Mashable: Latest 11 News Updates - including “6 Things to Know Before Starting a Business” |
- 6 Things to Know Before Starting a Business
- Crowdsourced ‘Star Wars Uncut: The Director’s Cut’ Debuts on YouTube [VIRAL VIDEO]
- Super Bowl XLVI Gets a Social Media Command Center
- 5 Firefox Add-Ons for Increasing Productivity
- Top 7 Comments on Mashable This Week
- CoTweet Gone: Here Are 7 Great Alternatives
- How To Close The Books on Your Startup
- Top 10 Tech This Week [PICS]
- Top 10 Twitter Pics of the Week [PICS]
- What Can Twitter Tell Us About the South Carolina Primary?
- Collaborative Documentary Weaves Stories of Egyptian Revolution
- 3 Social Learning Trends to Watch in 2012
| 6 Things to Know Before Starting a Business Posted: 21 Jan 2012 03:10 PM PST      This post originally appeared on the American Express OPEN Forum, where Mashable regularly contributes articles about leveraging social media and technology in small business. An entrepreneur's life can be a real roller coaster. Having started a few businesses in my career, I thought it would be useful to highlight some of the hard-won experience I've learned throughout the process — the kind of advice I wish I'd known when I started my first, or even second, business. 1. Don't Underestimate a Business PlanIf you're not seeking outside funding at the start, it's tempting to forgo writing out a formal business plan. However, taking the time to write out your business plan, forecasts and marketing strategy is a particularly effective way to hone your vision. All planning should center around two essential questions: How is my business serving a particular need or pain point, and does this represent a major market opportunity? In addition, don't overlook the exit strategy at the beginning. Do you want your children to take over the company? Do you want to sell it? It's critical to think about these questions from the start, as the building blocks of your company (such as legal structure) should vary depending on your preferred final outcome. 2. Don't Get Stuck in the PastMy husband and I launched our first online legal document filing service in 1997, and then re-entered the market with our second company in 2009. While our previous experience certainly gave us a leg up the second time around, we soon realized the market landscape had changed dramatically since our first company. We had to stop dwelling on previous competitors, customer needs and service expectations and write a brand new playbook. The marketplace and your business plan are living entities; they're continually in flux. Whether it's your first company or fifth in a given market, you've got to keep asking: What do we need to do today? 3. Don't Hire FriendsI form bonds quickly and make fast friends with people around me. While I generally consider this a positive trait, it has created some difficult situations when running a business. At times I have been reluctant to let employees go even though I know it's not a good fit. If things aren't working out between an employee and startup, it's time to put feelings aside and trust that the person will find a better situation elsewhere. Unfortunately, I've also learned that people can let you down, ranging from laziness to fraud. I still believe that faith in people is a good thing. However, blind faith can bring trouble. 4. Don't Dive in Without a Plan Just like the business plan, it's critical to think through any initiative you wish to launch. When you're in the midst of startup fever, it's easy to get wrapped up with every new idea. However, be careful of losing focus. Moving forward is critical for any startup, and constantly switching directions can impede this forward progress. With each new idea, step back and think how it fits into your company's overall goal and vision, then create a plan for how to make it happen. 5. Don't Fall Into a Discount TrapAt the beginning, too many young companies feel the pressure to heavily discount their prices in order to win business. While customer acquisition is important, attracting customers at unsustainable price levels will just result in a race to the bottom. After all, raising your prices on goods and certain services can be a tricky proposition. I've learned that you're better off in the long run focusing on how to bring more value to customers, rather than simply slashing your prices. 6. Don't Be Afraid to FailSoccer coach Sven-Goran Eriksson once said, "The greatest barrier to success is the fear of failure." An entrepreneur's path is uncharted and sometimes a little bumpy. It's easy to get stressed or downright panicked, but you cannot let fear prevent you from following your dreams. Think of it this way: the sooner you fail, the closer you are to discovering what works. ConclusionWhile you can't guarantee the outcome of any new venture, you can stack the odds in your favor. These are six lessons I've learned over time and countless others are out there. If you're open, you can gain wisdom from everything you try and gather insight from fellow entrepreneurs. What do you wish you knew when you started your first business? Image courtesy of iStockphoto, ineskoleva More About: Business, features, mashable, open forum, small business whiteboard, Startups For more Business coverage:
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| Crowdsourced ‘Star Wars Uncut: The Director’s Cut’ Debuts on YouTube [VIRAL VIDEO] Posted: 21 Jan 2012 03:00 PM PST Two years ago, a group of Star Wars fans decided to remake Star Wars: A New Hope out of fan-generated scenes. Now, that Star Wars Uncut project has finally come to its full fruition with a Director’s Cut, a two-hour+ YouTube video created entirely by crowdsourcing. When fans were encouraged by organizer and fan Casey Pugh to recreate the Star Wars movie in 15-second segments, they were given free reign to do whatever they wanted. Out of the thousands of wildly creative scenes, video editor Aaron Valdez and sound designer and mixer Bryan Pugh picked the best of the bunch, putting together this whimsical Director’s Cut, a rip-roaring re-creation of the George Lucas film. Over the course of a couple of years Casey Pugh has basked in the limelight, even winning a primetime Emmy award in 2010 for Outstanding Creative Achievement in Interactive Media for his work on this project. Now the Director’s Cut has found its way to YouTube, where it’s already garnered more than 433,000 views since it was first posted on Jan. 18. Said Casey on his blog, “Star Wars Uncut has always been incomplete without this. I'm very excited and proud to release the entire film. Watch it over the weekend for guaranteed LOLs and nostalgia.” So sit back, and see if you are more entertained by this crowdsourced version of Star Wars: A New Hope than you were by the original. Then, let us know what you think of this enormous undertaking. Is it awful or amusing? Somewhere in between? More About: crowdsourcing, Star Wars, YouTube For more Dev & Design coverage:
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| Super Bowl XLVI Gets a Social Media Command Center Posted: 21 Jan 2012 02:50 PM PST   Super Bowl XLVI host city Indianapolis has concocted a new way to deal with the madness that comes with managing the world’s biggest annual sporting event. The solution? The Super Bowl’s first-ever social media command center. A team of strategists, analysts and techies will monitor the digital fan conversation via Facebook, Twitter and other platforms from a 2,800-square-foot space downtown. The station will open on Monday and run through Super Bowl XLVI on Feb. 5. The team will tweet directions to fans in search of parking, direct visitors to Indianapolis’s best attractions, and stand by to provide information in case of a disaster. “Social media is just how people interact now,” said Taulbee Jackson, CEO of Raidious, the digital marketing agency that the Super Bowl’s host committee tapped to manage the communications hub. “We felt it was critical to have some horsepower behind that aspect of the Super Bowl here, versus what you might have seen from other Super Bowls.” Some 150,000 people are expected to flood into downtown Indianapolis — where the game will be played at Lucas Oil Stadium — over Super Bowl weekend. Advanced search tools and analytics will help Jackson and his team identify fans in need of help by indexing key words and phrases. For example, a fan won’t need to tweet, “where can I find parking?” to get help; Raidious operatives will be able to pick up on a general phrase such as “parking sucks” to offer assistance. But it won’t be a simple operation. The command center will utilize more than a mile of Ethernet cable and more than 150 square feet of networked screen space. More than 20 people will man the center for 15 hours per day. Researchers from nearby Ball State University’s Center for Media Design will conduct a study of the command center, analyzing its strengths and weaknesses. Michael Holmes, director of the center’s Insight & Research Unit, wrote in an email that the command center is an example of the “the ubiquity of social media and the absolute necessity for companies, organizations and communities to use these tools to improve their relations with their customer, audiences and citizens.” Both Holmes and Jackson said they would not be surprised if the Super Bowl’s first designated social media warroom sets a precedent for other major events. “We’re kind of breaking new ground here so we don’t know the exact numbers yet of what we’ll be dealing with, but we should be able to provide that after the game to other cities that have to deal with these types of issues,” Jackson said. “I think a lot of brands will start to see a need for something like this.” What do you think about the Super Bowl’s first-ever social media command center? Would you like to see major events set up more operations like this? Let us know in the comments. Image courtesy of iStockphoto, LUGO More About: Facebook, Social Media, sports, Super Bowl XLVI, Twitter
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| 5 Firefox Add-Ons for Increasing Productivity Posted: 21 Jan 2012 02:45 PM PST   This post originally appeared on the American Express OPEN Forum, where Mashable regularly contributes articles about leveraging social media and technology in small business. The Internet is a black hole of procrastination. It’s a rare occasion when we open up our web browsers and just do work without checking Facebook or getting sucked into YouTube. Not only is it possible to get work done, but your web browser can actually help you be more productive. If you use Mozilla’s Firefox, you’re in even more luck since we’ve compiled this list of five Firefox add-ons to boost your work flow efficiency. Take a look and let us know which add-ons you use to stay productive. 1. The Multi-Tasker: Tab Mix Plus |
| Top 7 Comments on Mashable This Week Posted: 21 Jan 2012 01:28 PM PST   We’re back again with another roundup of the top Mashable comments of the week. In this post, we showcase the week’s best comments on our site. We always look for thoughtful comments that engage the community and drive more conversation, as well as those that make us laugh. This week, the Mashable community took an interest in coverage of SOPA and Apple’s launch of their new iBook authoring tool. The top comments were loaded with strong ideas and well-supported opinions. Take a look at this week’s top comments on Mashable: Transforming Education Chris Anderson shares his opinion on Apple's new iBooks authoring tool. He says the new system is restricting in some ways and needs improvement. Comment originally posted on: Why the iPad Won't Transform Education — Yet Click here to view this gallery. If you haven’t commented on a Mashable article before, check out Mashable Follow, our content curation and social tool, as well as our comment guidelines to learn more. We’d love for you to join the conversation. Remember to comment on next week’s articles for a chance to be in the top comments roundup. More About: comments, community, mashable follow, top comments For more Social Media coverage:
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| CoTweet Gone: Here Are 7 Great Alternatives Posted: 21 Jan 2012 01:07 PM PST   The popular social media management application CoTweet will no longer exist after Feb. 15, but we’ve found 7 free or low-cost alternatives that’ll take its place. What happened to the free Co-Tweet? The service’s parent company, ExactTarget, announced in a blog post this week that it will soon re-christen CoTweet as SocialEngage — a premium-only service the company says will feature enhanced integration and marketing powers. The free version will be gone forever. CoTweet was a hit with Twitter users, and many consumers of the free option are unhappy. A long string of comments following that ExactTarget blog post showed displeasure at the company for the abrupt move and its opaque pricing information. ExactTarget has not publicly said what it will charge to use SocialEngage, instead inviting former CoTweet users to make direct contact for more details. Existing CoTweet users can also test drive a free trial of SocialEngage until the end of February. Margaret Francis, ExactTarget’s vice president of social products, declined to elaborate on pricing information in a recent interview with Mashable, beyond that there will varying costs for different levels of service. She said the free CoTweet was scrapped so that ExactTarget could “put all of our resources” behind SocialEngage, and that many of the company’s larger clients are happy about the switch. Fans and users of the free CoTweet, meanwhile, are left weighing whether to open their wallets for SocialEngage or look elsewhere for other free alternatives. Managers of social media campaigns for tiny companies or non-business clients likely won’t be willing or able to afford an upgrade. User David Beronja captured the mood of many when he posted this comment in response to the ExactTarget blog entry: “Been using cotweet for a long time. Good bye it was nice while it lasted. Time to find something else.” But what might that something else be? Here, Mashable offers seven free or low-cost alternatives to SocialEngage. Some offer the full range of scheduling, monitoring and engagement capabilities — while others specialize in one or two. (Existing CoTweet users can also test drive a free trial of SocialEngage until the end of February.) Scroll through the slideshow below, then get back to us in the comments: What do you think about ExactTarget killing the free version of CoTweet? Which alternatives do you most recommend? 1. HootSuite The popular HootSuite dashboard allows teams to monitor conversations and track the success of campaigns. Its free ad-supported option can be used for up to five social profiles and Pro version costs just $6 per month. Click here to view this gallery.
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| How To Close The Books on Your Startup Posted: 21 Jan 2012 12:35 PM PST   This post originally appeared on the American Express OPEN Forum, where Mashable regularly contributes articles about leveraging social media and technology in small business. In the life cycle of an entrepreneur, shutting the doors on a business isn't necessarily a gloomy situation. The end of one venture often signals the start of something new and the beginning of the next exciting journey. This is particularly true in the fast-paced high-tech and software world, where only a small percentage of startups mature. Yet to embark on the next project, you'll want to properly close the books on your previous company. There are legal and financial ramifications at stake: Without formally closing a business, you can still be charged fees and required to submit tax returns to the IRS (including an annual report to the state). Additionally, closing a business the 'right way' ensures the network, reputation, goodwill and momentum you've built with the first company can be gracefully transitioned to future projects. Here's the seven-step process to formally close your business: 1. Dissolve Your LLC or CorporationAn LLC or Corporation can be dissolved as easily as it's created. Essentially, you'll need to file a form called "Articles of Dissolution" or "Certificate of Termination" with the Secretary of State's office in the state where your LLC/Corp was formed. If you've been operating as a Corp, LLC, or Partnership, all business associates need to vote on closing the business. This final vote should be recorded in the meeting minutes. If shares were issued in a Corporation, two-thirds of the voting shares must agree on the dissolution. If no shares were issued, the Board of Directors must approve to dissolve the company. If you've been operating as an LLC, review the dissolution requirements in your state's LLCA (Limited Liability Company Act). Every state statute has a different set of provisions, so be sure to follow your particular statute to the letter. Otherwise, members of the LLC can be held liable for debts of the company after it's been dissolved. 2. Pay Off Debts and Get in Good Standing Any outstanding company debts must be paid. In most states, an LLC or Corporation must settle its debts before any distributions can be made to members. If your business doesn't have enough money to pay off all loans and debts, you should consult an attorney — it's possible that members could be held personally liable for those debts after the business is dissolved. 3. Close Federal and State Tax AccountsNotify the IRS that your business is no longer operating by shutting down the Employer Identification Number (EIN). You'll also need to file your final federal and state tax returns (check the box indicating that this will be the final return). If applicable, your company's payroll withholding taxes must be up-to-date (members can be held personally liable if payroll taxes aren't paid). 4. Return Cash Reserves to OwnersAfter debts have been paid, the remaining assets and cash reserves should be distributed to the owners/members in proportion to ownership interest. Again, no assets can be distributed until all debts have been settled. 5. Cancel Any Permits and LicensesContact the county where your business is located and cancel your business license, as well as any other permits you hold. Don't just let this expire, because you could still be assessed fees and taxes even though your business is no longer in operation. If you have a seller's permit, cancel that as well. And if you have been using a fictitious business name, you'll need to file an abandonment form. There's no reason to hold on to any of this, and you don't want to be liable if someone else accidentally or intentionally uses your seller's permit or other license. 6. Notify Any Vendors, Contractors, and ClientsIf you're closing a business, it is likely that you don't have any active clients or you've already made preparations for stopping work. You should also take the time to notify any contractors, freelancers, vendors and suppliers whom you have done business with — don't just leave them wondering as your business tapers down to zero. By being upfront with and considerate of your contractors and suppliers, they'll be more likely to help you on your next venture. Your strength as an entrepreneur and business leader depends heavily on the caliber of your network. 7. Close Just Like You OpenedTake the whole process of closing your business just as seriously as you did opening it. Your credit and reputation are at stake. If you know you've moved on from a business, start the dissolution process as soon as possible. There's simply no reason to pay an extra cent in fees and paperwork toward a business you know you're retiring. Put all that effort to your next project! Image courtesy of Flickr, borman818 More About: Business, corporations, features, mashable, open forum, Small Business For more Business coverage:
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| Posted: 21 Jan 2012 12:20 PM PST 1. Thermaltake Level 10 M Mouse This is what happens when Thermaltake rounds up those cool dudes at BMW DesignworksUSA to create a mouse that looks like it was plopped down from some kind of time machine. The mysterious pointing device comes with scant info so far, except this gorgeous pic and a promise of Spring availability. The best news? This is just the first of a series of gaming peripherals from Thermaltake and BMW Designworks. Taking its design cues from the spectacular Thermaltake Level 10 PC case, all you need to add is a Level 10 keyboard (hopefully coming along after this mouse) to give yourself a complete PC system of the future. [via Coolest Gadgets] Click here to view this gallery. The tech world continues to take giant steps forward with innovative devices, vehicles and gadgetry, and we’ve narrowed down the coolest of the bunch to the Top 10 Tech This Week. This week, we found an unusually wide variety of tech toys, fitness helpers, relaxation aids, solar wizardry and even a hot rumor about a possible upcoming device from Apple — could there be an ultra-high-rez iPad 3 on the way? We’re not just lingering on terra firma with the top tech, either — now there’s talk of a permanent moon base that could be a joint venture between Russia, the European Space Agency and the United States. Apart from that grandiose and ambitious scheme, we also found a spectacular new design for a gaming mouse by a design firm we visited in California, BMW Designworks, which is one of the most advanced hotbeds of design masters in the world. So join us for one of the best collections of tech and gadgetry we’ve presented yet — don’t miss the top 10 tech this week, right here. Did you miss last week’s Top 10 Tech? Find our special CES edition here. More About: apple, GM, ipad, NASA, Nike, OLED, Top 10 Tech, trending
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| Top 10 Twitter Pics of the Week [PICS] Posted: 21 Jan 2012 10:18 AM PST   There’s no need to go through 30 million pictures posted on Twitter last week when you have our top 10 Twitter pics of the week. Using a special algorithm developed by our partners at social media search engine Skylines, we’ve narrowed down that plethora of pics to find the diamonds in the rough for you, the most interesting photos from Twitter over the past week. How do we do it? We focus on the most popular Twitter trends, using hashtags that dominated the discourse on the microblogging service this week. Our modified algorithm focuses on events and happenings around the world, rather than personalities, which were the focus of our previous algorithm. We’ve abandoned that because it brought us pictures of mostly boy bands, and ended up being a popularity contest rather than a gauge of what people were really thinking and talking about. So here they are, a week’s worth of Twitter pics encompassing a variety of topics and interests — the results of our digital analysis of more pictures than any army of people could actually look at themselves. By the way, if you’d like to take a look at the full results of our extensive survey, find it at the Skylines site. 1. #StopSOPA On January 18, several websites including Google, Mozilla and Wikipedia protested against SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act). Google did so by displaying a censor banner over its logo, Wikipedia shut down its website for 24 hours. A few hours later, federal agents shut down MegaUpload. This image by @AndrewBloch (founder of FrankPR, 16.000+ followers) criticizes Lamar Smith, who introduced the SOPA bill. Bloch's tweet reads: "The awkward moment when you break the law you proposed." Click here to view this gallery. More About: Photos, Skylines, trending, Twitter For more Social Media coverage:
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| What Can Twitter Tell Us About the South Carolina Primary? Posted: 21 Jan 2012 08:58 AM PST   What’s the social sentiment on Twitter saying about Saturday’s South Carolina Primary? Mashable teamed up with social media analysis company Global Point Research to find out. In the latest results from Public Policy Polling (PPP), Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich is strong heading into tonight’s primary. He has a nine point lead over former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney. Former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum just barely edged out Congressman Ron Paul (R-TX) for third place. The latest American Research Group poll also shows Gingrich leading the rest of the candidates by a wide margin. Gingrich’s sudden burst of energy is mirrored on Twitter. Ron Paul is doing much better among Twitter users than in the PPP poll, ranking just under Gingrich. Romney and Santorum are falling flat on the microblogging service, with the least positive sentiment surrounding their campaigns: Twitter suggests strong showings for Gingrich and Paul, but a less spectacular night for Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum. In Iowa, we found that Romney’s Twitter status fell flat, while Santorum’s spiked — and Santorum was recently declared the winner. New Hampshire’s results showed a clear advantage for Romney, who ran away with the contest. In research Global Point has done in the past, its data tends to be about two weeks ahead of polls and elections. For their analysis, Global Point used tweets from Jan. 15 – Jan. 20 which mentioned the South Carolina primary. Their weighted metric combines tweet volume and retweets with detailed sentiment analysis. The PPP polled 1,540 “likely Republican voters,” and had a margin of error of 2.5%. Global Point’s data isn’t a scientific poll. However, we’re asking: Is it useful to look at social media sentiment ahead of an election? We’ll continue to answer that question, but what do you think? Let us know in the comments below. Image courtesy of iStockphoto, JamesBrey More About: 2012 presidential campaign, trending, Twitter
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| Collaborative Documentary Weaves Stories of Egyptian Revolution Posted: 21 Jan 2012 08:20 AM PST   About 400 people gathered in Tahrir Square Thursday to launch a new kind of documentary about the Egyptian revolution. Instead of putting together a traditional, continuous film, creators of 18DaysInEgypt are asking individuals to submit media they created while living it. Tags those contributors add about the date, their feelings and their location will eventually help connect individual stories. Jigar Mehta, a Knight Fellow at Stanford University and former New York Times video journalist, originally started the project hoping to pull content directly from Twitter, Flickr and YouTube. But he and co-creator Yasmin Elayat quickly found difficulties in determining context from social media posts. “We thought, instead of being ahead of contributors pulling content, let’s push them to contribute,” Mehta says. The first of the site’s contributions came from about 100 photographers, journalists and bloggers who served as beta testers. Elayat and Mehta also had “ambassadors” collect media from people who weren’t connected to the Internet. Thursday was the public contributions launch. Using a contribution tool, anyone can compile videos, photos, tweets and Facebook posts into a slideshow module for the 18DaysInEgypt website. They then have options to add aforementioned tags and additional text. So far, people have used the tool in a variety of ways, many of them — like a video slideshow of activist musicians — in ways the team hadn’t anticipated.  “The Egyptian edition of the Daily Star has edited a picture of a Kefaya demonstrator in its 19 December print issue,” wrote one contributor. “[it] carefully blurred the anti-Mubarak writings on the Kefaya demonstrator’s poster.” “One man had the audacity to grope my arse, not once, but twice, within 30 seconds,” wrote another. “The latest fighting started when a boy who was part of the cabinet sit-in was brutally beaten by soldiers,” wrote a third. Eventually viewers will be able to click hyperlinks in each of these modules to see others that took place at the same time, with the same person or at the same location — in other words, how the censorship, beating and arse grabbing were connected. It’s a view of storytelling that has gotten some attention, including a grant from the Tribeca New Media Fund. Mehta and Elayat are working on making the concept available for telling other stories as well. They plan to launch a storytelling platform based on 18DaysInEgypt, GroupStre.am, within the next few months. Image courtesy of Flickr, Maggie Osama More About: Egypt, Groupstre.am, startup For more Business coverage:
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| 3 Social Learning Trends to Watch in 2012 Posted: 21 Jan 2012 07:11 AM PST   This post originally appeared on the American Express OPEN Forum, where Mashable regularly contributes articles about leveraging social media and technology in small business. According to the 2011 Training Industry Report from TrainingMag.com, total expenditures in training appear to be increasing. The amount spent on training jumped about 13% from 2010, including increases in overall training budgets and payroll, and spending on outside products and services. It's anticipated that training will continue to be a major focus for organizations in the upcoming year, which makes sense: As our economy continues to move in a positive direction, consumers will demand better service. This translates to a need for customer service, management and leadership training, which are poised to see increases in 2012. Along with the increased attention on training comes a discussion about value and retention. The conversation about ways to engage participants and therefore enhance the value of training is on the rise, as new tools and methods are emerging very quickly. Here are three of the developing topics that combine social with learning — and should be worth integrating in your business during this year. 1. Social LearningTony Bingham, president and CEO of the American Society for Training and Development (ASTD), is leading the discussion about defining social learning. "Social learning is learning with and from others, often — but not always — with social media tools,” Bingham explains. “Social learning is a powerful approach to sharing and discovering a whole array of options, leading to more informed decision-making and a more intimate, expansive and dynamic understanding of the culture and context in which we work." There are many benefits to incorporating social learning into an organization: "Incorporating social learning creates networks of knowledgeable people to work across time and space to make informed decisions and solve complex problems,” Bingham says. “Learning happens more quickly and broadly. Innovation happens faster. And tacit knowledge can be retained and reused." Companies are paying attention to the benefits. In ASTD's research report, Transforming Learning with Web 2.0 Technologies, findings indicate that 87% of respondents predict that in the next three years, their companies are more likely to use Web 2.0 technologies than they currently do. Bingham offers several examples of how companies are applying social learning in his book, The New Social Learning. 2. Social Networking Techniques While defining social learning is still a work in progress, many trainers are using social networking platforms to create activities and exercises for their programs. Jane Bozarth, eLearning Coordinator for the State of North Carolina and author of Social Media for Trainers explains how using social networks can enhance training: "Social media tools help to amplify the social and informal learning already going on in organizations all the time, every day, and make the learning available on a much larger scale. They provide ways to connect talent pools and expertise in an organization or within a practice area, and can offer just-in-time solutions to problems and performance issues." The reaction from participants is very positive. Bozarth explains, "Participants are happy to engage with one another using social media tools for training purposes. They find it convenient, useful for learning at the moment of need, and [that it helps them] develop a greater sense of control over their learning." Trainers shouldn't fear adding a social component to their programs. According to Bozarth, it's pretty easy to do. "Social media tools are just tools and can be effectively employed to support the gamut of training activities, from introductions to role plays to discussions of video clips, and anything in between." But she does offer one recommendation: "I hope we see learning and development practitioners moving toward partnering with learners and away from feeling their role is to direct them." 3. GamificationA frequent training request is make subjects fun — and what better way to learn a new topic than by playing a game? Karl M. Kapp, professor of instructional technology at Bloomsburg University and author of The Gamification of Training: Game-based Methods and Strategies for Learning and Instruction, shares the concept of using games for learning. "Studies indicate that games, when designed properly, motivate learners, improve learner retention and encourage students who aren't typically 'academic' to partake in the learning process,” he says. “There is no reason learning has to always be hard or difficult." It's important to note that not all games are created equal when it comes to learning. Kapp discusses two reasons why gamification is becoming popular, and the first one isn't necessarily relevant for learning. "Some people see gamification simply as the process of adding points, badges or rewards to the learning process and instantly creating engagement, interactivity and motivation for learning. This view is wrong." Kapp suggests looking at the real reasons why games are popular and then apply those elements to the process. "When done correctly, gamification provides an experience that is inherently engaging and, most importantly, promotes learning. The elements of games that make for effective gamification are those of storytelling, which provides a context, challenge, immediate feedback, sense of curiosity, problem-solving, a sense of accomplishment, autonomy and mastery." Adding social networks and games to training programs has the potential to shake up the learning experience. It can create constant learning opportunities, real-time knowledge sharing and improved participant engagement. What do you think of bringing social into the learning experience? Share your thoughts in the comments. More About: features, learning, mashable, open forum, Small Business, social learning, training For more Business coverage:
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