Before I start with any of my actual predictions, let me throw in an overall prediction that the year is going to start off slow for most people, but by the end of the year, we will all be thinking: “Wow, 2010 was a crazy year!” And probably will get some more ideas from the Big Question - Predictions and Plans for 2010. You can’t. MORE >>

The prevailing Twitter wisdom is that we should avoid tweeting about ourselves too much, and post information in which others are interested. Twitter may be regarded as an outlet for personal self-expression, but those wanting to build brands through social media know it’ll take more than just talk to establish a loyal follower listing. MORE >>

There have been plenty of blog posts and discussions recently about how you need to be “personal&# across the various social media web sites, even when communicating on behalf of your company or brand. You can actually be professional and personal at the same time in social media without too much effort. Photo by Flickr user D. MORE >>

Not so much for myself, but for my clients — helping them figure out how to get the most marketing bang for their Twitter buck, and showing them ways to build their following and streamline their Twitter time management. Karen Laland: What is the biggest Twitter time waster? Denise Wakeman: Having Twitter open all day. MORE >>

While Flipboard also offers various topic filters, the most interesting aspect of the app is that it can select news items based on what is shared by your Facebook friends and who you follow on Twitter. See for example the Twitter Ross Dawson daily created by paper.li Tags: Future of media Social networks Twitter Paper.li MORE >>