ImPREZI Your Audience

Recently, a friend of mine introduced me to a new way to present slide shows, minus the slides. PowerPoint and SlideShare were great...in 1990. Now that we're approaching 2010, perhaps it's time to reinvent the wheel.

Prezi.com is a "canvas" approach to keeping the attention of your audience compared to the monotony of flipping through slides that all look identical. Instead of "sliding" from one slide to the next, Prezi is a "zooming" approach from one concept to the next. With Prezi, the audience has no idea what is coming. Eager anticipation can be the magic words when creating a successful presentation. All you need is the right tools to deliver that result:



The Prezi Blog discusses further techniques that can be learned for this program. Everything from wordles, to imbedded links, to video, Prezi has all the capability of Powerpoint plus the "wow" factor we are missing with the slide show. (Don't worry-if you're too nervous to completely let go of the slide show world, you can upload it into Prezi. No more excuses)And, whether you're giving that presentation to students or a boardroom, keeping your audience engaged is the most chanellenging part. The ripple affects of this program can also extend to a buisness. The last thing customers want is to wade through endless web pages. Why not give them something they can actually learn from? This concept that be applied in many areas of business and education alike.

So, who do you need to imPREZI? Give it a shot. You have nothing to lose but those boring slides!

Are You in the "Loopt?"

How connected are you to your mobile device? One important characteristic that separates our computer from our cell phone is the intelligence factor: your phone knows where you at any given time. What happens when social media utilizes this intelligence function? It invades your privacy.

Does your cell phone have the capability of telling your friends where you are at any given time? Some might find this type of application a turn-off, but programs such as Loopt are interactive programs on mobile phones that help people connect to other people, places, and events.

Often I will see a "tweet" on Twitter with a link from Loopt, showing me exactly where they are, what they might be doing, and any deals or information I can get from the event they may be attending. This is a revolutionary social mapping service. Through Loopt, people can discover the best places and events in town and how your friends rate them. Uploading this feature to Facebook, Twitter, or other social media sites could be the next "big thing" in social media and its platforms.

If you don't like the idea of your friends or your public followers on Twitter knowing where you are, chances are, any location platform may be a turn off to you. Foursquare, for example, gives you and your friends a new way to explore the city in which you live. Much like Loopt, Foursquare works best on your mobile device and lets the user "check in" to places around the city. Through this application, you can recommend places to your friends and get recommendations from them. Foursquare describes this as an "urban mix tape". The site helps make the list and you can in turn share them with friends. The catch? Every check-in earns points. Before you know it, you just knocked your friend out of position and took over as Mayor of Banana Republic.

Before we know it, this technology might become the next Twitter or Facebook. Better get in the Loopt!

Become More "Linked"

Linked In is probably the most comprehensive social networking site for professionals. Free of the public photos that could present embaressing circumstances on sites such as Facebook, Linked In brings a professionalism to social media that is despretely needed.

I recently read an article on Mashable that listed some efficent ways to stay connected on Linked In and utilize the site to its fullest potential. I'm sure most of us feel we could always network better, but don't have the time or may be overwhelmed with the surge of new social media tactics. The truth is, we can always become better at networking, no matter what the technology. It should not be something we run from, but instead, learn more about.

Sharlyn Lauby, President of Internal Talent Management, gives some great advice on creating a Linked In profile that gives the job seekers an advantage over someone who ignores the networking possibilities of the Internet. Linked In is not just another social media site; it's a potential market.

For example, utilizing the status update lets other people know what you are potentially involved in, outside of what the resume explains. If someone has 20-50+ connections, we can guess they probably check their Linked-In profile about once a week. If someone has less than 19 connections, we can probably guess they haven't passed the network of friends and family. These connections will say a lot about how agressive and interested someone is in building their network.

Lauby also speaks about the importance of content on a Linked In profile. Providing a simple online version of your resume is something anyone can do. Go above and beyond what is typical and post portfolio items, links to your blog, or other initiatives you may be involved in. Something this simple could make your profile stand out among your collegues or in a search on your profile. You never know how a connection may help you in the future.

Read Lauby's full article here.