Dear Diary,

I've been trying to chat about social media with interested parties, but I keep finding that these experts seem to stay within a certain boundary of new media jargon. OK, I get it. In order to show the world we know what we are saying…we must use these common keywords to prove that we belong in the conversation. (ie. Facebook page, Twitter, MySpace & LinkedIn).

But come on people! If we know anything about social media, we should know that while Facebook and Twitter are hot tamales at the moment, they will eventually fade. This is why I believe it’s important to find social media mediums besides FB or Twitter. If you solely depend on the sites you hear about on 60 minutes – then you are missing the point of social media. It changes as quickly as it begins.

So, Be aware. Spend a little extra time searching for new, upcoming sites. Don’t be afraid to venture outside the obvious.

A Social Media Plan

Fact: When you decide to create a social media plan, you should define your goals, messages and target audiences. Without understanding these key points your plan will end up being a mash of random thoughts – sprinkled by a few common keywords (ie. Facebook page, Twitter, MySpace & LinkedIn).

Shift Happens

Staying Consistent

The Color Palette Generator is a super cool tool that helps users match an image with a color scheme. So if you are designing something based off an image or logo, I recommend checking out this useful gadget. http://www.degraeve.com/color-palette/index.php

Note: Enter the URL of the image - not the Web site. You can find this by going to Google and then search "images" for your picture.

Here is an example of what you will see:

I Use These The Most...so far...

AroundMe - "This app allows you to quickly find out information about your surroundings. How many times have you found yourself in need of finding the closest Gas Station?AroundMe quickly identifies your position and allows you to choose the nearest Bank, Bar, Gas Station, Hospital, Hotel, Movie Theatre, Restaurant, Supermarket, Theatre and Taxi."

I AM T-Pain - "With I Am T-Pain, the hip-hop artist's vocal style is merely a couple of taps away. All you have to do is sing into the microphone, and I Am T-Pain Auto-Tune technology will make you and your friends sound like stars. Record your versions of Buy U A Drank, I'm Sprung, Bartender and more. I Am T-Pain adds the Auto-Tune vocal effect made famous by T-Pain himself. "

Bubble Wrap - "Just the ticket when you need to fill 45 seconds until the stoplight changes (as a pedestrian, not a driver, people!) or until the next train comes. A piece of bubble wrap appears onscreen and you pop as many bubbles as you can (without doubling up) in 45 seconds. Race to see who gets the highest score."

Groupie or Fan President?

I'm in the process of creating a Facebook presence for a local DC Band that I help manage - The Fed. I've been trying to choose which Facebook format I should go with - A Group or individual Fan page.

One (Fan pages) is available to unregistered users which allow you to be found, while the other (groups) can be accessed by all members of the group...making it easier to 'bulk invite' users to the page.

Here are some other things to consider:

I've decided after careful consideration that the best bet for a band is an individual Fan Page. It's a better tool for keeping users active.

Don't Be Obnoxious...Or Else

Facebook spammer ordered to pay $711 million
(cnnmoney.com)

The social networking site wins damages against noted spammer Sanford Wallace for bombarding its users with junk mail.

Wallace, who has also been called the "Spam King," accessed Facebook members' accounts without their permission and sent out "phony" Wall posts and messages, the company said.

"Most notably, the judge referred Wallace to the U.S. Attorney's Office with a request that Wallace be prosecuted for criminal contempt, which means that in addition to the judgment, he now faces possible jail time," read the Facebook statement. "We will continue to pursue damages against other spammers."

This isn't the first time that Sanford was successfully sued by an online company. In May, 2008, MySpace won a $230 million judgment against Wallace for sending junk messages. Wallace was also fined $4 million by the Federal Trade Commission in 2006 for his excessive pop-up ads

http://money.cnn.com/2009/10/30/technology/facebook_spammer/index.htm?postversion=2009103017