Social media is a step by step effort

(image credit)

According to a recent study, it takes only 300 tweets to know one's personality. So, when a recruiter is checking out your knowledge and skills on social platforms, they could also look for derailment factors like behaviour, interests and interaction style.

Reference: Work on social media skills to be a leader.  

Whether or not you aspire to be a leader, the advice Neha Singh Verma documents in her article is worth reading carefully.  In summer 2011 I began a concerted effort to draw on social media for my projects, participate actively, and learn conscientiously.  It took a year or so to grasp this 21st century phenomenon, to find my rhythm, and keep evolving as I go forward.  It's a step by step process, and I always emphasize at the outset: Begin with the end in mind.  That is, clarify what it is you're trying to accomplish or trying to get out of social media.  Then, it's a methodical, reasonable (i.e. sustainable) effort as you swim in it.  At the end of the day, social media is no longer an option, but a necessity for the modern day leader, professional and staff.

CEOs must wake up to social media

(image credit)

Peter Aceto, the CEO of Tangerine, recently said in The Globe and Mail, “I would rather engage in a Twitter conversation with a single customer than see our company attempt to attract the attention of millions in a coveted Superbowl commercial.”

This is the preference of a truly social CEO. Unfortunately, chief executives that embrace and understand the promise of social media are rare, so rare that we call them “blue unicorns” in our book A World Gone Social. Why blue unicorns? Because CEOs that embrace social as much as leaders like Aceto are still so uncommon that we aren’t just looking for any unicorn, we’re looking for a specific color of unicorn.

Reference:  The 7 Attributes of CEOs who Get Social Media. 

Methinks authors Ted Coiné and Mark Babbitt way overstate their point about what Peter Aceto says.  A well-crafted, well-delivered commercial during the Super Bowl can spell millions of dollars for a company, which would take an arduous, undoubtedly impractical effort to nurture one customer at a time on Twitter.  But their suggestions are all points very well taken.  In truth the potential audience on likes of Facebook, Google+, Twitter and LinkedIn far far exceeds that of a one-night Super Bowl.

So any CEO who neglects, denies or otherwise dismisses this truth needs to wake up and sidle out of the rock they've been sleeping under.  But as one former manager said, If the people won't change, change the people.  CEOs who remain incapable or recalcitrant vis-a-vis social media will simply fade away in the sunset, as more savvy, plugged-in CEOs take up their proper places on the mantelpiece.

Manage negative comments constructively

(image credit)

In general, social media is a positive, informative and enjoyable forum for business people and their customers.  But because some people are prone to be negative for a host reasons, we must deal with whatever comments emanate from fingertips we cannot see.  The six pointers, and additional tips, above are very good.  Besides keeping our cool and reading the message carefully, I like the idea of taking a screen shot.  At the end of the day, however, you as a business person must clarify what it is you're trying to get out of social media and what your protocol and values are on commentary.  Then, it's about deciding accordingly, and reviewing, perhaps modifying, your decisions over time.  

Latest Mean Tweets from Jimmy Kimmel

People are very quick to tweet unflattering things, but it’s important to remember that everyone has feelings. From time to time, we ask famous people to read some of the not-so-nice things that are tweeted about them. This is our 8th edition of Mean Tweets featuring Gwyneth Paltrow, Lena Dunham, Gerard Butler, Ty Burrell, Bob Newhart, Britney Spears, Geena Davis, Chris Pratt, Chloe Grace Moretz, Scott Foley, Michael Chiklis, Ted Danson, John Stamos, Lisa Kudrow and Adam Sandler.

Having celebrities read mean tweets about them not only humanizes them, but also dilutes, I think, the venom in those tweets.  Plus, there is existential comedy in them.

Saving articles and videos on Facebook

I haven't been thrilled with all the changes Facebook has made over the years, but adding a save function on the articles people are sharing is right up there with the best. It's exactly what it sounds like: A way to save a shared article for later, whether later means just reading or eventually sharing it yourself. And you can access everything you save on your main Facebook rail under the heading Saved.

Reference: Thankful for social media: My favorite tools, platforms.

I appreciate this bit from Chicago Tribune writer Scott Kleinberg.  I used to collect newspaper and magazine articles of interest diligently, and I would organize and store them in my study.  I have continued to do so, except that in the last several years, I've migrated from hardcopy to softcopy.  In fact I collect to a much greater degree now because of my conceptual and practical work, that is, links across any of my several journals.  With particularly crucial articles, I copy and paste them for my personal reference and annotation.  While not all posts on Facebook can be saved, I really like this function, because it helps me collect interesting articles and videos. 

Avoid any threats on social media!

(image credit)

Even if you’re confident that a post won’t be interpreted as a threat, you’ll still think twice about making a borderline post if your fate depends on prosecutorial discretion and an expensive and possibly dicey jury trial.

It bears noting that even if Elonis dodged a criminal threat conviction, his social media posts could still cost him his job, contribute to a restraining order, and alienate his family. In other words, even if we have the legal right to make edgy social media posts, we will remain accountable for our words in many other ways.

Reference: When Does Social Media Chatter Become Criminal? Previewing The Supreme Court's 'Elonis' Case.

Forbes contributor Eric Goldman illuminates the legal ramifications of what we post on social media, especially threatening words.  We know by know that some people use the internet as a forum for spewing the very dire, ugly and hateful that well inside their little hearts, and they engage others in vicious repartee in kind.  Impassioned debate or constructive argument is one thing, but I simply advise against engaging in something that would not pass muster even in minimally polite company.  Even more strongly, I advise against any semblance of threat onto others, property and animals on social media.  If you must vent, do so in your private journal, that is, offline or do so via constructive means like exercise, sports or games.

Consider infographics for your blog

(image credit)

This is when you as a blogger love traffic, isn't it.  Of the pointers that Jayson Demers offers in Bring Traffic to Your Site With These 4 Blogging Alternatives, I am keen on infographics.  Besides Piktochart, have a look at Free Download: Five Infographic Templates in PowerPoint from HubSpot and also the work of Anna Vital on her Google+ profile and in Funders and Founders.

Do what works best for your blogging

(image credit)

In reference to Have Writer's Block? Here Are 5 Ways to Come Up With New Story Ideas. I blog quite a lot, and I do so regularly.  My algorithm (strategy) is to do what works for me.  I read and watch stuff everyday, as I've nurtured my curiosity for years.  I think about things regularly, and write often in any of my many journals.  I'm in the midst of a very hectic stretch, but I enjoy going out there, hobnobbing with people, and observing things.  In recent years, I've increasingly schooled myself to write everything electronically, that is, on laptop and mobile, and in fact hardly hand write anything anymore.   I keep as close to paperless at my desk as possible, so no pencils or crumpling anywhere.  I do have writer's block, but thankfully only once in a blue moon.  So what works for you best to keep the rhythm of your blogging going? 

Focus on relevant ways to boost your blog

(image credit)

In 26 Ways to Bring Your Blog to Life, James Parsons offers very straightforward, practical advice.  So highlight, say, three to five pointers that resonate best for you, and actively give them a try with your blog.  Here are a couple of things to consider:

• Whether it's a popular, niche or controversial subject, be clear first on your purpose for the blog and make sure you are truly interested enough in the subject to write about.  Writing on a trending topic that bores you will end up boring would-be readers as well.  
• Blogging and social media go hand-in-hand, but certainly not just for promoting your blog.  I am turned off on bloggers who post in communities, for example, without context lead-in, relevant comment, or active engagement.
• Video series, regular podcasts, and running polls are things I don't do but ought to consider.  How about you?  There are many useful tools, platforms and forums at our disposal, so it may be worth trying something you hadn't done before.

 

Let creative ads inspire you

On my Tumblr blog Create, Simply Create, I occasionally post creative ads.  They're images, not videos, but scanning these (and others you might Google) can inspire you on the kind of promotional ad you want:

(image credit)

(image credit)

(image credit)

Canon insipres aspiring, struggling writers

In just 46 seconds, Canon tells a tale of inspiration, not just for aspiring but struggling writers, but also for the rest of us who aspire and struggle.  It's a commercial, so that tale is evidently fictitious:  I couldn't find Susan Dryson or anything on her book.  But I love the cut-to-the-chase heart of the drama, and the fact that she prevails happily in the end.  So Canon isn't just about images, but about self-publishing, too. 

You see, the thing is, I am an aspiring, struggling writer, among a number of things. 

Pleasant surprises with the new Buick

So picture this:  The young man walks his grandmother to the driveway, and shows her his new Buick.  She says "It sure doesn't look like a Buick."  Their next door neighbor, also an older lady, chimes in "That's not a Buick!"  "That's what I told him!"  So funny.

That's Buick's gambit for a series of ads: The weary businessman gets an upgrade, before his flight (which has happened to me, too).  The eager woman finds out her painting is worthless, but the exquisite frame has a $35,000 value.  Then, a pool-playing bar patron finds out that longtime rock star Peter Frampton (rf. Show Me The Way) is replacing a band member on stage.  It's about a pleasant surprise, when you give the new Buick a try, and who doesn't like pleasant surprises, right? 

Facebook: 3 pluses, 3 minuses

(image credit)

This week I offer quick hits on social media sites, that I use actively:

Pluses

1. Facebook is the first mover, first shaker of social media.  The fact that it has over one billion users makes it one of the most staggering draw online, and that's intriguing to me.
2. I've been on it the longest among social media and seen a range of changes and maneuvers by its highers up.  But the ease and convenience of its site in general are the best, and virtually any article, video or image I like has a Facebook share function.
3. I've been many good friends in the past, and had meaningful exchanges, some of which I've collated onto my journals.  

Minuses

1. In the year or two leading up to its IPO, Facebook made notable changes that, to me, served advertisers better than members.  For one, I used to get a lot of advertisement via my Inbox and a lot of invites via notifications.  I could delete them en masse, until it took away this function and I had to delete one by one.
2. On the same note, about three years ago, I distinguished a page from a group, which was fine.  Except that friends, or anyone, it seems, can just add me to a group, without even asking.  I detest being roped into something I don't even care for.  Again, I have to leave each group one by one.
3. Spam messages were streaming in steadily into my Inbox, and it aggravated me that reporting them didn't temper the stream in the least.  So I just deleted the conversation.  It's a bit better now, but I was baffled as to why Facebook didn't seem to revise its spam algorithms.

Twitter: 3 pluses, 3 minuses

(image credit)

This week I offer quick hits on social media sites, that I use actively:

Pluses

1. Just one word, number one plus: sports.  I began to get active on Twitter three years ago, and for a long while bemoaned its lack of connectedness and engagement.  That is, I discovered live sports generate quite a lot of that, and specifically I love tweeting during Chicago Blackhawks and Bears games.
2. Tweetchats were an event by Lead With Giants, which I participated in actively last year. The facilitator prompts us with queries, then several of us tweet back with thoughts, ideas and suggestions. It's active and spirited.  I'm no longer active with LWG, but in the meantime four colleagues and I have deepened our friendships via Twitter.
3. I used to struggle with its 140-character limit.  But I've found that conversation in general, that is, face to face, is a bunch of quick hits of words.  So Twitter is, ironically for me, perfectly suited for conversation.

Minuses

1. When I do want to post a more elaborate, complicated message, I have to do so in a series of tweets.  At times, for example, I'll tweet the same article or image two or three times, in order to accommodate a relatively lengthy message.
2. Twitter Timeline is linear, and in a rapid fire chat, volume can build up and make it difficult to track previous tweets.  There have been occasions, where I scrolled for several minutes to find what I was looking for.
3. More and more spam has cropped up. These are followers with a cute lady for an avatar, but their tweets are nonsense, commercial or quasi-pornographic.  Instead of going through the inconvenience of blocking them, I simply don't follow back.

LinkedIn: 3 pluses, 3 minuses

(image credit)

This week I offer quick hits on social media sites, that I use actively:

Pluses

1.  LinkedIn is best in class for business men and women, professionals and recruiters, among others, for its wide network of like-minded people.
2. Its posts, comments and discussions are serious, though it doesn't mean it's droll or humorless.  Rather it isn't social, silly or trivial.  Its content matters for people who populate the site.
3. LinkedIn has improved its filters over the years, so you can identify a wealth of prospective contacts whom you are targeting.  

Minuses

1. When I share videos or articles from another site, it may take a minute before I can find it on my Timeline. Also, previous posts aren't kept, as they are on Google+ and Facebook.
2. The quality of its articles has diminished in the last year or two.  So while the subject is of interest to me, the writing is often weak and its arguments are suspect.
3. Of late I've had more spam coming through my Inbox, so LinkedIn has to revisit its spam algorithms.  

Rosario Dawson promotes real stories on women

The fact is women aren't always strong, powerful or even good.  So what actress and activist Rosario Dawson says is persuasive: (a) We need more women writing and directing not just film, but also commercials; and (b) We need honest portrayals and real stories of women in these media.  Dawson promotes the film Miss Representation by The Representation Project.

Skyy Vodka ads under the spotlight

As far as Skyy Vodka goes...

yes

maybe

no

We deserve better representation, don't you think?

Yes!

The Representation Project advocates for women

The Representation Project is a movement that uses film and media content to expose injustices created by gender stereotypes and to shift people's consciousness towards change.

This brisk, compelling video by The Representation Project advocates for respectful portrayals of women in the media.  It balances positive (advances) with negative (retreats), offers facts without sidling into nerdy-hood, and finishes with a call to action.  So while there is truth to sex sells, and women are often objects of that principle, I encourage you to reflect on your own promotional aims, attitudes and videos, and work to keep it free of sexism.

Ways to prevent blogging burnout

(image credit)

Through the articles I've written on Ahrvey, I've emphasized two essential things:  Blog about things that genuinely matter to you vis-a-vis whatever it is you're trying to accomplish and Blog in ways that are realistic and doable over time.  But When Blogging Becomes a Slog, as Steven Kurutz writes sensitively and straightforwardly, then perhaps you've gone off-track with one or both of these emphases. 

I have 13 Blogger accounts, plus 2 more book-blogs; 5 Tumblr accounts; and 3 Pinterest accounts.  Not to mention several social media profiles, too.  It's a lot to keep up with, and I admit to dips in my interest, motivation and activity.  But more than a year now, and I've kept up with all of them.  I have no where near the popularity or uptake that some bloggers have, such as those whom Kurutz writes about.  But what I write is meaningful to me and I keep a realistic pace.

I've had to adjust things, mind you.  When I launched five new blogs for Dr. Ron Art last year, for example, I wrote daily (five times a week), and I kept at it for four to six weeks, just so I had a good buildup of content.  Then I dialed it down to three times a week, three weeks a month.  Recently, because I shifted focus on priority projects, I've dialed it down another notch to three times a week, two weeks a month.

In addition to those two emphases at the outset, I suggest Keep a close eye on how you're doing vis-a-vis blogging.  Do not be so disciplined, and productive, and efficient, and gung-ho, that you lose sight of your waning interest and energy levels.  It's fine to adjust, it's fine to dial down.  But most of all, you must step back regularly, see where things are at, and assess where you're going.  You may need to take time off, and if so, then do so.  Life changes, shit happens.

The best way to deal with burnout is to prevent it, and the best time to do so is before you burn out.

Setting the bar high for enduring blogging

(image credit)

In an age where attention span is short and activity is impermanent, it is encouraging to hear about people, like Anil Dash, who have had staying power with their blogs:  15 Lessons from 15 Years of Blogging.  The following are ones I resonate most with:

Always write with the idea that what you're sharing will live for months and years and decades. Having a long-term perspective in mind is an incredibly effective tool for figuring out whether a topic is meaningful or not, and for encouraging a kinder, more thoughtful perspective.

Always write for the moment you're in. Being true to how you feel and what you're experiencing is both more effective in connecting with a reader and more personally useful for when you revisit your work, serving as a reminder of exactly where you were at the time.

The personal blog is an important, under-respected art form. While blogs as a medium are basically just the default format for sharing timely information or doing simple publishing online, the personal blog is every bit as important an expressive medium as the novel or the zine or any visual arts medium. As a culture, we don't afford them the same respect, but it's an art form that has meant as much to me, and revealed as many truths to me, as the films I have seen and the books I have read, and I'm so thankful for that.

Whether it's a business journal or your own diary, a blog ought to have some degree of personal in it.  By this I mean essentially what Dash means:  What you write ought to be honest but kindly, authentic but respectful.  This may sound like a tall order, and in fact it is.  But if you love blogging and you deign to blog for a long time, then you must set the bar high and reach it yourself.

Challenges and clarifications on responsive sites

Top 5 Responsive Web Design Myths – Debunked

The fact that we're consuming content from all sorts of devices - desktop, laptop, smartphone and tablet - must be quite a technical challenge for web developers.  The sites they design so exquisitely must also navigate exquisitely,  regardless of device.  By the way, I haven't even mentioned smart watch and smart TV.  In the above article (click on the caption to read), William Johnson clarifies what is going on under the hood, which is helpful for developers and consumers alike.

Promoting your brand amid NFL fiasco

National Football League

ESPN Keith Olbermann calls the NFL the National Freefall League, and I call it the National Felony League.  Arguably the most formidable, wealthiest sports league in the world has been rocked with allegations, incidents and coverups on domestic violence and child abuse.  There are high profile brands that have mega-sponsorship deals with the league and-or particular teams, and they've been speaking out on the botched-up handling of these matters.  I've heard about Radisson, Anheuser-Busch, Proctor & Gamble, and Pepsi, but there are more: NFL Sponsors Speak Out - but Keep on Advertising. 

We diehard fans love our football, and while he may be disturbed by all the hell breaking loose in the NFL, and while we may tweet criticisms and concerns, we are all in, come game day.  So as long as the viewership, the attendance, and the purchases keep coming, advertisers will keep advertising.  Speaking out is good, but pulling out may not be an option for any of them, if the money keeps rolling in. 

But for your small business, brand or organization, be thoughtful about how you create your promotional efforts, video or otherwise.  If you genuinely support organizations that fight domestic violence and child abuse, then you may be in a good position leverage all the negative scrutiny the NFL has drawn for itself.

Blogging via Microsoft Word looks easy

How to start blogging with Microsoft Word

I'm familiar with WordPress and Blogger, and they're reasonably easy to use.  Click on the caption above, and Alex Castle walks you through how to create your blog.  Blogger and Tumblr are my main platforms, and I work directly off of them when writing articles.  I never thought to work off of Word, but from what I can see, it's easy to do it this way.  Give it a try, if you like.  If you have the latest version of Office, click on File in the upper left corner of Word, then Share in the next window, and you find different options of posting on a blog.

Tips for adults on keeping children safe online

(image credit)

Mashable offers parents, teachers and counselors sound advice in 6 Expert Tips for Keeping Your Kids Safe on Social Media:

1. You may not like Facebook or Twitter, and may not have a clue as to how they work.  But if you have children, or are responsible for them, then you must learn and get involved in social media.  
2. Set a reasonable but clear age limit, and do so based on how much your children show responsibility, knowledge and maturity.  
3. Keep your guidance balanced: that is, talk about the benefits, enjoyment and purpose of social media, while making sure your children are aware of its risks and dangers. 
4. Place the computer in a visible area in your home.  But if you've purchased an iPhone, Galaxy Note, or other smartphone for your children, they have a computer in their hands.  So make sure they're using such devices wisely.
5. Set guidelines or rules is de rigueur.
6. Check your children's privacy settings.  Of course, teach them what these settings mean, why they're important, and how to use them.   

Again, like it or not, know that social media, plus mobile devices are part of growing up in countries like the US.  As parents, teachers and counselors, you have the responsibility and the authority to manage their use of these things. 

Frank Caliendo does promotions right

Impersonator Frank Caliendo feasts on sports figures for his act, and I see him now and then on ESPN.  Today I stumbled on his latest, at the comedic expense of NBA great Charles Barkley.  Just hilarious.

So there's the idea:  Someone like Caliendo 'humorizes' some famous lines in a film, and draws more viewers to the site.  Both the backdrop and the subtitle carry the Progressive promotional, in this case.

Alternatively: Caliendo impersonates particular people in sports, who directly promote whatever product or service, brand or film is on the table. 

What a way to reach the large sports market!

Just in case you haven't seen the following famous scene yet or recently:

MIT admissions does blogging right

(image credit)

If you blog about something that is genuinely interesting to you, then chances are you'll find an audience that suits your blog best.  So much of the advice on blogging and social media seems to center on making it relevant, engaging the audience, and doing it consistently.  Sound advice, to be sure.  But if you're not clear on why you're blogging and-or you're not really into whatever you're blogging about, then matters of relevance, engagement and consistency stand on shaky ground. 

Enter, MIT students.

Ten years after Ben Jones, former director of communications at MIT, and Matt McGann, current director of admissions at MIT, first conceived of using uncensored, student-generated content on the homepage of the undergraduate admissions website, the MIT Admissions Office celebrates an unparalleled decade of student blogging.

“These are, in my opinion, some of the best blogs that have ever been written for MIT Admissions," says Chris Peterson, assistant director of admissions. “If I could assign reading to prospective students like I can assign it to my students, I would have any serious applicant read all of these. I feel like I have learned so much — about MIT, about myself — by doing so.”

Reference: Undergraduate Admissions Office celebrates 10 years of student blogging.

Media and technology for good or bad

 

(image credit)

The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, more commonly known as ISIS, seems more media and technology savvy than other terrorist groups.  As Official: American May Be Key in ISIS Social Media Blitz says, an American-Syrian who grew up and studied computer science in the US may be behind that savvy.

On occasion I still see article headlines that blame or praise social media for something about our modern day lives.  But social media and sophisticated technology are neutral in their own right.  They are simply platforms and tools to do a world of good or cast a pall of bad.  So whatever your purpose, choose well.

Blog even with just a smidgen of curiosity

(image credit)

When graphic designer Brent Almond adopted a son a few years ago, he was struck — like so many new parents — by the steep learning curve, the sheer hard work of parenting and the overwhelming array of kiddie stuff he found himself having to buy.

So he launched a blog, , to review products for their aesthetic value. But he soon found he got far more out of chronicling daily life as a father. 

"It causes me to pause and think about things happening in my son's life and our life as parents and as a family," he says.

Reference: 'You're Not Alone': Dads Who Blog Redefine Modern Fatherhood.

There are so many easy-to-use platforms for blogging that if you should have even a smidgen of curiosity about blogging, my advice is simple:  Go for it.  The thrust of your blog may range from personal to business, but as it was for Almond your blog may evolve over time.  Let it.

Enchanting London promotional ad

 

Leaves fall, light softens, afternoons stretch into evening, the city a mess of browny red hues:  Autumn is coming. 

On occasion, I am taken by the promotional ad on YouTube, right before I am able to watch my video.  I love London, and this one is positively lyrical and enchanting.

Employers monitoring social media more

(image credit)

The report, written by consultants from PwC using a survey of 10,000 workers worldwide and 500 human resources (HR) professionals, suggests personal data from Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites could be used by employers to understand what motivates their workforce, reasons why people might move jobs and to improve employee well-being.

Reference:  Social media monitoring by employers predicted to rise.

This isn't exactly new news for those active social media animals.  A main issue is how employers monitor employees' social media and how they draw conclusions from the data they collect.  Even the most sophisticated of analyses, for instance, have error margins.  Of course this is another call for employees in general to watch what they post and comment on.

3L rule and authenticity in blogging

(image credit)

In this 10-part Beginner’s Guide to Blogging series, we’re going to explore what makes a blog great and give you some structures and frameworks to help make blogging easier. Take from it what works and leave behind what doesn’t work!

Reference: The Beginner’s Guide to Blogging, Part 1 of 10: Blog Core Values.

This looks to be a really instructive series on better blogging, and I like Christopher Penn's 3L rule for helping us bloggers determine how good our content is:

• Did it make us laugh?
• Did we learn something?
• Do we love it?

The idea is to hit a homer run with all three, but just one out of three - that is, a single - makes it likely that our content is good.  Of course, striking out - or worse, hitting into a double play - is part of the game.  But the important thing, I'd say, is to do your best every time.  

Whether it's blogging and posting, my overarching rule is authenticity:  Do I truly like an article, video or image, and am I genuinely interested in, taken by, or amused with a subject matter?  In other words, I don't blog or post, just for the sake of blogging or posting.  

Inevitably I do learn something.  Often I love it, but at least I like it.  Once in a good while, too, I laugh.

College stars, NFL busts in DISH ad

DISH had this commercial preceding several videos I watched on ESPN, and because I don't follow college sports I really didn't think twice about it.  Then I realized that "Take me with you" guy was Brian Bosworth, the much-heralded, self-hyped football player coming out of the University of Oklahoma.  He was a bust.  Matt Leinart and Heath Shuler, having lunch within earshot, were a Heisman Trophy winner and runner up, respectively, and they had lackluster NFL careers at best.  It's a bit of dark comedy as a promo ad, but I found it intriguing.

Gauge interest in your content honestly

(image credit)

In Should I Buy Facebook Likes? Tom Bukacek makes a logical case for not doing so:

You have 200 organic fans of your page. Let’s say 25% of them engage with your content on a regular basis, that’s 50 fans. 

You buy 1000 fans (now a total of 1,200). If those 50 fans are still engaging with you, Facebook sees that only a meager 4.2% of your fanbase is engaging with your content. This tells the algorithm that you aren’t producing valuable content, and you will appear in your fans’ Newsfeeds even less often. 

So what happened to those 200 organic fans that loved your brand? They’re still there, but they aren’t seeing your posts, and one of your competitors may have caught their eye in the meantime.

As I launched a handful of project-related profiles on Twitter two years ago, I thought about doing this very thing.  I bookmarked a site that sold followers, and read it over a handful visits to the site.  My budget is tight, but the fees were affordable.  I was almost sold on the faux argument that having thousands of followers lent my profile, and thus my project, credibility.

Interestingly I get a fair amount of followers who advertise such a service right on their own profile description:

I don't follow them back, and I never bought into that credibility argument.  Logic notwithstanding, my decision not to buy followers was a matter of ethics.  What kind of credibility could I ever establish by misleading people and feigning followership?  The fact that I see such a service still filtering through my Timeline, however, suggests that many actually buy into it.  So when I see anyone with an unusually large numbers of whatever, I wonder if they've bought themselves into their numbers.

It's always a choice for you, of course, if you're thinking about it.  But I advise against it.  It's better to gauge interest in your content accurately and honestly, so you can then modify it and go forward accordingly.  It's better to engage genuinely, than to expose yourself inevitably as a fraud.

When will cars move like schools of fish?

What if car could move like schools of fish? Nissan will be ready with revolutionary commercially-viable Autonomous Drive in multiple vehicles by the year 2020. With more than 90 percent of all traffic accidents caused by human error, Nissan's Autonomous Drive has been developed to help realize an "accident-free society" by eliminating human error during driving. Autonomous Drive can be particularly effective on city streets, where the chances of being involved in an accident are 10 times higher than on highways. With Autonomous Drive, not only would the number of accidents decrease, it would also allow drivers who have trouble navigating through narrow lanes and intersections a safe and sure way to reach their destinations.

I love this commercial.  The Autonomous Drive echoes the self-driving car from Google, and while they strive for the same end - streets and highways, free of traffic accidents - they're looking at it and going at it differently.  I love the analogy Nissan utilizes.

Bloggers blog, bosses boss

(image credit)

The title of the article says it all - Utah Education Blogger Says He Was Fired For 'Promoting A Gay Agenda' After Writing About Homophones.  The blogger in question is Tim Torkildson, and he wrote about the firing in another blog, of course - The Homophones Got Me! A Record of a Recent Firing.  In the manner of a journalist, he wrote in clear, plain language about the firing, especially the exchange between him and his boss.  Then he slipped into wonderful, novelistic language:

He rose, shook my hand, and left the conference room where we had been sitting. 

I was out the door, at the bus stop, by 11:05. 

After depositing my check at the bank I walked home along the Provo River Path. It was warm, but isolated thunderheads kept the sun in check. The river is low and smells of sewers. Trout are frantically leaping up the spillway by the Columbia Lane Bridge. Dozens of swallows have built their nests under the bridge; they describe wide, frantic circles and give high peeps when they land at their mud-daubed nests. It was pleasant to stop there – now that I have all the time in the world again. 

Further along the path is a wild cherry tree growing up from the bank of the river. Underneath the cherry tree is a green wire bench installed by the Parks and Recreation Department. I sat down to rest there. The cherries are dead ripe and falling onto the pathway, where they are mashed by pedestrians and bicyclists. Wasps stay busy feeding on the sweet pulp. A homeless man, shouldering a towering backpack, his white beard stained brown with tobacco juice, came striding by, stepping right into the pulp and riling the wasps. One of them stung him. He turned to me, holding up a tree branch he was using as a walking stick, and cried “You bit me!” 

I did not try to defend myself. Somehow, it seemed just about right – done in by a crazy old bum with a tree branch. But he lowered it slowly and turned back to his odyssey, mumbling obscenities. I continued to sit there another ten minutes, then slowly got up and went back to my room underneath the basement steps of a friend’s house, where I am writing this. I promised him I would be out of his house by the end of August. Maybe I should have followed the bum; he seemed to know where he was going. 

When one door closes, it’s usually right on your fingers.

If he hasn't yet, Torkildson ought to write a novel.  He has a talent for it.

Give Google+ a try, if you haven't yet

(image credit)

If you wonder why there aren't any ads on Google+, it's because Google cares more about the data we generate.  It has a vast ecosystem, as you may know, and our information drives its formidable ad business model across that ecosystem.  That said, I love Google+.  It's easily the most active and engaging social media I know.

Grant Hill and Milana Vayntrub do AT&T

Grant Hill was a celebrated basketball player, coming out of Duke University 20 years ago and breaking into the NBA with the Detroit Pistons.  But a nagging ankle injury a few years into his career must've been more serious than even he expected, and spent the rest of his big league days in relative obscurity among three teams.  He retired just last year, but his appearance in this commercial is my favorite among an awesome set of AT&T commercials.  Oh, good for you obviously taps that relative obscurity.    

Milana Vayntrub is the actress who plays the AT&T sales lady Lily Adams.  She's articulate and attractive in very natural, unforced ways, and that's her appeal.  I found out that she's actually a comedic actress, and a good one at that, because she pulls off terrific timing and delivery on her lines.  Her humor is of course subtle and demure, because of her business role for AT&T.  But here she is in a more colorful sketch in Bitchy Resting Face.     

Grant Hill and Milana Vayntrub

Tap emotions + offer information = lend impact

This is why focusing on "edu-tainment" is something that produces results for those of us that work in the coaching/training niches.

Kimberly Brink-Castleberry posted this chart and note on Google+ last month, and it's curious.  When we write an article in our blog, for example, we ought to keep in mind its emotional tone and impact.  Sometimes the subject or story carries a certain emotion with it, and that's what prompts us to write about it. In other words, the prompt is external.  Sometimes, too, there is an idea we have, which is laden with emotions, so we craft an article around it all and thus convey these emotions.  In this case, the prompt is internal.

The reason it's curious is that smart marketers, advertisers and salespeople tap into our emotional tendency, for example, by creating content that is geared for this very thing.  In the meantime a load of ads, some trickily positioned, surround that content (e.g., article).  Brink-Castleberry's reference to edu-tainment is an important one: An article that offers solid information or learning, while lending emotional impact and advertising responsibly will, I'd like to believe, serve that company, organization or brand the best.  Otherwise simply hijacking our emotions is ultimately a turnoff.

Social media options for busy CEOs

Elon Musk

A paltry number of Fortune 500 CEOs aren't active on Twitter, and in his article The Social CEO in Crisis Allan Gates makes a good case for more of them to get with the program.  I'm sure these CEOs have a host of reasons why they've chosen to lay low or to side step social media.  But if they feel it is important, there are options for them to get involved and none of these options have to be an all-or-nothing proposition.  Gates zeroes in only on those who are directly active, but any CEO can hire a staff or small team to cover what he or she does and says and post that on whatever social media makes sense.  Short videos are simple enough to create, and they can be posted in no time.  That staff or team can also keep a pulse on their target audience, respond accordingly to comments, and otherwise forge good brand experience.

If certain CEOs simply don't appreciate social media, or see its vital emergence in modern day business and culture, and he or she is simply not open to alternative views or practical suggestions, then so be it.  It is inevitable that they will move on, and pass away, and there is a good bet that their successors will have an entirely different sentiment about social media.  I don't see the merit of coercing them, directly from within their organization or indirectly from outside circles.  But again if they're even halfway amenable, there are options that are workable vis-a-vis their personality, schedule and values.  If they admire what Elon Musk does, then perhaps they can let his social media efforts motivate and guide them.

Ways to monetize your website or blog

(image credit)

I often see Wix ads on Facebook, and had I not already discovered and used Intuit (now Homestead) for my websites, I would have given it a go.  Besides being a user-friendly, do-it-yourself platform for creating a website, Wix also offer a broader ecosystem to help us succeed with our business or brand.  On this note, 5 Monetization Opportunities for Your Wix Website:

1. Install Google AdSense
2. Add the Fiverr app
3. Create an online store
4. Participate in an affiliate program
5. Sell digital products

Let me know how it goes!

Always redefines "like a girl" positively

Using #LikeAGirl as an insult is a hard knock against any adolescent girl. And since the rest of puberty's really no picnic either, it's easy to see what a huge impact it can have on a girl's self-confidence. 

We're kicking off an epic battle to make sure that girls everywhere keep their confidence throughout puberty and beyond, and making a start by showing them that doing it #LikeAGirl is an awesome thing. 

"In my work as a documentarian, I have witnessed the confidence crisis among girls and the negative impact of stereotypes first-hand," said Lauren Greenfield, filmmaker and director of the #LikeAGirl video. "When the words 'like a girl' are used to mean something bad, it is profoundly disempowering. I am proud to partner with Always to shed light on how this simple phrase can have a significant and long-lasting impact on girls and women. I am excited to be a part of the movement to redefine 'like a girl' into a positive affirmation." 

So tell us... what do YOU do #LikeAGirl? 

For the past 30 years, Always has been empowering girls globally, bringing puberty education to millions of adolescent girls.

Run like a girl.  Throw like a girl.  Fight like a girl.

Wow this is a moving, illuminating campaign on how we diminish girls and consequently the women that they become.  I love ads that find the exquisite balance between business and conscience, and deftly navigate the thrust to make money and the call to do good.  Kudos to Always!

How rich, complex and ennobling social media is

Is It Just Me?

Here's an interpretive glimpse at my random thoughts on social media lately...meaningful interaction seems to have fizzled out, and previously enjoyable connections and the general feel for me, have since metastasized into a cancerous version of it's previous self. An apocalyptically edited #carshot I took while rolling through Indy last December kind of sums up the landscape here for me these days. 

That, or I'm just grouchy and affected by barometric migraines or the waxing of the moon.
Signing off until I have something positive to say. 

waves bye 

We're made up of energy, so who's to say you can't transmit through electrical means? If you could transmit yourself wirelessly, then it's Armageddon pretty much.
~Ian Somerhalder

BobbieZen posted this image and note two months ago, and I was captivated.

One of her friends noted:

Although I agree with you that the landscape of G has changed, but I more feel it is because the landscape of the world has. We are at a very precarious and scary time of this world, and it reflects in peoples posts, their fear and anxiety 

I think you leaving is wrong, I will miss you

To which she responded:

I'm not 'leaving', I'm just signing out. 

I don't want to contribute to that very feeling which is keeping me from wanting to be here. I think a few days off is healthy. 

I certainly felt better the past two days not signing on at all than I do checking notifications and feeling pressured to respond. See y'all later. xo

The fact that BobbieZen could relate her distemper with social media, and express it creatively in an image, speaks volumes about how astute and articulate she is.  At the same time, she speaks to an irony: Social media is truly a fine place in which to work out that distemper, and in so doing she deftly regains meaningful interaction and connection.

If you're a business or brand owner, this post may be too abstract or dour for your purpose.  I hope it is not.  It's meant to show you how rich, how complex, and how ennobling social media can be.  

Meticulous attention to Disney Blogs

Disney Blogs

I read Be Our Guest: Perfecting the Art of Customer Service, by the Disney Institute and Theodore Kinni, and I was thoroughly impressed with the meticulous attention and care Disney puts into its brand and its parks in particular.  It's positively breath-taking from a business standpoint, and also chest-tightening, I'm sure, from a staffing standpoint.  I met one of their training managers two years ago, and this was a book she handed out at that networking event.

So it is no surprise, I guess, that despite the wild-and-woolly nature of social media and rampant blogs, Disney deploys that same obsessive-compulsive eye on its bloggers and what they write about.  They cast a fanatic look at making sure their guests have the most positive experience ever.  Google seems to be at the opposite end, where its awesome product galore, that I'm very grateful for, virtually lacks any customer assistance.  

To each its own, of course.  Decide for yourself how much attention and care to put into your brand vis-a-vis the endgame of your business or organization.  

Verizon knows she's pretty brilliant

"Our words can have a huge impact. Isn't it time we told her she's pretty brilliant, too? Encourage her love of science and technology and inspire her to change the world."-- Reshma Saujani, Founder of Girls Who Code. 

The United States has fallen significantly behind the rest of the world when it comes to the STEM subjects of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. Just as startling is that girls are even less involved in STEM majors and careers than their male counterparts, as women hold less than 25% of our country's STEM jobs. Working together, let's encourage more girls to get involved with STEM and choose careers that build a brighter future.

I posted this Verizon promotional video on Google+ recently:

If you're a parent, a teacher, or a coach, I hope you don't say these things to girls in your life.

My wife and I have a 15-year old daughter, and we've done our best, since even before she was born, to nurture her, protect her, and encourage her.  For instance, we'd talk to her, caress her, and read to her, while she was still in the womb.  Along the way, we've emphasized school, and activities, and friendships, and we are so blessed to have just a fine young lady in our lives.

So the message in this video is disturbing to me, and thankfully there is no such issue with our daughter.  I hope, however, that many other parents, teachers and coaches heed its powerful message, and change their remarks, if not attitude, in relation to girls.

Finding your interactive stride on Twitter

(image credit)

In How to Dramatically Increase your Twitter Following, Forbes contributor Dorie Clark walks us through a knuckle-down effort on tweety bird.  It was three years ago that I began to tweet with concerted effort, but it wasn't until last year that I figured it out and found my stride.  I have separate profiles for five of my projects, and two are really smoking right now - Ron Villejo Consulting and sportsPond53.  

With RVC^ I have 5534 Tweets and 1119 Followers, so perfectly in line with research findings that Clark mentions.  However, my approach to getting here is more of a hybrid between the two things she talks about.  I have quite a set up on social media for my projects: Besides Twitter, I am on Google+, YouTube, LinkedIn, Facebook, XING, EFactor, Pinterest and ASW Inner Circle.  So that's a lot, and I have to take a slow-and-steady progression, that is, post and comment just a couple of things, mainly on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.  

But I also double-down with a lot of content in certain instances or events.  For RVC^ it was weekly Tweet Chats with a group called Lead with Giants.  I am no longer active here, but it springboarded me into a small circle of friends who tweet each other daily.  From there, other followers chimed in, and now my circles have not only grown, but also Retweets and Favorites of my stuff have exploded (20 - 40 a day).  Moreover, for sportsPond53, I seem to have slipped into fourth gear, even overdrive, with tweeting back and forth with several friends around hockey and basketball playoff games in the last two months.  

So weigh what Clark suggests, but the real value of her advice is figuring out what truly works best for your purpose.

David Hasselhoff gives Marissa Mayer ideas

Marissa Mayer

Mayer did play up to the egos of the ad industry audience by noting that commercials are often more interesting than programming, saying that ads can be "30-second stories."

Reference: Yahoo CEO takes heat for stilted presentation in Cannes.

Maybe Marissa Mayer is feeling more heat to build up Yahoo! business and lift revenues.  But the apparent irony to her talk was her not spinning Yahoo! and telling its stories very naturally.  She may have slipped into more programming than commercials, in other words.  No matter, it's a lesson learned for the struggling CEO.  David Hasselhoff running around the crowd with his red Baywatch buoy may give her, and the rest of us, some ideas.