Google buzz launched while I was on vacation so I thought I could conveniently ignore it since, well, I was on tech-free vacation and who reads up on a new social networking site while on tech-freaking-free vacation! 

The fact that the roll-out was a bit of a train wreck helped solidify my decision to remain solidly on vacation. I had ostensibly forgotten about the whole thing until this morning, when I happened upon Marketing Tips for Using Google Buzz and lo, first thing it says is get started right away.

So, naturally, I did. You may assume that is because I am an insane overachiever.  The reality is, I tend to believe in the theory that the world is changing so fast, one is better off preparing for everything a bit.  Just in case.

And while Google Buzz seems still a bit lackluster, I kinda have to share my hope that it takes off. Mostly, because it is obvious how helpful it could be to chefs/restaurants to be able to friend and follow people -- customers -- just from email addresses.  You see, Google Buzz is integrated into gmail, so rather than trying to find your customers on Facebook or Twitter, trying to get them to follow you or cough up their Facebook name or whathaveyou, when you get a gmail from someone, your friend/follow relationship is set up right then and there.

Before you get too excited, there are a few kinks: 1) a hot mess regarding privacy laws and 2) a grand total of just about no one is using it (see above link).

So, what's a chef to do now?  Well, two things.  Go set up a gmail account for your business and a new professional-only account for yourself and fill out the profile a bit.  Then, you can ignore it until Google gets its bearings. Likely, because they have more money than both Oprah and Jordan put together and squared, it will.

I have an earlier post about capturing your restaurant's Google Page.  I am hoping you did that already but suggest you do if you haven't.  The world is going mobile (you are too, you with that fancy smart phone) and it is tough to deny think that the future of restaurant marketing is going to miss that tectonic shift in human communications.  If you follow along, step by step, we are hoping to get you where you need to be.