Q/A Friday: Content Curation for Every Digital Lifestyle

Q: I know it's important to be in-the-know and share useful content with my friends and fans, but I just don't have the time to write my own stuff or spend hours searching for valuable articles. I also prefer [email/websites/social networks/using my mobile device]. Isn't there a better way?

A: Regardless of how you prefer to consume information, there's a method to fit your needs. A lot of the options are crossovers as well. For example, you may prefer email, but you probably also receive your email on your smart phone, where you likely also access your social networks. Keep in mind also that this list is by no means exhaustive!

If you prefer... EMAIL
About You: You live in your inbox. It's the one place where you know you can find anything, any time. If someone needs to get in touch with you, shooting you an email is the best way to do it.

Ways to Curate:

• Newsletter Subscriptions. Find websites that create content you appreciate and find useful and subscribe to receive their regular newsletter. This can come in the form of a blog (like Houzz) or a news website (like NBC San Diego). 
• RSS Email Notifications.  You can receive email updates from nearly any website that updates regularly using RSS, or Really Simple Syndication. These feeds can come directly to a special folder in your inbox in Outlook or delivered as an email via a third party service such as FeedMyInbox or Feed2Mail.

If you prefer... WEBSITES
About You: You prefer the convenience of a full keyboard, standard mouse and larger screen. You may not always be with your laptop or PC, but you favor its company to a mobile device.

Ways to Curate:

• YouTube Subscriptions. Even if you don't create content on YouTube, having your own account has its perks. When you subscribe to a channel, not only can that content be emailed to you on a weekly basis but you are able to access it in the Subscriptions section of YouTube.
• Blog Subscriptions. Similar to YouTube, you can subscribe to blogs when you have an account with either WordPress or Blogger. Simply log into your account and look for the "Blogs I Follow" section (WordPress) or "Reading List" section (Blogger).
• RSS Feeds. RSS is a simple and expedient way to have content from various websites delivered to you in one centralized location. Google Reader and FeedReaderOnline are two good choices.
• Personalized Landing Page. Unfortunately, iGoogle will soon be extinct however there are other sites waiting to take its place. NetVibes and Protopage are functional as both an iGoogle replacement or a first-time user landing page.

If you prefer... SOCIAL MEDIA
About You: You are a champion Facebooker, Tweeter, Pinner or Blogger. Email generally feels clunky, and you tend to keep in contact with people on these sites instead.

Ways to Curate:

• Twitter Lists. If you've ever used Twitter, you know how quickly information can pile up. Make sense of the noise by separating who you follow into lists. Lists can be public or private and there's no limit to how many users you can place in a list, or what topics you create. Bonus: Hootsuite can help you digest your Twitter lists even more efficiently.
• Facebook Lists & Interest Lists. Similar to Twitter lists, Facebook allows you to sift through the noise and focus on the accounts you want to hear. Friend lists are private and allow you to filter your friends into separate groups. Interest lists are more about topical content. 
• Paper.li. Paper.li takes your Twitter lists and formats the content into a digital newspaper. Not only can this make it easier for you to digest information, but it also can share with the public via Twitter.

If you prefer... MOBILE DEVICES
About You: You are a person on the go and hate being tethered to a desk. You likely access all of the above options through apps on your phone or tablet.

Ways to Curate:

• Preferred Source Apps. Many content creators have their own mobile phone apps that will even notify you when there is new content available. Mashable, TechCrunch, CNN and MSNBC are good places to start.
• Aggregation Apps. If you'd rather streamline the number of apps you have running, an aggregator is your best option. Check out Zite, Flipboard, Pulse or Google Currents. Besides having an assortment of pre-selected sites available, these apps also allow you to customize your content by adding RSS feeds from your favorite sites or your social media connections.

So, how do you have content delivered to you? Share with us in the comments!


All images courtesy FreeDigitalPhotos.net.

AgentRB OC: I Suck at Twitter... Please Help Me!

Q/A Friday: What are 5 useful resources to help me get my Social Networking questions answered?

Q: I’m a beginner/intermediate/advanced user and need some resources to help me out. What do you recommend?

Image via renjith krishnan

A: Excellent question! Just keep in mind that there are plenty more resources available than what’s on this list, but it's a great starting point.

1. Mashable Guidebooks
   Mashable has created great, multi-level guidebooks for both Facebook and Twitter. Topics range from Intro/101 to using these platforms for business to platform-specific topics like Twitter Lists and Managing Your Facebook Wall.
2. Social Media Examiner How-To SectionBesides Mashable, one of my favorite social media blogs is the Social Media Examiner, and they just happen to have a great and constantly changing How-To Section. (At time of publication, current how-to’s include “5 Ways to Enhance Your Facebook Timeline Page With Images” and “5 Tips to Becoming a Top Blog in Your Industry”)
3. Inman Next
   Chris Smith, Katie Lance and the rest of the Inman Next crew do a fantastic job of making social manageable, especially for those in the real estate industry. Whether you're looking for something long and detailed or short and sweet, video or text, mobile or social, Inman Next has something for you. Make sure you check out their Next TV section and join the InmanNext Daily Delivery group on Facebook!
4. Tech Support Group for Agents on Facebook
   What started out as a small group of agents helping each other with social media and technology has grown to nearly 4,000, but don't let that number scare you! The great thing about having such a large (and active) group is that questions tend to be answered in less than 15 minutes, and there's no such thing as a too simple or dumb question. Thanks to the group search feature, you can see if your question has already been asked, and there are extensive docs within the group featuring information on vendors, webinars, apps and more. Join us!
5. Google
   The solver of all life’s problems :) Keep in mind that you can skip using words like "the," but it's sometimes easier to drill down to your subject using operators. For example, searching facebook site:mashable.com will yield pages on Mashable that reference Facebook and searching facebook filetype:doc will yield .doc files that reference Facebook. Check out this great infographic on effective Google searching and Google's search help article for more information.

Q/A Friday: How do I come up with a realistic (and successful!) social media plan?

Q: I feel like I need to make a bigger dent in the social media world, but I have no idea where to start. Is there an easy way to do this? A: YES! Managing your social media presence is really as easy as one-two-three….and four: Topics, Resources, Schedule, Spontaneity.

1. Decide on your topics Make a list of the things you want to talk about. This can be anything you want, as many as you want, and remember that your list can change as you progress. EXAMPLE: My topics are social media news, San Diego events/culture, baking/cooking, and freebies/discounts.



2. Identify your resources Determine (and bookmark!) sources who are talking about what YOU want to talk about. This can be done by a simple Google search of your topics list. You should shoot for at least two resources per topic, but there’s no real wrong number. EXAMPLE: My resources are Mashable, Social Media Examiner, Sign on San Diego, NBC San Diego, The Pioneer Woman, Bakerella, Groupon San Diego, and Slick Deals.
   
   
3. Schedule the week ahead Create a free Hootsuite account and link your Facebook (profile, page, or both), Twitter, LinkedIn accounts, etc. Schedule time for yourself to take a quick scroll through your resources (once a week for an hour should suffice, but you can adjust this to fit your needs). As you find something that you want to share, schedule it right then and there. BONUS! If you use the Hootlet fuction in Hootsuite, it will automatically shrink your link AND provide you with click analytics! EXAMPLE: Monday might be my Social Media day, so I would browse through my social media resources and schedule something for Monday: BANG! Facebook passes 500 million users.http://bit.ly/chywhb  If I want Friday to be my “what’s up this weekend” day, I might look through my local events/culture resources and schedule something for Friday: Didn't score a ticket to @comic_con this year? Good news- there are plenty off-site events, like Zombie Walk! #sdcc http://bit.ly/b5fPCL Check out just how easy it is to use the Hootlet:
4. Jump in spontaneously. At this point, you’ll be regularly posting like a pro, but remember that social media is also a conversation. Log on at least once a day and take a quick scroll down your feed to see who’s saying what. Leave a few comments, check in with at least one person you haven’t connected with in a while, manage your requests, etc. Another great way to be spontaneous is to use your smart phone smartly. Find a great restaurant or come across a street fair or have something else to say? Get your phone out and take 30 seconds to post it to Twitter or Facebook – even better, take a picture! The easiest way to do either is using an app, but you can also use your phone’s internet service or send a text message to either service. EXAMPLE: Avoid I15 north like the plague! I left Eastlake at 4... Single digits from the 8. Just passing Miramar now. Save yourself if you can! (Posted via mobile web)

Remember, part of your goal should be to become an information resource for the people you connect with. Following these four steps will help you manage your time and make the most of your connections!