Social Media

Five Digital Resolutions for 2012

Jan 2, 2012 By Mark Evans in Social Media, Startups 1 Comment Tags: 2012, resolutions, Social Media

I’m not a huge proponent of New Year’s resolutions but figured they offer a good opportunity to create a public list of digital goals for 2012.

1. Adopt a smarter and more productive approach to social media, which will hopefully also mean spending less time on it. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy social media and get plenty of value from it, but it’s also a huge time-suck.

As my digital marketing consulting business gets busier, I don’t have as much time for social media but want to maintain a healthy presence. To be more productive, I’, using tools such as Buffer to post tweets, and now lean more on HootSuite rather than TweetDeck because it offers easier access to multiple accounts.

2. Avoid the temptation to embrace new social media services just because they’re popular. While I’ve registered for and checked out Pinterest and Path, I haven’t used them much. If I’m going to adopt a new social media, I would have to drop one from my portfolio. The leading candidate would be Facebook, which I’ve always been ambivalent about given I don’t share much personal information.

3. Spend less time in the inbox. As much as I read about different techniques to control email rather than letting it control me, I’m still someone who checks for new email far too often. I might have to do with getting about 100 emails a day but checking email too often kills my focus and becomes mentally taxing. My new email goal for 2012 is being more disciplined, perhaps once an hour.

4. Spend less time online. When you have your own business, particularly one focused on technology and startups, being online is an occupational hazard. Still, I’m online too much. A tell-tale sign is the feeling of being digitally fatigued. It feels like going to an all-you-can-eat buffet, and getting to a point where you can’t eat another bite, even it’s something normally irresistible such as pumpkin pie.

5. Create a portfolio of go-to online services and content sources. It means spending more time with services that provide value, and less time flitting around the Web checking out anything that sounds new and interesting. The same goes for content sources. Rather than reading anything that crosses my path, I want to be more focused. One of the reasons why I like Zite is it offers the best of both worlds: a way to consume content that meets my interests, while still providing opportunities to find new sources.

So, what are your digital resolutions for 2012?

Why Blogging Never Loses its Mojo

Oct 3, 2011 By Mark Evans in Blogs 2 Comments Tags: Blogging, Blogs, Social Media

In the scheme of things, blogging is a labour of love. It takes a lot of time and effort to consistently generate posts that provide value.

So it was interesting to read Mitch Joel’s blog post about what blogging has offered him over the past eight years, which seems like an eternity in the scheme of things. It got me thinking about this blog, which I started on a whim in 2004 (originally using Blogware).

At first, the goal was to simply understand the buzz about blogging. But it quickly became more compelling and time-consuming. And while the focus on the blog has evolved from VoIP to Web 2.0 to social media and start-ups, it has never lost its appeal.

So what does blogging offer that keeps me going after more than 3,700 posts? Here’s a few ideas:

1. A love of writing. I’ve always enjoyed writing, and spent 15 years as a newspaper reporter, which meant writing articles on a regular basis. After leaving journalism for good in 2006, blogging has kept my hand in the game and provided the opportunity to write about things that interest me.

2. Content marketing: As a believer in the idea that content is king, I see content as a powerful marketing tool. A blog offers a platform to show existing and potential clients what you’re interested in and your insight. It gives people a good sense of how you think, which hopefully sets the stage for them to reach out for more information or a conversation.

3. The ability to participate in interesting conversations: The fascinating thing about the tech world is that change is constant. One day, the BlackBerry is the king of the world, the next it’s struggling to stay viable. HP is in the tablet game, then it’s out. Having a blog provides a great way to be engaged and involved as opposed to sitting on the sidelines.

4. Blogs are more rewarding intellectually than Twitter or Facebook. I’ve always contended that blogs are dinner, while Facebook and Twitter are dessert. Blogs are substantial and filling, while dessert is something you taste rather than get nutritional from.

5. Blogs are a body of work that can repurposed into a variety of things. The content can be used for a book, newsletters, magazine articles and presentations. Blogs generate a lot of editorial goodness.

It is difficult to sustain a blog, which explains why so many are abandoned. But they generate so many benefits that it has never dawned on me to walk about from MET. In many respects, a blog is part of your personal and professional journey, and it feels like there’s a long way left to go.

Does Everyone Have to be on Facebook?

Sep 27, 2011 By Mark Evans in Social Media No Comments Tags: Facebook, jesse hirsh, Social Media

I was listening to Jesse Hirsh interviewed yesterday on CBC radio about the new features announced last week by Facebook. The host, Matt Galloway, asked Hirsh if there could come a time when everyone would have to be on Facebook.

Hirsh’s reply was surprising but intriguing: he said in the short-term not everyone had to be on Facebook but it would be “absolutely” necessary in the long-run to access new Web services and show companies that you were credit-worthy and trustworthy.

Given my tepid embrace of Facebook – I’m mostly on it for professional reasons – the idea of having to be on Facebook is fascinating and troubling. It speaks to Facebook’s power and the role it plays within the digital landscape. But at the same time, it raises the spectre that Facebook is becoming too powerful and dominant, particularly if everyone will eventually need to be on Facebook. If you worried about Facebook before, Hirsh’s prediction should make you even more concerned.

Personally, the idea of having to be on Facebook is bizarre because it suggests people won’t be able to operate digitally or, at least, they will have a neutered experience. To effectively use the Web shouldn’t be predicated on being a member of a particular service, particularly one such as Facebook, which is in the business of data-collection to drive revenue growth.

If there comes a time when Facebook becomes a necessary evil, you know the Web has wandered into a bad place that will make Net Neutrality look like a walk in the park.

The thing is Facebook is a Web Goliath but it’s not the Web. As much as Facebook is driving to create a one-stop shopping ecosystem (AOL, anyone?), it is not bigger than the Internet and, as a result, it shouldn’t be allowed to attain must-have status.

Some people might counter that Facebook could be akin to e-mail given it is difficult to have a full Web experience without an inbox of some kind. But the difference is there are thousands and thousands of e-mail services so no one is dependent on a single entity to get the benefits of e-mail.

There are a few flaw in Hirsh’s suggestion about Facebook. One is the idea that Web services will not be available to anyone without a Facebook account. I would counter that any Web services that wants to make itself accessible to offer a variety of ways to join – Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and e-mail – rather than go exclusively with Facebook. Second, there will be ways other than Facebook to demonstrate your credit worthiness and trustworthiness.

Bottom line: Facebook is a dominant player but it is doesn’t have that much power despite Mark Zuckerberg’s ambitions to rule the world.

Why Blogging is Social Media’s VIP

Aug 23, 2011 By Mark Evans in Blogs, Social Media 3 Comments Tags: Blogging, Blogs, hugh macleod, Social Media

As an enthusiastic blogger, it is somewhat discouraging to see blogs lose some of their lustre amid the fascination (obsession?) with Facebook and Twitter.

As someone who has been consistently blogging here and other places for the past seven years, I have always argued that blogs are the most powerful social media medium because they offer a way for people to provide insight, perspective and information. In a fast-paced, multi-tasking world, it takes time to create and read blog posts but they offer tremendous value for bloggers and readers.

That said, I’m probably biased because I’m a writer by profession, having spent more than 10 years as a newspaper reporter. As a result, writing a blog seems natural and the posts tend to flow. For many people, however, writing can be time-consuming and laborious, making it challenging to consistently write blog posts.

Nevertheless, I believe the ROI of blogs makes them compelling. They provide an opportunity to build a personal or corporate brand, establish domain expertise, showcase insight and thoughts, participate in the conversations of the day, and boost your SEO.

In the wake of my blog bullishness, it was heartening to see Hugh MacLeod declare in a recent blog post that he was giving up Facebook and Twitter to “reclaim” blogging. Here’s how Hugh explained his decision:

“Because Facebook and Twitter are too easy. Keeping up a decent blog that people actually want to take the time to read, that’s much harder. And it’s the hard stuff that pays off in the end. Besides, even if they’re very good at hiding the fact, over on Twitter and Facebook, it’s not your content, it’s their content.”

MacLeod is making a fairly radical move given how Facebook and Twitter have become integral parts of our digital activity, particularly for an entrepreneur such as MacLeod who could benefit by having a presence in the biggest social markets. But I think MacLeod’s motivations have much to do with the fact that blogs are an opportunity to stand out from the crowd given it’s so easy for post an update or tweet. Sure, blogs take more work but for anyone willing to commit themselves to blogging, there are a variety of benefits.

My belief in the value and power of blogging makes writing posts a joy – at least most of the time. It’s an investment and it takes time but it is also tremendously rewarding. Unlike MacLeod, I’m not going to give up Twitter or Facebook, although blogging is where most of my social energy goes. At the end of the day, it’s the most satisfying and fun, and it’s the perfect vehicle to show potential clients what and how I think.

Should You Hire a Social Media Consultant?

Jul 20, 2011 By Mark Evans in Social Media 2 Comments Tags: consultant, Social Media

A few months ago, Peter Shankman ruffled the social media world with a blog post that proclaimed: “I Will Never Hire a “Social Media Expert and Neither Should You”.

Needless to say, it caused a stir and generated more than 400 comments, which was not surprising given his post featured provocative paragraphs like this one:

“No business in the world should want a “Social Media Expert” on their team. They shouldn’t want a guru, rock-star, or savant, either. If you have a “Social Media Expert” on your payroll, you’re wasting your money.”

As someone who offers social media consulting services, Shankman’s post hit close to home and, after much thought, I’ve come to the conclusion he’s right and wrong. Yes, it’s a Switzerland-like assessment but hear me out.

In Shankman’s support, one of the biggest dangers in hiring a social media consultant is they’re focused and specialized on a particular niche. The problem is that creating a social media strategic plan means having knowledge and insight into all the areas that will have an impact on social media – sales, marketing and communications.

It is impossible to put together a social media plan with any shot of being successful if a holistic view of the corporate landscape isn’t taken. To simply focus on social media tactics is disaster because it doesn’t take into account the key elements of a company’s operations.

This is the mistake many companies make when they hire a social media consultant. They bring on someone who knows the tactics and mechanics of blogs, Twitter and Facebook inside out. But they’re not hiring someone who understands the big picture strategic goals, and how social media can support and complement them. As a result, your Twitter account may be well-run but it doesn’t matter if it’s not driving well-defined corporate goals.

For many clients, the most value I bring to social media consulting assignments is an appreciation of how businesses operate, an interest in what they want to achieve with social media, and a focus on creating great story that can be delivered via social media.

While tactical execution is important, tactics are more blocking and tackling that can only happen if a strategic plan has been put in place.

If you are going to hire a social media consultant, make sure they can bring more to the table than just in-depth knowledge of the tools. It is important they have the ability and insight to understand your business and your goals for social media. If they can then help you with tactical execution, that’s a bonus.

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