Anchorage Daily News

About three times per day, Stacy Schubert, the outgoing head of the Anchorage Chamber of Commerce, updates her Facebook page status.

Click to enlarge

Gill uses his BlackBerry to keep the restaurant's Facebook page updated, respond to inquiries and reservation requests, and send menu updates.

Story tools

Comments (0)

E-mail a friend

Print

Share on Facebook

Digg this

Seed Newsvine

Send link via AIM

Follow on Twitter

Font size : A | A | A

She tweets on Twitter.

She links on LinkedIn.

And she's not an anomaly. Schubert is just one of a growing number of Anchorage workers using the social side of the Web on a daily basis for professional networking or generating income.

Who's clicking, typing and texting?

They are job seekers, nonprofit foundations, Native corporations, restaurants, business consultants, clothing shops, artists, tour operators, marketing firms, head-hunting companies.

Ginger Restaurant, the upscale downtown restaurant, started a Facebook page last year and now has nearly 300 online fans. Ginger co-owner Matt Gill posts dinner specials on the page to tease the hungry. He logs on every morning to scroll through messages fans leave on the page and keeps checking it during the day. "If I don't post our special, people end up asking me for it," he said.

Recently, Schubert, the outgoing chamber president, sent out a tweet to her Twitter followers saying that she was getting ready to go to a chamber luncheon about how car dealers are weathering the recession. A Twitter account allows a person to send out a short text message -- called a tweet -- to a network of followers.

A few who read Schubert's tweet decided on the spot to attend the lunch. "It increased our attendance -- not by very much -- but it translated to revenue for the chamber," she said.

Social media comprises many free Web sites. Twitter is one. On Facebook, people can create a personal profile, converse with friends and share articles, videos and photos. On LinkedIn, people can post their resumes, form business groups and build a professional network. All of these seem to be taking hold in Anchorage.

For example, Anchorage members of LinkedIn's "Alaska" group had their first face-to-face meeting on Thursday night at the Pi restaurant in Midtown. The meeting was an eccentric assemblage of about a dozen artists, writers, Internet experts and business contractors, all trading ideas about how best to use LinkedIn to find work.

A month ago, about 50 local tweeters gathered at public radio station KSKA for a "Tweetup" that included munchies and a station tour. "It's a whole new area. We are experimenting," said John Proffitt, a Twitter guru and the vice president of media streams for Alaska Public Telecommunications, Inc.

A WORLD OF CHANGE

Many say they are finding that the social media phenomenon is blurring distinctions between their personal and professional lives. That's one reason why Alaska Internet maven Aliza Sherman, who helps companies in Alaska and the Lower 48 create social media programs, say it's important to be careful what you post; it will be on the Web permanently.

A local head-hunting company, Opti Staffing Group, says it routinely peruses sites like Facebook and MySpace for information -- both good and bad -- about its clients' prospective hires.

"Individuals have to be conscious what they are putting out there," said Matthew Holta, Opti's Anchorage branch manager.

So what are workers using social media to accomplish? Mostly to maintain relationships, find work, get professional advice or reach out to potential customers.

"It's free and easy," said Shelly Wozniak, spokeswoman for NANA Regional Corp., who recently helped organize a social media training workshop for NANA affiliates and other Native companies. She likes that she can pose a question on Twitter and get an instant stream of "free advice" from her followers.

Social media is also prompting some drastic changes in how local marketing firms are running their ad campaigns. "If you don't involve yourself in (social media) conversations, only the negative comments will float around and you've lost control of the brand," said Sam Fiorella, the Nerland Agency's vice president of interactive services.

Instant, honest feedback on the Web "allows us to quickly change our messaging. This is very new," Fiorella added.

DOES IT WORK?

What about the threat of productivity decline due to constant social media posting and status checking?

"It's really about priorities," said Schubert, who logs onto her Facebook account in the morning and before bed; she uses her BlackBerry to post updates and check her account messages during the day.

Will posting your resume and cultivating a professional network on LinkedIn really help you get a job?

"I believe (social media) can help you get an interview, establish relationships and grow your professional network. But ultimately, your past performance and capabilities will help you get the job," Schubert said.

And past performance, of course, has everything to do with productivity.

Find Elizabeth Bluemink online at adn.com/contact/ebluemink or call 257-4317.

ADVERTISEMENT