Yesterday, 14 hours ago, a tweet changed my life… and the person who wrote it had no idea what would happen next.

She sent me a question from across the Atlantic Ocean.  It reached me on the train from Dublin to Cork… I was coming back from a meeting at which policy makers were sharing their mental health stories.

Out of the blue came the 5 word question: “Do you have a blog?”

It sent me into turmoil: why was she asking me this question? what was she getting at? was this pure curiosity? what was going on?

Quickly followed by a series of self- examinations: when is the last time I produced a blogpost? why haven’t I blogged for ages? what am I up to? what affect is this having on my business?

As the train passed wet fields & precious few butterflies (it being chilly & overcast), I had a cold cup of tea to swallow, a self-critic waking-up. I set to work.  The innocent question had worked its magic – I was engaged.  My business was under review – I was ready to rectify the situation.

But first I needed to engage brain – pure emotion wasn’t enough.  Together passions & thoughts could work this out – could turn this shock into a really useful catalyst.  The woman from USA had achieved so much in those few words.

The future…
The rest – as they say – is history.  You can judge by the results.  The great thing for now is that my intention is clear – I have direction again.

“Do you have a blog?”

The moral…
The moral of this story is clear: you never know how much good you may do by being curious. Have a curious day… others may be the beneficiaries of your curiosity… they may be eternally grateful.  Your simple question may be a powerful business tool.

[The audio version of this blogpost is here...]

2011 has been “The Year of The App” – the year when “smart” phones & tablets moved from being “toys for the boys” to being ordinary things many people have.

Most people you know who use Internet have iPhone, Android phone, iPad or some other mobile device.   They began with a mobile phone – now they have fast Internet access where ever they are. During 2011 people have been moving round with computers in their handbags & pockets.

It’s happened so fast.

All this change made me think over Christmas…

This ‘revolution’, this huge change in communicating power, got me thinking

“I’ve an iPhone 3G … bought iPad the first day they came out in Cork… got iPad 4s recently… I drink Apps every day for breakfast, lunch, dinner & bedtime… Apps are the new Abs…  Many gurus are writing blogposts –   names like “The greatest Apps ever invented“, “50 Apps to make you succeed in business, life & love“… Why don’t I write down my favourite Apps?”

Good advice came knocking… just in time:

As I was scrolling through Twitter on St Stephen’s Day (Boxing Day, the day after turkey) advice arrived from Dan Zarrella:

Say less about yourself… Tweet more info that others value…

I got that message, let it sink in & influence what I did next.

On 27 December I reached out to others via Twitter with this Tweet:

“I’m going to write a blogpost #bestapp2011 – Your opinion counts & you’ll get special delivery of the blogpost. Reply now.”?

I sent  a series of requests (via Twitter) asking people to let me know their favourite Apps from 2011.  Also asked them to spread the search (please retweet).

It became an adventure
– an exploration based on Twitter… A quest to gather intelligence from others… th find out the most popular Apps of 2011 – according to those I’ve had most Internet contact with.  This was seeking the view of a Circle you might say ( Google+ lingo).

The result of the research, 250 Tweets later:

(1) Time magazine have chosen their Top 40 Apps ( tweeted from Calgary Canada by @Planegal Robbie O’Leary)

(2) Otterbox.com chose their “20 Best Apps of 2011”

(3)  Bernie Goldbach @topgold shared his blogpost “15 Apps I use the most”

Finding these rich links via others showed me how valuable it is to open a topic up  - rather than simply expressing or broadcasting a personal view.

______________________________

The Apps, the Apps, my Kingdom for an App…

2011 has indeed been “The Year of the App“.
Here’s the full list of Apps loved by people in my Twitter sphere (Apples & Androids mixed together)

TuneIn Radio : loved by @DoneganGardens @nickysragtales @tnteacherTim @OConnorDg @carrigman @SundayTwist @ValerieMcDermot

Twitter : loved by @PembrokeTownhse @destaic @o7o759 @madoptom @thecreativepenn @ValerieMcDermot

Flipboard : loved by @clickcasestore @johnpeavoy @lesanto @GregCantyFuzion @thecreativepenn @OConnellCork

Hootsuite : loved by @JJ5000 @PiperHawk @CliffHouseHotel @SarahArrow @Pat_Whelan @MikeHaydon @nomnomFoodIrl

Evernote : loved by @dingadeal @carrigman @SteveMcDonnell

Shazam : loved by @carredenis @VivVivacious @SundayTwist

Wordpress : loved by @destaic @topgold @DoneganGardens

Angry Birds : @VinaySuper @techie_fan @SarahArrow

Instagram : @DoneganGardens @Chriskas100 @documentally

Dropbox : @mickobrien1 @winealliancemoz

Facebook : @PembrokeTownhse @destaic

Kindle : @MikeHaydon @thecreativepenn

Livescore: @OConnorDg @ValerieMcDermot

Snapseed: @unslugged @SteveMcDonnell

Sky+: @techie_fan @Tymonpark

WhatsApp: @sherqui @waresean

Audioboo: @DoneganGardens @documentally

Tweetdeck: @PembrokeTownhse @DoneganGardens

Camera+ : @LordHumphreys

Jetpack Joyride : @mb_ie

FreeSpirit – Spirit Level: @Planegal

iHandy Level: @BuckleyFineArt

Docs-to-go: @OConnellCork

BabyLog: @FreckledPast

First Aid by British Red Cross: @barbaraedwards1

PlayItYourself 4: @techie_fan

QuickOffice: @winealliancemoz

FilmOn: @waresean

Tweetbot: @winealliancemoz

CueBrainLite: @destaic

Autostitch: @MikeHaydon

Numbers: @OConnellCork

ProHDR: @MikeHaydon

SimpleMind+: @MikeHaydon

Simplenote: @MikeHaydon

NotetakerHD: @MikeHaydon

Pixlr-o-matic : @documentally

Mobile RSS: @MikeHaydon

GoodReader: @MikeHaydon

Wyse PocketCloud: @techie_fan

Roboform: @MikeHaydon

Sheet2 HD: @MikeHaydon

Twicca: @SundayTwist

Cabbage: @SundayTwist

Tunepal: @donal

Juice Defender: @carrigman

Tweetcaster: @carrigman

Sundroid: @carrigman

TPE: @carrigman

PlaneFinder: @carrigman

Safesync: @renatemurphy

iMapMyWalk: @OConnorDg

Newstalk: @tnteacherTim

RTEdocOnOne: @tnteacherTim

Pumps.ie: @tnteacherTim

MusicSheetWorkout: @destaic

RTEplayer: @waresean

Skygo: @waresean

IMDb: @SarahArrow

Medscape: @johnwflynn

Solitaire: @ValerieMcDermot

Instapaper: @AlphabeastApp

Alphabeast: @AlphabeastApp

Symbian: @topgold

Myfitnesspal: @pisreog

You Tube: @DoneganGardens

8mm Vintage Camera: @DoneganGardens

Accuweather: @DoneganGardens

Dublin Bus: @DoneganGardens

Vimeo: @DoneganGardens

iMessage: @sherqui

ApplePie: @carolmarybyrne

Remotix: @freckledpast

Grooveshark: @desmar

Skype: @PembrokeTownhse

FourSquare: @PembrokeTownhse

LeinsterRugby: @PembrokeTownhse

Visit Dublin: @PembrokeTownhse

Rachel Allen: @PembrokeTownhse

Philadelphia recipes: @PembrokeTownhse

Awesome Note: @PembrokeTownhse

Guardian: @thecreativepenn

Pages: @thecreativepenn

Runkeeper: @PembrokeTownhse

Amazon: @PembrokeTownhse

Geocaching:@barrydesignweb

Facegoo: @barrydesignweb

Trip Advisor: @discoveringCork

Talking Tom: @akd100

______________________

Few of the Apps were picked out for special mention by more than one person.

How many Apps are there
in Apple’s App Store & Google’s Android Market? 500,000+ iPhone + iPad Apps;   300,000+ Android Apps. Many Apps overlap –  but it’s impossible for anyone to sample more than a tiny % of the whole field. (Just as it’s impossible for anyone to try out all the hobbies that humans pursue.)

Personal recommendations have never been so essential.
That’s a great reason to reach out to others & try Apps they’ve loved. Searching alone is a sure way to a restricted life.  You can achieve more by depending on others to try out Apps for you.

Looking ahead into 2012…
Maybe now’s a good time to check out one of those Apps you’ve never even heard of.  Go for a mystery dip – like you did as a child when you plunged fingers into a bag of sweets, not knowing what was waiting for you…

The Apps I’ve loved most

In case you’d like to know the Apps I’ve loved most in 2012 – here they are [in no particular order]:

Audioboo: the one I use for rough & ready podcasting… almost every day & often twice a day. @MarkRock & the team in London welcomed me when I visited years ago – this is my Desert Island App.

Osfoora: the one I use for Twitter on iPhone & iPad…

Instagram: the one I use for sharing snaps taken on iPhone, seeing pics from others & commenting on them…

Path: the one I use on iphone as a personal diary & share with a few people I trust a lot…

BBC News: the one I use to keep in touch with the world & share stories via Twitter…

Flipboard: the one I turn to on iPad when I want Twitter & Facebook displayed with beauty… You could nearly say I bought iPad so I could use this App on it…

WeatherProHD: the one I rely on when I hope it’ll be ok to play golf, tells me what time it’ll rain & how much will fall…

Pages: the one I use for documents I have to write when the laptop isn’t convenient & when I need to attach invoices to emails…

EyeWitness from Guardian: the one on iPad that gives me a wonderful pro photograph to admire & learn from every day…

Tweeps: the one I use on iPhone to see who’s recently followed me on Twitter, who follows them, who they follow & how long they’ve all been using Twitter…

Google+: the one I use on iPad to keep in touch with what Google is doing next & experience it for myself…

iLoader: the one I use to upload short videos from iPhone 4s to Facebook…

Hitpad: the new kid on iPad – I use this to find information, inspiration & intelligence to use in blogposts… it promises so much

WolframAlpha: for when I want to learn something impractical that can be turned into numbers, statistics, formulae – the stuff I’ve forgotten from school…

There are others too – but it’s good to operate within solid boundaries – so it’s time to stop.

The thanks I feel I owe to everyone mentioned in this blogpost – developers, marketeers, users, retweeters, readers – is enormous.

Hopefully this blogpost will help you explore during 2012.
Like every blogger, I crave your comments.  Please share your view – and if you’d like to add links to lists of great Apps that’s gold dust too.

2011 The Year of the App indeed!

__________________________

PS Read this : @topgold: It’s Not Worth Getting Sucked into an Apps World bit.ly/s5Xdlm

http://www.flickr.com/photos/stacypins/

I’ve started a series of AudioBoos on “How to use Twitter well“.

Every Monday I record a short audio to help people get the most from their Twitter.

I was inspired by the work of Paul Boag of Boagworld on Audioboo.
Every Monday he delivers advice on some aspect of websites – how to design your website, how to interpret Google Analytics and so on.  He has a big following.  I find him helpful & interesting.

So I decided to follow his example for Twitter.

TwitterTips:

(1) Use Twitter Lists

(2) Use “Favourites”
I hope you find them helpful & interesting.  As these are the start of a series I hope to sustain for many weeks, I’d be grateful for some feedback.

How could I improve the Audioboos?

What topics would you most like me to address?

Sitting on a red sofa

in the kitchen of @thinktank_ HQ

resting after a night of diluted sleep

watching spots of rain cling to glass

wind moving treetops -

I remember many half-drunk cups of cold tea
how often I’ve lost keys
found friends
moved slowly thru rushes

past butterflies that licked the underside of my imaginative powers -

May it ever be so

May Think-Tank HQ simply be for you & me…

Social media are improving all the time. But that doesn’t mean social media for business is sure to succeed.

There is evidence that many companies haven’t yet reaped expected rewards, a healthy return on their investment (ROI). Some companies have started to use social media – and given up.

I remember the day I first heard of blogs.
Summer 2005, just before moving from UK to Ireland. I had to ring a friend to ask him where I could find more information & advice on how to set up a blog. I was curious. I set out to experiment with a blog –  to see if there was something I could use it for.

It was all new to me. Up until then, all I’d used was email & websites for business. This was well before the Facebook & Twitter revolution.

In Autumn 2005, I set up a blog. Gradually figured out I could use it to document  my experience of returning to Ireland after 30 years in UK. It could be a gift to my baby daughter.  As I blogged & linked with other bloggers, I realised there was huge potential in blogs.

Later I set up a blog for my business.
I began to help others to do the same.  I took to Facebook & Twitter and became convinced blogs, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter & Audioboo were great new opportunities for business. I bought into the view that we were living through a social revolution: I was convinced businesses would take to social media or suffer competitive disadvantage.

Indeed social media was exciting
- but they were more than that. They were new clubs in the golfbag, increasingly part of the resources available for brand development. I even thought they spelled the decline of traditional advertising.

Technology was leaping ahead – so was the software. Social media was getting easier for non-technical business people to use. I was very optimistic for the future of social media in business.

But I think I was wrong.
I didn’t see what was going to limit the expansion of social media.

Recently, I’ve read that some big corporations are cutting back on their use of social media. They haven’t succeeded with social media – and they’re beginning to give up.

This trend isn’t yet more than a trickle. Most companies are increasing their use of social media (unless they haven’t started at all). The trickle may yet turn around but it’s time for hard thinking about what’s needed to succeed with social media for business.

What you need for business…
Let’s take it as understood that you won’t succeed in business unless you produce goods & services that customers value, desire & can afford. There is no substitute for a good brand.

The technical skills
required by social media users have are increasingly easy to learn. It is not difficult to learn WordPress & other software for blogging. Facebook has become more complex but a few hours is all it takes to learn all the commands. LinkedIn & Twitter can be picked up even quicker.

In other words, someone can learn all the technical skills needed for social media in less than two days.

Here the rub…
the interpersonal side… the skills needed to engage with others via social media.

Social media requires social skills & qualities that are in short supply.

• confidence to represent the business well
• storytelling skills to present the business well
• writing & speaking skills
• listening & attending skills

These are qualities & skills that need to be learned & honed to different audiences.

Without these qualities & skills, an individual will not succeed on social media.

There is no formula, no standardised process that can substitute for developed storytelling skills.

Not only does the person need to know the company’s products & services, but the person needs to be able to communicate the brand in an engaging way to customers & potential customers.

To make it more difficult, the communication is not a one-way process – it’s not at all like traditional advertising skill.  The audience expects more. Customers are different now – they want more than the product or service – they want to be wanted, valued & respected.  They also want to be listened to.

Storytelling is a two way process

- a narative that grabs the attention of the audience & holds it

- opportunities for the audience to influence the story, to make it their own

This isn’t simple – it requires preparation, information, delivery & a disposition to respond to whatever the audience says in return.

Engaging on social media is a challenge
- success is wonderful but failure can do lasting damage to the brand.

As I was thinking this through, I realised that I had very little idea of where good storytelling is learned.  It’s certainly not cultivated in the workplace half as much as outside, during family & recreational  time.

If this analysis is sound…
the future of social media for business depends on factors outside the control of business.

The culture of business (which is the environment within which such qualities are valued, rewarded or ignored), and the individual qualities that are promoted, are vital.

Does the culture of your business cherish storytelling talent?

What opportunities are there for storytelling practice?

Is there training for storytelling?

David Norris is hoping to become President of Ireland.

His website is NorrisforPresident.ie.  That’s hardly a surprise.  There’s hardly a serious politician, political group or political party that doesn’t have a website to advance the cause.

He already has a Facebook page “liked” by 18, 204 people.   A Twitter account Team Norris (@SenDavidNorris) with 6,859 followers & 146 Tweets published.

So he’s shaping up to be an internet savvy candidate…

The news…
David Norris has opened an Audioboo account – it looks as if he’s going to use audio during  his Presidential campaign. If you look at the Audioboo website, you’ll see “David Norris for President” is one of the latest AudioBoo Channels.

AudioBoo is a new medium – a new way of advancing your cause – spreading your message – deepening rapport with your audience, your market.

The Irish General Election & Audioboo…

Simon Coveney, a politician from the Fine Gael Party, has started using Audioboo.  Four days ago he recorded his first audio “Heading out Canvassing”  - to date he’s produced four AudioBoos. It looks as if he may produce daily audio messages.  His personality, image, style, and reputation will be communicated in a new way during the Irish general election campaign.

Joan Burton, Irish Labour Party, has recorded one Audioboo. As has Michael D Higgins three months ago, here… Even Eamon Gilmore, leader of the Irish Labour Party, used Audioboo this week –  as an additional way of getting his message out. There’s also one Audioboo of a recent press conference by Eamon Gilmore & Ruairi Quinn here…

The Irish Labour Party has a “Labour”  Audioboo account.

The most ambitious use of Audioboo (14 audios) so far is the project which is following the campaign of John Gilroy , as he campaigns to get elected in Cork North Central.

Perhaps, with a new leader, the Fianna Fáil Party may even begin using Audioboo too.  Sinn Féin?  Maybe some of the more innovative Independent candidates may also join the Audioboo movement? Perhaps this election campaign will be followed by everyone using Audioboo in future?

Who knows?

How important is Audioboo?

It’s all about using modern communications methods & skills to engage with people.  Audioboo is different.  It’s mobile – meaning you can listen to audio on the move, in your car, while sitting in a café, back at home on your computer…  The citizens are increasingly carrying their own communication devices – some politicians are already keen to learn new skills and keep in touch with what’s going on.

Perhaps Audioboo isn’t so much a way of winning votes – perhaps it’s a really good way of putting down a marker – showing a willingness to move with the times, an open mind – and a spirit keen to engage with audiences in new ways.

Perhaps those who use Audioboo are leaders?  Perhaps Audioboo is a reputation- building tool?

Let’s see whether Audioboo becomes more mainstream in Irish political life… What do you think?  If you were a politician would you use it?

This is too big a question for one blogpost. Building your reputation is a complex matter – deserves a series of blogposts. This is first in a series in which I’m going to share my approach to reputation building.

I’ll start with Twitter. This isn’t to say I think Twitter is the most important place to start building your reputation but I’ve been bothered by one feature of Twitter for ages…

Let’s look at a feature of Twitter that’s often neglected.

Favourites:
Twitter provides every account with a place to put all your favourite Tweets. Facebook does something similar – lets you list all your favourite books, music & films (movies).

Why use the “Favourites” function on Twitter:

(1) It provides others with a bit of insight into what sort of person you are – it reveals something about you.

(2) It gives you a place to keep special Tweets – Tweets you may want to refer to again.

(3) It’s a handy place where you can keep Tweets you plan to read later.

As far as reputation is concerned, it’s the insight others get from seeing Favourite Tweets that matters.  People are curious – many take time to make up their mind whether to follow a new person.  They  read your bio; they look at your website – but your Favourites reveal another dimension of you.

Your Favourites give an impression of the type of person you are.  It may be misleading; you may confuse others by your choices – because they won’t understand your motivation – what led you to choose those favourites.

But Favourites make you more interesting. A profile without Favourites is a missed opportunity.  Imagine the statement “I’ve read a thousand Tweets, but not yet found one Favourite…” Or “I had lots of Favourites months ago, but I haven’t found one in ages…”

I think it’s a good idea to have a decent collection of Favourite Tweets…

Taken collectively, your Favourite Tweets offer you an opportunity to look back & see what’s appealed to you… They provide a sort of history of your on-line life & inspirations.

Many have no active Favourites – perhaps there’s a different view on this?  Do you agree your Favourites can help build your reputation?

(In case you’d like to look at my recent Favourites here… )

First blogpost of the the 2011 year might as well be interesting…

Might as well address a topic we all have opinions about…

But it is difficult to find a fresh angle on Irish politics… eh?

This is the story of a project that began weeks ago in a café in Glanmire, Cork, Munster, Ireland. It began with me rejecting the idea of having anything to do with politicians. I told a local politician there was no way I was going to support his campaign for election to the Irish parliament.

I’d had enough of politicians – was unwilling to commit myself to the cause of any individual or party. I had a bit of an outburst and went have a coffee to cool down. [This audio piece even shows  I wasn't sure of the proper name of the politician: called him "Conway" rather than "Gilroy"]

Then I starting thinking.  First, I regretted the strength of my words, thought I could have been gentler. Then I realised I didn’t have an alternative to politics – I was irrevocably committed to parliamentary democracy – no matter what I thought of the parties or individuals.

A fresh thought visited.  Perhaps there was a way I could combine my passion for audio with my curiosity? Perhaps I could use audio to explore the process of politics – the way in which an individual went about campaigning for election?

No Irish politician has used AudioBoo to communicate their politics.  I began to entertain the prospect of helping other citizens understand what’s involved in the business of politics.

The detail appealed to me – not the ideology.  What do you do if you hope to get elected to Parliament?

The concept of a case study developed.  That’s the background to how I got into serious discussion with John Gilroy and his election agent. John is a general election candidate from the Irish Labour Party in the Cork North-Central Constituency.

Together we agreed a project – an audio project.  John wants to get elected – I want to help make Irish politics more understandable.  We have different drivers – we have a basis for working together.

My work is devoted to the art of changing reputations – helping businesses to become better known (quantity) & improve how they are perceived (quality). This involves the application of such skills to the political arena. I imagine I’ll learn a lot about politics, political skills & audio through this project.

You can listen to the first six audio pieces here

Yesterday I had one of those remarkable breakfasts – the sort that come at you by surprise – out of left field.

This isn’t about food – though I must recommend the feast they offer at Fota Island Resort Hotel [@fotaisland on Twitter].

This is about inspiring company.  This is about one of those meetings that shift your focus, tweak your mind and leave you fresh – feeling fit for the future. This was rather good…

Jonathan Amm of Think-Tank [@thinktank_ on Twitter] & I met for the first time since 28 October.  We’ve both been busy with life.

The meal began gently, pleasantly.  My Moleskine Notebook remembers conversation about Google AdWords & Google AdSense.  We also touched on Slideshare.

But then we got on to Francois Navarre of X17 in Malibu Hollywood – the story of how a guy build a business there photographing Hollywood stars.

From which we moved on to Mitch Joel & his quality podcasts…

Breakthrough…

The breakthrough came while we were discussing Chris Brogan’s 3 Words idea – how you could cut through all the stuff about Mission, Vision, Strategic Plans and so on – that whole familiar framework which is so useful and used.

About this time last year, I found a blogpost by Chris Brogan that proved incredibly helpful – it gave me a tool that guided me through 2010.  Instead of a complicated strategic plan for my business, I’ve used 3 words to guide my decision making.  Whenever I’ve needed to make a decision about what to do –  I’ve referred to them.

If something was going to contribute to “Keepingwell, Sharing & Reptuation” – there was a big chance I’d go for it.  If some prospect failed to tick any of those boxes – I avoided it.  All year I’ve felt in control.  I feel I owe Chris Brogan a big thumbs-up in gratitude for his idea.

Over breakfast we chatted about the simplicity & beauty of this idea. Thinking ahead for 2011, we talked about what words to use.  ”Commercial – I’m going to become a lot more commercial” – said I.  ”And I’ll certainly keep on keeping well.”

But what about the third one – the third leg of the stool – the third lighthouse? What is third word I’ll live by in 2011?

I’m open to suggestions from you.

But I’m also wondering whether you’d find this 3 Words tool useful for your life & business.  Would you like to have a go at picking 3 words you’ll use to guide you throughout 2011?  Would you like to share your key words?

Sharing with others is a great way of helping yourself to keep on track.  That’s why this was a great business breakfast.

Go for it.