A social media plan! Time to answer the questions businesses are asking!

Posted by Chris in My Blog & Guest Posts,My Views & Thoughts,comment,general on May 7, 2010

As I write this post the UK General Election 2010 has just happened. 45 million people will have either cast their vote, be thinking of who they’d have voted for or be glad they didn’t get involved in all that nonsense and then moan and whinge for the next few years.

Sound Familiar? You’ve think you know what I’m talking about… but can’t quite put your finger on it.

Let be put you out of your misery. The UK electorate behave in exactly the same way that many businesses and organisations do towards social media. Bingo! My guess is that Read more…

Need inspiration? Take 2 pills of social media guru pain relief & swallow…then focus and become great

Posted by Chris in My Blog & Guest Posts,My Views & Thoughts,comment,general,opinion on April 20, 2010

I’m carrying on a theme from an earlier post but I don’t think it’s just me that sees companies and individuals across social media going through plenty of self-analysis and soul searching lately.

The reasons for this to me are relatively clear.

1. Many so called experts and gurus(??) are slightly bemused as to why the promised land hasn’t led them to fields of gold, and the billionaires haven’t materialised quite as quickly as was meant to happen – written out in the prophecy’s of many before them

2. Organisations, companies, industry commentators, SME’s, traditional media and even government don’t know what to do with what’s supposed to be the new holy grail of  the marketing and communications arena

I could write about the problems and Read more…

Life is not played out in 140 characters

Posted by Chris in My Blog & Guest Posts,My Views & Thoughts,comment,general,opinion on March 13, 2010

It’s a thought that’s been whirring around my mind for a while now as I’ve been watching the social media channels fill up with 140 character messages, status updates, wall posts, blog comments and image uploads and I’ve started to realise that too many people don’t seem to mind that they’re playing their lives out on computer screens or through their smart-phones.

I appreciate that the very fact you’re reading this demonstrates that we’re both playing a part in the same side show but hopefully by the end of this you’ll take the thought away that all your energy and raison d’etre should be channeled into forming close relationships and holding direct communications with all who you feel worthy of your time.

It was a year ago when I first registered for Twitter. Like you I didn’t know anybody. I watched, listened and began to engage in conversation. After a while I realised that I was often communicating with the same people, sometimes in replies and other Read more…

Likeminds. Bringing people together? A resounding Yes!

Posted by Chris in Events,My Blog & Guest Posts,Social networks,comment,general,opinion on March 4, 2010

Like 350 others I was lucky enough to attend Likeminds 2010 in Exeter, Devon last Friday.

Much has been written about it the day; from the speakers, the attendees and the atmosphere, and most it has been very positive.

There has even been a minor backlash at all those who seemed to infiltrate the twitter stream with the ubiquitous #likeminds hashtag. But isn’t that the point. Did I miss something? Isn’t the very essence of why we all went was to meet ‘Likeminded’ people who all want to understand, learn and develop their communication skills – for themselves, for their clients, and for their organisations?

How many events have you been to where you’re still Read more…

Eyes Down! Social Media… every day 24/7/365! But is it worth it? Hell Yeah

Posted by Chris in My Blog & Guest Posts,My Views & Thoughts,comment,general,opinion on February 17, 2010

So far (and I mean so far, as I have absolutely no intention of changing) most of us reading this will spend an average of 2 – 5 hours each today embroiled in looking at our tweetdeck columns, iphone social media apps, favourite blogs, You tube links and/or leaving comments and thoughts across the world wide web.

And the reason we do this is what exactly?

My bet is that almost of all you have questioned at some point the amount of time we spend engrossed and involved in this social media revolution, but we’ve found at least Read more…