OMG WTF LOL

It’s ironic that Social Media is so anti-social. It <a href="http://texturadesign.com/blog/2007/10/social_media_rewards_persisten.htm">rewards persistence</a>, self-aggrandizement, and talking about yourself all the time. At a party, you’d probably walk away from the most prolific bloggers if all they did was push up on you, interrupt, and say, “me, me, me.” I was watching <a href="http://www.sho.com/site/californication/">Californication</a> and when asked about blogging the lead character Hank said "You know, I mean we have all this amazing technology and yet computers have turned into basically four figure wank machines. The internet was supposed to set us free, democratize us, but all it’s really given us is Howard Dean’s aborted candidacy and 24 hour a day access to kiddie porn. People…they don’t write anymore - they blog. Instead of talking, they text, no punctuation, no grammar: LOL this and LMFAO that. You know, it just seems to me it’s just a bunch of stupid people pseudo-communicating with a bunch of other stupid people at a proto-language that resembles more what cavemen used to speak than the King’s English." Not only did I LOL and LMFAO at that line, but it really resonated with me. As businesses tried to figure out blogging 2-yrs ago and now Social Media, they can’t just try to blog like an A-lister cause who’d listen? Or care? What they need to do is add to the conversation instead of expecting to dominate it or even start their own. There's a trail of blog tears from business wondering where they audience is and how come they don't get no comments. What people accept online and most likely not in person, they’re def not going to accept from a business. Businesses also need to realize that sometimes in the blogopshere it is a lot of stupid people talking to other stupid people. We say ignore that -- all the OMG, WTF, LOLs -- and get some work done. Blog your own way, do what works for you. If you've got an sales event coming up, use Facebook or Upcoming to promote it. But do not expect to market on Facebook or expect any sales from it. At our Mobile Socials (a rolling bike party) we told the sponsors, “just bring the good beer to the party. Listen, hang out, and get to know these people.” The benefits are they're much more likely to like you than say hanging a banner up on the wall. I consult with business about the practical uses of Social Media and really emphasize that there are no shortcuts and less than zero ROI (if that). Business should get into Social Media if they want to engage a community and customers and having something to say other than, "WTF buy our stuff!" In July, at BizJam Seattle, I'll talk at length about the essentials of Social Media. What small business need to know. Here's my keynote abstract: "2 years after the blogging revolution, a new set of Internet tools has arrived in the form of Social Media. Byron's keynote will explain what those tools are and how to use them for your small business. With numerous examples, strategies, and best practices, Byron will demystify Social Media from analysts buzzwords and blue-sky punditry into practical applications that you can use today." See you at <a href="http://www.bizjamseattle.com">BizJam</a>. 2008-06-02T20:01:08Z

2008-06-02T20:03:54Z

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omg-wtf-lol

2008-06-02T20:03:47Z

An intro to my Keynote at Social Media Essentials for Small Business during <a href="http://www.bizjamseattle.com/">BizJam Seattle</a>.

OMG WTF LOL

2009-02-24T09:44:39Z