1. Integrating YouTube with a behind-the-scenes trailer that was only screened at our sponsored film festivals.  Click here for the HBO Shout Trailer on YouTube
2. Inviting “friends” who had similar interests, i.e., film makers, actors, movie buffs
3. Updating our short film schedule as it made it’s way around festivals outside of our HBO network
4. Incorporating the MySpace link in select advertising and promotions
5. Sending those darn warm fuzzy graphics to our friends and responding to friends’ inquiries and comments   

I even built a page for Sadie’s Rock Fine Jewelry called Sadie the Jeweler. http://www.myspace.com/sadiethejeweler.  Currently, we have about 3 friends, but the strategy is to organically build an affiliate network, so let’s see how it goes and I’ll report more on that later.  With millions of users, the sayings “everybody and their momma is on MySpace” or “even the dead are on MySpace” hold true.  Hey, if Dr. Martin Luther King is on MySpace, maybe that’s not such a bad thing after all. http://www.myspace.com/martin_luther_king_1929.

FACEBOOK
This site is a great way to stay in touch with your “real” friends.  Folks you actually see and have real connections with.  Facebook was initially built as a way for college students to network online, so it’s still very collegiate focused, but I can connect with people from not only my alma mater Duke University (shout-out to ’01), but also my high school classmates, co-workers, and my church friends.  If you’re not sure who’s inviting you to sign-up then leave them be, unless they’re a hottie who’s had their eye on you.

LINKEDIN
LinkedIn is definitely for the grown and sophisticated :)  Professionals can seriously connect and have their connections mature into a serious gig or business opportunity.  You must be invited to join, but once you are, make sure your resume and all pertinent information is properly posted.  You don’t want anyone to have misinformation about you on the Internet, because you’ll find that information reposted on other sites (especially more up-and-coming professional networking sites or informational directories like ZoomInfo.  Relationship management is a big priority and they even provide a reconnect with past colleagues.  There is also a box that informs you of people you may know, and people hiring within your particular network.  An excellent business development tool is to have your current and former clients comment and post recommendations.

PLAXO
with the all-new Pulse (and you can Sync with Linked-In and just about every other social networking site)… I’m really excited about this one :)

OK.  I’ll start with the one con… it will cost you $50 a year.  But as a business person and marketer, that is a small price to pay for a seamless interface of contact management and social networking.  Plaxo is the like the BMW of social networking.  Let’s call it, “the ultimate contacting machine”.

When Plaxo first launched a few years ago, I was a bit cynical about it.  "Do I really want to upload my contacts on the web, who would view them, why do I need this when I have Outlook, yada yada yada."  But NOW that they’ve completely revamped their site and kept up with the times I can’t live without it.  What does this thing do, you may ask

1. It manages all your contacts and calendars and syncs them with other desktop or web based application.
2. Send birthday reminders that link directly to Plaxo e-cards, so that you never miss another person’s birthday!  Because their cards can be a bit generic, I’m begun to collect cool photos that Plaxo allows me to upload to e-cards. That way you really make your contact or loved one or client/professional contact feel special.
3. The Pulse application allows you to stay on top of all the social/professional/photo networks in your contacts, so that you have a nice list of everyone in your contacts and the changes they’ve made to their respective blogs or social networking sites.
4. You can totally sync with LinkedIn which makes it a dream for professional networking.

WARNING:  that means no, absolutely no t-shirt and panties photos… even on MySpace!  Yes, it links with MySpace, and other non-professional/social sites as well, so be fore-warned.  You may think that these online arenas are separate, but they’re all connected! 

Yes, there are others:  Doostang, Tagged, Bebo, Zing, StyleHive, Ringo and Bebo’s cousin’s site, but please, let’s try to form a consensus around the best networking sites.  The more sites we subscribe to, the less time we have to foster real and meaningful connections with people.  More is not merrier and time is of the essence, so choose carefully according to your social and professional networking needs.

Googling yourself used to be seen as an exercise in vanity, but taking a good look at your Internet reflection is almost as imperative as staying on top of your credit history.   So take a look and ask...

Google Google on the browse
Who is fair and who is louse?

As a job-hunting professional, or a business owner in search of new clients it's particularly important that you stay on top of search engine information.  There are a number of steps you can take to view and edit your information in search engines, as well as give your name a boost in popularity and credibility:

1.  Search yourself or business on Google, Google images, and Google local.  Also search your name in all popular search engines (Yahoo, MSN, Netscape, Excite, Altavista).  Use MetaCrawler to get a comparative search and see how you rank across popular engines.

2.   Evaluate what comes up according to your personal and professional goals, i.e., if your an artist, it may not be necessary to have a "buttoned-up" presentation of yourself on the web.

3.  Take action to delete or edit your information.  Make sure that your information is accurate and desirable.  If not, visit the website that sources the information and kindly request that they remove or edit information about you or your business. 

If you are a business owner, make sure that your listing with Google Local is accurate.  The listing is free, and will display a handy map along with your name, address, telephone number, and website. 

One professional information site that is becoming increasingly popular among search engines is  ZoomInfo.  Zoom info has collected most of its information from the websites of professional organizations to build a quite extensive database.  If your information is incorrect on ZoomInfo, you can edit your profile and summary for free.  If you are not currently registered in ZoomInfo's database, Zoom is fast becoming a quick way to get your profile into top listings among search engines.

4.  Think Before You Blog.  As a business professional, give careful consideration to the information that you post on the Internet.  I'm sure you've heard the horror stories of bloggers who were fired or sued for posting confidential or undesirable content.  If you are in the process of looking for a job you definitely want to make sure that your name and image remains clean and professional.  On the flip-side blogging can also be a powerful tool if you use it establish yourself as an expert in your field.  Shirt and tie professionals shouldn't put their personal business on the Internet Highway... so if you get the urge to share use a pseudonym, or hire a shrink.     

5.  Take Positive Steps Toward Self-Promotion.  Writing articles in your field is an invaluable asset.

Create a blog at Blogger.  You can establish yourself as an expert and promote yourself through content-related search queries.  A great way to promote your blog is by adding the link to your email signature. 

Build your own website with Google Pages.  If there is information that is inaccurate about you, allow viewers to get  information straight from the horses mouth.  Be careful, if the site you created does not represent you well, hire a professional who understands your individual or corporate goals and image, a disorganized and messy website will work against you, but when handled with professionalism and tact your own website will be a definitive reference about You.

LinkedIn is a great site to post your resume and connect yourself to like-minded professionals in your industry.  You must be invited to LinkedIn, but do a quick search of people you know in your field, surely someone will loop you in. 

Koolse is another great site for professional networking.  It is important to note that unlike LinkedIn, Koolse allows you to post photos.  Absolutely no skin for this site is recommended, you never know who is looking to hire you.  A professional headshot is recommended, but anything "buttoned-up" will suffice.  Make it look like a photo taken on the day of an interview or important meeting.  WARNING:  Do not accidentally upload the bikini shot or tee-shirt and panties teaser that you used on Match.com.

6.  MySpace?  Hmmm.  That answer gives rise to a whole 'nother article so stay tuned to the next episode of the mox 411.