First off, thanks to everyone who came out to our Social Media Week Toronto event last night on the Social Media RFP. I need to call our the excellent work on Social Media Week Toronto by Eli Singer and the organizing team. If you’ve enjoyed Social Media Week events, please consider a donation to SickKids Foundation, the official charity of Social Media Week Toronto.
The Social Media Week Toronto team goal is to raise a final $10,000 to renovate the Critical Care Unit waiting room at the hospital. Donate online or through your mobile at SickKidsCCU.ca.
SMG is just warming up for the busy conference and events season. Maggie is giving the keynote at Social Fresh in Tampa on Monday morning (Feb. 8). She’s going to talk about The Art and Science of Scaling Social Media. Don’t miss it.
After Social Fresh, next up is PodCamp Toronto 2010. It is shaping up incredible event again this year. All of us at SMG are proud to be a sponsor.
A National debate on Facebook about the merits of an Onion Ring over Canada’s elected Prime Minister aside, Charlie Brooker’s (of Newswipe on BBC4) How To Report The News has our vote for viral video of the week.
In other news:
Facebook turned six this week and reached 400 million users. According to a blog post by Mark Zuckerberg:
Facebook began six years ago today as a product that my roommates and I built to help people around us connect easily, share information and understand one another better. We hoped Facebook would improve people’s lives in important ways. So it’s rewarding to see that as Facebook has grown, people around the world are using the service to share information about events big and small and to stay connected to everyone they care about.
For all you wannabe Jacques Costeau types, this week Google released new data for the ocean in Google Earth. Called Google Ocean Showcase it lets you: “Dive into the ocean and discover who lives there — from a deep sea octopus to humpback whales. Explore lost shipwrecks, dive and surf spots, the ocean’s deepest trench, and the latest discoveries of the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI).” A little closer to our day-to-day, our very own Kyle McKeown alerts us that Google rolled an update to Google News this week which provides more options for users following stories in using the Custom Sections Directory feature.
That’s about all I’ve got here at the end of an incredible week. What rocked your socks in social media this week?
Although I had my favourite sessions and was also sorry to have to miss some others that really intrigued me, overwhelmingly, it was the connecting with old friends, new tweeple and most importantly members of this like-minded community which invigorated me and reinforced for me that the best part of social media and social networking are the people and the dialogue. Every interaction, whether it was a smile as you passed someone in a crowded room or a back and forth discussion across a table, was warm and inviting, the very example of what “we” say social media enables.
@Karen – thanks so much for your comment. I agree wholeheartedly that one of the best things about social media is the opportunity connect with people IRL to share ideas and a few laughs. Thanks again to Eli Singer and his team for getting Toronto organized to rock Social Media Week.
Hello Ms. Hobbs;
Although I did not get a chance to go to Social Media Week, I think it is a great thing and look forward to going next time.
I am currently involved in a Ryerson group research project, and part of the study includes doing interviews with social media thought leaders.
Our study is entitled – Problem Statement: Social media use among Ontario’s non-profit arts organizations.
The question is basically – What social media strategies are Ontario non-profit arts organizations currently using to better engage their audiences and advance their PR goals? If they are not using social media, why?
The hypothesis is that most Ontario non-profit arts organizations are not using social media as effectively as they could be.
The research and analysis conducted will examine the public relations goals of non-profit arts organizations in relation to social media use.
I think it would be interesting and appropriate to interview you in regards to our topic.
Would you be interested and available to do an in person interview with me this week as part of our research project?
It would take probably 45 minutes to an hour (maximum) of your time and would involve answering a set of questions on this topic.
I would love to interview you, however, if you think one of your co-workers from your Toronto office would be better suited to this, then please let me know.
I can come to the Toronto office any afternoon this week, and I will provide you with a copy of the executive summary results when our research is complete.
Thank you so much,
Laurie
Hey Laurie – I’m sure we can work something out. Would you please drop me an email at myfirstname.mylastname@socialmediagroup.com?