Thursday 29 December 2011

Man sued for taking company twitter followers

Noah Kravitz tweeted for US-based mobile news site Phonedog.  Using the twitter name Phonedog_Noah, he accumulated 17,000 followers whilst working as a blogger for the company over a four year period.

When he left the company, he simply changed his username and took his followers with him.  Eight months later the company filed a lawsuit claiming that the account's followers were a customer list, and it had invested substantial resources into building it.

The company is seeking damages of $2.50 (approx £1.60) per user per month totalling $370,000.

That's a lot of money; are twitter followers really that valuable?  Let us know your thoughts..

Tuesday 20 December 2011

The History of Pro Evolution Soccer and how playing online improves your game - Guest Blogger (Ambidextrous - Pro Expert)

Pro Evolution Soccer or "Pro" to some, and "PES" to many has been with us for over 14 years, if we date back to its original version - Internation Superstar Soccer.

Pro Evolution Soccer, and it's rival Fifa have been revolutionised by online play, and the fact you can hone your skills against anyone, online at anytime. This brings me to the point of the article.

In order for your game to improve, you need to delve deeper into the game and gain a deeper understanding than the artificial intelligence the console and compact disc can offer you. You can practise offline, and against the computer for as long as you like - these skills are non-transferrable to the online world so many play and love. The principal remains the same through-out many titles including Call of Duty, Battlefield and Gran Turismo.

The later editions of these titles have brought multiplayer online play to the forefront of it's USP's, with many people from all over the world enjoying both the challenge and uniqueness of playing against like-minded people. After all, the predictability of a scripted campaign mode will have you sitting back in your chair rather than forward while you admire the game on a graphical level – which of course is fine, if you do not intend on being successful when playing against other humans.

It really hits home with where you stand once you play online – those are who interested and enjoy playing Pro Evolution Soccer 2012 on all formats can register at www.pesrankings.com for official tournaments ran by the games official sponsor. Prizes are often on offer, with tournaments concluding to an Official Championship. Tournaments are organised by a “host” to sustain fair play and most nights all the players in the event join a chat room through mIRC – a chat relay client which allows you to connect to servers and join “rooms” which allow you to converse with your competitors.

Those who finish high enough on the rankings league table are offered the chance to play in the invite-only UK final often ran from Wembley, Old Trafford or a major stadium based in the UK. Following that, the elite gamers from the UK are then invited to represent the UK on a European basis, where Pesrankings will fund an all expenses trip including hotels , flights and spending money to the European destination of Konami’s choice which is where the most coveted prize in Pro Evolution Soccer is contested for – European Champion. There has to be a winner.

“The first rule of any game - YOU CAN ONLY GET SMARTER BY PLAYING A SMARTER OPPONENT” – Name the film.

Dex Kord - Guest Blogger Ambidextrous
pesfan.com
pesrankings.com

The socialjamm team.



Saturday 17 December 2011

Silent Updates for Internet Explorer

Microsoft is starting the project to help improve security and help beat scammers catching people with fake updates.

The web is a much safer place when more people are running the most up-to-date browser software, says Ryan Gavin, Microsoft's head of IE in a blog explaining the project plan.

This will hopefully push the last few (half a billion +) users worldwide to finally drop IE6 and get with the times - Microsoft have been trying to kill-off IE6 for quite some time now.

Those still using Windows XP will be upgraded to IE8, while those running Vista and 7 will get pushed up to IE9.

Sounds like music to a web designers ears!

The socialjamm team.


Thursday 15 December 2011

How to Send a Message to Multiple People on Linkedin

I have recently been asked how you send a mass email to a large number of your contacts on LinkedIn.

LinkedIn doesn’t yet include this feature but there is a way of combating it and that way is manipulate a forwarded message.

The following simple steps will show you how to do this:

Setting up the blank message template:

Go to your inbox and open any messages you may have received and click the ‘forward’ button at the top of your message. The next step is to delete all of the content in the email and the ‘FW:’ in the message status bar, to ensure that it doesn’t look like a forwarded message. This will create your template.

*(If you inbox is empty ask somebody you know to send you a blank email)

Adding the message:

Now you have a blank template you can add a generic message to send to multiple people whether it be company news, a job advertisement or a funny YouTube video you just had to share with friends.

Adding multiple contacts:

To add multiple contacts click on the ‘In’ image next to the ‘To:’ dialogue box this will open up a list of your contacts, and its as simple as clicking the tick box next to their name to add them.

Keeping the message personal:

To keep the message personal I would recommend un-ticking the ‘Allow recipients to see each other’s names and email addresses box to ensure that nobody can see who else the message has gone to(for example when advertising a job)

And that’s it; you can now message multiple people without looking like a spammer!


The socialjamm team.

www.socialjamm.com

www.twitter.com/socialjamm

Tuesday 13 December 2011

School-Friendly Youtube launches

YouTube For Schools has one aim; allow students to access educational videos without the risk of being distracted by music videos or epic faceplants.

The site has thousands of educational ideas including short lessons from top teachers, courses from the world best universities and inspiring videos from thought leaders across the globe.

Schools admins and teachers can customize the experience by creating video playlists for students to watch.  This tool will help to enrich classroom lessons and and bring textbook theory to life. 

A socially interactive classroom will make for a much improved learning environment.  If you are teacher, you can sign up to YouTube For Schools by clicking here









The socialjamm team

www.socialjamm.com
www.twitter.com/socialjamm

Monday 12 December 2011

Spotify Radio - It knows what you like

Spotify has given it's Radio service an intelligent update, making it a cool tool for discovering new music.

Drag a song into the Radio tab in Spotify and it's 'intelligent recommendation tool' will start cycling through similar tunes and presenting your with songs it thinks you may like.

The update will be rolled out in the next few days, but if you can't wait to get your hands on it, download the preview version here.

Is Spotify clever enough for this to work well?  Let us know our thoughts in the comments below


The socialjamm team

www.socialjamm.com
www.twitter.com/socialjamm

Thursday 8 December 2011

Hate embarrassing Facebook photos? Enter Photoblocker

What happened last night? We've all woken up fully clothed, on top of the bed with a mouth as dry as last nights Gin and a feint recollection of the previous nights antics.

After pulling yourself out of drunken slumber, the hangover potentially deteriorates further when you turn your laptop on and flick to Facebook.  You're instantly filled with anticipation and worry as you wait to see how many notifications you've got and more importantly, the reason why.

Drunken photo's are the ultimate embarrasment - sure you can untag yourself but what if a few of your friends are tagged in the same picture? Goodbye pride! Time to go into hiding...

Enter Photoblocker - Now this really would be a good invention!








The socialjamm team

www.socialjamm.com
www.twitter.com/socialjamm

Wednesday 7 December 2011

How to set up an optimised Linkedin Profile Page - Part 3 (The Skills Section)

In our last post 'How to set up an optimised Linkedin Profile Page - Part 2' we discussed how to optimise your page for searches on Linkedin and Google by claiming your custom (vanity) profile URL, boosting your specialities section with key-words and filling out your entire work history using key words.

In this post we will be concentrating on the ‘Skills’ Section and how you can optimise it for searches based on your skills and the ‘skills and expertise’ search feature on Linkedin.

Fill out the Skills Sections

The Skills section is basically a set of key-words that you can add to your Linkedin profile to make it simple for Linkedin to index your page based on your skills, thus making it easier for people to search for you based on them.

Filling out this section is important as Linkedin has a search facility dedicated solely to skills and expertise www.linkedin.com/skills, a person can login to this section and and search for people with certain skills e.g. ‘social media marketing’ and a list of people with that specific skill will appear in the results.

Ensuring that you give yourself the best opportunity to appear in these results is key as it means people who are searching for somebody with your skills can find you, the potential being that they would like to connect to you to do business, offer you a service that may improve your business or offer you a new career!

Filling out the skills section is simple. You click the ‘add a skill’ button on your profile and literally type in your skills e.g ‘social media marketing’. You will more than likely see a drop down menu appear with a list of similar skills. The more you add the more you are likely to appear in the search results.

*Don’t worry if a certain skill doesn’t appear on the drop down list it just means the current Linkedin system doesn’t recognise it, it doesn’t however stop people searching that skill and finding you based on it!

A good tip is to search for skills you possess and see who is top of that list to see what other skills they have to ensure keep up with market trends!

Our next post will focus on displaying your website links correctly and optimising your personal information.

Now start adding your skills! You will be surprised at how many you have and can actually list once you get started!

The socialjamm team

www.socialjamm.com
www.twitter.com/socialjamm


Windows Store - Calling App Developers

Microsoft have just announced they are releasing the Windows Store for Windows 8-based PC's, laptops and tablets when the system launches in 2012.

They are trying to tempt developers over to the platform by offering a larger share of sales than those offered by the AppStore or the Android Market. 

Microsoft is offering software developers 80% of the revenue from app sales and in-app purchases if their app earns more than $25,000.  Below that figure, the threshold is reduced to 70%; the same value currently offered by Apple and Google.

Go forth and develop!

The socialjamm team.

www.socialjamm.com
www.twitter.com/socialjamm

Tuesday 6 December 2011

How to set up an optimised Linkedin Profile Page - Part 2 (Vanity URL, Specialities & Experience)

In our last post (How to set up an optimised Linkedin Profile Page - Part 1) We gave you a brief introduction about what Linkedin is, what it is used for and how to optimise your profiles Name, Professional Headline and Profile Picture.

This time we are going to focus on claiming your custom profile URL and optimising the 'Specialities' and Experience' sections of your profile.

Tip 1 – Claim your custom profile URL

When you setup a new Linkedin account your current profile URL (link to your linkedin profile page) will looks something like this-

http://www.linkedin.com/pub/19/18a/123

It’s hardly recognisable or easy to remember, especially when you can change it to something like this –

www.linkedin.com/in/socialjamm

Having your own custom vanity link makes your page easier to find on Google (SEO), looks much more professional when sharing it with others (potential clients) and supports you or your company as a brand. It’s worth noting that Google indexes Linkedin profiles and linkedin pages rate very high in searches so your URL should represent you or your company by what you would like to be searched for i.e your full name or company name.

You can change your URL by logging onto your profile www.linkedin.com and clicking on ‘Customize your public profile URL’ located on the right hand side of your page. You will then see this pop-up:

The green tick will verify that this name hasn’t been claimed by another user. Don’t fret if your ideal URL has already been taken, be creative …It’s not unheard of to use a double under score to secure a desired name e.g ‘social__jamm’

Tip 2 - Fill out the ‘Specialities’ section with key-word heavy information.

The specialities section is your chance to really market yourself In a nutshell. It should be a short key-word heavy overview of the skill you possess, what you are looking for and what you can do for others.

It needs to feature specific key-words that relate to what you would imagine people would use to search and find you as Linkedin’s search tool focusses highly on the specialities section.

Executed intelligently the same words key-words can be repeatedly woven into a body of text with the viewer being none the wiser. (See how many times we used the phrase ‘key-words’ in the last two paragraphs)

Tip 3 - Fill out the 'Experience' Section with your full work History (and don’t forget the key-words)

This section is a bit like filling out an online CV / Resume, however you shouldn’t go into too much detail as the main aim is to keep people engaged, so stick to the job title and a bulleted list of your experience and successes. (If people want to see your CV they will ask for it, so don’t over embellish your achievements here only to potentially send a CV that doesn’t do them justice).

It is important that you include your entire work history as it will make it very simple for people to search for, find and connect to you if they know you from a previous company that you have worked for. (Your current job title and company you work for (or own) will feature at the top of your profile).

And remember to ALWAYS use KEY WORDS to optimise your page for searches.

*If you are currently unemployed and seeking work, don’t be afraid to post that you are, Linkedin is used heavily by recruiters, and if your profile says you are actively looking for work you are more likely to be approached than somebody who is hiding it. (8 Million+ people in the USA used social media to find a new job in 2011)


We hope you find these tips useful, following them can really help you generate new business, increase your chances of being found from Linkedin and Google searches and even help you find a new job!

We will be continuing with the theme of optimising your Linkedin page(Part 3) in our next post. If you found these tips useful why not let us know by tweeting us (@socialjamm) We also post up to date social media news and tips for all social networks on their regularly.

Now go update your Linkedin profiles!

The socialjamm team.

www.socialjamm.com
www.twitter.com/socialjamm

So Facebook didn't buy Gowalla after-all

Turns out they just acquired the entire Gowalla development team.

Texas-based Gowalla is a two-year-old social network based around the idea of allowing users to "check in" to locations and share pictures from their visits.

Recently it refocused its efforts on becoming a a travel service, offering social guides to cities around the world including London, Amsterdam and Paris, based on its members' postings.

Whist Facebook hasn't acquired the Gowalla product,  having the Gowalla team on-board means you will see more and more location-based services creeping into Facebook in 2012.

[UPDATE]

Gowalla have confirmed on their blog that the service will be winding down in January 2012.  Facebook must have big plans for the new team!


The socialjamm team.
www.socialjamm.com
www.twitter.com/socialjamm

Monday 5 December 2011

How to set up an optimised Linkedin profile page - Part 1




Linkedin is the largest social media network for professionals boasting a staggering 135million+ members, a figure that can’t be (and shouldn’t be) ignored. It is essentially a platform that allows you to network with other professionals, connect to them, share knowledge and market yourself and your business.

Today we will be focussing on setting up and optimising your Linkedin profile.
You can sign up for your free Linkedin profile by visiting http://www.linkedin.com

Your first step to becoming successful on Linkedin is to fill out your profile with relevant and up to date information:

Tip 1 – Use your full name.
Simple, I know, but it’s professional and will ensure that people can find you when they search for you. Keep the nicknames between you and your friends.

Tip 2 – Your professional headline should say exactly what you do.
Again I’m stating the obvious but you will be surprised how many people leave this blank. Your job title gives you credibility and research proves that this is the place that people on Linkedin look at first as this is what professionals (especially recruiters) are most interested in. Ideally it should be Your job title and the current company you Work For e,g. ‘Online Marketing Manager at Joe Bloggs’

Tip 3- Your Profile picture should ideally be a professional headshot of you smiling.
First impressions count - You wouldn’t turn up to a job interview in shorts and a Hawaiian shirt would you?...Unless of course you live in Hawaii. Keep the holiday photos away from here.
These tips will ensure that you are easily searchable and recognised for who you are and what you do professionally!

We will continue on how to set up and optimise your Linkedin page with 3 more useful tips tomorrow.

If you feel the need to share your holiday photos with someone you can tweet them to the team at www.twitter.com/socialjamm we may even tweet you back with ours! – We also post exclusive social media news and tips for all social networks on here regularly. regulary

The socialjamm team.

http://www.twitter.com/socialjamm

How to set up an optimised Linkedin profile page - Part 1 (Name, Professional Headline & Profile Photo)

Linkedin is the largest social media network for professionals boasting a staggering 135million+ members, a figure that can’t be (and shouldn’t be) ignored. It is essentially a platform that allows you to network with other professionals, connect to them, share knowledge and market yourself and your business.

This post will focus on setting up and optimising your Linkedin profile.

You can sign up for your free Linkedin profile by visiting www.linkedin.com

Your first step to becoming successful on Linkedin is to fill out your profile with relevant and up to date information:

Tip 1 – Use your full name.

Simple, I know, but it’s professional and will ensure that people can find you when they search for you. Keep the nicknames between you and your friends.


Tip 2 – Your professional headline should say exactly what you do.


Again I’m stating the obvious but you will be surprised how many people leave this blank. Your job title gives you credibility and research proves that this is the place that people on Linkedin look at first as this is what professionals (especially recruiters) are most interested in. Ideally it should be your job title and the current company you work For e,g. ‘Online Marketing Manager at Joe Bloggs’


Tip 3- Your profile picture should be a professional headshot of you smiling.


First impressions count - You wouldn’t turn up to a job interview in shorts and a Hawaiian shirt would you?...Unless of course you live in Hawaii. Keep the holiday photos away from here.

These tips will ensure that you are easily searchable and recognised for who you are and what you do professionally!

We will continue with 'How to set up and optimise your Linkedin page- Part 2' with 3 more useful tips in the next post.

If you feel the need to share your holiday photos with someone you can tweet them to the team at www.twitter.com/socialjamm we may even tweet you back with ours! – We also post exclusive social media news and tips for all social networks on here regularly.

The socialjamm team.
www.socialjamm.com
www.twitter.com/socialjamm

Welcome to the socialjamm blog - A blog about the benefits of social media networking for you and your business.

We are a team of social media enthusiasts with a wealth of experience in digital marketing, web development and design.

Here you will find regular posts about how best to use social media networking as a tool to improve your online marketing and up-to-date information about the constant developments of social media networks such as Facebook, Linkedin, twitter and youtube.

We hope you find this blog to be beneficial and look forward to sharing our experience with you whilst continuously developing our own skills.

Thanks

The socialjamm team.
www.socialjamm.com
www.twitter.com/socialjamm
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