InformationWeek Stories by Debra Donston-Miller

InformationWeek Stories by Debra Donston-Millerhttp://www.informationweek.comInformationWeeken-usCopyright 2012, UBM LLC.2013-05-22T12:25:00ZPinterest Adds Value To PinsPinterest goes mobile, works with vendors to add more useful information to pins.http://www.informationweek.com/social-business/news/social_networking_consumer/pinterest-adds-value-to-pins/240155399?cid=SBX_iwk_related_news_Business/E-Business_smb  <div class="inlineStoryImage inlineStoryImageRight"> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/galleries/social_networking_consumer/10-social-networks-for-special-interests/240145821"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/galleries/automated/938/Catmoji_full.JPG" alt="10 Social Networks For Special Interests" class="img175" /></a> <div class="storyImageTitle">10 Social Networks For Special Interests</div> (click image for larger view and for slideshow) </div>   If imitation is any indication, Pinterest is doing something right. In their recent updates, both <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/mobility/smart-phones/facebook-home-5-pros-and-cons/240152538">Facebook</a> and <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/social-business/news/social_networking_consumer/google-gets-5-smart-changes/240155023">Google+</a> have gotten more Pinterest-like in their look and feel. While Pinterest's pin metaphor hasn't changed all that much since the platform's inception, that's now changing, with a new style of pins that provide more information front and center. Until now, pins acted simply as a link to the original website. Now, Pinterest is working with dozens of popular brands to show more information -- such as recipes, movie reviews, product availability and pricing -- on pins. A small icon that appears below the picture in a pin will indicate when a pin includes more information. This change will make it easier for users to get the information they need, and it will make branding more effective for organizations using Pinterest for marketing purposes. And with pricing and availability information included as part of some pins, participating vendors are also likely to see an increase in sales from Pinterest. Pinterest itself will also likely see a nice boost as keeping users on its site instead of directing them elsewhere will increase its stickiness. [ Yahoo reaches for a younger, hipper crowd with its Tumblr purchase. Will the match work out? Read <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/social-business/news/social_networking_consumer/3-things-tumblr-brings-yahoo/240155203?itc=edit_in_body_cross">3 Things Tumblr Brings Yahoo</a>. ] Participating retailers include -- but are not limited to, by a long shot -- eBay, Home Depot, Target and Walmart. Sources for recipes include Better Homes and Gardens, Martha Stewart Living, Skinny Taste and Whole Foods Market. Movie sources include Flixster, Netflix and Rotten Tomatoes. (For a full list of participating vendors, see Pinterest's <a href="http://blog.pinterest.com/post/50883178638/introducing-more-useful-pins?utm_source=sendgrid.com&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=rich-pin-launch-user_rich-pin-launch-sub-3">blog post</a> on the new pins.) Pinterest has also announced that it is making its Pin It button available in mobile apps. What value do you think the new pins will bring? Please let us know in the comments section below. Follow Deb Donston-Miller on Twitter at <a href="https://twitter.com/debdonston">@debdonston</a>. E2 is the only event of its kind, bringing together business and technology leaders across IT, marketing, and other lines of business looking for new ways to evolve their enterprise applications strategy and transform their organizations to achieve business value. Join us June 17-19 for three days of 40+ conference sessions and workshops across eight tracks and discover the latest insights in enterprise social software, big data and analytics, mobility, cloud, SaaS and APIs, UI/UX and more. <a href="http://www.e2conf.com/boston/?_mc=MP_BTMEDIWKAXE">Register for E2 Conference Boston today</a> and save $200 off Full Event Passes, $100 off Conference, or get a FREE Keynote + Expo Pass! 2013-05-20T08:59:00Z3 Things Tumblr Brings YahooYahoo is making a billion-dollar play for Tumblr -- and for increased relevancy.http://www.informationweek.com/social-business/news/social_networking_consumer/3-things-tumblr-brings-yahoo/240155203?cid=SBX_iwk_related_news_Business/E-Business_smb <div class="inlineStoryImage inlineStoryImageRight"> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/galleries/social_networking_consumer/10-social-networks-for-special-interests/240145821"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/galleries/automated/938/Catmoji_full.JPG" alt="10 Social Networks For Special Interests" class="img175" /></a> <div class="storyImageTitle">10 Social Networks For Special Interests</div> (click image for larger view and for slideshow)</div>   Almost a year to the day that Facebook went public, Yahoo looks to be entering into a deal that would send a similar level of reverberation through the social business sphere: Yahoo's board of directors has approved a deal to buy social blogging service Tumblr for $1.1 billion, according to published reports. The deal would be a good thing for Yahoo in at least three important ways. <a href="https://www.tumblr.com/">Tumblr</a> is a microblogging and social networking site known for hosting multimedia content -- most notably, animated GIFs. Tumblr has been around since 2007, developed by now-26-year-old David Karp, Tumblr's CEO. (Earlier this year Yahoo paid $30 million for Summly, a news aggregation app developed by a British teenager.) Tumblr is like other social networking platforms in many ways, but -- in addition to giving Yahoo a ready-built social networking platform -- it would provide competitive advantage to Yahoo in at least three specific areas: 1. Content Like Facebook, Twitter and other social platforms, Tumblr lets registered users update their status, comment on other users' updates and share and tag content. But the latter -- content -- is what really sets Tumblr apart. Tumblr's reason for being is blogging. Indeed, by Tumblr's accounting, users are sharing GIFs, videos, infographics and other content -- much of it original -- across more than 100 million blogs and 50 billion posts (and counting). There is also a great deal of potential for integration with a previous Yahoo acquisition, Flickr. [ What is the future of social business? Read <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/social-business/news/industry_analysis/social-business-not-dead-just-business-a/240154840?itc=edit_in_body_cross">Social Business Not Dead, Just Business As Usual</a>. ] 2. Younger Demographic If the teenagers I know are any indication, Facebook is so over. They still use it -- because they have to, for things like announcements from school, coaches and the like -- but it's not their preferred platform. They are flocking to Tumblr. According to a <a href=" http://pewinternet.org/Reports/2013/Social-media-users/The-State-of-Social-Media-Users.aspx">Pew study</a> published in February, Tumblr is growing in popularity among younger users: "Tumblr is significantly less popular among Internet users than the other social networking sites featured in this report. Just 6% of those online use the site. It is much more popular, however, among the youngest cohort -- 13% of those 18-29 are blogging on Tumblr." Yahoo may be able to regain relevancy if it is able to tap into this younger demographic -- and if it can retain Tumblr's current cool factor. 3. Mobile Users According to a report by ComScore, about 25% of Tumblr's users are accessing the site via mobile devices. There are mobile Tumblr apps available for iOS and Android, with the mobile apps providing pretty much all of the functionality of the Web-based version. Tumblr certainly isn't tops in mobile use, but it's gained more mobile ground than Yahoo. This will be of huge importance moving forward as Yahoo looks to expand and extend its user (and advertising) base. What else does does Tumblr bring to Yahoo? What does Yahoo bring to Tumblr? Please let us know in the comments section below. Follow Deb Donston-Miller on Twitter at <a href="https://twitter.com/debdonston">@debdonston</a>.2013-05-16T11:38:00ZGoogle+ Gets 5 Smart ChangesAt Google I/O, Google rolls out new photo, editing and other features for its Google+ social platform, in search of new momentum.http://www.informationweek.com/social-business/news/social_networking_consumer/google-gets-5-smart-changes/240155023?cid=SBX_iwk_related_news_Business/E-Business_smbIt would be fair to say that Google+, Google's social network platform play, has not been a resounding success. Google+ has its proponents, who appreciate the pains Google took to remedy some of the issues seen in public social networks including Facebook and Twitter. Google Circles, for example, helps users virtualize, if you will, their friends from their family from their professional contacts. And no less than the <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/government/leadership/obamas-google-debut-lessons-learned/232500830">POTUS has made use of Google Hangouts</a>. Still, Google+ has not achieved the momentum many expected. That may change given several updates to the platform that were announced Wednesday at Google I/O. The new features were announced at the Google developer conference and in a <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/+SaraMcKinley/posts/JCvsy7x7iQs">blog post</a> by Google+ product manager Sara McKinley. Google said Google+ users will start to see changes to the platform rolled out gradually. Here are five that could raise Google+'s profile. 1. Photos The biggest change to Google+ is a new focus (pardon the pun) on photos. Google seems to be taking the lead from Facebook here, and, indeed, the new look of Google+ is a lot like the revamped profile pages of Facebook, especially in terms of cover photos. Google+ lets users post "bigger cover photos, with a better aspect ratio," wrote McKinley in her blog post. "Cover photos are much larger than before (up to 2,120 px by 1,192 px), and they display in 16 x 9 when fully expanded. This way more images can be used as cover photos, and there's more room for your selection to shine." [ Google is announcing lots of app updates at <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/mobility/business/google-io-wheres-android/240155015?itc=edit_in_body_cross">Google I/O: Where's Android?</a> ] Google+ will also enable users to sift through batches of photos to find the best ones to share with friends, a task that is tedious on Facebook, to say the least. But Google+ won't just make it easier to get to the photos; it will also use a series of algorithms to find images that are most important to the user and of the best quality. 2. Hangouts Google Hangouts, already one of Google+'s big differentiators, will be more compelling through the addition of a mobile app that will let users play games, watch video and access ongoing conversations, among other things. 3. Reviews Google+ will include a new tab for local reviews. Here, users can highlight their favorite attractions, restaurants, movies, etc. This will certainly give users more reason to visit the site (who doesn't want to see what their friends and colleagues recommend and why?), and it provides a new and more focused channel for business branding (even if they aren't the ones doing the branding themselves). 4. Google+ Stream Google+'s stream will get the three-column format that the mobile apps currently have. This will provide easier access to more organized information. (It also looks a lot like Pinterest.) 5. Easier Editing It will now be easier for users to edit their info. "The 'About' tab now consists of separate cards (like Story, Places and Links) -- each with its own prominent edit link," wrote McKinley. "As always: you can share specific fields with specific circles, or keep them just for you." Google said at its developer conference that Google+ currently has 190 million monthly active users, compared with Facebook's 1.1 billion monthly active members. Clearly, Google+ has a way to go to catch up, but these new changes will certainly help the platform move away from the specter of <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/social-business/news/social_networking_consumer/231700059">"ghost town."</a> What changes are you excited to see? What else does Google need to do to make Google+ a force to be reckoned with? Please let us know in the comments section below.2013-05-14T09:50:00Z7 IT Skills Help You Get HiredBig data, mobile management and security smarts matter. See what other IT specialties will help you get ahead now.http://www.informationweek.com/global-cio/careers/7-it-skills-help-you-get-hired/240154822?cid=SBX_iwk_related_news_Business/E-Business_smb <div class="inlineStoryImage inlineStoryImageRight"> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/internet/social-network/5-new-linkedin-tools/240152212"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/galleries/automated/972/LinkedIn-collage_tn.jpg" alt="5 New LinkedIn Tools" title="5 New LinkedIn Tools" class="img175" /></a> <div class="storyImageTitle">5 New LinkedIn Tools</div> (click image for slideshow) </div>  Going on 20 years ago, I was involved with a cover story on what was then a new and provocative concept: the alignment of business and IT. The cover showed a techie-looking guy (plucked from our publication's lab, utility vest and all) and a more polished and preppy-looking person (straight from the copy desk). The idea, stereotypes and all, was that IT people needed to become more business-like and businesspeople needed to acquire more tech savvy. Today, that mix of skills is not just nice to have for IT pros, it's essential. Further, a whole new set of skills should be on the radars of IT professionals looking to bring additional value to their organizations -- not to mention a boost to their own careers. This will be true especially for IT staff at small and midsize businesses (SMBs), where resources are scarce and specialization rarely possible Here are seven skills you need to add to your IT tool belt. 1. Big Data Analytics Big data offers organizations a wealth of opportunity -- if they can manage and make sense of it. To support the business, IT pros must become versed in the language of data, as well as in the use of data analysis tools and services. [ A fat paycheck is nice, but it's not the top job-satisfaction factor. Learn <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/global-cio/interviews/what-it-staffs-want-more-than-salary/240154463?itc=edit_in_body_cross">What IT Staffs Want More Than Salary</a>. ] 2. Mobile Management Companies are adopting bring-your-own-device (BYOD) and company-owned, personally enabled (COPE) programs to save money, but such programs also up the management and security ante. With all those devices accessing all that corporate data, IT pros must be adept at leveraging a bevy of tools. These include mobile device management (MDM) and mobile application management (MAM) systems, as well as security tools such as data loss prevention and monitoring systems. 3. App Savvy With the explosion in mobile technology has come an explosion in mobile apps. IT pros need to know how to manage the apps their end users access, support the development of apps for use in-house and by external customers, and potentially even assist in the build-out of enterprise app stores. IT pros also need to be aware of (if not skilled in) the use of APIs to connect applications between and among a growing set of internal and external business systems. 4. Social Skills As companies increase their use of (and reliance on) external social media platforms, IT pros need to be able to speak to the technological underpinnings of such platforms, as well as their security and privacy implications. This goes for widely used sites, such as Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest, but IT pros also need to keep up with a growing number of rising stars, such as Vine. IT pros also need to understand how social business capabilities are being <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/social-business/news/strategy/3-big-social-business-implementation-cha/240124899">integrated into traditional business applications</a> and how that will affect user productivity and security. 5. Marketing When you signed on for a career in IT, you probably never imagined yourself in the <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/social-business/news/social_analytics/social-opens-new-it-career-path-in-marke/240007689">marketing department</a>. Well, with the increasing use of social -- and with social being an increasingly movable target -- marketing departments are pulling in IT people to help them turn on a technological dime. This means thinking about technology in a whole new way. 6. Policy Development Never have so many different technologies opened up so much potential -- and so much liability -- for organizations. When it comes to the use of things like social media and mobile, companies need to be explicit about what is and isn't expected of users. The <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/social-business/news/social_networking_consumer/why-your-organization-needs-a-social-net/231300348">development of policy</a> that does just that is key. IT pros shouldn't be the sole authors of acceptable-use policy, but they should certainly be at the proverbial table as that policy is hashed out and written. 7. Security Security? Hasn't security always been in the IT pro's purview to some extent, you ask? Yes, but IT pros now have to think of security less in terms of reactive patching and more in terms of proactive vigilance -- putting into perspective the stakes the organization has in social, the cloud, XaaS offerings, the use of consumer devices in the workplace and rogue IT, among many other concerns. Would you add any skills to this list? How do you anticipate this list will change in the next year? The next five years? Please tell us what you think in the comments section below. Follow Deb Donston-Miller on Twitter at <a href="https://twitter.com/debdonston">@debdonston</a>.2013-05-09T11:06:00ZLinkedIn Tips: 10 Ways To Do MoreLinkedIn has changed extensively in its first decade. Check out our 10 tips on recently revised features and how to use them wisely.http://www.informationweek.com/social-business/news/galleries/social_networking_consumer/linkedin-tips-10-ways-to-do-more/240154479?cid=SBX_iwk_related_news_Business/E-Business_smbWhen LinkedIn launched 10 years ago, the network was seen as a novel -- but certainly not "must-use" -- online career and contact tool. Indeed, social networking wasn't really a "thing" back then. Today, presence on LinkedIn is quite simply a best practice for any professional looking to progress in his or her career -- whether that means actively seeking a new position, researching and connecting with potential new clients or seeking advice and expertise from members who have a stated expertise in a new technology you are researching. The site has gone from a place to post your resume electronically, search for jobs and connect with colleagues, to a rich social collaboration platform. And while LinkedIn has certainly made improvements during the decade, the last couple of years have seen a flurry of particularly important enhancements. LinkedIn was <a href="http://ourstory.linkedin.com/?trk=corpblog" target="_blank">rolled out</a> in 2003, started by a group that included colleagues formerly with SocialNet and PayPal. Growth was slow at first, with as few as 20 signups on some days. Fast-forward to this May, and LinkedIn has more than 225 million members, with two members being added every second, according to the company. At the time of its Q1 2013 earnings announcement, LinkedIn released an update to some of its stats: -- Unique visitors (including members and non-members) increased 29% year over year to average 132 million in the first quarter of 2013, according to ComScore. When including SlideShare, LinkedIn averaged 170 million monthly unique visitors. -- Professionals outside the United States make up more than 64% of LinkedIn. -- In the first quarter of 2013, an average of 30% of unique visiting members to LinkedIn came through mobile apps, versus just 19% a year ago. -- Page views (excluding mobile) increased 18% from a year ago to 11 billion in the first quarter of 2013, according to ComScore. -- LinkedIn is the 22nd most-visited website in the world as of March 2013, according to ComScore. -- More than 2.9 million companies have LinkedIn Company Pages. -- More than 1.5 million unique publishers actively use the LinkedIn inShare button on their sites. -- There are more than 2.1 million LinkedIn Groups. -- More than 5.7 billion professionally oriented searches were done on LinkedIn in 2012. -- There are more than 30 million students and recent college graduates on LinkedIn today. They are LinkedIn's fastest-growing demographic. When you compare an original LinkedIn home page (shown above left) to one today, it's clear how far the platform has come. In the slides that follow, we look at 10 ways in which LinkedIn has changed and recommend how you can take full advantage of its features. Follow Deb Donston-Miller on Twitter at <a href="https://twitter.com/debdonston" target="_blank">@debdonston</a>.In early May, LinkedIn added the ability for you to tell your professional story using multimedia content, building a sort of portfolio including images, videos and presentations. Recommended Reading <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/social-business/news/social_networking_consumer/linkedin-contacts-5-must-know-facts/240153655">LinkedIn Contacts: 5 Must-Know Facts</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/social-business/news/social_networking_consumer/linkedin-visual-profiles-5-things-to-kno/240154119">LinkedIn Visual Profiles: 5 Things To Know</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/240151721/10-key-facts-about-linkedin-search">10 Key Facts About LinkedIn Search</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/240150916/linkedins-slideshare-content-ads-6-dos-and-donts">LinkedIn's Slideshare Content Ads: 6 Do's And Don'ts</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/240149086/8-linkedin-etiquette-mistakes">8 LinkedIn Etiquette Mistakes</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/240149231/linkedin-endorsements-dos-and-donts">LinkedIn Endorsements: Do's And Don'ts</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/240148957/linkedin-jobs-gets-a-search-boost">LinkedIn Jobs Gets A Search Boost</a>Launched in April, LinkedIn Contacts pulls contacts from your address books, email accounts and calendars together with the LinkedIn network. Contacts is available on LinkedIn.com and as an iPhone app. Recommended Reading <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/social-business/news/social_networking_consumer/linkedin-contacts-5-must-know-facts/240153655">LinkedIn Contacts: 5 Must-Know Facts</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/social-business/news/social_networking_consumer/linkedin-visual-profiles-5-things-to-kno/240154119">LinkedIn Visual Profiles: 5 Things To Know</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/240151721/10-key-facts-about-linkedin-search">10 Key Facts About LinkedIn Search</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/240150916/linkedins-slideshare-content-ads-6-dos-and-donts">LinkedIn's Slideshare Content Ads: 6 Do's And Don'ts</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/240149086/8-linkedin-etiquette-mistakes">8 LinkedIn Etiquette Mistakes</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/240149231/linkedin-endorsements-dos-and-donts">LinkedIn Endorsements: Do's And Don'ts</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/240148957/linkedin-jobs-gets-a-search-boost">LinkedIn Jobs Gets A Search Boost</a>LinkedIn launched a new "mobile phone experience" in April, adding a richer and more engaging stream and more personalization and location features to its mobile app. Recommended Reading <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/social-business/news/social_networking_consumer/linkedin-contacts-5-must-know-facts/240153655">LinkedIn Contacts: 5 Must-Know Facts</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/social-business/news/social_networking_consumer/linkedin-visual-profiles-5-things-to-kno/240154119">LinkedIn Visual Profiles: 5 Things To Know</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/240151721/10-key-facts-about-linkedin-search">10 Key Facts About LinkedIn Search</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/240150916/linkedins-slideshare-content-ads-6-dos-and-donts">LinkedIn's Slideshare Content Ads: 6 Do's And Don'ts</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/240149086/8-linkedin-etiquette-mistakes">8 LinkedIn Etiquette Mistakes</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/240149231/linkedin-endorsements-dos-and-donts">LinkedIn Endorsements: Do's And Don'ts</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/240148957/linkedin-jobs-gets-a-search-boost">LinkedIn Jobs Gets A Search Boost</a>Your LinkedIn page displays visualizations that break down your network by location, industry, school or company. Another visualization shows your profile strength. Recommended Reading <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/social-business/news/social_networking_consumer/linkedin-contacts-5-must-know-facts/240153655">LinkedIn Contacts: 5 Must-Know Facts</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/social-business/news/social_networking_consumer/linkedin-visual-profiles-5-things-to-kno/240154119">LinkedIn Visual Profiles: 5 Things To Know</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/240151721/10-key-facts-about-linkedin-search">10 Key Facts About LinkedIn Search</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/240150916/linkedins-slideshare-content-ads-6-dos-and-donts">LinkedIn's Slideshare Content Ads: 6 Do's And Don'ts</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/240149086/8-linkedin-etiquette-mistakes">8 LinkedIn Etiquette Mistakes</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/240149231/linkedin-endorsements-dos-and-donts">LinkedIn Endorsements: Do's And Don'ts</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/240148957/linkedin-jobs-gets-a-search-boost">LinkedIn Jobs Gets A Search Boost</a>LinkedIn Jobs boasts an advanced search function that lets users more effectively target opportunities. For example, you can search by country, zip code, industry and function. LinkedIn Jobs also lets you quickly identify new results from saved searches. Recommended Reading <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/social-business/news/social_networking_consumer/linkedin-contacts-5-must-know-facts/240153655">LinkedIn Contacts: 5 Must-Know Facts</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/social-business/news/social_networking_consumer/linkedin-visual-profiles-5-things-to-kno/240154119">LinkedIn Visual Profiles: 5 Things To Know</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/240151721/10-key-facts-about-linkedin-search">10 Key Facts About LinkedIn Search</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/240150916/linkedins-slideshare-content-ads-6-dos-and-donts">LinkedIn's Slideshare Content Ads: 6 Do's And Don'ts</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/240149086/8-linkedin-etiquette-mistakes">8 LinkedIn Etiquette Mistakes</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/240149231/linkedin-endorsements-dos-and-donts">LinkedIn Endorsements: Do's And Don'ts</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/240148957/linkedin-jobs-gets-a-search-boost">LinkedIn Jobs Gets A Search Boost</a>LinkedIn's profiles recently got a major makeover. Profiles are much more visual in nature and integrate elements reminiscent of Facebook, Twitter and Google+. Recommended Reading <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/social-business/news/social_networking_consumer/linkedin-contacts-5-must-know-facts/240153655">LinkedIn Contacts: 5 Must-Know Facts</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/social-business/news/social_networking_consumer/linkedin-visual-profiles-5-things-to-kno/240154119">LinkedIn Visual Profiles: 5 Things To Know</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/240151721/10-key-facts-about-linkedin-search">10 Key Facts About LinkedIn Search</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/240150916/linkedins-slideshare-content-ads-6-dos-and-donts">LinkedIn's Slideshare Content Ads: 6 Do's And Don'ts</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/240149086/8-linkedin-etiquette-mistakes">8 LinkedIn Etiquette Mistakes</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/240149231/linkedin-endorsements-dos-and-donts">LinkedIn Endorsements: Do's And Don'ts</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/240148957/linkedin-jobs-gets-a-search-boost">LinkedIn Jobs Gets A Search Boost</a> Recent improvements to LinkedIn search include unified search, which provides info from across LinkedIn people, jobs, groups and companies; auto-complete; suggested search terms; a smarter query intent algorithm; saved searches; and search alerts. Recommended Reading <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/social-business/news/social_networking_consumer/linkedin-contacts-5-must-know-facts/240153655">LinkedIn Contacts: 5 Must-Know Facts</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/social-business/news/social_networking_consumer/linkedin-visual-profiles-5-things-to-kno/240154119">LinkedIn Visual Profiles: 5 Things To Know</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/240151721/10-key-facts-about-linkedin-search">10 Key Facts About LinkedIn Search</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/240150916/linkedins-slideshare-content-ads-6-dos-and-donts">LinkedIn's Slideshare Content Ads: 6 Do's And Don'ts</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/240149086/8-linkedin-etiquette-mistakes">8 LinkedIn Etiquette Mistakes</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/240149231/linkedin-endorsements-dos-and-donts">LinkedIn Endorsements: Do's And Don'ts</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/240148957/linkedin-jobs-gets-a-search-boost">LinkedIn Jobs Gets A Search Boost</a>LinkedIn Endorsements lets members recognize colleagues for certain skills. Endorsements are showcased in the person's Skills & Expertise section. Recommended Reading <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/social-business/news/social_networking_consumer/linkedin-contacts-5-must-know-facts/240153655">LinkedIn Contacts: 5 Must-Know Facts</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/social-business/news/social_networking_consumer/linkedin-visual-profiles-5-things-to-kno/240154119">LinkedIn Visual Profiles: 5 Things To Know</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/240151721/10-key-facts-about-linkedin-search">10 Key Facts About LinkedIn Search</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/240150916/linkedins-slideshare-content-ads-6-dos-and-donts">LinkedIn's Slideshare Content Ads: 6 Do's And Don'ts</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/240149086/8-linkedin-etiquette-mistakes">8 LinkedIn Etiquette Mistakes</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/240149231/linkedin-endorsements-dos-and-donts">LinkedIn Endorsements: Do's And Don'ts</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/240148957/linkedin-jobs-gets-a-search-boost">LinkedIn Jobs Gets A Search Boost</a>Of course, you could have used SlideShare before LinkedIn acquired it in 2012, but it's a natural complement to LinkedIn Profiles, helping you more effectively demonstrate expertise and share relevant content. Recommended Reading <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/social-business/news/social_networking_consumer/linkedin-contacts-5-must-know-facts/240153655">LinkedIn Contacts: 5 Must-Know Facts</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/social-business/news/social_networking_consumer/linkedin-visual-profiles-5-things-to-kno/240154119">LinkedIn Visual Profiles: 5 Things To Know</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/240151721/10-key-facts-about-linkedin-search">10 Key Facts About LinkedIn Search</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/240150916/linkedins-slideshare-content-ads-6-dos-and-donts">LinkedIn's Slideshare Content Ads: 6 Do's And Don'ts</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/240149086/8-linkedin-etiquette-mistakes">8 LinkedIn Etiquette Mistakes</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/240149231/linkedin-endorsements-dos-and-donts">LinkedIn Endorsements: Do's And Don'ts</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/240148957/linkedin-jobs-gets-a-search-boost">LinkedIn Jobs Gets A Search Boost</a>Another recent acquisition, the Pulse news reader and mobile content distribution platform provides more reason for LinkedIn members to spend more time on the platform. Recommended Reading <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/social-business/news/social_networking_consumer/linkedin-contacts-5-must-know-facts/240153655">LinkedIn Contacts: 5 Must-Know Facts</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/social-business/news/social_networking_consumer/linkedin-visual-profiles-5-things-to-kno/240154119">LinkedIn Visual Profiles: 5 Things To Know</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/240151721/10-key-facts-about-linkedin-search">10 Key Facts About LinkedIn Search</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/240150916/linkedins-slideshare-content-ads-6-dos-and-donts">LinkedIn's Slideshare Content Ads: 6 Do's And Don'ts</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/240149086/8-linkedin-etiquette-mistakes">8 LinkedIn Etiquette Mistakes</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/240149231/linkedin-endorsements-dos-and-donts">LinkedIn Endorsements: Do's And Don'ts</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/240148957/linkedin-jobs-gets-a-search-boost">LinkedIn Jobs Gets A Search Boost</a> 2013-05-03T10:10:00ZAfter Buffett: 9 People Who Should TweetNow that Warren Buffett has gotten social on Twitter, here are others we'd like to see in the tweeting crowd.http://www.informationweek.com/social-business/news/social_networking_consumer/after-buffett-9-people-who-should-tweet/240154160?cid=SBX_iwk_related_news_Business/E-Business_smb <div class="inlineStoryImage inlineStoryImageRight"> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/internet/social-network/5-new-linkedin-tools/240152212"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/galleries/automated/972/LinkedIn-collage_tn.jpg" alt="5 New LinkedIn Tools" title="5 New LinkedIn Tools" class="img175" /></a> <div class="storyImageTitle">5 New LinkedIn Tools</div> (click image for slideshow) </div>  "Warren is in the house." That's the first tweet by Warren Buffett, who finally and famously joined Twitter on May 2. When Warren Buffett talks, people listen, and the same will no doubt hold true when he tweets. Indeed, we'll take <a href="https://twitter.com/WarrenBuffett">@WarrenBuffett's</a> words of wisdom over, say, <a href="https://twitter.com/KimKardashian">@KimKardashian's</a> musings any day. Who else would we like to see on Twitter? Here's hoping we can follow the following people (and not the many fake Twitter accounts set up in some of their names) soon. 1. Christopher Walken Because the world, and Twitter, needs more cowbell. 2. Prince Because Prince's prose was Twitter-ready before there even was a Twitter. ("I would die 4 U.") 3. Jim Parsons Parsons, The Big Bang Theory's king geek Sheldon, says he has "tried" Twitter but found that he either had nothing interesting to say or didn't want to share the interesting things he did have to say. We're hoping he changes his mind. [ Are security snafus stopping you from tweeting? Read <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/security/attacks/twitter-preps-two-factor-authentication/240153539?itc=edit_in_body_cross">Twitter Preps Two Factor Authentication After AP Hoax</a>. ] 4. Kim Jong-un Because it would be really interesting (scary?) to see what is going on inside his head. 5. Tina Fey Because she's smart, she's funny and she has interesting things to say in interesting ways. 6. Tom Wolfe Because it's far too long between books. 7. Bobby Orr Because don't you want to know what #4 Bobby Orr has to say about hockey today? 8. Carl Yastrzemski Ditto what I said about Bobby Orr, except substitute "baseball" for "hockey." 9. Educators Many educators shy away from social, for some very good reasons, but kids need good models. Who would you like to see on Twitter? Who have you seen quite enough of? Please let us know in the comments section below. Follow Deb Donston-Miller on Twitter at <a href="https://twitter.com/debdonston">@debdonston</a>. E2 is the only event of its kind, bringing together business and technology leaders across IT, marketing, and other lines of business looking for new ways to evolve their enterprise applications strategy and transform their organizations to achieve business value. Join us June 17-19 for three days of 40+ conference sessions and workshops across eight tracks and discover the latest insights in enterprise social software, big data and analytics, mobility, cloud, SaaS and APIs, UI/UX and more. <a href="http://www.e2conf.com/boston/?_mc=MP_BTMEDIWKAXE">Register for E2 Conference Boston today</a> and save $200 off Full Event Passes, $100 off Conference, or get a FREE Keynote + Expo Pass! 2013-05-03T09:06:00ZLinkedIn Visual Profiles: 5 Things To KnowLinkedIn users, it's time to tell your professional story in pictures. Here's advice to get you started.http://www.informationweek.com/social-business/news/social_networking_consumer/linkedin-visual-profiles-5-things-to-kno/240154119?cid=SBX_iwk_related_news_Business/E-Business_smb <div class="inlineStoryImage inlineStoryImageRight"> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/internet/social-network/5-new-linkedin-tools/240152212"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/galleries/automated/972/LinkedIn-collage_tn.jpg" alt="5 New LinkedIn Tools" title="5 New LinkedIn Tools" class="img175" /></a> <div class="storyImageTitle">5 New LinkedIn Tools</div> (click image for slideshow) </div>  Think you look all slick and professional in your LinkedIn head shot? It's not enough anymore. Indeed, it's all about the visuals. Photos are proven click- and like-bait; Facebook has put images front and center on its Web, mobile and <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/mobility/smart-phones/facebook-home-5-pros-and-cons/240152538">Home</a> editions; <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/software/business-intelligence/pinterest-redesign-benefits-for-your-bus/240151006">Pinterest</a> is all about images; and now even LinkedIn is getting in on it by adding the ability to dress up profiles with visual content. "For the first time, you will now have the ability to showcase your unique professional story using rich, visual content on your LinkedIn profile," said LinkedIn's Udi Milo in a <a href=http://blog.linkedin.com/2013/05/01/visually-enhance-your-professional-story-on-your-linkedin-profile/>blog post</a>. "This means you can illustrate your greatest achievements in the form of stunning images, compelling videos, innovative presentations and more. From the analyst who makes annual predictions on tech trends to the 3-D animator who is looking to fund a new short film, the opportunities are limitless for how professionals can now use the LinkedIn profile to help showcase these unique stories in a visual way." [ Do you use LinkedIn's contact management system? Read <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/social-business/news/social_networking_consumer/linkedin-contacts-5-must-know-facts/240153655">LinkedIn Contacts: 5 Must-Know Facts</a>. ] Here are five things you need to know about the new capabilities. 1. Visuals are more than just photos. Your profile can be illustrated with not just photos, but also videos, presentations and other types of graphics. 2. It's easy to get started. To add images to your profile, just click Edit and follow the prompts for the Summary, Experience and Education sections. 3. It's not all about you. Once you have added visuals to your profile, other LinkedIn members can like or comment on what you've added. Likewise, you can like or comment on what your contacts have posted. This adds a whole new level of collaboration -- and opportunities for connection -- to LinkedIn. 4. Visuals add to social slip-up risk. There are many ways that you can mess up on social networks, and LinkedIn's visual profiles are yet another. You need to take care with what you do or say on any social network, but this is especially true on LinkedIn because your contacts are likely all in your professional circle (where social missteps may have big, and potentially expensive, consequences). In some ways, this makes it easier to decide what to include -- there's no question, for example, that you should not post those vacation photos that show you in various stages of scantily clad-ness -- but you will have to think about things like competitive issues and walking that fine line between branding and showing off. 5. You can't opt out. Well, you can elect not to implement visuals on your profile. In fact, it's opt in, not opt out. With that said, if you aren't tooting your own horn on your profile, someone else will be tooting his. That someone else may be looking for the same job or contact as you. Or a recruiter might be looking for someone with a skill set that you share with many other people. In both of these cases, and potentially many more, the visuals that you include in your profile may provide competitive edge. Will you be adding visuals to your profile? What specifically? Are there any downsides to visuals? Please let us know in the comments section below. Follow Deb Donston-Miller on Twitter at <a href="https://twitter.com/debdonston">@debdonston</a>.2013-04-27T09:06:00ZWhy Facebook Bought ParseDevelopment platform gives Facebook new mobile cred.http://www.informationweek.com/development/mobility/why-facebook-bought-parse/240153763?cid=SBX_iwk_related_news_Business/E-Business_smb <div class="inlineStoryImage inlineStoryImageRight"> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/mobility/smart-phones/facebook-home-invasion/240152345"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/galleries/automated/974/facebook_home_001_tn.jpg" alt="Facebook Home Invasion" title="Facebook Home Invasion" class="img175" /></a> <div class="storyImageTitle">Facebook Home Invasion</div> (click image for slideshow) </div>  With its acquisition of Parse, Facebook has gone a long way toward filling its mobile-shaped hole. "Today we're making it even easier to build mobile apps with Facebook Platform by announcing that we have entered into an agreement to acquire Parse, a cloud-based platform that provides scalable cross-platform services and tools for developers," wrote Douglas Purdy, Facebook's director of product management, on the <a href="http://developers.facebook.com/">Facebook Developer Blog</a>. The Wall Street Journal has reported that the deal was for $85 million in a stock and cash transaction. The deal comes shortly after another big mobile move for Facebook -- the <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/mobility/smart-phones/facebook-home-5-pros-and-cons/240152538">rollout of the Facebook Home</a> app for Android-based mobile devices. [ Social sites can be filled with potholes and landmines. Read <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/global-cio/careers/5-social-blunders-job-hunters-must-avoid/240153423?itc=edit_in_body_cross">5 Social Blunders Job Hunters Must Avoid</a>. ] Parse doesn't provide a mobile operating system per se, but it does give Facebook developers a framework that will let them more tightly integrate their apps with the Facebook platform. It will also let them create an app that works the same on other mobile platforms as it does on Facebook. This opens up new levels of integration -- and monetization -- for Facebook and its business customers. "By making Parse part of Facebook Platform, we want to enable developers to rapidly build apps that span mobile platforms and devices," wrote Purdy. "Parse makes this possible by allowing developers to work with native objects that provide backend services for data storage, notifications, user management, and more. This removes the need to manage servers and a complex infrastructure, so you can simply focus on building great user experiences." For its part, Parse was reportedly being wooed by many suitors. It chose Facebook, according to Parse CEO Ilya Sukhar, because the two companies and their missions are a good fit. "Combining forces with a partner like Facebook makes a lot of sense," wrote Sukhar in a <a href="http://blog.parse.com/">blog post</a>. "In a short amount of time, we've built up a core technology and a great community of developers. Bringing that to Facebook allows us to work with their incredible talent and resources to build the ideal platform for developers." In his blog Sukhar also answered some questions that users of the popular Parse platform might have: "Will my Parse app be affected in any way? No. Will Parse apps have to use Facebook functionality? No. Will Parse honor my contract? Yes, of course." Does Facebook's acquisition of Parse raise the social network's mobile profile? What more does it have to do to provide a truly valuable mobile experience -- for users and for business customers? Please let us know in the comments section below. Follow Deb Donston-Miller on Twitter at <a href="https://twitter.com/debdonston">@debdonston</a>.2013-04-25T13:00:00ZLinkedIn Contacts: 5 Must-Know FactsLinkedIn's new contact management system beefs up tools to nurture business relationships. What might it mean for you?http://www.informationweek.com/social-business/news/social_networking_consumer/linkedin-contacts-5-must-know-facts/240153655?cid=SBX_iwk_related_news_Business/E-Business_smb<div class="inlineStoryImage inlineStoryImageRight"><a href="http://www.informationweek.com/software/productivity-applications/8-linkedin-donts/240149086"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/galleries/automated/952/01_Intro_tn.jpg" alt="8 LinkedIn Etiquette Mistakes" title="8 LinkedIn Etiquette Mistakes" class="img175" /></a> <div class="storyImageTitle">8 LinkedIn Etiquette Mistakes</div>(click image for larger view and for slideshow)</div>LinkedIn is adding smarts to its contacts tool with the launch of <a href="http://blog.linkedin.com/2013/04/25/introducing-the-new-linkedin-contacts-a-smarter-way-to-stay-in-touch-slideshow/">LinkedIn Contacts</a>. The new contact management system, which comes via LinkedIn's 2011 acquisition of Connected, enables users to integrate LinkedIn connections with contacts from Microsoft, Google and Yahoo applications, among others. Users can then manage those contacts, adding the potential to build better relationships. How does this change the way you use LinkedIn? A lot. Here are five things you should know about LinkedIn Contacts. 1. Contacts Are Drawn From Business Sources. LinkedIn Contacts pulls in data from business-oriented sources such as Microsoft Outlook, including address books, email accounts and calendars. 2. It's Available As A Mobile App. LinkedIn Contacts is available both from LinkedIn.com and as an iPhone app, letting you use the new contacts management system on the go. [ Looking for your next gig? Read <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/global-cio/careers/5-linkedin-tools-job-hunters-must-use/240152212?itc=edit_in_body_cross">5 LinkedIn Tools Job Hunters Must Use</a>. ] 3. Valuable History Info Provides Context. Once all of your contacts are integrated, you can see details of past conversations and meetings directly from your contact's profile. You will also see things such as birthdays, new jobs and title changes. You can set reminders and make notes, making it easy to, for example, see at a glance what has gone down in the past between you and that person you have a meeting with this afternoon. 4. LinkedIn Might Soak Up More Of Your Time. All of this will likely increase the amount of time you spend on LinkedIn. LinkedIn has made several changes recently that have added more Facebook- and Twitter-like functionality to the platform, but LinkedIn still is a site users typically check periodically rather than live on during the course of the day. LinkedIn Contacts has the potential to make the network more social and less stodgy. 5. Service Is Invitation Only. The new contacts features are invitation only right now. <a href="http://contacts.linkedin.com">Get on the waitlist.</a> Does LinkedIn Contacts sound like something that will increase the time you spend on LinkedIn? Please let us know in the comments section below. Follow Deb Donston-Miller on Twitter at <a href="https://twitter.com/debdonston">@debdonston</a>.2013-04-23T11:25:00Z5 Social Blunders Job Hunters Must AvoidAre you oversharing or undersharing on social networks? Job hunters should understand the social behaviors that may concern potential employers.http://www.informationweek.com/global-cio/careers/5-social-blunders-job-hunters-must-avoid/240153423?cid=SBX_iwk_related_news_Business/E-Business_smb <div class="inlineStoryImage inlineStoryImageRight"> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/internet/social-network/5-new-linkedin-tools/240152212"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/galleries/automated/972/LinkedIn-collage_tn.jpg" alt="5 New LinkedIn Tools" title="5 New LinkedIn Tools" class="img175" /></a> <div class="storyImageTitle">5 New LinkedIn Tools</div> (click image for slideshow) </div> Your presence on social networks plays an increasingly important role in how potential employers see you. What you do and don't do, socially speaking, can be the difference between a job offer and a phone that just won't ring. When it comes to social business blunders, the cliché is the widely shared photo of a clearly inebriated person, perhaps with a lampshade on his head. That's not good, for sure, but the mistakes we're talking about are more subtle and potentially more damaging to your professional reputation. Following are five social business blunders that could cost you that new job. 1. Lacking Social Visibility Not every job requires an active social media presence, but more and more organizations are embracing social as a way to promote their brands, advertise, sell and collaborate. Further, many traditional enterprise applications are integrating social functionality. This means that even if you are looking for a job that doesn't directly involve social (yet), potential employers may take a pass on you if they don't see any social presence or even an inactive social presence. [ Are you using your best manners on LinkedIn? Read <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/software/productivity-applications/8-linkedin-etiquette-mistakes/240149086?itc=edit_in_body_cross">8 LinkedIn Etiquette Mistakes</a>. ] Establishing presence on social networks is just the first step. Once you have set down social roots on the networks that are most important to your industry (LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter are no-brainers, but think beyond that to platforms such as <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/232602079/pinterest-why-your-company-should-take-an-interest">Pinterest</a> and some of the more <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/slideshows/view/240145821">vertical networks</a>) to start growing your presence. That means updating your status, sharing relevant content, responding to colleagues' (and potential colleagues') updates, and so on. 2. Undersharing Social media is all about sharing, and it's good social business citizenry to pass along articles, videos, photos and the like that are relevant to your industry and to the people with whom you are connected on social networks. Employers will notice that you know good content when you see it, that you are able to put that content into context, and that you are willing to share that content among colleagues and business partners. You also want to make sure that you are updating your status on a regular basis. Don't let more than a couple of days go between posts (post more frequently if you are in any kind of direct communications role). 3. Oversharing As I mentioned above, social media is all about sharing -- but there's the kind of sharing you do among business colleagues and the kind you do among your closest friends. It can be difficult to find the right balance when your social contacts are based on a mix of relationships (immediate family members, close friends, current and past professional colleagues, that kid you had a crush on in elementary school, and so on). The best way to handle this -- especially when you are in the market for a new job -- is to err on the side of caution in terms of what you share and how often you share. Oversharing can mean literally sharing too often -- inundating connections' news feeds with updates to your each and every move. But oversharing can also be the act of providing too much information about a particular topic. When it comes to business, the worst oversharing blunder you can commit would be to post more than you should (or anything at all) about the inner workings of your company and the actions of its employees. 4. Inconsistent Social Personas As your social presence grows across an increasing number of platforms, make sure you are presenting yourself with consistency. Potential employers will look askance at people whose job titles or job descriptions differ from one social network to the next, or even at people who present a "party-on" presence on Facebook, for example, and a buttoned-down persona on LinkedIn. If it's public, keep it purposeful and predictable. 5. Spelling and Grammar Gaffes Even in this world of GR8, LOL and BRB, clear and correct communications matters. Ask any hiring manager, and he or she will tell you that the ability to effectively communicate is a key differentiator when assessing job candidates. This includes oral and written communications, which means that any writing you do -- including the writing you do on social networks -- is ripe for scrutiny. Of course, everyone makes an honest mistake now and then, but if your posts are <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/social_networking_consumer/240004540/11-most-common-grammar-gaffes-on-social-media ">riddled with spelling and grammatical errors</a>, you may be putting yourself out of the running very early in the race. Has social made a difference in your job hunt? In your recruiting activities? Please let us know in the comments section below. Follow Deb Donston-Miller on Twitter at <a href="https://twitter.com/debdonston">@debdonston</a>. E2 is the only event of its kind, bringing together business and technology leaders across IT, marketing, and other lines of business looking for new ways to evolve their enterprise applications strategy and transform their organizations to achieve business value. Join us June 17-19 for three days of 40+ conference sessions and workshops across eight tracks and discover the latest insights in enterprise social software, big data and analytics, mobility, cloud, SaaS and APIs, UI/UX and more. <a href="http://www.e2conf.com/boston/?_mc=MP_BTMEDIWKAXE">Register for E2 Conference Boston today</a> and save $200 off Full Event Passes, $100 off Conference, or get a FREE Keynote + Expo Pass! 2013-04-18T13:27:00ZWhen Tragedy Strikes, It's Not Social Business As UsualIn the aftermath of tragic events, respect and restraint should guide organizations on social media.http://www.informationweek.com/software/when-tragedy-strikes-its-not-social-busi/240153152?cid=SBX_iwk_related_news_Business/E-Business_smbIf there were any doubts remaining about the power of social media, they were squelched this week during the horrific events around the Boston Marathon. Amid the chaos and overloaded cell networks, Twitter and Facebook became lifelines -- in some cases, literally -- for runners, spectators, event staff and first responders. In the days since the bombings, social media has played a key role in the investigation into who perpetrated the attacks. I am a lifelong resident of Massachusetts, and for me "Marathon Monday" has always been a day for celebrating the human spirit, courage and perseverance, often against all odds. As has happened far too many times in the last couple of years, I first learned on social media that something had gone horribly wrong: first one isolated post, typically ending with a question mark. Then another. And another, followed by a rush of comments. Then a story from a news outlet, and another, followed by the sinking feeling that, yes, it's really happening. Next, the outpouring of thoughts and prayers for the victims and their families. Finally, invariably, the heartfelt and creative images that are posted, and shared, and shared again. On April 15, all of the above happened in the course of less than half an hour. And that's about how much time organizations that do business on social networks have to respond -- or not respond -- to events that affect their customers and the global community. [ Beware of spammers who exploit tragedies for malicious purposes. Read <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/security/attacks/malware-attackers-exploit-boston-maratho/240153142?itc=edit_in_body_cross">Malware Attackers Exploit Boston Marathon Bombing</a>. ] Shortly after it became clear that what was happening in Boston was no accident, I saw a tweet from a social business expert saying that now would be a really good time for businesses who have automated updates scheduled to postpone them. I thought that was excellent advice, and based on my own Facebook and Twitter feeds, it was the protocol that many businesses followed. An update that would be perfectly acceptable on a normal day could take on a whole new meaning on a day when "normal" seems very far away. Even the act of updating alone could be considered insensitive. I also noticed that businesses that chose to acknowledge the bombings at the Marathon kept their posts very simple. For example, on Facebook, Wholly Guacamole posted a photo of Boston's skyline, captioned "We stand with Boston." The update accompanying it read, "To our friends, family and fans in Boston, no words to describe the heartache." As individuals and businesses alike work to keep pace with the speed of social, it's extremely important to react quickly but sensitively, and to always consider the context within which your updates and activity on social media will be taken. It's not social business as usual. We stand with Boston. Follow Deb Donston-Miller on Twitter at <a href="https://twitter.com/debdonston">@debdonston</a>. E2 is the only event of its kind, bringing together business and technology leaders across IT, marketing, and other lines of business looking for new ways to evolve their enterprise applications strategy and transform their organizations to achieve business value. Join us June 17-19 for three days of 40+ conference sessions and workshops across eight tracks and discover the latest insights in enterprise social software, big data and analytics, mobility, cloud, SaaS and APIs, UI/UX and more. <a href="http://www.e2conf.com/boston/?_mc=MP_BTMEDIWKAXE">Register for E2 Conference Boston today</a>and save $200 off Full Event Passes, $100 off Conference, or get a FREE Keynote + Expo Pass! 2013-04-16T09:06:00Z10 Ways To Get Users On The Social Business BusWithout proof points and support, end users can easily stall your social business plans.http://www.informationweek.com/software/enterprise-applications/10-ways-to-get-users-on-the-social-busin/240152871?cid=SBX_iwk_related_news_Business/E-Business_smb <div class="inlineStoryImage inlineStoryImageRight"> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/internet/social-network/5-new-linkedin-tools/240152212"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/galleries/automated/972/LinkedIn-collage_tn.jpg" alt="5 New LinkedIn Tools" title="5 New LinkedIn Tools" class="img175" /></a> <div class="storyImageTitle">5 New LinkedIn Tools</div> (click image for slideshow) </div> Social business technology has the potential to increase revenue, cut costs, improve relationships with customers and enhance internal and external collaboration. If you're willing to make the commitment to best-practice implementation of social products, there's just one thing that can get in your way: your employees. In other words, if you build it, they may not come. And if they don't come -- or don't fully or enthusiastically participate -- your <a href=http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/240144029/10-signs-youre-not-a-social-business>social business initiative</a> doesn't really stand a chance. Here are 10 ways to ensure that employees get on the social business bus. 1. Don't create more work. If employees feel like you are adding another hoop for them to jump through, they are going to be understandably reluctant and maybe even resentful. Social business technology and processes should be <a href=http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/240143911/7-strategies-to-meld-social-with-business-process>integrated</a> into the existing employee experience, not implemented as a separate (and perhaps redundant) pathway. "For us, this meant building social right into the front of our intranet and then pervasively throughout the digital workplace," Ethan McCarty, IBM's director of social and digital strategy, told InformationWeek. "Social shouldn't mean adding more work for your employees; it should make their jobs better." Chris Miller, CIO at managed service provider Avanade, said that the technology is evolving in a way that supports this. "In the first iterations of enterprise social networking, the capabilities were often in stand-alone silos where participation was optional," said Miller. "The real benefit to the individual wasn't in contributing, but in leveraging the contributions of those around them. As the capabilities become more integrated into business processes and become more mainstream, the expectations of involvement are increasing." [ Do you encourage your employees to do after-hours social media marketing? Read <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/marketing/how-to-encourage-off-the-clock-social-am/240148084?itc=edit_in_body_cross">How To Encourage Off-The-Clock Social Ambassadors</a>. ] 2. Show them the money. It's hard to argue with cold, hard facts -- especially when cold, hard facts relate to cold, hard cash. "It's crucial to educate naysayers on how social can be tied to ROI -- both internally and externally," said Karen Feder, online marketing manager at Webtrends, a digital intelligence company. "The key is to show tangible evidence using examples of how other organizations are using and have used social media successfully." 3. Make it personal. It's important to provide metrics on how the embrace of social business can help the company, but let's face it: We all want to know what's in it for me. To help get employees on board, let them know how social can make their jobs easier and provide new opportunities for them to hone their personal brands. "Showing employees how these new social tools will help them do their jobs more efficiently enables them in the long run," said IBM's McCarty. "We have used a lot of role-specific case studies showing, for example, how a sales person can use social to improve their work. 4. Provide training. Some of your employees will have grown up on Facebook and Twitter, and for them, social business will make total sense. At the other extreme, some employees will have never Liked, or Tweeted, or +1'ed a day in their lives. All users, regardless of their experience with social networking, will need some training -- both to protect the organization and to make employees feel more savvy about (and comfortable with) the use of social networking technology. For example, just because a user knows how to update his LinkedIn presence doesn't mean he will know what he can and cannot do and say in the context of your organization's industry, its culture and the user's specific role. "It is key to have new users attending proper training classes so that they can understand the appropriate social media etiquette before logging in, understand and agree to corporate guidelines of usage and make sure that they are comfortable with the action plans for handling positive and negative sentiment," said Feder. This kind of training should relate to social networking as a whole, but also to specific platforms, according to Sarah Carter, general manager of social media and compliance at Actiance, a vendor of social media management products and services. "To successfully achieve ROI and scale social, every stakeholder in the organization needs to be educated on the best practices of social," she said. "The education program should explain the importance of social, the specific company policy, the objectives of the company, how social works and why it matters to both the corporate brand and the personal brand. Each channel -- for example, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter -- should also be explored to gain insight into their individual requirements."5. Identify enthusiasts. Enthusiasm for social networking technology can be contagious, and social business success begets social business success. It is therefore critical to identify the social business enthusiasts in your midst and to give them wide berth to do their thing and show their stuff. "Another thing we've done is to try to push against open doors -- and by that I mean start with parts of the population who have a natural tendency to use these kinds of new work methods and engage the executives and other rock stars in the organization," said IBM's McCarty. 6. Trumpet social successes. As employees begin to expand their use of social business tools, be sure to call out their successes. Where should you do this? Where else? On the company's internal, and in some cases external, social channels. This will create a kind of positive Catch 22. "Trumpet successes with social as a way to model new behaviors and practices," said McCarty. 7. Make it a job requirement. Of course, people tend to care a lot more about something if their jobs depend on it. You need to tread carefully here -- you don't want employees feeling forced. However, it is a good idea to incorporate specific mention of "effective use of social business tools" -- or something to that effect -- into the communications section of employee evaluations. 8. Measure so it matters. Speaking of evaluations, you need to be sure that you are evaluating what is and is not working with your social business initiative, and that you are sharing that data with employees. Only then will they be able to understand what moves the needle and how their role is related. Key here is understanding that social business metrics may look different than traditional business metrics. "It's not a secret that social media requires different success metrics than traditional marketing programs like email or direct marketing," said Actiance's Carter. "Measuring clicks is not the same as measuring engagement, and the importance is on the message and exposure of that message rather than the number of likes on a page. Companies will need to define and track against metrics that show how connected a brand and individuals are to their networks and whether followers are sharing messages and content." 9. Be patient. Employees will not become experts, or converts, overnight. For many employees, social networking is a huge cultural shift. The willingness and effectiveness with which they use social business tools depends on age, experience, whether someone is an <a href=" http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/232600582/social-business-whats-an-introvert-to-do ">introvert or an extrovert</a> and a host of other issues. Organizations need to let their employees know that social business is critical to growth and competitiveness, and that its use is not optional. But they also need to acknowledge the scope of the change and let employees know that they are willing to be patient and expect some missteps along the way. 10. Listen and learn. Those missteps we just mentioned? They will happen; it's almost guaranteed. The important thing is that you give employees a forum for reporting what's gone wrong and why, and that you then <a href=http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/240006263/5-tips-overcome-corporate-collaboration-challenges>use that information</a> to make changes for the better. How is social business technology being received at your organization? What are some best practices for smoothing the path? Please let us know in the comments section below. Follow Deb Donston-Miller on Twitter at <a href="https://twitter.com/debdonston">@debdonston</a>. Social business isn't just about connecting employees and customers to "collaborate better" wherever they are, from whatever device. It's about delivering real value to businesses, to the tune of $1.3 trillion annually. In this E2 webcast, <a href="http://event.on24.com/r.htm?e=596157&s=1&k=C19214333006DAFF78458612325DA07E&partnerref=ELJ">How Social Business Drives Value</a>, you’ll see how Thomson Reuters, a multinational media and information firm based in New York City, rolled out a social intranet to its 60,000 employees for driving innovation, aligning everyone to the company strategy, and generating more revenue. It happens April 30. (Free registration required.)2013-04-10T12:15:00ZDropbox For Business Adds Active Directory TiesHoping to land bigger fish, cloud file storage leader rolls out Dropbox for Business, with security tweaks for enterprises.http://www.informationweek.com/cloud-computing/software/dropbox-for-business-adds-active-directo/240152645?cid=SBX_iwk_related_news_Business/E-Business_smb <div class="inlineStoryImage inlineStoryImageRight"><a href="http://www.informationweek.com/storage/data-protection/8-great-cloud-storage-services/240151180"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/galleries/automated/967/Cloud_Storage_Services_01_tn.jpg" alt="8 Great Cloud Storage Services" title="8 Great Cloud Storage Services" class="img175" /></a> <div class="storyImageTitle">8 Great Cloud Storage Services</div>(click image for larger view and for slideshow)</div> When people talk about the consumerization of IT, Dropbox is invariably part of the discussion. Dropbox -- like Box, Google Drive, Microsoft SkyDrive and others -- is a cloud-based storage system that enables users to sync and share files. This can and often is done without IT intervention, potentially putting sensitive data at risk or organizations out of compliance. Dropbox has been adding features designed to give companies more control over what their users do with Dropbox, and Wednesday it announced new capabilities, along with a rebranding, with an eye toward business. Dropbox claims that is in 95% of the Fortune 500 companies and in 2 million unique businesses. In an effort to leverage existing authentication infrastructure, Dropbox will now add single sign-on (SSO) capabilities to its Active Directory integration and is working with several partners to ease that integration. "Active Directory is really core to IT architectures, security and compliance strategies," said Kevin Egan, VP of sales, in an interview with InformationWeek. "It lies at the heart of security, so we're going to make it a lot easier for customers to plug in to their existing Active Directory infrastructures, and leverage things like secure sign-on." [ Dropbox can be a great educational tool, too. Read <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/education/admin-systems/dropbox-in-the-classroom-4-great-uses/240152140?itc=edit_in_body_cross">Dropbox In The Classroom: 4 Great Uses</a>. ] Tido Carriero, engineering lead, explained in an interview that the integration with Active Directory will let companies use the work they have already done in setting security and authentication policy. This helps end users and admins alike, he said. "It's good for the end user not to have another password to remember -- they can just use what they're familiar with. And sometimes it can be in an automatic fashion if that's how the admin has set up the system," Carriero said. "Admins can set up security policies depending on the nature of the data being stored, and they can do things like set password requirements, reset passwords as often as they'd like, set up two-factor authentication, set up other kinds of authentication -- whatever they have decided on for their business." According to Egan and Carriero, Dropbox will provide SSO out of the box via a variety of partners, including Ping Identity, Okta, OneLogin, Centrify and Symplified. Dropbox SSO uses the industry-standard Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML), so it will also integrate with any large identity provider companies are using or with companies' own SAML-based federated authentication systems. With this continued focus on business users and entire companies, as opposed to teams of workers, Dropbox is also doing some rebranding. "With all the changes we're making to create a Dropbox that's better for companies both large and small, it's become clear that the name 'Dropbox for Teams' doesn't quite fit anymore," said product manager Anand Subramani in a blog post. "To better rep the features we're building and the awesome companies that use Dropbox to create, share and save their most important work, we realize the time has come to rename to Dropbox for Business." Of course, Dropbox has some pretty stiff competition in the cloud-based storage space, including no less than Google and Microsoft. But the SSO integration with Active Directory is an important step forward in making Dropbox a corporate tool, and not just a tool for consumers. Is Dropbox used in your organization? Will the new AD integration change your take on it? Please let us know in the comments section below. Follow Deb Donston-Miller on Twitter at <a href="https://twitter.com/debdonston">@debdonston</a>. Attend Interop Las Vegas May 6-10 and learn the emerging trends in information risk management and security. Use Priority Code MPIWK by March 22 to save an additional $200 off the early bird discount on All Access and Conference Passes. Join us in Las Vegas for access to 125+ workshops and conference classes, 300+ exhibiting companies, and the latest technology. <a href="http://www.interop.com/lasvegas/?_mc=MP_BTMEDIWKAXE">Register today</a>! 2013-04-09T10:35:00ZFacebook Home: 5 Pros And ConsConsider these five benefits and drawbacks to Facebook's new Android app.http://www.informationweek.com/mobility/smart-phones/facebook-home-5-pros-and-cons/240152538?cid=SBX_iwk_related_news_Business/E-Business_smb <div class="inlineStoryImage inlineStoryImageRight"> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/mobility/smart-phones/facebook-home-in vasion/240152345"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/galleries/automated/974/facebook_hom e_001_tn.jpg" alt="Facebook Home Invasion" title="Facebook Home Invasion" class="img175" /></a> <div class="storyImageTitle">Facebook Home Invasion</div> (click image for slideshow) </div> In the <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/240152107/facebook-phone-5-musthaves">run-up to Facebook's big announcement</a> last week, rumors flew about what the company would unveil. However, most of the rumors pointed to the same thing: a Facebook phone. It turns out the rumors were true, kind of. Facebook announced not a phone, but a version of Facebook that will be at the center, literally, of some Android-based smartphones: <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/mobility/smart-phones/facebook-home-visual-tour/240152345">Facebook Home</a>. Now that we know what Facebook had up its sleeve, the question becomes: What are the benefits and drawbacks to using Facebook Home? Following are five reasons Facebook Home makes both sense and nonsense. 1. Updates Are Front And Center. Sense: Facebook Home feeds a stream of your contacts' posts and photos to your phone's home screen. I suppose this will potentially save time by removing the need to sign into (or even just click) an app. Facebook Home is visually stunning, at least in Facebook's ads, and the Chatheads feature is kind of cool. Nonsense: In its ads for Facebook Home, the social networking giant uses beautiful photos of beautiful people doing beautiful things. I don't know about you, but my Facebook Newsfeed just isn't that beautiful. [Social tools can be useful or a huge time sink. See <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/social_networking_consumer/10-ways-to-foster-effective-social-emplo/240150131?itc=edit_in_body_cross">10 Ways To Foster Effective Social Employees</a>. ] 2. Messaging Is Fun. Sense: If you spend a lot of time messaging in Facebook, you will like the Chatheads feature in Facebook Home. Anytime someone messages you, his or her picture pops up on your home screen. You can just tap on the image to start a chat session with the person, while doing other things in the background. Nonsense: I don't know anyone who uses Facebook messaging to any great extent. Chatheads could be just the thing to get people using it more -- or using it at all -- but it seems to me that, despite Facebook's billion-plus users, the platform is still too closed to work as a viable messaging platform, especially for business users. 3. Notifications Get A Boost. Sense: Facebook says that notifications about calls, events, Facebook updates and other apps appear on your home screen "and stick around until you need them." Users can tap what they want to use and swipe away what they don't. That seems like it could be a real productivity boon, provided you are using Facebook heavily for your calendaring and messaging needs. Nonsense: All of this assumes that people are using Facebook in a highly productive way now, but I don't think that is really the case. It might be that the <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/internet/social-network/facebook-news-feed-gets-facelift/240150303">new Newsfeed</a> will enable users to streamline their feeds to the extent that they are seeing what is really important to them, and not a bunch of invitations to games and an increasing number of promoted posts. And, this being based on Android and all, it could be that we will see some kind of integration with Google Apps down the road. Personally, I'm distracted when I get notification of a single call or text on my iPhone -- I don't know how I would do with constant pings. And I don't think I am alone in this. 4. Cheap Phones. Sense: Facebook Home will be available as a download but also preloaded on certain Android-based phones. The first phone will be -- wait for it -- the HTC First. AT&T will offer the new device starting on April 12, and it will cost $99.99. That's certainly a low price, and it might be a big enough draw to lure people to Facebook Home, a proof point in what Wired recently called the new <a href="http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2013/04/rise-of-apperating-systems/ ">"apperating system"</a> model. Nonsense: I suppose it's something of a Catch 22, in more ways than one. The use of Facebook Home will be limited to devices using the Android operating system because the Apple iOS operating system is closed to the kind of tweaking Home requires. For Facebook Home to really take hold, it will have to get a critical mass of people using it. If a majority of smartphone users -- those with iPhones and iPads -- can't use Facebook Home even if they want to, can Facebook develop that critical mass? 5. Privacy. Sense: I got nothing. Nonsense: Privacy experts are raising concerns about Facebook Home, mostly because it is always on and smartphones' GPS capabilities could theoretically send data about your every step back to Facebook. Facebook has published a <a href="http://newsroom.fb.com/News/599/Answering-Your-Questions-on-Home-and-Privacy">FAQ</a> addressing these concerns, but it sounds like a whole lot of, "No problem. You can just turn off any offending setting." The problem is, it can be very difficult -- even for the most tech-savvy among us -- to figure out what needs to be turned off in the first place. Facebook has a history of making changes on the fly that make keeping up with these controls even more difficult, and, with Facebook Home being so deeply enbedded in the Android operating system, I can only imagine that figuring out what you need to do to protect yourself or your business will only get harder. What makes sense -- and nonsense -- about Facebook Home to you? Please let us know in the comments section below. Follow Deb Donston-Miller on Twitter at <a href="https://twitter.com/debdonston">@debdonston</a>. E2 is the only event of its kind, bringing together business and technology leaders looking for new ways to evolve their enterprise applications strategy and achieve business value. Join us June 17-19 for three days of 40+ conference sessions and workshops across eight tracks and discover the latest insights in enterprise social software, big data and analytics, mobility, cloud, SaaS and APIs, UI/U, and more. <a href="http://www.e2conf.com/boston/?_mc=MP_BTMEDIWKAXE">Register for E2 Conference Boston today</a>! 2013-04-05T09:07:00ZSalesforce Chatter Roots Out ExpertsSalesforce.com adds social intelligence to Chatter with Topics and Expertise graph tools.http://www.informationweek.com/software/productivity-applications/salesforce-chatter-roots-out-experts/240152285?cid=SBX_iwk_related_news_Business/E-Business_smbLast month Salesforce.com added functionality to <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/240007663/chatter-in-the-air-everywhere ">Chatter</a> on mobile platforms; this month the company is bolstering the platform itself with new social intelligence features -- namely, Chatter Topics and Expertise, which will enable companies to more easily connect with experts and find related resources based on topics of interest. According to the company, Chatter Topics and Expertise will analyze and categorize structured and unstructured information within the Salesforce.com platform, connecting related experts, files, groups and other information on a single topic page. This sounds a lot like what knowledge management promised to be -- but wasn't -- decades ago, said Denis Pombriant, managing principal, founder and managing principal of Beagle Research Group. "In some ways this announcement seems like the culmination of knowledge management from almost two decades ago," he said. "KM was supposed to enable companies to expose everything that was known either in files or in people's heads, but it had none of the technology needed to get the job done. But this confluence of multiple tools that employ social concepts gets us at least part of the way there." [ Does your company encourage employees to use social tools? Read <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/social_networking_consumer/10-ways-to-foster-effective-social-emplo/240150131?itc=edit_in_body_cross">10 Ways To Foster Effective Social Employees</a>. ] Chatter Topics and Expertise build on users' social and business "graphs," according to Salesforce.com. A graph in the context of social networking is a map of what and who people are interested in, as well as how all of these people and things are connected. <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/social_networking_consumer/240146391/5-things-facebook-graph-search-means-for-business">Facebook Graph Search</a> is based on this idea as well. In a statement, Saleforce.com suggested how Topics and Expertise might be used: "For example, a new hire will be able to discover topic pages and groups to help her become productive within a few hours versus days or weeks." The statement continued, "Additionally, any employee will be able to identify and connect with experts in real-time, whether it is a product expert who provides insight into a development roadmap, or an influencer who drives thought leadership. Now, every employee can contribute, discover and connect like never before." The ability to identify expertise is core to social business applications, and indeed, it's not new for Chatter. Topics and Expertise seem to up the ante, however, by automating some of that connectivity. This, says Pombriant, illustrates the increasing need -- and growing ability -- for companies to exploit the data present in their people and systems. "It's no secret that we are rapidly moving from an information paradigm to a knowledge-based one," he said. "That means people don't simply leverage what they know against what someone doesn't know -- a typical arbitrage situation. It does mean that people need to access and consolidate information to synthesize it into knowledge that can help move a company to make better decisions faster. This can't be done by corporate edict; it has to be done at the grassroots level of the organization in all of the decisions people make daily." How would you rate your organization's ability to connect people with the information they need to do their job -- whether they know they need the information or not? Do you think it's a function of technology? Please let us know in the comments section below. Follow Deb Donston-Miller on Twitter at <a href="https://twitter.com/debdonston">@debdonston</a>. Attend Interop Las Vegas May 6-10 and learn the emerging trends in information risk management and security. Use Priority Code MPIWK by March 22 to save an additional $200 off the early bird discount on All Access and Conference Passes. Join us in Las Vegas for access to 125+ workshops and conference classes, 300+ exhibiting companies, and the latest technology. <a href="http://www.interop.com/lasvegas/?_mc=MP_BTMEDIWKAXE">Register today</a>! 2013-04-04T11:06:00Z5 LinkedIn Tools Job Hunters Must UseLinkedIn rolls out new social networking capabilities that can help you find a new job.http://www.informationweek.com/global-cio/careers/5-linkedin-tools-job-hunters-must-use/240152212?cid=SBX_iwk_related_news_Business/E-Business_smbMany professionals choose not to participate on social networks. Indeed, more people are now opting out, sometimes publicly, from Facebook and Twitter, saying that the noise and recent commercialism are making the networks less valuable for professional use. Depending on your job and your industry, you can argue whether people who do opt out of social networks like Facebook are hurting their careers. However, for those who want to get a new job, or get ahead in their current job, there's really no arguing that participation on LinkedIn is a must. And that doesn't just mean throwing up your resume and calling it a day. To make effective use of LinkedIn, especially with recent updates made to the platform, you need to do some care and feeding. LinkedIn is generally considered to be the most business-oriented of all public social networks, although Google+ is definitely a contender. However, up until the last year or so, LinkedIn was considered, well, kind of stodgy and old-school. To the chagrin of some who appreciated that old-school bent, LinkedIn has recently made a series of updates that make the platform look and feel more like a modern social network -- along the way providing more opportunities for users to brand themselves. The changes are mostly positive, but they do require that you pay a little more attention to your own presence, and, in some cases, more attention to the presence of others. In some ways, making effective use of LinkedIn requires the same best practices we've recommended before. These include: 1. Make Sure Your Profile Is Complete. This sounds like a no-brainer, but many people start entering their information and never finish. 2. Join Groups. Do some research to see which are the most active and the most relevant to your areas of expertise, as well as which groups include people you respect and would like to be associated with. Your groups are also listed in your profile, so you will want to make sure they reflect your professional interests and goals. 3. Demonstrate Your Expertise. It is one thing to reel off your accomplishments resume-style, but it's another thing entirely to demonstrate that you know your stuff. This can be done, for example, by answering questions posed publicly by industry peers, or by sharing relevant content with your contacts. 4. Be Selective About Your Posts. This goes for pretty much any social network, but especially for LinkedIn: Update your status with informative posts that provide value to those reading them. 5. Get Referred. A very powerful feature on LinkedIn is References. Ask colleagues and managers, past and present, to write you a LinkedIn reference. 6. Be A Referral. Don't forget to return the favor. Not every reference can and should be reciprocated, but referrals are another form of networking and another reflection on you. 7. Get Connected. Again, this one sounds like another no brainer, but effective use of LinkedIn depends on actively cultivating your contacts. Periodically check the "People You May Know" list, and request a connection with people you have done business with or want to do business with. The more connections you make, the bigger that list grows. 8. Use Those Connections. As your network grows, so should your efforts in cultivating it. When you get a notification that someone has changed his title, check it out and send a note of congratulations if the change shows a promotion. Have you noticed that someone has added new experience similar to yours? Send a quick message and offer to compare notes. These are the kinds of efforts that build your brand and can open doors. 9. Be Smart. Make sure that any information you provide about projects you are working on or about your company in general is in line with stated social networking policy. And, even if it's not in writing, use common sense and don't provide information that could be considered confidential or sensitive. When in doubt, leave it out. 10. Get A Great New Job. Any network cultivation that you do on LinkedIn could lead to your next job, but LinkedIn also provides job listings, and your connections to those jobs will be listed when you open the listing. It's all about networking, and LinkedIn makes it easy to connect with people who might give you an in. With all that said, there are some newer features -- and newly updated features -- that you should be using to get the most out of your LinkedIn experience. In this slideshow we point to some of those features and recommend how to make the best use of them. Follow Deb Donston-Miller on Twitter at <a href="https://twitter.com/debdonston" target="_blank">@debdonston</a>.When LinkedIn Endorsements were rolled out last fall, they were greeted with a collective "Huh?" followed by widespread disdain. The "Huh?" was a response to the surprise nature of the feature -- no one saw it coming, and LinkedIn didn't do a lot to explain it. The disdain rose up from the tit-for-tat nature the feature took on: You endorse me and I'll endorse you. Some people resented that people they barely knew were endorsing them for skills the endorser had never experienced first-hand. No matter how you feel about Endorsements, they appear on your profile, and you want to make sure that any Endorsements you have are in the skill areas most important to your current -- and especially future -- job. Providing genuine Endorsements to others is a good way to get endorsed authentically. RECOMMENDED READING: <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/240145872/7-business-tasks-that-dont-work-on-social">7 Business Tasks That Don't Work on Social</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/240145326/social-its-a-matter-of-manners">Social: It's a Matter of Manners</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/240151721/10-key-facts-about-linkedin-search">10 Key Facts About LinkedIn Search</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/240150916/linkedins-slideshare-content-ads-6-dos-and-donts">LinkedIn's Slideshare Content Ads: 6 Do's and Don'ts</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/240149086/8-linkedin-etiquette-mistakes">8 LinkedIn Etiquette Mistakes</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/240149231/linkedin-endorsements-dos-and-donts">LinkedIn Endorsements: Do's and Don'ts</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/240148957/linkedin-jobs-gets-a-search-boost">LinkedIn Jobs Gets a Search Boost</a> Recommendations are not new, but they are now more visible than ever. Some would even say they have taken on new currency with Endorsements being so easy to come by. Indeed, recommendations take longer to write, so you might feel funny asking managers and colleagues to write them for you. But they are key to making a good impression. Your recommendations of other people are also highlighted, so be sure to not only provide recommendations, but also make sure you are being thoughtful and judicious in whom and how you recommend. RECOMMENDED READING: <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/240145872/7-business-tasks-that-dont-work-on-social">7 Business Tasks That Don't Work on Social</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/240145326/social-its-a-matter-of-manners">Social: It's a Matter of Manners</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/240151721/10-key-facts-about-linkedin-search">10 Key Facts About LinkedIn Search</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/240150916/linkedins-slideshare-content-ads-6-dos-and-donts">LinkedIn's Slideshare Content Ads: 6 Do's and Don'ts</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/240149086/8-linkedin-etiquette-mistakes">8 LinkedIn Etiquette Mistakes</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/240149231/linkedin-endorsements-dos-and-donts">LinkedIn Endorsements: Do's and Don'ts</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/240148957/linkedin-jobs-gets-a-search-boost">LinkedIn Jobs Gets a Search Boost</a> LinkedIn recently updated the look and feel of its user profiles in an attempt, the company said, to make it easier for users to "tell their professional stories, be found for opportunities, and build relationships through meaningful interactions." The profiles are much more visual in nature and integrate elements reminiscent of Facebook, Twitter and Google+. If you haven't already, you will definitely need to do some work to optimize your new profile. This might include upgrading your profile photo; using the new Network Insights view, which provides a quick snapshot of your reach on Linkedin; getting more active, as daily activity is showcased; and asking for current recommendations, as Recommendations are now highlighted directly under relevant work experience. RECOMMENDED READING: <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/240145872/7-business-tasks-that-dont-work-on-social">7 Business Tasks That Don't Work on Social</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/240145326/social-its-a-matter-of-manners">Social: It's a Matter of Manners</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/240151721/10-key-facts-about-linkedin-search">10 Key Facts About LinkedIn Search</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/240150916/linkedins-slideshare-content-ads-6-dos-and-donts">LinkedIn's Slideshare Content Ads: 6 Do's and Don'ts</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/240149086/8-linkedin-etiquette-mistakes">8 LinkedIn Etiquette Mistakes</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/240149231/linkedin-endorsements-dos-and-donts">LinkedIn Endorsements: Do's and Don'ts</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/240148957/linkedin-jobs-gets-a-search-boost">LinkedIn Jobs Gets a Search Boost</a>The LinkedIn Jobs section now boasts an advanced search function that lets users more effectively target opportunities. For example, they can search by country, zip code, industry and function. The new LinkedIn Jobs also lets users quickly identify new results from saved searches. The page itself is set up to put everything in closer reach. For example, the Jobs You Might Be Interested In feature, which is based on your experience and resume, is more prominent on the page, and the Save Job feature lets users keep track of interesting opportunities. RECOMMENDED READING: <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/240145872/7-business-tasks-that-dont-work-on-social">7 Business Tasks That Don't Work on Social</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/240145326/social-its-a-matter-of-manners">Social: It's a Matter of Manners</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/240151721/10-key-facts-about-linkedin-search">10 Key Facts About LinkedIn Search</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/240150916/linkedins-slideshare-content-ads-6-dos-and-donts">LinkedIn's Slideshare Content Ads: 6 Do's and Don'ts</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/240149086/8-linkedin-etiquette-mistakes">8 LinkedIn Etiquette Mistakes</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/240149231/linkedin-endorsements-dos-and-donts">LinkedIn Endorsements: Do's and Don'ts</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/240148957/linkedin-jobs-gets-a-search-boost">LinkedIn Jobs Gets a Search Boost</a>LinkedIn recently announced changes to its search capabilities targeted at streamlining and relevancy. Improvements to search include unified search, which provides info from across LinkedIn people, jobs, groups and companies; auto-complete; suggested search terms; a smarter query intent algorithm; saved searches; and search alerts. LinkedIn's new search capabilities do not extend beyond the network itself, though. RECOMMENDED READING: <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/240145872/7-business-tasks-that-dont-work-on-social">7 Business Tasks That Don't Work on Social</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/240145326/social-its-a-matter-of-manners">Social: It's a Matter of Manners</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/240151721/10-key-facts-about-linkedin-search">10 Key Facts About LinkedIn Search</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/240150916/linkedins-slideshare-content-ads-6-dos-and-donts">LinkedIn's Slideshare Content Ads: 6 Do's and Don'ts</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/240149086/8-linkedin-etiquette-mistakes">8 LinkedIn Etiquette Mistakes</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/240149231/linkedin-endorsements-dos-and-donts">LinkedIn Endorsements: Do's and Don'ts</a> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/240148957/linkedin-jobs-gets-a-search-boost">LinkedIn Jobs Gets a Search Boost</a>2013-04-04T09:06:00ZFacebook OK For Company News, SEC SaysSEC's blessing is a big -- if belated -- admission that social networks have become an important part of doing business.http://www.informationweek.com/global-cio/compliance/facebook-ok-for-company-news-sec-says/240152224?cid=SBX_iwk_related_news_Business/E-Business_smb<div class="inlineStoryImage inlineStoryImageRight"><a href="http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/data-centers/a-visit-to-facebooks-desert-data-center/240149810"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/galleries/automated/957/21_tn.jpg" alt=" Facebook's Futuristic Data Center: Inside Tour" title=" Facebook's Futuristic Data Center: Inside Tour" class="img175" /></a> <div class="storyImageTitle"> Facebook's Futuristic Data Center: Inside Tour</div>(click image for larger view and for slideshow)</div>Lots of people have gotten into hot water for <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/social_networking_consumer/240150131/10-ways-to-foster-effective-social-employees">saying too much</a> on social media, and company executives have had to be particularly sensitive about regulatory boundaries on social channels. That is still the case, but a new report by the Securities and Exchange Commission brings information dissemination rules more into the <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/social_networking_consumer/240145365/5-social-business-predictions-for-2013">21st century</a> by acknowledging the role social plays in company communications. At the heart of the issue is a case in which Netflix CEO Reed Hastings last July announced some news on Facebook. He posted on the social network that Netflix had streamed 1 billion hours of movies and TV shows in a single month. The trouble was, Netflix hadn't reported this info in an SEC filing or through other, more traditional means. The Facebook post sent Netflix shares up while raising SEC hackles. [ Wondering what's kosher and what's not on LinkedIn? Read <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/231901592/9-linkedin-etiquette-tips?itc=edit_in_body_cross">9 LinkedIn Etiquette Tips</a>. ] On Tuesday, the SEC backed down, saying that companies and company executives can use social networks such as Facebook and Twitter to disseminate news. All of this revolves around the SEC's rules about the fair disclosure of information. The idea is that companies shouldn't provide "market-moving" information to only a select few people. The SEC's determination that social media is on par with press releases or company websites for providing organization-related news makes sense, and is also a pretty big, if belated, social business proof point. "The SEC's report of investigation confirms that Regulation FD [Fair Disclosure] <a href="https://www.sec.gov/news/press/2013/2013-51.htm">applies to social media</a> and other emerging means of communication used by public companies the same way it applies to company websites," the SEC said in a statement. "The SEC issued guidance in 2008 clarifying that websites can serve as an effective means for disseminating information to investors if they've been made aware that's where to look for it. Today's report clarifies that company communications made through social media channels could constitute selective disclosures and, therefore, require careful Regulation FD analysis." In other words, companies can use social media to make announcements, but they have to be sure to tell people where to get information. "Most social media are perfectly suitable methods for communicating with investors, but not if the access is restricted or if investors don't know that's where they need to turn to get the latest news," George Canellos, acting director of the SEC's division of enforcement, said in a statement. Do you think the SEC made the right move? Are social networks the right place for companies to be posting news? Is the audience big enough? Will this make the audience bigger? Leave a comment below. Follow Deb Donston-Miller on Twitter at <a href="https://twitter.com/debdonston">@debdonston</a>. InformationWeek is conducting a survey on IT spending priorities. Take the <a href="http://informationweek.2013ITspending.sgizmo.com/s3/?iwid=pl">InformationWeek 2013 IT Spending Priorities Survey</a> today. Survey ends April 5.2013-04-02T11:30:00ZFacebook Phone: 5 Must-HavesHow could Facebook convince people to drop their current phones for a Facebook-branded device? I have five suggestions.http://www.informationweek.com/mobility/smart-phones/facebook-phone-5-must-haves/240152107?cid=SBX_iwk_related_news_Business/E-Business_smb <div class="inlineStoryImage inlineStoryImageRight"><a href="http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/data-centers/a-visit-to-facebooks-desert-data-center/240149810"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/galleries/automated/957/21_tn.jpg" alt=" Facebook's Futuristic Data Center: Inside Tour" title=" Facebook's Futuristic Data Center: Inside Tour" class="img175" /></a> <div class="storyImageTitle"> Facebook's Futuristic Data Center: Inside Tour</div>(click image for larger view and for slideshow)</div>  Facebook is once again summoning, er, inviting the media for a big announcement on Thursday. This is getting to be a regular thing, as Facebook seems to be taking a page from Apple in terms of revving up the hype machine before "major" announcements. What is it this time? We've been hearing buzz around a Facebook phone announcement for some time, but, based on <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/handheld/facebook-htc-phone-revealed/240152081">what we've been hearing and seeing</a> for the last day or so, it seems that it will be an Android-based phone on which Facebook is the star. What will it take for Facebook to make users switch? A lot. We're hearing that the Facebook-focused version of Android will be demonstrated on an HTC device on Thursday at Facebook HQ. But I wonder if now is the right time for Facebook to be making this particular mobile move. While the company has taken some steps in the right mobile direction, too many of its features are not yet ready for mobile prime time (or ready for mobile at all, with <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/social_networking_consumer/240146391/5-things-facebook-graph-search-means-for-business">Facebook Graph Search</a> being a case in point). And Facebook is still flailing away with the user interface of the social network in general as it tries to develop ways to commercialize its service without ticking off users (at least, not too badly). Here are five things I think Facebook has to do to earn the coveted space on users' smartphone home screens. (Warning: The last is a <a href="http://andromeda.rutgers.edu/~jlynch/Texts/modest.html">modest proposal</a> of sorts.) [ Would an HTC Facebook phone be fixable? See <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/mobility/smart-phones/htc-one-impossible-to-repair-says-ifixit/240151951?itc=edit_in_body_cross">HTC One 'Impossible To Repair' Says iFixit</a>. ] 1. Improve Its Messaging Service When I think about my iPhone, and the functions I access most from the home screen, email is by far No. 1. Maybe Facebook will provide some kind of conduit for third-party email systems, and, being based on Android, it doesn't seem crazy to believe that Gmail could be integrated somehow. But I'm guessing that Facebook will want to push users to its own messaging system. The thing is, that system is OK for sending a private message here and there, but it's not easy to find messages once you have sent them, or to associate messages other than by individual user. I realize that a social network is intended in many ways to replace the old email paradigm -- and I just saw a report from the <a href="http://bostonglobe.com/business/2013/03/29/mail-gets-cold-shoulder/xWOVx0s9h8EXVs8t6MxrmO/story.html">Boston Globe</a> looking at how email volume is declining with the increasing use of social networks, text messaging and the like -- but the fact remains that email still has its place. 2. Provide Calendar Integration After email, the function I access most on my smartphone is the calendar. And that calendar is useful to me because it pulls from all of the various calendars I use. If Facebook wants to be the first thing I see when I unlock my device, it had better not make me miss that conference call -- or dentist appointment -- because I can't see all of my calendars in one place. And, right now, Facebook's calendaring options just don't cut it on their own. 3. Stop Deciding What Users Want To See I recently had a conversation with a person who couldn't figure out why she wasn't seeing Facebook posts from all of the people she had friended on Facebook. Of course, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/EdgeRankAlgorithm">EdgeRank</a>, Facebook's mysterious algorithm for determining who sees what, is at work here. There are ways to set up your account to see more rather than less, but Facebook is still doing much of the deciding (including, infuriatingly, whether I see Most Recent posts or Top Stories, no matter how many times I switch back). I get that Facebook is setting itself up more and more to provide a platform on which businesses can meaningfully market and sell -- which requires that they know who they are marketing and selling to so that they can focus that activity -- but doing so at the cost of user productivity and satisfaction is short-sighted. 4. Enough With The Promoted Posts Again, I know Facebook has to figure out ways to make money. But the promoted posts are starting to get ridiculous. Not so long ago, promoted posts appeared infrequently enough in my <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/software/productivity-applications/facebook-news-feed-5-coolest-changes/240150342">Newsfeed</a> that I would stop and think, "Did I like that page?" Now it seems like every other post is a promoted post. That may be a bit of an exaggeration, but it's getting less and less valuable -- or even enjoyable -- to check Facebook. There are too many other places where users can get what they get from Facebook. (And, if my two teenage daughters and their friends can be considered a focus group for their generation, Facebook is totally lame because it has gotten so commercialized.) On mobile, especially, too many promoted posts get in the way of a meaningful experience. 5. Crush. Kill. Destroy. The more I think about it, the more I feel that Facebook would have to design some kind of malware that would render iPhones, BlackBerrys and other Android devices useless before the company could pry users' beloved devices/OSes from their hands. Or, Facebook could give the phones away for free, which might accomplish the same thing in the end. I think Facebook would have to go that far for a "Facebook phone" to make a big dent in today's well-entrenched mobile device market. Does a Facebook-focused mobile device sound enticing to you at all? What would such a phone have to do to get you to switch from what you are already using? Please let us know in the comments section below. Follow Deb Donston-Miller on Twitter at <a href="https://twitter.com/debdonston">@debdonston</a>. E2 is the only event of its kind, bringing together business and technology leaders looking for new ways to evolve their enterprise applications strategy and achieve business value. Join us June 17-19 for three days of 40+ conference sessions and workshops across eight tracks and discover the latest insights in enterprise social software, big data and analytics, mobility, cloud, SaaS and APIs, UI/U, and more. <a href="http://www.e2conf.com/boston/?_mc=MP_BTMEDIWKAXE">Register for E2 Conference Boston today</a>! 2013-04-01T10:05:00ZGmail's New Compose: 5 Pros and ConsIntroduced as an option, Gmail's new compose will become the default over the next few days. Here's what I like and dislike.http://www.informationweek.com/software/productivity-applications/gmails-new-compose-5-pros-and-cons/240152001?cid=SBX_iwk_related_news_Business/E-Business_smb <div class="inlineStoryImage inlineStoryImageRight"><a href="http://www.informationweek.com/cloud-computing/software/googles-10-best-gags-pranks-and-easter-e/240151036"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/galleries/automated/965/Google_Gags_01_tn.jpg" alt="Google's 10 Best Gags, Pranks And Easter Eggs" title="Google's 10 Best Gags, Pranks And Easter Eggs" class="img175" /></a> <div class="storyImageTitle">Google's 10 Best Gags, Pranks And Easter Eggs</div>(click image for larger view and for slideshow)</div> I consider myself a Gmail pioneer. I started using the service in 2005, when it was invite-only and new enough that I had to spell "Gmail" for people when I gave them my email address. Gmail has changed a lot since then, not least that the service is now part of a much bigger Google/Google+ ecosystem. I've been a big fan of most changes to the service (especially the option not to nest messages), but one change that has made a big difference in my workaday life has been the new message compose feature. Google <a href=" http://gmailblog.blogspot.ca/2012/10/introducing-new-compose-in-gmail.html ">introduced</a> the new interface in October as an option and will roll out the change to <a href=" http://gmailblog.blogspot.ca/2013/03/gmails-new-compose-now-default.html ">all users</a> within the next few days. Not everyone agrees with me that the change is a good one -- one person I follow on Twitter even called it "pathetic." Whether you love it or hate it, here are three reasons I like Gmail's new compose interface: 1. While composing a message, you can see -- and read -- other messages for reference. When you click on Compose from within Gmail, the New Message frame opens up at the lower right of your screen, enabling you to see, open and read other messages. For me, this is a huge boon. I multitask like crazy, and the more insight I have into my email messages, the better. Often I will start writing a message and think to myself, "What did so-and-so say about such-and-such?" I can go through one, two or however many messages I need for context while keeping the compose message window open and entering data accordingly. [ Are you a Gmail die-hard? Think twice about Windows 8. Read <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/byte/personal-tech/mobile-applications/gmail-users-cut-off-in-windows-8/240151889?itc=edit_in_body_cross">Gmail Users Cut Off In Windows 8</a>. ] 2. You can work on multiple emails at once. Did I mention that I tend to do several things at once? I've found that the ability to compose multiple emails from one screen works well in a variety of situations. For example, when I need to share the same info among multiple people, but with a slightly different spin/context for each, Gmail's new compose functionality lets me easily put the messages side by side to compare, contrast and check details. 3. Drafts can be minimized. It's not uncommon for me to start a message and then move on to something else ("Squirrel!"). With the old interface I would save the message as a draft (or have it saved for me), and then have to go into my Drafts queue to retrieve it. Would I sometimes forget I had started the message in the first place? Sure. With the new interface I can minimize the message to the bottom right of my screen to serve as a reminder when I'm ready to get back to it. Now, all of this is not to say that I like everything about the new compose feature. Indeed, there are a couple of things that I hope Google will change moving forward. Here they are: 1. Some features are hidden. Google says the new Gmail interface is all about being clean and streamlined, but some say -- and I would agree -- that it's clean and streamlined to a fault. For example, when forwarding an email, you can edit the subject line, but to do so you need to know to click on the drop-down button next to the reply icon. The same goes for CC and BCC, as well as for many of Gmail's editing features, which you must click to access. 2. Email canvas is smaller. While I really like the ability to see my inbox queue while I'm composing other messages, I do kind of miss the more expansive email composition canvas that the old interface provided, especially when crafting a message that includes graphics. There is a way to "pop out" the compose window for a bigger writing space, but good luck finding it. (I kid -- you can get to it by clicking on the arrow at the upper right of the New Message window.) For me, the pros of the new compose feature far outweigh the cons. And while the pros don't exactly represent a seismic shift in technology, they have made it easier for me to get work done. Relatively speaking, that is a kind of seismic shift. What do you think about the new Gmail compose feature? Please let us know in the comments section below. Follow Deb Donston-Miller on Twitter at <a href="https://twitter.com/debdonston">@debdonston</a>. Attend Interop Las Vegas May 6-10 and learn the emerging trends in information risk management and security. Use Priority Code MPIWK by March 22 to save an additional $200 off the early bird discount on All Access and Conference Passes. Join us in Las Vegas for access to 125+ workshops and conference classes, 300+ exhibiting companies, and the latest technology. <a href="http://www.interop.com/lasvegas/?_mc=MP_BTMEDIWKAXE">Register today</a>! 2013-04-01T09:06:00Z5 Social Strategies For Job HuntersIf you are looking for your next job opportunity, you can't ignore social.http://www.informationweek.com/global-cio/careers/5-social-strategies-for-job-hunters/240151962?cid=SBX_iwk_related_news_Business/E-Business_smb<div class="inlineStoryImage inlineStoryImageRight"><a href="http://www.informationweek.com/software/productivity-applications/8-linkedin-donts/240149086"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/galleries/automated/952/01_Intro_tn.jpg" alt="8 LinkedIn Etiquette Mistakes" title="8 LinkedIn Etiquette Mistakes" class="img175" /></a> <div class="storyImageTitle">8 LinkedIn Etiquette Mistakes</div>(click image for larger view and for slideshow)</div> You could say that there are many jobs that don't require social media skills, but there are few -- maybe even none -- that don't require some level of social savvy when it comes to finding that next new job. For some people, this level of savvy might equate simply to making sure that you haven't said anything offensive or just plain knuckleheaded on Facebook or Twitter. But for any kind of professional position these days, your social skills will play a big role in finding and landing your next great job. Here are five things you must do if you are actively, or even passively, seeking to climb the next rung on your career ladder. 1. Scrub Your Data Clean This seems like it should be a no-brainer at this point, but your social profiles should be free from anything that could be deemed offensive. How far you have to go down this road depends a lot on your industry or your specific job. And, what's offensive to one person might not be to another. A good rule of thumb: If you have any question at all, delete it. It's also good to have a current colleague or trusted professional contact scan your profiles to get a second opinion. You can scan your profiles manually, or you can use <a href="http://www.socioclean.com/Default.aspx">software and services</a> that will do it for you. 2. Sell Yourself, Subtly And Not So Subtly <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/240151721/10-key-facts-about-linkedin-search ">LinkedIn is an obvious place</a> for extolling your professional experience, but any social platform on which you have a presence should be considered an opportunity for personal branding. [ What's the hottest new IT job sector? Read <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/windows/microsoft-news/cloud-jobs-7-million-in-3-years-idc-says/240145194?itc=edit_in_body_cross">Cloud Jobs: 7 Million In 3 Years, IDC Says</a>. ] If you're looking for a job as, say, a network administrator, permeate your presence with networking-related content and updates. You don't want to be so obvious as to high-five yourself on your personal Facebook page for the wireless LAN you just successfully deployed, but you could slip in that you're pleased to be able to leverage your IT skills at your child's elementary school. That's not to say that there aren't times or places for you to market that WLAN experience -- you just want to make sure that the message fits the platform. 3. Develop Content I just had a conversation with a colleague about content. We were talking about how it seems that everyone -- tech vendors, PR firms, retailers and so on -- is a publisher these days. Why? Because people are hungry for <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/231902730/10-tips-for-creating-killer-social-content ">good content</a>, and providing that quality content is an effective way to showcase your insight and expertise. This does not mean that you should start writing whitepapers (not necessarily, anyway), but if you are looking for a position in, say, IT security, you could write a blog post or even a Facebook note listing the Top 10 Biggest Threats to the Enterprise Today. Hey, if that grumpy cat could go viral, so, too, can your insightful musings on security. Even if they don't, a potential employer searching on your social media presence will see that you are a thought leader. 4. Get And Stay Connected Whether you are looking for a job or not, getting and staying connected via social networks is a smart professional move. Of course you want to connect with colleagues at your current place of work, but you should also think about connecting with people at the places you would like to work. You want to be careful about doing this -- you don't want to tick off your current employer, and you don't want to be considered a nudge by any potential employer -- but there are lots of opportunities to connect without being awkward. Commenting on posts, sharing news, liking content -- these are all ways to build a bridge to the people you would like to be working with in the future. 5. Be An Active Participant Doing any or all of the things we have recommended so far will increase your activity level on social networks, but it's important to be cognizant of maintaining steady participation over time. Especially for certain job titles and in certain industries, social media is considered a key communications platform. And, with social networking capabilities being built into more and more enterprise applications, social savvy will be part of the job description for many IT positions. Being active on social networks will not only demonstrate your savvy, but will also increase your chances of being seen and heard -- providing new job opportunities you might not even have considered. Are you consciously using social media to get ahead in business? Please let us know in the comments section below. Follow Deb Donston-Miller on Twitter at <a href="https://twitter.com/debdonston">@debdonston</a>. Attend Interop Las Vegas, May 6-10, and learn the emerging trends in information risk management and security. Use Priority Code MPIWK by April 29 to save an additional $200 off All Access and Conference Passes. Join us in Las Vegas for access to 125+ workshops and conference classes, 300+ exhibiting companies, and the latest technology. <a href="http://www.interop.com/lasvegas/?_mc=MP_BTMEDIWKAXE">Register for Interop today</a>! 2013-03-26T12:07:00Z10 Key Facts About LinkedIn SearchLinkedIn improves its search capabilities to make it easier and faster to find people, companies and jobs on the professional social network.http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/social_networking_consumer/10-things-to-know-about-linkedin-search/240151721?cid=SBX_iwk_related_news_Business/E-Business_smb<div class="inlineStoryImage inlineStoryImageRight"><a href="http://www.informationweek.com/software/productivity-applications/8-linkedin-donts/240149086"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/galleries/automated/952/01_Intro_tn.jpg" alt="8 LinkedIn Etiquette Mistakes" title="8 LinkedIn Etiquette Mistakes" class="img175" /></a> <div class="storyImageTitle">8 LinkedIn Etiquette Mistakes</div>(click image for larger view and for slideshow)</div>Whether you are looking for a new job, a new employee, or someone – anyone -- who can help you figure out how big data fits into social networking wrapped around analytics, search is a key function on LinkedIn. The professional social network this week announced changes to its search capabilities targeted at streamlining and relevancy. There were <a href="http://blog.linkedin.com/2013/03/25/linkedin-search-just-got-smarter/">5.7 billion</a> professionally oriented searches on LinkedIn last year, according to LinkedIn product manager Johnathan Podemsky in a blog post announcing the improvements. "Today, search on LinkedIn is getting even smarter and more streamlined," he wrote. These improvements are among several that LinkedIn has made recently to its platform, including an update to <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/240148957/linkedin-jobs-gets-a-search-boost">LinkedIn Jobs</a>. [ Should you "endorse" LinkedIn colleagues? Read <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/global-cio/careers/linkedin-endorsements-dos-and-donts/240149231?itc=edit_in_body_cross">LinkedIn Endorsements: Do's And Don'ts</a>. ] Here are 10 things you should know about LinkedIn Search. 1. Unified Search. Probably the most important thing about the new LinkedIn search is that the tool is now conveniently unified. Before, you had to search separately on people, companies or jobs. Now you can type what you are looking for in the search field and results will be pulled from across LinkedIn people, jobs, groups and companies. 2. Auto-Complete Added. As you type in your search terms, LinkedIn search will predict what you are looking for and autocomplete your term. 3. Suggested Terms As You Search. LinkedIn now provides suggested terms as you search. This will be useful for, say, when you are searching on "editor" jobs, not realizing that the hotter term now is "content developer." 4. Smarter Query Intent Algorithm. According to LinkedIn, the more you search, the better and more relevant search results will get. 5. Better Advanced Searches. LinkedIn's new advanced search capabilities make it easier to expand your search by using filters, such as company or location. 6. No Mobile Support. LinkedIn's new search capabilities won't be crossing over to the mobile app, unfortunately. 7. Within LinkedIn's Walls. LinkedIn's new search might be expanded -- but not so far to include the Web at large. 8. Saved Searches. Now you can save your searches, saving time and resources when, say, looking for new jobs or new employees. 9. Automated Alerts. You can set up your saved searches so that LinkedIn will alert you when results change. 10. Searches More Like Facebook, Google. Although LinkedIn's new search capabilities do not extend beyond LinkedIn's virtual four walls, they do increase its ability to compete with the likes of Google and Facebook, especially with Facebook's new <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/social_networking_consumer/240146391/5-things-facebook-graph-search-means-for-business">Graph Search</a> features. LinkedIn's new search capabilities will start rolling out to members in the next few weeks. Do they sound useful? Let us know in the comments section below. Follow Deb Donston-Miller on Twitter at <a href="https://twitter.com/debdonston">@debdonston</a>.2013-03-20T10:57:00ZMicrosoft Bolsters Ties Between Yammer, Office 365Three-stage process weaves Yammer's enterprise social network capabilities into Office 365, with additional bridges to SharePoint.http://www.informationweek.com/software/enterprise-applications/microsoft-bolsters-ties-between-yammer-o/240151213?cid=SBX_iwk_related_news_Business/E-Business_smb <div class="inlineStoryImage inlineStoryImageRight"><a href="http://www.informationweek.com/software/productivity-applications/8-key-facts-about-microsoft-sharepoint-2/240145685"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/galleries/automated/936/01_Intro_tn.jpg" alt=" 8 Key Changes In Microsoft SharePoint 2013" title=" 8 Key Changes In Microsoft SharePoint 2013" class="img175" /></a> <div class="storyImageTitle"> 8 Key Changes In Microsoft SharePoint 2013</div>(click image for larger view and for slideshow)</div>  Almost a year ago, Microsoft announced that it was <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/240002667/microsoft-confirms-12-billion-yammer-buy">acquiring Yammer</a> for $1.2 billion and that the social networking platform would be integrated into the Microsoft Office division. Details on what that would look like --and what it would mean for SharePoint -- have been slow in coming, but Microsoft has now provided details on how Yammer will fit into the bigger Office picture. This integration is something <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/social_networking_private_platforms/240115356/microsoft-sharepoint-yammer-get-closer-the-social-story">Yammer's CTO, Adam Pisoni, addressed</a> in an interview with InformationWeek's The BrainYard in November. Although Yammer initially functioned as a separate "destination" for social interaction, he said, its future will revolve around integration with other applications people use to do their work: "The reality is people spend most of their time in Office." At Microsoft's Convergence 2013 conference this week, company officials laid out plans for how Yammer will work with <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/commentary/229401843/">Office 365</a>, Microsoft's on-demand productivity platform. According to a blog post by Jared Spataro, senior director, Microsoft Office division, this <a href="http://blogs.office.com/b/sharepoint/archive/2013/03/19/yammer-and-sharepoint-enterprise-social-roadmap-update.aspx">integration will happen in three stages</a>: basic integration, deeper connections and connected experience. 1. At the basic level, starting this summer, organizations will have the ability to replace the SharePoint newsfeed in Office 365 with the Yammer newsfeed. In addition, the Yammer group app will be available in the SharePoint store, enabling users to embed a group feed into a SharePoint site. 2. In the fall, Microsoft will release an update to Office 365 that gives users the ability to get to Yammer directly from the Office 365 navigation bar. In addition, said Spataro, the user experiences of Yammer and Office 365 will "begin to converge," giving users the ability to collaborate on and share documents in a social framework. 3. The integration between Yammer and Office 365, and among Yammer and Office 365 and other Microsoft products, will increase in 2014, with updates coming every three months or so, said Spataro. "We'll start by simply deepening the connections between Yammer and Office 365 services, but over time these incremental enhancements will combine social, collaboration, email, instant messaging, voice, video and line of business applications in innovative new ways." [ Want to know what's on Microsoft's mobility roadmap? See <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/software/windows8/windows-phone-8-support-to-end-in-2014/240151203?itc=edit_in_body_cross">Windows Phone 8 Support To End In 2014</a>. ] So, where does SharePoint fit into all this? On premises, with connections to the Yammer app. "We recognize that a lot of SharePoint customers are still on premises," said Spataro in his blog post. "They're working on their upgrade plans and want to find a way to connect their Yammer network with their on-premises deployment of SharePoint 2013. ... The Yammer app in the SharePoint Store will be a valuable addition, allowing customers to create connections between Yammer groups and on-premises SharePoint sites." Spataro also made it very clear where Microsoft's social business bread is buttered: "In my customer meetings over the last few months, people have often asked, 'What should I use for social? Yammer or the SharePoint newsfeed?' My answer has been clear: Go Yammer! Yammer is our big bet for enterprise social, and we're committed to making it the underlying social layer for all of our products." At Convergence 2013, Microsoft also demonstrated Yammer working with its CRM platform, Dynamics CRM. Do you see potential in Microsoft's integration of Yammer into its Office productivity apps? Could social capabilities be a distraction to end users? Please let us know what you think in the comments section below. Follow Deb Donston-Miller on Twitter at <a href="https://twitter.com/debdonston">@debdonston</a>. InformationWeek is conducting a survey on IT spending priorities. Take the <a href="http://informationweek.2013ITspending.sgizmo.com/s3/?iwid=pl">InformationWeek 2013 IT Spending Priorities Survey</a> today. Survey ends March 29.2013-03-18T15:07:00ZPinterest Redesign: Benefits For Your BusinessTweaks to Pinterest provide more reason to establish Pinterest presence -- and relevant content.http://www.informationweek.com/software/business-intelligence/pinterest-redesign-benefits-for-your-bus/240151006?cid=SBX_iwk_related_news_Business/E-Business_smb  <div class="inlineStoryImage inlineStoryImageRight"> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/galleries/social_networking_consumer/10-social-networks-for-special-interests/240145821"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/galleries/automated/938/Catmoji_full.JPG" alt="10 Social Networks For Special Interests" class="img175" /></a> <div class="storyImageTitle">10 Social Networks For Special Interests</div> (click image for larger view and for slideshow) </div>   On the heels of the announcement that it is adding <a href=" http://www.informationweek.com/software/enterprise-applications/pinterests-new-analytics-what-business-g/240150843">new analytics tools</a>, Pinterest is ready to roll out a new look. The changes are designed to help users find content that they might not have otherwise found, and to help them engage more with content and with users who have posted content. This is good news for Pinterest users as well as businesses with presence on Pinterest. In a <a href=" http://blog.pinterest.com/">blog post</a> today, Jason Wilson, Pinterest's lead product designer, said the redesign is based on the feedback of a "small group of pinners" who tested the new look in January. The changes are centered primarily on the layout of pins and pages. "We added a few new things to the close-up view of pins to help you discover things you love that you might not have known about otherwise," said Wilson in the post. For example, users will be able to see all the pins on a board without leaving the page, and from one page they will be able to see content pinned from the same source. This latter capability will present new opportunities to businesses because more of their content will be more readily accessible. (All the more reason to make the content on your site <a href=" http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/231902730/10-tips-for-creating-killer-social-content">really good</a>.) [ Learn about Pinterest's beefed-up Web analytics. See <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/software/enterprise-applications/pinterests-new-analytics-what-business-g/240150843?itc=edit_in_body_cross">Pinterest's New Analytics: What Business Gains</a>. ] But the change that seems most likely to up the social ante for Pinterest users is the ability to see what "people who pinned this also pinned." Again, this is another huge opportunity for businesses and more reason to take an <a href=" http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/232602079/pinterest-why-your-company-should-take-an-interest">interest in Pinterest</a>: For example, if content from your company CEO has been pinned, then other content he or she has pinned will also be presented. Pinterest said this feature will be available to Android and iOS users soon. All the changes are designed to "make things simpler and cleaner, without requiring you to learn anything new," according to Wilson. Pinterest describes changes such as the addition of bigger pins as "subtle but useful." The new changes will no doubt hook users more often and more deeply into the Pinterest experience, but there is one that will almost certainly keep them onsite for a longer period of time: Responding to feedback from users who complained about losing their Pinterest place while browsing, Pinterest will now let users who are scrolling through content use the back button to get back to where they started, "no matter how far you've gone," said Wilson in his blog post. Finally, Wilson said, Pinterest has rebuilt its website foundation to make the site more reliable. The new changes will be rolled out to users by invitation soon. How is your company using Pinterest? Do these changes make sense to you? Please let us know in the comments section below. Follow Deb Donston-Miller on Twitter at <a href="https://twitter.com/debdonston">@debdonston</a>. Attend Interop Las Vegas May 6-10 and learn the emerging trends in information risk management and security. Use Priority Code MPIWK by March 22 to save an additional $200 off the early bird discount on All Access and Conference Passes. Join us in Las Vegas for access to 125+ workshops and conference classes, 300+ exhibiting companies, and the latest technology. <a href="http://www.interop.com/lasvegas/?_mc=MP_BTMEDIWKAXE">Register today</a>! 2013-03-15T09:50:00ZLinkedIn's SlideShare Content Ads: 6 Do's And Don'tsUse this new option wisely. Here are six ways to engage, rather than enrage, with LinkedIn SlideShare Content Ads.http://www.informationweek.com/software/productivity-applications/linkedins-slideshare-content-ads-6-dos-a/240150916?cid=SBX_iwk_related_news_Business/E-Business_smb <div class="inlineStoryImage inlineStoryImageRight"><a href="http://www.informationweek.com/smb/hardware-software/8-ways-an-smb-makes-most-of-salesforceco/240148303"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/galleries/automated/947/01_Intro_tn.jpg" alt="8 Ways An SMB Makes Most Of Salesforce.com" title="8 Ways An SMB Makes Most Of Salesforce.com" class="img175" /></a> <div class="storyImageTitle">8 Ways An SMB Makes Most Of Salesforce.com</div>(click image for larger view and for slideshow)</div>  LinkedIn is leveraging its <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/social_networking_consumer/slideshare-a-natural-plugin-to-linkedin/232901482">2012 SlideShare acquisition</a> to boost its ad portfolio. Slideshare Content Ads, announced this week, enable organizations to run SlideShare presentations within standard display units on the site. SlideShare Content Ads provide an interesting way for businesses to get their message across to customers and potential customers, but there's a lot of potential for getting a presentation very wrong -- especially in an advertising and marketing context. Here are six ways to engage, rather than enrage, with SlideShare Content Ads. 1. Don't Waste Users' Time Users are making a bet when they click on a content-rich ad that the content they are about to consume will provide some value to them, not just blatantly extol the virtues of this service or that product. If users feel that they have wasted even a minute by clicking on your ad, you've engendered bad feelings about your brand -- probably the opposite of what was intended. (In this regard, it is also good that LinkedIn SlideShare Content Ads expand in a window, rather than taking users off the site.) [ Do you know what Pinterest users are doing with your content? See <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/software/enterprise-applications/pinterests-new-analytics-what-business-g/240150843?itc=edit_in_body_cross">Pinterest's New Analytics: What Business Gains</a>. ] 2. Think Like An Editor An editor's job is to put himself or herself in the shoes of the reader in order to <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/231902730/10-tips-for-creating-killer-social-content">develop content</a> that will be relevant and useful. When you develop content for SlideShare Content Ads (or, really, for anything), think about what will educate or entertain the intended (or prospective) audience. Think about what will make their jobs and their lives easier. Of course the whole point is to advertise and market your wares, but presentation context demands subtlety in that regard. 3. Don't Just Plunk Any Old Presentation Into The Ad Space It may be tempting to repurpose existing presentations as SlideShare Content Ads, but what worked for, say, a product demo or internal presentation probably won't work as an advertising tool -- not without some major tweaking. 4. Don't Be Too Wordy When it comes to presentations, there are few things worse than a screen filled with dense text that ends up being boring and usually barely readable. 5. Get Graphic While you want to provide some textual context, it's important that your slides incorporate visually interesting graphics. 6. Keep It Short No one wants to sit through a long presentation, especially if they don't have to. You can't get up and leave in the middle of your CEO's long and boring presentation; users can "get up and leave" your too-lengthy LinkedIn Slideshare Content Ad -- and they will. In a blog post, LinkedIn said GE and Constant Contact will be first out of the gate to use the new ads, and that additional lead-generation capabilities will likely be forthcoming. More information is available <a href="http://marketing.linkedin.com/blog/showcase-your-presentations-linkedin-slideshare-content-ads">here</a>. Do you see your organization using LinkedIn's Slideshare Content Ads? As a user, what would make you click on such an ad in LinkedIn? Please let us know in the comments section below. Follow Deb Donston-Miller on Twitter at <a href="https://twitter.com/debdonston">@debdonston</a>. Companies must build more social networking bridges to customers, suppliers and partners -- not just among internal users. Also in the new, all-digital <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/gogreen/030413?k=axxe&cid=article_axxt_os">Get (Truly) Social</a> issue of InformationWeek: Instead of worrying about overseas hackers, worry about the sorry state of your information security defenses. (Free with registration.) 2013-03-15T09:06:00ZPinterest's New Analytics: What Business GainsOrganizations can now tell what people are doing with pinned content, when and why. http://www.informationweek.com/software/enterprise-applications/pinterests-new-analytics-what-business-g/240150843?cid=SBX_iwk_related_news_Business/E-Business_smb<div class="inlineStoryImage inlineStoryImageRight"><a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/galleries/social_networking_consumer/10-social-networks-for-special-interests/240145821"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/galleries/automated/938/Catmoji_full.JPG" alt="10 Social Networks For Special Interests" class="img175" /></a> <div class="storyImageTitle">10 Social Networks For Special Interests</div>(click image for larger view and for slideshow)</div>As Facebook's <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/software/productivity-applications/facebooks-revamped-news-feed-3-things-to/240150353">updated News Feed</a> demonstrates, it's all about the images. Pinterest was built from the ground up on image-heavy content, and companies are increasingly taking advantage of its popularity for marketing and sales purposes. Now <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/232602079/pinterest-why-your-company-should-take-an-interest">Pinterest</a> is making it even more worth their while with the introduction of <a href="http://business.pinterest.com/analytics/">Pinterest Web Analytics</a> tools. Pinterest has become a key <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/social_networking_consumer/240005457/pinterests-success-by-the-numbers">traffic driver</a> for sites, as users "pin" content that interests them to their various Pinterest boards and the content gets clicked on and repinned again and again. [ What's this about private Pinterest boards? Find out at <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/social_networking_consumer/240077504/pinterest-tests-secret-boards?itc=edit_in_body_cross">Pinterest Tests Secret Boards</a>. ] As measured by Experian Marketing Services' Hitwise as of the week ending March 9, Pinterest ranked as the fourth most popular social network -- behind Facebook, Twitter and YouTube -- receiving more than 37 million visits. According to <a href="http://royal.pingdom.com/2013/02/26/pinterest-users-per-employee/">Pingdom</a>, Pinterest users grew from 9 million to about 40 million in 2012. However, up until now, businesses have had little insight into just what users were doing with pinned content. Pinterest Web Analytics tools enable businesses and website owners to get information about how many people have pinned from a site, how many people have seen the pins, and how many people have been directed to a site from Pinterest. Even more useful than quantifying Pinterest use is qualifying it. For example, Pinterest Web Analytics Tools will let website owners see what content is being repinned most, what is being clicked on and what was repinned most recently. This will give marketers and content developers a sense of what is resonating with readers, when and why. So, for example, a recipe featuring guacamole that starts getting pinned as it gets warmer might tell the guacamole maker that it should ramp up advertising during the summer months and perhaps develop themed in-store merchandising efforts. That's a pretty simple example, but the organic and specific nature of Pinterest shares should yield information that cannot be derived from other social networks. To use Pinterest Web Analytics tools, a website must be verified. <a href="http://blog.pinterest.com/post/34315137913/verifying-your-website">Website verification</a>, a feature that Pinterest introduced last fall, verifies that you own the website on your Pinterest profile. With its Web Analytics Tools, Pinterest is rounding out a growing number of business-focused tools and capabilities that it has added in the last couple of years. These include Pinterest Business Sites and buttons and widgets such as the Pin It button, Follow button and Profile Widget. Do you find these Pinterest business tools useful? Leave a comment below. The Enterprise Connect conference program covers the full range of platforms, services and applications that comprise modern communications and collaboration systems. Hear case studies from senior enterprise executives, as well as from the leaders of major industry players like Cisco, Microsoft, Avaya, Google and more. Register for <a href="http://www.enterpriseconnect.com/orlando?_mc=IWKPREM">Enterprise Connect 2013</a> today with code IWKPREM to save $200 off a conference pass or get a free Expo Pass. It happens March 18-21 in Orlando, Fla.