Brad Marley

Last week, the world witnessed how social media can further a worthy cause when a simple Facebook page was used to bring together tens of thousands of Egyptians in protest, which led to the overthrow of the country’s sitting dictator.

It was a remarkable undertaking that showed how our social networks can be the fuel for incredible change.

On the heels of Revolution 2.0, a group of concerned citizens from Detroit are trying to corral the power of the crowd to erect a statue of Robocop, and have built a Facebook page to further their “cause.” What started with a question on Mayor Bing’s Twitter page has ballooned into a full fledged effort to build something that will, as the people behind the effort suggest, spur tourism and build positive attention for the city.

I don’t know about you, but when I think of what Detroit needs, a statue of a fictional cyborg police officer is at the top of my list.

[Editor's note: Sigh.]

I think Tom Shea put it best when he tweeted:

I wish people donated to Detroit schools and arts like they donated to a big joke. #RoboCop #cmonpeople

February 10, 2011 4:49 pm via Twitter for iPhoneReplyRetweetFavorite

@tomshea

Tom Shea

We always want to use our new tools to fund the outrageous, because it’s the outlandish ideas that get our attention. But the blight and bruises on this city have always been there – why is our drive to build something new so misguided?

A Robocop statue will not draw people from miles around back to the city. But fixing broken down buildings and funding arts and education in the public schools might.

You tell me what sounds more worthy.

There is a woman at my gym who hogs the stair climber.

Whenever I go to the gym,  I see her on the stair climber, doing her funky step routine. For hours.

There are signs pasted all over the rec center that remind us we have to limit our time on the cardio machines to 30 minutes. But Stair Climber Girl didn’t get the memo.  She is not done until the back of her t-shirt is transparent with sweat.

But nobody ever says a word to her, even though she technically breaks the “rules.” We let it slide because she’s a fixture. We know her. We understand this is her thing; her domain.

If a new member showed up one day and monopolized the machine, I venture to think somebody would alert management, if only because they weren’t familiar with this person.

Similarly, a company can’t build a social media presence and expect us to take them seriously. They have to put in the time. Earn a reputation. Build trust.

It’s such a simple concept. So why don’t more companies get it?

Most of us have many “homes” on the World Wide Web. I know I do.

But sometimes, due to different user names that we may have created before we thought about the importance of personal branding, it can be difficult to find others.

So I wanted to take a few moments to share with you where you can connect with me on the Web, you know, in case you’re wondering.

***

BradMarley.com: This is my home base. It is the “spoke” in my Web presence wheel, if you will.

Twitter: This is where I maintain the most connections, and it is where you will find me most often posting content and interacting with others.

Tumblr: I just signed up for this site yesterday, but it’s going to function as a place where I will share visual bursts of information that don’t lend well to my blog, like pictures and videos.

LinkedIn: This is my professional home. I accept most connections if we have connected in any way.

Posterous: Occasionally I like to write content that isn’t associated with work. This is where you will find those ramblings.

Facebook: I keep things pretty personal on Facebook. In other words, I won’t accept a friend request unless I know who you are.

DailyBooth: Another site that I’m still playing around with. Haven’t identified exactly what I want to do with it, but I’m on there.

Delicious: This site houses all of the links I find interesting. I haven’t updated it recently, but there’s still a trove of links found within.

YouTube: This is my YouTube channel. ‘Nuff said.

***

There you have it. These are the sites where I hang my social hat.

Where do you live?

“An audience will watch you die in a fight; a community will jump in to help you win it.” – Unknown Social Media Manager

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When I was a teenager, one of the things that got me through those long Michigan winters was going to Joe Louis Arena with my cousin and my uncle to watch the Detroit Red Wings play.

For a kid who regularly overdosed on sports, seeing the Red Wings play, in person, was like watching greatness take the ice every night. You always expected to see something magical.

And, unlike some arenas, Joe Louis Arena never felt like a monstrosity of concrete and metal that housed professional hockey and the occasional Disney On Ice Spectacular. There was a quaintness and warmth to the building that was hard to explain, but I believe it stemmed from the sense of community that existed among the 20,000 fans in attendance.

There was the kid who sat behind us in the nosebleeds who scurried down the steep stairwell during breaks in play to grab juice for him and his dad. We secretly nicknamed him “Cold Juice.”

There was the woman in the lower bowl who knitted during the action. She was collectively called “The Knitting Lady.”

There was the guy who walked down from his ‘standing room only’ spot to show off his funky dance moves for the crowd. The name on the back of his Red Wings jersey was “Mo Cheese”.

And then there was the guy in the bright orange hat who attended every home game. His nickname, appropriately enough, was “The Orange Hat Guy.”

- – -

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote a post that ripped “The Bold and Digital Group” for creating a social media calendar, citing that the only purpose it served (besides raising money for a good cause, which I am totally behind) was to increase the level of popularity of the men featured in the calendar. I argued that the last thing I wanted to see social media become was just another popularity contest.

But then David Armano left a comment that got me thinking about my way of thinking.

David wrote that social media is a logical extension of human interaction, amplifying human dynamics to the point that what we do online is a direct reflection of how we act offline.

Even though I stick to the original intent of my blog post, I was glad David took the time to leave a comment, because he has fundamentally shifted how I view this whole social media business.

- – -

On Tuesday, October 19, the Guy in the Orange Hat permanently gave up his season ticket, perhaps preferring a spot in the heavens overlooking his favorite hockey team.

While a fan passing away doesn’t elicit a response from a typical professional sports team, the Red Wings are not a typical sports team.

They value their community.

To honor Orange Hat Guy, the team draped an orange hat over his chair and covered it in orange material, which will remain in place through the end of the season. Some of the fans who sat next to him through the years even wore their own orange hats in his memory, further cementing my theory that a community exists inside Joe Louis Arena, not just thousands of fans from different walks of life converging together for three hours to watch a hockey game.

- – -

I started blogging way back in 2002, on a site called LiveJournal. I was introduced to this site by a friend who already had an account. I was instantly hooked. It was nothing serious. Just a place for me to vent and express the frustrations of life as a full-time waiter. I held nothing back and wrote quite a bit. As a result, I created a very small following. I mean, we’re talking like 4 or 5 people. But they were a community, none the less. They became my audience.

One thing that come out of my experience on LiveJournal, aside from a break-up and falling for a carefully planned ruse from somebody who wasn’t who they said they were, was the idea of what blogging was all about: building a community; writing for somebody other than yourself.

The problem was that I never realized it.

My last post on LiveJournal was most likely written around the time I started this “professional” blog. And I vowed that this blog would never mirror my other, less professional, journal.

That was mistake #1.

- – -

I’ve always been a sarcastic person. And when I’m hiding behind the veil of my computer screen, it’s easy to kick up the sarcasm a couple of notches.

But when I wrote the post on the social media calendar, I think I crossed the line. My fierce judgment got the best of me.

That’s not how blogs are supposed to function.

I mean, there is a time and a place for strong opinions and carefully thought out words, but I should not have emptied the chamber for that.

And after watching how the Orange Hat Guy and Joe Louis Arena function within their own little community, I came to something resembling a conclusion: I want people to wear orange hats when I’m gone. (You know, metaphorically speaking.) I don’t want to be known as the opinionated blogger who targets others. I’ll leave that to Perez Hilton.

So, if you’ve made it this far and are a regular reader of this blog, know that I will strive to make this a community, because I think that is where we will all find value.  I will do my best to make it so.

All it took was a guy dying to show me the way.

If that’s not a lesson, I don’t know what is.

I am just going to say it: I have avoided the brilliant writings of Brian Solis because, well, most of what he writes is too overhead my head.

Don’t get me wrong. He is a brilliant writer. But I don’t fancy myself part of his target audience, so I go elsewhere for social media learnings.

Until earlier this week, that is.

I stumbled upon his “REVELATION” series a few days ago and was really taken by the digestible format of the show, particularly his interview with Scott Monty.

Here are five things I learned about social media through their discussion, and I think you should be aware of them, too.

1. First and foremost, establish yourself. It doesn’t matter who you work for. Getting your name out there first (along with your reputation) should trump the corporate identity. That will come later.

2. Never stop learning. Social media is still relatively new. Don’t rest on what you think you already know.

3. Passion and emotion (for a brand) can go a long way. When Ford launched the 2011 Explorer via social media, they focused on people who were a part of the development; people who exuded passion for Ford. This helped show Ford’s human side,  

4. Engagement is paramount. You can’t say you participate in social media unless you engage with others. You just can’t.

5. Your community can assist you in your efforts. By engaging with other like-minded individuals (both online and off) you create a community. Sometimes this community will help you pursue your goals.

Most of what what Scott Monty talked about was related to Ford Motor Company and their social media efforts. But there is a direct correlation between what he said, and how you can use these tips for your own use.

Here is the full video:

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BolKotKuaig