I’ve started using Google+ recently, and so far, I’m really enjoying it. It’s still in beta right now, but the amount of buzz surrounding it suggests to me that it has the potential to be around for a while AND that there is a demand for tips and tricks. I’m planning to write a more in-depth post about my experiences after our move to Florida on Friday (hence my extended absence from the blog), but right now I want to share a short list of resources for those hoping to learn more about G+. If you know of any I missed, I’d love to hear about them! G+ is pretty fun, and I’m excited to spend some time trying some of the tips and tricks these authors share! I plan on adding to this list as I learn about other resources, so make sure to check back.
>Analytics and You
>Stephen Abram just put this post on his awesome Lighthouse blog, and I wanted to pass it along to my readers. I’ve mentioned it before, but I’ll say it again: if you aren’t following his blog, you should be. And follow him on Twitter too (@sabram)–there really are few people out there who post so frequently on so many timely topics that impact wide portions of the LIS field. I *love* tracking my stats, and Topsy seems like another great tool to add to the arsenal. I just checked my Twitter mentions, and it allowed me to see what days were most active over the last two weeks (which, if checked regularly, can help me see what posts are having the greatest impact and are being shared the most).
Why should you care about keeping track of your stats? As an LIS student or new professional, it’s a good way to know what social media actions are drawing attention and thus to be able to use social media tools more effectively. It also helps you manage your online presence (for a really great post about ‘listening’ in social media, see Dierdre Reid’s blog!)
Thanks largely to Dierdre’s post, I started keeping tighter track of my online presence through Google Alerts: if you have a Google account, I recommend setting them up. I set up alerts for my Twitter accounts, B Sides journal, both my blogs, and my name. I get an email for each one around noon each day, and while many of the links are false positives, there have been quite a few links that ended up being accurate and led me to mentions of myself and my work that I otherwise wouldn’t have known about! I also check my blog stats daily, and I check my Twitter mentions and retweets multiple times a day by making columns for them in my Hootsuite account. I’ll be adding Topsy to this list!
Fellow LIS students, what are you using to track your stats? And what impact has it had on your online presence and your use of social media tools?
>Tips and Tricks from Library School
>Lauren Dodd recently posted The Dos and Don’ts of Library School on her blog, and it got me to thinking what advice I would give to people entering a Master’s program. I would definitely recommend reading her post: it has some great suggestions, all of which I agree with! I thought of a couple other things that I would suggest as well, and so I am adding them here.
Julia C. Skinner 