media Informer

Irene Koehler — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 16:45:41 +0000

Learning to maximize the benefits of using social media can easily seem an overwhelming task. Toss in keeping abreast of constant changes and the latest tips and tricks, and it suddenly feels like a full-time job just hunting down the information you need from sources you can trust.

Enter Social Media Informer, a new website which brings together advice and insights from an all-star team of social media bloggers, making it a simple task to quickly scan the latest news and search many blogs with just one click.

Interested in reading up on how to get the most out of LinkedIn? Would you like to read strategies for starting your own blog? Looking for some how-to tutorials to walk you through a new platform step-by-step? Social Media Informer makes it easy to find what you want and to take advantage of the experience of those who are in the brutal social media trenches every day (hey, we do it for you!).

The opportunity to discover wonderful bloggers you’d never otherwise have stumbled across is part of the beauty of a site like Social Media Informer. I’m already reading many of the blogs on the site, but I’ve found a few new gems as well. When you click on one of the articles, you are taken directly to that author’s blog. Appreciate their content and style? Why not subscribe while you’re there?

I encourage you to take a peek at the site and let me know what you think. You’ll find plenty of killer content from bloggers with fantastic reputations for consistently delivering value. If you look closely, you may even see at least one familiar name.

Disclosure (though there is nothing to disclose here): Social Media Informer does not pay me for access to my content and I don’t pay them to share it. Just in case you were wondering.

Social Media Stats – It’s Raining Content!

Irene Koehler — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 22:55:55 +0000

Does it ever feel that there is a non-stop downpour of Facebook posts, YouTube videos, Twitter tweets, LinkedIn connections and blog posts? Do you ever feel like you’re drowning in content?

If so and you spend any amount of time online, it isn’t just your imagination. The larger our networks of contacts, the more information we see pushed in our direction every time one of our friends shares a link to a news article, their latest blog post and a funny video of a cat dressed as Lady Gaga.

How frequently is new content added online, you may ask? It can take an awful lot of leg work and number crunching to figure that out. Luckily, Gary Hayes from Personalizemedia has put together a nifty tool which easily allows us to get a snapshot overview of the flow of uploaded content. Take a closer look and you’ll see that you can customize the data you see by selecting a timeframe and type of information (social media, mobile or games).

If you’re interested in digging deeper into the source data used here, you can find all the relevant links on Gary’s blog.

I’ll keep this blog post short because I just found out that I’ve got several hundred thousand YouTube videos to catch up on and that’s going to take some serious time.

Image courtesy of Tiago Ribeiro.

How To: Enjoy SXSW (Without Being at SXSW)

Irene Koehler — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 00:35:43 +0000

Over the next couple of weeks, you may be hearing and reading a lot about SXSW (read: South by Southwest). In the real world, it may not be that big of a deal, to many in the tech, film or music worlds, it is a must place to be to see the latest and coolest things happening and mingle with those making it happen.

While all the festivities take place in Austin, Texas from March 12 – 21, there should be quite a bit of content you can enjoy from the comfort of your own home (or office…just don’t tell the boss you heard it from me).

The festival has three primary tracks:

I’ll be attending Interactive events and will be blogging one of them (my blog posts will end up on the SXSW site, not here). If you happen to be at the Microsoft BizSpark Accelerator event on Monday, be sure to stop by and say hello. This event will be streamed live online for those who’d like to watch. I’ll be sure to post a link on Twitter and to the AlmostSavvy fan page on Facebook, so stay tuned for that.

Massive schedule of events

Stay up to date on the full SXSW schedule of events here (note that you can filter the massive schedule with “browse by” options near the top of the page) and what you’re able to watch online here. And, if you’re game, you can always experience it by watching the Twitter stream here, though my guess is that this will be extremely chaotic as it will be a mix of content from cool panel discussions, people wondering when the bus will arrive and a few late-night tweets from party which are certain to be regretted the next morning.

Is it too noisy?

If you’re using Twitter and finding that the SXSW tweets are clogging your stream while you’re trying to focus on other content, before unfollowing your friends en masse, check out these options to simply “mute” tweets containing certain keywords or hashtags.

Bring it on

So, sit back and enjoy the event, whether you’re in Austin with cowboys boots in tow, or at home in your jammies.

Which of the events look most interesting to you? Will you be there or have you been before? Any tips for me, a first-time attendee?

Almost Savvy » Blogging

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