*Maximizing Digital Influence: A research study conducted by MS&L identified key behaviors of online influencers and outlined the following program for maximizing the
digital influence they have over audiences:
1. Understand influencers' motivations: High level of interest, sense of responsibility, joining the green movement, offline triggers
2. Know where to find them: search engines and portals, general news media sites, Web sites of publications
3. Understand what they share and the sources they gather from: news media sites, Web sites of publications, nonprofits, academic sites
4. Create content that resonates: green living, energy conservation, local and global environmental issues
5. Tailor content to their audience: friends and family, colleagues, classmates
6. Tailor content to sharing methods: verbal, e-mail, etc.
Source: MS&L
*The Digital Future: The 2008 Digital Future Project, conducted by the Center for the Digital Future at the USC Annenberg School for Communication, identified several trends
pertaining to Web usage, including increasing online community membership and the role of the Internet in the political process. Among the findings:
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80% of surveyed Internet users ages 17 and older consider the Internet to be an important source of information for them;
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Membership in online communities has more than doubled in only three years. 54% of online community members log into their community at least once a day;
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75% of online community members said they use the Internet to participate in communities related to social causes, with 40% saying that they use the Internet at least
monthly to participate in such communities;
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87% are participating in social causes that are new to them since their involvement in online communities began;
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55% of users say they feel as strongly about their online communities as they do about their real-world communities;
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64% agree that the Internet has become important for political campaigns; and,
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Only 22% believe that the Internet is a tool to encourage public officials to care more about what people think, while only 28% agree that using the Internet gives people
more of a say in what government does.
In the current project, these percentages of Internet users were involved in these activities at least weekly:
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E-mail (96%)
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Internet surfing without a specific destination (71%)
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Looking for news (60%)
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Finding product information (43%)
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Conducting online banking or other financial services (38%)
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Instant messaging (37%)
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Playing online games (35%)
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Searching for humorous content (25%)
Source: Center for the Digital Future
*Obama Gives Employees Hope: An Adecco USA Workplace Insights survey examines American workers' outlook at the end of 2008 based on the current economic crisis, finding
that:
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The number-one work-life concern for the majority (69%) of American workers is keeping their job;
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More than half of workers (59%) are expecting a raise this year, yet only 27% feel they are working harder now than they were a year ago;
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67% believe that Obama's presidency will be good for the job market; and,
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70% feel the downturn will last for more than one year.
In addition to these findings, the report offers the following best practices for keeping your job in a tough market:
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Be a problem solver--think strategically and help alleviate trouble situations in the organization.
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Invest more time at work now to demonstrate your commitment to your job.
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Network in and outside of your company.
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Offer to take on more responsibility.
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Think ahead to how you can add more value--make strong goals for the upcoming year and think strategically about how your role can help grow the company, what new projects
you can take on to help the company grow and what new ideas you can bring to the table. PRN
Source: Adecco