What’s Your Social Media Ritual? Sharing My Own 15-Steps

At work, we’ve been talking a lot about the information scans we all do on our own…who we refer to, which sites are the best, the most useful feeds, etc. So, now, out of curiosity and from inspiration gained from Chris Brogan’s recent post: “Where I Learn More,” I’m asking: Where do you go to learn?

Brogan’s article is great, as in it, he talks about the role of influence and asks us to reflect on what influences what we learn, think, behave and believe….so close to a social marketing (the real social marketing) question my buttons were popping with techy-excitement.

Here is my average, daily, social media ritual.

Please share me yours, and perhaps we can both expand our horizons a little. =)

1. Check my work e-mail account. Its true fellow co-workers.
2. Check my regular Gmail account. I get various e-newsletters and feeds here such as the Ad Council Creative E-newsletter, emails from the Social Marketing listserv, Chris Brogan’s new e-newsletter and others.
3. Check my blog email account. I get various e-newsletter and feeds here that help me stay up to date on the social media, nonprofit, and social marketing arena. Some of my favorite includes Nedra Weinreich’s Spare Change Blog, Beth Kanter’s blog/wiki, and Ogilvy PR’s 360 Digital Influence blog.
4. Check my Bloglines feeds, to see what good posts are up and published.
5. Check out both the nonprofit and the social media categories on Alltop.com
6. Do a scan of: TechCrunch, Trendspotting, Read Write Web, Osocio, Non-Profit Times, NextGov, BrazenCareerist, Social Times, and others. This can depend on the day and the topic I’m currently investigating.
7. Check old Twitter feeds I may have missed. Especially key feeds from @GeoffLiving, @Nedra, @chrisbrogan, @scobleizer, @rww, @abfdc, @allllll the others I follow on Twitter. Really, it’s a community working together and sharing. It. is. awesome.
8. If it’s a Monday, I check out the Carnival for Non-Profit Consultants.
9. Check in on Linkedin to see if anyone new I know has joined or connected. The homepage on Linkedin is becoming increasingly fun.
10. Surf around the NonProfit Blog Exchange if Emily has posted some great new posts.
11. Then, it’s on to the social bookmarks. I check my delicious, both my networks and my subscriptions. Oftentimes, those I am connected to are in a similar field or have similar interests, so thank you everyone on del.icio.us.
12. Then, I spend a little time on Digg, and may occasionally check in on StumbleUpon. I’m really liking Mixx more and more too, though, there doesn’t seem to be as many people on it.
13. I check up on the scoop of my work’s internal wiki.
14. Check meetup.com for upcoming events and opportunities to take online connecting –> offline.
15. More scooping that I probably, and I apologize, didn’t list. Though, if I remember more, I will place in the comments. There’s always MORE to learn and MORE resources to discover. =)

Important note to make: This is just the listening phase.

About the listening phase. I might do some or all of this ritual depending on the day and the time. The point is though, that my ritual is…I am always listening. Always checking in. Always asking questions. Always working to seek answers.

The FUN part, is taking it all in, reflecting, and creatively organizing the content and information in your head to implement innovative, effective communications. And, when I really want to *get wild,* I reflect further, beyond the field of communications, social media or marketing…but more to what Chris mentions, about influence. About change. About society. About trends. About what it all means.

Photo Credit: Flickr, Elias Pirasteh

This Blogger Neighbor Doesn’t Clown Around about 52 Ways to Change the World

Or does she? 17 year old Julie Zauzmer is more than you’re average high schooler, and she’s more than your average clown. She’s working to change the world one way at a time, and hoping to inspire you to do the same. Enjoy!

Note: Soon, a badge will be available for past and future Blogger Neighbors to place on their site if they choose, so stayed tuned for updates. =)

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Blog/Site Name: 52 Ways to Change the World!

Blog Topics: I feature one quick, fun, and easy way to bring charity into your daily life on each episode of my weekly podcast, 52 Ways to Change the World!

About the Author: Julie Zauzmer is a seventeen-year-old high schooler who lives in Pennsylvania. Along with community service, she loves reading, writing, and languages, and she hopes to be a writer someday. Her podcast, 52 Ways to Change the World!, has currently been downloaded over 1,600 times, both from her website, http://www.52ways.org, and from iTunes.

If you could live on any street, what would that street be named and why?

Family Drive. My brother and sister are really my best friends, and I hope that we will all live near each other when we grow up.

Who would be your dream real-life neighbor?

I would love to meet one of my favorite authors in person someday. Some of my favorite living authors are Andrew Clements, Dan Brown, Jodi Picoult, and Susan Vreeland. Other favorites include L. M. Montgomery, Jane Austen, and Leon Uris.

If you were in charge of the planning the neighborhood’s block party, what entertainment would you plan?

I am a volunteer clown, so perhaps I would entertain guests by making balloon animals! I would also include a charitable element to the party. For example, I might set up a table with postcards and markers where kids could create cards for children in hospitals. My podcast features ideas like these — you can make charity a fun and easy part of just about any daily activity!

Photo Credit: Flickr, SmileyTD

What first prompted you to blog?

I first came up with the idea for 52 Ways! when I learned about the website Goodsearch.com. It’s a search engine like Yahoo! or Google, but it donates to the charity of your choice every time you search. I thought this was amazing, so I sent a Facebook message to about 100 friends telling them about this website. I was thrilled when several of my friends started using Goodsearch! This made me start thinking about other ways to use modern media to promote charity, and I realized that I had a lot of other ideas for “ways to change the world” that I wanted to share. Therefore, I decided to create 52 Ways! beginning in January 2008.

If you customized your own license plate, what would it say and why?

ZIPPY. That’s my clown name! Being a clown is one of my favorite unique ways that I help others. With Clowns ‘R’ Us, the clown organization that I am a member of, I visit nursing homes to cheer up the residents and volunteer as a clown at charitable events for many organizations.

What would you gift to a new neighbor as the perfect welcoming gift?

I would bake cookies for them.

What’s your favorite blog post and why?

So far, I have especially liked the episodes “Helping the Homeless,” “A Good Yarn,” and “A Gift From the Heart” because these episodes feature some of my favorite ideas that I really hope people will use in their daily lives; “Bowled Over” and “Shop ‘Til You Drop!” because these episodes feature some of my most creative ideas; and “A Talent for Helping Others” and “Let the Games Begin” because these episodes include a more personal touch and some humor.

What’s one lesson you’ve learned from blogging?

There are always more ways to make a difference! When I first thought of the idea for 52 Ways!, I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to come up with 52 ideas for changing the world, one for each week of the year. However, when I sat down to make a list of possible episode topics, I came up with 20 or 30 off the top of my head! I am constantly looking for more ideas for the show. As I create each episode, I always come across topics in my research that give me more ideas. Also, at the end of each episode, I ask my listeners to send me their ideas. Right now, I have 75 ideas on my list of possible episode topics! I have learned that there is an inexhaustible supply of “ways to change the world.”

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Past Blogger Neighbors Include:

• Osocio @ Osocio, nominated by SocialButterfly
• Beth Kanter @ Beth’s Blog, nominated by SocialButterfly
• Beth Dunn @ Small Dots, nominated by Beth Kanter
• Len Edgerly @ LenEdgerly.com, nominated by Beth Dunn
• Stacey Monk @ Epic Change, nominated by the Twitter-verse
• Jason Dick @ A Small Change, nominated by Stacey Monk
• Roger Carr @ Everyday Giving, nominated by Jason Dick
• Andre Blackman @ Pulse & Signal, nominated by SocialButterfly
• Laura Stockman @ 25 Days to Make a Difference, nominated by Roger Carr
• Karama Neal @ So What Can I Do?, nominated by the Carnival of Change
• …and now Julie Zauzmer @ 52 Ways to Change the World, nominated by Karama Neal

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This continuous weekly series highlights different blogs and their respective bloggers in the blogosphere neighborhood. Following the great Mr. Rogers, who tells us to ‘Get to know your neighbor,’ this series introduces us to our blogger neighbors, making for a more unified, collaborative voice for the social sector. Like to nominate someone or be featured yourself? Contact me @ socialbutterfly4change@gmail.com.

The Government’s A-Twitter: Comprehensive List of Government Twitter Feeds

This post is written in the spirit of social media guru Robert Scoble’s visit to DC and his interviews with political reps to discuss tech policy. Specifically, let’s talk about the fact that the U.S. government is a-twittering. True words, government and Twitter in the same sentence. Scoble reflects in his post here.

Even U.S. President George Bush sent out his 1st Twitter with the help of Sen. John Culberson when Sen. Culberson was showing the President both Twitter and Qik. You can see it here!

Government Agencies

For government agencies, most often, the Twitter account is in conjunction with the government’s related blog. So, now, we’re getting government agencies who are not only blogging, but using TwitterFeed to promote the posts through Twitter. I am still rounding up info. to find government accounts on Jaiku and/FriendFeed.

@dipnote – The U.S. Department of State

@govgab – USA.gov, component of their blog, GovGab

@greenversations – The Environmental Protection Agency

@TSABlogTeam – Transportation Security Administration, Based on TSA’s Evolution of Security Blog

@USAgov – USA.gov

@GobiernoUSA – USA.gov’s Spanish Portal

@womenshealth – Womenshealth.gov

@NASA – Well, it’s NASA =) Check out NASA’s Twitter box and find various other NASA Twitter feeds about certain missions including @MarsPhoenix, @nasacolab, and 13 other NASA related feeds!

Government Officials

@BarackObama – Barack OBama

@joebiden – Sen. Joe Biden

@JimDeMint – Sen. Jim DeMint

@SenatorDodd – Sen. Chris Dodd

@ChuckGrassley – Sen. Chuck Grassley (Iowa)

@frankwatson – Sen. Frank Watson

@jiminhofe – Sen. Jim Inhofe (Oklahoma)

@johnculberson – Congressman John Culberson

@MarkUdall – Congressman Mark Udall (Colorado) On his website, he is even implementing his own mini-social network for citizens to join, blog and join county groups!

@TomLatham – Congressman Tom Latham (Iowa)

@neilabercrombie – Congressman Neil Abercrombie (Hawaii)

@ThadMcCotter – Congressman Thad McCotter (Michigan)

@CongJoeWilson – Congressman Joe Wilson

@schwarzenegger – California Gov. Arnold Schwarsenegger

@GovernorGibbons – Nevada Gov. Jim Gibbons

@govgranholm – Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm

@johncherry – Michigan Lieutenant Gov. John Cherry

@PeterKinder – Missouri Lieutenant Gov. Peter Kinder

U.S. States

@coloradogov – Colorado Government

@kygov – Kentucky Government

@vermontgov – Vermont Government

@UtahGov – Utah Government

@SCGOV – South Carolina Government

@www_maine_gov – Maine Government

@rigov – Rhode Island Government

Other

@TheWhiteHouse – The White House

@HouseFloor – U.S. House of Representatives

@SenateFloor – The U.S. Senate

@NRSC – National Republican Senatorial Committee

@secgen – The U.N. Secretary General

If I missed any, please let me know and I’ll add them to the list!

Ok, what are your thoughts? Is this a good thing? What does this mean, and how will it affect or impact constituent and government relations? LOVE to hear, =)

photo cred: Flickr, vagabondrhythm

DC Social Media Event with Robert Scoble and Gary Vaynerchuk

Will I see you here?

The event is now sold out! But many of us social media types in DC are going to go, and I am one of them. If you’re there, I’d love to put a face to the name!

Flickr: urlgrl and chasingfun

Robert Scoble is the social media guru who works at FastCompany TV and runs the infamous blog Scobleizer.

Gary Vaynerchuk runs the highly successful WineLibrary TV.

Social Media Highlight: Ning is Great, but waiting for Relevance

Next up in the Social Media Highlight Series, where I sign-up for a certain social media site/app/platform, use it for a couple of weeks and offer a reflection on my thoughts and experience, is the social network Ning.

About: Ning was co-founded by Netscape founder Marc Andressen and onetime Goldman Sachs banker Gina Binachini in 2004. It’s software enables anyone to create their own social network based around any idea, topic or mission. There are Ning groups about hobbies, gourmet food, geographic locations, causes and more. Interestingly, 50 Cent has his own Ning with over 100,000 members. Ning was recently estimated to be worth half a billion dollars with 237,000 current networks and growing at 1000 a day!

Use: Ning allows for any user to create his or her own social network. The service is free, and you don’t have to know how to code. Ning is currently all the buzz and is said to have a bright future as more and more capabilities are added onto to service. Currently, Ning can incorporate video, music, discussion forums, google maps, flickr, web badges, and ways to cross promote with Myspace and Facebook.

Demographics: Anyone and Everyone. NING features a diverse group of users that run the gamut in uses and interests. However, according to Quantcast, Ning is especially popular with African-Americans, who make up 75% of Ning’s users. With age, Ning is most popular among users 18-34, followed by users 35-49.

My Rating: 3 out of 5 wings

Rationale:

• Good:
  • Ning has a lot of potential and is doing a great and innovative service that no one else really provides except for CrowdVine. However, Ning was first, and usually the first gets more brand recognition because it’s well, the first. However, I think CrowdVine has a great promotional strategy of separating it’s call to action for users around groups and events, whereas Ning’s call is primarily more individual based (e.g. “You can create your own network”).
  • Also, Ning is nice because you don’t have to be a developer to use it, there’s numerous groups, it is more niche and interest based than say Facebook of MySpace, and it’s growing.
  • And, if you purchase your Ning page, you don’t have to display ads and more security features can be added.

• Bad:
  • Though its big and its growing, I didn’t find much on Ning that I thought was relevant to myself. Thus, for the everyday user, it could be too niche-focused. Perhaps I will become more interested when I attend a conference that has a Ning page. I did find the 29-Day Giving Page on Ning which I enjoy, so its not that bad.
  • You have to do some digging once on Ning to find something that grabs you, or, you have to be pointed to use Ning by a certain group.
  • And, when you do want to join, you have to go through a lot of steps.
  • You can join multiple social networks, but then, that’s can become a lot of managing different profiles and group communities.

Social Marketing and Ning:

• Marketing4Change is one step ahead with their Ning, aka their own social networking site, dedicated to social marketing. You can join them here.
• There are groups for library 2.0 and numerous groups for those involved in government and health communications.
• My own ID is SocialButterfly. I like the idea behind Ning. I’m just waiting for when it becomes uber-relevant for something I need. Like, if we would want to create a “Social Marketing Network” and then get everyone to join, that would be awesome. I even saved the Ning name “Fly 4 Change,” just in case. However, not all of us social marketers are connected online…so, I figured it be me and a few of the trustees that I already stay in touch with through blogging, Twitters, email, facebook, etc.

What do you think? How would you rate Ning?

Internet Addiction: Self-Test to Balance Work, Life and the Internet

Having a professional job in online marketing, as well as an online hobby, this blog, I am constantly working to keep my internet usage/exposure at check. Today, I thought maybe others could relate…especially when I overheard a couple teens talking on the metro on my way home about this very issue. Thus, I did a little search (is it ironic?) on the internet.

I came across the Center for Internet Addiction Recorvery, which has been treating internet addiction since 1995. The Center offers numerous downloads, resources and materials for groups broken down into therapists, lawyers, business, and then parents and schools. The Center recently launched it’s new blog, which is full of interesting information. From a brief glance, I read:

• A debate about if internet addiction is really….real
• that Korea is becoming the most addicted to the internet
• about a case where a man died from playing Stargate for 50 straight hours
• how the internet can cause marital problems of neglect (let alone affairs/adult content issues)

The most interesting part of this site, were the self-tests the Center offers. The most interesting is the IAT, Internet Addiction Test which is the supposed first validated and reliable test to measure internet addiction.

Go for it. Take the test and let us know what me know what you think. The questions alone helped me figure new ways to gauge my own internet dosage.

And, it got me thinking…if internet addiction is real, as it is currently being considered to be a new clinical disorder, I think that possibly, it goes beyond the individual’s responsibility to possibly us as whole. As a social media marketer…this definitely makes me think more about the services we are creating, that we are creating purposeful content.

Host of the Carnival for Change, this Blogger Neighbor asks, “So What Can I Do?”

Many of us are familiar with the Carnival for Non-Profit Consultants, but has everyone taken notice of the Carnival for Change? It’s a current carnival started by this week’s Blogger Neighbor Karama Neal @ the blog, So What Can I do?

In the Carnival for Change, Karama “explore the web for interesting items relating to social justice, health, education, and opportunity.” To submit posts or to see past carnivals, click here. In the meantime, enjoy learning more about another great addition to the neighborhood!

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Blog Name: So What Can I Do? – The public service weblog promoting ethics in action.

Blog Topics: Posts focus on actions readers can take that make a positive difference in our world. My goal is for readers to recognize that we all are able to contribute to a better society, and be inspired to do so. Mahatma Ghandi’s quote, “Be the change you want to see in the world,” is our mantra.

About the Author: Karama Neal is originally from Little Rock, Arkansas, and am a proud Southerner. I live with my husband and daughter in the Atlanta area.

If you could live on any street, what would that street be named and why?

I’d live at the corner of Justice Drive and Peace Way.

Who would be your dream real-life neighbor?

Octavia Butler. She’s my favorite writer, as her characters remind me that vastly more is possible than most of us believe.

What first prompted you to blog?

The conversations at my dinner parties always turned to the problems in society. My friends and I could go on for hours about what was wrong with the world, but after a while I wanted to focus more on solutions. I decided to create a forum for collecting, disseminating, and discussing all the ways we can make a positive difference in the world. Blogging is the perfect medium for my idea, and in October 2004, I launched So What Can I Do.

If you customized your own license plate, what would it say and why?

“NO XQS” It’s so easy to find reasons not to do what we know is right or good. I try not to let myself do that. Likewise, I encourage my readers (and myself) to act for a better future rather than rationalize the status quo.

What’s your favorite blog post and why?

Sometimes folks think the only way they can contribute to solving the world’s problems is by donating money. Of course, that is not true, and my favorite posts tend to focus on ways almost everyone can give, regardless of how much money they have. Examples include donating blood, tissues, and related items, using cloth napkins, and gaming for change.

What’s one lesson you’ve learned from blogging?

Because the blogosphere is so accessible, the act of blogging makes one particularly accountable for what one writes. I’ve transferred that idea to my professional life, where I’ve become an advocate for open access publishing. Most academic research is published in expensive, hard-to-find journals. Open access publishing puts research papers on the web, where the public (who often funds research) can read, critique, and use it. It’s like blogging for tenure.

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Past Blogger Neighbors Include:

• Osocio @ Osocio, nominated by SocialButterfly
• Beth Kanter @ Beth’s Blog, nominated by SocialButterfly
• Beth Dunn @ Small Dots, nominated by Beth Kanter
• Len Edgerly @ LenEdgerly.com, nominated by Beth Dunn
• Stacey Monk @ Epic Change, nominated by the Twitter-verse
• Jason Dick @ A Small Change, nominated by Stacey Monk
• Roger Carr @ Everyday Giving, nominated by Jason Dick
• Andre Blackman @ Pulse & Signal, nominated by SocialButterfly
• Laura Stockman @ 25 Days to Make a Difference, nominated by Roger Carr
• …and Karama Neal @ So What Can I Do?, nominated by the Carnival of Change

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This continuous weekly series highlights different blogs and their respective bloggers in the blogosphere neighborhood. Following the great Mr. Rogers, who tells us to ‘Get to know your neighbor,’ this series introduces us to our blogger neighbors, making for a more unified, collaborative voice for the social sector. Like to nominate someone or be featured yourself? Contact me @ socialbutterfly4change@gmail.com.

Are You a Change-Agent? User-Experience Inspires Environmental Change

Timberland + Changents provide an innovative platform, strategy and user experience for change

What do a bus, a canary, an artist, a rocker and a college grad have in common? Getting green. and inspiring others to follow suit.

Today, Timberland, the outdoor company, and Changents unveiled a new online experience where individuals can be catalysts for change by teaming up with environmental “Change Agents” from around the world to advance the green revolution.

Engage ::

Watch broadcasts of firsthand experiences from the field through blogs, videos, photo albums, Flickr streams, phoned-in podcasts, Twitter dispatches and more.

Back a Change Agent by assuming the roles of:

• “Fan” (a shout-out of support),
• “First Responder” (being on-call if their Change Agent gets in a pinch),
• “Buzz Builder” (promoting a Change Agent’s stories and Action Requests through viral sharing),
• “Angel” (helping fill their Change Agent’s piggy bank) and
• “Advocate” (influence policy makers with respect to a Change Agent’s cause)

Plug in to ‘Earthkeepers,’ where you can follow and interact with 5 extraordinary Change Agents, dubbed, “Earthkeeper Heroes.

• Big Green Bus (12 Dartmouth students travel the country this summer in a tricked-out school bus converted to run on waste vegetable oil);
• The Canary Project (an artist couple convey the story of human-induced climate change and potential solutions through media, events and artwork);
• Agent 350 (a recent college grad and his scrappy team sprint to build a global, online/offline climate action movement from scratch);
• Reverb (a group of rock and roll road warriors green summer concert tours for Dave Matthews, John Mayer and Maroon 5/Counting Crows while engaging fans around environmental sustainability);
• POWERleaper (A 23-year old designtrepeneur created a blueprint for urban flooring systems that generates electricity from human foot traffic).

Become an Earthkeeper Hero yourself! Nominate yourself or others to compete for a chance to join the ranks of this amazing group.

About ::

Changents.com is an entertainment-driven Internet destination that connects innovators of social and environmental change – Change Agents – with a global network of people who want to help them. In 2007, Changents was founded by two social entrepreneurs, Alex Hofmann and Deron Triff, who set out to engage a digitally-connected, socially-conscious generation on its own terms.

“We started Changents to give a new generation of social and environmental problem-solvers the tools they need to build teams of active followers and help them become ‘rock stars’ of change through the Internet,” said Changents Co-Founder and CEO Deron Triff.”

Food Marketing and Kids – Always A Popular Topic

The mix of food marketing and ethics when it comes to advertising to children tends to always be a popular topic on the social marketing list serv. And, the topic pops up every once and a while in the news too.

If you have been following this issue, and honestly, I have been following it some, but I don’t claim to be an expert on it. So, I’m curious to get others’ thoughts.

Food. Children. Marketing. Advertising. Social Marketing. Ethics. –> Please share your thoughts in the comments. I am providing some questions as prompts, and will post again a summary of the responses and what I discover.

Cases

Last spring and summer, there was much ado about Shrek and his character endorsing various unhealthy food products.

Again, there was a response when McDonald’s advertised by sponsoring report cards and giving achieving students special McDonald offers.

Articles

Fundamental Shift in Making and Marketing Snacks to Kids, MarketingProfs June 11, 200

Sweet Surrender, Washington Post, May 22, 2008

Junk Food Marketing Linked to Child Obesity, Lancaster Farming, May 23, 2008

Shrek: He’s Big, Green and Promoting Junk Food, MSNBC, April 25, 2007

Feel free to leave links to more articles/cases in the comments =) I know there’s a ton of news and literature out there.

Questions

• Where has this issue been and where is it headed?
• Has progress been made? What does ‘progress’ mean?
• Is this an issue or is it over-reaction?
• Are there boundaries when marketing food to children and what are those boundaries?
• How is this sector of the industry changing?

Thanks ya’ll! Look forward to reading your insights!

Social Media Highlight: Digg…Can you add an 8th category termed ‘social good?’

Ever see an image similar to the one on the left and get excited when you recognize one of the many images? You’re feeling really good if you can recognize two of them. Three of them and you’re on top of the world.

There are numerous social media sites and applications. This is why I am going to start another series…I like series-i. (plural for series?) =) In addition to telling you about the site/place/platform/application…I’m going to sign-up, use the app for a couple of weeks and offer a reflection on my thoughts and experience.

Today, let’s learn some more about Digg.

Name: Digg

About: In 2004, Kevin Rose started Digg, a social media site where users can find and share content from anywhere on the web from news articles, blog posts, podcasts, images and videos. All the content is submitted and voted upon by users. The higher the number of ‘diggs’ the more popular and valued the content is valued by digg’s users. Today, Digg has over 500,000 users and 8.5 unique visitors.

Use: If content receives enough ‘diggs,’ then it is moved to Digg’s front page. Digg also enables one to comment and give shouts about content. There are currently 7 categories a user can submit content to: technology, science, world & business, sports, videos, entertainment, and gaming. Digg also has a Digg Lab, similar to the Google Labs concept, in that it offers new tools and a deeper view of Digg.

Demographics: This article offers a nice visual representation of Digg’s dems. Some say Digg is in trouble and others say Digg is the next big company to get bought up. Some say it’s demographics are too narrow. Others say that its large male-base of followers will perpetuate Digg’s growth. I’m just here telling you what Digg is.

My Vote: I give Digg 4 out of 5 wings.

Rationale:

• Good: I like using digg the more I, well, use it…which is usually typical when I begin using any type of social media. Unlike some social bookmarking sites, Digg lets me get feedback and hear more from peers about the type of content I submit to it. And, I get to see/read what peers find interesting which helps me find new and interesting content.

• Bad: Call me a novice, but it’s a little too complicated. With all the social networks out there, I feel like it’s trying to be too much and isn’t focusing on what it’s really good at – users submitting and rating content. Also, a big kicker, is that I asked for my age to be private on Digg, and despite me checking the box for my age not to be shown, it continues to be shown. Hmm. This is a big turn-off for me.

Social Marketing and Digg:

• Numerous social marketing and nonprofit stories are submitted to Digg everyday.

1. One way to further the movement, submit more of these types of stories.
2. Digg more of these types of stories.
3. Contact/Email digg and ask them to add a nonprofit, charity, philanthropy, community or social good category.

Join me on Digg @ Socialbttrfly