Could it be true there will be no more trading of business cards around the proverbial water cooler at networking events for this Chicago based Ice Machine Repair guy? If Hashable has its way, that’s exactly how things will go.
During a recent interview with Fast Company, Michael Yavonditte, CEO of Hashable, said he wants his new brainchild to change the face of networking. Hashable takes LinkedIn, Twitter, and Foursquare to all new levels with simple hashtagging. You check-in with people instead of just places as with Foursquare, you can exchange electronic business cards via a LinkedIn connection, and you can have all this posted directly to your Twitter feed for the world to see. On top of that, there’s a leaderboard feature to provide some competition among friends. The leaderboard ranks users by “Hashcred.” This way you can see who the real movers and shakers are within your network.
Yayonditte goes on to say that, “People are really interested in accessing who is connected to whom, and how strong those connections are. That is the kind of data we have.”
Hashable and all its shiny new functionality will be unveiled and debuted at SXSW next week. Not only can you check in with your friends, there is no need for business cards! No business cards?! No fumbling! No forgetting who you met and where you met them! No more losing other people’s business cards! It’s all in your phone! With its practicality and entertainment value, it’s possible Hashable could become what Foursquare was last year at SXSW. A new sensation.
To connect with people, first register at Hashable online and get the app for your phone. Once you’re set up, you simply use the standard hashtags, or you can create your own, then add a person’s Twitter handle and you have made your connection. Some examples are as follows.
#justmet @InsertYourName
#intro
#lunch
#coffee
#thanks
There’s also an Introduce feature, so you can play matchmaker on business and personal levels. Digital matchmaking in real time: who could have imagined?
To exchange business cards you simply use the Exchange Business Card feature. Once you’ve connected Hashable to LinkedIn your information is stored and ready to send electronically to your newest business contact or your latest love interest.
Hashable, now in Beta, available to the public without an invitation, recently released a new feature called, “The Inner Circle.” This allows users to see each other’s primary contact information and their interactions.
Before the official launch at SXSW, there will be several #HashUps. We, in the Chicagoland area are lucky enough to have Chicago pre-SXSW #Hashup next week on Tuesday, March 8th at Sushi Samba Rio!
While in its infancy, Hashable seems like a boon for the networking world. Give it a try and see if it enhances your business interaction and your social networking.
Be sure to check out the Hashable cheat sheet. Very handy for beginners.
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