Contents

    Proudly featured in

    ForbesAdvisor - The Best Legal Billing Software Of 2022

    Set Up Social Media Lists to Replace Google Reader

    Contents

      Last week, I joined the wailing and gnashing of teeth of RSS junkies that accompanied the news of Google Reader’s imminent demise. Information professionals are no longer just librarians and knowledge managers. We all are. And Google Reader allowed us to filter and manage vast amounts of information.
      I scan hundreds, sometimes thousands of headlines in my RSS reader every day to keep informed and to come up with a dozen or two choice morsels to send out on personal and professional Twitter, Google Plus, Facebook, and other social media accounts. But while the death of Google Reader (and Feedburner on life support) doesn’t signal the end of blogging as some have suggested, it does call into question, the long-term viability of RSS.
      Sure, we can switch over to lesser alternatives such as Feedly, Old Reader, NewsBlur, and others, which most of us will do, but a longer term solution is to set up topical lists in our social media accounts.
      Twitter – The work flow in setting up Twitter lists leaves a lot to be desired; Twitter can do much better, but once created, you can quickly cut through the noise to find useful information to increase your knowledge and to share. Use keyboard shortcut GL to access your Twitter lists where you can create new lists, or edit existing ones. Lists can be public or private. Since I manage work and personal accounts I have a mix of private and public lists. Note that you can also add accounts that you don’t follow to lists.
      Facebook – It’s a bit easier to set up and manage lists on Facebook. Create “Interests” lists and add pages and “Friends” lists from the sidebar, or subscribe to existing lists to filter and quickly access useful content.
      Google Plus – The easiest is Google Plus since you already have to assign a circle for each person you follow. Some have suggested that the Google social platform may have contributed to Reader’s demise.
      LinkedIn – Under the “News” tab you’ll find “LinkedIn Today.” Click on the gears icon to customize your news by following related industries and sources.
      Now, instead of subscribing to RSS feeds of useful blogs and news sites, add their social accounts to your curated social media lists. This is a wake up call for brands and blogs to have a meaningful social presence with links to their content.
      RELATED POSTS:
      6 Free Tools To Organize Your Digital Life
      5 Free Cloud-Based Document Collaboration Tools To Power Your Productivity

      Share post:

      Subscribe to our Newsletter & Stay up to date with the latest articles, educational resources, and news.