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To find out more about Ashley, have a look at her fun intro video, and apply to be a “roommatepreneur” at InnoHouse here!

SXSW has become such a big festival, with many companies competing for attention by launching various events (and giving away LOTS of free stuff) that you can’t possibly see everything. While you’re having drinks at the Foursquare Lounge with Spotify developers you might just be missing SXSW’s best underground house party – and that’s okay! If you’re going next year, one advice: go with the flow. So we stuck to what we do best: entrepreneurship and focusing on tomorrow’s game changers. Participating in StartupBusTV with two daily shows, including a “Best Parties Show” at night – allowed us to meet amazing entrepreneurs along the way. Below is our own best of!

Elias Bizannes,  entrepreneur, VC and StartupBus founder

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StartupBus winners, Cerealize, before they won!

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The Bumbercrop team, trying to reduce waste!

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Meet Happster, an app to increase global happiness!

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For more on StartupBus and SXSW, check out StartupBusTV !

Photo credit by www.zimbio.com

You might wonder why Viadeo would cover an event such as a conversation with Joss Whedon? Well, at the Viadeo Blog we believe you ought to know the best of what happened at SXSW 2012. And for fellow geeks, this definitely comes close to the best!

If you don’t know who Joss Whedon is, let me introduce him in a few words: Buffy, Firefly, Dr. Horrible creator – Toy Story, The Cabin in the Woods writer – The upcoming movie The Avengers director. Now let’s get to his conversation with Entertainment Weekly‘s staff editor Adam B. Vary! As a teaser, here is Adam’s quick interview after the conversation:

Click here to view the embedded video.

‘Cabin in the Woods’, premiering at SXSW, came from a very organic process
Apparently Joss was very happy with the result, and based on reactions of the fans I talked to in Austin, the movie is pretty great. I haven’t seen it, but I heard that you cannot imagine the crazy twist they have in store for viewers. Joss talked about making Cabin before the Writers Strike, and shooting it exactly as they wanted to. According to Joss’s wife, Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog was the first project in which he could truly be himself, and Cabin in the Woods was produced in the same way, allowing Joss and director Drew Goddard to keep the twist in the movie and create something totally unexpected.

Joss Whedon is “not ready to be postmodern about superheroes”
Compared to movies such as Watchmen or The Dark Knight, The Avengers was definitely about good old times – “kicking ass” superheroes. The audience cheered when Joss explained why he’s not ready to see fallen, dark superheroes because he still loves a good fight in a cape more than anything. Being himself a fan of the Avengers, he worked on the film knowing what fans expected and wanted. And no, we did not find out who the bad guys are! He talked about making the story his own by acknowledging the fact that those characters have nothing to do together; it was easy to play on that and try to give each of them a purpose. Joss saw this as a pattern in his work: it’s always about the team, and giving a voice and a story to every character in the room (Buffy‘s Scooby Gang anyone?)

Joss on his creative process, and what is next
What’s the difference – apart from the obvious – between a low budget movie like Joss’s upcoming remake of Much Ado About Nothing and a superproduction such as The Avengers? Not having too much money, or too much preparation, helps you stay real and connected to the story, according to him. It especially allows a director to stay creative and work around obstacles instead of just going with the flow. About his writing process, Joss explained that structure is everything: “I never write anything down until I am sure of what I want to write; it would be too much work!” On Buffy, writers never had to rebreak a story after the first draft was decided upon. For Joss, writing is all about “fierce structure, and then adding the layers”. He also likes acting out the story by himself and playing it in his head over and over again, not matter how crazy he might look.

His next projects include the anticipated remake of Shakespeare’s play ‘Much Ado About Nothing’, which was a pleasure for him to work on, (even though he was on vacation and then editing The Avengers at the same time), because he could see the results right away and he just had fun with it. About Buffy and Firefly: more Buffy comics are on the way, including a Willow mini-series, and since no one approached him about reviving the Serenity, it’s not likely to happen anytime soon. But, don’t despair, because Joss said he’s now working on a Web series – “I feel like I’m in film school again!” – called Wastelanders, with, wait for it, musical numbers!

 For more SXSW 2012 news, follow @Viadeo and @NoraPoggi!

Video streaming by Ustream

You’re not at SXSW 2012, the biggest tech event of the year? Not a problem, the Viadeo Blog will be giving you access to the best events and parties LIVE thanks to Hermione Way and her crew, featured on The Next Web and Ustream!

StartupBus.tv follows the 11 “tribes” as they call it, that had the difficult but exciting task to launch a startup on their ride to Austin. They made it – what now? They will be judged by no less than Robert Scoble, Dave McClure, Elias Bizannes or Guy Kawasaki and are getting ready and sharpening their pitches at Rackspace HQ in San Antonio, LIVE now!
Watch below:

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Keeping your profile up to date gets easier

Now live on the site is a redesign of the education and professional experience forms.

So what’s new? Previously, you would need to pass through several different pages to add new work experience or educational establishments to your profile. Now you’ll just see a single, easy to use interface for each where you can fill everything in. Within the new editing interface, you’ll also see your first glimpse of the new ‘Career Timeline’ – a visual map of your professional experience.

With this change, you’ll find it much quicker and easier to edit your Viadeo profile. As Nicolas Karlen, Product Manager in charge of the profile feature says “keeping an updated profile on social websites is not an easy task. This is maybe not much of an issue for most of the online services we use daily, but it is critical when it comes to a professional social network like Viadeo. This is why we created the Career Timeline: a simple way to keep control of your professional profile.”

This release also includes an easy way to connect or reconnect with colleagues and alumni right from the timeline page. We think it’s a great way to demonstrate the power of the network and help you discover great people to connect to on the site.

This update is part of a cycle of improvements being made to the core features of the Viadeo profile that will continue throughout 2012 (watch this space!).

Forums and Communities become Groups

This month we see Viadeo Forums (a discussion forum opened by any member), Viadeo Corporate Forums (a premium product owned by a company or a brand) and Communities (a product designed for associations) merge to become Viadeo Groups.

This merge is the final stage of a series of product updates to the Viadeo Groups that have been rolled out over the past few months.

With our members giving us feedback that the distinction between forums and communities was unclear, we’ve now made this change to the product to make it simpler to discover great groups to meet or share discussions with other professionals on Viadeo.

Mathilde Caron, Product Manager for Viadeo Groups, says: “we wanted to simplify the usage of the website. We had two products with a very similar function but one was becoming old fashioned while the other one much more appropriate for the needs of our users. So we decided to delete the first one and adapt the second one in order to fit the needs of everyone and have only one comprehensive product.”

For companies, brands and associations there is still the option to upgrade the basic group to an official group with additional features and support. Find out more on the Viadeo Business Solutions site: http://business.viadeo.com.

As always, any comments or feedback about the changes are more than appreciated!

Tianji, acquired by the Viadeo Group in 2007, sponsored the event as the number 1 professional social network in China. A lot of great Chinese startups did demos on stage, some entrepreneurs coming all the way from Hong-Kong. If you missed it, here is the recap!

Edith Yeung from Right Ventures and Dolphin tells us about the Chinese way of doing business
Don’t ever go into business with Chinese people the American way. It’s all about trust there, which is why so many companies fail to enter China. Edith gave us three vital tips: 1) build long term relationships. Never try to rush things. 2) Understand the concept of guanxi, which is how relationships work there. Edith compares it to a scoring system; the more points you score while building a relationship, the more likely people will do business with you. 3) Chinese Face, as she calls it: never lose face, always respect people’s sense of honor and act accordingly.
She then reminded us of some amazing facts about the Chinese market, things she also saw while touring China with 500Startups. 900 million people have mobile phones in China, which is three times the population of the US. The Google and Twitter of China, Baidu, Sina Weibo… are experiencing an explosive growth. For instance, Tencent’s instant messaging platform, QQ, has 100 million users today. Those are facts that will help you put the Silicon Valley into perspective.

Charlotte Han from Tianji gives us insights on a hot trend of the Chinese Web market: professional social networks
As she explained, the market is now just warming up to the idea of professional web platforms. Culturally, a lot of reasons explain why people in general use Facebook more than professional platforms, and same goes in China where the young Web population uses mostly gaming and entertainment apps. However, Tianji today has 9 million users which is twice as much as last year, meaning explosive growth is on its way. Tianji’s infographic released last year, showed a forecast of the market’s potential. While showing us the platform, she stressed on the importance of localizing content and not simply translating your website into Chinese. That’s the main reason for LinkedIn’s difficulties in China, and why Tianji is working so well now: even with the possibility to navigate in English, all the conversations on Tianji are happening in Chinese.

Startup demos followed: Edith talked about Dolphin Browser, the first browser that allows you to draw and save gestures (without having to type stuff over and over again). The browser’s simplicity and elegance makes it an Android user favorite. Then came Fanny Ma from OneSkyapp, presenting a simple translation platform using crowdsource translation and a global agency network. Thomas Pun talked about NowBox the “TV Guide for YouTube”, Kin Ko showed us the mobile game developer Lakoo, whose game Online Empire is now one of the most popular in the world.
Specialdeals explained how their product differs from Groupon, thanks to their partnership with Sina Weibo in China, and ElderAware did a live demo (improv style) of the way their app helps caregivers and their elderly parents, all thanks to a motion detection algorithm .

You want to know more? Check out the event livestream here!

Have a read and let us know what you think!

1. “10 Things You Still Need to Know about Social Media/ Social Business” by Olivier Blanchard (@thebrandbuilder) from The Brand Builder Blog

Olivier Blanchard, author of personal branding blog The Brand Builder, always shares well-written, focused and very interesting posts around the topics of business, social media, and personal branding. This list delivers ten essential aspects of business to implement in order to maintain the social aspect of a company.

Each point magnifies a different area of business that must be addressed when attacking the challenge of social media. With tips on marketing, business blogging, customer relationships and monitoring, this post is a must-read for social business managers.

Sneak peek: “Start with your people, not your tools. They are what makes social either work or fail.”

2. “Make a Good Impression in 30 Seconds” by Ron Ashkenas (@rashkenas ) and Holly Newman from The Harvard Business Review Blogs

The Harvard Business Review Blogs are a great source of thought-provoking and inspiring posts covering a wide range of topics. This week we especially liked this post by Ron Ashkenas and Holly Newman, which examines the importance of making any meeting, business or personal, memorable by truly capturing the attention of your audience.

One of the major talking points of last weekend’s Super Bowl in the US is the series of very short (often 30 seconds) advertisements aired during the sporting event. This post cleverly uses these adverts as a comparison for how to promote your company’s awareness in a short amount of time.

Sneak peek: “Mini-impressions do count.”

3. “Why User-Generated Content is More Important than you Think” by Corey Eridon (@Corey_bos) from HubSpot Marketing Blog

This post from the HubSpot Marketing blog focuses on the importance of incorporating Generation Y into inbound marketing plans. Generation Y, or Milennials, is quickly becoming one of the strongest and most influential consumer groups, especially in the US. As Corey Eridon suggests in the post, it is very likely that if this group is not your target audience they may already directly influence the group that is your target audience.

This detailed and well-written post goes on to specifically address both how to target this powerful consumer group, and how to begin creating more user-generated content. Whether or not Generation Y is a target for your marketing plan, this post is an interesting read. 

Sneak peek: “Enable comment functions, provide star rating systems for your products, and create forums for people to easily discuss what they love about your company.”

4. “Is The Best Digital Marketing Earned, Owned or Bought?” by Jeff Bullas (@jeffbullas) from JeffBullas.com

This interesting post looks at the variety of different options for digital marketing when it comes to promoting a brand and generating interest, dividing the main options into three sections.

Examining the benefits and challenges associated with each option, Bullas describes owned digital marketing as a channel directly owned by a brand, like a company Facebook page for example. He identifies bought media channels as those which companies pay to use and earned media as customers essentially becoming a marketing channel.

Sneak peek: “The optimum approach is to combine all three to provide a synergistic approach that is greater than the sum of its parts.”

5. “Content Marketing in 6 Steps” by Steven Van Belleghem (@Steven_InSites)from Social Media Today  

As content marketing increasingly over-takes traditional methods as the most commonly used strategy, it is useful to know how to effectively generate a content marketing plan. In this post, Steven Van Belleghem shares his six steps to efficient and powerful content marketing based on the finding of several similar studies.

Sneak peek: “Listen to the reactions to your content. Measure how many conversations are generated, what their sentiment is and how much impact they have.”

We hope you enjoyed our pick of the top posts from last week. We’ll be back again on Friday with five more interesting articles so make sure to check back!

We love hearing from you, so if you’ve read something that’s stuck with you all week or if you’d like to share your thoughts on these posts, get in touch and leave us a comment!

Our two events link with this year’s Social Media Week theme of “Empowerment”:

Social Media in Corporations – Empowerment or Surveillance ?

Location: American University of Paris

Date + Time: 7-9pm Wednesday 15^th February

This event addresses the following topic  “As social media use becomes more pervasive in business, it raises questions about the way it is used both by employees and employers” and will look at the following questions:

-          Should employees be empowered to use social media?

-          Should employers use public social media data in their recruitment?

-          How do you decide to draw the boundaries?

Experts from different backgrounds will discuss these and other questions, relevant to anyone in the corporate world.

Supercharging Your Startup

Location:  Le Camping, a famous start up incubator.

Date + Time: 10am-12pm Thursday 16^th February

The conference will discuss the following issues:

-          How are start-ups leveraging social media to get their businesses going?

-          What are the best practices?

-          What are the risks and rewards?

-          How does France fare compared to other countries such as the US/UK?

Various experts will discuss how it is being done today and specific case studies will be shared.

If you’re interested in learning more about these two subjects – and furthering your personal and professional development please do sign up for these two great events – they’re free and highly relevant! Don’t forget, to use #smwparis #viadeo to tweet about the event and when you’re there!

If you’re interested in attending any of the other events at SMW12 in Paris,  click here – we look forward to hearing all about your experiences of our events and SMW12 generally! Which events are you attending? Post below to let us know!

It is important, however, to maximise the potential of your presence on professional social networks by ensuring that your digital identity is as strong as possible. For Viadeo members, it is vital to make your profile as relevant as possible in order to optimise your online presence and really make the most of the Viadeo network.

We’ve compiled a list of simple and effective tips to help you amplify your presence and get even more from your Viadeo experience.

          1. Detail is key

Making your Viadeo profile as detailed and up-to-date as possible is crucial.  The more complete your profile is, the more likely the possibility of getting head-hunted by recruiters.

To ensure your profile is 100% complete, make sure to include a detailed Professional Experience section. Include any relevant positions you have held and outline the role and your specific responsibilities. A great way to enhance this section of your profile is by highlighting your key results and achievements gained. Make sure to include specific job titles in your descriptions.

For example, on our Social Media Manager Rebecca Williams‘ profile, she lists her former job title and employer along with a detailed and concise description of her key responsibilities and achievements:

In the Introduction section of your profile, include a brief description of your current position or the industries you are interested in working in. It’s also not a bad idea to add what you use Viadeo for eg: connecting with people, finding new business partners or searching for a job opportunity.

In the Education section, include schools and universities attended, and include results and qualifications obtained in the “Degrees/qualifications” section. If you’re looking to change careers or if you are searching for your first job, this section is important. Make sure to emphasise transferable skills you gained from your academic career that will easily overlap your professional career.

          2. Add a face to your name: include a profile picture

Do not underestimate the power of a strong Viadeo profile picture. Your picture is instrumental in building your personal brand and digital identity. It also proves that you are a genuine user and adds to your value as a contact. Studies have shown that profiles with a picture are many times more likely to be viewed than those without pictures.

The best profile picture to choose is an up-to-date head shot. Make sure that it looks professional and portrays your personality and energy successfully.

          3. Create your brand slogan: edit your headline

The headline on your Viadeo profile is your chance to give your profile visitors an accurate idea of who you are professionally.  In many ways, your headline is the name or slogan of your personal brand. Include your current position and company name, or your amount of experience. Brand your headline as the most important advertisement of yourself that you can give.

          4. Make yourself find-able: Customise your URL

You have the option of choosing the URL for your Viadeo profile. You can do this by visiting the “complete my profile” section. In the bottom right hand corner, there is a box labelled “my public profile” which allows you to change the URL of your public profile. By changing your URL to your include your own name, your profile will be much easier to access and may increase your connection opportunities. Having a personal URL will increase your professional authority within your network and strengthen your personal brand.

          5. Make it easier for head-hunters: add keywords

Adding keywords to your profile will make you more easily found by potential contacts and recruiters. Add keywords that relate to your experience, areas of expertise and strengths. For example, our Product Manager Andrea Nagel lists the following keywords on her profile:

          6. Back up your profile with a recommendation

Adding a recommendation to your profile is a great way to strengthen your professional image. You can ask for a recommendation by going to your Viadeo profile. Under the “professional experience” section, there will be a green button saying “Request a recommendation” next to each of your jobs. Click the button to ask a former manager or colleague to write a recommendation for you. Make sure that your key accomplishments and strengths are highlighted in the recommendation.

Sharing a powerful recommendation on your Viadeo profile makes a great difference and might even make up a recruiter’s mind. A strong and genuine professional recommendation can do wonders for your digital identity and credibility throughout your network.

          7. Promote your brand: Include links

Give your connections and potential employers a more well-rounded view of who you are by adding links to other profiles or websites. This will also increase the brand awareness of your profile.

The “Introduction” section of your profile is a good place to include links to your profiles on Twitter or other  sites. If you have your own website or if your work is portfolio-based, include links in this section.

Alternatively if you have your own blog, visit the “complete my profile” section and add a link to your blog in the “my blogs” box on the right hand side of the screen.

To help your contacts find you more easily, why not share a link to your Viadeo profile? Add it to your e-mail signature or get a Viadeo profile button for your blog. Not only will you maximise your visibility but it is an opportunity to further expand your network.

We hope that these simple steps to a more dynamic Viadeo profile will help you to make the most out of your network. By combining a strong profile with connections, engagement and interaction, you can insure that you unlock the true power of your professional network.

Is there something else that has improved your Viadeo profile? If so, get in touch or leave us a comment, we’d love to hear what you think!