How Not to Use Twitter for Business (FroYo Edition)...

I was a rabid frozen yogurt fan when it was all the rage in the 1980s. Then, like all good things I loved, it was sent out to pasture with my severely wide-legged pants, sweaters with shoulder pads and my Lionel Richie records*. The period of mourning has long since passed, but imagine my delight to see that frozen yogurt is now *in* once again. I was thrilled to see a new frozen yogurt shop open within walking distance of my home. OK, so it is wildly overpriced, but it's there and that's all that matters when I want a fix.

Helping Kids Stay Safe Online. Is SocialShield the Answer?...

There have been many moments in my life as a parent where I considered locking my child in a closet. It would have been for her own safety, mind you. And, I would have let her out when she was, say 30 or so. I realized that I may have some legal entanglements to deal with along the way, but there were still those moments when I wondered...

LinkedIn-apalooza! Ready to rev-up your profile?...

If you're a professional or business person, you know you need to be using LinkedIn wisely, right? And, college students, that goes for you, too. If you don't know why it matters or know deep-down in the pit of your stomach that you're really not all that sure what to do with LinkedIn, then this is for you......

Do You Have a Digital Business Card? (Register for .tel for ...

We all want to be found more easily online when our friends, potential clients and employers Google us. We've set up our LinkedIn profiles, started blogging, created websites, invited others to be our friends on Facebook and tweeted like crazy on Twitter. With all of these fragmented presences online, wouldn't it be nice to have a directory of all the places we can be found, plus the option to include our email address, phone number and tags which help the right people find us and get in touch?

Happy Holidays! Please Enjoy This Spam...

Over the last few weeks, I have been inundated with holiday cards and greetings of all types. While this is typical at this time of year, this is the first time I received so many automated cards and emails, most of them from people I don't really know.

New to Social Media? Step 1: Be a Consumer...

In the last post, you heard Chris Brogan describe how important having a blog can become in the quest to be found more readily online. Should you be thinking about taking the plunge, you'll want to be sure to watch this video first. Today, bestselling author Jennifer Kushell suggests taking the time to become familiar with what others are doing online before feeling the pressure to jump feel first into social media.

Blogging – Just Do It!...

Holy Toledo, am I having a great time at BlogWorld! I'm exhausted, energized, and inspired. In my last post, I invited you to share your questions about blogs and blogging and promised that I'd seek out various bloggers to share their thoughts and advice. You certainly didn't disappoint! You sent your questions via Twitter, the AlmostSavvy Facebook page, and comments on my blog.

Adventures in Social Networking with Mom and Dad...

On this blog, I spend most of the time discussing best practices when using social media to connect and share information online. Every now and then, our enthusiasm can get the best of us. As the number of multi-generational families using online social networks increases daily, so does the number of "Oh no, she didn't!" moments where that fuzzy line between what you want your mom to share and what she actually does share is suddenly crossed.

11 Tips To Thrive on Twitter...

After my post on 11 Sure-Fire Ways to Get Me to Unfollow You on Twitter, many asked that I put together some tips highlighting the best way to get started on Twitter. I'm very happy to oblige. Here are several recommendations to get your started...

Dear Ex-Facebook Friend…...

Dear Ex-Facebook Friend, You've crossed the line. As with all things virtual and social, it's hard to say exactly where that line is, but I sure do know when someone comes rushing across it.