No, this post isn’t about the song played at every wedding this year from Beyoncé. (Although this clip from SNL puts a smile on my face every. single. time.)

Denis Pombriant wrote a great piece earlier this month for CRM Buyer based on new research from Pingdom indicating that most social networking and social media sites are frequented by more women than men. As a woman, I don’t find this all that shocking. Not only do I have more female “friends” on-line, but based on the actual interactions from these friends on social networking sites, it’s clear who the social sex is. I had to set up my own husband’s Facebook page just to get him to join! But I digress…

What I did find interesting (and Denis does, too) is what the data doesn’t illustrate. He says, “Think about the skill set that we prize in sales and marketing people. How does that skill set align with the people in the social strata?”

So what does that mean for those of us trying to reach out to consumers? In PR in 2009, we have been telling our clients to jump on social networking sites and get involved. But given this new data, we must take it a step further and explore whether or not we are missing a large portion of the population who aren’t on these social networking sites.  And those that are on the sites, well, we need to ensure our message is clear to the audience.

As we close out another year and look to what will work in the PR industry in 2010, the discussion will continue – how do we bridge the on-line vs. off-line gap. And the age-old question, how do we bridge the gender gap?

I welcome your comments.

Recently, I was browsing through my Google Reader RSS feed for a particular industry topic and become frustrated with the lack of quality and relevant content. I then turned to my Twitter network and had much better luck. This got me thinking about the relationship between RSS feeds, Twitter, and information flow and management overall.

This isn’t a novel idea – a quick Google search pulls up a number of articles on the topic. But I wanted to know how real people are using RSS feeds and Twitter. So, I decided to throw out the following idea to my Twitter (and Facebook) network:

As you can see below, the response was mixed.

Of course, this is not a substitute for scientific research – it’s only a handful of people from my professional and personal network. That being said, its value to me lies in the fact that these are people within my reach – a good mix of personal friends, colleagues and other professionals I’ve connected with for one reason or another.

So, are RSS feeds dead? No, I don’t believe so – at least not yet. However, I do think that the way we receive information is changing, and that includes RSS feeds. Not only are your Twitter contacts bringing new, relevant content to your attention, but you can also get information straight from the source as nearly every publication out there has at least one Twitter account. In fact, many are linked to their own RSS feeds – easily providing the same content without the added hassle of a RSS reader.

Taking it one step further, you can even set up RSS feeds from Twitter searches to pull in all content on a specific topic. For example, say you want to keep track of comments and news about the upcoming green building show, West Coast Green. A simple search using the #WCG hashtag gives you a real-time conversation:

Signing up for this RSS feed is now just as simple as clicking on “Feed for this query.” Of course, you can also get the same results from a Tweetdeck search, but I can see the value of separate RSS feeds if you’re looking at more than just one or two topics at a time.

Bottom line? What happens next is partly dependent on us and how we take advantage of the real-time information flow from services like Twitter. With a host of management tools available, anyone can create a powerful network and customized information flow (I’m a fan of Tweetdeck, but find what works for you). You just can’t get that level of customization or opportunities for social interactions from an RSS feed.

What about you? Do you check Google Reader or Tweetdeck every day? What other applications do you use? How do you manage the information flow?

New technologies are always evolving and changing the way we communicate. According to research from IPG’s Universal McCann and AOL, “One out of every seven minutes of media consumption today takes place via mobile devices…That’s expected to grow by 60 percent over the next two years.” Many of our clients are looking into website redesigns in order to make them more mobile-friendly. It’s interesting to see this shift. No longer is just having a blog good enough. Now it must be mobilized. And in doing so, we are finding that content must be refreshed more frequently, so as not to get lost in the shuffle

MediaPost recently reported on a new survey by Princeton Survey Research International, which found that 90 percent of Internet users between 18 – 29 use video sharing sites, up from 72 percent one year ago. But that’s not all. Online adults ages 30 – 49 also showed big gains over the past year; 67 percent now use video-sharing sites, up from 57 percent in 2008. So we now work with our clients to produce more video content and add pictures and videos to press releases.

Additionally, how we get news and information is changing on a regular (dare I say, daily?) basis. As PR professionals, we focus on people who are influencers. Traditionally, this has been the media or industry analysts. While these folks remain influential, there is a new group of influencers. There are blogs that comment on or repackage the news, some of whom have larger followings than the original content (e.g. Gawker).  People  now regularly forward news to their friends and colleagues via social networks and Twitter.

PR is also an ever-evolving game. Not so long ago, press releases went out via fax. You read that right, fax. That little machine in the corner of the copy room that the interns look at in bewilderment. That was cutting edge. Then came e-mail. Now, as how people get their news is in a state of constant change, we are continually adapting to make sure that we are getting the word out to the right people in the way they want to receive it.  I guess it is not surprising that change has come to news, which after all, is the business of reporting on change.

If you aren’t familiar with TEDTalks, I suggest you check out their site and catch up on some of the interesting conversations going on. I try to check back for new and interesting perspectives and came across this great presentation by Clay Shirky, “How social media can make history.”

Clay delves deep into this growth of media, pointing out that there have only been 4 times in the last 500 years where the change in media can be called a revolution – the printing press, conversation media (such as telephones), recorded media (photos, movies, videos) and the electromagnetic spectrum (radio). He goes on to say that the evolution of the Internet and social media has really allowed people to become producers of content.

We, once consumers, are NOW producing the content and leading the age of media. Wow.

You almost take that with a grain of salt, but when you take a look back at how Twitter and other social networking channels have allowed us to report news before the larger media channels, you see how powerful your voice can really be. This ability is your social capital.

In some countries, such as China, the outspokenness of citizens has become quite the problem. No longer able to filter through the content, citizens’ voices are being suppressed with the banning of such services.

Even in the United States, we have seen companies and publications try to suppress their employees’ social capital (i.e. The Associated Press). As you’ll see in Clay Shirky’s presentation, not even Obama – the President of the United States – suppressed people and their opinions on his network during the campaign. I completely agree with Clay when he points out that social media and networks should CONVENE individuals.

He leaves you hanging with the question, “How can we make best use of this media, even though it means changing the way we’ve always done it?” So, I ask you, are you embracing the change?

I was recently watching the Eastern Conference Finals, Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Orlando Magic, when my cable went out due to a typical Florida thunderstorm. It was in the fourth quarter with minutes left, so I quickly pulled out my computer to live stream the game. Just then it hit me: TV has evolved into the Age of Digital Media.

In today’s social media environment, video networking sites are popping up over night. As we enter the next-generation of TV, digital media is engaging customers worldwide and TV no longer a single platform for viewership. Missed an episode of The Office? Simply visit Hulu.com – NBC Universal’s latest venture in video networking – and watch the entire show online. Looking for that viral video that everyone is talking about, check out funnyordie.com or youtube.com, two websites that combine user-generated and exclusive content.

With the advancements of social media, consumers are no longer just watching music videos, TV episodes or other shared content. Instead, they are taking viewership to a completely new level by posting feedback on discussion boards or participating in chat rooms to share opinions on the recent cliffhanger, season finale episode of LOST.

With today’s media advancements, what will the future hold? Without a doubt, online video consumption will continue to increase. With the rise of bandwidth intensive services, service providers will consistently need to evolve platforms to satisfy customer demand. You will also see more broadcast stations launch in-depth, web-based applications to reach younger consumers. Finally, we might see customers asking themselves, “Do I really need that flat screen television when I can just use my personal computer to view live streaming video?”

Popular social networks, LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter seem to  think that they would be better if they more like one of the other social networks. Instead, they really should follow the advice of Popeye whose motto was “I yam what I yam, and that’s all that I yam.”

LinkedIn: LinkedIn has developed a case of Facebook envy. Each person’s page now has a Facebook-like status box at the top asking “What are you working on now?”.  I can’t recall anyone actually using this box (other than reposts from Twitter or Facebook). 

Attaching a social element to LinkedIn is the equivalent of a three piece suit with a backwards baseball cap. People use LinkedIn because it is all business. This means there is no risk of an embarrassing photo turning up in a search by a potential employer or customer.

Facebook: Facebook is turning itself into Twitter with pictures. A person’s home page is now dominated by Twitter-like status updates, accompanied by photos and attachments. Welcome to the slide show from Hell.  Facebook now puts pictures of kids, pets, and vacations front and center on a daily basis. As much I like keeping up with friends and family, I prefer the ability to decide when and if I want to see another cute cat picture or a 2×3 picture of someone’s dinner.

Once popular Facebook applications have been moved to the four corners of the site. Once popular applications like Superpoke (thowing sheep!) , Funwall and “Cities I Have Visited” now are the Web 2.0 equivalents of Golden Oldies that evoke nostalgia for a bygone era. While many of these applications were time wasters, Facebook is draining the social part that makes it unique.  

People who are power status updaters eventualy move to Twitterand and make Facebook a secondary source via an application that posts their tweets on Facebook. Take a look at your Facebook news stream and you will likely see many standard Twitter abbreviations and hashtags. More and more, Facebook  is making it seem like all of the action is on Twitter.

Twitter: Twitter’s identity crisis revolves around what is wants to be when it grows up. Twitter still does not have a viable revenue model. In a recent blog post, Twitter co-founder Biz Stone said that it is looking  at account authentication, management tools, and discovery mechanisms. Twitter has done some preliminary experiments with advertising on user’s profile page.

But I think that they will look to follow Google and monetize on search. By virtue of Twitter posts mostly being public,  a company can search Twitter to find out what people are saying about them, their competitors, and the hot issues in the markets in near real-time. Twitter can derive revenue from selling ads on search pages, premium search tools, or making a deal with with one of the large search companies.

Sticking to short communications in real time and monetizing like Google should be a personality that wears well for Twitter.

On our drive home from the office the other night, while driving through a residential neighborhood in the pouring rain, I came to the embarrassing and distressing realization that we were completely out of gas.  I hurried to try to reach the gas station that was less than a mile away when the car began to sputter and we were left motionless on the side of the road.  I used my GPS-enabled iPhone to call AAA and give them the exact location of our car.  They informed me that the wait would be about 45 minutes and my wife, my 7-month old daughter, and my 3-year old daughter began a long, uncomfortable wait with me. 

My wife and I both knew that there was a gas station less than a ½ mile away.  She quickly pointed out to me that before technology, I would have gotten out of the car and walked in the rain to be a “knight in shining armor” to her and our two daughters.  Instead, there I sat, breathing the stale air of a disabled automobile, ashamed for not checking the gas and leaving my family stranded for 45 minutes while we wait on a tow truck driver to be the hero for my family.    

This got me thinking.  Has technology killed the chivalrous man?

I asked some female friends and colleagues if they felt the same way, and got some interesting stories:

• Rather than a card and flowers, my friend Amanda recently got a simple text message from her boyfriend that read, “Happy Valentine’s Day!”
• Rachel noted that since buying a car with remote door locks six years ago, her husband has not opened the car door for her even once. 
• Ashley recently went on a first date with a guy who “poked” her on an Internet dating site.  When he arrived at her apartment he called from his cell phone to let her know he was downstairs waiting for her in his car.
• Melanie says that she and her husband had a long standing tradition of going out to dinner and a movie every Friday night, but in the 6-months since her husband discovered On-Demand movies on cable, the routine has turned into leftovers and a movie on the couch much to her dismay.

For the record, I don’t think I was non-chivalrous by not walking ½ mile in the rain.  I think I made the smart and logical choice.  Personally, I’m not sure that technology has killed chivalry; I think that technology just gives some men an excuse to let it fade away.

Update: Thanks to everyone who participated and viewed our speaker panel discussing “Sustainable Innovation in a Recession” via our Live Stream and at our San Francisco Earth Day event on April 16, 2009 .  We will be posting videos of the panel discussion here on Vantage Points. So please bookmark and check back.

More details can be found here: Celebrating Earth Day – Vantage Style

Live streaming video by Ustream

On Thursday, I went to Orlando’s first official tweetup, organized by @etanowitz and The Orlando Sentinel. While tweetups are fairly common in areas such as San Francisco, it was great to finally meet the faces of several people I’ve been conversing back and forth with on Twitter. Not only did I get a chance to meet @Jackbastide and @Garth_Williams in person, but I also met many great new people such as @Jamespero, @Amykr and @Weatherangel!

One of the many topics that were brought up in my conversations revolved around forming local communities. Many of us go about our lives, hanging out with our close friends, often establishing new relationships through friends of our friends. But where do you go to network? What opportunities are out there that you’re missing?

Over 100 people showed up to the Orlando Tweetup. Pretty good turnout if you ask me! Each person had something different to offer. I chatted with people about sleep apnea, iPhone apps and even found someone who lived right down the street from me! In social media, it’s all about showing that you are a human being. No one wants to talk to a robot, or talk about business all the time. But you can guarantee that each person is an expert in their own field and this will of course come up in conversation.

So get out there!!! See what’s going on in your community. Can’t find anything? Start your own Tweetup and spread the word. Even if it’s an intimate group of people, it’s still a win-win situation. Check out this video by @kwidrick to see what some people have to say about the Tweetup.

Be sure to follow me and all my updates on twitter: @MarieGoltara

But what I found most interesting is that my peers hadn’t prepared me for this revolution. Not just Twitter, but the whole notion of social networking for professional use.  Isn’t my generation supposed to be innovators – the people that change the way society functions?

I’ve been on Facebook for almost five years now and before I started at Vantage I hadn’t once considered using it to gain a professional advantage. I thought of it as something “all the kids” were doing and eventually I would have to grow up, get a job and let my Facebook identity become one my many fond college memories. Turns out, I need to grow up and join more social networking sites!

Much to my confusion, I get the vibe that updating my Facebook status as frequently as I do is not that as well-received by my peers as it is by my employer. It feels like my generation is rebelling the revolution. I can’t help but wonder if we are afraid of being able to connect and talk with people – we started texting to get off the phone, after all. Or maybe we’re so used to being able to hide behind carefully controlled Facebook and MySpace profiles it’s hard to come to terms with the fact that maintaining these profiles can unveil more about yourself than the real world can. Our masks have become transparent.

In the end, I’m relieved that I have discovered the many social networking sites that connect me with a world that’s out of my physical reach.  I’m enthusiastic about the relationships I am building with the professionals in my industry and hope that I can encourage my peers to come around and feel the same way.  

Social networking is a whole new way to see the world and a whole new way to get to know yourself. It’s a challenge to remain interested/interesting and to keep up at all times, but with all challenges come rewards and this one is too big to pass up.