Social Media has impacted many industries from music, retail, eateries, and more. Lately, I’ve been fascinated by what’s happening over at Channel 7, WXYZ in Metro Detroit. Over the past year or so there have been several discussions at networking events re: whose watching local news from Gen Y and Interactive folks with a resounding, “Not Me”.

People said the news was filled with too many negative stories, didn’t highlight all the good that’s happening in our community. In addition, many would say that spending time on Twitter, Facebook, and other social networks would allow the most important news to find them. I was sure that the local news was up against a fight they couldn’t win, much like the newspaper industry. That was before the on-air talent got involved.

We’ve heard for quite some time that all we want from our favorite brands is the ability to communicate with them. We want logos to have a face and personality and we want access to the people behind the scenes. Some companies have done a wonderful job delivering on these newly created expectations, maybe none more than the crew over at WXYZ.

Up early in the morning? Go check out @wxyzalicia @victorjfaust or @enicole19 and see what they’re up to and if you’re able to produce a creative tweet, it might just get on the air. The gatekeepers have been removed, the ability to connect with you favorite Twitter person is just a few keystrokes away. More of a night owl? Visit @sclarkwxyz and the #backchannel crew. Big sporst fan? Maybe you want to check out what @TomLeyden is talking about. Day or night they got you covered. Hey, maybe that should be their new slogan.

The word conversion gets discussed almost as much as ROI. What WXYZ has masterfully done is to get the folks on Twitter to tune into their broadcasts. They’re not just connecting online, Stephen Clark has gone to local conferences and interacted with the peeps. He’s demonstrated his country singing chops on stage for those interested in attending local venues. Most recently, I’ve been coordially invited to tour the WXYZ facilities & hang out during one of their broadcasts. I’d say they’ve figured out the conversion game just fine.

Want to create new advocates, fans, and supporters?

Watch the news and maybe you’ll get a few pointers.

Photo credit

What happens when your expectations aren’t met?

You get pissed, frustrated, disappointed, and let down. You want to tell the world how you’ve just been wronged and need justice in the public court of Twitter appeals. The problem is you were the one that set the expectations in the first place.  Yep, I said it…you are wrong sometimes!

There are countless examples we’ve all seen where someone complains about service from <fill in your favorite cable provider>.  Sure they’re frustrated, they’ve set the expectation that their cable will work 100% of the time. The moment that 100% is compromised they’re owed an apology, 3 months service for free, and applause from their followers for sticking it to the man. In reality, expecting flawless service from our cable, mobile, and Internet providers is our fault as we’ve set the expectation beyond what is reasonable.

Technology is intricate and spammers are sneaky

You’re telling me you’ve never had an off day? There are no mistakes in your reports? The moment we let someone else down we wouldn’t want them going on Twitter and telling the world that you totally forgot about an appointment you scheduled a few weeks ago. We’re human and humans make mistakes. Too often we like to point out failures from those around us for fear of having someone point the finger at us.

That’s not to say you can’t get frustrated when someone or something doesn’t work as advertised. We’ve all wanted to punch the monitor from time to time the moment our computers fail. The difference today compared to a few years ago is there’s now a strong Internet presence to share our stories. That can be a good thing when we’re being fair and quite damaging when we’re being reckless.

With social’s popularity we’re now expecting every large brand to be monitoring communication about their company 24/7. Sure, the smart companies have already figured out a way to incorporate customer service or related departments into the social stream but we’re still in the infancy of this new movement. In time, more and more organizations will become proficient in handling customer complaints, questions, and inquiries.

Expectations get miscommunicated all the time. We thought a prospect was going to call us back by the end of the week yet they never agreed to that, it was just assumed. You thought your wife was going to pick up the pizza because she works next door to the pizza joint…but you never had the conversation. Whenever you find these situations arise, ask yourself if the expectations were: communicated, agreed upon, and understood by all parties involved.

So what are some of the takeaways from this post?

• Almost nothing works 100% of the time
• People like attention and complaining garners attention
• The larger the brand, the more we expect perfection
• We’re perfect

What are your thoughts on expectations? Do you think that we sometimes set expectations that our favorite brands can’t deliver on? I’d love to hear your feedback.

Photo credit

Want more Twitter followers?

The answer will not be found in this post, sorry guys. I’m not that kind of salesman, offering solutions that are only cosmetic and superficial in nature.

No, this is a blog of another sort. The dialog below really tells the story.

The secret’s out, I’ve been giving Henry dance lessons for several months now. Not only that, I’ve been coaching him on overcoming his insecurities. See, it’s not so easy when you’re a vertically challenged immigrant from the Philippines. It’s natural he would need a boast of confidence from time to time. Knowing that I’m Jewish and as Henry states, “Jews make great movie directors” made me an obvious choice for being his agent. I’m throwing in the counseling sessions for free.

Don’t think my work has paid dividends? How then would you explain what’s been happening for Henry of late? First there was his talk at LA2M, followed by keynotes at: TIE Conference, iCE Amsterdam Mobile Conference, 360iDev iPhone Developer Conference and now this, lead role in an upcoming movie: Hustle Dragon!

Photo credit: @DaveMurr

Gaming the System? Not being authentic, transparent?

I think Henry has played his cards just right.

Every now and again I enjoy having really deep conversations bordering on the verge of uncomfortable. Like a first time skydiver preparing to jump, the adrenaline rush helps remind you that you’re alive. The other day I wrote about why I watch reality television and specifically discussed one of my favorite shows – Deadliest Catch.

This past week’s episode featured the late Captain Phil Harris, who passed away earlier this year during taping of the current season. It’s clear based on everyone’s reaction he was a beloved man amongst all his family,friends, and acquaintances. This was not acting; the puffy red eyes and tears that rolled down their checks were not makeup. This was reality television as hardly shown before. Naturally, it got me thinking…

What do you want your legacy to be? What do you hope people will say about you when you’re no longer around?

During this past week’s episode they aired clips of Phil’s funeral where one person after another got up to share their Phil stories. The the main ‘Crabbers’ (Captain of a crab boat), Phil’s sons, and camera man responsible for filming Phil all the way to the bitter end, sat around reminiscing as they laughed and cried in front of a national audience demonstrating that authenticity and transparency are not just buzz words used in social media circles.

For just a moment, put yourself in that situation. Everyone’s standing around talking about you.

If it happened tomorrow, what do you think they’d say? What would you want them to say?

Have you begun to create a legacy or is that something for down the road? Sure we can always do more; I’m interested in exploring the question right now, in real-time. What, if anything is holding you back from reaching your desired status, for lack of a better term?

The tears didn’t come from just the guys on TV, I noticed my throat get a little tight and mouth dry while watching the last episode. Being a fan for the entire six seasons thus far, I’ve gotten to know the main characters on what seems like an intimate basis through the camera’s powerful storytelling. I’d love to hear your stories and thoughts on legacy, I find it to be a fascinating topic.

There’s a certain fascination with looking into the crystal ball trying to figure out what the future looks like. During interviews, companies ask candidates where they see themselves in five years as if they actually had put some thought into it. When we look at business plans, we review forecasts and prognostications in hopes of landing funding from angel investors. Now that social media has hit mainstream (discussed on TV, radio, and most other media), I can’t help but wonder what the future holds.

Photo Credit

It won’t be called social media, it’ll just be business

So many of us get caught up using catch phrases and jargon when we could easily just say what’s on our minds. It’s easier to dump the word transparency into the laps of our readers without giving context to what it means in a particular situation. New words will emerge to replace old ones. As a society, we like to label everything as to make it fit into a neat little box.

In time, someone much smarter than me will rename the phrase ‘social media’ but we’ll all know it as ‘doing business’. Most everyone will be online connecting with others as if we’ve always done it that way. Just like mobile phones, there will come a time when we can’t remember life without social media. As I’ve written before, we’ll have a harder time remembering when we first met and how long we’ve known each other. Time blurs history.

Technology will continue to advance beyond our current comprehension

Who could have predicted ten years ago that augmented reality would exist? For those not familiar, as described by Wikipedia it’s a live direct or indirect view of a physical real-world environment whose elements are augmented by virtual computer-generated imagery. Below is a short video demonstrating GE’s augmented reality coming to life.

There is so much money for those creating mobile, iPad, and similar device applications that we’ll be blown away by what the hordes of developers produce. In time, most everyone will be conducting video chats on their phones replacing audio-only functionality. Many will spend more time on their pocket devices than their PC’s and laptops which for some is already happening.

Having a strong network will mean everything

This is no great revelation, we’ve been learning for quite some time how important networking is in our lives. Whether we’re looking for a job, developing business partners, or getting questions answered, we’ll rely even more on our trusted networks as time goes on. Those that fail to develop a strong group around them will struggle to compete. The saying, ‘It’s not what you know but who you know’ will continue to rule the day on levels we can’t comprehend. Some of your friends today will become extremely successful with access to events, planes, and people that will greatly impact your lifestyle.

With so many entrepreneurs starting their own business, the shift of the industrial workforce will be greatly impacted as Seth Godin often points out. Web developers will partner with graphic designers, marketers will partner with PR folks, and consultants will partner with anyone who can complement their service offerings. While this is already beginning to happen, over the next 5-10 years this trend will most likely explode creating smaller organizations who can handle complex projects in-house.

Predicting the future is alway challenging no matter what the subject matter is. It’s hard to stretch our minds beyond what we’ve already seen and experienced yet everyday someone gets a little closer to the next greatest invention or discovery. Social media evangelists are working hard to integrate products and services with fundamental strategies in hopes of producing noteworthy results. As the old saying goes, “We’re only as limited as our imagination”.

So what will will the future look like in ten years?

Photo Credit

Greg was a very unique guy and someone I’m glad I was able to call my friend. I met him in junior high, where many of our first genuine friendships begin. His family only lived a few subdivisions over from mine and most days we would be at one of our two houses after school messing around outside trying to stay out of trouble. While we were both fairly decent athletes growing up, Greg was a few inches taller than me and at 6’3″, he could play some basketball…for a white guy.

The most vivid sports memory I have involving Greg was during a high school basketball game on the road. With many friends in the stands, we cheered on our Groves team which lost more games than they won. Greg was the starting center and one of our best players on a lousy team. Our opponents were from the inner city with much more talent and while the game was nearing halftime I witnessed one of the scariest incidents in my life.

One of the opponents, for some reason after a made free throw, walked right next to my friend and punched him in the face. To this day we never figured out why he did this, but blood and commotion on the court quickly ensued. It was a sad moment, to see one of your best friends get blindsided for no reason and go down like a sack of potatoes. His parents, just a couple seats down from me saw the entire thing and within an instant Greg’s father was racing to the floor to check on his son. It took many months before Greg’s vision returned to normal.

WE USE TO GET INTO FIGHTS

Let me clarify. My crew would cruise around town like high school punks with nothing to do and nowhere to go. It was at a Big Boy restaurant one night that Greg pulled us out of potential danger. There were a group of guys from a rival school already hanging out at this establishment but with Greg on our side we all felt pretty fearless. Pointless bravado filled the air and within minutes bodies were being tossed from one side of the restaurant to the other. Hanging out with my undersized Jewish friends didn’t evoke much encouragement. The would-be lawyer and would-be accountant weren’t going to be mistaken for Mohamed Ali or Mike Tyson. I was a late bloomer as well so my buck forty wasn’t gonna be throwin’ too many people around. Luckily we had Greg on our side so we walked away pretty much unscathed.

WE USE TO BUILD THINGS

As youngsters after school, we sometimes had to take a break from the norm of playing catch, skating on the pond, or throwing the football. In between playing sports and before the ‘girl’ phase kicked in to hi gear, we found that we had a little extra time on our hands and being creative, our focus shifted to building stuff. We thought we could build just about anything. We tried building a go-cart once but got only as far as saying, “We should build a go-cart”. Our time machine experiment ended with similar results. Looking back, I don’t think we successfully built one damn thing, but boy was it fun to dream about building something cool.

WE USE TO TALK ABOUT GIRLS

Oh how we talked about girls. What adolescent heterosexual guy didn’t? Although we had slightly different taste in females, it didn’t stop us from discussing who we’d like to hook up with (shag for you Europeans) and where we’d like to do it. He always chose the taller ones; I tended to lean towards the gymnast type. Since Greg matured a little quicker than most guys our age, his success with the ladies began a little sooner than mine. That pissed me off growing up, but in the end I did alright for myself. Greg was in a serious relationship, one that was surely going to lead him down the alter, if only he’d gotten the chance.

Growing up, neither of us were very good students. It wasn’t that we weren’t smart, we just didn’t apply ourselves. Actually that’s not true. We just didn’t apply ourselves properly. We spent plenty of time being active, playing sports, and eventually ‘college’ drinking became a full time hobby. Greg and I went to the same junior high, high school and then the same small college that only lesser grade point students went to. I guess in today’s day and age we’d be considered grade point ‘challenged’.

By the second year of college, we were living in an apartment with two other guys, one of which also attended the same high school as us. While going to class on a regular basis seemed optional, we found other things to do. I played soccer for the school’s team and Greg played basketball. My grades started improving while Greg’s did not. His entire life, he had underperformed scholastically. It was right before my 21st birthday that he told me he was going to start trying a lot harder in school.

Nov 28th, 1990

I was excited to finally see some of my best friends who had been attending university three hours away. I was turning twenty one and like most twenty first birthday fiasco’s, it was planned to be a drunken good time. The plan was to drink all day, then come night time, drink a little more. Greg was going to have to catch up with us later because he decided to help one of his professors set up for a fund raiser event. Typically this would be one of the last things Greg would volunteer to do, especially on THIS weekend with friends in town that neither of us had seen for awhile but looking to turn over a new leaf, that’s the decision he made.

Having a great time with long lost friends in town I lost track of time until I realized it was a little strange that Greg wasn’t at the apartment by ten thirty, since he had left several hours ago. With no cell phone to reach him on, and plenty of friends in town to get me sloshed, I barley noticed his absence. When 3am rolled around, I just sensed trouble. Deep down I knew something was wrong, but suppressed that feeling with more alcohol. A couple of hours later the phone rang.

Officer X broke the horrible news

Greg got hit by a drunk driver on his way home. Most people had him pegged as the guy most likely to become a drunk driver, but Greg was starting to turn his life around as evidence by his decision to volunteer his time. On a day that he was giving, something was clearly taken away.

We use to have so much fun practicing sports together, pretending that we both would become professional athletes one day. We use to have a riot on the ice rink during the cold Michigan winters even though neither of us were great skaters. We use to make fun of fat girls during recess, because that’s what junior high boys did. We use to throw snow balls at cars passing by a friend’s house, then run like hell when a few would try to chase us down. We use to do a lot of really fun things growing up.

It’s sad we don’t get to do those things anymore…

We use to

In memory of my friend Greg (1969-1990)

I know, you hate reality TV and don’t understand the fascination with its popularity. Big Brother was one of the 1^st reality shows shown in the US dating back to 1999 and since then, dozens upon dozens of similar type shows have aired with mixed reviews. While some choose to go the scripted route (see The Hills), others try to be as real as possible as evidenced by the Deadliest Catch, my favorite show of them all.

What is it that draws people in?

The same reason we watch train wrecks, sporting event, and major storms…the outcome is unpredictable which makes it intriguing. For every successful reality show that hits, there are easily 20 or more that flop but that could be said for all programming. Show like American Idol, Bachelorette, and Survivor (yes, it’s still on) draw huge rating numbers demonstrating our infatuation with the format. The reasons people tune in vary but one common thread seems to be learning lessons we can take away. Whether we’re learning how NOT to treat someone, what characteristics draw people in versus push them away, or what drives people to act a certain way mirror everyday life.

The other day I had an interesting conversation with a friend on Twitter re: The Bachelorette. Her strong reaction of never wanting to be on a show like that got me thinking, what is the makeup of someone who is willing to go on National television and most likely embarrass themselves somewhere throughout the process? Is getting 15 minutes of fame that desirable that you’re willing to be humiliated in hopes of getting discovered? One thing’s for certain, there doesn’t seem to be a shortage of aspiring young talent looking for their shot.

Getting back to the Deadliest Catch, this season has been my favorite so far with many storylines to follow. Below is a short clip of the show in case it hasn’t hit your radar. Basically, it’s a bunch of Captains and their crews attempting to catch the elusive King, Opilio, and Blue crab in the Bering Sea, located between Alaska and Siberia. The conditions are brutal from 20 foot waves, freezing weather, and danger lurking around every corner causing several deaths every year. You can try and script the storyline all you want but there’s no staging the environment, hence the name deadliest catch.

On the show’s 6th and current season we learn of a missing dad, drug addiction, veteran fishermen getting pushed to their limits physically and emotionally, and a crew that loses their captain (Phil Harris – shown in video above) after a major stroke that he isn’t able to recover from. Two of Phil’s sons begin fighting with each other from the overwhelming emotion of seeing their father pass. Deadliest Catch has a little bit of everything and besides the extreme fishing, challenging situations that we have to deal with on a daily basis.

What can we learn from the show?

• How to deal with difficult family dynamics
• Overcoming obstacles
• What characteristics are found in leaders
• Working in extreme conditions and succeeding
• How difficult it is to catch crab

Yes, it’s possible to learn from scripted television shows like LOST, ER, and Seinfeld but for me the real learning is in observing human behavior whether it be in person or on TV. What programming do you enjoy watching and what, if anything are you learning from them?

Photo credit

The gold rush era happened; it’s not an urban legend or conspiracy theory. So too is the tidal wave we’re about to experience in the coming months and years of what I’ve penned, ‘Capture the Flag Marketing’. For those not familiar with –  Capture the Flag, it’s a game played mostly by kids where the end goal is to capture your flag hidden in enemy territory before getting ‘tagged’ out… and before the other team captures their flag. I’m not sure if kids still play this game but I recall coming up with some interesting strategies back in the day. Kids can be incredibly imaginative when we get out of their way.

‘Capture the Flag Marketing’ refers to companies creating a game plan to capture and keep our attention through creative marketing efforts. I believe there are hordes of companies right now brewing up special concoctions in the labs before releasing to the masses. We’ll see much better strategies from bars, restaurants, and local businesses in their Foursquare mayoral rewards programs. PR firms will do a better job helping brands tell their story and connecting with their publics. The time to create a flawless battle plan, ambush the competition, and capture your flag is now.

I think it’s fairly obvious; social media is not a fad. Sorry cabbage patch fans, this one has legs and with any luck won’t jump the shark anytime soon. Companies are taking note and signing up for Twitter, polishing up their websites, and hiring professionals experienced in navigating the digital marketing landmine. Unlike the game in its truest form, with so many flags up for grabs we’re seeing a gold rush mentality taking place and everyone wants their shot.

Sure there are brands already achieving success through their marketing efforts in this new social-everything craze but the numbers are still small in comparison to where we’re headed. Recently Starbucks added a company-wide foursquare initiative in hopes to attract more attention and ultimately more business. There are plenty of other examples you can find sprinkled throughout the Internet, here’s one found on Delicious’ social bookmarking website. Companies are now realizing that instead of waiting for others; they’re willing to get a little skin in the game in hopes of being the first to find the gold.

Creating something on a grand scale takes time; the iPad was most likely incubated for many years before being released as evidenced by this video back in 2007. While Bill Gates talks about what he sees as the future in tech devices, he basically describes the iPad to which Steve Jobs was most likely sitting back and thinking, ‘yeah…we’re on it’. Developing really cool stuff takes time when you think about the entire lifecycle from idea creation to shipping product. Social sites are still relatively new and still not considered mainstream yet companies have been watching, listening, and observing for quite some time.

The first to the flag, the first to create a sustainable buzz that produces results in any market, any city wins. Sure there will be silver and bronze medalists but let’s face it, don’t we all want the biggest piece of the pie? If you’re the first to show up to dinner you don’t have to worry about only getting leftovers and if you’re successful in being one of the first to do something ‘remarkable’ as Seth Godin likes to point out, you’ve hit the jackpot.

What are your thoughts, do you anticipate seeing innovative marketing efforts in the near future or am I just talking pie in the sky? What does your crystal ball tell you?

Photo credit

I was involved in social networks many years ago before the fancy title, a writing forum that acted much like Twitter in the relationships being formed both online and off. There were meetups, but I think they were called gatherings or something goofy like that. I once went camping with a bunch of strangers I had only met online, from a handful of states. We didn’t ‘check-in’ to the woods, post drunken pictures on Facebook, or stare at our phones when new friends were in front of our face. It was one of the most enjoyable experiences I’ve had and my first look at what an online community can blossom into.

Being a curious observer of human behavior, I spent a couple years on this site, doing some writing but mostly building relationships and observing how others communicate, interact, and support one another. I once won a contest not because of my writing ability, as evidenced by my blogs, but by understanding how to influence others and relate to their needs. It was a shocking victory that still holds as one of my favorite accomplishments I typically don’t share. Today I would blast the sh*t out of it on every platform out there, like you guys do.

Most interesting to observe were the relationships being formed and the group dynamics shifting over a period of time. New members would join and old members would get jealous. Fights would happen all the time as there wasn’t a focus on building personal brands, rather say what’s on your mind without a concern in the world. People would get so mad they’d create alter ego accounts, today’s version of the spammer. Social networking has been around for quite some time, we just didn’t have the tools in place back then to search for conversations and capture the data.

Which leads us to today where there seems to be a shift right now in how we’re spending time on these networks and how we communicate with one another. It’s the natural evolution of how we implement knowledge we gain over time, and through trial and error make adjustments when necessary. We’re not the same person at 30 as we were at 16. We’re not the same person who signed up for Twitter just two short years ago or at least we shouldn’t be.

What are your thoughts? Have you witnessed the shift of how people are now communicating online compared to when you first started? Do you feel as though you’ve changed and if so, how? I’m very curious to get feedback on this.

Years ago, if you owned a cell phone you were considered ‘privileged’ or worse. I’m referring to the time period after the bag-phone era, which lost steam when we realized we didn’t need both a bag AND phone to conduct mobile connectivity.

Back then, there was no video capability, no Twitter, Facebook, or social networks to warp our minds and eat our time. We figured out a way to communicate with one another using other communication tools, absorb content through newspapers and magazines, and played games on external devices connected to our television sets. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a crackberry addict (mobile) and social media nut like most of you, just maybe a little more aware of my affliction, so it was no surprise when I read the following:

Photo credit

“As smartphone usage grows, users are also becoming more sophisticated and using apps at a higher rate. According to comScore’s MobiLens study, the total number of mobile app users in the US increased by 28% from April 2009 to April 2010.” – Mobile Social Networking Drives Rising App Useage

With the recent iPhone 4 sales report: 1.5 Million sold on the first day (77% were upgrades) and no sight of slowing down for the foreseeable future, it’s easy to see what’s on the horizon. We’re getting more and more consumed by our mobile devices as they keep adding functionality. What’s more, employers who prevent Internet and/or social media usage on company computers have an uphill battle of preventing personal mobile usage whether it’s during lunch, in the bathroom, or sitting in their cubicle.

Now that we know how crazed we’re getting over these pocket devices, let’s talk about how we can benefit from some of their applications. Over the past year or so I’ve been playing around with different mobile Twitter apps and find that UberTwitter is working best for my needs. This was only after their most recent updates which can be found on http://www.ubertwitter.com/ as listed below:

If you’re currently using UberTwitter on your phone, here are some tips you might not have thought of implementing. I’m mostly referring to the Uber Bar, the spot on your Home Page where you can add twitter users you want to follow specifically. All you have to do is choose ‘Add to Uber Bar’ when viewing the Twitter user you’re looking to add. With my awesome Paint skills (don’t make fun), you can see what it looks like after adding a couple users:

Now that you know how to add users to your Uber Bar, let’s discuss who you should consider adding. It probably won’t work quite as well if you start adding dozens of people. I might suggest you consider your top 5 and then figure out if adding more will be too cumbersome. So, who should make this list? It all depends on what you’re trying to accomplish. Here are some ideas of people to add based on:

• Who consistently refers you business
• Who entertains you
• Who engages with you in thoughtful conversations
• Whose blogs you like to read
• Who supports you and your business
• Who you like to support
• Who typically provides important news updates

Much like the columns you’ve created on Twitter or Hootsuite, following those that provide the most value to you just makes sense. This Twitter stream vetting can occur on your mobile device when you’re on the go and don’t want to miss possible opportunities or important announcements from those you follow the most. You may find your time is better spent focusing on a few rather than the masses, especially when your time is so limited. We constantly hear about how people don’t have time to tweet, network, or stay informed but really, who doesn’t have an extra five minutes every day?

So, how has mobile helped you? What are you doing to be more efficient? Please share your ideas for the rest of us to learn from. I often find the gold is in the comments, especially when it comes to my writing.