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Social Media Look Ahead for 2014

What are the social media trends we should be keeping an eye on during the coming year? I recently appeared on Fox 2 TV with Angela Hutti to provide my social media look ahead for 2014. We discussed Google Plus, Snapchat and Twitter. The discussion on Twitter at the end had to be cut short due to the station’s extensive storm coverage (#snOMG2014).

What do you think? Will Google Plus make strides this year? (I don’t think so). Can B2B brands find a use for Snapchat? (no clue, but they’ll try). Will Twitter find its way into more aspects of our daily lives? (yes, it will).

CLICK HERE IF THE EMBEDDED VIDEO ABOVE IS NOT WORKING

p.s. Here’s some more reading on Snapchat, courtesy of the 1/20/14 issue of Forbes.

One Tweet to a Life in Hell – The Justine Sacco Affair

Some people are scared to use social media. It seems too “Wild Wild West” to them. Some of those people are fearful of learning how to do it, some are scared to make a big mistake, and some wish for a simpler time when the definition of “friend” was narrower and “in the flesh.”

As an extrovert, I’ve found my stride in life, so to speak, on social media. The last six years have found me starting a tee company, making many life-long friends, and changing careers. I enjoy expressing myself, learning, having discussions, and entertaining myself on a daily basis.

Someday, I am bound to make a big mistake. I will offend the world at large with an inappropriate photo or tweet. I don’t think this will ever happen, but I should never say “never.” If or when it happens, I hope to have friends coming to my defense. I hope it’s something I can recover from. I hope my family doesn’t bear the brunt. Mostly, I really, really hope it never happens.

I don’t mean to say our lives are not in our control; I firmly believe we are in control of our destiny.

So what happened to Justine Sacco? A PR pro for IAC, she presented the social media community its latest scandal with her insensitive tweet about Africa. While on a plane to said continent, the tweet was blowing up worldwide and she likely knew nothing of it until she landed. Upon disembarking, if her phone was able to grab a cell tower or some wifi, she was undoubtedly slammed with tweets, emails, texts, voicemails, Facebook messages and more. That must have been a bit jarring for her. IAC quickly sacked her.

What should we make of this affair? I always like to dial down to the foundation, to the simplest and most elementary lesson to be learned. This is to say, “What should we do FIRST?” In this case, it’s “BE NICE.” Sorry to keep beating this dead horse, but that’s the first thing we all need to know.

Guys, Justine’s situation is a complicated issue. In reading the countless articles on the affair, I’ve seen the right wing attack the left wing. I’ve seen people make this an age issue, a gender issue, an unemployment issue (how can SHE have a job while I’m unemployed), a race issue, a white guilt issue, and more. You name it; everyone has an angle on this, a prism through which they judge her.

However, if Justine had just remembered rule number one – be nice to others – this would have never happened to her. So what seems complicated is actually quite simple. Be nice!

Through the millennia, since the very advent of the spoken word, we humans have harbored thoughts that we have chosen not to verbally articulate. Justine’s AIDS tweet is the latest lesson on why that’s the case. As I state in the interview I recently did with Mark Reardon on KMOX, most of us have told an offensive joke or two. Some of us have been to comedy clubs and laughed at a comedian saying horrible things. But NO, you can’t say these things on social media. Similarly, you wouldn’t say these things aloud in a crowded coffee shop, on a job interview, on a first date, or at the office water cooler. In those places, in those circumstances, you have to practice restraint.

So that means no off-color jokes about AIDS. No Hitler jokes, no Jewish jokes, no special needs jokes, none of that. You think it’s funny? That’s great – keep it to yourself. You don’t want to offend an entire continent with one tweet!

First and foremost, think of others instead of yourself. Had Justine done that, she might have considered the 1 million Americans living with HIV, or the 30 million worldwide. Let me stake out some brave territory and say AIDS is terrible. Don’t joke about it! Be nice to others.

Be nice!

To listen to my interview with Mark Reardon, HIT PLAY on the second sound file down

Other takes:

1. AdWeek initially reports on the situation.

2. Here are 16 tweets she might now wish to take back. No. 16 is way out there, in my humble opinion.

3. Here’s a robust discussion on my Facebook page about Justine and how long (if at all) we should heap scorn on her.

4. If you read nothing else on this issue, read Roxane Gay’s take on it.

5. Some additional sympathy for Justine’s plight.

6. A friend defends her, saying she’s guilty of not being good at Twitter.

7. The Twitter lynch mob.

Reach Out and Touch Someone with a Compliment

Sometimes, it’s the little things that make an online life worth living.

Anagramatron – Finding Two Tweets That Are Anagrams

This is weird and amazing and, quoting Matt Fitzpatrick, surprisingly addicting.

A Tumblr that locates two tweets that are anagrams of each other. WHOA.

Anagramatron

The Power of In-Person Networking

I met Michael at the Dubliner as he was covering Mayor Slay’s reelection and the resulting party for KMOX.

I’m half joking, but three quarters serious. Tis better to have met Michael in person than to have merely remained Twitter friends.

Talking About Vine on Fox 2 TV

I recently appeared on Fox 2 Now with my good friend Angela Hutti to discuss the new video creation and sharing app called Vine. Watch the video, let me know what you think, and be sure to read by blog post on Vine on Falk Harrison’s blog.

Here’s a link to Fox 2’s story, in case the video embedded above decides not to work.

My Appearance on Mike Stenger’s Social Talk

Have a watch! If the embedded video does not work, click here to proceed to Mike’s website.

Find Mike on Twitter at @mikestenger. Thank you for having me on the show, my friend!

KitchenAid Twitter Debacle – Keep This From Happening To You!

The first presidential debate of the 2012 campaign was held in Denver last night. KitchenAid accidentally chimed in with a wee bit of an off-color joke. Naturally, their quip about President Obama’s deceased grandmother was none too well-received.

How can we keep social media interns and junior people from accidentally tweeting from the big important corporate account? Separate devices! One for your personal social media accounts, and another for the corporate accounts from which you’ve been trusted to tweet. Watch the video above, and let me know what you think in the comments below.

Kitchenaid Twitter Mess

A few other items of note: see the jpeg below that Steve Hartman tweeted me – a huge transparent plea by an employee of KitchenAid to the media. I do not have firsthand knowledge of what happened here, but my guess is a lower level employee made the mistake, and Cynthia Soledad is working her butt off to make it better. So hats off to Cynthia for diving in.

Also, it is clear to me that, when your communications snafu reaches CNN’s front page, then you really screwed up!

Here’s another story from AdWeek.

Remember the 25-second rule, people! (yes, I’ve upgraded from the 5-second rule). Review everything about your tweet for 25 seconds before committing it to the public domain.

Thoughts?
 

Samsung advertises on #iPhone5 Twitter stories, trying to make back that $1bn

Photo

My Appearance on “The Moffett Message” with Sean Moffett

Two things about this video:

1. Thank you Sean for having me on your show. It was my honor, and I think we had a great conversation.
2. I really apologize for my audio quality. I always just use the internal mic in my Macbook Pro, and wow it sounds really crappy in this video. You really have to turn it up to hear me, and sometimes my voice cuts out. It sorta makes it unwatchable at times, and that’s completely my fault. It was actually a great conversation, so I’m kind of bummed about this. I need to look into getting a good external microphone. Anyway, Sean I am sorry about this.

In case things go haywire with the embedded video above, here’s a direct link.