Here’s the latest on social media from New Zealand and around the world.

1. Blogs are past it – or are they?
2. Influencers alive and well on social media sites, says study
3. Aussie Twitterers protest ‘net censorship
4. LinkedIn grows – new funding bodes well for LinkedIn’s long-term future
5. NZ charities Go Mad with new social network
6. Marie jumps – see why on our latest episode of iJumpTV

1. Blogs are past it – or are they?

A recent article in Wired says blogs are a thing of the past, surpassed by the exciting new social media tools around.

The article makes a good point – that crafting a blog post takes time that is best spent on other services.

But at a recent conference, 1938media’s Loren Feldman argues the exact opposite , saying that your blog is where you’re in control.

And research from BuzzLogic shows that blogs are more, not less, influential when it comes to people’s buying decisions.

My take: there are so many different ways to express your ideas online, that it’s an exercise in pointlessness to say this is the one method you should be using.

Instead, it’s better to find your strengths – whether you’re a talker or a writer, for instance – and choose the tools that work to that strength!

2. Influencers are alive and well on social networks

If you’ve read Citizen Marketers you’ll know the stats: in any community, 1% create content, 9% actively interact with that content (eg leave comments), and 90% passively consume.

These stats have scared off a few businesses, who would prefer to reach the 90% than focus on 10%. But a study by Rubicon Consulting shows the 10% wield large influence over the silent masses. Worth reading. Originally spotted on ReadWriteWeb .

3. Aussie Twitterers protest ‘net censorship

The Australian government is pioneering a plan to censor internet access, and people are not happy at all. A website’ s been setup, and Twitterers have started to use the hash tag #nocleanfeed in messages about it.

Twitter gets messages across fast, not just through words, but also through the avatars (pictures) that people use  as their identity. Check them out – you’ll see a lot of people have added tape across their mouth, or a "censored" sign. Like a badge in the physical world, social network avatars can be a subtle but effective way of raising awareness of an issue.

4. LinkedIn receives new funding

In a down economy, not many Silicon Valley firms are receiving new funding – but business networking site LinkedIn is . On the back of that, they’re introducing more revenue streams .

What does this mean? LinkedIn plans to stay around. Of course, all social networking sites plan to stay around, but inevitably some will die in this current recession.

Why does this matter to you? It means you should invest in your LinkedIn profile. It can be a big part of your online identity, and another way for you to be in control of what people find out about you online.

People often join LinkedIn and then don’t know what to do. First step is to find people you already know, who work on LinkedIn. Search for your current company, or other companies you’ve worked for. From there, you can connect to people you meet at events, or get introduced to people through your connections.

We’re going to add a page on LinkedIn (and other social networks) to our social media learning centre soon, but in the meantime, we’d love to hear your ideas. Please flick us an email (simon @ ijump.co.nz) or comment below.

5. NZ charities Go Mad with new social network

From our neighbours HB Media, publishers of Good Magazine, comes Go Mad , a social network to connect charities with volunteers.

It’s just another example of social media doing what it does best – creating efficient connections, harnessing otherwise wasted resources.

Good’s publisher Vincent Heeringa says the site is getting good traction on the volunteer side, but only 11 organisations have signed up. So if you work for a charity, or know someone who does, this is a source of volunteer man- and woman-power!

6. Marie Jumps!

In our latest episode of iJumpTV , Marie eats an icecream in freefall at 12,000 feet. Why? You’ll have to watch.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1952939160021462455

Thanks to Blue Skies Skydiving for providing a great experience, and Wapid for making it all happen in the first place!

The jump celebrated two things – Marie’s birthday and iJump’s first anniversary (both of which were actually in September). It was also an entry into the Big Hokey competition, which you can find out more about at Wapid .

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