That is the problem with why we are at where we are with social media. People screw it up and then run without ever knowing why they were there, how to use the tools and what they were striving for to get out of it. Others hear this and run. Why? Because they do not want to be the next one to fall victim.

Jonathan’s article was great as he addressed this so well. This is what is right for Jim and not everyone. People will see this and there will be a flood of videos as well if it works for Jim, it will totally work for me. And, for some it may but yet many will discount the the work and credibility that Jim has done/created.

I think if people would stop chasing the numbers and really sat back and understood why they are here, what they are really doing and what works and resonates with their audience, they would be more successful.

@SuzanneVara

Let’s analyze this a bit deeper.
Nowadays, regarding your social media marketing/sales/communication decisions, you can choose from among many, many options.
And is that good? Yes.
But it can also lead to a bad choice. And then it happens to be not THAT good.

Sometime ago, a friend of mine, while we were talking about our lives and problems, told me he’d rather not have an option in his decisions (not just the ones regarding business).
And, although i’m not completely convinced that’s the best, I have to admit that, sometimes, choosing makes you commit mistakes you shouldn’t have commited, if not having to choose in the first place.

So, back again, can you really try EVERY social media tool without losing money in the process?
No, you can’t.
If you choose A instead of B, you are spending your time, and your employees time in order to get something out of A.
And, if so A happens not to be successful, you can go for B.
But then, you will be spending that whole time again in B. Plus the time you have already spent in A.

So…no. Social media tools are not free.
Because choosing is not free.

That’s a big issue.
In the mind of most, social media = tools.
That’s one of the misconceptions that needs to be fought.

In many ways, social media is just another increment of this process. Every business initiative should have the pros and cons weighed. I’ve noticed as corporations are suddenly embracing SEO as the “newest coolest bestest thing” (after years of calling it hocus pocus), but they are doing so carelessly. This is leads to these improper outbursts by the brands. And then they think, let’s pull our hand out of the fire completely. No, corporations, you can cook on fire, you just have to use a “TOOL” (and not your hands) to do it.

Excellent article Lisa.

I really do think there should be required education classes before people are allowed to do things. You want to have a baby, take this class. You want to launch a social media campaign, take this class. Imagine how much smarter we’d all be? :)

And yeah, sadly Troy’s social media efforts have been laughable even before the elections were approaching. They’re just getting worse now. The Troy Record just public emails between people involved in the Facebook Fiasco. It’s not pretty.

Aha. Just a note to host owners to ALWAYS check your popup windows. If you haven’t scrolled down and the popup window comes up, the top right podcast/iPadio icon is embedded over the popup window so it obscures the close window and you are STUCK. So glad I went back to the page to figure that out. I think.

I’m talking to myself now.

*ahem* This is just the same issue with getting educated in technology that CEOs need to take some freaking classes in. Or adults before they have babies. Or a 100 other things. Maybe in 6 months the Washington Post will figure it out.

As for your city, I’ve found that all cities across the nation are getting a little ridiculous right now with the election next week. I don’t even want to talk about what’s going on over here. Feels like Kindergarten yet more dumb comments keep coming along. You would think people would realize that they are not anonymous on the web, yet they still keep trying…