On the third day of the New Year my tribe gave to me…

Three top social sites…

Two Syndication Power Hours…

And Oooone Really Cool Tribe Page!

I know what you are thinking, this song sounds familiar. But trust me this is nothing like… Ok it’s everything like that other sign. I give, I give. But you have to admit it’s pretty cool huh.

Ok On with the show!

We all know that social media is the all the rage. There are new social sites coming online all the time. If you Google ‘Top Social Media sites’ you’ll see millions of hits.

Some of the top sites boast populations that dwarf small countries.

It’s hard to say which one was the first social media site since even the term ‘social media’ seems to be changing as fast as the weather. But it’s arguable that Myspace was the first to become a household name, as it grew very popular with the 14-25 year range in a rather short period of time.

There are many resources, thoughts and ideas about how to leverage this behemoth of a medium. With all the various top 10 to top 100 sites which one(s) are right for you. This is a question many people really don’t ask them selves

What is social media and how do I leverage it?

For this post we are going to look at the top 3 sites… my top 3 sites. You may have a different favorite three than I do, but if you want to brand yourself and get your message out there to the world you can

My First Social Site is YouTube… got videos?

Ahhh… video marketing. Even though there are many video sharing and hosting sites You Tube is the daddy. At the end of 2009 almost 23 hours of video were uploaded every 60 seconds. Let’s just pause and reflect on that shall we. Almost a full days worth of video, (1380 minutes) uploaded every 60 seconds.

It is no surprise that fortunes have been made from the power of video. Some of the geekiest videos have gone crazy viral. I’m sure you’ve seen the baby panda sneeze and surprised its mother… Did you share that one, like millions of other people around the world? What about the one where the dad makes the 5 little babies laugh and giggle? Yep me too… past that one around.

But let’s not forget that this is a social site as well. You can; rate, comment, meet, email, share, befriend, watch, discuss, and so much more all late into the night on Youtube.

So here’s a cool tip from a tribal friend Katie Freiling. She shares how this one tip can bring in hoards of traffic to your video. Don’t beat yourself up if you have not been taking advantage of this little gem.

The Next social Site To Review Is Twitter… What’s with the 140 characters anyway?

If you’re readying this then you probably already know all about Twitter. Twitter has become a household name at 140 characters at a time. But I know there are lots of people who just don’t quite get it. I still hear the questions… “How do you keep up with that many people?” or “it’s to simple, it will never be affective.”

Ok now that YOU’VE picked yourself up off the floor; let’s cover a few issues real quick.

1. Don’t let the simplicity of Twitter keep you away. I love to tell people my analogy of Twitter and how it relates to the other social media giant Facebook. Twitter is like the front door to a big party. It’s where you do a fast meet and greet and say hello.
2. Twitter is actually a micro logging site… not a classified ad section. Believe it or not you really want to get to know people BEFORE you pitch them on your business, product, or service. Of course yoyu can through out an money tweet now and then, but the best practice for Twitter is value first, business last.
3. Be Polite. Do you say hi when you first meet some one. I know that’s a stupid question, but think about it. Take a look at your DM’s sometime. Why do almost all the DM’s say “Thanks… but…” Like here’s a free gift, or check this biz out. The ones I like are the invites to Facebook, or when they tell me a quick joke.

Now were ready to move into a cool tip from another tribe member Michael Feil. Michael shares some great insights on how to sue Tweetdeck.

My Favorite Social site is Facebook… Why 500 Million can’t be wrong

Facebook is “The Big Kahuna” The grand daddy of them all. With over 400 million accounts and over 100 million in the US alone, this sleeping giant who just turned 6 has awakened.

What is it about Facebook that has made so many people come to just hang out for an average of 55 minutes a day? Connecting… games… business? Yes, yes, yes. You can really do it all on this site. This place gives you everything you need and were afraid to ask for. This little application that started out as a way for college kids to stay connected with each other at Harvard went crazy viral in just a couple weeks.

What I love about Facebook is it’s like the living room or the den of the party. You have more information about yourself. There are pictures on the walls. You can really let people know what you’re about or what you’re doing in a little bit slower pace. People can hang out and get to know you.

There are a couple of key things you want to do with Facebook and my friend Kary Rogney is going to share a cool way of keeping things organized.

So there you have it, my favorite top 3 social sites. Make sure and subscribe to my Youtube channel, give me an @reply on Twitter and send me a friend request on Facebook. Don’t forget the personal note!

Ken Pickard

The Network Dad

P.S. If you want your comments to pop and your links to get some click grab a Gravatar NOW! It’s free so go get one, because I’d hate for you to be left out in the cold.