Well, I am amazed. I mean it, really. Social Marketing – I understand the possibilities, but am amazed at the actual and implied substance that is available en mass.

Short story, there is a lot of hype. There is a lot of true potential. True story, if you want to build a long term marketing plan you’d better include social media / social marketing (or whatever it will be called tomorrow).

-Mists-

twitter power (Joel Comm) is a basic how-to book on using Twitter together with other New Media methods to reach new clients. The book specifically addresses the ins and outs of Twitter and best practices (it is detailed [practical]). Read this book if you want to move forward in marketing (print media is dying on the vine).

Half way through the book, trying to apply my highlighted portions, I had to stop to deal with customers. One visit today, a short explanation and I basically got the blank check go-ahead from this customer. Granted, his blank check isn’t six digits blank, or even four digits blank, but blank nonetheless. He got the concept, even though I told him I only had a few usable methods of Social Marketing so far.

Upon beginning to read Joel’s book, as the light shown on my path, I started looking deeper into this thing—Social Marketing. What began as a search for more focused SEO, broadened into a deep valley of vague ideas. As straight-forward as the book twitter power is, a little self study via the new media / social media / social marketing, lead into a mist laden valley of unsurety.

What I found was a new society of MRR and PLR purveyors – “everything you need for $1997″. All of this wrapped or re-wrapped in his/her own personal embellishments. Chopped, cut, repackaged, ghost written, and fully pre-hyped to the point of guaranteed money-back success! Well, Joel seems to be more balanced, of real substance than these hangers-on.

Once I started down the road I found, I could not believe what I found. There are so many people trying to break into this it is astonishing. The first thing I noticed was people following me on twitter. OK!? Who is this guy anyway – go look – he’s a Social Marketer, or a consultant/trainer of same (He will make you rich! – at a cost howbeit). Then another follower, and another, and etc. OK, so right now there are 20 following me. Why! I am not doing anything, or saying anything that is of value to anybody yet. I still am setting things up and my tweets consist of tests of ping.fm, wordpress plugins, and etc. These people are following 19,000 others (or really 10 and filtering the rest) and are being followed by 17,320 (who are really following 10 and filtering the remainder). They follow me so I will follow them, and I do too. I am following 12 but only 5 of those actually tweet anything at all. I went and looked at who they presented themselves to be, judged what I saw and said, “OK, I’ll give her a chance, I’ll give him a try…” I want to find, really, I do.

Now, as I watch these people I see a pattern, some are here mostly for fun. Some are here mostly to push something, and really don’t have anything or any substance to offer that they personally built (enter MRR/PLR). Oh, well! When eating watermelon you have to spit out the seeds.

LESSON LEARNED: twitter power, page 75, just before #3 -”you still have to pay your dues.” Muddle through the mists to find the crystal clear stream full of fat Brookies, a mayfly hatch just happening… and, oh yes, a Dr. Pepper in your pack.

*you did notice the word methods didn’t you, are twitter, facebook, your blog, et al, means or a methods? Know the answer to that and you know a lot! I have met people who owned an impressive set of tools, and I have met others who had impressive results in spite of their tools.

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