Really? Is that so? These four words used to p#@$ my Dad off so much, and I could never understand why - until now.
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Really? Is that so? These four words used to p#@$ my Dad off so much, and I could never understand why - until now.
Alex Beattie on May 31, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Technorati Tags: Life is Short But Sweet for Certain, Presumptions, Tripping Billies
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The Dave Matthews Band is brilliant. Not only because of the music, but because of their respect for their fans or customers, you might say. This act is the only band of such fame (that I know) that successfully built a grass roots following, made a fortune on their authentic sound through selling cds (almost unheard of anymore), then capitalizing, uniting, and exceeding fan's expectations over and over. Meanwhile delivering more than a fan could desire. All the while, innovating at each and every stop.
Alex Beattie on May 30, 2009 in Music, Social Media | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Technorati Tags: Dave Matthews Band, hulu.com, Jeff Jarvis, Napster, What Would Google Do?
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This is facebook.com's elevator pitch, right there on the landing page:
Facebook helps you connect and share with the people in your life.
It is right there in blue and white. Right above the 'heads and the global map.' And right after that, it says: Sign Up It's free and anyone can join ... have you figured out why it's so successful yet?
My question is: why would you want to share and connect with people that don't even resemble the 5th degree of separation, let alone the sixth? Facebook, et. al, are what we all want and desire and perhaps to a greater degree, according to Maslow, what we may possibly need - as far as I can tell, anyway and facebook has not provided me with any of these needs... yet, that is. Hence, the Hound Dog Blog... I belong to a hound, and her name is Ruby, and she was born on January 23rd, 2006 in Baird, TX about 30 miles east of Abilene, TX to Cowboy's Kid Billy and Cowboy's Lady Cottonwood:
These are the things that I like to 'share with the people in my life.'
The larger point is: just because it's free, doesn't mean you have to consume it - just because 'everybody' can sign up, doesn't mean there aren't any consequences to your actions or what you post or who you befriend. (i.e. befriending anyone - see this post)
If it is true that scarcity creates value ... (which makes sense) than why would you let anyone into your life... especially if all some, (perhaps you) really have to 'share' is your alcohol consumption and the frequency in which you attach yourself to 'this year's best thing' or the bars you frequent?
Alex Beattie on May 27, 2009 in Music, Social Media | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Technorati Tags: facebook, hound, ruby, rubybluesox, social media
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Social media... blah, blah, blah... If I had a nickel for every goofball that told me how stupid facebook, twitter, myspace, or linkedin is, I think I would have enough money to pay for my typepad.com membership for a year.
All I can say is this: there are people I know that have embraced social media and have become some of my best friends - some of which I have never met, and there are friends that I have known and know that have told me how 'idiotic' and pedantic these tools are - the latter have given me a lot of inspiration. Paradoxical maybe. But true.
The power of social media is beyond a blog post and far beyond a 'tweet.' It is in the community in which you are or (perhaps are not) part of - Here's a real life and death example:
A friend of mine lost her husband. Tragically. I had fallen out ouf touch with her like we all have done, but was able to reconnect through facebook (yes, THE facebook). Not only was I able to reconnect with her, but I was and am reconnected to all our circle of friends that knew, loved, and still love one another.
Loss of a loved one is not the point here - the connectivity of social media is - Get that first, if you are one of those 'morons' who follow people on twitter and call yourself a social media expert (or the likes of). Facebook, twitter, linkedin, etc. rely on a greater factor than mass communiqué and instantaneous information transfer - they rely on people actually caring about one another.
Case in point, my friend above - she went through, and is going through the single most difficult trial in her life right now, and it was through facebook that we (our circle of friends from days of yore) were able to touch her, love her, reach out to her, reach out to one another, and let her and others know that we were there for her and we were thinking of her...
Case in point 2, another friend lost her brother to Lou Gehrig's Disease - it was through social media that I was able to raise money for awareness for the local chapter's annual fundraiser walk... people - friends who from time to time stumble upon this blog, whom I meet on twitter and facebook were where the majority of the funds raised came from...
Two things to think about before you start to 'monetize your brand' and be a 'facebook entrepreneur' or a 'social media expert': 1) make sure you are sincere - don't just pay lip service to these tools and 2) make sure you give as much as you take.
The strangest power that social media has, IMHO, is the tremendous power of marginalizing the transparent people who use these tools as 'popularity contests,' from the authentic one's whose voices reverberate around each of us that have embraced them from the beginning.
Alex Beattie on May 25, 2009 in Music, Social Media | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)
Technorati Tags: facebook, social media, twitter
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My Dad used to say, "The world's too small for cynics." He was right. It is. Especially now - with IM's, twitter, facebook, linked in.
Alex Beattie on May 22, 2009 in Music, Social Media | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Technorati Tags: Cynicism, People, Reading
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I was reading somewhere, and I can't remember where... but there was a point about doing what you're doing... and it had to do with time and 1 year, 5 years, and 10 years... maybe 1 month, 1 year and 5 years... I can't remember... but the point is or was to 'weigh' all actions against this test...
Alex Beattie on May 21, 2009 in Music, Social Media | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Technorati Tags: Laughter, Life, Love
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What if ...
Alex Beattie on May 20, 2009 in Music, Social Media | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)
Technorati Tags: John Beattie, May 21st, Mother's Day
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Just about to go to sleep when it occurred to me that micro-interactions (tweets, wall posts, status updates on facebooks, diggs, delicious saves, etc) are so misunderstood by people ... and ... what's more... on the other side of the coin - understood by so few.
A microinteraction doesn't take the time it takes to 'compose' an email, or to 'compose' a blog post, or what's more to write a letter (yes, the post office is still in business). You even have to pay for a stamp or at least postage to send the letter...
The larger point here is the psychology behind being behind the 'passive-aggressive' wall post, or semi-flirtatious tweet, or the overly-flirtatious tweet, or the angered status update...
I must confess, I'm guilty of them all... I'm not calling anyone out here... just pointing out that our society and much more our consumption of media has been 'engaged' by the the micro - interaction and it's numbing effects that it (at some point) could present a micro-problemo.
Alex Beattie on May 19, 2009 in Music, Social Media | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Technorati Tags: facebook, passive agressive, psychology, twitter
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Who are you helping by going through the motions?
One of the oldest sales adages in the book is you 'gotta believe in what you're selling.' If you don't believe in it, don't do it - you're not doing the organization any favors, the prospect any favors, yourself any favors or the owners of the company who have dedicated their ENTIRE lives to the product.
Why do anything without conviction? Especially sales...Sales is about numbers - yes - but more than that - it is about 'transfer of emotion' - if your emotion is negative... maybe 'hare-brained' marketing jobs are what suit you best.
Alex Beattie on May 19, 2009 in Music, Social Media | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)
Technorati Tags: Hare Brain, Sales, Transfer of Emotion
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Sometimes this guy reads my mind. You must read his blog - It is read by me as often as I wake up in the morning.
Alex Beattie on May 17, 2009 in Music, Social Media | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)
Technorati Tags: Brazilian Rosewood, Grand Canyon, Luxury Goods, Premium Brands
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