This was a guest post on “The Buzz by Mike Schaffer.” Mike writes about public relations, social media, pop culture and sports. Mike is AMAZING. Stop by his blog and follow him on Twitter. Tell him I sent you!

Hi, my name is Andi Narvaez and I’m addicted to LOST. Like some of you, I was told by the rest of you, “you HAVE to watch it. It’s sooo good.” And not only did I watch it, I’ve devoted the last seven weeks of my life to catching up from the very first episode. That’s right. If there are six seasons, a total of 121 episodes, each 45 minutes long… you do the math. The sad thing is that after the second season, it wasn’t even worth it. But like a good addict, I couldn’t quit it.

Is this sounding familiar? That right. Social media. Hey, if I’m going to make those 5,445 hours (holy waste of time Batman! I wish I hadn’t done the math) worth my time, you bet your life I’m at least going to get a blog post out of it.

LOST is like social media in many ways.

If you think of the island as the Web, think of the passengers on Oceanic Flight 815 as everyone who ends up here either intentionally, by accident, or fate – who knows really. Some of them die. Some survive on shore (the people who get on Facebook, open a Twitter account, but you ultimately stick with Facebook and quit Twitter because it’s stupid and who cares what you had for breakfast, right?) Some of them move into caves and start living on the island rather than surviving on it (most people who use some of the basic social networks and update them pretty frequently). Finally, others explore the island and they find the hatch. They move in and the island becomes home (people on Facebook, Twitter, those who blog, upload and share media, etc.).

And though we sometimes thinks the Web belongs only to us because our experiences via social networks and niche sites are increasingly more personalized, the reality is that there are Others who also live here (and have lived here longer too!) and they do their own thing. But we can only learn that by exploring the Web and bumping into what’s out there. Then we learn that by creating our own realities within this virtual space, we affect the lives of others’ in many ways even if we do not see it.

And then season 3, 4, 5, and 6 happen and we don’t know whose live ends where.

When a show jumps the shark that many times we need to ask ourselves, “why am I still watching this?” And the answer is – those characters and that island. Social media has had its ups and downs too. We’ve seen social networks come and social networks go. We have had to adjust to changes on our social media platforms. Most recently, our privacy has been the victim of a social network’s fickle terms of use.

But six seasons later, we’re still here because we know and love the characters and we care about our island. And in one way or another, we think of ourselves as candidates.

Some weeks ago Mike Schaffer, the proud owner of this blog, asked which LOST couple we like the most. I jokingly said “Hurley and Charlie” but I’d like to officially take that back and say, “The people and the island.”

The final episode of LOST will air on Sunday, May 23. None of our questions will be answered. But at least we’ll still have social media where we’ll endlessly debate and ask the infamous question – WTF?

UPDATE: The final episode aired but I only saw it a few days ago because I’m out of the country. I’m still wondering WTF.

Albeit a few days later than I had originally announced due to a few changes to the syllabus, my students have turned in some great social media case studies. But don’t take my word for it!

Each group picked a brand and wrote a case study that illustrates how social media humanizes brands and helps them be a part of the same communication process and the conversations that everyday individuals, like you and I, engage in. Please check out their brief abstracts below and vote for your favorites! The authors of every case study that earns at least three votes will earn 2 extra credit points on their FINAL course grade. My students’ fates are in your hands!

Let me know if you LOVE an abstract and wish to publish the full post on your blog. The full case studies are archived under the “social media case study” category on the COMM 2301 and COMM 2901 class blogs. Thanks for contributing to my students’ education! Don’t you love molding minds?

Now for the good stuff:

The Miley Cyrus brand

Brand name is a powerful tool and the more recognizable it is, the more success it has. This is especially true for entertainers like Miley Cyrus. Miley is a product of the Internet generation and her brand marketing reflects this. Her use of social media brings the Miley Cyrus name alive to anyone with a computer. She connects with fans on a personal level and interacts the way a friend would online, thus humanizing her brand in a real way.

Pepsi: Rockin’ it new school

Pepsi has emerged as one of the most successful international food brands. Our college acts as an example of this prominence, boasting to be “a Pepsi campus”. Taking full advantage of social media outlets to promote their brand, Pepsi has been able to promote themselves to a larger audience. Networks, such as YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and mobile applications are able to provide information and advertisements that would otherwise not be accessible to our “on the go” society.

The King and you

It seems like every marketing tactic we see today is exactly the same. Other companies advertise products in mundane ways that have already been used a myriad of times. Burger King though has broken away from this strict routine. Anybody who has seen a Burger King commercial can agree that they are all odd in every way possible, yet each one leaves a distinct effect about the brand on the viewer.

Starbucks: Creating a bolder world

Since Starbucks’ appearance on the coffeehouse scene in dreary Seattle in 1971, they have become a coffee powerhouse, now owning over 16,000 stores worldwide.  While much has changed since Starbucks’ humble beginnings, the company has adapted to these social changes with ease.  So how has Starbucks controlled the coffee industry for so long?  Their success can be attributed to their capability to change with the times, to incorporate their name and logo into today’s social media age.

Bieber Fever

What is it that has teenage girls, some grown men, and menopausal women going crazy? Is it a new Apple release? No! It’s the new teenage sensation Justin Bieber. The 16-year old who makes Miley Cyrus look like a thing of the past. From his innocent and playful singing voice, to the side sweeping hairstyle that you can’t help but to love Bieber is slowly taking over the technological world. Having various media outlets for fans to reach him Bieber is never far from the public eye.  Whether it is Twitter, Facebook, or YouTube, it’s Bieber TIME!

Ben & Jerry’s: Happiness in a cone

Chewy. Gooey. Sweet, and cold– what more could you ask for? Ben & Jerry’s offers a one-of-a-kind ice-cream experience. And thanks to Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, mobile applications, and much more, you can figure out where to grab that cone of Cherry Garcia, learn of Ben and Jerry’s philanthropic activism, never miss a Free Cone Day, and even discover a new flavor and its nutritional information! Get the best treats from Ben & Jerry’s tweets.

Think Verizon, Think big

Can you hear me now? Good.” The infamous communication network, Verizon is a company that provides home phone, cable, internet, and cellular phone services for millions around the world. Verizon has been successful in reaching its customers through various forms of social media. With over 872,848 fans following Verizon on Facebook to daily conversations regarding their products and services on networks such as Twitter, Youtube, and Flickr, Verizon has become incorporated into people’s everyday lives.

Chipotle Mexican Grill

The Mexican food frenzy that has swept the nation began with a man, an idea, and a promise for food with integrity. Establishing itself as a cultural phenomenon, Chipotle Mexican Grill has become integrated into every aspect of society, from online ordering, to blogging, to even the celebration of holidays, all with the help of social media and smart marketing. Keeping the spirit of the burrito alive, Chipotle is sure to make your mouth water.

Sephora

Ladies, can you honestly say that you woke up looking this gorgeous?  And come on guys, we know you didn’t smell this good after that 6 am workout.  Sephora is a brand that reaches out to both men and women, to improve their appearance and boost all levels of self-confidence.  I mean, who doesn’t feel sexy when wearing the latest scent from Vera Wang or those insanely bright OPI nail polishes that make you visible from a mile away.  Sephora reaches out through multiple channels to customers, which allows it to be not only user friendly, but accessible from almost anywhere.

Rita’s Italian Ice

A presence in social media is no longer an option; it is an obligation. Rita’s Italian Ice uses different social media sites, such as Twitter and Facebook, to reach its customers in a variety of ways.  Through its use of social media, Rita’s has humanized itself, allowing the company to communicate with individual customers in a friendly and engaging way.  Rita’s solid foundation in social media is a critical component of its successful business model.

McDonald’s

As technology has leaped forward over the past decade and social media has become part of everyday life, McDonalds has stayed on the cutting edge of technology. By harnessing the power of the internet and social networking sites McDonalds is able to address concerns, take suggestions, and create a more personal relationship with its customers.  The phrase “I’m lovin’ It” no longer applies just to the food it serves, but to the way McDonald’s is reaching out to its customers.

Doritos

Doritos is a company that has been established since 1964. Although the 60s seems so long ago the Doritos incorporation stays up to date with the time eras and their consumers through social media. The blogging, social sites, and multimedia allows them to keep their consumers informed with their products why also getting their feedbacks and some new idea. Social media has become more than just advertising, it’s a source and way of communication.

BioWare

BioWare is a developer and publisher of video games. Since 1995, the company has developed many popular titles. In particular, Dragon Age: Origins and the Mass Effect series are two recent role-playing game (RPG) titles that are widely popular among gamers. Alike other major digital entertainment companies, BioWare has branched onto social media networks (e.g. Facebook and Twitter) in order to further reach their fans on another channel, outside of the games.

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I played around with Google Buzz today… I won’t regurgitate everything that is already being said out there, but I will post a link to a good conversation about the service e that unfolded (on GBuzz) after Steve Rubel (@steverubel) posted his initial reaction. And if you care to, check out what people are saying on Twitter now.

I know that it takes times to “see the light” when it comes to new products and services. But since pretty much everything offered on the Web is in constant beta state, if we, the users, don’t do things “Nero-style” and give companies a brutally honest thumbs up or down verdict sooner rather than later, then we miss out on the opportunity to shape the products and services that will later come to shape our reality (Twitter, FTW). So here are my two cents. I am an inbox Nazi. I delete and respond to emails in the constant pursuit of the zero-inbox utopia. Seriously, I’m pretty sure the way to finally reach Enlightenment is through an empty inbox. I ADORE Gmail and email is my top priority. I couldn’t believe that in an effort to force themselves into the social network market, Google would put a “Buzz” link right under my sacred “inbox” link and then tell me that I have more than 100 things to look at when it has taken me all day to respond to 5 emails. Talk about a lack of research and understanding of your publics. So essentially, I have been forced to ignore Buzz. To me it seemed to fall under the “fruit flies buzz around” rather than the “word-of-mouth” definition of the word. I resent this. My friends online are bright people and I just called them fruit flies because Google put out a half-assed product. My affair with Google is intimate. I collaborate using Google Docs, I organize my life with Google Calendars, and I read and learn from the blogs I subscribe to on Google Reader.  My affair with Facebook and Twitter is a little more scandalous and public. For Google to just go balls to the wall with Google Buzz is unacceptable and a huge disservice to their brand and certainly to the rest of us. February 11, 2010 UPDATE: Thanks to Aaron Brazell (@technosailor) for a solid post on Why Google Buzz is the wrong product for Google to try to shove down our throats and for the key to turning it off:

I enabled Buzz on my Gmail account and then promptly disabled it (you too can disable it, if it’s already turned on for you, by clicking on the “turn off Buzz” link in the footer of your Gmail account).

It is true what they say. The good ones are worth the wait.

Christmas came early for those of us — in fact, most of us, according to a November 16, 2009 article on Read Write Web — who use TweetDeck as oru third-party Twitter client of choice. This week, TweetDeck released a series of several updates including Twitter lists, geolocation, more Facebook support, and brand new LinkedIn support. A great article on Read Write Web covers the most significant changes in the new version of Tweetdeck. Here, I will discuss some implications and considerations for those of us who plan on continuing to use TweetDeck now that it has been cranked up to 11.

Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace integration

Because Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn are now integrated, those who know that most of their friends and followers are shared across networks should consider NOT updating Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn with the same thing. TweetDeck is now TRULY a deck, so use it as such. Instead of finding thinking of using the new TweetDeck as a shortcut to cross-posting the same thing all over the place, think of how to tailor your message accordingly to where people are going to care to read about it. If it’s work-related, Link it in, and so on and so forth.

Now that you can easily access your Twitter lists AND your TweetDeck groups, be smart about how you build them. TweetDeck groups aren’t public, so save your “cool people I tweet with all the time” list for a TweetDeck group and use Twitter lists, which are public, with a little more purpose in mind. Use them to add value and become a point of reference.

The new TweetDeck lets you write on the wall of the Facebook Pages with the same ease with which you tweet. This means that you can be more proactive and engaging with your fans on Facebook. Time to be more consistent about showing fans some love, as opposed to only updating the page every time you need something from them.

Should you choose to activate the Facebook news updates column on the new TweetDeck, be strategic about it. I don’t check Facebook as often as I do Twitter and when I do, I tend to see what a few number of my friends are up to  — I write a few witty wall posts, comment on pictures and then I’m off. Now, I’m using TweetDeck to try to catch what some of my new friends or old friends whom I have lost a bit of touch with are up to. In other words, I’m using it to maintain relationships that I may be giving less attention to simply because I’m not on Facebook as much and when I am, I default to commenting on the walls of friends with who I interact more often.

LinkedIn updates come in with less frequency than everything else, so why not activate that on the new TweetDeck? It’s information that I rarely, if ever, was paying attention to. Now, I can tell who is on the move and maybe some opportunities to connect people or connect with people will arise. I haven’t gotten there by using LinkedIn yet but maybe the new TweetDeck will make all the difference in that world.

More updates

TweetDeck’s new profile view includes geolocation; your bio; your link; and followers, following, tweets, and lists information. Don’t set your geolocation as “global” or “wherever the wind blows,” because that tells me nothing and it won’t help you make local connections — and the potential to scaling things back to local is where social media eventually wins and rules above everything else. Also, make sure your link actually goes somewhere, because it is now featured more prominently on your profile view and I might just click on it.

The infamous retweet function is opt-in on the new TweetDeck. All I have to say about that it… you guys are smarter and now your users better than Twitter. And, thank you.

Final Thoughts

TweetDeck, if you’re reading this, Flickr integration would be the cherry on top

February 8, 2010 Update: TweetDeck is now allows you to view Flickr, YouTube and Posterous media within the client.

Watch a video of the features in TweetDeck’s latest version below.

Your turn. How is the new TweetDeck fulfilling your every need? Or is it still coming up short?

More screen shots of the new TweetDeck here.

I spent a few days of my COM 107 class talking to my students about social media. My point was to help them see the light and encourage them to get involved in the social media space because, let’s face it, we’re not ahead of the curve anymore. To illustrate, Mashable and TechCrunch are mashing and crunching up dozens of new blog posts on a daily basis, which — correct me if I’m wrong — means we are all technically dropping the ball and having to pick it back up constantly.

I was very concerned to learn about the social media usage habits of my classes of 48 (total) 18 – 20 year olds. Their use of social media is limited to sites like Facebook where they post on friends’ walls, update their status and, most recently, become virtual farmers of pink cows that I believe, when processed and canned, make spam. They have heard about Twitter but have no clue or interest in “knowing what people have for breakfast” (sigh). Of course, they know all about YouTube and how hilarious it is. A few of them have heard of Flickr. None of them had heard about LinkedIn… Honestly, none of this should have come as a surprise after I asked who had an email account outside of their university account and only 7 out of 48 students raised their hands.

Needless to say, all of them were simply AMAZED when I showed them the Conversation Prism.

My concern is that my students are caught in a sort of social media limbo. While they are worried about turning in papers, attendance policies, homework and exams the world outside of the university microcosm is rapidly changing. The problem is that those of us “out there” are also learning. This is where initiatives like the Social Media Club‘s “ad-hoc” Education committee (#SMCEDU) are very commendable. They are getting educators together to talk about introducing social media curricula at higher education institutions so that students — not all necessarily majoring in communication, public relations, journalisms, etc. — can catch up. However, while we might be able to institutionalize and pass on our knowledge about social media to future students (those who are currently in their teenage years or just about to start college) … what happens to those in school now?

In his post, “Revealing the people defining social networks” Brian Solis indicated that the 18 – 24 year old demographic comprises the smallest percentage pretty much all across the board. Not good.

Firs-years, sophomores, juniors and seniors of the world. I urge you to get a clue. It doesn’t matter what your major is, social media WILL affect your life WAY beyond Facebook. Don’t be surprised that your parents are on Facebook either, be surprised (and very concerned) with the fact that they might be BETTER at Facebook than you. A few more suggestions:

• Get a Gmail account and start using Google. You can forward your university email there so that you can check everything from one place. Once you are on there learn to love: Google Calendar, Google Docs, Google Reader and make sure you fill out your Google Profile
• Get smart about your Facebook privacy settings. You don’t want to be the kid who doesn’t get hired for an internship because your Facebook pictures gave a bad impression of who you really are
• Get an internship, or several! (I know, not social media-related but important nevertheless)
• Hop on Twitter and realize that it is not all babble
• Figure out what RSS means and use Google Reader to subscribe to blogs that interest you for fun, subscribe to at least a couple of others that post useful news information on a regular basis, and get comfortable with the idea that you will be a student for the rest of your life — the learning process never stops
• Create a profile on LinkedIn and start building your resume there. You may not use it as often as other networks but it will come in handy at some point
• After the “magic three” – Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn – you should take some time to see what else is out there and then make the most of all of this by synchronizing your life. For example, if you like photography, upload your pictures to Flickr and synchronize your account so that it will publish on your Facebook wall and send a tweet with a link to your Twitter account. Who doesn’t love more exposure?

I’m sorry if this sounds like homework and I’m sorry if it was an overwhelming post that I had to get off my chest. I promise that once you get to know the social media space for all the great things that it is you will actually think it’s fun.

Teachers, parents… encourage your students and kids to get our there. Heck, teach us the way… you are the fastest-growing demographic here after all.

Everyone else, sorry if I just beat a dead horse to the ground, however, it might help you to know that this is still a pervasive issue among the group of people you will very soon be hiring from.

Flickr user shutupyourface

I’m happy to announce that I made it to midterms unscathed, for the most part. I’m even more happy to announce that the day I’ve been looking forward to this semester has finally arrived. This week, I will be giving my COMM 107  students a crash course in social media. I’m certain that 99.9 percent of them are on Facebook but, if they are going to enter a world that will have changed dramatically in the four years that they will be in college, they must see that the light is a lot brighter than that.

My plan is to define social / digital media and to position the phenomenon in terms of the bigger picture — namely, how it has changed media, advertising, marketing, public relations, politics, news, education, interpersonal communication, business…

Then, I want to show them just how and where the change is taking place. Here is where I would love to get your help. Below is a list of social media categories I created using the Conversation Prism and my own brain. I could go online and fish out specific examples of each to show my students but instead, I wondered if you have or know someone who has a great Flickr profile, YouTube channel, DocStoc archive, etc., etc. that I could share with my students. If so, let me know in the comments or feel free to send me a tweet (@andinarvaez) with the category and a link.

Thank you in advance! And please, feel free to share!

• Picture-sharing
• Livecasting
• Wikis
• Audio / Music sharing
• Events
• Documents / Content
• Customer service
• Video-sharing
• Location
• Reviews / Ratings
• Social networks
• Forums
• SMS / VoIP
• Lifestreams
• Weblog
• Video blog
• Collaboration / Crowdsourced content
• Comments
• Social bookmarks
• Social blogs / Microblogs
• Social News
• Online communities
• Virtual Worlds
• Game-sharing
• Information aggregators
• Email
• Instant messaging

Flickr user Rufus Gefangenen

This is cross-posted on Communi-K: A KGBTexas Blog

Yesterday at retweet frenzy o’clock we heard about the latest news from Facebook. The social network will soon support @mentions within our beloved status updates. Only a few hours later, Mashable’s Ben Parr published a post in which he listed the following five ways the new @mentions on Facebook could impact Twitter.

1. More of the conversation moves to Facebook
2. Users could update Twitter through Facebook instead of vice versa
3. Facebook becomes more attractive to big brands
4. People move to Facebook for breaking events
5. Developers flock back to Facebook

Remember when Facebook introduced real-time to the news feed? And when it bought FriendFeed? And when previews of the now live Facebook Lite first surfaced on the Web?

This is not the first time Facebook has been dubbed a potential Twitter killer. And, not unlike the first time, I don’t think any murders will be taking place around here.

The problem with the term “Twitter killer” is that it’s based on the assumption that Twitter and the other social network in question, in this case Facebook, are mutually exclusive and on the assumption that users will flock from Twitter to Facebook if it completely mirrors Twitter’s functionality.

Dear early adopters, remember the laggards? For the month of August, Facebook and Twitter reported 122,220,617 and 23,579,044 unique visitors respectively. Even if every single unique Twitter visitor was also active on Facebook, we’re still only talking 20 percent here. This makes statements like “especially as many Facebook users utilize Twitter as their status update tool” untrue.

What I think could happen when Facebook introduces @mentions is that the young’uns who are experienced Facebook users and have no clue why on Earth anyone would want to broadcast text-like messages to a following of complete strangers might be able to finally get Twitter because the learning curve isn’t so steep. And perhaps, when the time is right, they too will create accounts on Twitter, understand how it’s different from Facebook and thrive.

Yes, Facebook is undoubtedly vying for user share. And to an extent, I agree with Ed Shahzade and think Facebook should try to be less of a pathetic leech incapable of innovation. However, for the sake of lowering that learning curve, could the fact that they are using the same @mentions terminology as Twitter be a good thing in the long-run?

Only time will tell. Luckily, on the Web, we don’t usually have to wait around too long before things start to become apparent.

Flickr user abnelgonzalez

I was watching an episode of The Office where Michael quits Dunder Mifflin and recruits Pam and Ryan to start a new paper company. In this episode, Michael tries to get his former Dunder Mifflin clients to switch over and buy paper from his new company. In an effort to thwart Michael, Dwight tells him, Pam and Ryan to meet him for lunch and then sneaks into their empty office to steal Michael’s rolodex with all his clients’ information.

Pam mentions that she had spent months entering all the contact information into Michael’s Blackberry so that he wouldn’t have to use the rolodex anymore but I’ll save that for another post. Moving on.

Dwight goes through the business cards and discovers that Michael had written two words behind each one of them. The words were meant to help him remember who each client was so that he could have more personable conversations every time he called them to renew their paper contract.

Reading the two words behind his own business card Dwight says, “Schrute comma Dwight. And on the back he wrote great salesman, better friend.” Then he shakes his head at the camera and says, “Tall and beats.”

Some of us have Twitter accounts, LinkedIn accounts and Facebook profiles and pages where we follow, connect with and befriend hundreds of people. That’s a ton of contacts. But how many do we really know? How many do we pretend to know? Are we ever really interested in people? Do we just follow, befriend or connect with those whose acquaintance might be beneficial to us in the future?

We’re constantly looking for ways to turn down some of the noise online. So I understand how writing two keywords behind a business card can be perfectly acceptable as a jumping off point. But if you stop there then you are not doing yourself of anyone else any justice. There is more depth to people than two words.

I’d had the opportunity to meet some great, brilliant people through a few of my social networks. People who I’m sure I will stay in touch with for many many years to come. Yes, it’s impossible get to know everyone we meet on our social networks. My point is, if the opportunity does present itself – don’t just let it pass you. Take the time to jot down a few more words behind people’s business cards. You may exchange a few tweets after that, maybe an email or two, maybe you’ll never speak to or see that person again. But don’t discount the chances that one day – when the timing is just right – you’ll might find yourself going through your Rolodex and that person is exactly who you needed to talk to at that moment in our life.

It’s simple actually. Be human. Don’t get greedy. Be genuine. And, for Pete’s sake, don’t sign up for any service that promises to get you 300 followers per day or turn you into a social media superstar.  That would be like stealing the bowl of business cards from a restaurant that collects them to give away free lunches, saving the contact information and spamming everyone. And dishonest Rolodex is nothing to be proud of. You would only be helping dilute the definition of the word “relationship” and those are tough to develop, nurture and take to the next level as it is.

I am at Podcamp San Antonio 3.0. So far I have seen people in jeans and t-shirts, army uniforms and sequin coats and hats. And, as one would expect based on the eclectic mix of people, the sessions have covered a diverse set of topics all under the social media sun.

A recap:

Coworking

@firecatsue talked about coworking, which to me is a perfect example of how we can take social media offline and into the 3-dimensional world that all of us are familiar with. Coworking is heaven-sent for people like me who need distractions to focus and feed off other people’s energy and unique passions.

Check this out to get a sense for how coworking is taking off all over the coutry and, if you are in San Antonio… check out C4 Workspace, follow @coworkingsa and hey, why not take a day to actually try it out?

Journey through social media

@TXconflictcoach talked about her journey into social media. She talked about Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, BlogTalkRadio, blogging and MySpace (no, wait… take that back. MySpace is apparently where all the porn is). The thing to highlight about this session is the importance of experimenting and – one of my favorite words – TINKERING with different social media networks, channels, approches, strategies… in order to find the one (or ones) that fit you and what you do best. I highly recommend you do it. Hit the ground running and don’t be afraid to trip and fall – you’ll get back up. I promise.

What does social media have to do with business?

Bruce Hughes talked about how SBDC is helping businesses grow by guiding them through pretty much every step of the business development process. How does this relates to social media you ask? SBDC provides marketing assistance to businesses, which helps increase revenue…. but don’t forget! Social media also helps build communities, develop relationships with your business’ constituents, establish your business as a helpful resource…

We really must make it a point to stop looking at social media first and foremost as a way to make money. Your priority should be to use to to build your business around what your potential customers need, want and care to interact with.

Military and social media

@AFRC_433 talked about how the air force is using social media. Every airman is a communicator, they Twitter and now the base is working on their Facebook Page. So, why would the air force want to use social media? To let the public know what they were up to but do so by communicating on a more personal level.

This was one of the coolest session at Podcamp because it demostrates that with a little persistence, even institutions that have insane amounts of restrictions and levels of hierarchy to cut through in order to get permission to do, well… anything… can start using social media to connect with the public.

@AFRC_433 talked about using her phone to start Twittering, blogging, etc. while she waited for approval to do social media on personal laptops. To the air force, public affairs is public affairs is public affairs. Anything that gets on Twitter goes out with a link to more information and to the Web site. However, she also tweets cool facts like how many tortillas fit in a CS Galaxy (answer: 322, 857).

And that’s the way. Aha, aha, I like it.

I really, really like it.

YouTube, make videos and SEO

Another way of getting your content into Google is video. You didn’t know that? Well there ya go.

Some tips for SEO with YouTube videos:

• Think keywords when you name your video and make it easier for people to find you on Google.
• The actual file you upload to YouTube should also be keyword-conscious.
• Oh yeah, go to Google and do a bit of keyword research to discover what people are looking for.
• Optimize your video content. Pick descriptive keywords that are not used as much in competitive areas to catch the low-hanging fruit in terms of SEO.
• Pillar content vs. Feeder/Teaser content – the first is content people are looking for and the other is content that directs people to another site/source.
• (Me talking…) Subscribe to Top Rank’s Online Marketing Blog and follow @leeodden. The man knows about SEO and the blog is a great resources for tips, best practices, ideas, enlightment, etc.

PS: Don’t be afraid of videos. They don’t need to be edited professionally, scripts, storyboards, etc. If you think you have something of value that could be turned into a video consider it a green light. Get yourself a Flip camera and start rolling. And hey, if you feel uncomfortable about making videos but still want to publish your content in a way that doesn’t involve blogging, try slideshows and narrated visual presentations.

Pay it forward with a virtual network

@Matt_Scherer talked about not just using social networks but doing so to help others. Logical right? We are social beings and we love to share. Matt talked about several places online that are taking this innate quality of human beings and harnessing it to create communities that gather to help each other.

Something that stuck with me was the idea of champions – people who help others find connections and get into the right places to launch their careers, projects, ideas, etc. Ultimately, it is your job to post your resume online, join social networks and begin by eavesdropping on people who share common interests. As Seth Godin would say, find your tribe. If there isn’t one, create one.

Takeaway – whether you are an individual or a company, you are the master of your own destiny but know that you have a world (literally) of people out there who are willing to help you on your way to get there. We all have something everybody wants. Find out what you want, figure out what you have to give in return and get a move on.

Blog your heart out: How to start a blog and stick to it

[My session!]

It went a little like this… if you think you have something of value that could take the form of a blog… start a blog

• Find out who you are and what you want to write about ahead of time. Even if you want to write about everything, know that ahead of time so that you don’t all of a sudden get hit (and hard) by this realization.
• Find your software. Shout out to WordPress for easy stats, great SEO tools, user friendliness, customization, plug-ins and a world of other cool things.
• Customize your blog! Give it a personal touch and write your “About Me” page to let your readers know who you are and what they can expect. This makes you transparent, personable and credible.
• Set up RSS feeds to see what others are blogging about on the topics that interest you. This way, you can add unique content to the online conversation and place the RIGHT inbound links into your posts to make the hallway of mirrors that is the internet a little less dizzying for readers
• What’s that? You want to get blogging already?… Come up with an editorial calendar and evergreen topics you can write about to avoid bloggers’ block.
• Come up with ideas for list posts, how-to posts and other short and sweet content that is helpful, fun to read and that helps you vary the style of your posts.
• More importantly, think of topics that you are PASSIONATE about. If you are not genuine, blogging is a no-go.
• Figure out when you’ll post. Start off with once or twice a week but make sure that you are consistent and good to your readers. Don’t feel pressured. This should be fun.
• Don’t just assume that you are going to have readers. If your blog is your personal diary don’t be outraged if hundreds of comments ensue after every post. If what you are posting useful content and want to share it with people who might be looking for the information you are putting out there, get a Twitter account, feed it, NOURISH it.
• Make your useful content easy to find. Register your blog on Technorati, Bloglines, Feedburner, etc. And use Simplaris Blogcast on Facebook to publish your blog post on the Notes section of your profile.
• Follow @problogger on Twitter. He has a lot of helpful advice and a 31-Day Challenge to Better Your Blog
• Ready. Set. Go.

(By the way, I’m moving to http://andinarvaez.com this weekend – It took a while for me to build up!)

Twitter. All of it.

Oh my… I’m afraid to go there. Basically, register for TweetCamp San Antonio on July 18, 2009 and learn all there is to know

PREVIEW: Twitter is making things HAPPEN.

… Must go. Had an amazing time!!!

Check out the #podcampsa Twitter hashtag and the live stream to catch up with more of what went down inside the Habana Room at El Tropicano hotel today.

Signing off.

The most difficult thing of living in the United States is how far away I am from most of my family. Social media has bridged the gap a little bit but on day’s like today, Facebook wall messages, e-cards, Twitters, email and Skype phone calls don’t always cut it. But then I thought, “Hey! Don’t I have one of those blogs?”

Here is a little somethin’ somethin’ about the greatest woman in my life. I figured a blog post in her honor would get me closer to letting the whole world (or the 10 people that read this blog) know how much I love her.

Happy mother’s day mom.

Man, how cool is social media?