IMPORTANT! URGENT NEWS!

I’m shutting down my computer, spraying Lysol at the wi-fi and bleaching my ethernet cable… run for the hills… social media has been HACKED! Read details of Facebook and Twitter Meltdown at Mashable. http://mashable.com/

John

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  We already know that savvy celebrities are on Twitter, have Facebook fan pages, and engage with fans directly online. A few, however, have been more than a little late to the social web party.

  One such celebrity, Ben Stiller, isn?t afraid to poke fun at himself for discovering the joys of Facebook () and Twitter () a little behind the curve. Stiller, a brand new Twitterer (@RedHourBen) with just two tweets and 4,992 followers, is ready to let us all know that he is online, and even using Tweetdeck () to post to both Twitter and Facebook.
  
  Ben is also fresh on Facebook, and in true Ben Stiller fashion he created a video dripping with dry humor, complete with a fake family, just to let us ? his new fans and followers ? know that he is, in fact, online. We love it.

  Congrats, Ben. It does seem as if you get it now. Now you should join us on Mashchat sometime, so we can quiz you on Facebook status updates, tweets, Twitter clients, and all the other great web stuff you?re bound to be exposed to now that you?re online.

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Tags: ben stiller, facebook, twitter

User reviews: Facebook, TweetDeck, Twitter

Way to go Ben Stiller! Twitter – @redhourben and facebook.com/BenStiller

Branding, Co-Branding and Corporate Branding has never before been turned so upside down as it is now. Ben Stiller has jumped in!

The opportunities are endless for an individual to utilize current social media tools to brand themselves to their existing demo where they can build brand loyalty, and also extend the reach of their personal brand to a new audience.

I have spoken to numerous on-line branding peeps about this very subject and because of my entertainment marketing experience I have encouraged those in the entertainment space to jump in.

Yet, the studios and networks in general are still cautious of over-exposing their content for fear that the brands they put forth will be misrepresented.

Those at the top of the food chain have the greatest impact. See my previous post: http://johnayers.posterous.com/co-branding-entertainment

And then follow and friend Ben!
John

So you know the Apple product. The iPhone, the MacBook, the apps, the coolness factor… but do you know who designed the logo for Apple. Check out this article with Rob Janoff, the Apple logo designer. As someone who was in college when Apple came out with their first Macintosh… I have seen and worked on nearly every iteration of the Mac. From the original 9″ Mac 512 to the MacPlus, the SE, the CI, the FX and the list keeps going. I actually still have the old Mac 512 that has the signatures of Jobs, Waz and all the developers imprinted into the shell casing of the computer.
Anyway, enjoy this article, http://creativebits.org/interview/interview_rob_janoff_designer_apple_logo pretty interesting to go back to the early days.
Also, have you ever looked up who designed the Nike swoosh?
John

Over the past couple of years, I have been involved with GravityTen, www.gravityten.com – a collaboration of professionals with years of creative experience, offering innovative solutions in strategy, design, print, web, broadcast, social media, and beyond.

We believe that the traditional business model of the past is evolving to reflect the world around us. Our partnership concept is born from honesty, is community based, mutually supportive and socially conscious.

Our talented group of independent thinkers has worked on award-winning films, national commercials, successful show launches, branding strategies, breakthrough sound design and unique internet solutions.

Because we have partners and associates in many aspects of strategic thinking and creative delivery, collaboration is in our DNA. The DIYDAYS (http://diydays.com/) initiative, reflects our concept perfectly. We are so pleased to see these efforts and believe we will see more of this framework in the future.
John

Soren Gordhamer is the author of Wisdom 2.0: Ancient Secrets for the Creative and Constantly Connected (HarperOne, 2009). His homepage is:www.sorengordhamer.com. You can follow him onTwitter.

Great article on when we use these two social media tools.
This is more about a reflection of how people use these tools and not necessarily how they should use them. I think we all are still trying to figure out best practices in the social media realm. Soren Gordhammer is accurate in that we all seems to reach out to Facebook people we already know and they tend to be more local.

I would add that that Facebook has a mature MySpace persona, and Twitter has emerged as more of a business tool for the masses.

Linked-In which is not mentioned, may have reached its peak. It has transcended all professional fields across the globe and it will be here for the long-haul… but it may slow in its growth.

Look for other “local” social outlets to be born as we move forward.

Read the full story at http://mashable.com/2009/08/01/facebook-vs-twitter/# or “via” link above.

John

I have been following a growing phenomenon… MOMS with a voice.

AdAge just did this piece on the very subject. Moms make a great deal of purchasing decisions for most households. Think about it. Groceries, kids, health, clothes, and the list goes on.

Now… moms across the digital globe are in control more than any of us know it. The FCC is watching them, companies are playing nice to them, and the top of the crop moms are loving the process.
SWAG for moms. Don’t hate.

Please read via adage.com link above…or here http://tinyurl.com/nhx7gm

Follow this story in the coming weeks and months.
John

OK… so I have to post this.
Thanks to the talents of a lego master… we now have LEGO representations of numerous famed movie posters.
Perhaps too much time on their hands… but you gotta love it!
Thanks Speckyboy!
John

The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Social Media ? First Things First

July 23, 2009 by davidebowman 

Habit 3: First Things First

This habit is a critical one, and one that gets a lot of attention.  Before we delve into First Things First, let?s take a step back to place this habit in the proper context.

Covey?s first three habits are described as habits of independence.  They are introspective in nature.  When adopted successfully they provide a stable foundation for engaging the outside world with purpose, conviction, and confidence.  Habit 3, First Things First, is the final of the 3 habits of independence.   I view habit 1 as the realization that you control your life through your thoughts and actions.  Habit 2 then extends this realization into a vision and purpose for future actions ? personal leadership rooted in changeless principles.  Which brings us to Habit 3, First Things First.

Habit 3 is about execution.  It is the carrying out of the first 2 habits.  First things first is about taking the necessary steps to bring the mental creation of ?Begin With the End In Mind? into the physical world.  This is accomplished by focusing time, talent, and energy on the important things in your life as opposed to those that are simply urgent.  Important is determined by your principles, not by the opinions of the outside world, the demands of others, or the shifting fads of popular culture.

Steven Covey asks readers of the book to answer the following question with regard to habit 3 ? ?What is the one activity that you absolutely know that if you did it superbly well and consistently well would produce marvelous results in your personal or professional life??   Why are you not doing it?  This is where you should focus your time and talent ? on that which is important.

How does this apply to social media?

In the digitally connected, always-on world in which we live, there is no shortage of urgent demands imposed us.  Some by others, most by ourselves.  Blog posts, microblog posts, links, news articles, projects, videos, podcasts, phone calls, new tools and technologies, events, email, online friend requests, comments, and on and on? This list is just the ?digital stuff.?  Now add to these, the bulk of your life, which includes family time, social and professional events, meetings, education, exercise, entertainment, and more.  You quickly get a sense of how much we all have to manage day to day.  With all of this urgency, how on earth would you ever find time for social media?  The answer ? you make it by getting rid of activities that are not important.

Do you watch television every night?  Is this important to you?  Does it have a positive impact on your life?  Is it important?  Is it urgent?  Sure it might be important for relaxation, entertainment, socialization, or even education.  And yes, sporting events and live television could be legitimately viewed as urgent within logical bounds.  Even still, there is a good chance that you can ?make time? for social media by simply turning off the television one or two hours a week.   How many other activities like this do you have in your life?  No, you can?t truly make time, but you can choose how you use it.

To be effective in the world of social media, you need to develop a plan and then commit to it.  It does not just happen.  You need to determine what you want to accomplish, create a plan for moving forward, and then execute on your plan.  Note that this plan probably does not mandate that you be on every social network,  forum, site, and platform that you discover.  That is neither productive nor possible.  Instead of trying to be everywhere, all the time, connected to everyone,  make social media about learning, connecting, and building interactive relationships with people.  Educate and be educated.

With regard to technology, yes it is fine to explore your options from time to time.  There is nothing wrong with exploring new platforms, just realize that you don?t have to use them all.  Manage the time you spend wisely.  Figure out what works for you and leverage it.

Let?s look at First Things First in the context of blogging.  Suppose you choose to start writing a blog ? commit to it.  Create a schedule for posting content.   Set aside time for thinking, researching, and writing.  Regularly post content on a schedule that works for you.  For some that might be several times per day.  For others once a week.  Develop a plan, stick to it, and refine it based on your principles.  The same can be said for social networks, RSS feeds, communities, and other social media technologies.  Focus on the important.

It is far too easy to lost sight of what is important- to just wait until next week to write that blog post.  If you want social media to be truly effective, you must view it as important.  Make the commitment, follow your principles, and put first things first.  Manage your social media activities based on your principles, and you will make important changes in your life and your world.

You all know Stephen Covey’s famed book.
This is a quick read on some habits for social media you may want to know about… or may already be practicing.

For myself, I see commitment to a SM plan as a key to one’s own or a company’s success. All too often, there is either poor planning and/or a lack of follow-thru. Ultimately the initial entry into the space ends up either a slow or sometimes a quick death.

If you are entering social media for a personal brand, professional brand or on behalf of a company brand… make a plan and stay with it!
Thanks David Bowman for the perspective.
John