Although I would like to write a thousand word article on this subject (trust me, when I rant, I rant), I am going to try and sum it up in one paragraph.

Take for example you are working in your garage. You need to hang some shelves up so you can neatly organize your tools or whatever it is that you need to organize. Now to hang these shelves you most likely will need a tool to put some nails on the wall. Your tool in this case is going to be a hammer. Your work in this case is putting the shelf up. You see, although hammer is no doubt required to complete the job, it’s only a tool that facilitates the completion of this particular job. You might be able to do without the hammer, but it sure is a must in order to achieve great results (hanging the shelf securely).

The hammer (tool) in the example above is social media. Completion of hanging the shelves up is your work (building a community, viral marketing, sales, etc.). Social media is a tool, a tool that is a must in today’s fast paced world but it definitely isn’t work. Work depends on what you are using social media for. So next time you feel the urge to update Twitter, Facebook or anything else keep this in mind.

Tags: Social Media, social media marketing // Add Comment »

My good friend Neal Rodriguez recently put together a video which highlights some of the ways he uses different platforms to drive traffic and awareness. If you haven’t heard of him, or have yet to know him … it’s about time. Personally, I think he is one of the best interviewers out there. The questions, the analogies and everything this guy does is stellar. Anyways, be sure to watch the video below and head over to his site to watch a few more. Warning : Be prepared to be stuck on your chair, cause when he talks, you have no choice but to listen.

Click here if you can’t see the video.

Tags: Social Media, social media marketing // Add Comment »

The internet has turned men into boys and women into girls. Harsh statement? Yes. True statement? Yes.

The whole issue surrounding Facebook and privacy policy is getting just out of hand. Everywhere you freaking go it’s “I am gonna quit Facebook, if they don’t fix this.” Well, guess what? You should. I understand the way they rolled out things weren’t wise, but there has been so much talk about it that by now if you still don’t know how to hide your shit, you don’t deserve to be on it anyway. Besides, what makes you think your stuff is private anywhere? Half of you people who whine and moan are the same people that have handed Nigerian scammers your email and physical address in hopes of getting a couple million dollars, and here you are talking about privacy? Bite me.

The same people that talk about privacy issues surrounding Facebook are the ones putting videos of their toddlers on YouTube for the world to see. Images of them laying on bed with their other half on Flickr and what not, and you guys are the ones touting about privacy? Facebook at the end of the day is a business and as a business there goal is to dominate the world cause well, it’s Facebook and they are well on their way. The privacy issue is blown way out of proportion and since half of you don’t have anything better to do, it’s time to join all the hate filled page ON FACEBOOK. Here’s the kicker, you need facebook to bitch about facebook!

Privacy on the web is dead. No matter what you do, how you do…there is someone who knows how to get that info out in the public. Don’t make it a big deal, take a big boy/girl pill and suck it up. Huffington post called Facebook privacy issue as bad as the oil spill, I don’t know how the two can be compared but I guess they can be, I fail to see it.

And finally, if you are going to take a shit in the middle of the road and expect the world not to point fingers at you, you are dumb. If you have something that private, don’t share it on Facebook, simple. Web is open, web is transparent whether you want it to be or not is a different thing. We all have our opinion. I am sure many of you have a different opinion than mine and I respect it.

My frustration isn’t related to Facebook alone, it is related to web as a whole and Facebook just happens to be the center of it all. Privacy is dead.

Tags: Ramblings // 1 Comment »

Holy Crap!

The whole privacy issue surrounding Facebook’s new feature is starting to get a bit old. People are talking how they hate it on Facebook, Twitter, Blogs and everywhere else. Might as well start a fanpage called “Anytime Facebook Releases Something We Are Gonna Bitch and Moan.” I think it’s about time we should all realize that there is no such thing as privacy on the web. It’s a thing of the past (maybe present) but it certainly won’t be a thing in the future. Come on, let’s face it guys.

Another thing that really surprises me is the fact that people are ok letting others know where they are at all times using services such as Foursquare, Gowalla, etc. but they are not ok having someone else know what they are doing on the web. I know, it’s crazy. It’s ok if your boss sees your tweet that says “I am at Broad Street Brothel” via foursquare but it’s not ok for them to see what you like on the web?

We gave the right to privacy ourselves. No one forced it. Yes, I agree that Facebook is trying to take over the web and what not, however, if you were Facebook, wouldn’t you? You bet your ass you would.

Anyways, if it made me write here it certainly has been bugging me a lot.

Get used to it people …. there won’t be no such thing as privacy on the web. We handed the keys a while back and they have figured how to open the door.

Tags: Social Media // 2 Comments »

Facebook better be prepared for some bashing. Pretty soon you are all going to see a new design and the design is quite different from the one we are used to. This is quite different from the old one. I use Facebook both for marketing and to touch base with friends and family. Since I use Facebook for marketing, I have more than one account. When I logged in to my Facebook account I still had the old design but one of my other account was showing the new design. So I quick grabbed it so you get an idea what’s changing.

Here is what the old design looks like (the one many people are currently seeing). I have marked the areas that have changed so you can expect what areas of the old design are being changed.

Now compare the old design and new design (below) and see what the changes look like. This is quite a drastic change as far as design goes and I am sure Facebook is going to get slammed by users once again. They are used to it though. Kudos to Facebook once again for trying out things.

What do you think? It’s pretty different huh?

Tags: Social Media // 3 Comments »

I honestly am not in the mood to write an intro for this post. I have something to share so without any fluff and all that “formal” crap, I will get right to the point and start talking about what social media isn’t.

Social Media…..

Isn’t Work

That’s what pays the bills and here I am saying it isn’t work! Something is definitely wrong with me, right? Well, let me explain. You see there is a difference between work and tool. Social media is a tool and not work in itself. What are you using Twitter, Facebook, SlideShare, YouTube, Flickr and thousand other platforms for? To reach out, engage and hopefully be a part of the community. What is your ultimate goal? Maybe it’s increasing the readership of your blog, boosting the sales, building community and so on and so forth. Now, that’s work.

If I were to put a shelf up in my garage, I need a hammer to put nails in the wall. My work is to hang the shelf up and hammer is the tool. You see what I mean. Social media in this case is a hammer and it’s a tool. If social media becomes work, you are doing something wrong. [Click here to read more →]

Tags: Social Media // 6 Comments »