Spreading the “Good News” and Building the Church of Social Media

My good friend Emma was recently working at the AUSA (Association of the United States Army) annual meeting where she promoted the Army.mil site and shared with attendees how they are using social media to disseminate their message. In a recent conversation, she told me that the phrase “We’re just helping spread the good news about Twitter’s impact” kept coming out of her mouth; she had even managed to sign some attendees up for Twitter on the spot so that they could follow the Army’s updates (@USArmy).

Spreading the good news. If you’re familiar with Christianity, the Bible commonly refers to “Good News” as the message of Jesus Christ. Followers were and are still instructed to share with others this Good News because it is important for life.

We can relate this idea to spreading the “good news” of Social Media. I’m a huge advocate for Twitter, blogging, and social media in general. I tell my friends to join Twitter all the time, especially those on the verge of graduation and those in the professional world. I was “converted” last spring by my friend Carla (and Twitter guru @carlastephanie ) of Life Before Noon. Since then, I’ve worked dutifully as a disciple to win over new converts (go with me on this analogy…).

Why is it so important that other people use Twitter, blog, and engage in social media? Personally, I believe it legitimizes those of us who actively engage in these activities. For example, if you come across a new band that you really like, you typically tell others about them in the hopes that they’ll tell other people and eventually, this band will be selling records and climbing the charts. They are only successful if people know about them and engage in their music.

Similarly, Twitter and social media becomes very important once people realize its necessity. Having been a skeptic before, I know that people out there think it is an unnecessary waste of time (I know I did at one point), but once I “saw the light” (so to speak), I wanted to tell everyone about it and how it can improve their lives or professions.

I was having coffee with my friend who is a graphic designer/photographer (check out his Flickr site) last week and I mentioned Twitter and my blog. He asked me why they were so important, why I was so into social media. I explained to him how social media has helped me begin to develop my personal brand, make valuable contacts, and has given me an outlet to learn new things.

A week later…he’s started a blog and is on Twitter (@DannyJackson). Send him some messages and congratulate him on joining the community of Social Media.

Do you think it is necessary to spread the “good news” of social media? Why?

Information Overload

“Today, ideas and discussions are broadcast not at a prescribed time on a specific channel via a single medium, but all the time, on millions of forums, discussion groups, blogs and social networks. And they occupy a growing piece of our consciousness, thanks to RSS feeds, Twitter messages, mailing list and newsletter subscriptions, instant messaging, e-mail and Web surfing. “  Information Overload: Is it Time for a Data Diet? Computer World August 25, 2008

As a recent college graduate with a PR degree and some savvy experience in the Music Industry under my belt, I strive to stay informed of what’s taking place in my fields of interest, and in the world around me.

Like most, I have a daily routine in which I gather this information:

• Wake up and eat breakfast while watching NBC’s The Today Show
• Check Gmail if time permits before heading to work
• During the dive to work, listen to morning radio shows (local news, celbrity gossip, random info)
• Check work e-mail via Outlook (read daily e-mail about company news)
• Log on to AIM (used for office communication)
• Check Gmail
• Read The New York Times (digital edition)
• Check Google Reader
• Check Twitter
• Scan PerezHilton.com (a perk of being in the entertainment industry, fun reads!)
• Scan Gawker.com (again, a perk!)
• Scan CNN.com

Aside from those constants, there are unplanned distarctions which pervade my daily life. Gchats, IM’s (not work related), Text Messages, Facebook, MySpace and the general plethora of information that is sitting in cyber space, waiting to be found. While checking Twitter or my Google Reader, I am constantly drawn to outside pages via links on the Tweets or Blogs that I am reading. This is obviously the purpose, but my biggest problem is not managing my time as I do this.

In her Computer World article, Mary Brandel provides some insight into navigating and cutting down on our information intake. Her article includes info on how to use technology to cut down and also some tips on how to instill tried-and-true personal self-discipline when eliminating your excess information-intake.

In my current position, I am not always busy with work, so I find myself meandering along in the world of cyber space. When I do have a particular task that I hope to accomplish, like this blog entry for example, I find myself distracted with outside information (as I type this blog, I am browsing a Facebook page, just checked an e-mail, and I’m engaging in a Gchat converstaion).

One of the helpful hits mentioned in the article suggested only checking certain things at certain times.
So, I’ll check Perez and Gawker during my lunch break and at the end of the day when things start to wind down, but not every hour.

Do you suffer from Information Overload? What strategies do you use to manage it?

Finding Music on MySpace

At 22 years old, I haven’t established my self as a sound expert on anything particular quite yet, but there are a few things I believe I have a strong knack for. Finding, listening, and sharing new music is a staple in my life.

I often take credit for many of my friends choices in music and favorite bands. Daily I’m sending messages with MySpace links, YouTube clips, and news articles regarding an artist to band. Having performed for many years of my childhood in dance classes, piano lesson, church musicals and choirs, jump rope and other sports teams (yes, jump rope team!), and high school theater, I know how good it feels to perform.

With that in mind, I want to help other people attain that feeling. The easiest way I know how to do that is by telling others about their music, art, talent, etc.

Normally, If I’m looking for today’s most popular and current music, I’ll venture over to MySpace. What I like about MySpace is that when you are on an artist’s page that you like,  you can normally find artists of similar style in their top friends list.

So, for example:
I discovered an artist named Tyler James last winter. I loved his music- it’s labled “indy/folk/pop” on MysSpace, but really, its awesome, raw and true music. After discovering him, I looked at his “top friends” on his MySpace page and found a lot of great artists with a similar style and sound.

Some new favorites I found from Tyler James’s page include:

Paper Route
Andy Davis
Katie Herzig
Erin McCarley

 If you’re in the mood for some summer-y (embrace it, it’s almost over!) music, check out Jack Johnson
and his “top friends.” They bring some of the best drive-with-your-windows-down-sun-in-your-face
type of music.

Money Mark
Matt Costa
G. Love & the Special Sauce

 

It’s Up-Hill from Here!

Recently, I’ve found myself saying, “blogs are the way of the future!” in conversation with both peers and those that are a few generations ahead of myself. As a member of an up-and-coming group blog, I feel as though I have some authority to make such a statement.

Today, while perusing the Gawker Blog, I came across a post that perfectly speaks to my life’s current situation:

How Things Work: How the Hell Do You Get a Job In Media In This Town?

Being hot on the job hunt myself, this post confirmed everything I’d been experiencing thus far:
Getting a job in Media in NYC is hard, especially if you’re right of of college.

Out of the 150 (and counting) comments to this blog, the overall concensus was this:
pay your dues, temp, get to know the right people, pay your dues, temp, get to know the right people.

My favorite however was by user, Mitchel_Stevens:

“Claim you’re an expert in “New Media.” No one knows what the fuck it is anyway”

…and that there is quite truthful.

For the next few days, I will be registering with temp agencies, sending my resume to a million places, and praying for the opportunity to “pay my dues.”

Wish me luck!