Mobile blogging tools on the go!

There is nothing more fun then updating your blog posts right then and there as it comes to you. No need to switch on the computer and wait for it to boot up. And no need to preserve your thoughts with paper and pen. Simply whip out your mobile phone and key in to glory. Here we enlist some tools helping you in your endeavor to stay tuned in to your web self while on the go.

Kyte (iTunes) is an uber cool photo blogging tool for your mobile. Kyte brings you mobile ‘slideshow blogging’.

Facebook the world’s biggest social network brings out its own app (iTunes) for mobile. Facebooking is also about blogging and micro blogging. With a recent update to this application one can post messages to your friends as well as to your own wall. The app is also great for seamlessly uploading photos to your online account.

Graffitio (iTunes) is a location based application similar to cloudy but is text based. To offer you an example, say you are at a pub. You can log in to Graffitio and check if there’s a Facebook like wall created for the pub. If there is one, then you can post a message to it. You can also create a wall for the place. Soon these walls will display an interesting series of discussions with enough people tuning in.

Clowdy Photo Blogger (iTunes) allows you to post location based photos online. One can even view photos near to your location. It is an exclusive app in the photo realm. It is free and its file size is 0.1 MB.

Brands and the new ‘Groups’ in Facebook

The new Groups functionality changes some rules of the game and introduces new features. The Groups behave like ‘mini Facebooks’ and are power packed with utilities like document uploading and group chat. These functions can be used for their advantage by intelligent marketers and brands.

There can be many practical uses of Groups. A brand can form a group for Consumer reviews. There is no longer the need to use any separate tools to garner product or customer feedback. You can invite participants to be part of a private Group and host feedback sessions. The Group can be private, public and even secret in nature. The customer will feel at home in the familiar environment and will be more likely to give high quality feedback.

While these groups won’t replace market research for big brands they can provide an insight into customer behavior in a quick and intimate manner. One can create a Group for an Event like conferences, seminars or for networking. The group can allow the members to have a united discussion and can also inform them about any updates regarding the event.

Group chat is the new feature introduced through the medium of the Groups. Brands can use the chat feature to conduct live chats with company and figure heads. One can even schedule live chats to improve interaction. Brands should respect and keep within the acceptable online boundaries and not spam the members or invade their privacy. A good thing to do would be to gain the permission of the member before adding him/her to the group.

Giving Employees resources for Social Media

Employees with the social medium and network can help their company build and expand their brand value. And companies increasingly support this view and are relaxing the stringent and banishing rules for the social media.

Growing numbers of employees want permission rather than asking for forgiveness for being socially active on the web while keeping with the guidelines and rules for the employees using the social media. Thus it becomes important for the company to provide their community with more resources. This helps in spreading updates about the culture, promotions and activities of the company.

One such lucky employee tells us that his employer does not tell them what to tweet but provides them with good guidebooks on twitter. This helps in educating people about benefiting from twitter. It also shows that the organization supports such portals and clarifies on what it allows. In this manner a company can provide its staff with helpful pointers and a roadmap, than being heavy handed.

Some companies go all out as they understand what is at stake. Some of them even have a policy for social media which shows employees how to be interesting, build their networks and add value to their conversations. These policies do the unthinkable and provide advice on using Facebook, twitter and others such social mediums for leadership and business development.

The proactive statements should match the prohibitive rules in number in any social medium policy document. Make the DOs and the DON’Ts columns equal. Such positive actions on the part of the management and the employees will work for the benefit of any company in the changing times.

‘Twitter lists’ for CIOs and CTOs

Twitter lists are great to keep a tab on a big or small group of small and what they are talking about. A List is ideally on a similar subject of discussion making it the one stop for all the latest information on that topic. Make your own list or follow someone else’s list. It is the new way of keeping updated on the information you desire.

In the ocean full of technology based lists there are few gems which are worth following. Here’s our pick of the top choices of the technology lists that is sure to keep the CIOs and the CTOs interested.

Most-Influential-in-Tech: This essential list brings together more than two hundred of the influential and respected tech executives. Robert Scoble a enthusiast and video blogger put together this list after interviewing more than three thousand geeks through the years. These are the people at the core of the tech revolution.

Technology: This is a SuperList from Tlists, the real time media company. It brings together the tweeters who are among the most listed for their technology insights. It is ideal for people wanting to stay updated on the new trends and news.

Tech-Company-Executives: This is an expansive list of over four hundred C level execs. These high profile executives belong to both big and small companies. This list is well curated again by Robert Scoble.

CIO: An I.T professional by the name of Jason Sparrow compiled this huge list of more than four hundred twitter sources which includes the likes of CIO Talkradio, CIO.com and CIOs from around the world.

CIO-CTO-Directors-Techies: A lot of effort and time must have gone into creating this huge about five hundred member long list. The I.T director at the Babson College, Andy Lymburner created the list which comprises of technology experts from varied industry backgrounds. The conversation revolves around security, data, cloud computing and technology.

Wishing you a Sparkling Diwali and a Prosperous New Year