I get a lot of questions frequently that seem to pile up. In the "social" aspects of what I do professionally it seems that there are no concrete answers. Everyone answer is vague and tirelessly noncommittal. Instead of trying to chip away at each one, I took a big stab at aggregating as many as I could think of and putting a bow on em'. I know the deck seems needlessly massive but I think there's some great takeaways in there no matter what level you're at.

A couple years ago I tried to explain why a client needed to understand that each social channel has its own communication style. All the client wanted to do was shoot out a message that said, "Go back to our website and buy shit!" Because, of course, social media would then become a river of gold.

No one in my industry is going to like what I’m about to share. I'm not a fan of “buying followers” or trading follows in social media. But if you want quantity and you don’t give a damn about quality, then consider this your guide. In the interest of transparency, I’ll tell you straight up that social media (SEO, content, online media buyers) professionals want you to believe there's no way to you could possibly do what we do. But that's a lie. It might be more accurate to say there's no way you could possibly do what we do as WELL as we do it.

If you had a chance to read any business news during the holidays, you probably saw several stories about retail spending being up significantly during Q4. Of course this could be new info to those of you with small children, because you were consumed by the eternal search for more AA batteries in the house, and styling parties for Silly Hair Dolls.

Take a look at a recent webinar I just did with Starmark. One of the many responsibilities that I have with our agency is that of (hopefully) a thought leader. Additionally we aggressively write what we call "eTIPS" every week and I highly recommend that you subscribe to them. While these tips are directed at digital marketing professionals, I think most business owners will get something from the intelligence. We give a ton a great content away. That being said, enjoy the presentation:

Obviously you should pay attention to the number of followers. But more importantly, you're looking for their "true reach." True reach is a metric for those who engage in two-way communication about a trend or an industry. Get a feel for the writer’s “voice.” See if you share the same mindset.

There's a simple truth in this concept, it is in this moment where we (as creatives) need to look again at the tools we have at our disposal. We get all very excited about 'kicking the tires' on new technologies. I know I do as I'm as #FOMO as they come. But the truth is that we have yet begun the process of exploiting the potential uses of what we have as this video makes clear.

Much like Maslow’s hierarchy of needs in psychology, there are various levels in social media that are becoming galvanized within the discipline. Therefore, we’ve outlined each, starting from the bottom and working our way to the top. While this document is a generalization, we know that each client has specific needs and we can work with you to create customized solutions to meet them.

Do you want to be one of the “social glitterati?” Do you want the admiration and respect of the impressionable masses that follow your every post, Tweet, update and check-in? Then pay close attention to this list of social media mistakes you should avoid:

I go ballistic every time I read another blog post from someone who provides this frothy bit of advice: "Have a crisis-management plan in place." Gee thanks. That's it? How about a little help with the plan, pal. Otherwise it's like giving someone a smoke detector, but not telling them they need to take it out of the box, install a battery and mount it in the hallway. You've given them a great tool but they're still going to burn.

So yesterday I attended Dan Zarrella's "The Science Of Social Media" that promised just-released secrets to the ways of social media. So I bite. First, things first before I go on a rant about the collapse of the this man's social empire. Dan Zarrella is/was a great mind. He has incredible insight with valuable metrics and information about twitter and Facebook users, and a myriad of other topics. I've quoted him in conversation, I pushed his relationship with Hubspot's services. I still look at Hubspot as a sound leader in the industry with a WEALTH of information that they freely give away. To that I say Hubspot is top-notch – at least at the time of this post. What tomorrow brings remains to be seen.

I'm not going to lie – building your social empire takes time. It's a marathon and not sprint. But as with all things there are things you can do right and wrong. Why take the time to make the mistakes I've already made, when I can give you some quick tips to get you started!

I was hit with sound clarity in a discussion over the weekend that came to a crystal-clear resolution for me is that the United States of America is going to be in an never-ending conflict with factors beyond our control due to the advancement of social media, it's citizen journalism and the emotional weaknesses of its people. If you have a cell phone you have the power to enact great emotional upheaval. And dependent upon your view of chaos math, that content could even go as far as starting a war. And this does not come on a soapbox claiming innocence of this stance, I will outline thoroughly that I'm as/if not more guilty than you all.

So no surprise in the social world. The hottest invite to a beta launch this week is Google+. Google has finally stepped into the ring with Facebook to take on the social giant. Is it ready for prime time? Well that remains to be seen on a great many levels, but I'll say it's worth trying for sure. Google's tools are always very good, solid if you will. But the past has shown us a line of projects that never got the attention they deserved such as Google Wave and others. There's a great deal of discussion of whether or not much of that (Google Wave) technology might be repurposed in Google+ — yet another item that remains to be seen.

Need some juice for that client that isn't certain that social media is for them? This deck is great resource for you. I've taken the time to vet out what I see as key points for me as a marketer and as an entrepreneur. I hope this gives you some great metrics:

Yesterday I had a great discussion with a client about social, often known as 'digital' influence. Social influence is a huge buzz term within our industry right now, as it seems to be skyrocketing as importance to marketers that are seeking people to purchase and more importantly talk about their affinity with said product to their network of friends, fans and followers. These people are seen as pure platinum.