Meeting Trevor Hurst of Econoline Crush

One of the wonderful things about social networking is that you can connect with interesting people that you don’t know initially who can go on to become friends, clients and business partners. There is something freeing about the internet that makes it easier for even the most introverted among us to reach out and really touch someone. Remember the old AT&T Commercials:

I recently met someone quite famous on-line in a web-conference type scenario. The thing is I had no clue who he was at the time, only his location: Canada. I could deduce a few things about him from our conversation: his demeanor, looks and choice of wording. I gave him my candid impression of his “personal brand”: rocker (as in musician) and sensitive guy with a vocabulary style that screamed out ‘writer’. These were all characteristics that he did not mention himself. Apparently, I was dead on because he was surprised by my description and asked if I knew who he was; which of course I did not.

The unknown guy told me that he was indeed a musician and a songwriter and gave me the name of his band, Econoline Crush and one of their biggest hits, “You Don’t Know What It’s Like.” I had never heard of either but was intrigued. Being the skeptic and ardent Googler that I am, I quickly did a search while we were still talking (multi-tasking comes in handy at times!) and came up with a very slick video on YouTube for the song.

Yep, the guy I was talking to looked like the lead singer in the video sans dark black eyeliner and tight leather pants. Still slightly skeptical, I half-joked that if he truly was a celebrity, he probably had a personal Twitter account. I assumed he would tell me that he didn’t, instead he promptly gave it to me and suggested I send him a Tweet later.

We could have left it at that and gone our merry ways, but curiosity got me and I later found the Twitter account he mentioned and sent him an @message. He immediately followed me and fired back with a response. Did some research and discovered that he was truly Trevor Hurst, the lead singer and front man for Econoline Crush. Apparently they were very hot in the 90’s, disbanded for a time and reunited in 2007. They have released 4 albums: Purge (1994), Affliction (1996), The Devil You Know (1997), Brand New History (2001) and Ignite (2008). EC received two Juno nominations; and their “Devil You Know” album went Platinum.

Their music has been described as Industrial Alternative Rock and they have toured with bands like Hinder, Three Days Grace, Alice Cooper and KISS. I continue to keep up a Twitter DM relationship with Trevor, answering his questions and sending him occasional advice on his Twitter account and EC Facebook Page.

Econoline Crush is currently working on a new EP and just completed a campaign on the social fund-raising site IndieGoGo. They will be posting video clips and photos of the recording process on their Facebook Page.

Trevor comes across as being very intelligent and creative with a keen sense of what is important to him: entertaining audiences and sharing his creativity with fans. He is sensitive, articulate and was a pleasure to bump into on the social media highway. Really glad I did.

Here are some Cincinnati area bands that are active on Twitter & Facebook. Maybe you can bump into Drew, April, Laurie or Scott in real life at a local venue. Just ask first before reaching out and touching them…..

Drew LaPlante

Honneycombs

Tupelo Honey

Copyright Michelle Beckham-Corbin 2010 ~All Rights Reserved

Reaching Out Through Social Media

What would you do if you found a long forgotten journal that detailed every day of your high school life? Imagine what would happen if the very first love of your teenage life, lifted from the pages of said journal, finds you via Twitter and you begin a conversation many decades later. What would happen if those present day conversations began to include pages from the forgotten journal that detail the birth and death of that first love between the two of you?

I do have that journal (among many others) and my first boyfriend from age 13 recently found me through Twitter. Actually the truth of the matter is that he found me via Classmates.com (who even remembers they have a profile on this archaic site!). Received an email letting me know that "someone" signed my guest book (WTH- guest book???). Followed the link and saw who it was, but could not read the message he had left for me because I wasn't a paying Gold member. Is anyone a member of Classmates.com? Why would you want to pay for info that you can get for free on other social media sites??

Imagine getting a message that someone left for you- someone you had heard nothing about since you were a junior in high school- and you were unable to see what the message contained!!! I was dying to find out what he possibly would have to say to me so many years later--so I circumvented the program (long story) and was able to get a simple message to him: "Google me for contact info."

Well he happened upon my Twitter profile, and despite being part of the clueless over 35 population with regard to social media tools, he created a Twitter profile and proceeded to make contact with me. I was shocked to say the least. Since then, we have taken our tweeting to email. I have been sharing the pages of his life with him as seen through my eyes and it has been a completely fascinating journey.

I am seeing myself through adult eyes as well and looking at the pre-cursor of who I am today. I have written many posts expounding on my belief that we truly are made up of a sum of our experiences and interactions with the people who travel our path in life. I am so blessed to be crossing paths again with so many people who played an integral part in helping to shape who I am today and I thank social media applications for enabling these connections to happen.


Copyright Michelle Beckham-Corbin 2009

The Art of Creating Conversations: Dynamic Dialogues Social Media Event

A little Picasso, some oozing Brie nestled among the foie gras, Chopin playing lightly in the background and the sound of a whistle calling all social media enthusiasts to their discussion tables. Piqued your interest? Come check out my latest Social Media Event:

C3 was approached by Cox Media/Dayton B2B Magazine to be a Discussion Leader at a very unique social media event for local businesses on October 21st, 2009 from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m.. The event is part of the Dynamic Dialogues Series and the topic for this event will be "New Media: Effective Business Applications". This will be an incredibly unique event not only for its format, but also for it's venue. The format is reminiscent of speed dating or speed networking. Participants will receive a "dance card" of sorts indicating which three of the many discussion tables they will be visiting on a 20 minute rotation that night. The event is being held at the Dayton Art Institute among the many inspiring pieces in the museum's collection. When the rotation hour is up, all participants meet up for general networking, wine and hors d'oeuvres. This gives people a chance to continue some spirited discussions previously interrupted by the rotation bell as well as to make contact with a discussion leader that was not on the "dance card".

Sounds to me like a great time! This follows the big SummitUp Social Media conference being held the day before at Wright State University featuring my favorite social media guru: Chris Brogan. I like Brogan's style: straight to the point with humor. He keeps it real and most importantly he practices the main principle of social media: conversation. The guy actually responds to tweets, despite having 102,308 followers this very minute. Now watch, someone is going to burst my bubble and tell me that he is operating @chrisbrogan with a staff of ghost tweeters like Guy Kawasaki!

Anyway, if you like social media, wine, cheese, moonlight and great art-you need to check this event out and sign up immediately. The last event in this series SOLD OUT!



Check out info here: Dynamic Dialogues Event

Let me know if you are stopping by!

Image Credits: inside919.ning.com
www.architettura.uniss.it/.../1374/1/30/
Copyright Michelle Beckham-Corbin 2009

LIFE UNPLUGGED- Start Living

"Power down. Log off. Unplug. Have mercy on your thumbs. Browse the World Wide Something Else. Send some not-so-instant-messages. Undo. Hit cancel. Be together."


Ahh the power of Twitter. Just saw a link to this great article in a Tweet by @GuyKawasaki. The writer is college student Lauren Stewert and her blog is: Lauren's Thoughts. The article, "How to Find Time for Face Time and Personal Interaction" deals with stepping away from our virtual relationships and living more in the moment of real time interactions.

What caught my eye was the quote listed above taken from a Dentyne gum commercial. Go to the link and you will see one of the best renditions of taking social media and turning it on its head. We have to remember that social media represents tools to connect with others, but the real deal is in the relationships that develop off-line. So as Diana Ross says in this YouTube video: "Reach out and touch somebody's hand, make it a better day, if you can."












Copyright Michelle Beckham-Corbin 2009

TWITTER MILESTONE

Just hit a Twitter milestone last night by having the 1,000th follower find me organically. I started this Twitter account in February and have followed an organic natural approach to developing a "Tribe". I believe that each Tweeter needs to develop a strategy for their account, whether it is for personal or business usage. This particular account is my personal account and I tweet a variety of messages, both business (social media & marketing related) and general messages (comments on current events, great quotes, etc.). The emphasis here is on "conversation" and building relationships with interesting and knowledgeable people around the globe. I began with four categories of people that I wanted to follow personally:

• Social Media "Experts" like @GuyKawasaki, @Mashable, @Scobleizer
• Writers- both local and nationally published
• Cincinnatians- interesting folks who give off a vibe of what's going on in the city
• Media/Companies like: @Huffingtonpost, @WSJ, @FastCompany

Some follow back and some don't. I occasionally ask a follower how they found me and the answers are quite varied. I have never used an auto-follower or any type of auto-reply message. When someone follows me, I check out their tweets, bio, stats (do they tweet 100X/day, cus I don't want that much noise in my life!!) and their web-site. If they fit one of my four criteria above or seem to be incredibly interesting, then I follow back and send a personal message thanking them for the follow. I always include their name and some tidbit from their page so they will know that it is not an automated response. I enjoy engaging in discussion with other Tweeters. I have built some great on-line and off-line friendships as well as discovered business opportunities and created some partnerships.

The most exciting thing is attending a live networking event, and meeting someone that you have been in conversation with for a while on Twitter. There is always the feeling that you have known the person for a long time, even though you are meeting for the first time! I have no idea what it will feel like to have 2,000 followers or even 10,000 followers, but for now things feel manageable for this personal account.

A business account is a completely different animal and requires a much different strategy both for following and obtaining followers. Note the emphasis on the word "obtaining"-with a business account, you would be foolish to let things happen organically. Business accounts demand tribe development- after all, aren't you selling something???


Copyright Michelle Beckham-Corbin 2009

INMATES' FREE TIME FEEDS THE HUNGRY

A noteworthy piece of news caught my eye this morning over my breakfast of waffles & coffee (Millstone, of course!). I was actually reading a real (as in paper) copy of the Cincinnati Enquirer which is something that I usually reserve for Sundays, because I typically digest my week day news on-line. I scan the on-line headlines for The New York Times, the Washington Post, CNN and the Cincinnati Enquirer and have late-breaking news alerts emailed to me and of course am instantly updated on Twitter with one of the many media outlets I am following.

But what really struck today me was an article by a writer in Columbus detailing how prisons are utilizing their inmates' "free" time to help grow and harvest food for the many families who find themselves in need due to the devastating economy. It was reported that many of the inmates felt great satisfaction from their ability to make a difference in someone's life. I think this is an incredible concept with wins on all sides. Hungry people are being fed with fresh, nutritious food while people serving their sentences for transgressions committed can feel like they are accomplishing something good and learning some skills that they can use later on the "outside".

I grew up in a family that always had a garden and we children each had a role in the production from weeding and watering to picking and washing the produce. I have many fond memories of being outdoors in the summer in the middle of the rows just marveling at the various varieties of vegetables that were growing. Often times, my brother and I would set up a small table at the end of our suburban driveway and have fun selling the extra tomatoes, cucumbers and zucchini.

I still remember the times that our kitchen was filled with steam from the many jars of tomatoes that my mother canned that would last throughout the winter months. There is something special about growing your own food and the organic aspects of it can't be beat.

When was the last time that you grew some of your own food?

(image credit: http://4simpsons.files.wordpress.com/2006/08/vegetables.jpg)

Copyright Michelle Beckham-Corbin 2009

Creating Connections in the Virtual World

Marveling at the many manifestations of social media
Constantly amazed that the connections I make
Become profound real-life experiences
The virtual becomes the living, breathing reality

I have experienced the deepest friendship possible
The ability to learn about other cultures
Directly from the people living it an entire world away
Business relationships have been born through chance encounters on Twitter
Networking groups cementing the associations

I have found myself on the giving end- offering solace to a dad in distress
distraught over his 13 yr old anorexic daughter-
needing an anonymous outlet like Skype to bare his feelings of helplessness

I have chanced upon a YouTube video that touched me
Upon contacting the producer to thank her for her work,
Discovered that she was part of a missing family link
Dating back to my great, great grandfather.

I have been on the receiving end of good wishes and love
From old friends and newly found relatives via Facebook
The pictures we have been able to share are price-less.

Tweeted about needing a new car and amazing Ford technology
Within minutes heard from Scott Monty, head of Social Media for Ford
Heard from the model Brand Manager and from the local dealer as well
Experienced the impressive virtual and live customer service attention

Being naturally social, always inquisitive, and highly analytical,
These three traits propel me forward as I create connections in the virtual world
We are on the verge of changing the way relationships HAPPEN
But there will always be the need for people to come together live

For without direct human interaction, we lose our need to be authentic
And then where will we be???

Connect with me on Twitter here: @michellebeckham

Let me know your experience with creating relationships in the virtual world.




Copyright Michelle Beckham-Corbin 2009

Social Media Ate My Blog Post Homework.....

Apologies for the recent lack of blog posts. This past week has been busy with a wide variety of social media experiences. Thought I'd take take a minute, slow down and examine just how my week was spent on the social media highway (yes, I know this seems like a lame attempt to explain why I haven't written anything lately as well as a thinly disguised way to create a post without really creating a post, if you get what I mean??!!). Here goes:

• Worked with two local small businesses to show them how to use Social Media tools to increase their marketing efforts and effectiveness
• Worked with a new coaching client in the areas of social media training and job search
• Prepped for an upcoming social media seminar that I will be leading on 7/10/09
  
• Worked out details for an upcoming local chamber of commerce event I will be participating in
• Participated in the Live Talk-Shoe New Media Cincinnati Community planning call for the July meet-up- Call (listen here) was simultaneously live-tweeted
  
• Live-tweeted from the July 3rd Cincinnati Reds vs. the Cardinals game
• Twitpic' d the game and the concluding fireworks
• Had a great social media discussion with family friend Stan Joosten, Innovation Manager for Holistic Consumer Communication at P&G (very, very cool job he has!) at our 4th of July party
• And of course continued to create connections with business partners, potential clients and friends on Twitter!

So there you have it: a new blog post. Mission accomplished!!

Copyright Michelle Beckham-Corbin 2009

GOING MOBILE @PANERA

Fired up the mobile office today, destination: Panera, somewhere on the West Side of Cincinnati. No, I'm not trying to be elusive about my whereabouts, I'm really not sure what this part of town is called. It's about a 40 minute trek from my office and as far as Paneras go, is only moderately busy with the type of customers this establishment prefers. Customers who come in, purchase their items and LEAVE, not the squatter type who enter with laptops and stacks of books/papers in hand and buy the ENDLESS cup of coffee, just camping out. I am NOT that squatter, I actually had a great breakfast and now am making my coffee last while I kill, (I mean spend) another hour here.

I had every intention of accomplishing a few of my Need-to-Do items this morning, just to keep in sync with my Type A, over-achiever, one-touch, cross it off the list and it's done personality. But the overheard conversations mixed with the relaxing classical music and the pull of my Twitterverse from Tweetdeck are keeping me off that chosen path. I am a lover of human behaviour, which is why I have a degree in Psychology, so I am continually fascinated by how people interact with each other.

This morning, I set myself up at a table that happened to be near two elderly men who were engrossed in a riveting discourse on faith and the Holy Spirit. One spoke with such a depth of knowledge, that I took another glance to see if he was a Catholic priest. He was dressed in secular clothes, but I did hear him mention being in the seminary later in their conversation. As additional patrons entered Panera, it was clear that many people knew these men and that this was a morning ritual for them.

Last week, my mobile office was parked in the Wyoming branch of the Cincinnati Public Library. There, I saw a veteran of WWII approach a young man of about college age with the New York Times in his hands. "Excuse me son," he said. "I want you to know that the New York Times has free obitiuaries and I am older than everyone listed here. Still alive and kicking! The secret to a good life is having a good wife." He pointed to his smiling wife and then launched into stories of his time in the great war and the injuries he had sustained. I am not a fan of history, in fact I hated the subject in high school and took elective classes like anthropology and psychology instead, but found this live re-stating of history absolutely fascinating.

I'm thinking about declaring Fridays #MobileFriday and tweeting my experiences live as I blog about the people I encounter across the City of Cincinnati. This will surely feed my writing soul as well as my need to connect deeply with others.

Who knows, perhaps this will turn into a book and be published long before Gabrielle and John unite in RL after a year of a virtual gaming relationship. Confused?? It's my novel that has been sitting on ice for 2 yrs now......

So follow me on Twitter and see what happens.


Copyright Michelle Beckham-Corbin 2009

The Ultimate Social Media Tool Kit: Going Beyond 101 For Business

Facebook | The Ultimate Social Media Tool Kit: Going Beyond 101 For Business

Greetings from Creating Connections! If you, or someone you know, has been searching for a local Social Media class that goes beyond the basics, then this intermediate class on Twitter, LinkedIn & Facebook Pages for Business is for YOU!


This 90 minute Social Media seminar is for anyone who has heard the buzz about social media tools like Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook and wants to go beyond a general understanding. It will cover intermediate information focusing on profile set up, platform use and key business applications for several social media platforms. The seminar will include break-out discussion sessions and a segment on profile content creation.

Michelle Beckham-Corbin, MBA and Free-lance writer, brings a wealth of practical business experience from her 15 year career in Sales & Marketing with the Procter & Gamble Company as well as years of experience working with the Non-profit and Small Business Sectors. Her extensive knowledge of social media tools and energetic personality will keep you riveted in your seat as she shares the secret of "The Ultimate Social Media Tool Kit".

Be a part of the buzz (and tweets!) by learning how to use social media tools to connect with others in a meaningful way that will build relationships leading to business growth.


Participants will learn:

• Importance of developing a Brand Strategy
• The importance of Key Word SEO in Profile and Content Creation
• Profile set ups for:
• Twitter
• LinkedIn Company Pages
• Google Profiles
• Google Maps
• How to develop Tribes (Friends, Followers and Fans) for your Business
• How to manage social media tools in a timely way
• Brief overview of Facebook for Business

Date: Friday, June 5th, 2009
Time: 2:00 p.m.- 3:30 p.m.
Location: Benchmark Financial Services
8423 Beechmont Avenue
Cincinnati, Ohio 45255

Seminar Cost: $49.95

Call: 513-474-4555 to Register- Space is Limited

Hands-On Lab Add-on:

There will be an optional add-on opportunity for a 60 minute hands-on lab course following the seminar for those who would like to be able to end the day with completed profiles in order to hit the ground running on Monday. This class will be open to the first 7 people to register and will include guided assistance through every step of the profile process and help with amazing, buzz-worthy, SEO- rich bios and other content creation

Date: Friday, June 5th, 2009
Time: 4:00 p.m.- 5:00 p.m.
Location: Benchmark Financial Services
8423 Beechmont Avenue
Cincinnati, Ohio 45255

Lab Cost: $39.95
Call: 513-474-4555 to Register- Space is Limited


Posted using ShareThis

NEW MEDIA CINCINNATI SPINS MAGIC: THE POWER IS IN THE PARTICIPANTS

POWER TO THE PEOPLE!!


The New Media Cincinnati networking group had their monthly meet-up last Saturday at The Pub @Rookwood Commons. Daniel Johnson, Jr., founder of the rapidly growing group, changed up the usual format and declared it an UnConference Meet-Up. For the uninitiated, or non-geeks like myself (totally used as a term of endearment!), an un-conference occurs when the meeting content is wholly created by the partipants in a highly organic fashion and members follow the "two-feet rule", which means if you don't like what you're hearing, walk those two feet over to another presentation, according to Daniel.

The group spoke up about topics they wanted to participate in and leaders volunteered to spearhead the groups; provide expert knowledge in the area and facilitate the discussion. Corners of the room were designated for each topic. In true organic fashion, new topics and groups spun up on their own. At any given time, one could wander from

• Fervant discussions on Twitter and best apps to manage tweets
• Telecommuting and Jelly Meet-Ups (founded by AmyBeth Hale: day where telecommuters meet at a local venue to create community and work side-by-side to foster the camaraderie of the traditional office-place.)
• Blogging
• Pod-casting
• Videography

This particular Saturday afternoon was gorgeous and the Pub opened up the patio to make good use of the outdoors. Smart move on their part, as the crowd was large. I counted about 60 folks in attendance from a wide variety of walks of life: Videographers, business folks, bloggers, techies, traditional journalists, recruiters, small business owners, pod casters, musicians- the list goes on and on. The key here is that the group and it's centeral focus on new media is what brought folks out on a beautiful Saturday afternoon-and once again on a holiday weekend, Mother's Day!

The opportunity to share and learn and to create conversations that lead to incredible discovery of "other" is that magic that New Media Cincinnati spins. The group discusses the topics and yet at the same time becomes the topic in two key ways.

First- everything that occurs at a meet-up is being transmitted live under the creative commons licence. Members are tweeting, texting, status updating on Facebook and a live video stream is running so that friends and fans from across the land can join in our organic mayhem.

Secondly, in the pure act of coming together in conversation, we are becoming the essence of what social media is all about: connection and conversation. In the act of conversing we are changing the course of dialogue: creating new opportunities of thought; creating working relationships and partnerships and the most important end product of all- creating friendships.

And that folks is where it's truly at. The human element. The heart. Where social media: the tools become social media: the people. Come join us on the second Saturday of every month from 4:00-7:00 p.m. at the Pub. I guarantee you will walk away with more knowledge and a new friend or two (or 10!!!).


Copyright Michelle Beckham-Corbin 2009

C3: CREATING CONNECTIONS CONSULTING, LLC PRESENTS SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING SEMINAR

Maximizing Social Networks for Your Business


You are invited to join one of the best networking groups for small business owners and entrepreneurs in the area: the Cincinnati Small Business Help Group, as C3: Creating Connections Consulting, LLC presents a FREE seminar on Maximizing Your Marketing Message Via Social Media Tools.


C3 will present an overview on tips and strategies for business owners and entrepreneurs to enable best practices on LinkedIn, Twitter & Facebook as part of a sound Brand Marketing Plan. Come discover what all of the “BUZZ” is about in the world of Social Media. Lunch available.


Details: Friday, May 15th from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Professional Business Services, Inc.
8425 Beechmont Ave
Cincinnati, Oh 45255
513-474-4555

Click Here To Register


Michelle Beckham-Corbin, Owner of C3: Creating Connections Consulting, LLC, has over 20 years experience in the corporate, non-profit and small business arenas. Michelle is a former Sales & Marketing Manager for The Procter & Gamble Company and holds an MBA from Xavier University. She is an active member of the New Media Cincinnati and Cincinnati Social Media Breakfast (SMB) networking groups.


http://www.linkedin.com/in/michellebeckhamcorbin
http://twitter.com/michellebeckham


Copyright Michelle Beckham-Corbin 2009

Twitterholic- will this require a 12 Step Program?

Just for kicks I just checked my status on Twitterholic to see how I match up to the Cincinnati Twitterverse. Out of about 800 local users (I didn't count those accounts with zero followers!), I am ranked #118. Click here for Twitterholic. Not sure if this is good or bad, so I checked Mr. Tweet to see what their analytics had to say about me. Mr. Tweet states that I am highly conversational and a good connector. Hmmn, I knew that already. I love talking to people, learning more about them and helping them make connections.

Feel free to join me in conversation, follow @michellebeckham.


Copyright Michelle Beckham-Corbin 2009

Social Media- It's All in a Day's Work in Cincinnati

Spent a great day surrounded at the beginning and end by all things Social Media. Social Media is all about connecting with others through the use of new media tools and applications. Obviously, the best way for the social media magic to continue, is to take that connection off-line and turn it into an in-the-flesh encounter.

I am a people person. I absolutely love meeting people, discovering things about them and creating conversations which lead to relationships. I have a photographic memory and a huge penchant for remembering details about people. I put this gift to good use by connecting people to each other and to opportunites that I think might be a good fit. Malcolm Gladwell calls people like this "Connectors" in his book The Tipping Point. He states, "Connectors are the people who link us up with the world ... people with a special gift for bringing the world together." They are "a handful of people with a truly extraordinary knack [... for] making friends and acquaintances."
This is why I aptly named my firm: C3: Creating Connections Consulting, LLC.

Speaking in front of a group about a subject that I am passionate about is a joy for me. When one adds in the opportunity to meet with the audience participants in small groups or one-on-one for further conversation, I am in connection heaven. I had the opportunity to present a seminar on leveraging Social Media Marketing tools for the Small Business Sector at the Legacy Connection Group Meeting today. There were about 50 small business owners, entrepreneurs and folks in transition in attendance for my talk. It's always nice to see some familiar faces in the crowd, and today was no exception. I also met some great folks who have already connected with me on LinkedIn and/or Twitter to further our conversation.

I ended the day with a planning meeting call on TalkShoe with members of the Social Media networking group, New Media Cincinnati, founded by Daniel Johnson, Jr. In additon to being on the call, which was recorded and will be turned into a podcast for the group web-site, we were live-Tweeting the meeting. You can check out the tweets on #newmediacincy.

Cincinnati is a city brightly shining on the Social Media Highway Map. Groups like New Media Cincinnati, Cincinnati Women Bloggers and Cincinnati Social Media Breakfast, co-founded by my former Xavier University classmate, Daniel Lally are helping to raise awareness in the Queen City.

I continue utilizing Social Media into the night with this long overdue posting to my Blog (I have been sick for the past 7 days!) and will probably send out some tweets and comments to my FB news feed before diving into my Roberto Bolano book. My close friend has been on my case to finish The Savage Detectives so that we can discuss its contents. Maybe I'll tweet about what we discover, or then again, maybe not.....................



Daniel Johnson, Jr and Kevin Dugan, co-founder of Cincinnati Social Media Breakfast @prblog at a recent New Media Cincy MeetUp.



Copyright Michelle Beckham-Corbin 2009

Ghost Twittering and the Evolution of Exchange

Thoughts buzzing in my brain this afternoon center around the question of content authenticity. The New York Times was one of many media outlets to post articles recently on the uncovering of ghost writers in the Twitterverse. "When Stars Twitter, Ghosts are Lurking" by Noam Cohen sheds light on the true "voice" behind the 140 character messages tweeted by 50 Cent, Britney Spears, Kayne West and others.

The question becomes do we really care? I have written many times regarding my strong beliefs in personal branding and having a unified message that is consistent with how one wants to be represented in the world. This is especially true for individuals who are considered public personalities. Messages on Twitter should all be part of the promotion package: the well-oiled machine that keeps them large and bold-faced in the comment cloud of net existence. If the personality is unable to keep the machine running on their own and needs to hire a staff, then so be it. The lack of "authentic" voice may or may not be a problem for the follower depending upon what the follow relationship was at the start.

What happens though, when ghost-twittering becomes a bigger business, with those talented with type, taking on several clients at a time? Will they be able to keep their "brands" straight without crossing backgrounds or messages? The following quote from the NY Times article was stated by Annie Colburn, a free-lance writer and one of the two ghost Twitterers for noted New Media Consultant, Guy Kawasaki:

“I don’t think I could ghost Twitter for 100 people,” she said. “More like 10 clients. I think I would have to get to know them.”

Wow! Talk about dilution of brand equity! If we ever do get to the point where writers are handling mass numbers of clients' daily tweets and losing the essence of who they are, then we might as well all click the unfollow button. And for the record, I would hope that a ghostwriter of any sort would "know" their client.

Here are some thoughts that I had in response to a blog post entitled Social Media Authenticity on the Newmediacy Blog:

You raise some great questions here. For me, the authenticity becomes key dependent upon who is "speaking" or disseminating the information and what my relationship is to the speaker. I have no problem with a "personality" using a staff of ghost writers, assuming they are fully aligned to the essence of their subject.....Read the rest of my comment post here.

I see communication as two facets in my life: the first as a method of basic information sharing and the second, as a genuine exchange of ideas, sentiments, and debate between two authentic people having forged a real connection. Social Media is all about making that connection; for it is in the exchange, that change occurs and the evolution continues.

What do you think?


Copyright Michelle Beckham-Corbin 2009

NET-PRINTS: OUR OWN REALITY SERIES

I saw this phrase “…collision of professional and personal worlds” as part of a blog post entitled the “Blurring Lines of Work and Life” by Len Devanna. What happens when you make your total life a personal on-line reality series? What are the losses and gains that occur when you can be accessed and examined 24/7? I have been trying to determine if my uneasiness with the internet privacy issue is due to my age or to my own unique set of personality traits. I have a problem with posting all of my social media site contact information on each of my profiles for complete life cross-referencing. Many people have large lists detailing every possible way in which to connect with them: Facebook, Delicious, LinkedIn, Flickr, Blog site, Website, Twitter. The list goes on and on.

I like to keep my contacts categorized between business and personal social media sites with a few select people walking the tight rope between both of my worlds. I have always been an extremely private person, yet at the same time, I am highly extroverted and have a very likeable and approachable personality. This is a very fine line to operate under.

A great point was made by a friend of mine. He stated that if someone meets him at a business networking event and asks to “friend” him on Facebook, he ignores the request rationalizing that no-one could truly become his friend after a ten minute conversation. I just channel similar requests to my professional networking site, LinkedIn. My Facebook is a place for me to hang out and let my hair down with friends and family. I tend to post lots of pictures, especially from my high school and college years; a veritable “remember when?” collage. I also love to share music videos for favorite bands, some of my creative writing and links to interesting articles. I just don’t need the Vice President of P&G- Tremor to be my friend and pore over my private life unless of course we knew each other way back growing up.

I am a true marketer and I believe that when presenting the brand that is YOU to the public, perception is totally within the eye of the beholder. This is why I believe so strongly in personal branding and being cognizant of knowing who you are and how you want to be represented in the world. Let’s face it; everything on the net is fair game for anyone on the globe to discover about you. We all need to be aware of the dangers of trigger-finger posting and take the time to reflect on whether that Tweet, Blog Comment or public response to a LinkedIn question really captures the essence of who we are and what we are comfortable with sharing about ourselves: our brand identity.

One’s ‘net-print’ runs deep and lasts forever. A hasty post without thought can have repercussions that may last a long time. Stories already abound of people who have come to regret earlier posts that were rants or derogatory statements toward a particular organization or institution. Offers have been rescinded, positions lost and reputations massacred in the public eye. Picture comments you post on Flickr, or stopping by to leave some love on a favorite Blog might not mesh with the professional image you are trying to maintain on LinkedIn or one of the other business-oriented social media sites.

So, if you want your life to be fully displayed on the net through the use of blogging, micro-blogging, pod-casting, vlogging, social network site hopping, etc., then just take some time to determine how you want to be perpetually recorded. Remember, if you wouldn’t want your mother to see your ‘net-print’, then perhaps it’s just not appropriate to post.

As for me, I will continue to keep my professional and personal lives as separate as possible and will do an instant replay in my head before I hit the post button.

Here’s hoping you live a long virtual life with minimal regrets!


Copyright Michelle Beckham-Corbin 2009