Jonathan Trenn has a fascinating (and extremely well-cited post) regarding the true, bottom line impact of social media marketing.  I’ve posted a quote below, but read the whole thing…

Only 21.2% say social media is a great lead generation source.  That means that almost 80% don’t feel that way.  Why is that?  Again, because we’re not making the case?  Or is it because companies find it as an ineffective means to get new customers

Be sure to read the whole post.  Well worth it.

Mark

The problem of visiting your in-laws (among so many others) is that you miss out on cool stuff when you are away from your computer (along, while anguished sitting on Interstate 95, I did my first mobile post).

Thanks to Neil Corman, I felt a) informed about Peter Shankman (he of the HARO – Help a Reporter Out)’s trivia giveaway on Boxing Day, December 26.  The bottom line, well-described by Neil, was this:

It was an interesting Boxing Day on Twitter, and if you even checked out your timeline at any time during the day you most likely saw ‘@skydiver‘ appearing.  On this day after Christmas Peter Shankman continued something he started on the day before Christmas with the intention of clearing the piles of SWAG from his office by playing “Twitter Trivia”, however this suddenly took off into a huge event with the help of the PR Rep of OGIO who wanted to give away a bag.

Peter asked trivia questions on Twitter, took the answers on the same, and handed out what sounded like a boatload of some cool stuff, including a four days three nights lodging in either Reno, Sparks, North Lake Tahoe or South Lake Tahoe, lift tickets included.  Peter also mentioned that his Twitter following grew by 400 in the first 30 minutes (there is another “I TOLD YOU SO” for all of the people who think that Twitter is useless).

My take away?

First, like the blogosphere, we are starting to see some real leaders emerge in the “Twitterverse.” People who know how to use it — and attract more followers.  I think that folks like Peter and Chris Brogan who are emerging as Twitter “A Listers.”

Second, you don’t have to be super hi-tech to be a thought leader or an “A Lister”  (although apparently Peter and Brian Shaler set up a Web cam so people could watch what was going on);   it still amazes me that Peter’s “Help a Reporter Out” email is plan ol’ text, started that way and remains that way.

And believe me, this is going to the last Boxing Day that a) I sit in the car all day and b) miss out on some cool trivia and subsequent schwag.

Mark

Hi everybody and welcome to MPPR-750, “The Intersection of Online and Offline Public Relations.”  Here’s a little video message below.

Looking forward to meeting everyone on January 8.  And feel free to post a comment, introduce yourself, say “hi” to your new peeps – whatever you like.

Mark

It’s usually towards the end of the year when I become somewhat reflective;  I always have.  What did the last year bring and what is likely to happen in the coming year?  And increasingly, my interactions, concerns and yes, partial happiness come from the world of social media. Social media is about making connections with people, and human being humans, we often take our interactions to the next level and get to meet face-to-face.

A few events in the last weeks have me think of how impactful connecting with people through social media has been in my life – and how it can only increase.

• Just today, I learned that my friend, Chip Griffin is going to have a heart procedure this Monday.  Chip did a post about it and is realistic about describing it as a fairly low-risk procedure/surgery, but like I told him, quoting Homer Simpson, any time that they “tinker with your ticker,” it is something serious.  Be well, my friend.
• Jason Falls, as well, did some hospital time over the Christmas holiday for a strep throat that went out of control like a Kennedy at an open bar.  Jason not only kept those of us following up to speed, but he admitted, Tweeting helped calm his nerves.  He even did a video from his hospital bed (below).  Get well, my friend and the next Maker’s Mark is on me.
• Shel Holtz recently had some surgery, not going into a lot of detail, but Neville Hobson reported that after 400+ episodes, he was flying solo, unwillingly, without Shel.  Shel is doing fine now, from what I understand.
• Over Thanksgiving, I watched and connected with my Indian friends who were lost — or leading — or drinking from the information fire hose that was the tragedy in Mumbai.  I have some pretty strong personal emotions regarding September 11 in the United States, and to me, this was India’s September 11th. People like Shonali Burke helped lead the Tweets and keep them sane while other smart people like Shilpika Das were asking the question we all were:  WHY?
• And so it’s not all bad stuff, I had drinks with three of my all-time favorite Georgetown students, and like a Proud Poppa, learned that one of them, Kristen Wesley, submitted a simple, elegant and “totally her” submission about what sort of superpowers she would have if she were a computer and — whammo bammo — ended up in “Wired” magazine.  No kidding.  I take zero credit for this, but teaching 20-some new students twice a year keeps me always on my toes, often feeling young at heart and more often than not, like in Kristen’s case, extremely proud and happy.

I would go on and on, but my point is that I have met some of the people above and I have not met others.  But I consider them all my friends.  So yes, I scoff at people who think that we who blog or Tweet or vlog all live in our mom’s basements and speak Vulcan fluently.

Sure, my main social circle consists of my family, but I am so, so fortunate to have a group of people whom I can reach out to when they might need a little cheer and I have certainly benefited from my online and offline group of friends through my own surgery this year.

So whether you are reading this through a tweet, my Facebook page or you have stumbled across my little corner of cyberspace, I am grateful for you all.  We support each other, joke with each other and laugh with each other.

We are a network.

Mark

And here’s Jason’s video”

Ok.

So I am experimenting with the Word Press for iPhone mobile application while (riding) in mind-numbingly slow traffic returning from the New York area. In short, I am blogging to keep from jumping out of the car and walking on the side of 95 to prove my point that it WOULD, in fact, be faster to walk than face that seventh-level-of-hell orange glow of stoplights that has been torturing me for the last 100 miles.

I usually try to offer something meaningful to you, dear reader, with my posts, but now all I can do is rage against the Satan-sent transportation pocket that is the Northeast corridor.

So I’ll ask you (and trust me, I’ve got time to field your responses):

• What is *your* car ride from hell story?

Mark