Hitting four hundred.

LinkedIn
Anyone who knows me knows that I’m a total LinkedIn nut. Between LinkedIn and Facebook, I’m at peace with most of my social media needs (Twitter helps a little too, but I could live without it).

I think LinkedIn is the best possible representation of my professional life: my experience, my connections, my reputation, my accomplishments. It’s truly putting my best foot forward when I meet someone I want to know better professionally. It also helps me keep my connections open for a lot longer, whereas previously they would have fossilized after a few months.

Just now, Shawn Ward, co-founder of the social personal finance service Geezeo become my four hundredth connection. A fun milestone.

@Shari: 168 is nice too…

My final thoughts on Finovate.

FinovateI just posted my final thoughts on the presenters at Finovate in a post titled My Finovate Wrap-Up. In it, I try to pull out those products and services that resonated with me, as someone who is passionate about social media and credit unions.

And some photos from the event below…


The building in NY where Finovate happened.


NetBanker’s Jim Bruene introducing the event.


Finovate organizers Jim Bruene and Eric Mattson.

Black Hole Blog.

An article in the newest (September 2007) edition of Enterprise Magazine features an interview with me. Black Hole Blog covers social media and how credit unions can embrace it. I talk about how CUs can respond to bloggers, and the writer, Laureen Griffin, also writes about ChangeEverything.ca.

She also interviewed Gene Blishen and Trey Reeme.

I’ve seen a few articles like this, but I thought this particular one was insightful. It must be hard to write an article that is at once basic and also helpful, knowing that your readers will range from those who don’t know social media at all, to those who are eager to try it out.

I like this quote a lot:

If a member of your credit union was standing in the middle of a town square in front of a rapt crowd, praising or criticizing your service or products, would you go outside and listen? If you could go to free credit union conferences to learn about the biggest innovations in credit union marketing, would you go? If your credit union could be the Roman Forum of the community, where people shared their concerns, and spoke from their hearts, would you do it? If you answered “yes,” then you are ready to dive into the blogosphere.

A nice way of framing the issue, I think.