I’ve been thinking about lists on Twitter and how they might be used to assess someone’s influence.  I’m about to let you in on my thought process.   Please keep all  hands and feet in the car until it comes to a complete stop. We are entering murky and dangerous waters …

My assumption is that if somebody puts you on a list, they really want to pay attention to you.  They are giving you a vote of confidence. 

By dividing the number of lists a person is on by their total number of followers, I believe this might serve as a quick and dirty rating of relative influence. To me, this is one simple method to answer the question — you have a lot of followers, but how many REALLY listen to you? 

Certainly this is more straight-forward than the mysterious algorithms of Twitter grading apps. Both number of followers and number of lists are public, easily-accessible data points.   Another advantage is that “list” is a relatively new Twitter function.  People have not had time to figure out how to “game” it yet.  If this formula would catch on, people will probably figure out a way to boost their numbers, but in this moment in time, it’s still “pure.”

For your edification and discussion, I came up with a representative list of top social media bloggers (those with more than 10,000 followers) and ran the list formula (# of lists / # of followers = influence rating).   Try it on your own favorite marketing personalities.   Any surprises?

P.S. My own ranking came up as 4.5.  Eat your heart out Brogan.  ;  )

I’m really proud and pleased with how the {grow} community has, well … grown.  Reading your comments every day is like tapping into some of the best minds in the world on the most relevant topics in marketing today.  It’s also a lot of fun!  Thank you.

One way we can all get to know each other a little better is by following the blogs of other community members. I thought it might be nice to give you an opportunity to shamelessly promote your own blog.  Please let the other community members know about your blog in the comment section below and tell us a few words about what you like to write about!

As one audience member recently wrote, “ the {grow} community is like no other.” One of the aspects that I like about it is that we look for opportunities to HELP EACH OTHER.  I encourage you to read, support and comment on each other’s blogs as a way to connect and support the entire global {grow} community.

Appreciating this tribe more than you will ever know,

Mark

I have never used this community to comment on another person’s blog but today I’m just so happy, so enthralled, so downright giddy that I could kiss my keyboard.  One of the social media purists has finally discovered the bright, clear light of capitalism.

And it couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy — Jason Falls.  Jason is one of my favorite bloggers but has historically been one of the stalwart “keepers of the conversation.”  You know the type — the social media country clubbers who set the industry’s tone with a relentless mantra of “it’s all about connection” and “conversation” and “relationships.”  In fact, a few months ago, Jason went so far as to write that any company expecting to make money off of social media will fail.

But a new day is dawning.  Yesterday, in a post entitled “Why Social Media Purists  Won’t Last,” he wrote:

Each time I discuss the business goals or reasons why a client wants to use social media, the answers come down to one thing: selling more stuff. It’s a harsh business reality. If you don’t make money, the business goes under. If you don’t make more money, people lose their jobs.”

The social media purists have laid down the law and, so, to participate in social media as a business, you must do things like, “participate in the conversation,” “engage your customers,” and “talk with us not to us.”

I’ve got news for you. In the world of business, all that talk will get you exactly nowhere. Conversations do not ring the cash register. Engagement does not sell more product. Talking with people just means you have to take time to listen which prevents you from spending valuable time selling more product.

Halleluia.  Maybe I’ll finally have some company out here in the social media netherworld of business rationality.

And if this isn’t enough reason to celebrate, read what the Ultimate Blogging Machine Chris Brogan wrote just a month ago:

Think Like a Business – if you’re in this for business, always ask yourself how this work ties to more sales (and if you’re not trying to make money, think of “sale” as whatever you hope to convert. Hint: it’s not “more audience.”). If you’re just writing to write, shooting video to get it up there, tweeting because people said you should, rethink all that. Decide what’s going to ring your register and work on that.

What???  Ring the register?  Not seeking “more audience?”  Could this be an era of enlightenment for the guy who recently yelled at his audience:  “This is NOT about you and your STUPID COMPANY” ?

What’s happening around here?  My guess is that both have recently had a big dose of the real world.  Falls went out on his own and had to come out from behind the P&L  protectionism of agency life.  Brogan’s sudden emergence on a bigger stage probably got him in front of experienced business people instead of the sycophants who dutifully re-tweet his every blog, bluster and burp.

So this begs a new question.  Are my days as a contrarian coming to an end?  I mean if Brogan’s in, the burp tweeters will fall right in line. If the social media elite are finally figuring it out, what do I write about now?  Hmmm.  How about, “It’s all about the conversation?”  : )

One of my customers is a brilliant management consultant. An engineer by training, he does not come by marketing instinct naturally and asked me to help.

This is a customer tailor-made for Twitter:

• Small business-owner
• Enormous, global market potential (needs a lot of awareness)
• Small budget
• No time to blog, develop content, etc.
• Tech-savvy
• Is a charming, bright person with engaging personality.

And yet he WILL NOT TWEET.   I coaxed, cajoled and threatened.  I’ve trained him patiently and even prescribed a daily Twitter regimen.  I demonstrated the power of the platform when I found him a potential new business contact on the first day of operation.  He didn’t follow-up and seems content with his tweet-free existence.

This may seem strange, but it isn’t.  I’ve found similar resistance from many people who can benefit from this business tool. I asked my client ”why” and (published with his permission) here is his answer:

Not sure why really.  I guess the idle chatter (which is mostly what I seem to see when I log on) just doesn’t make any sense to me.  There’s obviously some self imposed barrier that I can’t or just don’t want to cross.  You were kind enough to introduce me to Twitter, and I appreciated that.  There’s the old expression about leading a horse to water.  Guess I’m just not that thirsty for Twitter water… at least yet.

This type of reaction is not unusual. In fact I was a Twitter Quitter myself and had to really push through a few weeks of of this non-intutive communication platform before I had an expereince that changed my view forever …

I was bored one night and noticed a trending topic titled #newnameforswineflu.  I clicked on it and was entertained for a half hour as people from all over the world chimed in with alternaitve names like “Hamthrax” and “The Aporkalypse.”  Although this event was playful, it dawned on me that I was watching a real-time global brain-storming session.  Now THAT was very cool.  That was something that could never have happened before in the history of mankind.  I got it. The light bulb went on for good.

I’m wondering, what did it take for YOU to “get” Twitter? Was it simply perseverance? The fear of falling behind? Or did it take an “a-ha” moment like me?   For the 40 percent of us who didn’t quit after trying it, what lit the lightbulb for you?

Illustration: Natalie Dee

I had  just listened to a Jethro Tull album on my iPod and then saw on my news alerts that the rock band is launching a new, massive tour of the U.S.  To me, this is the universe telling me I need to write a blog about Jethro Tull. This is how my mind works by Friday.

If you give me a minute, I PROMISE there will be an illuminating point at the end that will make you gasp in wonder. 

When I was a boy, Jethro Tull was the most amazing band around, combining blues, rock, folk and classical music in incredibly complex tunes. They made an entire album that was one song.  Twice.  Their great rock anthem “Aqualung” was about a homeless pervert.  Their live concerts were theatrical spectacles.  JT was the coolest of the cool.

Since about 1980, most of their music has been crap.  They have not had a hit song since the 1970s. That hit was “Bungle in the Jungle” which is arguably the worst song ever written. The two core musicians, Ian Anderson and Martin Barre are bald and in their 60’s and Ian just can’t hit the high notes any more.  They continue to limp around the world, playing to elderly, devoted fans.

Like me.

Why would I stick with a band long after they have been relevant … or even very good?  Because there is a deep emotional attachment there. Their music and image evokes some of the best, most exciting times of my youth, some of the best years of rock music.  Jethro Tull MEANS SOMETHING to me!

OK, here is the point you’ve been waiting for.  The world’s greatest marketing associates emotional meaning with a product. Coca-Cola.  Apple.  BMW.  Each evokes an emotion and meaning.  The brands mean something to the customers. Just like Jethro Tull.  Ready … set … gasp!

This is my goal: to build an emotional connection with my readers so they will still love me even when I’m old and writing crap. (This is when you say: “Like today?”)

Have a great weekend!

Awhile back I put forth a “success formula” to create business benefits through social media:

Connections + Meaningful Content + Authentic Helpfulness = Benefits

The more I see and hear and learn about the social web, the more I’m convinced this is spot-on.  You can see the whole article here, by the way.

I’m learning that within this formula, content is a SEVERE bottleneck for most companies.  Here’s why:

1. Companies are piling on to the social web and are desperate to provide content that will cut through the clutter. It takes a special talent to do that. Typically, they don’t have that special talent … but are willing to pay for it.
2. I’m sure you’ve heard stats like, “more content has been created in the last five years than in the history of mankind.”  I either made that up or I heard it someplace (or both) but I’m sure you’ve heard similarly ridiculous statements.  There is a kernel of truth in there, however.  There’s already too much freaking content for any normal person to keep up with.  And the problem is going to get worse.  In fact, it will never get better. The need for content seems insatiable. This exacts more pressure on companies to not only develop “meaningful” content, but content that will knock your socks off.  Every day.
3. The need for “authenticity” is an artificial barrier set by the social media country club that is keeping some people from ghost blogging. (Article on how to do it RIGHT is here.)  That barrier will go down as the price companies are willing to pay for content goes up.  There will be plenty of content-whores around for everybody.  And I mean that in the most respectful way.  

So here’s the business plan: Come up with a posse of technical writers/content whores who can churn out blogs on a variety of subjects (maybe organize by verticals) and fill this out-sourcing market niche.  I would do it myself but I’m far too lazy.  

So there it is.  Business Idea of the Year!  Go be the Wal-Mart of content.  The Blog Super Store.  Content Whore Warehouse.  Whatever, just go do it and I’ll be the first to hire you for my customers.   See, you can’t tell me I never did anything for you. : )

Yesterday Business.com released additional results of its milestone study of social media  usage across American business, this time with a focus on B2B.  This research should put an end to the argument over the relevance of social media in the industrial sector. In fact, it appears that by percentage, B2B is ahead of B2C in some key categories.

Like the general study I reported last week, this report is chock-full of details by industry, job type, and social media platform. It’s significant because of the scope of the study and the statistical rigor applied to the results. I recommend spending time with this survey, but here are some highlights that caught my attention:

• B2B (defined as companies with >2/3 sales to other companies) actually show as much, or more, involvement in social media as counterparts in B2C.
• Professionals working on social media devoted 21% of their time to this activity versus 18% for the study average (this would imply a much lower rate for B2C but the number is not broken out).
•  B2B company respondents have somewhat more experience with business social media initiatives than their peers in B2C and mixed companies – 30% of B2B respondents have less than one year of business social media experience versus 35% across the study
•  The study showed a statistically significant difference in social media activity with B2B’s dominating in 11 out of 14 social media categories. The three exceptions are – there’s no B2B versus B2C difference in the percentage of companies managing online communities, and B2B companies are significantly less likely than B2C companies to monitor online ratings/reviews of their products or services and to advertise on social media sites.
• B2B’s are more likely to pay for social media monitoring platforms.
• B2B’s are having better fortune seeing an impact of social web projects on their web traffic (70% versus 62%); Revenue (60%/52%) and sales leads (57%/53%).
• Marketing owns the social media initiative in 76% of the B2B’s versus 63% B2C.
• B2B companies maintain a high presence on social media sites, with 81% maintaining one or more accounts on sites like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. B2B companies are much more likely to engage in micro-blogging on Twitter than B2C companies.

It should be noted that of the total survey participants, just 25% were B2B, indicating that overall adoption of social media probably lags B2C.  And while the most highly-publicized success stories are eminating from B2C, this study shows conclusively that among those participating in the social web, B2B’s may be engaged more deeply and more broadly than their B2C counterparts … some of the most surprising, and compelling, conclusions I’ve seen in this field.

What are your thoughts on this research?

I’ve had the great privilege of teaching a college-sponsored class on social media marketing and as usual, I’m learning more from the class than what they’ve learned from me … but that will be our little secret, OK?

As I was providing examples of how you can leverage content across various channels to increase awareness, I had to admit that I didn’t practice this very well myself.  Why?  I just don’t have the time.  

My marketing consulting practice has been very strong, and as I strive for an ideal work-life balance, something has to give.  Time spent on incremental efforts like Facebook and Twitter has to take a back seat to family and customer needs.  

This may seem like heresy from somebody who lives and breathes marketing, but I think this will be reality for more and more people.  As the economy heats up, unemployed, or under-employed, individuals spending vast amounts of time on the social web and networking will have to make new choices as they return to work.  

Here’s my hypothesis:  The growth of social media will slow as the economy improves.  And in areas where the economy is doing extremely well, social media usage may actually decline slightly.

Other possible implications:

• As people return to work, the prime activity level on social media will be more heavily-weighted to the evening hours, since many companies restrict social media usage in the workplace.
• The number of channels in which people participate will narrow. This may hasten the decline of some platforms like MySpace.
• There may even be a slight shift in advertising budgets BACK to traditional media (drive-time radio?) since access to Internet-based impressions will be limited in a workplace.  How do you see a Facebook ad when you’re working a construction job?

I believe that use of the social web will still grow overall as people and companies find clever new ways to make the underlying technologies more useful and fun. But I think it is unavoidable that an improving economy will temper this growth.  The best environment for social media growth is when people have a lot of time on their hands and a shift is in our future.  Do you agree?

Note:  In addition to some wonderful comments below, you can find a nice counterpoint perspective on Gregg Morris’s related blog post: http://bit.ly/3tQtiW

I’m constantly looking for great new marketing ideas and I’ve found a couple of up-and-coming writers who have become some of my favorite sources.  I wanted to share with you a few blogs that I’ve been reading for at least a few months, are off the beaten path, and deserve a look to see if they fit for you. 

CK’s Blog – Christina Kerley is simply one of the best marketing bloggers out there and she specializes in B2B to boot. CK is a consistent source of fresh ideas and original perspectives.  Her blogs are “how-to” manuals!

Digital Marketing Today — Nitin Gupta is just so freaking smart.  He doesn’t blog often, but when he does, he provides thought-provoking, thorough commentary.  Nitin recently converted his blog from observations on the financial services industry to digital marketing in general.  Even when it was just about banking I liked it … now I love it.

Dumb Little Man — The world’s most useful blog.  A team of writers contribute short, punchy articles on how to make life easier.  Recent topics include “How to manage your time on social media,”  “How to motivate your team” and “Six Tips to Re-Engerize in the Afternoon.”  It’s not strictly about marketing, but it’s just so darn helpful.

Neicole Crepeau – Neicole is a tech-savvy writer and a great thinker.  Her posts on Twitter and social media are consistently interesting and a couple of times each month she really smacks one out of the park with a post that is completely original and provocative.  She is finding her blogging “voice” and is getting better and better each month.

One True Sentence — I don’t know how she does it, but Rebecca Denison puts out a summary of the best social media marketing, measurement and PR blog posts of the day … well most days at least!  And she doesn’t just cover the same blogs all the time so it’s a great way to see a diverse digest of quality social media topics. 

Phoenix Rising — Rebel Brown has been consulting on business transformations and start-ups in California for more than 20 years. Why wouldn’t you listen to her business advice?  I like her posts because she draws on real-world experience, doesn’t pull any punches, and examines the human side of business. It’s a fun and ballsy blog.

So there are a few new idea-generators for you to consider.  For good measure, of the “mainstream” blogs, here are the three I read most consistently:

Tough Sledding — Bill Sledzik teaches PR at Kent State University.  His posts are like going to school. I love the way he explores current topics and inserts his own observations and experiences … just like an effective teacher.  He hates to be called a marketing guy but I do it to piss him off.  Bill, it’s ALL marketing.

Jeff Bullas — I don’t believe there is anybody who provides so much depth to the social media marketing conversation so consistently.  I look forward to every post from Down Under.  The man is very talented and insightful! 

Social Media Explorer — For my money, Jason Falls is the best social media blogger in the business.  He covers it all — technology, business applications, trends and opinion.  He’s freaky smart, a superb writer and a fellow WVU grad. What’s not to like?

OK, I’ve shared with you … now it’s your turn. That’s how it works around here!  So, what are you reading these days?  How about sharing your favorite blogs with the rest of the community in the comment section!

Illustration: www.gapingvoid.com

My local newspaper is a cesspool. 

The comment section of the online version has become toxic … filled each day with misinformation, bigotry, cruelty, and hatred.  This is the darkest side of social media.  When technology enables everyone to be a critic and publisher, even those on society’s frayed edges must be welcomed to contribute anonymously and freely.

What happened?  The Letters to the Editor section used to reflect the dignity and integrity of the newspaper itself. Letters were subject to proof of identity and editing. But today’s web-based “letters” more closely resemble a TV reality show: vicious fights, alliances, regular “characters,” and no-holds-barred drama. I have no problem with anybody publishing this crap or reading it in the forum of their choice. But this sensationalistic and shocking drama is now playing out before our eyes in the context of mainstream media.

This is the bleeding edge of social media ethics, a place where law, free press, individual liberty, and civility intersect. Whether you’re a blogger, Tweeter or simply a reader, the opportunity to have anonymous hatred pushed in your face affects us all.

As reported in a superb article by Frank N. Carlson, some are finally beginning to question the value of these remarks.  How do they fit within a newspaper’s mission?  A community image?  How is this different from “regular” journalism?  What are the consequences of catering to the fringe? And who defines “fringe?”

A catalyst for this awareness is that comment cruelty is starting to make news on its own. Carlson reported that the FBI actually subpoenaed a local newspaper regarding a threatening online comment made toward a murder trial defense attorney. Earlier this year, comments made by online posters made news when a courtroom debated the media’s allowance of racist, anonymous comments on its websites. And a few weeks ago, I posted a story about a local pizza shop owner who was sued for $2 mm for alleged libelous comments made through social media channels.

The online commentary has become so vicious here in Tennessee that the local newspaper called a community meeting and has now taken action to limit offensive authors. Here’s a summary of these steps to illustrate how one community is dealing with social media run amok.

1)    Newspaper readers can now turn comments “off.” Previously, comments would appear at the end of an article whether readers wanted them or not. 

2)    Newly-registered commenters are on “probation” and are screened by editors before being published.

3)    If a certain number of commenters flag a comment for review, that comment will automatically collapse, or “auto-redact,” and a warning will appear to the reader that it may contain offensive content. This way, offensive remarks can be hidden when an editor may not be present to take them down. And if a user’s auto-redacted enough times, his or her user name will be automatically banned from the site.

4)    Newspaper staff members were encouraged to participate in the conversations to steer them back toward the focus of the article, or to correct misinformation and answer questions being posed by commenters.

5)    Editors are attempting to standardize and lower the threshold of what is considered offensive.

In this space I could not possibly examine all the issues and implications presented by the growing levels of commentary cruelty and efforts to control it.  That’s why you’re here.  : )   How do these issues impact you and your ideas about personal liberty, evolution of the traditional press, and social media?