I just read about this fascinating tool, the nextexpertizer, which gathers data about the way people describe things, and then analyzes these descriptions to predict social change. You can read the full article in Google’s new online magazine, “Think Quarterly”.  Soft Values, Hard Facts

Now, this article completely enthralled me, for several reasons. First, it is based on data. It uses data to predict how and when people will begin to believe and adopt new ideas. This data can identify minute patterns, and order them into a process which can predict people’s behavior.

You may know that I love applied data, so this is incredibly cool.

The second idea that I loved is that it mentions that being able to detect and identify patterns is a key strategy for leadership into the future. I think this is really true. While I’m not an economist or anything, my understanding is that our current economic conditions, including job losses, bank failures- everything- was predicted by those who study the data and noted the patterns.

It speaks, clearly, to the idea that those who don’t study history are doomed to repeat it.

(The third idea that I loved is that Google is actually putting out a pretty cool and thought-provoking online magazine.)

Now,data patterning and ordering may seem like a bit of an odd focus for a blog on social media, but here’s why it’s not. Social media is a vehicle for producing change.

We are able to interact with more people, more often, and more quickly than ever before. This has huge implications for the rate of spread of ideas and beliefs, and for creating mass influence. So, as you can see, noting and identifying patterns is directly relevant to social media.

The truth is, people are predictable. To be an effective entrepreneur, you must be able to find and identify patterns and utilize them in your marketing. Watch your social media interaction and engagement. You’ll find patterns of what content gets the most responses and comments. This is the start of your own personal nextexpertizer tool.

On a separate, but related note, I watched this interesting documentary last week- Life in Perpetual Beta- and the best question I took from it was this: “Is lowering the barriers to creativity making creativity happen faster? Or was it always happening at the same rate, but we just didn’t know about it as instantaneously as we do now?”

What do you think?

The biggest question is how technology is shaping communication, and how communication can be understood by technology. Data is really the way of the future, and the leaders will be those who can note and respond to data patterns before everyone else.

A few month ago, I had the chance to visit my colleague and dear friend Denise Wakeman. While I was there, she convinced me to interview with her on the psychology of social media.

In this 12 minute interview, we discussed several psychological principles that you can use in social media. These included concepts of likeability, priming, and consistency.

You can learn more by watching the video, and if you haven’t already accessed the full hour audio of this presentation, you can get that for no charge, by subscribing to my newsletter.

Here’s the video, enjoy!

If you want the transcript, you can get that here: Psychology of Social Media Transcript

Ok, it’s true confession time. When I first heard of the check-in applications, such as GoWalla or Foursquare, my initial thought was, “Who Cares?”. Now, having used Foursquare for a few months, I’m actually enjoying it! And I believe there are some great reasons to use check-in apps as part of your online marketing strategy.

So, for those who may not know, (or maybe resistant, like I was), these check-in applications allow you to update your status with an indication of your current place and location. So, let’s say for instance that I’ve gone to dinner at my favorite Italian restaurant, I can “check in” here, and all my Foursquare friends will know I’m there. You can, optionally, also choose to update your Twitter or Facebook status as well. And you can add a comment or message, like “Fantastic garlic knots.”

On Foursquare, you are awarded points for your checkins, and they increase in value the more frequently you check in. You get +1 point for checking in, and +5 points for checking in from a new location. If you check in to multiple places in a day, you are awarded additional points. You are then awarded badges based on your activity.

I have found the badges to be, generally, both clever and fun. On a recent to trip to Denver, I checked in at Denver International Airport, and unlocked the Swarm badge- which you get when 30 or more people check in from the same location. Additionally, if you check in from a place more than anyone else, you can become the Mayor of that location.

So the playful nature of this process is very appealing. It’s also fun to see what badges your friends have unlocked, and to use the application to gain a location and place based sense of what your friends are doing that day.

Great, you say- sounds like fun. But how can this help me in my marketing?

(Glad you asked!)

Here are some ways check in apps can help your marketing:

1) They can drive branding. We all need ways to stand out within our market space. If you have interesting hobbies and activities, people will naturally want to follow you and learn more. You will have succeeded in gaining their attention and notice.

2) They can drive relationship building. The apps let you in on the daily routine of a person’s life (the parts they choose to share)- and this can help you get to know them better and seek common ground.

3) People are attracted to movement and action. If they see you moving about the world, taking part in different events, different activities, you are (no pun intended) automatically seen as a “mover and shaker”– this can position you for opportunities and contacts.

4) You can build greater influence. You can use your “check-in” status to make recommendations and suggestions for those in your friends list. These can help you be seen as conscientious and helpful.

5) Finally, they’re fun. I love to see what other people are doing and to make note of places I’d like to try too.  Again, the first part of all marketing is to get attention- and the check-in apps can help you do this well.

So if you’ve been reluctant to start checking-in, you might want to reconsider. And yes, I’d love to be Foursquare friends.

One of the biggest questions I get about using social media is “How do you keep track of everyone when they start contacting you all these different ways?”- meaning, how do you manage the individual social sites, such as Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn, in such a way that you’re not spending your whole day responding to communication?

While there are many strategies you could use, here are a few that I’ve used successfully:

1) Put social media applications on your smartphone. If you have a Blackberry, Android, or Iphone, you should be able to install applications that help you manage your social site participation. The way I use these applications is to ‘carry my social media with me’- so if I am waiting in line somewhere, or riding the Metro, or otherwise have a few minutes, I can quickly and easily log into my accounts and respond right from my phone. I’ve found these applications to be particularly helpful for Twitter and Facebook. While not perfect, they can help streamline the process.

2) Try to funnel contacts into just one or two preferred modes of communicating. For example, if you are contacted on LinkedIn, you can immediately ask that person to contact you directly through your own email, or by phone, or however you prefer. This will help you shape the communication process into something that works better for you, and can reduce how often you need to check your various social inboxes. I, routinely, will ask people to email me directly rather than messaging me on Facebook or LinkedIn. I check my Twitter DM’s every two weeks or so and let people know that there are better ways to reach me more quickly.

3) Set aside time every few days to manage your social accounts. While it can be tempting to try and address every friend request immediately, you can actually wait a couple of days. Set aside about 30 minutes every 2-3 days, and use this time to catch up and manage your social media profiles. If something is more urgent or timely, respond to it more quickly. But, usually, most things can wait. If you adopt this strategy, you may even want to reduce the number of notifications you get from the social sites, knowing that everything will be there when you next log in. This can help reduce the amount of email management you have to do.

4) Keep all of your contact information in one place. I make it a habit of regularly entering all my new contacts into my Google contacts. I make sure to add name, email, phone number, as well as Facebook ID and Twitter handle. This has saved me on more than one occasion! Try to keep your end of the information stream as organized as you can, and reduce the number of places you store this kind of information. Make use of online services that you can access from anywhere, especially if you travel quite a bit or have a mobile office.

5) Remember, this is a good thing! As you become more well known, it is inevitable that more people will want to reach you. The challenge comes in how you view these contacts and in how you manage them. People want to connect with you because they like you and you’re interesting. Remember this; it will help you manage your relationships with more grace and ease.

And finally, remember- even though we live in a super-connected world, it’s ok for you to put some boundaries around your availability. Unhook from the computer once in a while. Leave the phone in the car. Spend more time in nature.

We’ll still be here when you get back.

In case you hadn’t heard (or read), Twitter.com is changing its interface.

Preliminary reports suggest that there will be a wider right sidebar, giving you more room to display your followers and following count, as well as your list count.

In addition, you’ll have access to more robust recommendations.

But, perhaps, the most significant change will be the inclusion of pictures, videos, and [possibly] audio, right in your tweetstream. No longer will you have to use a 3rd party service to provide this type of content in Twitter.

You’ll have the option to turn this feature on and off, determining whose non-text content actually shows up on your page and in your tweetstream.

Twitter is also adding a map and geolocation feature, which will also show up in your right sidebar. In addition, if you link to a product, that will also show up in the detail pane, right in Twitter.

Basically, what it seems like Twitter is trying to do is make the site easier to use, with more relevant information. All this while decreasing the reliance on third party services.

What it seems like, to me, is that Twitter is going to become kind of a hybrid between Facebook, Amazon.com, and Foursquare. Certainly, it will be including a certain level of functionality present in all those other sites.

So what does this mean for you, the user?

1) If you have a custom background or custom Twitter page, you might need to redesign it. This is to accommodate the increased width of the new sidebars.

2) You’ll have an easier time finding people to follow, and in understanding why you should follow them. This means you may find it easier to grow your network on Twitter.

3) You’ll have the opportunity to experience rich media directly on the site, saving you some clicks and (possibly) some time.

Now, since most people respond negatively to change, at least at first, it will be interesting to see whether people love or hate the redesign.

As it rolls out, let me know what you think.