Review of the Mighybell platform that Lean In is using, started by Ning CEO Gina Bianchini after she left Ning. She says it is built for collaboration. I wanted to explore it because I was not impressed with it when setting up the Lean In Circle site, and wondered if it was developed for Lean In or was a stand alone product.
from Fast Company.com
Explanation of Mightybell and interview with Gina Bianchini about why she created it. Again, the focus is on groups.
"Today, the number of social networks available to us means there's a surfeit of places to come together online--we share aspirational photos on Pinterest, photos from our lives on Instagram, news on Google+, Internet happenings on Tumblr, and everything else on Facebook. But with so many channels to work with (waste time on?), the things we want to say are easily drowned out in noise, making it hard to establish genuine, intimate relationships with groups of people who aren't close friends and family. Sure, you can like a photo or retweet a clever one-liner as gestures of social solidarity, but they don't go far in making connections that count. Which is why Gina Bianchini, founder of new social network Mightybell, thinks it's time for an AOL chat room renaissance.
Collaboration and action in intimate circles could be her competitive advantage."
Techcrunch.com article on how Mightybell is morphing into a more collaborative space from its original design and focus, which was creating step-by-step private guides for anything.
Users create spaces, and "Users in these spaces can post photos, write a note, chat with others via a chat functionality, comment, like an interaction and more. Users can also customize a particular collection and create a these around their space."
Bryan Eisenberg's blog about the About Us page and what to make sure is included in it. Interestingly, he doesn't seem to follow his own advice on his own About Us page!
Susan Greene, a freelance writer and editor of web sites and articles, describes how creating a personal connection with potential customers is crucial on your About Us page. Tell stories, connect with visitors, be creative.
Focus on facts, figures, accomplishments. "Forget what you do. Customers don't care about what you do; they care about what they receive: solutions and benefits."
guest blog by Zoe Madden-Wood on creating a healthy and energized network around a particular issue, with lessons learned in her initial efforts to grow her network. She mentions June Holley's Network Weavers Handbook, which has a great checklist to help you grow your network by weaving connections.
A map of learning theories that cover the human lifespan, with connections between them, the developers of the theory, and the discipline (such as education, philosophy) they are included in. An amazing map!
Interesting assessment of growth, # of users, and ROI in 2012 for Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus, and LinkedIn and where each is going in 2013. Impact for Studio--looks like Twitter is strong, and LinkedIn is up and coming?
Beth's Blog explains why she uses both pen and paper and digital not taking tools such as Evernote. Beth recommends Alexandra Samuel's e-book ($3.99 on Kindle from Amazon) for how to use Evernote. It has convinced me to make Evernote part of my PKM toolkit. 1/30/13
Incredible infographic on social networking around the world located on Edudemic, 1.26.13
What it raises for me:
Does being a member of a social network equal proficiency or satisfaction with use?
If we already have this kind of saturation, what is the niche for the Studio for fill?