The.Good.Life

There's a lot of breakthroughs taking place in advertising and marketing right now.  It's hard to keep track of the changes because of the pace at which things are coming and going.  I feel like two years ago all we heard about was myspace, now it's struggling to keep up with Facebook.  In fact, I think myspace is changing its whole strategy to focus its main priority on music.  Now what's changing the playing field?  Twitter.  I saw someone on Twitter the other day that posted, "Every time I'm on facebook it feels like I'm kicking it old school style."  I couldn't agree more.  Facebook now, despite its 92.2 million unique visitors per month, feels like old hat.  

I just recently read a white paper created by Moosylvania, a marketing and advertising agency out of St. Louis (www.moosylvania.com), also home to a state-of-the-art research facility, that explains some of the biggest changes that are going to reshape marketing within the next 10 years.   The white paper was the first of many, and it focused on what they consider the number one game changer - mobile.

Mobile has been an avenue that I have apparently been overlooking.  After reading some of the statistics Moosylvania put together, I couldn't help but be amazed at what mobile will be offering consumers in the near future.  

The smart phone will become the #1 way US consumers will access the web by the end of 2010.  

Cell phones will outnumber computers 3-1.  

40% of all non-smartphone customers intend to purchase one within the next year.

I mean, if you think about it, it makes sense.  People always have their cell phone on them, and with the 3G, Bluetooth, Wifi connections available, people have the internet almost all the time and in almost every location.  More importantly, companies are investing in new ways to reach these smartphone consumers, and I think it something that will truly change the landscape of advertising.  I'll talk about some of these breakthroughs below.

Bluetooth:  Most people have heard this word, but not many understand what it is capable of.  Heck, even I just found out most of my information within the last week and I'm still not positive on what it does.  Here's the deal though.  It will change the game.  Imagine walking into a movie theater with a bluetooth enabled smart phone.  Immediately you get a download onto your phone for a trailer of the newest movie.  Or how about this.  You walk into that same movie theater and you're asked to take a quick survey for the theater.  If you do it, via a mobile website, you can get a free popcorn by presenting a mobile coupon to the cashier.  This will be possible.

Let's take Bluetooth to the next level.  Imagine you're walking by a bar in downtown STL.  While walking by, you get a download on your phone asking you a simple question:  Have you had your Bud Light Lime fix today?  If you click yes, it says "Have another on us at "so & so's bar."  If you click no, it says, now's your chance at "so & so's bar."  Either way, it's presenting you with a mobile coupon for a Bud Light (promoting AB) and a reason to enter "so & so's bar.)  Both the bar and the beer company are winning, as well as the consumer who gets a free beer. 

This could even be applied to a promotional tent at a concert or a venue.  Come into our Coke tent, look around, and receive a free download via Bluetooth.  Apply it to an aisle at a grocery store.  As you walk by the Frito's, you get a coupon for $1 off a bag of chips.  This can happen.  Would you welcome it?

Semacode:  The semacode is also one of the newest innovations happening in marketing.  What is it?  A new type of barcode that allows a product to interact with a smartphone.  How does it work?  You snap a picture of the semacode with your smartphone and it will begin to come alive.  Whether a Youtube video comes up, more information about the product, or a link to a downloadable coupon, the opportunities are endless.  In the video below, you'll see a business card for a freelance graphic designer.  A semacode on the back of her business card allows individuals to snap a picture on their smartphone and have the designer's showreel and portfolio immediately begin to play on their phone. 

How else is this being used?  In movies, magazines, and books.  Buy the book, the magazine, the movie, and have all of the extras available through a semacode.  For the book, the semacode will give you a video featurette about the author.  The DVD, will allow you to access a mobile video game based on the movie you're watching.  For a magazine, you can watch a video to go with the recipe you're reading or a training video to go with the workout.  The opportunities here are endless.

While I could talk and talk and talk about new innovations in mobile, I want to leave you with two more videos of some game-changing ideas in marketing.  They relate more to digital video which I will attempt to cover in a future blog post.  The first is augmented reality.  It allows a product to come alive with a camera and a computer screen.  The video below shows a point of sale piece for lego.  Take the box up to the machine and it allows the product to come alive, showing consumers what the finished product will look like.  Amazing if you ask me.

Next, we have a video for digital projections.   These have yet to be tapped into, but provide a next-gen way of getting messages out.  What better way to advertise than on the top of the biggest skyscraper in the city.  

The game really is changing.  For the better or for the worse?  You decide.  But I'm ambitiously awaiting these new innovations.

For a copy of the original white paper that provided insight and information on this post, visit the Moosylvania website here.

Hey everyone.  Sorry for the lack of updates.  Been a rough week house/dog sitting for my sister, having the girlfriend in town, and working very hard on a project that I will soon post here on Buff's Blog.  

A lot of good things are happening right now, and I'll soon be posting some details on each of them.  In terms of blog updates, these next few days are a little crazy.  

Expect a post Monday 10/12 at around 8:00PM on some big developments in mobile marketing. 

Also, expect a blog post Wednesday afternoon outlining some information from a St. Louis Advertising Club event that I will be attending Tuesday at Avatar studios, a leading full-service production company in St. Louis (http://www.avatar-studios.com/)  

Lastly, expect a very cool multimedia presentation this Thursday in the Afternoon.  I have been working hard on it for the past few days and am looking to have it done by Thursday morning.  Can't say much about it yet, but I'll get it out to you guys soon.

Thanks for stopping by, come back now.

- Buffa

I just watched a Social Media conference online, specifically a session on "How to Grow Your Brand on Twitter," and it has left me feeling even more passionate about the platform and it's commercial marketing capabilities.  Not to say I was nervous about my previous comments (I have had some backlash from anti-tweeters)but I do feel a lot more confident in knowing I am not the only firm believer in the importance and relevance of Twitter within the area of branding, marketing, and advertising.

The conference focused on a panel of Twitter enthusiasts - a social media consultant forComcast, the man behind the Starbucks twitter account, a venture capitalist, and the social media/branding strategist behind Kogi BBQ, a Korean BBQ taco truck.

The conference starts out with the most basic example of how something like Twitter can affect a commercial business and a brand.  Kogi BBQ, an infamous Korean BBQ taco truck in Los Angeles, has used Twitter from the ground up to build its business.  What started out as a few guys running into a club to sell a few tacos at Midnight has now turned into one of the most sought after franchises in West Hollywood.  Basic operation?  Post where the Taco Truck will be through social networks - let the fans flock.  Let's put it this way, according to brand strategist Mike Presad, if the truck were to post it's location right now, within 30 minutes, there would be a line of at least 50 people waiting to get some food.  Couple this with multiple trucks at multiple times a day, and were talking some serious return on (cheap) investment.

While Kogi BBQ offers an innovative example of how next-gen businesses can capitalize on Twitter, it's some of the other brand perspectives that truly shine a light on the benefits of the platform.  While I won't sit here and quote the findings, I'll give you some notes on what I would consider the most important aspects of the panel.


1.  It's not strength in numbers, it's the strength in the relationships.

2.  The authenticity of a brand is easily accessible on Twitter.

3.  The most positive thing about Twitter is link sharing - driving      people to brand, driving communication, driving consumers to products,      driving traffic through relative, creative content.

I'v been stuck to the computer most of the day but I'd have to say it's been a pretty productive experience.  It's amazing how much information you can find in the form of videos, podcasts (which I'm not sold on), blogs, Twitter Feeds, and Facebook posts.  While the 2016 Olympic Voting took up most of my morning, it's a post in the early afternoon that really caught my attention.  

In a a video titled "The Way Forward,"  Bob Greenberg and Barry Wacksman of digital agency R/GA discuss ways in which they are changing the framework of advertising - specifically digital.  What are they doing different?  They're not creating advertisements, rather they are creating useful things that advertise - most importantly, what they call platforms.

People are reading and listening more than ever, however the digital landscape has changed the distribution channels.  More people listen to music, but CD sales still decline.  More people are reading, but magazine and newspaper are no longer the most prominent mediums.  Television is still a huge part of society, but DVR, on demand, and online have changed when and what people watch. 

What does digital allow us to change?  It allows us to change the way in which we place our media.  It's no longer about what you buy, its about what you own.  It's not about delivering a message to a target market, its about bringing that target market to you.  How are the most successful agencies changing the landscape of advertising as we know it?  They are focusing on platforms rather than campaigns.  

What is a campaign?  At the most basic level, a campaign is something that comes and goes.  It delivers a short-lived message to a consumer in an up and down cycle.

What is a program?  A program is designed to create ongoing relations with an audience or a consumer.  Most often a program is created with the intention of rewarding loyal consumers.

What is a platform?  A platform is the future of digital and interactive advertising.  A platform creates long-lasting interaction between brand and consumer.  A unique application that often provides useful tools to an audience of individuals while also connecting them with the brand.  Let's take a look at R/GA's example.

Who's heard of Nike?  Everyone.  But not everyone has always been interested in purchasing a pair of Nike Running shoes.  Campaigns have attracted the attention of consumers in the past, but a huge audience was still out there looking for ways to connect with the brand and the running lifestyle it promoted.  A platform needed to be created to connect user and brand.  What was the platform?  Nike +.

Nike + introduced a chip in Nike shoes that allowed users to track their runs on a computer.  After you were done with a run, you could log onto your Nike + account and see all the statistics associated with the run.  I'm sure everyone has heard of this.  It's been around for about 3 years now.  Results?  Users have logged in over 160 million miles in 3 years.  The average user logs onto the platform at least 3x a week.  The product was a huge success.  In 2008, R/GA took this to the next level.  They hosted the largest race in World History.  People could gather at one of the locations around the world, they could run in their backyard, or they could watch others run online.  Individuals posted pictures, congratulated one another on message boards, and interacted with each other through different social networks.  The platform brought the world together, and continues to do so to this day.

We're at a time when advertisers shouldn't have to sell ideas to a client.  Advertisers should be there to prescribe solutions.  What does it boil down to?  Talent.  Finding individuals who can tell a story, think outside the box, systematically manage the execution of an idea, and do what's necessary to make it work.  Advertising is an epidemic that makes some people sick.  It's finally time to change that perspective.  Let's go digital and find useful solutions that make the audience and consumer happy, healthy, and headed in the right direction.


View the original video here.  At around 37 minutes, it is long, but I strongly recommend it.  Their presentation is great.

I've finally figured it out.  I'm not gonna lie though; I've had some help.  After stumbling upon an article titled "The Age of Media Arts," the switch has finally been flipped.  What's the profound discovery?  Consumers have new demands.  In fact, consumer isn't even always the right word to use when talking advertising. There's a new end-user now, and they're called an audience.  What's the difference?  

"A consumer is someone who intends to buy, and audience member is someone who has already paid the price of admission in some way and now, intends to be entertained."  (David Burn - AdPulp)

For those who've been following my blog, it's pretty obvious that I have a strong interest in marketing for the masses - social media, interactive, television, print, video, guerilla, and viral.  I'm an advocate of attention-grabbing, call-to-action, information, communication, and education.  I've never really thought of the thing I'm most interested in though and it's been right in front of my eyes this whole time: Entertainment.

In his article on The Age of Media Arts, Lee Clow, Chairman and Chief Creative Officer of TBWA/Worldwide states, "We must stop talking about above the line/below the line and traditional/nontraditional and instead talk passionately about the ideas that invite people to our brands, wherever that may be."  It's not a matter of "getting on Facebook" or "getting on Twitter" it's a matter of matching an audience, to a network, to a medium, to a message, to a creative idea.  

I'm a consumer who loves to find out about new brands.  I'm also an audience member, and I am constantly looking to be entertained.  My blog on "The Alumni Conspiracy" talked about finding ways that my high-school and college will stay connected with me.  Send me videos, links, press releases, news feeds, etc.  Entertain me.  My blog on "Interactive Advertising" talked about grabbing my attention, educating, and informing me, but most importantly entertaining me.  My blog on "The 4th Dimension" asked some of my favorite movie stars and bands to entertain me through videos and social networks.  I could go on and on.  These feelings aren't just mine though. I'm just one of the millions of consumers out there looking for ways to connect.

Why do people like Gatorade ads, Nike ads, Apple ads, and Beer ads?  Because millions of people buy into these products, own these products, and feel strongly about these products.  These products don't need any more attention.  They entertain through celebrity endorsements, sports promotions, visionary direction, and exciting execution.  It's not as big of a risk for these companies because brand awareness is no longer their priority.  They've moved on to bigger and better things now, and all they need to do is entertain.

Just as Mr. Clow states, I think we're at a time where everything a brand creates doesn't have to fall under advertising.  Sure, consumer-based advertising will always be around but the who knows what the future will bring?  One thing is for sure though.  The future will be about the blending  of art and media in traditional and non-traditional ways and agencies will need to focus on finding ways to maintain, sustain, and most importantly, entertain consumers and audience members alike.  

The future is now, are you on board?

Interactive advertising is mad!  Who would think that people would actually take the time to interact online with a brand?  Well, millions of people are doing it, and hundreds of companies are jumping on board.  Who's succeeding - the companies who are using attention, education, communication, and calls-to-action to drive brand awareness and sales.

What is interactive advertising?  It can mean a ton of different things.  In my general opinion, interactive advertising is something that requires activity on both the part of the consumer and the brand.  In the past, interactive advertising has often been a driving force behind sales, but in today's society, interactive is playing a much different role.  It is allowing consumers to communicate with a brand, to educate themselves on their own terms, and act on the immediate feelings they get upon interaction.  

Let's take a look at a relatively old example of interactive advertising: Elf Yourself.  Elf Yourself was an interactive website that allowed users to upload their pictures onto an elf body and watch it dance around the screen.  Sure, this was a fun little game, but the team at Office Max was the real winner in this situation.  The game was shared amongst millions of people nationwide.  It not only created brand awareness for Office Max, but it got people to act on behalf of the brand, something not easily achieved.

More recent efforts at interactive advertising have taken this basic idea to new levels.  For the hit TV show Mad Men, a website was created that allows users to create their own characters for the show and share them through social networks.  Not only does this promote the television show, but it also tells a story through clothing, backdrops, accessories, and styles that you can choose from while creating your character.  Most importantly, it's fun.  People, even those who don't watch the show, have shown interest, shared that interest, acted on the interest, and educated themselves and others in the process.

The best, and most recent form of interactive advertising was just released this week.  It's a campaign that I have yet to find a fault with.  It takes my four basic truths of interactive advertising by grabbing the attention of consumers, educating them on multiple levels, communicating an important message, and allowing them to act on the message they've received.  The campaign is called "Body By Milk."  It allows users to upload their pictures and put themselves into their own "Got Milk Ad," complete with intelligent copy, a personalized header, and their very own milk mustache.  To top it off, for each ad created, a dollar is donated to a VH1 Save the Music charity.

How does it grab attention?  Well, who doesn't want to be in their own "Got Milk"  ad.  Top it off with some top-notch character bodies, and who wouldn't want to have some fun.  How does it educate?  It asks the question, "what are you looking for in milk?" and gives intelligent evidence on how milk "does the body good."  It communicates to consumers that milk is for everyone, that they care about the brand, and that, in their honor, they'll donate money to a charity that they believe in.  As for acting?  The more people you tell, the more money that gets donated, and trust me, the site provides you with any tool you might need to share (links for facebook, twitter, myspace, etc.)  

This does go past creating characters and uploading photos.  Companies can make website games, choose your own ending adventures, create an educational website that explores each line of products and how they're most effectively used, heck, you could even create a virtual world online created around your brand.  Think about it for 5-minutes and I guarantee you could think of a brand, and how you'd like to interact with it online.  The opportunities really are endless, as long as you make it something people want to pay attention to.

The idea is as simple as ever.  Create a fun, interactive, intelligent, and shareable application that allows users to immerse themselves into the extreme depths of a brand.  If done successfully, users will learn about the brand, connect with the brand, and deliver the message about the brand to others. Is this the future of advertising or just a temporary playground for us online addicts to get our kicks?  I'm interested in knowing.

What are your favorite interactive ads?  Have you tried any of the one I discussed?  I'm always looking for something to share.

Elf Yourself
Mad Men
Body by Milk

I just recently read a white paper on the idea of incrementalism as it relates to big businesses.  Incrementalism at its core means this:  to make small, often unplanned changes over a long period of time.  For some companies, this way of thinking works well.  You've got a winning strategy, why change it.  The most basic example of this way of thinking would be to examine the process of creating a website or a blog.  Many people start a website, add a little bit of content each day, and incrementally move forward in creating a so-called "finished product."  But the problem I constantly find in terms of incremental thinking, is that the "finished product" is never actually reached.

I believe in big ideas and big changes.  It constantly keeps people interested, connected, and consistently guessing.  I appreciate innovation, experiments, and calls to action.  In today's society, ideas that break traditional boundaries and barriers are the ones that turn out trends.

let's look at some of today's Big Breakers vs. Slow Movers.

The What You Want, When You Want It Category

Redbox vs. Blockbuster:  Capitalizing on cheaper movies, more locations, and no-hassle membership, Redbox has completely destroyed Blockbuster in recent years.  Blockbuster moved incrementally in marketing and distribution relying too much on their brand name.  Redbox was innovative and broke ground with a new form of movie rental and distribution, people caught on, and the rest is history.

iTunes vs. Best Buy:  Cashing in on ease of use and accessibility, the iTunes store allowed individuals to buy music by the track, legally, and downloadable directly to an iPod.  They cut out the middle-man and made it unnecessary to drive to the store, buy a full CD, and download it to your computer.  Best Buy missed out on legal, digital distribution, leaving the market open for Apple to dominate the industry.

The Music Industry

We see incrementalism all the time in the music industry and a lot of the time we don't even notice it.  Bands are consistently capitalizing on the current trends.  Many of today's bands are just getting lost in the shadows of similar, but more popular bands.  Bands like Fall Out Boy have amassed thousands of bands holding tight onto their coattails in an attempt to make a quick buck.  The artists that are going to pave the way for the future of the music industry are the ones that are daring to be different.

Lady Gaga:  Different - hugely successful
MGMT:  Different - hugely successful
Kanye West:  Different- hugely successful

Cell Phones
Cell phones are all the same.  Except for one- the iPhone.  A huge idea; this thing has a full-web browser, apps, a video camera, a iPod.  It blew competition out of the water.  Apple didn't take an existing phone and incrementally improve on it like most companies - they created something completely unique and new.

The future depends on big ideas and big innovations.  The current economy could not only use them, but it desperately needs them.  We are the future of business and we will decide the direction of the economy.  It's time for us to move past incrementalism and move more towards imagination.  The internet has allowed us this option and it's the people who understand this who will truly benefit.  

My challenge to you.  Find a way to make a big, positive change in your life today.  Incrementalism can only work for so long.   Eventually you'll lose interest in yourself and people will lose interest in you.  Make it happen.  Make a change.  In such an oh-so-similar society, those who stand out will be the ones who succeed.

How connected are you to your college or high school?  That's the question of the hour.  Myself?  I'd like to say I'm "actively associated" with both Whitfield and Westminster, my two Alma Maters.   I mean, I spent three years at one and four at the other, and I'd like to say my experience at both instituitions shaped me into the person I am today.  So why this blog?  What's the problem?  

The problem lies in the fact that a lot of alumni are "associated," but institutions are missing out on the whole "active" part; an extremely important piece of the puzzle.

The first thing a college asks Alumni for is money. Same goes for high schools. What are we paying for?  We're paying for the future of the institution.  What are we getting back?  A monthly newsletter, an invitation to an event, and our names printed in a book.  If that's your idea of staying active as an alumni, you might as well quit reading now.

I'd like to pose an idea that I have for alumni relations in colleges and high schools, and propose some solutions that I think could help connect, communicate, contain, and retain an abundance of alumni.  

I don't believe schools think too hard about what students actually want out of an institution once they've graduated.  At the most basic level, as alumni, we want to stay connected.  I do think that schools get that.  What I don't think they are up-to-date on is the mediums in which we want to connect, the messages we want to communicate, and the content that will drive us to maintain a connection with their institution. 

I want to propose an Alumni Action Campaign for schools around the country.  Below are some of the key strategies behind the plan.  

A portion alumni endowments will go towards the Alumni Action Campaign.  
Yes we want our money to go to the school, but why can't it go to the school     in ways that will help us stay connected.

Where will this money go?
This is the portion of Alumni Action Campaign that really hits home with me.  This money will go towards a newly established department on campus - a multimedia production department.  

What will this multimedia production department do? 
It will be led by a chief multimedia officer.  The department will be in charge of producing creative campus content and distributing it to students, alumni, and family members through all social media networks. 

What does that mean?
The opportunities here are endless, but I'll give a few examples of different content that could be produced.

Example 1:  Homecoming Weekend at a high school
What do we typically get as alumni when homecoming rolls around?  We get an invitation in the mail to come to a party.  Now this is fun, and I guess technically it is enough to "keep us connected," but as I've said before, it leaves me somewhat underwhelmed.  

Send us an e-vite.  Produce a short video tying in the homecoming theme and promote it through social networks.  Make a facebook event outlining each day's events, games, and parties so that Alumni can plan ahead for the event and see who will be attending.  Basic stuff that could make much more of an impact in terms of connecting with alumni.  We want the news, but direct mail isn't the best method anymore.  Half the time, my parents get the mail and don't give it to me anyway.  The communication is interrupted!

Example 2:  Career Corner 
The production team could be in charge of doing a monthly production called Career Corner.  With this, they could have a student attend work with either an alumni or a parent for a day and document the footage on video.  The video could then be distributed through the schools website as well as social networks.  What would this do?  It would let viewers connect with current students and the alumni who were hosting them for the day.  It would give us something to watch, something to talk about, and something to spread to others.

Example 3:  Big Event Broadcasts
The production team would be in charge of photographing, creating multimedia and videos, and broadcasting footage from the big events on campus.  If there is a dinner, record the president speech and send it out.  If there is an auction, take pictures of the winners with their prizes and post them on flickr.  If there is a student performance, capture it on video and allow users all over the country to see if from the comfort of their own home.  We shouldn't punish people for not coming to see things in person, rather communicate to them regardless of if they're able to make it or not.  

Example 4:  Up-to-the minute Athletic Coverage
If there's one thing that alumni stay connected to most, it would probably be sports.  I love to know how the Warriors and the Blue Jays are doing in soccer, baseball, and basketball.  So do others.  Take pictures of the players and ned it out so we know who were rooting for when we attend games.  Tweet schedules and create facebook groups for big games.  Send out links to STL Sports websites that gives us up-to-date information on how our teams are doing.  Don't make us search.  That's when we start to lose interest.  We'd rather have the message relayed directly to us.  

How would this benefit alumni?
I'm a huge advocate of Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, etc.  These sites let you stay connected and in-the-know on every thing you're interested in.  I, as well as thousands of others, am interested in my Alma Maters.  To constantly have information directed my way about big events, campus leaders, alumni careers, student affairs, and athletic performances would be something I welcome.  Those that weren't interested could "unsubscribe" with a phone call or a click of a mouse.  

How could students benefit?
The more alumni are connected, the more the students benefit.  If we know who they are, what they are doing, and what's going on at the school, we are more than likely going to give more money, offer more opportunity, and allow more open lines of communication for networking in the future.

If it sounds like I've been bashing Westminster and Whitfield, please take back your first impressions.  I'm very happy with the way I've been treated as an Alumni at both institutions, I'm more or less just being picky.  In fact, I think Westminster College just wrapped up one of the most new-age alumni connection campaign done around the country - The Blue Jay Across the U.S.A Tour. A group of four students traveled around the entire United States hosting a variety of parties at different areas with local alumni.  Broadcasting events, managing twitter, capturing videos, and constantly updating blogs, Westminster Alums were constantly in-the-know and connected.  Was it worth the planning and the pay?  I've yet to find out.  But I do know, in my opinion, that it is a huge step in the right direction.

Back to the original idea at hand.  What am I bringing to the table in terms of  Alumni relations strategy?  I'm proposing a digital production team funded by the alumni.  It wouldn't take more than 3-4 full-time employees.  They would keep us up-to-date on all things Whitfield or all things Westminster.  It would no longer be a chore to be an "active alum."  It would be as easy as opening our computer, clicking on a link, or opening a document.  It's no longer about the message.  It doesn't have to be perfectly written, proofread, and published.  It's about the medium.  It's gotta be accessible, spreadable, and easily digested and communicated.  These are the things that need to be focused on, and these are the things that will carry institutions into the future.


Please feel free to leave your thoughts and comments in the replies.  Is this too darn expensive or are alumni worth the cash?  Is it what we want or an overload of information?  Who knows... maybe I'm just looking to relive the glory days.

I'm not going to lie to you.  It's official.  I love Twitter.  Just thinking about this topic gets me excited.  I know I'm going to forget things, but in a rushed attempt to spread the love for my new social network of choice, I will do whatever it takes to convert you.

Every one of my friends has Facebook.  Not a whole lot of them have Twitter.  Let's get things straight off the bat though.  I'm not trying to convert you so I can follow you, creep you, communicate with you, or stalk you, I'm converting you so that you can be exposed to the newest, most innovative form of social media.  I don't claim to be an expert, heck I don't even have a ton of followers, but I do know that I understand the fundamentals of Twitter and the ways in which it can be used as a universal source of media for all of your sports, political, business, entertainment, music, and movie news.

This isn't a post about social media and Twitter in business.  This is about using it at the most basic - To entertain and excite. It's about getting your news delivered directly to you, all day, every day.

A basic introduction for the Twitter-impaired.  You are allowed to use 140 characters or less to communicate "What has your attention."  I know, this sounds a little confusing at first, but those who "get it" are making it pretty darn simple for the newbies to catch on.

Ok so we need an example.  Say you're a sports guy/girl.  Each day you check certain websites to catch up on sports news.  You go to ESPN, Sports Illustrated, STL Today, and MLB.com.  When you visit these websites, you sift through all the information that interests you and find the articles you want to read.  What can Twitter do for you?  It can send these websites to you. Every story they post, editorial they feature, and picture they post can be sent directly to you, leaving you with all the information you need to get your sports fix.  All you gotta do is follow these websites on Twitter.

I'll use an example that's a little more close to home for me.  I love movies.  I have certain movie reviewers that I like to catch up with before I hit the megaplex each weekend.  Roger Ebert, Reelviews, RottenTomatoes, and Pajiba all have Twitter accounts.  I follow each of them.  When they post a movie review or a feature story, they post the link to it on their twitter, and the message is immedietly delivered to me.  When I wake up on Friday mornings, it's usually to about 10 different tweets all containing movie information from my favorite reviewers.

I like to use the analogy that Twitter is basically the best magazine you've never read.  All day, every-day I receive updates through Twitter.  I have different categories just as a magazine has different sections.  I have advertising, which relays all the information I need to know each day about the advertising industry and the different campaigns being worked on.  i have music, with posts from my favorite bands and music sites like Rolling Stone.  I have a friends category that fills me in on what my friends are doing.  Lastly, I have an entertainment column that has all information from celebrities and celebrity news columnists to television and radio stations.  I'm essentially being delivered Rolling Stone, AdWeek, the Business Journal, and People without the wait and without the cost.  It's truly surreal.

What I'm getting at with Twitter is this:  It is the newest form of interactive media that not only allows you to share information on yourself and what your interested in, but also allows information to be delivered directly to you all day, every day and only from sources that interest you.  I think everyone needs to jump on board right now and see what you're missing out on.  In the past it was just a phrase, but in today's world I think it's come true:  The bird truly is the word.
 
Let me know if you have any questions on how to use Twitter or how to get started.  I promise I'm not steering you in the wrong direction.

Also, see my post on Tweetdeck in the rants/raves section.  It is a must-have application for anyone using Twitter.  Check it out here.