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Bacon

Nov 15 2012

Stick a Fork in Negativity

Dave from Area 224 is on a break…from Facebook. AND…

I’m on a break from negativity, too. In fact, I want to stick a fork in it. Because…It’s done.

Fork In Road
Thanks, Girl-meets-art; used with Creative Commons License

Really, though, you can listen to outside forces that tell you everything sucks, or you can choose to ignore those outside forces entirely, and move the heck on.

I’m choosing the latter. It’s hopefully going to bring more positivity to my life.

So this isn’t a missive that says you should give up entirely on social media – considering the fact that a blog can be considered one of the pillars of your social media strategy, I’d be flying in the face of convention if I gave it all up.

But I’m taking a break from Facebook, and, even more importantly, from being so gosh darn negative.

Why, Dave, the sudden about-face? 3 Reasons:

1. Everyone’s life looks better than yours…

But, in real life, it isn’t.

I’ve always had a saying about business travel: Those that don’t travel for business are jealous of those who do. And those who do travel for business are jealous of those who don’t.

The old, negative me would look at a Facebook post and say “For the love of Mike, why are you traveling AGAIN? Shut. Up.”

The new, positive me…actually, I don’t want to make them envious of MY lack of travel – I mean, a Foursquare check-in from my living room seems rather much – but, there is something to be said for not having to cope with ANOTHER airline delay. Or a botched hotel check-in (which is much more serious than a botched Foursquare check-in).

People aren’t sharing their travel stories to spite you. Really, they’re not. They’re just…being “social.” It’s nothing personal.

2. The internet is filled with half-truths, lies, hyperbole, and so much more!

Hey, I bumped into one “internet-famous” person online recently who came clean. They used to make a lot of money, now they don’t. They used to live in a big house, now they’re not. They used to be married and now, well, they aren’t. This was someone that, in all candor, I would look to for advice, back when the perception I had of them was high-flying success.

Rather than grave dance on someone’s misfortunes – which is not only mean, it’s counter-productive – maybe there’s something to taking the high road?

Guess what? This sort of thing will happen, over and over and over again. The internet is a great thing: you can create the perception that you are both large AND in charge.

idog
World-famous cartoon. Copyright The New Yorker.

But, really. If you’re NOT the real deal, the world will find out. It may be tomorrow, it may be a few years from now.

My own take: “Who. Cares.”

Look, I’ve got my own problems, you’ve got your own problems, and we are (GASP) all in this together. Take what people say with a grain of salt…or a salt lick. Especially online. Easier to be positive that way.

3.  Both sides just spent $2B to tell you the other one sucks.

It’s true: either your guy won or they lost, but, in any event, someone spent a whole lotta money to drill home the negative imagery.

Rather than belabor the point of how negative this campaign was, I’m choosing to focus on those things that ARE in my control.

It’s not about looking at a glass that’s half-full while you’re driving a car off a cliff – it’s more than that. Or maybe not.

In any event, I’m NOT sticking my head in the sand hoping problems will go away. That’s being ridiculous. Instead, I’m getting my head out of the sand and focusing on those things I CAN CONTROL.

And it starts with my mood. My perception. My positivity.

Join me. Please.

It might actually be fun!

Written by Dave · Categorized: Bacon, Buzzwords, Perspective · Tagged: positivity

Feb 24 2012

Your Fill In The Blanks Social Media Bandwagon Blog Post

Last year? Quora. This year? Pinterest. What’s Next? Doesn’t Matter: All you have to do is copy and paste what’s here, and fill in the blanks once the next new thing arrives. You’re welcome.

Joyous Social Media Users
Photo courtesy lightruth, used with CC license.

There’s no question that [BLANK] is the hottest thing going in social media right now. After its launch [6 MONTHS AGO, 6 YEARS AGO, LAST NIGHT], [BLANK] is attracting the attention of brands, venture capital firms and even the President [OF THE UNITED STATES, OF RUSSIA, OF MY LOCAL SOCIAL MEDIA CLUB CHAPTER].

We took a look at the inner workings of [BLANK] and we like what we see – there’s a reason for all the buzz! In fact, Social Media [GURUS, NINJAS, ROCK STARS] from [CITY] to [OBSCURE CENTRAL EUROPEAN NATION] are all jumping on the bandwagon.

So, should you join them? Well, here are some tips before you [GET STARTED, SELL AN EBOOK ABOUT “BLANK”]:

1. Don’t Ignore the Other Networks

“[BLANK] should be part of every brand’s social media strategy,” said [EXPERT, GUY OFF THE STREETS, SIMPSONS ANCHORMAN KENT BROCKMAN]. “In fact, the way it seamlessly connects with other networks, I can’t imagine life as a brand marketer without [BLANK].”

And, with the backing of [GOOGLE, MICROSOFT, THOSE GUYS WHO GOT INVESTMENT FOR THAT ONE THING], you can bet that [BLANK] will become part of the social media fabric for years to come, meaning that it will be another tool in the arsenal – and your experience [BLANKING] will integrate well with your experience [FACEBOOKING, TWEETING, QUORA-ING].

2. No Matter Your Industry, Learn From Others Who Use [BLANK]

Just last night, [WEBSITE] reported that a Not-for-Profit used [BLANK] with great success. “We [BLANKED] and, while we were wary that it was a bunch of hype, after [BLANKING] we totally love it. And, two people came up to me [AT AN EVENT, ON THE STREET, AFTER SEEING ME ON THE TODAY SHOW] and said they saw our integrated, strategic [BLANK] presence and planned to [DONATE, COME TO OUR EVENT, WATCH THE TODAY SHOW AGAIN].”

Pinsanity
Guess which camp we think Pinterest is in?

3. Even if [BLANK] Goes Away, Have Fun [BLANKING]

The founders of [BLANK] admit that they’re a little surprised by the attention. “I remember the early days of our startup [6 YEARS AGO, 6 MONTHS AGO, LAST NIGHT], when we wondered if anyone would [USE IT, FUND IT, GIVE US $200 MILLION DOLLARS]. But we stuck to it – we were committed to our dream, and, even though Mom and Dad told me how awesome we were, we knew that, until we had [A TECHCRUNCH POST, 25 USERS, JEREMY LIN’S ATTENTION], we weren’t going to make it. Now, though, we’re convinced – this will be huge.”

As with any emerging technology, there’s always some hype. But, if you use this template, you, too, can post about what [BLANK] is doing.

Have an awesome time [BLANKING]!

 

Written by Dave · Categorized: Bacon, Buzzwords, Poseurs · Tagged: Linsanity, Plaxo, quora

Jan 17 2012

How to Stay Positive in the New Economy

Hi, friends. If this is your first trip to the site, welcome. And yes, Area 224 IS on Facebook. You can Like us there if you…uh…like.

Happy Children
Photo courtesy lightruth, used with CC license.

I made the mistake of reading a book called Aftershock over Christmas Break. [Here’s a non-affiliate link to the Aftershock Economy web page.] The reason it was a mistake? If you believe what’s in the book (general theme: US Economy is in a world of hurt and it’s going to get a lot worse), as I pretty much do, then it has a tendency to ruin your good mood.

Here’s the thing: the Macroeconomic doom and gloom doesn’t have to impact your Microeconomic world. Even if you’re chasing the next thing – new clients, new product launches, new job, new relationships – you don’t have to let negativity impact where you are headed.

Here are 5 tips that might help you stay positive in the new economy.

1. Have a friend act as your coach

I’ll come clean on this one: I have a friend who pulled me aside and asked “Dave, why so negative?” So it was a bad weekend – put it aside and move on.

The thing here is that you need someone who will give you a swift kick and see you how the rest of the world sees you. This is vital.

2. Work on lifting others up

Trite – but can you say nice things publicly about other people? Can you visit other people’s blogs and comment on them? Can you Tweet about someone, or give them a Like on Facebook?

3. Remember this: “Your Net Worth is Not Your Self-Worth”

Really easy to calculate your net worth these days. And really easy to let it get you down, too. Don’t fall prey to adding dollar signs in front of your own value.

4. Empathy is your friend, too

Before you admonish the world for being out to get you, consider the other side of the coin: that person who sent a quick email saying “thanks but no thanks” may be so overwhelmed that she can’t get to everything in her in box. The guy who you can’t spend more than two seconds on the phone with may be trying to save his own job. The person behind the counter isn’t being paid all that much and you’re just another surly customer to them.

5. Laugh it off

Try to seek out people who will give you a belly laugh. Put on an episode of some goofy comedy, or pull out the DVD of a movie that you can’t help but laugh at. (“Airplane!” works for me.) Leave a nutty voice mail for one of your friends at an hour that you know they won’t hear it.

I’m not an expert on how to stay positive in the new economy. But I’m getting better at it, so whether we’re headed into financial oblivion or another age of glorious triple-digit returns on everyone’s mutual funds, I’m prepared to stay positive.

 

Written by Dave · Categorized: Bacon

Dec 21 2011

Top 26 Of Everything for 2011

Lists are Awesome! Here’s Ours.

1. Bacon

This was the Year of Bacon. Wasn’t it?

Wait, it wasn’t?

Angry Birds
Not Cats. Or Bacon.

2. Cats

If you were a Vegetarian Dog Person, this was NOT your year. Just sayin.

3. Google+

While discussing Bacon and Cats, we should talk about Google+. It’s like Facebook, but it’s from Google, so it’s, well, plus. Here’s a link to Dave’s Google Plus Profile.

4. Francisco Rosales

He was kind enough to run our blog post on Holistic Social Media in September, but he makes this list by sharing so much awesome stuff on his site. (TIP: Visit his site today and learn which Social Media Blogs HE recommends. Here’s a link to the Top Social Media Blogs of 2011.

5. Books

Everyone seemed to either (a) come out with a book or (b) get a publishing deal. As a result, everyone is now talking about (c) how awesome everyone else’s book is and (d) where to pre-order their book. (e) Publishing is a wacky world. If you want to write one, learn what to do before you go down that path. Check out the Redhead Writing series on getting published.

6. 12 Most

We’d make this number 12 on our list, but, well, when you skip down you’ll see why we couldn’t. 12 Most: Great site, great lists. I don’t think they’ll run out of things to talk about anytime soon. 12 is a powerful number.

7. The Cloud

Want to make your startup really rock and roll? Make it Cloud-based. Put it in the Cloud. Use Cloud Computing to Solve a Problem. Say “cloud” over and over.

8. Queens of the Stone Age

Hey, if you re-released your first album, performed everywhere, and even showed up on No Reservations…

9. 9-9-9

Herman Cain, you glorious GOP Presidential Candidate you. By coming up with an interesting tax scheme – one that’s simple, memorable, and yet convoluted; I’m paying 9%, but am I doing it three times? Am I really paying 27%? Or is it 9%, then 9% of what’s left, then another…I guess when he unsuspends the campaign, we’ll know.

10. As in ‘Perfect 10’ of PR Stupidity

What Not to Do: Penn State. (Rather than talk about it ad nauseum, here’s a link to the Prevent Child Abuse website. Help a kid, learn what you can do, learn the warning signals.)

11. 11-11-11

This date comes around once a century. Though we will have 12-12-12 next December. And 13-13-13 the December after that. Right?

12. 12 Minute Marketing

Rick Strater and I worked really hard to bring you a dynamite program that trains small business people on everything they need to know to become better marketers. Not sure if the course is right for you? Check out a sample lesson on the site. One of my favorites: Holistic Social Media.

13. Color: The Expensive Launch That…

I remember hearing about this and downloading the app for my Android phone. Then what? Here’s a link to what the site is up to now. I’m not even gonna ask how much money they spent to launch.  (Canadian Readers will point out that they spelled “colour” incorrectly.)

14. DJ and Danny and Chris

Three guys I like a lot for their smarts and no-nonsense approach to marketing, business and life. DJ Waldow, Danny Brown, Christopher Penn.

15. IRL 2011

Got to knock a few people off of the “hey, I’d like to meet them in real life” list this year. Claudia Anderson, Leyla Arsan, Lisa Pugliese, Paige Worthy, Amber Naslund. To name a few. (Five. To name five.)

16. The Launch of the Year

Wow, this one stumps even me. Which launch from 2011 was the most noteworthy, newsworthy, tweetworthy?

It’s this: the Launch of the Year. Rebecca Black. So sorry, but 13,000,000+ views. 13 Million Views of a Video that is Horrible, and a Girl that Can’t Sing.

17. If You Google Ron Paul

Don’t just Google Ron Paul, but Google the phrase “If you Google Ron Paul.” You get this gem.

httpv://youtu.be/FmKwlE3fO-Y

(NOTE: Two straight unwatchable videos of unlistenable songs. You’re welcome.)

18. Internet Marketers

Even if you think there’s a good deal of schtick, there’s something to learn from these guys. Well, not these guys, just this guy: Frank Kern. You’re welcome. Again.

19. Your 2012

You are going to make things happen in 2012, right? You know what you want to accomplish. You have objectives – for your business, for your personal life. So 2012 is where it all starts. Correct? CORRECT.

20. That’s All We’ve Got

Really, there are better things we should be doing – not making up lists, or doing more research on the other 6 things we should add. So…

We’ll keep the title because 26 is a more interesting number than 20.

And, on that note, thanks for listening, reading, watching, and being there in 2011.

 Go Get Em! Make it a Great Balance of 2011, and an Awesome 2012!

Written by Dave · Categorized: 12 Minutes, Bacon, Books, Holistic Social Media

Dec 03 2011

Breaking News: Klout Scores Plummet

Klout, the online site that calls itself “the standard for influence,” has seen its users’ scores plummet overnight…

…with this reporter seeing his drop from 63 on a 100-point scale to 36.

Here’s a screenshot:

Klout
Klout Score, December 3

What’s eerie about the latest Klout score changes are that they happen on a Saturday – when lots of social media users are supposed to be doing other things as opposed to working – and that they happened a day after Klout continued to explain changes on its own blog. (Here’s a link to the Klout blog.)

Knowing that some of those who influence me have left Klout, and others have never used the site, wondering if the latest changes to its algorithm might mark the beginning of a bigger backlash?

Update: As of 10:17 a.m., my Klout score has returned to 63.

No evidence of it having dropped, and no explanation on the Klout.com blog.

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Written by Dave · Categorized: Bacon · Tagged: klout, scores

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