For non-profits the benefits of my work have been changes in behavior and attitudes among target populations. For legislative action this has translated into support for candidates and issues. For individuals this has meant more sales and higher rates of referrals.

What areas of your business would you like to see improved? Are there new markets you’d like to expand into? Would you like to spend less time and money on marketing, public relations and advertising, while increasing demand for your products, or the impact of your services?

You stated an opinion, it was countered by another.

I think you just proved Alan’s point. A talk you gave resulted in business two years later. It’s an outlier it’s not the norm. If you don’t think Alan understands social media, then I can only guess you haven’t checked out his website he’s very adept at the use of social media. Further testimony is your participation of the discussion on his blog. But I’ll leave it alone as he’s capable of explaining himself very well. As someone who is over 50 I felt obliged to chime in.

I would buy value based fees as fast as you can if you are not intending to measure your ROI for 2 years.

If you’re after a different market, then maybe it works, though I think the vast majority of claims to that effect are from people trying to make money by convincing others to use social platforms. No rage, just observation and expertise.

It’s interesting that some church’s are speaking against it and some are welcoming it.

http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1895463,00.html

Nothing new there I guess.

BTW: I finished reading Process Consulting.Now on to Value Based Fees. I’m getting speaking gigs now. I’ve had one mtg. with a CEO and this week am scheduled for a mtg. with a COO. Thanks!! I’m signed up for the Sales Talk Tele-conference. I need to learn how to have “the” talk or “the series” of talks. Watch your “six” I’m on your trail! ;O)

Some people use social platforms as hobbies or small businesses and do well. Others wander in and out (Twitter has a huge dropout rate). But there are some who should be spending some of that time more productively, personally and professionally.

What percentage? Who knows? If you were to look at Facebook alone, MOST of the posts I see, perhaps 60 percent, are inane or ego-driven, and clearly are the result of someone who doesn’t know what else to do with his or her time, which is alarming. We already have a large cohort of people who can’t do math in their heads, don’t know geography or history, and cannot comprehend 12th grade sentences well, and many of them have college degrees.

The leader of the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales has warned social networking websites, texting and e-mails are undermining community life. Do you agree?

http://newsforums.bbc.co.uk/nol/thread.jspa?forumID=6827&edition=2&ttl=20090802183445

cfletez: Try starting substantive conversations on social platforms. Some people are fine, but most either shy away or are extremists of one bent or another.

Everyone following me n twitter with over 1,000 followers is a
“social media marketing guru.”

Thanks for Medea…a truly great reference!

I am not logging on my Facebook account anymore, except when some old friend wants to reconnect, since it is a huge time dump. It was fun for a while due to the novely but that’s all.

Twitter is another story. When at gatherings and so on, it is very nice to connect to people before, during, and after the event. Email and other IM platforms do not allow people to connect in these ways. This is not going to bring customers but it is creating awareness and makes me come up with new ideas, which is goog. The time spent in there is limited as well. Using the tools for bridging the blog and twitter are useful for adding more publication channels.

But I agree with the fact that they are way overhyped.

So…for someone to announce personal issues (like my niece) the line of privacy to speediance to get the word out was the priority (living in a different country from her large family).

Granted, I’m of the generation to keep things private…yet this younger generation seems much more open and using social media as a way to get the word out quickly. If you don’t read it, its your choice. For that reason, Social Media will continue.

Now, is it for good for personal and/or business?

I agree with the point of this discussion. What value do you as a person provide using social media. Is it worth the time you are investing. Are you providing value or just words? Just because you can us it as a means to express yourself doesn’t mean you are heard. Spend more effort and time on things using a method where those want to hear what you have to say.

So, to each his or her own, but they key is, as you say, what’s the return vs. spending it elsewhere? Personally, I rather not find out about a family pregnancy on Facebook! And so much family stuff I do see on Facebook falls into the category of WAY too much information.

If what you are doing will help others and it helps you feel better, then it is good.

Facebook I keep for personal connections. It is how I found out that my nephew was on his way home from Iraq! (A VERY HAPPY MOMENT). It was how I found out that my niece was pregnant with her first child. It is how my 8yo niece announced she had the winning catch at a game. For all of these examples, FB is good…as long as it is only a very small percentage of my time.

What an interesting choice for a topic Social Medea. You refer to Medea as an enchantress. But she was much more than that. She wasn’t a very nice person at all.

I am not disagreeing with your comments on how these social media tools can suck up one’s time. It’s that Medea is such and interesting choice to of how you capture the reader’s attention around how vapid these tools can be toward growing business while causing many to think they will open windows to long lasting opportunities of long term client relationship and increase sales.

Medea with all her charms and wonderment, wrecked havoc wherever she went resulting in people having to pick up the pieces after her destructive path. Not unlike the time we all can waste thinking that we advance our business through the use of things like Facebook, Linkedin, or Twitter.

Interesting choice Alan, very interesting.

But I do agree with you that the focus should be on business medial platforms.

For me, social media is social – the main downside of solo working from home is that lack of water cooler chatter and Facebook does that for me. I wouldn’t be learning the oboe with the time I spend on it!

LinkedIn has helped me reach some senior people in large organisations, so has been useful. I have also successfully publicised events and services through this and other business tools which has had a small return, but most business still comes through traditional routes.

I have resisted Twitter as I can’t see how it would fulfil either role, but simply suck up time.

http://www.acleareye.com/sandbox_wisdom/2009/06/where-twitter-is-heading.html

I think you will enjoy this brilliant t-shirt summary of social medea:

http://www.despair.com/somevedi.html.

Adam