Don’t dismiss these tools too soon!  Tech Savvy leaders in the business world are maximizing Twitter and StumbleUpon to enhance their businesses and get-head. Here are a few ways that you can benefit from using these internet applications.

TWITTER

Twitter is the “water-cooler” of the internet.  The social networking tool connects individuals that may feel isolated behind a computer screen both professionally and personally.  Tech Savvy leaders are using Twitter to:

• network with other professionals or experts in their field
• make little connections that may lead to big leads (called networking in the business world)
• spread the word – ReTweet allows a message to be spread to millions of users in a relatively short amount of time

StumbleUpon

The best leaders don’t always have all the greatest ideas, but they certainly know where to find them.  StumbleUpon is definitely a tool that they great leaders are turning to more often.  StumbleUpon is a…

• good way to reward people for content on their site (give the site a thumbs-up if you like it!)
• creative way to find solutions for unique problems
• helpful resource tool for SEO (search engine optimization)  – find sites to link to or from
• encourager of best practices for conversion (on websites).  StumbleUpon directs people to a site, but only the best sites will keep a user there and encourage them to take the desired action.

There are many other benefits to these internet tools.  Try picking one today and seeing how it may revolutionize your business or website!

These entrepreneurs don’t carry leather briefcases or wear designer suits. They are in their 20s-mid30s, value fun and creativity, and are worth millions to billions of dollars. A new breed of entrepreneur is making its mark on the business world.   Mark Zuckerberg (Facebook), Garret Camp (StumbleUpon), Jack Dorsey, Evan Williams, and Biz Stone (Twitter), Chad Hurley and Steven Chen (YouTube) are just a few of these youngsters in the business world that are revolutionizing the way we use the internet and our perception of an entrepreneur.

Garret Camp, founder of StumbleUpon is a great case study for understanding this newest type of entrepreneur.  Thanks to the wonders of YouTube, our internet entrepreneurship class watched a short interview with Camp about his company.  Here are a few characteristics that stood out:

Focused:  The worldwide web has a lot of rabbit trails, but Camp is sticking to what he knows best and consistently delivering what his target audience wants.

Confident:  Maybe it is a generational thing, but these entrepreneurs are oozing confidence.

Intelligent and Articulate: Nobody will argue that that the new breed of entrepreneur is intelligent, whether a college dropout or Harvard grad.  Camp stands out as particularly articulate, which is not a characteristic of all these new entrepreneurs.  Some are just plain awkward, but when you are making billions, nobody really cares.

In-tune: These entrepreneurs have their finger on the pulse of their user base, both socially and technologically.

Not only are these entrepreneurs shattering the  stereo-types, they are introducing unique business models.  Garrett Camp’s business model ensures that 1 out of every 20 Stumbles is a paid-for site.  Not a bad idea considering that StumbleUpon has over 7 million users and is making an estimated 10 million a year.  Mark Zuckerberg’s estimated net worth is 1.5 billion – these guys must be doing something right.

Most people who have heard of LinkedIn are aware that it is a social networking site. The thing most people aren’t aware of is what LinkedIn is capable of doing for them that their facebook profile cannot. LinkedIn, however, is more than a facebook. Here’s what LinkedIn can uniquely offer…

• Individuals can learn of and search for jobs and business opportunities
• It’s an effective medium between employers and employees
• It allows users to post business-related questions that anyone else can answer

And here’s the best part, LinkedIn is gaining huge momentum.With the tough economy at hand, leading employeers are no longer looking for large quantities of workers, but rather are looking at the quality of who they are hiring. How are employers doing this? Through Linkedin.

With LinkedIn quickly taking off, you don’t want to get left in the dust.

Here are 3 ways to optimize you LinkedIn account and get hired!!!

1. Develop your presence
2. Actively Search
3. Answer Questions

Developing Your Presence

This means to have a complete and decked out as possible profile. Get legitimate recommendations from you connections. Don’t hide any profile information. The more a potential employer or client knows about you, the more likely they are to contact you.

Actively Search

This means directly search and solicit your LinkedIn target market. Whether you are searching for a job or trying to solicit business, offer valuable and marketable pieces of information about yourself and your service through directly contacting. The idea is to build your linked in connections.

Answer Questions

By answering questions you are legitimizing yourself as your own expert. Chances are if you can answer other Linkedin questions, then they could probably use your service as an employee or contractor as well. Answering questions is a platform to show off your expertise and professionalism.

Twitter is one more social networking web site I knew recently
This web site is a service for friends, family, and co–workers to communicate and stay connected through the exchange of quick, frequent answers to one simple question. However, they made me confused.
There are a lot of social networking or searching web site such as Facebook, stumble upon, twitter and so on in U.S.
Twitter does not seem popular and useful I guess. Many students whom I asked about this web site have no idea about Twitter. Why? There is other funny, strong and popular one,Facebook. Also, threr are so many this kind of web site for fun in America. Why?

1. Just because U.S is huge, therefore ther are many website 

2. People like this kind of stuff, why?

3.They stay long time alone.  Although people do something together in the same spot, their persoanl task is very important so people do not disturb each other. 

4.It sometimes makes people lonely
Twitter seems more popular for people in western part of U.S. Thier history is not long (since 2006) so we can watch thier growing

Personally, I have never been someone who has ever really understood the point of blogging. I never feel like I have enough to say, or better yet anythingthat someone else would find interesting! So since blogging, and facebook statuses have never been something I have frequently used, I was very skeptical about twitter.

After the first glance at Twitter, I was sort of confused by the concept…why would someone want to use something like this? I did some research and came up with some reasons:

• Providing relief from the email and IM world that often wants to consume us…
• Allows people to share information that they normally would not through other forms of communication.
• You can use third party applications
• It is a way to quickly let people know something and to receive a prompt response from those that are “following” your account.

Some people love twitter and others hate it, because they feel overly connected to their friends and acquaintances. Some think it is odd to know what people are having for dinner, why they are late to work, what movie they just saw and yet others love knowing all these minute details of people’s lives.

I personally do not think that I will use twitter after tonight, but I can see why many find it useful and addicting!