Frank Ramblings

If you’re anything like me, you and your friends have some go-to places you like to hang out. When all else fails and you’re bored on a Saturday night, you end up at one of your usual hangouts. While it’s fun being a regular at a local bar, sometimes you just need to spice it up and try something new. If you need a change of venue, why not put the question out there for your followers to answer? Maybe someone can recommend a great sports bar, a food truck with awesome tacos, or a great Indian place no one’s ever heard of. I live just outside New York City, and was recently in Manhattan with a cousin who was visiting from out of town. He wanted to see the sights and really get the most out of his time in New York, and when it was time for dinner, he had just one request: that we eat a real New York diner. I didn’t know of a diner in the area where we were hanging out, so I called on my followers to recommend one. Within 5 minutes, we were heading toward the Skylight Diner on 34th St & 9th Ave at the recommendation of a fellow New Yorker. We had a great meal and I’ve been back there several times since. Don’t underestimate the power of your social sphere!

Where do you usually go when you’re looking for answers online? My guess is Google. It’s become second nature, right? Just Google it. But which would you prefer: a search algorithm that provides general information relevant to the key words you feed it, or a living, breathing human being who shares similar experiences with you and has some meaningful input? When you’re deciding which movie to see this weekend, would you rather read what the critics had to say, or would you rather engage with an Average Joe who already saw this week’s blockbuster and ask him what he thinks? Using popular hashtags can make your questions visible to a highly relevant crowd and will often return incredibly useful results. The benefits of social search are becoming clearer every day, and as it gets easier to rely on crowd sourcing, Google looks increasingly like they’re in big trouble.

Knowing who to follow is a big part of mastering Twitter. There are plenty of accounts out there dedicated solely to finding and sharing amazing deals that will save you a bundle. For instance, take a look at Amazon. Their @AmazonDeals and @AmazonMP3 accounts tweet out daily sales that will shock and amaze you. They’ve got everything from $12 seasons of your favorite TV shows to $5 albums by awesome artists. Finding this kind of value right in your Twitter stream makes it easier by leaps and bounds to save cash on just about everything. You don’t need to actively seek out savings, just get them delivered to you by Twitter and enjoy!

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