By Nicole Fletcher

Hallelujah! Applying for jobs just got easier thanks to LinkedIn’s Apply for Jobs Button. The business minded social network, as Mashable put it, is the “the future of job applications”, and how could anyone disagree? By joining and being active on the network, you’re ready and set to apply for any job at the click of a button and how could anyone be unhappy about that?

Back in the day, and I’m sure today still, resume formatting was the bottom line. The vital process was as if that margin being .01′ off and size 12.34 font in Arial over Times would make or break your chances ….and I think it did – though I cannot for the life of me fathom why. Job applicants send hundreds of thousands of attachments paired with perfectly worded cover letters DAILY only to get tossed aside and ignored because really, who has time to go through all those dead trees? Interns? It seems like even they are too busy these days. Even if they’re not, what a tragedy that an intern has the power to make the decision as to whether or not my perfectly crafted document gets put in front of important eyes or tossed aside to the shredder? I digress…with any luck those silly days will be gone. After all, I’d rather hire an awesome person I meet at happy hour than I would someone with a perfectly manicured resume that can’t take the heat. It seems most industries are taking a social approach to the hiring process anyway and this only helps foster that natural evolution.

On the LinkedIn blog, Technical Product Manager Jonathan Seitel said, “Our goal with Apply With LinkedIn is to help every professional put their best foot forward, anywhere across the web when they take that leap to apply for a new position.” You’ll be able to do your applying in one spot and see who you know is connected to who you need to know.  I for one think it’s a great idea. If LinkedIn becomes the true norm in the business world, job seekers and recruiters alike really are going to have it so much easier. Applicants will be able to work with pre-formatted resumes, edit them on the go with a LinkedIn app, bump a pristine version to business contacts you meet on the fly…the possibilities are endless and most are already taking place. Establishing a status quo for resumes might inspire some to be creative, of course, but having that template in which your information is properly formatted, a recruiter knows where it’s coming from, who you know, where you’ve been etc truly makes everything that much easier.

The button is much like the Twitter tweet button or the Facebook Like button in that companies can embed it on their website. The button allows you submit your LinkedIn profile as your resume — no cover letter necessary. Once you submit your job app, you’re given the chance to message your contacts at the company and/or ask for a referral. It also integrates with several application tracking systems as well, so businesses can add the LinkedIn job application feed into their existing application system. Netflix, Tripit and Photobucket will be a few of the first companies to highlight the button on their websites.

LinkedIn also makes it easy for you to manage your job applications with a “Saved Jobs” tab, so you can always double check who has your application.

According to Mashable, “The Apply With LinkedIn button is based on the idea that the resume is an outdated relic. Why submit a resume when all of that information (and more) is available on a LinkedIn profile? Still, the button is almost too easy. One can see a desperate job seeker clicking on the button and submitting his or her job application to hundreds of potential employers, regardless of his or her qualifications.” And I’m not going to lie, that’s a great point. Hopefully this button won’t devaluate the application process or there will be a way to filter for brands with high application volumes. Only time will tell…Here’s to applications and the death of cover letters!

By Nicole Fletcher

So I found this graphic and had to share. Google+ Circles you might actually use from Happy Place.

By Nicole Fletcher

So I was hangin’ out relaxing all cool last night when a Kenmore commercial came on. Surely I was impressed at the capacity of the refrigerator, all chrome and sparkly – I mean wouldn’t you be? You can fit anything from a pizza to a teared wedding cake in there…and don’t even get me started on that salad crisper. I digress..the end of the commercial came and what happened, you ask? Well as is the latest trend, a flurry of social icons: Facebook, Twitter and Youtube, came into view. Take a look at the call to action…pretty weak if you ask me. Do they want me to go to Sears, check out the sears Facebook page or their own? I went ahead and assumed their own and they better well have something awesome waiting when I arrive. And so, challenge accepted Kenmore, I WILL check out your social networks.

Facebook seems to be everyone’s fan fav these days so I’ll start there. I found them and was immediately disappointed at their profile picture. So many pixels of real estate wasted. No call to action, no cool design, nothing. And what’s worse? The non fan landing page (the page that people who do not yet ‘like’ the page land on) is the wall. Ugh.

They do though have some custom tabs so I thought I’d check those out. One is called Live Studio. I don’t know why. I assume this was supposed to be the non fan landing page as there is a call to action to like the page. I get it…but strike one as that was not set up correctly. That button at the bottom though generates a popup (pictured below) asking the user to like the page from it as opposed to the conveniently located like button already statically up top. Doesn’t seem like the best expenditure of developer time to me. That said, maybe I just don’t know what Live Studio is (and everyone else does?) and maybe I’m not their target market..but regardless of those issues, applications on Facebook should be designed to take advantage of the real estate you’re give to work with…and there’s not a lot. You, as a brand, want to get something  out of someone landing on your page. They’re there for a reason. Now, it’s your job to get them to stay…and come back..time and time again. Mind you, they have 300,000+ likes, which is impressive…but arguably, it’s pretty easy for a brand like Kenmore to get that many likes by virtue of their age and brand reputation. It takes more than that to have a successful social strategy and to actually see a ROI from your social efforts.

As for twitter and youtube…I was slightly more impressed. Their conversations and uploads were recent, helpful and informative..which is good. I must say though I’d still like to see some sort of solid campaign/strategy out of them instead of posting random videos here and there with tips, commercials etc. There seems, yet again to be no clear call to action and while I certainly appreciate a tip here or there, I’d like to know more about the tips I’m getting into before watching the commercial. Finally a really important thing to note: unless your twitter handle/facebook url is your name EXACTLY, you have to write that url in your print and television ads. If you don’t, this is what happens. @kenmore is not @kenmore connect. Make that clear people.

One last thing I’d like to note is that brand voice is a really important part of your game plan. Don’t have too many people posting. It tends to kill that ‘voice’ you’re trying to create…if you’re trying to create one..which you should be. Kenmore’s voice is fine…it sounds like Kenmore. Do I think creating brand personalities that make users feel like they’re talking to a person is more effective? Yes…but this will do for now until they solidify their strategy.

Remember there’s a difference between doing social media for the sake of doing it and being strategic about it. The later will surely give your brand a better chance at seeing a return. As a parting note, don’t drive traffic to your social sites if you don’t have anything going on. Don’t put those icons in your tv commercials if you’re not ready to receive that traffic (I’m not saying Kenmore is one of these brands mind you..they have some work to do but they’re ready for the traffic). Don’t advertise social if you’re not going to deliver (I was at House of Blues the other night and saw a poster advertising foursquare specials…but there were no specials). Conversely, if you do advertise in print and on tv, you’re lucky. Take advantage of those mass audience channels. Get something measurable back for the cost of those ads. Drive traffic to those sites. Get those emails and likes and follows and as such, get the most out of your entire marketing efforts. Remember, social should weave through all channels…from print and tv, to PR, web and word of mouth, it’s now the name of the game – evolve or become extinct, the choice is yours.