Family Devotions – Eccl. 9:2 – the bottom-line conclusion that the wisest-man-ever comes up with: “all things come alike to all”. If you separate God from wisdom you lose hope as Solomon apparently had. Contrast: “and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him” (Heb 11:6). A worldly Solomon finds that there is little use to do good because the same thing happens to every person regardless of their behavior. The writer of Hebrews finds that if you seek God diligently in your walk, He is pleased and will reward accordingly.

Our problem then is to actually travel through each wind in life’s road looking for God. We tend to look at the event itself as a reward or punishment. We might go so far as to try to see how God is working through the event(s). The reward isn’t for seeing God working, it is for painstakingly trying to find Him: “diligently seek him”. Life then, is A Living Treasure Map leading to the ultimate treasure—God Himself. The difference between a worldly treasure map drawn on paper, papyrus or parchment and this living treasure map is that the dead map has only one treasure at the very end of the road while our living map has infinite treasures hidden in, on, through and ultimately because of the road the map leads us along.

In National Treasure 2, the hero found a map hidden in the very paper that the Constitution was written on. Our living map’s treasures are there because we are given this hidden quest, the most important quest—To discover the rewards that are God Himself.

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After long forbearance (neglect!?), I am finally returning to this subject, or rather, the subject of this book.

I started reading the book long ago (over a year ago). As I read, I was looking for something specific. I wasn’t really looking for how twitter worked, nor how it profited other twitter ‘marketers’ so that I could jump on the vapor wave and sell vapor myself. I was looking for how it could profit me and my clients. I did not find the answer. I have not finished the book.

Joel Comm’s book isn’t the problem, it is twitter. As I read through twitter power I underlined, highlighted, and actually moved on many ideas. As I read, I found my thoughts leading me to one conclusion. At the same time I was reading I was actually in twitter studying the interactions, the methods used and mulling over what I saw. Alas, after a year of digestion I have come to this:

1) If you are not already known and appreciated, this is not the place to put the bulk of your effort (to try and get so).
2) Your efforts are as temporary as it gets. Your tweets are effectively a flash in the pan.
3) If Michael Jordan tweets, ‘I just got these shoes, they are the best yet…’ hundreds if not thousands of those shoes will sell immediately. If Joe Blow tweets the same… nada.

So, even if you manage to get your 1k, 10k, 30k, or more followers, even if you tweet the prescribed number of times a day, you are probably off the timeline before the target audience even gets home. Yes, do tweet. Yes, do build a ‘rep’ for quality, fun(ny), insight, etc. Don’t spend your whole day, budget, marketing plan on twitter.

One final note: Think on this, if someone is following 50 people, they might read most of the tweets those 50 people make. If they follow 60k they only read when/if you tweet about them or some other topic they are interested in.

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Pastor Al Hughes of Bible Baptist Church, Port Orchard, WA is teaching a great Bible study series on the book of Acts. Here is the album I put on vimeo:

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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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1. YOU NEED TO BE SAVED:
“Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3)

2. YOU CANNOT SAVE YOURSELF:
“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works lest any man should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)

3. CHRIST HAS PROVIDED FOR YOUR SALVATION:
“Who (Jesus) His own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.”
(1 Peter 2:24)

4. YOU MUST ACCEPT JESUS CHRIST FOR SALVATION:
“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” (Romans 10:9-10)

“Marvel not that I said unto thee, ye must be born again.” (John 3:7)

5. YOU NEED TO ACCEPT CHRIST TODAY:
“Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” (II Cor. 6:2)

“As the Holy Ghost saith, today if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.” (Hebrews 3:7-8)

To receive Jesus Christ as your saviour bow your head and tell Him that you are a sinner, and then ask Him to save you. He says He will… “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Now, thank Him for what He has done.

After you are saved you should find a Bible Believing Church to attend. God cares for you, and He established His church to care for your spiritual needs. You should also be baptized now that you are saved. The longest that anyone in the Bible waited to get baptized after they were saved was three days. The Lord Jesus Christ would be well pleased if you waited no longer than that!

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