professional

Georgetown Lecture: Social Gets Bigger and Blander

Spring at Georgetown Campus

Later today I will guest lecture at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business on the general state of social media for the Social Technology Marketing MBA class.

I usually write out my thoughts before speaking. Here’s what I’ll be talking about today. Please comment if you’d like to suggest something, I’ve got a few hours to cram (yikes!).

1) Social Media Gets Bigger

We have entered the post adoption phase of social media in America.

Even a significant minority of senior citizens use social media. As of February 2012, one third (34%) of internet users age 65 and older use social networking sites such as Facebook, and 18% do so on a typical day Pew Internet.

Now that businesses realize social won’t go away, and they intend to invest more marketing dollars.

The most recent CMO Survey (August) showed social media investment continuing to rise. This year social commands 7.6% of the overall budget with an expectation to increase beyond 10% in the next 12 months, and to 19% of the total spend in the next five years.

Read More »Georgetown Lecture: Social Gets Bigger and Blander

Is Instagram Ruining Photography?

Tree Silhouette in the Last Vestiges of Sunset

Some globally respected photographers and critics think Instagram destroys the integrity of quality images.

Others feel the rise of Instagram pollutes traditional social network streams.

Critics decry the mobile photo network because it filters most images with a vintage Poloroid look, the resulting widespread proliferation of Instaphotos across social networks, and/or the additional doctoring that occurs through a variety of apps like Snapseed and Camera+.

Overall, critics feel that consumer access to cheap imaging technologies makes the general state of photography stale, repetitive, and watered down.

Read More »Is Instagram Ruining Photography?

We’re Not Friends on LinkedIn

LinkedIn Network

It’s funny how people want LinkedIn to become yet another social network to hang out with their buddies.

Ironic, because LinkedIn dubs itself “the world’s largest professional network.”

LinkedIn means business networking and conversations to me. The network itself offers about as much excitement as a stale piece of Wonder Bread. Now that Twitter decoupled its stream from LinkedIn, things have become even more boring.
Read More »We’re Not Friends on LinkedIn

Onions

Onion
Image by DBduo Photography

When you peel an onion, you find a new shiny layer. Then if you gently peel this second onion layer, you find a third one.

Each layer yields a new fresh layer, different from its predecessor.

The onion represents life, particularly for those who continue to challenge themselves to grow.

Difficult situations present opportunities to dig deeper, peel that onion, and perhaps change and evolve to better meet the times.
Read More »Onions

Is Amateur Hour Over?

Image by Graymalkn Cluetrain Manifesto Co-Author Doc Searls recently observed that the Web has moved from personalized postings and unique micro-publications to an over-commercialized web. Perhaps Searls point is indicative of a larger trend of amateurs losing power online. In… Read More »Is Amateur Hour Over?