Hiring Virtual: Why Old Fashioned HR Doesn't Work In Digital World

In 2009, Forrester
 released a research report stating that (much to Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer’s chagrin), “telecommuting will rise to include 43 percent of U.S. workers by 2016.” This trend is not going away. Beyond encouraging positive brand recognition and a more efficient process, organizations can elevate their hiring process to find top performers for both in-house and telecommuting positions by forgoing the traditional, and often lackadaisical, talent selection process altogether.
A recent article in the New York Times entitled, "Online Hiring Tools Are Changing Recruiting Techniques
, "outlines how many companies are taking a different, and more efficient, approach to traditional hiring processes. The article touts the use of online tools, such as LinkedIn and Indeed
, and the use of predictive HR technology as a viable alternative.
* “Old-Fashioned” Hiring Process Versus New Age*
Old-fashioned hiring processes usually commence with a pile of decent looking resumés, an interview process with poorly constructed, non-tailored interview questions, haphazard reference checks and, finally, a hire. The trouble with this process is that it’s subjective; usually based on “gut feeling” rather than logical, proven evidence.  It’s also unstructured; despite being interviewed for the same position, different questions are used for different candidates, and few of the questions actually gain much insight anyhow.
A 2012 employer survey
 conducted by Careerbuilder.com revealed that, “69 percent of employers reported that their companies have been adversely affected by a bad hire this year, with 41 percent of those businesses estimating the cost to be over $25,000. Twenty-four percent said a bad hire cost them more than $50,000.” These are jarring statistics that could be avoided if a firm were to employ a more structured and succinct hiring process from the initial point of contact all the way to the offer letter and beyond.
*Build and Leverage a Benchmark*
Conducting a more effective talent search starts before a candidate even enters the funnel. Utilizing behavioral science to understand the job requirements, organizations should develop a job profile that clearly defines the personality traits and competencies required for a candidate to excel.
For example, someone applying for a job as an accountant would need a different skill set than a candidate applying for a job as a customer service representative. Better yet, someone who plans to telecommute needs a different set of disciplines and traits than someone in-house — even if the position title is exactly the same. Establishing succinct job profiles as the basis for all applicant screening allows hiring managers to filter candidates in an objective, job-relevant way.
In addition to building job frameworks, companies should take into consideration how a candidate would do within a company’s culture.  However, for a telecommuting position, it’s important to account for the variation in organizational culture prominence and proximity.
Pre-screening a potential employee based on these criteria shifts the paradigm from subjective to objective. Many companies are using automated assessment software to accurately and efficiently refine their candidate funnel, saving companies thousands of dollars in both hard and soft costs.
*Technology Begets the Technologically Savvy*
In addition to assisting organizations in finding more qualified candidates, utilizing an iron clad technologically and psychologically based process models to potential employees — especially telecommuters — that the company is cutting edge. This is especially appealing to top performing virtual employees who are looking for assurance that prospective employers truly do embrace technology.
Predictive, technology-based hiring also works as a positive brand ambassador on behalf of the company. What job candidate wants to go to an awkward interview where they are asked questions that don’t even apply to the job, be unfairly compared to other candidates based on uncontrolled and subjective variables and then chosen by “chance” at the end of the clunky process? A streamlined process works to promote a company brand while instilling the desire within the candidate to actually want to work there.
*Tailoring the Technology to Find the Right Fit*
As mentioned earlier in the article, understanding what traits make someone more successful in a job role is most of the battle. An in-house employee will need to possess different strengths than a telecommuter. Even if an organization is employing a more modern hiring approach, they often miss the mark because they use the same criteria for each position.
So, how can a company leverage technology to better define and predict the perfect candidate? Use predictive technology to ensure a candidate who seems like a good fit, actually is. Assessing key competencies using behavioral based questions focused on disposition, productivity, cultural fit, growth potential and retention within the particular job role will save companies from making a poor hiring decision, whether in-house or virtual.
By using a mix of predictive technology, hiring managers can rest assured the organization won’t become another statistic by hiring a seemingly good telecommuting employee. The digital process will help companies find top performers, strengthen the brand and take most, if not all, of the variables out of hiring.

Hiring Virtual: Why Old Fashioned HR Doesn't Work In Digital World

In 2009, Forrester
 released a research report stating that (much to Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer’s chagrin), “telecommuting will rise to include 43 percent of U.S. workers by 2016.” This trend is not going away. Beyond encouraging positive brand recognition and a more efficient process, organizations can elevate their hiring process to find top performers for both in-house and telecommuting positions by forgoing the traditional, and often lackadaisical, talent selection process altogether.
A recent article in the New York Times entitled, "Online Hiring Tools Are Changing Recruiting Techniques
, "outlines how many companies are taking a different, and more efficient, approach to traditional hiring processes. The article touts the use of online tools, such as LinkedIn and Indeed
, and the use of predictive HR technology as a viable alternative.
* “Old-Fashioned” Hiring Process Versus New Age*
Old-fashioned hiring processes usually commence with a pile of decent looking resumés, an interview process with poorly constructed, non-tailored interview questions, haphazard reference checks and, finally, a hire. The trouble with this process is that it’s subjective; usually based on “gut feeling” rather than logical, proven evidence.  It’s also unstructured; despite being interviewed for the same position, different questions are used for different candidates, and few of the questions actually gain much insight anyhow.
A 2012 employer survey
 conducted by Careerbuilder.com revealed that, “69 percent of employers reported that their companies have been adversely affected by a bad hire this year, with 41 percent of those businesses estimating the cost to be over $25,000. Twenty-four percent said a bad hire cost them more than $50,000.” These are jarring statistics that could be avoided if a firm were to employ a more structured and succinct hiring process from the initial point of contact all the way to the offer letter and beyond.
*Build and Leverage a Benchmark*
Conducting a more effective talent search starts before a candidate even enters the funnel. Utilizing behavioral science to understand the job requirements, organizations should develop a job profile that clearly defines the personality traits and competencies required for a candidate to excel.
For example, someone applying for a job as an accountant would need a different skill set than a candidate applying for a job as a customer service representative. Better yet, someone who plans to telecommute needs a different set of disciplines and traits than someone in-house — even if the position title is exactly the same. Establishing succinct job profiles as the basis for all applicant screening allows hiring managers to filter candidates in an objective, job-relevant way.
In addition to building job frameworks, companies should take into consideration how a candidate would do within a company’s culture.  However, for a telecommuting position, it’s important to account for the variation in organizational culture prominence and proximity.
Pre-screening a potential employee based on these criteria shifts the paradigm from subjective to objective. Many companies are using automated assessment software to accurately and efficiently refine their candidate funnel, saving companies thousands of dollars in both hard and soft costs.
*Technology Begets the Technologically Savvy*
In addition to assisting organizations in finding more qualified candidates, utilizing an iron clad technologically and psychologically based process models to potential employees — especially telecommuters — that the company is cutting edge. This is especially appealing to top performing virtual employees who are looking for assurance that prospective employers truly do embrace technology.
Predictive, technology-based hiring also works as a positive brand ambassador on behalf of the company. What job candidate wants to go to an awkward interview where they are asked questions that don’t even apply to the job, be unfairly compared to other candidates based on uncontrolled and subjective variables and then chosen by “chance” at the end of the clunky process? A streamlined process works to promote a company brand while instilling the desire within the candidate to actually want to work there.
*Tailoring the Technology to Find the Right Fit*
As mentioned earlier in the article, understanding what traits make someone more successful in a job role is most of the battle. An in-house employee will need to possess different strengths than a telecommuter. Even if an organization is employing a more modern hiring approach, they often miss the mark because they use the same criteria for each position.
So, how can a company leverage technology to better define and predict the perfect candidate? Use predictive technology to ensure a candidate who seems like a good fit, actually is. Assessing key competencies using behavioral based questions focused on disposition, productivity, cultural fit, growth potential and retention within the particular job role will save companies from making a poor hiring decision, whether in-house or virtual.
By using a mix of predictive technology, hiring managers can rest assured the organization won’t become another statistic by hiring a seemingly good telecommuting employee. The digital process will help companies find top performers, strengthen the brand and take most, if not all, of the variables out of hiring.

LinkedIn Reveals Company Page APIs For Posting, Analytics

LinkedIn on Monday extended marketers’ access to company page APIs, offering more options and a chance to better assess and manage analytics on the site.
LinkedIn, which last month partnered with Hootsuite, HubSpot, Shoutlet, Salesforce, Spreadfast and Percolate on the API feature, is now allowing marketers to access its platform through a number of other third-party apps.
“We want to enable our clients to manage their content marketing from any tool they are comfortable using,” said LinkedIn seniorp specialist Keith Cowing in a blog post
. “Opening our Company Page APIs means that all applications will have access to LinkedIn Company Pages.  This will make it even easier for marketers to generate and manage content on LinkedIn and use our new Sponsored Updates
 solution to extend the reach of that content.”
Cowing said all developers are to be given access to the Company Page APIs in a bid to strengthen the firm’s “ecosystem and evangelize important applications and uses.”
“We will continue to select developers who build world-class products and achieve impressive scale to become official partners under our Social Media Management program,” Cowing said. “Developers can see our developer blog posthere
 to access the Company Page APIs and get started.”

Job Searchers Can Now Submit Applications Via linkedin Mobile App

LinkedIn is making it easier for its members to apply for jobs on-the-go.
The professional networking site announced Monday it has added mobile job application functionality to its iOS and Android apps, allowing users to quickly and efficiently apply for that dream job.
“So why did we add this functionality? First and foremost, you asked us to,” wrote LinkedIn associate product managerVaibhav Goel
 in a blog post.
 “Plus, more than 30 percent of members who view jobs posted on LinkedIn come from mobile devices.”
LinkedIn began making automatic job suggestions to mobile users last month. The new feature is an extension of that service.
To use it, simply click the ‘apply’ button next to the job of interest. The member can then update his or her profile or send as is by tapping ‘next.’ LinkedIn will then autocomplete the sender’s contact information, although the app also gives the user the option to enter a new e-mail address or other contact information. Once this is done, the user clicks  ‘submit’ to complete the application process.
LinkedIn job app

“‘Apply’ leverages the rich professional information members include in their profiles to simplify the application process down to a few simple steps,” Goel said in his post. “Filling out 30+ application fields on mobile is a pain, and enabling members to apply with their profile removes this hurdle. The whole process now takes less than a minute to complete.”
Members, however, will only be able to apply for jobs via LinkedIn if the job poster collects applications in LinkedIn Recruiter
. If the job poster is collecting applications through an ATS system instead, members have the option of clicking on ‘apply on company website’ to send a resumé.
“With this new functionality and CheckIn
 — our mobile app that radically simplifies how recruiters collect and manage candidate information at events — we’re making it easier for members to provide recruiters with their professional information and apply for jobs,” Goel said.
The feature, so far, is available only to English speaking members.

Presidential Veto On Apple Product Ban Worries South Korea

The Obama administration’s 11th-hour veto of a U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) ban on imports of a number of older Apple devices, including the iPhone 4, is being criticized by South Korea.
The presidential veto over the weekend— the first such action since 1987 —effectively erases South Korean technology giant Samsung’s patent victory over American firm Apple.
The ITC ruled early last month that the iPhone maker breached a Samsung patent covering wireless transmission technology and, as a result, banned the imports of the iPhone 4, the iPhone 3GS, the iPad 3G, the iPad2 3G and the iPad 3. Because the devices are manufactured in China, the ban would prevent Apple from selling the devices in the U.S. The ban was set to take effect Monday.
The South Korean government, however, voiced its apprehension that the action could hurt Samsung, adding that the action could have a “negative impact … on the protection of patent rights,” according to Korea’s Chosen Media.

The country’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy vowed to keep a close eye on the ITC’s ruling, set for Friday, on if Samsung infringed any of Apple’s patented technologies. The ministry said it expects a “fair and rational” ruling.

U.S. President Barack Obama has made it no secret that he is largely opposed to sales bans, although experts were uncertain if he would intervene on Apple’s behalf.
The veto was sent to ITC Chairman Irving Williamson by U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman on the president’s behalf.
Froman, in a letter to Williamson, said after extensive review he had decided to disapprove of the ITC ruling because of the effect it would have on “competitive conditions in the U.S. economy and the effect on U.S. consumers.”
“The administration is committed to promoting innovation and economic progress, including through providing adequate and effective protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights,” Froman wrote, adding that his decision is not a criticism of the ITC’s analysis. He said Smasung is entitled to continue to pursue a “remedy” through the courts.
Froman said he would closely examine all future cases involving the licensing of standard essential patents to ensure decisions made do not impact public interests or the economy.
While Apple, which accused Samsung of abusing the patent system, said it applauded “the administration for standing up for innovation in this landmark case,” Samsung said it was “disappointed” by the decision.
“The ITC’s decision correctly recognized that Samsung has been negotiating in good faith and that Apple remains unwilling to take a license,” Samsung said in a statement.
The Apple products ban is far from the final chapter in the Apple-Samsung patent battle that began in earnest two years ago. Apple was the first of the two companies to score a victory: A jury verdict last August found Samsung had violated six of Apple’s patents and the South Korean company was ordered to pay Apple $1.05 billion. If the ruling holds up, it will set the record as the largest patent verdict in history.
Apple appealed for more than half a billion dollars in additional damages against Samsung for patent violation after losing its bid for a sales ban against 26 of Samsung handsets last fall.
Samsung and Apple will find themselves in court for yet another patent violation trial next year. Unlike the previous patent lawsuit that Apple won against Samsung last August, the current lawsuit addresses software and user interface patents, including the rights to the search technology integrated in the iPhone Siri voice feature.

Link Building And Content: The Right Combo For Getting Found Online

In a recent interview, Eric Enge of Stone Temple Consulting asked Google’s Matt Cutts a question that weighs heavily on the minds of today’s SEO professionals: “Is link building illegal?”
Google’s algorithm changes over the past few years have scared many a webmaster into believing that backlinks could be detrimental to his or her site.  No longer the basic SEO staple it once was, link-building has instead developed a reputation as risky behavior that Google is poised to punish.
If anyone can debunk that misunderstanding once and for all, Cutts can. Cutts is perhaps the most infamous member of Google’s organization, known for his work on the Search Quality and Webspam teams. His blog, which chronicles Google algorithm updates among other things, is nothing short of required reading for anyone involved in search marketing.
In response to Enge’s question, Cutts says simply, “No, link building is not illegal.”
He goes on to explain best practices for successful link building: a common-sense approach that emphasizes quality over quantity, author reputation, and relevant content.
Cutts says that Google still values high-quality backlinks but suggests that many people are working in reverse when it comes to link building.
"“The philosophy that we’ve always had is if you make something that’s compelling then it would be much easier to get people to write about it and to link to it. And so a lot of people approach it from a direction that’s backwards. They try to get the links first and then they want to be grandfathered in or think they will be a successful website as a result.”"
Instead, primary focus should be on building a useful site full of great content – content that visitors will link to without any prompting.  Build a site so full of insightful articles, helpful videos, and to-the-point infographics that your readers can’t help but pass them on.
Of course, this isn’t new advice. Content has been king since the earliest days of SEO.  However, Google is getting better at reading social signals that can boost a site’s reputation.  And these days, it’s all about reputation.
In other words, “…it is true that a lot of SEO is now circling back around to good old fashioned marketing.”
*What does this mean for search engine optimization?*
*The on-site rules still apply.*  It’s still important to get the basics right by using appropriate tags, setting up meta data that “talks” to the search engines to provide relevant keywords, descriptions, and titles, and of course, writing great content that emphasizes the things you want your customers to know.
*Traditional marketing tactics should be employed*.  Because being “liked” or “followed” on social networks like Google+, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn help to signify your value to search engines like Google, getting noticed is more important than ever.  Cutts tells us, “…if you think like a good marketer and think about what will appeal to people, you will find your job as an SEO and getting links or trying to build your links will be easier as well.”
*Creativity is key.*  Give your visitors something unique.  Get them talking with a controversial article.  Make a video that makes them laugh.  Create an infographic with compelling data.  People are insatiable when it comes to social media, so give them something worth sharing and they’ll pounce on it – increasing your site’s search reputation at the same time.
*Many roads lead to success.*  Don’t pick one marketing tactic and stick with it.  Take every avenue you can.  If you just rely on Facebook, you’re missing out on links, reputation, and traffic you could get from other sites.  If you only produce text articles, you’re missing out on an audience that appreciates graphics.
Enge observes, “You can argue about how good Google is about detecting a particular signal today, or whether a given signal is noisy or not, but over time Google’s capabilities in these areas will continue to get better and better.”
In other words, send all the signals you can.  They’re only going to strengthen your site’s performance over time.
*“Syndicate!  Syndicate!”*  If Doctor Who’s Dalek villains worked in marketing, that word would replace “Exterminate!” as their battle cry.  Syndicating your blog or article content on authoritative websites can be an excellent way to improve your reputation and generate backlinks at the same time.  However, it’s important to make sure Google identifies you as the original author.  Tags like “rel=canonical” and “rel=author” are important mechanical ways to take credit for your work, and even something small like publishing it to your own site a few days before it goes into syndication can help the search engines track the original content back to your page.
*Put a face on your brand.*  Your reputation contributes to your site’s reputation, as long as you put yourself out there in connection with your company.  Google’s executive chairman Eric Schmidt revealed the following tip to the Wall Street Journal:
"“Within search results, information tied to verified online profiles will be ranked higher than content without such verification, which will result in most users naturally clicking on the top (verified) results. The true cost of remaining anonymous, then, might be irrelevance.”"
However, Cutts replies to that statement by turning the conversation back to the real question of the day:  is link building dead?
"“Links are still the best way that we’ve found to discover [how relevant or important somebody is to someone else], and maybe over time social or authorship or other types of markup will give us a lot more information about that.”"
In other words, do your link building right, but do it.  It matters.

Twitter Adds Photos, Accounts To Search Results

Twitter has freshened up its Web search, bringing photos and accounts to its search results, the social network tweeted
Thursday.
“Search update on http://twitter.com 
: See photos and accounts in results plus recent searches and social context as you type your query,” the tweet reads.
As part of the mini-makeover, Twitter.com will offer smarter searches — the social media site’s search bar now includes recent searches and saved searches.
‘Social context’ has also been added to the mix. When a user enters a query in the search bar, Twitter will now inform the user of any relationships he or she may have with matching accounts. For instance, if the user is already following an account that pops up, Twitter will point out the relationship. The site will even show users if the accounts they follow are following those who appear in a search.
The changes put Twitter’s Web search on an equal footing with its mobile search.

Android Nabs Record Global Smartphone Market Share

Android has nabbed its largest share of the global Smartphone market yet, with 80 percent in the second quarter, according to the latest research from Strategy Analytics
.
Of the 229.6 million Smartphones shipped during the second quarter, 182.6 million of the devices were powered by the Android operating system.
“Global Smartphone shipments grew 47 percent annually from 156.5 million units in Q2 2012 to 229.6 million in Q2 2013,” Strategy Analytics senior analyst Scott Bicheno said in a press release.
“Growth was driven by strong demand for Android models across all price-tiers in developed and developing markets, such as the U.S., China and Brazil. Android now accounts for an impressive eight in 10 of all Smartphones shipped on the planet.”
Strategy Analytics executive director Neil Mawston said competitive licensing costs, a variety of hardware partners and a large apps store remain the chief reasons for the success of Android.
Apple took second place with 31.2 million shipments — 13.6 percent of the market — its lowest level since the second quarter of 2010.
Third-place Windows Phone garnered a 3.9 percent share of the market with 8.9 million shipments, its highest level in the global Smartphone market for the past three years.
Strategy Analytics analyst Linda Sui said Microsoft’s growth in the market is largely due to Nokia.
“We believe Microsoft’s WP8 platform still needs to improve in at least two areas before it truly takes off,” she said. “First, the license fee charged to smartphone makers for WP8 must be more competitive to compete with Android in lower price-bands. And second, Microsoft must dramatically accelerate its support for advanced technologies, such as octo-core chipsets, because WP8 continues to lag behind Android in the premium smartphone category.”

Linkedin sitting pretty as profits continue to soar

LinkedIn continued its upward swing in its second quarter, posting a revenue of $363.7 million — a 59 percent hike in sales over the same period a year ago.
The professional social network’s profit rose 32 percent to $3.7 million and revenue from LinkedIn’s Talent Solutions, a batch of recruitment and hiring products to help companies find compatible employees, rose 69 percent from last year to $205.1 million.
The network also brought in $85.6 million from its marketing products and $73 million from the sales of premium member subscriptions.
The stellar second-quarter report sent investors into a delighted frenzy, causing shares to rise 12 percent to $227.98 in after-hours trading.
“Accelerated member growth and strong engagement drove record operating and financial results in the second quarter,” said LinkedIn CEO Jeff Weiner in a press release
. “We are continuing to invest in driving scale across the LinkedIn platform in order to fully realize our long-term potential.”
LinkedIn’s membership now sits at a record 238 million people — a 37 percent increase from the same period in 2012 — marking the first time membership has grown since late 2011.
According to comScore, LinkedIn averaged 189 million unique visitors each month during the quarter, for both the LinkedIn website itself and its SlideShare site.
For its third quarter, LinkedIn is projecting revenue to range between $367 million and $373 million.
For the full year, the company is forecasting revenue of between $1.455 billion and $1.475 billion.

Facebook Mobile Ad Success Boosts Revenue, Sends Stock Soaring

Facebook’s second-quarter profit report surpassed Wall Street expectations and sent the social network’s stock soaring more than 19 percent in after hours trading Wednesday.
The company’s revenue rose to $1.81 billion — skyrocketing past analysts’ predictions of $1.62 billion. The 53 percent rise in revenue from the previous quarter is due, in large part, to a surge in mobile advertising, a platform that has concerned shareholders in the past.
Those concerns may very well be a thing of the past with Facebook selling $1.6 billion in ads, a 61 percent leap over the same quarter the previous year. Mobile advertising made up 41 percent of that total.
“We’ve made good progress growing our community, deepening engagement and delivering strong financial results, especially on mobile,” said Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg. ”The work we’ve done to make mobile the best Facebook experience is showing good results and provides us with a solid foundation for the future.”
Facebook recorded profits of $333 million or $0.13 per share, a vast improvement over the net loss of $157 million for the second quarter of 2012, at $0.08 a share.
*Second Quarter 2013 Operational Highlights*
• Daily active users (DAUs) sat ate 699 million on average for June 2013, an increase of 27 percent year-over-year.
• Monthly active users (MAUs) were 1.15 billion as of June 30, an increase of 21 percent year-over-year.
• Mobile MAUs were 819 million as of June 30 an increase of 51 percent year-over-year.  Mobile DAUs were 469 million on average for June 2013.

Sony, Panasonic Team Up To Produce 300GB Disc

Sony
Japanese competitors Sony and Panasonic are joining forces to develop a 300GB optical storage disc that will replace Blu-Rays by 2015.
The agreement to work together was born out of the realization that optical discs will need to accommodate much larger volumes of storage “in years to come given the expected future growth in the archive market,” the companies said in a press release.

The 300GB discs are far larger than DVDs, which hold 4.7 GB each, and Blu-rays which can hold 25 to 50 GB. Due to the large storage capacity, optical storage discs are best suited to corporate and other professional uses such as data centers, libraries, archives and even broadcasting.
“In recent years, there has been an increasing need for archive capabilities, not only from video production industries, such as motion pictures and broadcasting, but also from cloud data centers that handle increasingly large volumes of data following the evolution in network services,” the companies say.
“Both Sony and Panasonic have a proven track record in developing Blu-ray Disc format technologies, and by actively promoting the adoption of a new standard for next-generation high-capacity optical discs, they intend to offer solutions that preserve valuable data for future generations.”

Twitter to add button for users to report abuse

twitter-bird-white-on-blue
Twitter has announced it will put in place a button with which users can report offensive tweets that have been posted on the social network.
The move comes in response to an online petition campaign
 asking Twitter to take action to protect its users from abuse. The campaign began after U.K. social activist Caroline Criado-Perez became the target of posts threatening death, rape and other violence for her efforts to have more famous women featured on British currency. When Labour Party legislatorStella Creasy
 publicly supported Criado-Perez, she too became the target of similar abusive tweets.
British police are investigating the matter and have one suspect in custody.
But Twitter users want Twitter to do its part too.
The petition
, started by Kim Graham
 of Norfolk, calls on Twitter to “start protecting its users.”
The following is an excerpt from the petition, which has garnered nearly 86,000 signatures:
"For over three days, Caroline Criado-Perez, who campaigned to keep women on banknotes, has been targeted repeatedly with rape threats on Twitter. Caroline attempted to stir a response from Mark S. Luckie, Manager of Journalism and News on Twitter. His response was to lock down his account."
"But abuse on Twitter is common; sadly too common. And it frequently goes ignored. We need Twitter to recognise that it’s current reporting system is below required standards. It currently requires users to search for details on how to report someone for abuse; a feature that should be available on each user’s page."
"It is time Twitter took a zero tolerance policy on abuse, and learns to tell the difference between abuse and defence. Women standing up to abuse should not fear having their accounts cancelled because Twitter fail to see the issue at hand.
The report abuse button needs to be accompanied by Twitter reviewing the T&C on abusive behaviour to reflect an awareness of the complexity of violence against women, and the multiple oppressions women face."
Twitter senior director of trust and safety Del Harvey said it is simply not possible for the social network to screen each of the 400 million tweets posted daily.
“That said, we are not blind to the reality that there will always be people using Twitter in ways that are abusive and may harm others,” Harvey wrote in a blog post
.
“While manually reviewing every Tweet is not possible due to Twitter’s global reach and level of activity, we use both automated and manual systems to evaluate reports of users potentially violating our Twitter Rules
. These rules explicitly bar direct, specific threats of violence against others and use of our service for unlawful purposes, for which users may be suspended when reported.”
Twitter introduced the ability to file complaints via a ‘report tweet’ button on its iPhone app and the mobile version of its site three weeks ago and will now bring it to Android and desktop Web users as well. Previously, users had to fill out a long form to file a complaint.
“We are constantly talking with our users, advocacy groups, and government officials to see how we can improve Twitter, and will continue to do so,” Harvey wrote. “Such feedback has always played an important role in the development of our service. We hope the public understands the balances we’re trying to strike as we continue to work to make our systems and processes better.”
Criado-Perez, however, is still not impressed with Twitter’s efforts, and posted the following tweet:
“Just to quickly comment on twitter report abuse button. This is not progress. The form still has to be filled out.”

Five Time Management Techniques That Work

spn_exclusive1
Let’s face it, 24 hours in a day seems limiting. After all, you have deadlines, co-workers to manage, and a looming project.  One common characteristic of very successful people is excellent time management skills. By not learning or employing time management techniques, you are not working efficiently as possible.
Today,  we will go over five time management tips that will hopefully save you time, money and increase your efficiency. They say it takes three weeks of repetition to make an action a habit. What are you waiting for? Start practicing the time management skills shown below.
*1. Track your daily activity*
Before you can begin to manage your time better, you must analyze your habits and workflow. Are you spending too much time on low-priority tasks? Getting interrupted frequently? Are you a procrastinator? Tracking your daily activities for a week should give you a big enough sample size to draw conclusions on your habits. You can track your time easily by using a cellphone, PDA, time tracker, or even a simple Excel worksheet. Pay special attention to any interruptions, including the duration and cause. For example, responding to e-mails, answering questions from co-workers, etc.  Remember to be honest. If you are spending your day on Facebook or FML, document it. The more honest you are with yourself, the better you can assess your habits.
*2. Minimize interruptions*
Like many of us in the corporate world, we are constantly bombarded by things that interrupt us.  As a project manager, you don’t even know how many times a co-worker asks for a ‘you got a minute’ meeting. These ‘you got a minute’ meetings turn into 10-minute meetings. After tracking my daily activities, I realize I was spending roughly two hours a day from these impromptu meetings. That’s roughly a quarter of my work day. As a result, I implemented “office hours.” This is a 40-minute time period where I conduct “you got a minute” meetings — kind of like a college professor.
After tracking my daily activities, I also realized that I was spending too much time answering e-mails, especially at inopportune times. Although Smartphones and other automatic notifications make it easier and more tempting to view and answer each message in your inbox as soon as it arrives, it is inefficient. I’ve learned that unless you are prepared to answer and deal with that message at the moment, do not answer or view it. E-mail is a convenience. You don’t have to live by it.
Whatever is interrupting you, whether it is a chatty co-worker, a funny website, e-mails, or impromptu meetings, you must learn to cut them out or at least minimize them.
*3. Can’t touch this!*
Although I alluded to this in No. 2, I felt it deserved its own point. Tell me if this sounds familiar: You come into the office and you see tons of e-mails. You look at one e-mail and you quickly realize that it’s going to take more time than you have right now. You put it aside and handle another task. While you’re doing this task, the phone rings and you get pulled in a new direction. You then go back to handle the e-mail you left aside, but another e-mail comes in with a task that cannot be dealt with right now. Do you see the problem? The constant revisiting and readdressing of old e-mails and tasks is a big time waster. If you spend 15 minutes per day to revisit, readdress, or reread documents or e-mails, you will waste 97 hours per year where no action is taken.
This is why I suggest a one-touch rule. Meaning, if you touch it, take action. Don’t open the e-mail or task until you’re ready to deal with it. If you are unable to deal with it, place it an appropriate folder and add it to your to-do list. The one-touch rule is predicated on good e-mail management, which brings us to point number four.
*4. E-mail management*
E-mails have long replaced fax machines and are a major convenience, but without proper e-mail management skills, you could be wasting a lot of time. The key to effectively managing your e-mails is very descriptive subject lines. For example, “Web analytics-11/19 report.” From the subject line, the person receiving this can infer the length of time and the content of the e-mail, and is easily able to store the e-mail in an appropriate folder for later viewing. After receiving the above e-mail, ideally you would place it in the “web analytics” folder and add it to your to-do list. That’s how organized you need to be.
I also insist that my company change e-mail subject lines when the content of the e-mail changes.  Let me show you why this is important. Suppose I e-mail someone with the subject line, “Upcoming Seminar-Palm Springs” and they write back: “Yeah, I’ll be there. I already booked the flight. P.S. Did you talk to Mike about the deliverable I mentioned to you?” The e-mail goes back and forth about the problem with Mike, but still has “Upcoming Seminar-Palm Springs” in the subject line. A few weeks pass, someone asks you what happened with Mike? One of the eight e-mails covers that important issue, but you have to sort through all eight to find it. Moral of the story: change the subject line as you change the content of the e-mail.
*5. Lists, lists, lists*
Making lists is a great way to keep organized. They help you focus on high-priority and highly-productive matters. The key to being productive and creating good lists is keeping it brief. You should only put down six or seven of the most important things you need to get done that day. This way you can pick something from your list, do it, and feel productive about it. When you have a long list, you tend to do the easy, less productive tasks first to trim the list. It is also gratifying crossing off all your objectives for the day, knowing that these were the most important tasks.
Although lists are extremely useful, you must also be realistic. You should determine the amount of time each task realistically takes. You want to make sure all your items on the list can be accomplished in one day. If one of your tasks is too big to accomplish in one day, you should write down the amount of time you will dedicate toward it.
Here is an example of a quality list:
  * Work on clients campaign — two hours;
  * Work on marketing campaign — one hour;
  * Conference call — one hour;
  * Market research — one hour;
  * Direct mail letter — 1.5 hours;
  * Schedule meetings with yourself — half an hour.
In addition to your daily list, you should also create a separate to-do list for tasks that suddenly arise. Add them to your daily schedule as needed. This is especially important for e-mail management and ensures that tasks that originate through e-mail do not fall through the cracks.
There you have it, folks. Those are my top five time management techniques.  Feel free to share what time management techniques works for you.

Using Instagram Videos In Social Media Marketing

If a picture tells a story, what kind of tale can be told in six seconds? Plenty, as it turns out, as witnessed by the success of the video platform Vine on Twitter. Instagram has taken that a step further with its new video feature: If six seconds is enough time to tell a story, 15 seconds is enough time to spin an epic tale.
Launched in June, Instagram Video is Facebook’s answer to Twitter’s Vine, though Facebook claims development of the video app has been in the works for some time. While Vine’s video feature is basically a turbo-charged GIF, it fits well with the brevity necessary to navigate the Twitter-verse. In contrast, Instagram relies on eye-catching, artistic photos, and Instagram videos should be no different. Here are some tips on incorporating Instagram Video into your brand marketing plans:
*Be instructional and informative*
Above all, you want your business or brand to be on everyone’s mind. But this only helps if they also know and remember what you’re all about. Use videos to answer the question, “What does your product or service do?”
Women’s fitness clothing brand lululemon already boasts several videos on its Instagram feed. Some feature various company events while highlighting the brand, but one video
 stands out because it showcases the product in a unique way. It features a variety of locations with the same woman wearing the same lululemon yoga outfit and doing the same series of poses. The editing is good, but not perfect, which is part of what makes the film so compelling, and there’s a playful surprise at the end.
*Get people talking*
The clothing and home goods store Anthropologie featured a recent video
 of a tiny puppy in an Anthropologie shoe. The puppy definitely steals the show here, but the brand is still well represented. With 6,932 likes and 758 comments, this video got Anthropologie’s followers talking, and some commenters even mentioned the shoe. Another Anthropologie video
 shows several quick shots of what looks like a meal being prepared with the caption “Find out what’s in the bowl come August! #Italy #Anthropologie.” Followers like to engage, and one way to do this and encourage comments is to compel followers with a question or directive.
*Create something compelling and beautiful*
Verve Coffee Roasters has turned the simple act of making a latte into acompelling short film
. The camera cuts from the espresso machine, to an extreme closeup of espresso being poured, to a far shot of the barista preparing the drink and back to a close shot of the finishing touches. Whomever is manning the Instagram account over at Verve really understands the potential of this social media platform, because another compelling video from the company features an impromptu skateboard session at a Verve location.
*Tell a story*
What’s summer travel all about? Virgin America will tell you
 in 15 seconds, but suffice it to say it includes crowded airports, cheerful ticket agents, attractive and engaging flight attendants, and of course a ride on a cool Virgin America plane. Virgin also brings followers into the company culture with videos of its float at the San Francisco Pride Parade.
*Pull back the veil*
Bring your followers inside and show how it’s done — let them see something special. Purveyor of the famous red-soled shoes Christian Louboutin
 recently posted a video at @LouboutinWorld showing only his hands and his sketchbook as he sketched a shoe and colored the bottom red.
Meanwhile, at Cirque du Soleil’s
  Montreal headquarters, a juggler from the show Dralion is shown practicing his craft via Instagram Video.
Both of these videos help make followers feel like special insiders.
*Make use of the features*
While you may not become the next Stephen Spielberg or Wes Anderson, consider using your favorite film director as inspiration for how you want your video to look. Several features let you have some control over this, including 13 filter effects and “cinema mode,” a stabilizing feature. The app also supports editing and lets users delete and add clips to a video.
*Other things to keep in mind:*
  * While some big companies might be tempted to use Instagram Video to make a slick commercial, don’t fall into that trap or worry that your film isn’t polished enough. This genre is meant to offer an insider’s view and offer followers a unique, yet simple experience.
  * You don’t have to use the full 15 seconds.
  * Shoot from different angles and perspectives.
SEO professionals and marketing gurus are beginning to embrace the concept that a successful SEO marketing campaign includes social media integration
. The point of using Instagram Video in your marketing scheme is to tell your brand’s story and bring your customer inside your business. People love being a part of something and if someone is following your company on Instagram, they are interested in your business. Instagram Video is a new way to keep viewers engaged, encourage interaction and keep your brand foremost in their minds. Make it funny, make it instructional, make it compelling, but most of all, make it yours.

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