Yesterday during the Super Bowl I got involved in some back and forth on Twitter regarding ads and halftime shows and more.

Today, I regret it.

I am a football fan and I actually let social media take me away from a pretty decent football game and that’s not good. More importantly, I am a husband and a father and I let social media take me from an incredible family and that’s a tragedy.

Why is that not good? It’s because I can’t really see the value of ‘talking’ about commercials etc, even with Groupon’s disastrous spot that looked like an insensitive take on struggles of the Tibetan people. Rather than sitting and being more engaged with my family who was in the room watching with me I was more engaged with people in a virtual way. That’s a bad result.

Today I feel like I have a Twitter and social media hangover. I imbibed too much and now I look back on the evening and I am having a tough time seeing the value of the trade-off I decided to make with regard to who I actually interacted with during the game.

This is no gripe against social media or Twitter. They are what they are. It’s how I choose to use them and when that is the issue here. Right now, as I piece together the night before in a haze of tweets and pithy comments (better defined as ATTEMPTS at pithy comments) I am not satisfied with the result much like I used to be after a night of being a little to social in the drinking department.

So here’s to social media in moderation moving forward because too much of it makes me feel bad. That’s just the truth.

Thanks for listening. My name is Frank and I am a social media-holic. (I can hear you all saying in unison “HI FRANK!”)

UPDATE: I want to let my readers know that I have removed part of this post because it was done with incredibly poor judgment and the lack of good taste on my part. I let my usual sarcasm and cynicism turn into something that I am ashamed to admit I even thought let alone wrote. As a result I removed the offending part and want to issue an apology to anyone who was privy to that outburst. It was unprofessional and completely the opposite of how I should be presenting myself to the world if I believe in Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. I guess it proves that believing doesn’t bring on perfection. In fact, it is quite the opposite since I am more aware of when I am completely wrong then I have ever been in my life. Here’s the rest of the post which has not been changed in its message at all and you will get my point without the extra-curriculars I offered at first. My sincere apologies.

It seems to be the popular thing to do these days. With all of the talk of social media and its importance in life second only to drawing air (note the Internet hype sarcasm) the second favorite pastime is declaring the end of Google as we know it.

While I am in complete agreement that social is important and will continue to be, I am not willing to throw dirt on the grave of Google just yet like many, including Brian Solis, are doing.

I am trying to figure out why I am so reluctant to hand over the keys to the Internet kingdom to Markie Zuck and the Privacy Pirates. Maybe it’s a function of age. I am older than the more wired generation for sure but I skew a lot younger in my habits (just short of stupid drunken photos and bragging about a alcohol induced blackout). To that end, I exhibit a much higher than normal skepticism about the Internet in general. Thus I find it hard to give a person like the Facebook leader more credit than he deserves based on past character indicators (I can’t get past his IM’s from college which points to a basic character deficit in a guy who is getting way too much power). In essence, I don’t trust him so I don’t trust his company.

The result of this lack of trust may be that I am not seeing the forest for the trees but I just don’t see it the same as many. Last week at the Internet Summit in Raleigh I heard a panelist in the geolocation session proclaim that people go to Twitter for their search answers now. Hmmm, I must not know those people because most thinking people I know would maybe consider Twitter as an option for some data but for their search needs? Nope, not buying it.

So while Google is far from perfect and can appear to be the old man of the Internet at the ripe old age of 14 or so I am not thinking it is done yet. In fact, I think there is enough business savvy in the Google camp to sit back and watch Facebook drop the ball which I think they will. It won’t be anything that will take the company down. Nothing like that at all. It will be something though that is connected to the cultural hubris that Zuckerberg exhibits and is working so hard to hide.

Don’t forget those IM’s. People can change but Mark Zuckerberg thinks that people who give away information to him are dumb fucks (his words not mine). At some point 500 million of these df’s are going to wake up and tell Mr. Zuckerberg to go f himself and Google will be there to help them. Maybe not as the social medium of choice but as the information warehouse that beats crowdsourcing from people who are more interested in impressing than they are informing.

If there is truth to the rumor that Facebook is indeed developing the software for a new smart phone I couldn’t be less interested. Does that mean that there isn’t a market for this kind of a thing? Of course not. I am just one person.

What this does signify though is the distinct possibility that Facebook could “jump the shark” in the very near future with attempts to stray away from their core business before their core business is solid.

What Facebook not solid? How can I say that, right? How can 500 million people be wrong?! It’s simple. They’re not wrong. Facebook is strong as a social networking giant but there are many holes in their offering regarding privacy and just basic usability (heck their own Android and iPhone apps are not very functional). They should be concentrating on making absolutely sure that Facebook can maintain its position atop the social media heap. With the idea of Google taking another crack at a social networking (face it, anything will be better than Google Buzz) Facebook should be dotting its i’s and crossing its t’s to make it near impossible to topple them for the foreseeable future.

The real wild card here will be a simple human element. If the Facebook crew is even one tenth as arrogant as Mark Zuckerberg comes off as then there will be a major stumble. “Pride goeth before the fall”. It’s ages old and has been proven time and time again. People stumble and fall when they take their eyes of off where they are going. Facebook building a phone is the business version of that.

I don’t wish anything bad on anyone. Honestly, if Facebook went away tomorrow I would miss it for a short while then move on. How many of me there are vs. the “I can’t live without Facebook!” crowd is a question I can’t answer. I do think, however, that there are a lot more out there like me than anyone believes so Facebook should be on guard.

Take a look at what is happening in politics now. When you lose focus on what got you to the top you make mistakes and there is a price exacted. Facebook would be losing focus with attempts at phones and anything else that wouldn’t put full concentration on Facebook being the best it can be as a product.

Facebook won’t be able to conquer the world no matter how hard it tries so maybe it should be satisfied with a position of incredible influence. Not the worst thing but when you deal with hubris at the level that Facebook shows it is likely that influence will not be enough.

Today there was very little to report in the “industry”. I actually like these days because I can experiment a little more. So here’s what and where I was writing today.

French Say Google’s Size Merits Ruling Against Them – Marketing Pilgrim (It’s the French what the heck else can you say?)

College Admissions Adopt Social Media More and More – Marketing Pilgrim (Mom’s always get teary eyed on this going away to college thing right? Come to think of it, Dad’s do too.)

Tracking the Impact of An App - Marketing Pilgrim (Smart parents should consider apps that help their kids get smarter. At MP I will be tracking just how one of these apps impacts the company that created it. This will look at the process from start to finish over the coming months so keep checking in)

Moms Want Content Over Coupons Via Twitter – Content Mission (Content will always win the day. Just admit it and move on.)

Frank Thinking: When in doubt think content. Engines love it. Consumers love it. Sure you need to think about the rest of Internet marketing like SEO, paid search etc. etc but all of it is null and void without QUALITY content.

For those who are interested about social media in the real world please exercise extreme caution when reading about the success stories of others. Why? Mainly because one of the major ‘gotchas’ in the social media space is the promotion of numbers that make a great headline but don’t play out in reality.

A case in point. I receive the Marketing Profs e-mail updates and I saw the subject line:

What She Did: How One Blogger Attracted 80 Comments on Her First Post; It Doesn’t Hurt to Ask (or Does It?) (The full post on the MarketingProfs site is here).

Having been around the block more than a few times I decided to see just what the miracle potion was for such runaway success. What I found was that the headline and reality had little to do with each other. This is why I have some trouble with the social media “industry”. Here’s what I mean.

Go to the blog from the story and take a look at the first week of posts and the comments on that first post. The number sure equals 80 but only half of those are from someone other than the author of the post. The author exercised excellent form in responding to every comment (something I don’t do and I am guilty as charged) but saying that the post ‘attracted’ 80 comments is just not true. It’s just hype. The post attracted 40 comments.

So 40 comments is nothing to sneeze at. In fact, I would have been very impressed if the number promoted was 40 vs. the inflated 80. So I looked a little more closely at the blog as a whole and there were some serious social media power brokers like Chris Brogan and Mack Collier promoting this blog. It’s safe to say that 99.99999% of first time bloggers will not get this kind of benefit. Why hype it in the “You can do it too!” headlines then? I think that maybe the story should have had a “results not typical” disclaimer like those weight loss ads. This kind of support is not a common occurrence (although a very good one) and is the most likely reason for the initial interest.

I say initial interest because if you look at today’s post, there are 6 comments (at the time of this writing) 3 of which come from, you guessed it, the author. What might have made a more accurate headline might have read “Fast Start Aided by Extraordinary Support Doesn’t Guarantee Numbers Stay High”. Where are all of those supporters today? Look at all the posts since day one and you will see a trend.

Look, I am not trying to give anyone a hard time. However, this kind of hype is endemic in the social media industry. That’s the problem. It’s just hype. Great headline but no real merit. That’s not how we build credibility as an industry. That’s how we look like the search marketers of years past that created such disdain among actual business people because their hyperbole never matched their delivery. The truth works so much better than hype and all social media practitioners should concentrate solely on the truth. Don’t treat promotion like the statistics that can be made to say anything we want. It’s a really obvious ploy and one that doesn’t garner long-term trust.

Honestly, I hope that this particular blog does well. I wish absolutely no ill will toward anyone. All I am asking for is less hype and more truth. Is that so much to ask for these days?

I have written for quite some time about the plight of the SMB (small and medium business) with regard to Internet marketing. The topic has endless areas that can be addressed and there can be a million different ideas that can be thrown around. Just look around and see how many people and companies offer Internet marketing services to Mom and Pop and other very small businesses.

There is a problem with the SMB market though that may always keep the vast majority from truly getting into the Internet marketing game. They are just TOO small. As a result there are too few resources from actual people to money and all stops in between to really get traction in the Internet space. This covers all aspects of the Internet marketing game including search, social media, blogging, online reputation management and more. It pains me to say this but it’s just the truth.

As a result I am changing my focus here at Frank Thinking About Internet Marketing. I am going to focus on a spot in the market place where there is more opportunity because there are more resources to do more things. It is the SME (small and medium enterprise) market.

Good luck finding a true definition of this market but I am going to call it companies that have between 100 and 1000 employees which according to a 2004 US Census report is about 111,000 businesses in the US. I a sure there are more current stats but it’s OK for now. Of course you could look at revenue numbers as well but they don’t always tell the best story.

So why the switch? Well, I love the SMB stories but the realities, especially in this economy, are very harsh. Every single SMB I speak with wants information, wants to learn about Internet marketing and thinks Internet marketing is important. They get it. Trouble is they can’t afford it. They can’t afford the time needed to do these things well. They can’t afford to hire a full time person and they can’t afford to hire a consultant who has to make a living as well. This is not a condemnation but more of a realization. Truth of the matter is that SMB’s are stretched already and when faced with adding Internet marketing to mix they may break.

So back to the SME’s of the world. I have consulted with several already and they are an exciting group. Why? Because they realize that they need to get in the game. They realize that they don’t have the time to learn everything that comes down the pike AND they recognize value. It’s the perfect storm for someone like me because unless someone sees the value of my work the price for the work will never make sense.

So today I start on a new course and I hope you will come along for the ride. I will be focusing on the needs of the SME market as it relates to search, social media and blogging strategy. I will look at examples of companies that are doing a great job and others that need help. These assessments will be unsolicited and random which should be fun. I am going to be looking for people on the client side of the business who are willing to be interviewed to share their knowledge and experience as well. if you are interested let me know.

I also plan on being a bit more consistent with posts but I will not commit to an actual schedule because I will screw that up for sure.

Lastly, I am looking to find new business for my own Internet marketing strategy, content development and social media services. It’s that simple.

If you would like to learn more about what I can provide for the SME market in the areas of search marketing, social media, content creation, online reputation management and overall Internet marketing strategy call me at 919-285-1515 or email me at freed@frankthinking.com.

I look forward to hearing from you!

I truly feel for the SMB’s of the world. As they try to achieve the American dream of building a business that is theirs they are pulled in every direction possible. Most of the best SMB owners will readily admit that they don’t know everything and depend on either other people or consultants to help fill in the knowledge gaps.

In many places that is more straightforward (notice I didn’t say easy) like accounting and HR issues. These business disciplines tend to have very specific rules and regulations that need to be followed. Of course, there are gray areas but for the most part it becomes really obvious when you are coloring outside the lines.

Not so much as it relates to social media. The confusion that was once just reserved for search marketing now includes all of the areas that everyone acts as if you should already know like the back of your hand like Facebook, Twitter, blogging and all the other new media marketing methods that exist.

That’s too bad because the resulting confusion has fostered the growth of even more confusion as everyone puts their own spin on just what social media means to the SMB. If you would like to muddy the waters even further try to put a price on services because the expectations are like snowflakes. No two prices are alike. There is no unifying sense of value around services relating to social media with the SMB.

They have heard that it is free (To set up an account – yes. After that – absolutely not). They have heard that it is THE way to get new business. That’s a nice story but is far from a universal truth. They have heard that they MUST be involved which is a flat out lie depending on their business and where their customers are. No wonder there is confusion because right now social media is more about opinions than anything else.

As a result the SMB needs a stripped down, no nonsense approach to social media and here are a few questions each SMB must answer TRUTHFULLY before doing anything with social media.

Are your current marketing efforts producing results?

If yes, continue to use whatever is working. If no, then stop wasting time and money and cut it loose (YellowPages anyone?)

Do you have the skills either personally or on staff for social media execution?

Simply put you need to be a good communicator and more with the written word than any other format. If you are a good writer but don’t have the time then you cannot count yourself as being covered in that area.

Do you have budget to put toward social media?

If yes then you are on the right track. If you answered no because you think it is free then maybe you need to stick with the YellowPages.

Can you say no?

Social media is the type of ‘discipline’ that will ask more and more of people until it literally sucks them dry of time, energy and resources. Unless you can draw the line by saying no to every social media outlet that comes across your desk then you may need to steer clear.

Are you afraid of negativity about your business?

If yes then social media is a true risk for you. If no, then you will be able to handle the slings and arrows. Many businesses have actually learned more about how they are perceived in the marketplace through their social media efforts and have made significant positive changes to their business as the result of taking a few shots from customers.

Do you tend to start things then let them taper off over time?

If yes, then social media is a bad move for you. I experience it here at Frank Thinking. When I have not posted in a week or two I realize that it looks like I am not paying attention and that’s a bad impression on my business. Be careful not to fly full speed into social media and then just let it die on the vine because that may look worse than not doing it at all.

Are you counting on social media to save your business?

If so, then you may be disappointed. This is not a silver bullet for a business. It is a tool that when used strategically can help the overall marketing and effectiveness of a business but it is not a magic potion.

So there are a few of the simple straightforward questions that should be asked and answered truthfully before any SMB gets in the social media game. If you just jump in the deep end without a lifeguard then no one will be there to stop you from drowning.