I'm an admin completing a masters degree and need to demonstrate the need for admins to know Web 2.0 tools (Facebook, LinkedIn, Google Docs, Twitter, Blogs, etc.). Are any of you using these tools for your professional career, using them to help your manager/executive, etc.? There is no printed material I can find anywhere that shows admin professionals doing this regularly in their careers. I need to show a need for administrative professionals to know these tools. Any thoughts? Please respond ASAP. Thanks!
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If you think that people who frequent Facebook, Twitter and other online social media sites are holed up in their offices or homes working in isolation, you are wrong.
Increasingly, business people who have first met on line are meeting in person to further connect and cement their business relationships. Consider extending the reach of your business by getting engaged on and offline.
One example of the online and offine worlds coming together is when participants on Twitter hold in-person gatherings, called Tweetups. They get face-to-face contact with friends who were until then just user names . My first Tweetup was at a local Italian restaurant where 90 other twitterers gathered, eager to exchange business cards and look to connect with others in their interest areas. The organizers prepared gift bags with donated items and invited the marketing representative from a local shopping center to attend and invite all of us to a media-only event. It was a lively and fun event.
While still at my first Tweetup, a colleague, Edward Phillipp, and I discovered that we were both going to be attending the same seminar the next weekend. We scheduled a Tweetup to take place when the last session ended on the first day of the seminar. We met with a few other twitterers to chat about the highlights of the speeches we had heard that day.
Attending the Tweetup that Ed and I scheduled was Warren Whitlock, BlogTalk radio host, speaker, blogger, social media expert and co-author of “Twitter Revolution: How Social Media and Mobile Marketing is Changing the Way We Do Business & Market Online.” Since Warren’s show airs on Friday nights, he recorded our Tweetup as part of his show via his cell phone. (The photo above shows me attending this Tweetup.)
Another example, Biznik, is an online community of entrepreneurs and small businesses dedicated to helping each other succeed. By sharing ideas with others of like mind you grow your business and even find new clients. Biznik members who live in the same geographical area schedule meetings, seminars and mixers to meet in person. One member, a marketing consultant, hosts weekly meetings at a popular Los Angeles restaurant.
No matter what product or service you offer, your business will benefit when online and offline worlds meet.
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Anonymous on
10/1/2009 8:09:59 AM
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Thank you for the comments so far. Keep them coming! What I have found in hundreds of hours of research, reading, etc. so far is that in order for admins to partner more effectively with managers, CEO's and companies, they must be on the cutting edge of technology. How can admins be a resource in their organizations if they don't know the latest technology? How can admins suggest new ways to move and drive business in the organization if they don't understand what technology can do today?
I am absolutely convinced now that I am connected to Web 2.0 technologies in a variety of different ways (Goggle Docs to retrieve my documents from any computer that has an Internet connection), Social Bookmarking (to retrieve my favorites from any computer with an Internet connection), and many, many more.
I am learning Web 2.0 technologies one application at a time and it has absolutely enhanced my career and it can enhance the career of every admin.
Thank you again for the comments!
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Stacy Leitner on
9/27/2009 9:10:50 PM
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Stacy,
Congratulations on completing your Masters degree! I use LinkedIn, Google Docs and Bing in our department because of the contacts and variety of items needed. For instance, if we are checking into new companies or locations, we will use LinkedIn for reviewing the company or the individual we are thinking of adding to our business. Also, we use Google Docs, but not frequently. I will sometimes use it if I am looking for a type of document that I don't have on hand or if there is something specific that will allow me to use it over and over again. We use Bing for mapping, 3-D designs and for longitude and latitude. The Web tools do come in handy for Admins to know and use because we tend to be the eyes and ears of the company. Hope this helps!
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Lucky Admin on
9/23/2009 8:34:36 AM
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Stacy,
I am a assistant to a non profit community based program and currently I use Facebook and Myspace I am also tryng to learn what I can about twitter. This is a very effective way for our program to recruit clients and volunteers. We also have youth groups and it is imperative to meet them on their level and we have found that is via web 2.0 tools and even text messeges. We do a majority of our outreach via web tools as well a very effective way to spread our mission statement and overall program information.
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Stefani Slayton on
9/22/2009 10:50:04 AM
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I may be a minority, but I don't see the need professionally to know how to use these sites (Facebook, twitter, blogs, etc.). On a personal level, I obviously think they're great and have been participating in them for several years. During all that time, I have never had a need to use them professionally nor have I seen any of my colleagues use them in that manner.
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Anonymous on
9/22/2009 10:09:05 AM
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Hello Stacy,
First, I want to commend you on completing your masters degree, and further express how excited I am about your willingness to demonstrate the need for admins to know Web 2.0 tools. Unfortunately, I can not comment because I don't use them as often as I should; only google for my search engine. I would love to use the Web 2.0 tools to enhance my professional career and would greatly appreciate receiving a copy of your paper when it's completed. I am attending a seminar on September 30th which will educate me on Twitter, and I will be happy to pass along any information I feel will be relevant to your paper after that date. Again, I want to commend you. As an admin, we should be able to navigate all of the Web 2.0 tools listed above without any hesitation. Thank you for continuing to demonstrate the importance of learning new technology. Irene
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Irene Scott on
9/22/2009 10:06:45 AM
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