What in the World is It?

Have you heard of the word “microblog”…yet? Chances are, you will...soon. Microblogging is the erstwhile form of talking on the telephone, of reading celebrity gossip, of sending e-mails, and of constantly changing Facebook status. Microblogging is changing the way we live.

In a nutshell, microblogging (also known in its hyphenated form: micro-blogging) is an Internet-based communication that is distinctive for its short and constant messaging. Usually, a microblogger joins a microblogging site (see below for the options), gathers a group of fellow micro-bloggers around him who ‘follow’ him, and periodically changes his ‘blog’ to reflect what he is doing.

“Blog” is a word that sounds too big to use for these mini updates, though. They can be compared to status updates on a Facebook profile. E.g., “Bob is getting ready for work.” Or, “Dianna is glad that she remembered to put on her makeup before she left the house today.” This is the microblog, but it is far more than just a periodic status update. People now using imcroblogging to exchange video, audio, pictures, selling, socializing, and et.al.

Where Do I Go to Microblog?

As mentioned, Facebook has its own type of microblogging—the status updates. But now, any social networking site has this feature: Myspace, Plaxo, LinkedIn, Xing, etc. Even Gmail users can regularly update their status, a tacit admission that microblogging is now an expected for any site with any social dimension. The king of all microblog sites is Twitter. Twitter is now a household name, and the millions of people twittering today is rivaling the member statistics for Facebook. Other sites have found their way into the microblogging niche: Plurk—does a great job of integrating pictures, videos, and the status feature, and does it all using a timeline—a unique, but helpful feature. Pownce—takes microblogging to a higher level of sophistication (and potential usefulness) by integrating it with invitations, calendar events, and even sharing of files. Rakawa—uses the Twitter concept of status messages based on a question. Twitter users answer the question, “what are you doing right now,” while Rakawa users answer the question, “What have you achieved today.” The usefulness of Rakawa for business and productivity has yet to be determined.

What is the Best Place to Microblog?

It all depends on what you are trying to accomplish—and what kind of constituency you have. Do you want to microblog just to give your friends an insight into your daily routine—a Gmail, Facebook, or Twitter update is sufficient. Or, are you trying to gain traction in a new business? Expose your microblogging thoughts on LinkedIn, a professional resume-like networking site. Or you can Twitter to businesses or business owners. It’s not easy to decide.

Pick One. Often, it’s good to pick just one microblog and stick with it. That way, you gain familiarity with the site, you gain a following, and you work the system well.

Pick Several. The limitation of just picking one and sticking with it is that you may be missing out on interaction with friends, fans, or other business. In that case, you may need to join several microblogging sites in order to gain broader visibility. Obviously, things can get complex from here on out. How often do you change your status? When was the last time you changed status? Should you do it on all?

Pick them all. Ah, but thankfully, some have devised solutions. It is now possible to update all of your microblogs with one fell swoop (or click) by using aggregators. These powerful updaters will simultaneously update all of the microblog statuses that you give them permission to do. These sites are Socialthing and Profilactic.