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There is one obvious deficiency of almost every Social Networking site - one that, if corrected, could make all the difference in their ability to generate an income and greatly increase their usefulness.  FriendFeed has my vote for the site that can most quickly implement this strategy and become “THE” most used Social Networking site.

Better targeting is what is behind the calls for better filters, too much Twitter noise and pruning followers! Social Media sites are only useful to those who can figure out how to reduce the noise and hone in on their interests.

Users are NOT who should be providing a targeted experience; the SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES ARE!!! Want to know how?

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Here it is more than a month later and the TwiTip Construct Your Own Top Ten Niche Must Follow Twitter Lists is STILL getting new comments. I just added all the new submissions to the TwiTip Top Ten Niche Twitter Users list here. Every person who took the time to blog a list or add one to the comments there has picked up at least two links, potential followers and/or subscribers and who knows how many new visitors.

If you don’t take time to check out posts like that one - those with enormous potential to spread virally, you may miss a huge opportunity. Who might have visited you from that one link? Or shared your latest or best blog post far and wide?

If you didn’t even read it you would have missed this real jewel way down in the comments: Read more…

Back in September of this year I wrote that Search Engines are NOT as Important As Many Believe They Are Because Search Engines are no one’s target audience: people are! My prediction for 2009 is that search engines will continue to decline in importance as more Internet users ask their Social Networks for recommendations and learn how to access online reviews and Local Search Directories. Read more…

Few realize how far one little action on their part can ripple. Maybe if they knew they’d toss more little pebbles into the great sea that is our online world or launch more butterflies. Each time you share something online - especially if that something benefits someone else - you improve the world.

Your tiny efforts could make the difference for some between struggling and thriving.

Here is just one example and stats on the enormous numbers of people who could potentially be affected: Read more…

Do you ever feel like you’re Tweeting to yourself? Does anyone answer your Tweets? Instead of just watching random messages go by at Twitter or wondering if anyone is hearing you, why not search for the conversations you’d most like to hear?

Just go to Twitter Search and type in what you want to know about right now. You’ll see the results of any Tweet that included the keywords you searched on plus how long ago each message was posted. Want some ideas on what to do with it? Read more…

HOW you share in Social Networking sites is just as important as WHAT you share because only those who read what you post benefit. Take a little longer and you’ll see a huge uplift in who follows your finds and comments. Using the FriendFeed bookmarklet makes it easier so install it first to use the tips below.

Tips for FriendFeed Posts Others Will Love to Share:

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My thanks to those who are making submitting their Top Ten Favorite Users of FriendFeed a priority. The first submission is already in and Derek Semmler’s FriendFeed choices are excellent.  I first found Derek at StumbleUpon so I was pleasantly surprised to see he has included many of my old SU favorites in his FriendFeed list. Some of them I hadn’t found yet at FriendFeed.

I know we’re all busy so I want to remind those reading this of the good participating in challenges like our Favorite Top Ten FriendFeed Friends Challenge can do for you and others: Read more…

TwiTip’s Top Ten ‘Must Follow’ Niche Twitter Lists were such a hit that I’m proposing a Top Ten FriendFeed Friends Challenge and would love it if YOU would participate. I’ve added a post on How Using FriendFeed Benefits You as further encouragement.

To kick it off the challenge here are my choice of exceptional Top Ten favorite FriendFeed users:

1. Louis Gray - Who else to kick off the list but our friendly neighborhood FriendFeed expert himself. Check out the latest post in his blog by guest writer Jesse Stay: Pull Your Blog Into FriendFeed and Increase Exposure.
2. Robert Scoble - I really started using FriendFeed because I wanted to join Robert Scoble’s discussion and talk to him directly. Read Scoble on Tech on the FastCompany blog. Visit his FriendFeed discussions any time or the ScobleRoom on Thursdays.
3. Mike Fruchter - Check out his series of FriendFeed Users to Follow on his Michael Fruchter Blog. You can start your FriendFeed profile by checking out his first thirty recommendations. (Direct links at the end of this post.)

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Who you follow at Twitter is more important than how many you follow or how many follow you. Early today, Darren Rowse challenged TwiTip readers to Construct a Top Ten Must Follow List for Your Niche. That post is at 78 comments and counting. [Update: Submissions are up to 186 and they're still coming in. Have you submitted your list yet? Have you entered our FriendFeed Challenge?]

You may be able to find a list for your own niche posted among the comments there. We had previously shared a way to Use Twellow to Determine Who to Follow at Twitter that is niche specific.

Are you interested in determining who the Most Influential Twitter Users Are so you can follow some of them? You can also compute your own Twitter influence at that link.

NEW to Twitter or not even using it yet? Start with Ten People All Twitter Beginners Should Be Following.  Don’t stop there, though! Use the strategies above and the lists below and keep adding interesting Twitter users.

If you make your own Top Ten List let us know and we’ll link you into this post so others can see it and visit you. Remember to add your link at TwiTips. If you don’t have a site post your list in the comments at TwiTips.

Here are my Top Fourteen (ok, I just couldn’t stop at Ten!) Twitter Users based on how influential and helpful they are overall (not just at Twitter - also through their work and their blogs): Read more…

Social Media has official come of age. CNN wrote:

One of the top headlines today on CNN.com is titled “Tweeting the terror: How social media reacted to Mumbai.” The opening sentence of the piece is even more to the point: “It was the day social media appeared to come of age and signaled itself as a news gathering force to be reckoned with.”

News reporting may never be the same again. Yes, Twitter is a source of serious Journalism. Just remember not to believe everything you read, whether on Twitter or in mainstream media.