Is it time for Social Media to disappear?
In the early 1970s, when I was a student at the University of Alabama, one of the original Gemini astronauts came to speak. Someone asked, “Does it trouble you that space flights are getting so common we hardly notice them any more?” His answer startled us: “Not in the least.” He went on to explain […]
Find the balance: Read this book
I don’t know if anybody’s noticed, but Twitter’s about to turn six. Facebook’s eight, if you count the time it was open only to students. But as a place everybody could go, it’s also about six. And in those six years, it’s quite possible that more uninformed nonsense has been written — with greatest of […]
Revised, updated & gussied up social media sins. Break out your sackcloth and ashes.
Note: Since I originally posted this a few months ago, the stupid things people do to get social media attention have evolved. So I’ve added a couple of new “sins” and demoted some of those that are showing up less frequently these days. I feel sure they’ll be back. — Carl — Admittedly, the social […]
Forget the silver bullets: Here’s the one thing you MUST do to market successfully
In a world where new ways to communicate appear almost daily, it’s easy to get confused about where to spend your time and marketing dollars. Of all the bullets out there, which one is silver? So what if I told you I can answer that very question? You think I’m lying? I assure you I’m […]
You’re promoting your stuff on Facebook & Twitter, but that’s not what users are there for
Just two or three ago, we were all pretty excited about the use of Facebook, Twitter and other social media for reaching existing and new customers for our companies. After all, it was free, and that’s where everybody seemed to be going. We quickly figured out that we could link to our own web sites […]
Why Facebook, other social media may start topping out
There are all kinds of social movements, including bull markets, political movements, entertainment obsessions, and many others. And they all come and go — sometimes leaving people and things changed permanently, sometimes not. But one trait they all share is that they all tend to blow themselves out just at the point when it appears […]
How to avoid looking like a Social Media newbie
It’s easy to spot somebody who’s just jumped on the Social Media bandwagon. On Facebook, especially, newbie behavior is as predictable as the sunrise. So those who are willing to learn just a few basics can come across as old pros from the day they they show up on Facebook and Twitter. Take the “social” […]
Social media behaviors: How others translate what you say & do
As in “real world” social settings, it’s a good idea to think about what we say and do, and how that will be perceived and translated by others. So in that spirit, here are a few online behaviors that I think can affect our social media reputations negatively.
The true cost of buying a massive Twitter following
New Twitter users tend to feel hopelessly behind as they see other users with 10,000, 30,000, 50,000 followers or more. So it’s tempting to look for a shortcut. That makes them an easy target for software and services promising to add thousands of new followers by magic. And the programs seem dirt cheap on their […]