My 9000 MySpace Friends
I was wondering about my MySpace friends the other day, wondering what they were up to. I don’t get on there as much these days. You can however find me on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. It was not so long ago that all the social media experts were saying that the focus is on MySpace, it is the place where your business and your brand really need to be. Before that it was, you really need to be on Second Life, that is where your brand needs to be, in a virtual world. Before that it was, your company needs to be blogging, you cannot run a business without a blog. Oh the memories.
Since things seem to work in cycles, how can we prevent our current networks from being old news a few years from now? Actually I am not sure we can. But I am sure that they will not fade too quickly either. Twitter is a great tool for networking and real-time conversations, Facebook utilizes rich media like video, audio and photos to provide more of a showcase for whatever you want to promote, while LinkedIn continues to be more of a professional atmosphere, focused on connecting business people through discussions and linking.
Current social networks have also learned a lot looking at the history of MySpace. They don’t want to make some of the mistakes that have happened to that site, such as interface and user experience.
I think the thing to do is to create a brand that transcends any current network, one that can be immediately applied to whatever the latest social network is. It’s funny, everyone was so passionate about MySpace, but now, it’s old news. Some of the current networks may face similar fates. It’s all about communication. When a better communication option comes up, people will typically move to it.
I always tell people to be aware and on the lookout of what the next big thing will be, as opposed to jumping in later when everyone else does. If you wait that long, you will be in lots of very crowded markets and communities. The “Next Facebook” is probably being developed right now, so keep an eye out for it.
Lately the cool thing to say is “I deleted my MySpace account, I am done”.
Not so fast.
Since most things do happen in cycles, I see a phoenix-like rebirth of MySpace down the line. It is a huge network that is not going to sit by and watch these new networks grab all the glory. I have no idea how or when it will happen, but it does make sense that it will.
It may be funny to think that you will be on MySpace again daily in the future (even if you are not Dane Cook) but keep in mind, 60 million people are on it this month. That is a big network that I don’t see suddenly vanishing.
Live in the social media moment, but do keep an eye on past tools you have used, they may make a comeback. And look for the next big thing, getting in early could be a huge benefit.
Finally since I don’t get on MySpace too much, I just wanted to give a shout out to my MySpace peeps. Friends, I salute you. I may be seeing you sooner than I think.
Are you still using MySpace? Do you prefer it to say Twitter or Facebook?
Have you moved on from MySpace? Will it indeed make a comeback?
Real Twitter Spam Begins?
I had always hoped social networks would be pretty locked off from spammers. At least that was the dream. However this morning I tend to feel different. There was a Twitter user, spammer, who I am not following and who is not following me. However what they did was put in their message, which was merely an affaliate link, the names of other users. They put myself and several others. So that way it would show up in my mentions. It would also come up with any search on my Twitter username, that I did, or anyone else did. As Twitter users we are fairly focused on our mentions, so this is pretty concerning. In fact, although I can block or unfollow someone, there does not seem to be anything in place to disallow anyone from mentioning my name.
Has this begun to happen to any of you? What could be the cure for it?
4 Steps To Take Social Media To The Streets
There is no doubt that the interconnected web of social media has probably produced an abundance of new contacts for you. You are connecting with more people than ever as well as conversing back and forth with many in your local area you have never discovered before. But try to take it to the next level. Go from online to in person. As well as you seem to know someone online, you could get to know them even better when you actually meet. Of course this is tricky if someone is on the other side of the world, but if someone is right in your area, or perhaps even an hour away, there are great opportunities to connect. Here are some tips on meeting in person:
1. Meet People Not In Your Industry
The common path is we gravitate to people who are doing the same things as we are. There is much to talk about and it’s always fun to trade stories. But it’s when you start to meet up with people who are not in your industry that you really begin to expand your scope. Even if there is not a lot of common ground at first, you may meet with someone who seems to be totally unrelated but you find much to discuss. This wider scope almost always provides a better pathway to success, either in the form of clients or just informational. Or even developing a new longtime friend. I have met with people and discovered entire industries I had little to no knowledge of, some of these industries I am involved in now, so you never know.
2. Meet People More Successful Than You
It’s always a mix, but set up some meets with people who are really succeeding. Being around these people on a higher level really can not only get you thinking in new directions of achievement but it also forces you to excel just to keep up. If it is a potential client, you may be surprised that they want to work with you, which may also help you ramp up your skill set in a short amount of time.
3. Don’t Just Talk Shop
It’s always good to talk about common things, but always float in a few questions aimed at finding out who the person really is. This could be hobbies, causes, interests…people are complex with lots of layers. Diving in to some off the grid conversations can really illuminate the proceedings. If all else fails you can ask them what they do for fun. Often you will be amazed at some of the things people are in to.
4. Follow Up
Keep the momentum going. There are some people who have meets all the time, one after another. Really it’s best to develop a relationship and keep the flow going, as opposed to jumping into the next meeting. You’ll find that even if you don’t have an initial connection, if you keep the conversation going and keep the person in your circle, new things will come up that had not surfaced at first. A circle of contacts is like a circle of clients, with clients you may not work with one and then jump on to the next, you probably work with many on a continuing basis, along the way discovering more about them and their needs. Do the same with contacts, focus more on getting to know them as opposed to jumping to the next one.
Every person you meet is a doorway to a whole new world. But if you run around quickly peeking into doors you’ll never get the whole story. Spend some time, expand your contacts and get to know them better, you may be amazed at what you find when you move from online networks to in person connections.
http://www.FranklinMcMahon.com
