Updated for 2011, a miniature, pocket-sized version of the Signwriters pricing guides. The same information as in the regular Sign Contractors Pricing Guide, the mini guide includes pricing for artwork, ...
Darek's March 2010 column
| Tweet |
It’s no surprise that I’m a bit crabby about social media. I mean, c’mon, anyone that wants real success needs to be hands-on laboring, not swanking their stuff online. I mean, get real -- there's no anxiously awaiting world.
“Action, not words,” I tell my kid.
Nonetheless, you can’t escape hearing of social media. Twitter’s “tweets’ were the first messages from Haiti’s earthquake survivors; the same goes for Iran’s election dissenters. Truth is, sufferers in both groups broadcast news flashes to friends long before CNN’s producers got the word. So, you’ve got to assign social media some credit. It has a place in our modern society.
But, can you sell stuff with it -- social media – or just blow smoke?
That's the trillion-dollar question.
-->Numerous social media sites exist, but the primary ones are Facebook, MySpace, YouTube, Twitter and LinkedIn. A Google quest provides ample information on them, but, for clarity, I’m including a brief explanation of each. I’ve also included quotes from various, industry-related people, many you know, that I contacted through my social media (LinkedIn) account.
Most popular sites
Facebook’s social-media system comprises information-sharing technologies that, via the Internet, will link you with others. Currently, your Facebook name, profile, picture, gender, city, networks, friends list and all your subscribed pages are available on the web. Facebook said anyone can sign up (it has 350 million users); it also promises a trusted [web] environment to its members. Dissenters, however, say no information is safe on the web.
MySpace is similar, but different from Facebook. It’s described as being for creative and intellectual people, not those Facebook-type hordes who merely want to “Link up.” MySpace comprises music, videos, multiplayer games, celebrity news, fashion, comedy pages and, no surprise, a political community.
YouTube is the prevalent, online, video site. It lets people search, watch and share various videos. Essentially, it’s a distribution platform for original-content, video creators, which could be your neighbor’s 12-year-old son or George Lucas. Businesses – including yours – can use it to display training videos and documentaries. YouTube claims 100 million visitors every day.
Did you enjoy this article? Click here to subscribe to the magazine.
