Twitterhood the new Prophethood?

If you’re on Twitter, and who isn’t these days, then you’ve probably contemplated doing something drastic to gain more followers.  Why? 

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C78EeoTNhvk&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0xe1600f&color2=0xfebd01&border=1]

I was just kidding about being on Twitter by the way.  It’s a pretty cool tool that has yet to be completed.

I’d love to hear what you think.  Feel free to comment below.

the week that was

I can’t believe how fast this week has gone.  It’s been a really cool week.  Lot’s of opportunities have been coming my way recently.   

If you want a pulse on what’s happening with me follow me on Twitter.  I’ve even been asked to do a meetup overseas.  I’ll let you know how that turns out the closer it comes.

Ready to go back to the future?  Here we go!

Techvibes:

  1. Everyone watched the Olympics.  Well, almost everyone.
  2. Shipgooder.com
  3. Tweet & Win (another reason to be on Twitter)
  4. TheBizMedia (video)
  5. 5 Questions…with Joallore Alon (a MUST follow for Torontonians in Toronto)
  6. Julie Tyios and the TTC
  7. Lavalife 
  8. Top 25 technology predictions from futurist Dave Evans
  9. iBizBook’s Community Manager (video)
  10. Art of Marketing Twitter contest winners (another reason to be on Twitter!)
  11. The Canadian Budget and technology

iBizBook:

  1. Finding your online pulse (video)

Fadoo.ca:

  1. Thoora.com “knows” what the most popular Olympic story was!

As always, feel free to be my friend on Facebook, follow me on Twitter, and watch my videos on YouTube.

Have a great weekend!

Comments – Disable or Enable?

I had a Google Chat conversation with a colleague late last night.  He suggested (based on advice from a SEO “expert”) that I disable my comments section in order to become popular.  Watch the video below and let me know what you think.  I’d love to hear your honest thoughts about this.

(If you’re reading this on Facebook, please come back to www.KarimKanji.com and feel free to cment.)

Thanks!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODoMYH09FiU&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0xe1600f&color2=0xfebd01&border=1]
What do you think?  Let me know below.

The Hammer

Watching curling as often as I do….once every 4 years…got me thinking about the importance of the hammer.  Having the hammer is having control.  Are we in control of what we’re doing?  Do we have the last say in what we do or who we become? 

Like curling, we’re going to, one day give up control of our destiny.  Maybe we’ll need other people to become involved in our life in order for us to succeed.  If so, don’t settle for one point.  Crush it!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UO9vRIffYwI&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x006699&color2=0x54abd6&border=1]
I’d love to hear your thoughts about “holding the hammer.”

Week in Review

Well, another busy week has ended.  Yet it began with a bang as I participated in my second PodCamp Toronto.  The great thing about it was that it was also my first time leading a discussion at an unconference
Here’s this week’s, Week in Review! 
Techvibes
  1. Digital book publisher Vook (you SHOULD check these guys out!) receives additional seed financing.
  2. Ottawa flexes it’s digital muscles.
  3. General Motors Crisis Communications – Case Study.
  4. Mark Evans on telling stories.
  5. ShesConnected – A social networking site for the ladies.
  6. In conversation with the Senior Partner of Bamboo.
  7. Rogers has a new plan for roamers.
  8. 5 Questions…with Crystal Gibson.
  9. Sprouter continues to sprout.
  10. Justin Kozuch on the Toronto Transit Commission.
  11. Mitch Joel.
iBizBook
  1. Finding your online pulse – Video with Mitch Joel.
I was also preesent this week at Third Tuesday Toronto which is a monthly meetup featuring some of today’s most thought provoking personalities in the marketing, public relations, technology and social media world’s.  At this meetup, Mitch Joel spoke and answered questions about branding.  You can find my videos of the Q&A at THIS link.
As always, feel free to be my friend on Facebook, follow me on Twitter, and watch my videos on YouTube.

Have a great weekend!

Viral Campaign

If you do a lot of things that are great, people will find it and it will go viral. – Mitch Joel
We’re all looking for it.  We want it.  We might not tell our friends about it for fear of being branded as vain.  But is haunts us so.  In fact, it’s a main reason many people have a personal blog, website or even tweet.  People want that feeling of importance.  “My opinion matters to me and I want you to hear it!”
Even companies crave the attention.  It feeds their bottom line.  And it feeds their employees as well.
Whatever it is called we want it to do one thing:  Go Viral.
How do we do it?

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=todUE3-byd4&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x006699&color2=0x54abd6&border=1]

Do you know someone who is doing great things?  If you do, tell us their story.  Please.

Learning to speak

This past weekend I had the opportunity to speak at PodCamp Toronto.  For those who may not know, PodCamp Toronto is organized as an unconference.  A conference is a place/event you would go to to attend sessions.  An unconference is organized by the attendees.  And sessions are led.  Which means I didn’t really give a talk.  I facilitated a session would be a better way of putting it.

PodCamp Toronto is a 2 day event which brings together podcasting and social media enthusiasts in an effort to learn from each other and connect with new and old acquaintances.

I attended some really interesting sessions and made a load of new friends.  In fact, the best time was connecting with new and not so new friends at a greasy spoon on Saturday evening.  I even managed to get invited and go see a Toronto Raptors game.  And this by someone I never even knew 8 hours earlier!  Amazing!

However, I wanted to share some lessons I learned myself.  And these lessons were learned by facilitating my session.  Although I have had the opportunity to speak in private functions, this was really my first public talk.  And boy, did I learn a lot:

  1. Have multiple slides per argument.  People seem to love their power points!
  2. Don’t repeat yourself.  I don’t like over-preparing for presentations but I think I should start.
  3. Always invite your fans.  It’s always good to have supporters in the crowd.
  4. Don’t be afraid to be real.  People appreciate honesty and abhor people who are fake.
  5. Involve the crowd.  An active crowd is a happy crowd.
  6. Wear a loud shirt.
  7. Create a hashtag (#) on Twitter to connect with everyone who attended the session.  Mine was #loudshirt.  (Obvious, eh!)

A special thanks to @coleyeung and @zeppelinsocial for the pics!  Video will follow soon.

Week in Review

As you may know, I’ve been doing lots of writing on different parts of the interwebs.  So what I’ve decided to do is to post here a weekly summary of my activities. 

Techvibes

Fadoo.ca

  • Inside the CFL replay room – Video.

iBizBook

As always, feel free to be my friend on Facebook (where you can also see this week’s Raptors photos), follow me on Twitter, and watch my home videos on YouTube.

Have a great weekend everyone!

    The Blogging Continues

    Back in December I told you all about my new gig at Techvibes.  I hope some of you have visited me over there and are enjoying some of the people, places, and companies I have been highlighting there.  It’s been really fun meeting some of Toronto’s coolest, hippest and socially progressive tech entrepreneurs.

    Today, I have some more blogging news. 

    You can now also find me at Fadoo.ca

    The Fadoo website is a Canadian website dedicated to bringing Canadians “a platform for dialogue and comment among people of power and influence in the sports world. And then, let everyone in on the conversation.”

    What you’re going to get from me is what no one else in Toronto will be able to provide.  I’ll have the inside look into sports and social media and technology.  So if that interests you then stay tuned (and please comment.  I LOVE comments!).  And if it doesn’t interest you let me know, what you would like to see.

    Have a great weekend and enjoy the Olympics!