Chapter 20

(Almost) Ten Ways to Stay Up-to-Date with Social Media Changes

In This Chapter

Getting your hands on social media news

Finding local technology clubs and events to network at

Following social media movers and shakers on Twitter

Staying up-to-speed with social media can be frustrating, even for people who work in the industry. New technologies are emerging every week, and existing companies are merging, splitting, and adapting quickly. As a job seeker, you certainly don’t need to be on top of the very latest, but knowing what’s out there can help you find new and creative ways to manage your career. Following are (almost) ten ways to make sure you aren’t the last to know about a new tool or development in the world of social media.

Read Social Media News Sites

Following and reading all the various sources of information about social media companies (think company-owned blogs, press releases, case studies, and technical releases) can be a real waste of time, especially if you don’t work in that field. Lucky for you, writers and analysts summarize and comment on these updates on relatively few news sites. Scanning the following sites on a weekly or monthly basis keeps you in the loop regarding all things social media:

Mashable: Mashable (www.mashable.com) offers the most comprehensive news and commentary on the social media landscape.

Read Write Web: This site (www.readwriteweb.com) is one of the most widely read technology news sites on the Internet. Many top businesses rely on Read Write Web to inform their decision making.

The Next Web: This site (www.thenextweb.com) publishes technology news with an international focus. You can drill down into the Social Media channel to reach topic-specific articles. (See the different Channels on the left-side column of the home page.)

TechCrunch: TechCrunch (http://techcrunch.com) is a leading technology news site where you can find lots of information about the tech and startup world. Probably only a third of the news here pertains to social media.

Social Media Examiner: This site mainly focuses on social media for marketing. But if you subscribe to the Social Media News tag (www.socialmediaexaminer.com/tag/social media-news), you can get a clean summary of the most important updates hand selected by human beings!

Set Up Weekly Summary Newsletters

If you don't like to spend your spare time surfing news sites, consider setting up a subscription for a technology summary newsletter so the news comes to you. These newsletters typically contain articles from leading news sites around the web. I recommend SmartBrief on Social Media (www.smartbrief.com/socialmedia), which is the most well-respected social media-news summary you can get delivered right in your inbox. (SmartBrief also offers other industry-specific newsletters, including one with job-search tips and career advice.)

View Real-Time Web Updates with RSS Feeds

When you find blogs or news sites related to social media, such as the ones I mention earlier in this chapter, simply subscribe to their RSS feed. RSS, or Really Simple Syndication, is a technology that allows you to subscribe to and read various websites all in one place. I scan my RSS reader weekly, looking for news and blog posts that catch my attention. Setting up an easy-to-read listening station with your RSS reader is easy. I suggest using Feedly (www.feedly.com), which generates a magazine-like user interface.

Join a Local Club

Getting involved with a local social media club gives you access to other people passionate about social media who are doing the work of staying up-to-date for you. Most major metropolitan cities have a group of social media enthusiasts. You can search for a club in your area at www.socialmediaclub.org or www.meetup.com. Social Media Club has more than 166 chapters in the United States and clubs in more than 40 countries around the world. I'm willing to guess that a chapter of Social Media Club exists in your neck of the woods.

I did a search for “social media” on Meetup and found nearly 3,000 groups around the world, meeting on a regular basis to talk social media, live and in person. Perhaps not all these groups are relevant to you as a job seeker, but they’re likely putting on events and inviting guests who have something interesting to say — at least every once in a while.

Make New Technology-Savvy Friends

Take a look at your circle of friends. Are they open to new technologies? Do they talk passionately about the latest and greatest Facebook feature? Or do they cringe whenever you mention the words text message? If you don’t normally run around in technology-friendly circles, where the words UX and agile are thrown around like chocolate and shopping are on Sex in the City, then you may need to make some new tech-savvy friends. One great way to get to know technologically inclined people is to attend technology conferences and events. Here are some ways to find technology events in your area:

Use Mashable (www.mashable.com) to find annual technology conferences. If a conference is in your area, consider attending, even if you don't know what's going on.

Go to www.eventbrite.com, www.plancast.com, or www.upcoming.yahoo.com and search for local events with a technology focus. These event websites have strong technology subscribers and can help you stay current with events.

See your local chamber of commerce or business journal. These organizations spend a lot of time and energy educating their local businesses and quite frequently offer active calendars with training, networking, and educational opportunities.

Listen to Podcasts

Podcasts are digital audio or video episodes that you can download to your computer or MP3 player. New episodes come out regularly and often represent current trends in innovation. iTunes offers a wide array of free social media–focused podcasts and classes. From Today in Social Media to 6 Pixels of Separation, you have your pick of episodes to download and listen to, whether you’re running on the treadmill or driving in the car.

Watch Social Media TV

YouTube is the second-largest search engine in the world. Companies and analysts can easily produce and upload new videos. So cruising YouTube is a fun and informative way to stay up-to-speed on social media. For reliable and constant content, subscribe to a YouTube channel that’s focused solely on social media by following these steps:

1. Type "social media" into the search bar on www.youtube.com and click on the Search button.

2. Click on Filter & Explore just below the search bar and choose Channel to sort out the social media–related channels.

3. Subscribe to Mashable and any other channels you find compelling.

Read the Tweets from Pundits

Social media thought leaders, not surprisingly, share their thoughts on Twitter (www.twitter.com). Why not follow them and read what they have to say? Of the many self-proclaimed social media gurus, here's a list of tweeps (Twitter users) who truly deserve your attention:

@briansolis

@chrisbrogan

@mashable

@mashable/social media

@jowyang

@charleneli

@TechCrunch

@Pogue

@DaveATNorth

@JoshuaWaldman (hehe)

Use Social Bookmarking

Social bookmarking is a way for Internet users to share what websites they're reading. These sites often track trends and news more accurately than news sites themselves. You can see what articles are being read and shared in real time. Social bookmarking can help you stay up-to-date with social media because people bookmark new and interesting news sources as they come out in real time. Check out www.stumbleupon.com, www.reddit.com, and www.digg.com.