Clicks, Quantity, and Censorship is not Social Media!

Even in the buzzing social media advocacy groups, there are still some actions and suggestions that need to be shot down. We're all feeling the impact of bad counsel, because within a community, you will have citizens that attempt to mislead the masses.

Clicks. I used to get giddy when I found out how many people frequented our blog daily in terms of ‘views,” but it’s really the “visits” that matter. This goes for clicking blog links on Twitter as well, as we need to investigate if a content link found a visitor reading rather than clicking-through without giving RSS subscription a second thought. Mashable’s Sarah Evans calls it ‘return on engagement,’ and that’s clearly how the success of one positioning themselves on a blog, microblog and social network space should be measured.

Go ahead and throw your arms up in the air with excitement over your latest view count, but let it be known that 0:00 speaks to how you long you’ve actually kept a user’s attention. Sitemeter is for blogs in this regard, so is Tweetburner for yielding your quality of impact on Twitter. While I’m at it, here’s a list of other stellar site measurement tools.

Quantity. The only high return I’ve witnessed on quantity has been within the Twitter community. It’s amazing how much trust a Twitterer will put in you, if you a) @ them with a friendly response to something they’ve just tweeted about, or perhaps, in researching them and their Web presence outside of Twitter, asking them a question or commenting on their interests; b) make it a habit to connect on a daily basis; and c) offer a suggestion or tip to earn their trust in working with or alongside of you.

Here are just a few quantity go-getters who have been quite effective in yielding high return on engagement: @prsarahevans, @briansolis, @ambercadabra, and my friend in the Twin Cities PR community, @arikhanson. I watched @arikhanson’s Twitter populace multiply (strides ahead of mine!) by simply engaging in micro-blogging-inspired spin-offs, such as journchat and Tweet-up.

But what’s up with users pursuing 500+ connections on LinkedIn?! As Peter Shankman noted in prefacing a marketer’s new LinkedIn strategies book, “I’m on LinkedIn, Now What?” it seems everyone’s response is to cash in on hundreds more followers they meet on Twitter. I’m guilty of one of these—for the simple fact that I really didn’t know this person when I added them to my pro network. Will I ever meet them? A slim chance if I’m not a quantity go-getter on Twitter. To really offer stronger takeaway both for users and the ‘at a glance’ prospects, LinkedIn might want to think about instituting a hierarchy of influence instead of link levels.

Censorship. I watched the comment stream over a recent Mashable post regarding an assumed flub in Skittles’ new social media venture, and then I saw it scrolling down: “Skittles should use search operators.” How is filtering comments social media when everyone is, by social media law, entitled to their own opinion? Let’s remember citizen journalism a.k.a. social media isn’t a far cry from real world politics.

Companies representing a brand via social Web space needn’t worry about the nay-sayers because fans will do their protective part by firing back, and soon after, silencing the antagonist. Naysayers still do have their place, and wall posts like the occasional "$%#! Apple” on Apple’s Facebook Group tell us that. Bad move not to take it down? I think not, because hiding behind a controversy or bad ad move (hoping someone like a PR spin-doctor will pick up the pieces) is no longer a reality. So keep that wall or feed adorned with the bad and let the brand evangelists communicate the good.

At the core, social media is a hands-off, all natural type of territory – so don’t get carried away with click-throughs, popularity, or climate control. It just won’t work.

10 Reasons Not To Join Twitter

Yes, I am on Twitter (you can follow me here), but it might not be for everyone. Lots of people have been writing about their reasons to join Twitter, so I thought I would give you a few reasons not to join. Maybe more than reasons not to join, this list are expectations and goals you might want to change before joining.

10 Reasons Not To Join Twitter:

1.) If you don’t know why you are doing it. Don't get me wrong -I think that you can develop skills and better reasons for tweeting as you use it longer, but you should have some idea about why you are joining in the first place. Just because someone told you that you should or because it is really popular right now doesn't mean you should. While there is no substitute for actual experience with Twitter, reading Twitter articles, tip lists, and blog topics can help you to develop a better idea of how you want to use it before you jump in. By developing a game plan ahead of time, you can also hit the ground running and make the most of your Twitter time.

2.) To talk about yourself most of the time. You have some really great ideas in your head and valuable things to share, but Twitter is about how you can help others. You will gain more permission as time goes on to talk about yourself. The quickest way to not improve your Twitter network is to join Twitter, instantly follow 1000 people, and then insesently talk about yourself. Help others.

3.) To become an internet celebrity. I'm not sure I can point to anyone specifically who is doing this, but I have my guesses. Twitter is no doubt a good way to build personal brand, but if you are solely trying to use Twitter for your own good, please take a dose of humility.

4.) To get instant results. Social media is not a short-term project. It doesn't happen right away. It takes time, effort, hard work, and patience. Many join Twitter thinking its a silver bullet for the marketing project and that things will happen right away for them. Patience is possibly one of the most crucial traits you can possess when dealing with social media.

5.) To talk about what you had for lunch. Please do not perpetuate the false image that Twitter is just a bunch of people talking about worthless drivel. Provide actual content. Tweet a helpful article you read (because someone else will find it helpful too.) Learn to use the "@" to reply to people. Learn the value of ReTweeting.

6.) Because you think everyone else on Twitter will want to be your best friend. Not everyone on Twitter will care what you are saying. And that's okay. You need to find the group of people that does and become close to them. The Long Tail actually works in your favor because you no longer have to be everything to everyone. Find the tribe you can lead and engage them. Quality over quantity.

7.) To talk about your political beliefs or complain all the time. Maybe its just a pet peeve of mine, but when someone builds up a network of friends on Twitter and then stands on a soapbox to spout their political beliefs, I get turned off. Your personality does need to come through, but Twitter may not be the best place to whine about your problems or talk about things you really don't know that much about.

8.) To spam people. Definition of spam: "Unsolicited mail/e-mail [Twitter messages] sent out in mass quantities. Usually not even addressed by name to the person who receives it." Also this includes get-rich schemes, pyramid scams, and other untargeted pitches. Spammers, you (mostly) know who you are. Stop it.

9.) To program a massive que of messages that get tweeted every few minutes and then proceed to never actually talk to anyone. This kind of fits with the spam. Auto messages can help you get info published efficiently, but when the ratio of robot vs person messages is out of wack, people can tell. When I see someone Tweeting every few minutes (night and day and weekends), I get a little annoyed. Twitter is about real people connecting with real people, not just constantly pushing messages out.

10.) To just lurk. Sometimes I even find myself guilty of just reading other people's Tweets and not actually contributing anything. If you join Twitter plan on talking with people. Plan on learning how to follow people. Plan on answering questions. Get involved in the community.

GE's Smart Grid Technology

We usually don't talk too much about tech gadgets on Daily Axioms, but when I saw this one, it was too cool to not pass along. Check out GE's Smart Grid technology:



You can play around with GE's Smart Grid too. Just go to PlugIntoTheSmartGrid.com, print off a sheet, and turn on your webcam. Also, if you have a microphone, blow into it and check out what happens.

Imagine the possibilities for the future. You could hold up a credit card and see a hologram of your bills, balance, and other info. Maybe you could hold up a business card and see a video of the person introducing himself, samples of their work, or websites and blogs they are involved with. This kind of technology blows my mind, so I hope you enjoyed it as well.

It's a Mom, Mom, Mom, Mom World

Mother’s Day may be in May, but the blogosphere reminds us that mom is to be cherished—forever and always.

I chatted via e-mail and Twitter with Cat, the creator of the mom blog 3 Kids and Us, which has made its way to #5 on the top 100 Mom Bloggers Club list. That’s quite a feat since the blog really just started (early summer 2008), and we bloggers know, it takes a LONG time to spread word-of-mouth or link-luv about a blog.

In 1999, it was reported that nearly 80-85 percent of women are the primary purchase decision-makers in the home, and Cat is quick to point out, “men just don’t make up that number, because moms are the researchers. As a mom, I want to make sure the products I use are safe for my family. All moms want that,” she said.

The explosion of moms on social networks has lead to some poignant acronyms as well: WAHM, SAHM, FTWM. There’s probably many more but that’s currently what’s out there on TwitterMoms profiles and online clubs such as Mom Bloggers Club, CaféMom, and Cat’s personal favorite, MomDot.com— because the founder Trisha knows how to keep moms connected while also offering a more personable, welcoming atmosphere. MomDot.com via its Ning social network garners a whopping 50,000 unique visitors per month, so according to Cat, “Trisha is doing something right.”

Don’t underestimate moms’ stamina in broadcasting her favorite events, news, or kids’ stories over a blog. Cat informed me she spends a total of 8 hours/day blogging, so it’s really a full-time gig with the added hustle and bustle around the home. The most surprising thing about mom blogs, particularly “3 Kids and Us,” regardless of the Web-click banner ads for monetization purposes: blogs are not a source of income for families. That sure shocked me, as I always figured top mom bloggers with high visitor traffic would be shoe-ins for a start-up entrepreneur contest entitled, “The Next Best Thing.”

As the telescopic lens of company brands has become more zoomed in on moms, so have the criticisms for doing things wrong. Though it’s not a requirement for brand managers to hire a social media mom (Lolita Carrico thinks so), Cat drives this mom message home:

“If a company wants to sell their product to a mom or her children, they need to take the time to speak with the people to whom they are marketing. Moms know what they want and need; we don’t want to be told by a suit why something is beneficial for our families when they themselves have no idea how the product will fit into our lives.”

So here’s to moms like Cat who are working really hard in energizing other moms and companies to do it right, and aren’t getting paid for it.

To Ask Or Not To Ask: That Is The Question

I think we would all agree it is important to make it easy for people to sign up for our blog's RSS feeds and give multiple options (Reader or email), but I think there are some differing opinions about actively asking for people to subscribe.

My favorite radio station, The Current, is an indie public radio station based in Minneapolis. This week they are having a member drive for financial support. The station is completely funded by donations and therefore depends on the growth of their member base. In its 4 years on the air, word of mouth has spread the station all over the world and their model has been deemed a successful model for how independent and community-based radio is done. Of course you can donate any time, but during member drives, most of The Current's budget for the year comes in.

I've seen blogs go with a few different options for recruiting new readers. Some have their own type of "member drive," occasionally reminding readers in a post to take the next step and become a more involved member of the community by signing up for the RSS feed (or making a comment). Some make a clear push by including a "Did you like what you read, then sign up here" type of approach at the top or bottom of each new blog post. Others prefer to not make outright requests for new readers, but let the community spread word if they like what they read.

I asked "Ask for new RSS members or not?" on Twitter and here's what a few people said:So what do you think? What's your approach?