How much do I love Google Buzz? A lot!

I’ll preface this by saying that there are still some areas that are in need of attention. I’m not crazy about the fact that every time a posting is commented on it floats to the top – instead of the most recently posted item. I’m also still trying to figure out whether muting a post makes it disappear or whether it simply stops showing you updated comments (if anyone can clarify, please let me know).

But enough of what’s not good – more of what is.

This takes the best aspects of platforms like Posterous, Brizzly, Facebook, Twitter, Google Reader and puts them all into your mail box! Come on – I don’t have to sign up for anything, start fiddling with passwords, etc. I just select the platforms to integrate.

And the fact that it instantly aggregates most of my other social media and online networks into one place is amazing. Facebook does this but not nearly in the same hands-off and seamless way that Google has presented it. With Buzz the integrity of the initial post is intact versus Facebook, where it’s usually branded to look like any other status update.

I also love the fact that anyone can comment on videos, updates, blog postings or pictures right in the stream. This is guaranteed to increase engagement for the simple fact that you’re making it easy for people to participate. Although tracking Buzz interaction and engagement will surely be a headache for someone.

All in all, it seems like Buzz is more than everyone else. It’s more characters than Twitter, it’s more unclusive than Facebook and it’s more convenient than familiarizing yourself with a new platform.

I’m pretty excited by Buzz’s potential but I’m holding off on a hard thumbs up or down until I’ve really taken it for a spin.

How have your experiences been with Google Buzz?

If you follow me on Twitter or read this blog with any regularity you’ll know that I’m no fan of the current state of the TTC (Toronto Transit Commission). They have become my favourite whipping boy for what not to do in customer service.

But after reading this article I feel like there might be a glimmer of hope for the Red Rocket.

It’s no secret they’ve been reluctant to embrace technology or use it to its fullest potential (turnstiles, tokens, paper tickets). But with this new blue ribbon task force put together to evaluate customer service the TTC is in a position to draw on the valuable feedback that already exists.

By embracing the social media tools that they’ve really only toyed with to this point, they could be tapping into the online community for people’s thoughts and opinions – in real time!

Using their Twitter accounts for more than just status updates and service issues, they could be talking directly to passengers about their experiences and where they see gaps in service.

Facebook would be perfect for quick surveys or topical discussion groups. And doing a blog search would turn up all the TTC enthusiasts and detractors who already have the attention of the online community.

This doesn’t replace their efforts to track customer satisfaction, but it's a useful and inexpensive extension. It would be foolish to imagine that social media will answer all the TTC’s customer service issues, but with a vocal online community already offering up their opinions, suggestions and insights – why not tap into that? On top of that, you're showing a committment to your customers by meeting them on their turf - in their environment - online.

I posted last week about how Roger’s simple act of engaging me via Twitter (in my environment) was enough for me to take notice and save me as a customer. The TTC has no competition to speak of, but imagine the response if they just asked their customers how they felt about the current state of the TTC's customer service. For me it would be a giant step in the right direction.

It would seem Rogers is going the route of Comcast, Dell, et al, with their jump into the Twitter based customer service realm. I found this out the other day, when – after complaining about cell providers (as I’m known to do) – @RogersMary sent me this message:

I’m not going to lie – I was taken a little off guard. The last thing I expected was Rogers to seek me out and ask what my concerns were (on Christmas Day no less!). But after some back and forth I emailed Mary with some thoughts. The real question is what they do with that information now.

As my problems with Rogers weren’t tangible issues like incorrect billing or bad customer service, and had more to do with a lack of competition between the major providers, I’m curious how they’ll respond. Will they earnestly look at resolving the negative attitude nearly everyone has for their cell phone providers or is this just an exercise in good PR optics?

I have a feeling Roger’s Twitter presence is more to deal with high level issues like where to pay bills, service outages, etc. and doesn’t really exist to monitor their brand’s reputation. And that’s unfortunate because a lot of valuable information could be gleaned from channels where people are offering unsolicited and honest opinions.

This is a new age of exposure for companies and as it’s been said countless times in countless books and blogs, people are talking about big brands in both good ways and bad. Some companies like Zappos and Jetblue are diligent with brand management and seem to really care about their reputation while others seem apathetic at best.

But will 2010 be the year that massive companies with cushy monopolies (like Rogers) take this seriously or are they just playing in the space because everyone says they should?

What do you think?

Tis the season for giving and sharing, so with this in mind I implore you to follow some of the cardinal rules to social media.

• Comment on someone’s blog today. Share an opinion on their post, tell them it’s insightful, tell them it’s mislead or tell them it’s a half-formed idea – but tell them something (constructively). Let them know you’re out there, because comments create discussion and that’s never a bad thing.


• Respond to Tweets, comments, questions, emails – don’t leave people hanging. For anyone that follows @unmarketing you’ll definitely have seen this tweet many times and it’s a very insightful and important piece of advice.


• It’s a community and you only get out of it what you put in. When I first started using Twitter I’d sign to my account and stare blankly at the screen, wondering why no one was sending me messages. I quickly learned that unless you give people something to comment on or engage them, you’re not going to get much out it.

• More often than not the most social aspects of life happen off line. Sometimes you need to turn it all off and interact with people face-to-face. If you’re looking to find like-minded people who share the same interests, industry, etc., try Meetup.com. It's a fabulous way to find out where people are organizing, build connections or start an event yourself.

  

I hope you’ve all had a great 2009 and are looking forward to the new year with as much anticipation as I am. And I hope that you've learned some new insights from reading this blog.

Thanks for reading and have a happy holiday season.

I’ve seen more than a few blog postings lately about social media snake oil salesmen, and so called “experts” who have all the answers when it comes to integrating social media into your business (at no small fee).

Sadly from the frequency of these types of posts from legitimate social media leaders (Jason Falls, Dave Fleet, Mitch Joel) and a quick glance through my own Twitter stream, it’s evident that people still don’t get it.

So for those who have fallen pray to these frauds and their unbelievably misguided teachings, here are few pieces on Twitter etiquette to keep in mind.

Never Retweet a Follow Friday recommendation or a compliment for the sake of self promotion. To call this tacky is an understatement. We all love to be noticed and we all love to hear nice things about ourselves but retweeting compliments makes you look desperate and in dire need of self-affirmation. It also make it look like you’ve never been acknowledge before, so next time just enjoy it for what it is and move on.

Never Auto Tweet. If you use one of these automated programs that goes out and finds people to follow and then – upon acceptance of a follow – pushes out some garbage, scripted message – STOP! The fact that I have to tell you this is mind-blowing, but your authenticity takes a nose dive when I read “Hey you, thanks for the follow. What are you working on?”

If this is what you think Twitter – or social media in general – is about, than you’re doing it wrong. If one of those “experts” told you this was a good idea, stop following them IMMEDIATELY. They’re misleading you and will cause you more harm than good. This also applies for auto-tweets. Don’t use programs that send tweets out like a conveyer belt, do the work. Building relationships takes effort.

Also, no need to thank someone every time they follow you or retweet something you said. I’m less strict about this, because your heart’s in the right place, but in my opinion, the thank you is usually implied. Exceptions for this are if they liked your blog posting and circulated it for others to read (that’s worth a thank you). - thanks to Breanna Hughes for this one

When tweeting – be yourself. I’ve talked about this a few times, so I’ll just direct you here and let you decide how much of your personality you want to shine through.

What all of this amounts to is authenticity. Developing your online persona means developing trust and if you’re scamming people or constantly trying to cut corners, than you’re destroying that trust piece by piece.

These are the things that drive me crazy on Twitter. What about you - what would you like to see less of?