June 2011 LinkedIn Poll: What Social Media or Social Networking site has performed best for you so far?

For June 2011, I chose this question for my LinkedIn Poll: What Social Media or Social Networking site has performed best for you so far?

For so many businesses figuring out the healthy balance of attention to which Social Media or Social Networking site is almost a roadblock in itself. For some Twitter is amazing lead generating tool. For some it’s a complete waste of time. Same thing goes for Facebook and LinkedIn and other networks. Each Social Media outlet has it’s own personality and followers there within. The culture and behavior between networks varies quite a bit.

The best advice would be to see how people communicate within a certain network. Once you have a better understanding of HOW others communicate in a particular network you can look at your business and figure out how you want to be perceived to each of these outlets. (Note: Just because you blast your information to somewhere doesn’t mean it’s going to be received in the desired way.)

Context and content are always king.

As a Social Media Consultant, it’s paramount for me to understand that balance of attention and performance. We all have finite time to work on something; might as well make it worth it, right?

Byte Back!

Tags: Facebook, LinkedIn, linkedin poll, SMM, social, Social Media, social media marketing, Social Media Posts, social networking, Twitter
Posted in: Facebook, LinkedIn, Social Media Marketing, Social Media Posts, social networking, Twitter |

Comments: 4 Comments

May 2011 LinkedIn Poll: How well do you really understand Social Media & Social Networking?

For May 2011, I chose this question for my LinkedIn Poll: How well do you really understand Social Media & Social Networking?

I ask this question to clients and non-clients all the time and the response tends to be, “I think I know what I am doing.” This is absolutely unacceptable. You could be doing more harm than good. I know I don’t have to explain this to you, but Social Media & Social Networking are incredibly powerful tools that can/should/could/will transform your business into something modern and adaptable to contemporary life. Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Foursquare, etc. when used in an organized way that is customized to your business can radically alter what you think success could look like.

Keeping up with what goes on in Social Media can make the difference between having a dated and/or inconsistent message online (which could lead to an exodus of your brand’s advertising effort) and having a contemporary and consistent online (which would increase the likelihood that your campaign could be successful). It might seem daunting of a task to keep up with everything on a daily or even weekly basis. Hell I read about 75 articles a day and I still don’t know everything. The important thing is to find a resource that consistently gives credible and useful information to save or refer back to. I can’t stress this point enough. Knowledge is power and there is always room for improvement, not matter how well you THINK you are doing.

I have a section on the lower right side of my blog called: Social Media News. There are some really great sites that I visit on a daily basis and I encourage you to check them out for yourselves. You’ll be glad you did. As a Social Media Consultant, I advise so many types of clients and businesses on resources and possibilities. Keep learning! Keep wondering! It’s ok if you don’t know it all. (little secret…no one does.) There is never a moment I would EVER call myself an expert or a guru. I’m an avid student that is constantly learning, just like you.

Byte Back!

Tags: linkedin poll, social, Social Media, social media consultant, social networking
Posted in: Facebook, Formspring, Foursquare, Internet Marketing Consulting, LinkedIn, Social Media Consulting, Social Media Marketing, Social Media Posts, social networking, Twitter |

Comments: 4 Comments

Keeping a finger on the pulse of Social Media.

Yesterday on Mashable there was an article posted about Pepsi’s latest foray in Marketing & Social Media. The article was entitled: Pepsi Vending Machine Lets You Gift Drinks to Friends Via Social Media.

The other day I had an in-depth conversation with Robert Caruso aka @fondalo regarding an idea for an amazing Social Media / Social Networking business that could prove lucrative and forward thinking. I blink for a moment and a major corporation / worldwide master of Social Networking has beaten me to the punch. Am I sullen for not receiving proper acknowledgment? Believe it or not; No. I actually feel vindicated that an idea that I had / predicted awhile ago is now happening. In fact to the contrary, it proves that my ideas and thought processes are perfectly in tuned to what is really happening out there in the Social Media stratosphere.

During the course of the conversation, Robert and I went back and forth about the pros and cons to such an idea and the overall cost, ROI, Social Media value, etc. What is interesting is that we both agreed that only a handful of companies on the planet would be able to currently acheive this concept; lo and behold yesterday Pepsi reveals their concept. This is an incredibly epic leap forward for not only businesses, but for Social Media in general.

The main similarity to what Pepsi is going to do and my overall idea is the use of Social Media at the point of sale. There are a whole slew of things that Pepsi didn’t even consider that would make this campaign so much more effective, that I will not reveal in this article for obvious reasons. (If Pepsi wants to hear my ideas…I’m certainly open to talk to them, but by no means am I going to just give that out.)

As as Social Media Consultant, I’m convinced that this seriously very tip of the iceberg of what is truly possible for small, medium and large businesses. In this rapidly changing environment of new forms of media and advertising, it behooves a business no matter how big or small to stay on top of what is happening around them.

Byte Back!

Tags: Facebook, foursqaure, geosocial, geosocial networks, LinkedIn, social, Social Media, social media marketing, social networking, socialmedia, Twitter
Posted in: Facebook, Foursquare, Future Social Media, LinkedIn, Social Media Consulting, Social Media Marketing, Social Media Posts, social networking, Twitter, Video |

Comments: 2 Comments

The Social Media Bubble

I’m going to keep this short and sweet…

I hate to be the bearer of bad news to some out there, but we are in the middle of a gigantic Social Media bubble that is being filled with lots of hot air and empty money. Don’t believe me? Just look around and you’ll see it. For a long time now, I’ve been saying that many companies in the Social Media realm are WAY over valuated compared to their incoming revenue or purchased price. (i.e. – Facebook, Groupon, TweetDeck, IntoNow, etc.) Of course there is that little voice in my head that says, “It’s only worth as much as someone is willing to pay for it.” That being said, reality has to kick in at some point.

I’m not going to get super technical with numbers and figures of this data compared to that data. I don’t claim to be a statistician and nor will I ever be. This is not a fear mongering based tactic to get you to see your stocks or investment in a company.

What this is, is an article about common sense. Just open your eyes and ears to current events in Social Media and their overall context. The dramatic rise in value in any industry compared to the industry as a whole should raise a yellow flag of caution. The prospect of a Social Media bubble bursting is not necessarily a bad thing, per se. Companies and emotions run high; everyone starts to drink the same fruit punch. Next thing you know everyone is sick. (We’ve all been there, right?) In the ebb and flow of any type of economy and/or business there will always moments of adjustment or correction. Think of it metaphorically as going to the chiropractor.

You know the old saying, “If it sounds to good to be true; it usually is.”

Tags: bubble, Social Media, social network, social networking
Posted in: Facebook, Foursquare, LinkedIn, Social Media Consulting, Social Media Marketing, Social Media Posts, Twitter |

Comments: 1 Comment

Into_Now (iPhone App Review)

Into_Now, has to be one of the most incredible iPhone apps I have ever used. It works like magic. In a nutshell the application when activated will listen to your television and with seemingly 100% accuracy, tell you what you are watching. You then can let your fellow Into_Now friends, Twitter followers, and/or Facebook friends know what you are watching within seconds!

With an incredible algorithm of past and present airing logs of television shows, Into_Now dynamically changes how we use Social Media. I’m all about geosocial and other types of cool apps, however the nefarious and ironic side of Social Media is that it takes time to checkin to places or type a message. This makes you “THAT ANNOYING GUY WITH THE IPHONE”.

I have to say that with Into_Now, I’m no longer, “THAT GUY”. I can continue interacting with the people around me as I hold the iPhone close to the television. Social Media can be really amazing at times, and yet (sigh) can be the very thing that pulls people away from each other. How many times have you gone to a party or a bar and there are at least 5-10 people with their faces in their iPhone or other SmartPhone device? It’s annoying…and yes admittedly, I used to be one of those people.

Into_Now’s network of users creates a microcosm of like minded people that you can connect to, in less than a heartbeat! At the time of writing this post, I have 135 friends on their network! I’ve only been using the app for a few days now! That is incredible, no matter how you look at it! So many people like to connect because they know that I have something in common with with them, that they love or enjoy watching.

As a Social Media Consultant, I would highly recommend this app to local & national television advertisers to help analyze the real-time data and the impact within various demographics of particular television shows. The best part is that it’s FREE! Enjoy!

Kudos to Into_Now! Download it now! Into_Now

Byte Back!

Tags: iphone, iPhone app, SMM, social, Social Media, social media marketing, Social Media Posts, social networking
Posted in: Facebook, iPhone App Reviews, Social Media Consulting, Social Media Marketing, Social Media Posts, social networking, Twitter |