Google is just beginning to roll out a new social search feature called Google +1. If you haven’t seen it or caught up on the latest of Google’s social products, then I strongly recommend you read about it via Danny Sullivan’s excellent write up on Search Engine Land, Meet +1: Google’s Answer To The Facebook Like Button. If you’re not seeing these +1 buttons in search results (you need to be logged in to your Google account) then you can opt in to the Experiment.

Essentially, this is a button very much like the Facebook Like button that Facebook launched about a year ago. If you like a web page, you hit the +1 button in Google search results. This applies to both organic search results and paid ads and means that when you are logged in you will see summaries of how many and who (if Google thinks you’re connected to them) +1d them. In a matter of months it’s likely that Google will roll out a button for websites to implement on-site, just like the Facebook Like button and Twitter’s Tweet buttons.

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I’ve just signed up for Quora: a platform specifically designed as a vehicle for people to ask questions and to gain group answers.

Once you’ve followed people in your usual networks like Twitter and Facebook, asking topical questions to do with your industry can reveal some very interesting answers and pave the way for some great discussions and information sharing from your peers:

What made me eventually commit to the network was the fact I was blown away by two things:

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So, Google rolled out Google Buzz in my Gmail account last night. I thought I would share my experiences since and my thoughts on their impact and its future. There are a few positives towards the end too, I promise! Here are a few quick links: 

• The negatives
• The positives
• Google’s positives
• Mobile Buzzing
• A summary

My “oh Buzz off” moments: 

1. Connected sites
   Google decided to connect PicasaWeb and my Flickr account automatically. I disconnected both twice, but they resurfaced each time. So far I’m winning. Watch this space.
   Google also appears to have ‘found’ my YouTube page. Naturally as they own YouTube, this isn’t a massive surprise, just not expected. My YouTube channel does not have the same name as my Gmail account, however… Some clues can be found on my Google Profile page where Google has clearly done some sniffing around to find the following sites. Note however, I have NOT used my Gmail account to sign up to any of these sites. I can only assume Google has been reading my email:
   

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Lately two of the biggest social media sites, Facebook and Twitter, have been rolling out updates and experiments, which is great because we all love new features and improvements. But recently Facebook has had issues with its newest terms of service that caused so much of a stir it had to retract them and revert back to the old version. Now its latest change involves what I can only see as a step very firmly into Twitter’s domain.

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I’ve got to admit that since I discovered Twitter, the last couple of months I have been totally fascinated by it and it’s abilities. I wasn’t convinced at first, but after experimenting I soon realised the benefits of getting to know people, particularly other professionals in my field of work, but also companies I have a strong interest in.

Twitter can be used as an online marketing tool, not only to promote services or products, but also aid online PR and customer relationship management. Below are my top ten fundamentals Twitter business users can’t afford to ignore:

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