It’s a classic “chicken or the egg” scenario. Did our thirst for blood fuel the 24-hour news cycle and TMZ culture? Or is it the other way around? Regardless, I’m not surprised that the media has been pumping out non-stop content about recent stories involving the federal government’s invasion of our privacy, interracial killings and murderous mothers.

There is a popular misconception that social media is only beneficial in a B2C environment. Nothing could be further from the truth, and I'm going to explain why. Let’s start by examining how most people perceive social media being used in a consumer-related capacity:

We’re part of an interconnected web of social media, content and integrated marketing professionals. However, many of us till operate in a vacuum and don’t engage enough with our brothers and sisters. In an ongoing effort to help us all grow - I want to develop a stream of consciousness with you that is not bound by a particular subject.

Be polite. Don’t slouch. Comb your hair.

You thought it was just nagging when Mom used to say those things. But she had a method to her madness. The woman who brought you into this world wanted to ensure you always made a good impression.

I’ve been running my big ol’ yapper at a lot of conferences and conventions in the past few years.

Speaking about social media and integrated marketing suits me well. I’m passionate about both topics, and my animated rants are just what event organizers need to keep people awake during that slot after the box lunch and before the mid-afternoon peanut butter cookies are served.

What if I told you there is a social media tool that gives you the ability to comb millions of blogs in order to identify the right blogger for your outreach campaign? What if I told you the same tool allows a deep dive into your competitor’s blogs? What if I told you this tool also allows for tracking and measurement against a blog campaign or defined article?

I'm going to dispel a social media fallacy right now: Not only is it OK to delete a comment, post or thread – in some cases you should.

​It's been a while that a video clip moved me to post it to my website. I thought this clip (and its narration from Alan Watts, noted thinker and lecturer) a noble reminder to parents that our true motivation should be that of raising our children to be happy, not what society deems as successful.

With that out of the way, I can say that I hope his overly lifted face rots in hell, where he will spend an eternity being relentlessly tormented and ridiculed by bullies. Now that I’ve given you a tiny hint about my personal opinion, I think it's time to create a post that is open for debate.

I've done a great deal of preaching about the term social business over the past couple years. Why this term is so important, and businesses need to understand it, is that it far surpasses the 101 of social media engagement. So most of you have been beaten over the head with the "don't use social media to sell", and while that is true, it's even more important for you to empower yourself with the tools at your disposal and exploit them  to the fullest. This means (in my mind) that you must seek out new models of which surpass their original intent.

Recently, I was asked to speak as the keynote for the Florida Vacation Rental Managers Association.​ As always, I was incredibly humbled by the opportunity to spread the knowledge that I utilize on a daily basis. Additionally, it was fun to go to the conference were my primary directive was education only. I was simply there to help people improve their business.

If you thought Part One was a bit daunting, then you might as well delete any reference to this post. The following lists are what I refer to as "data points" that would be used from an analytical standpoint to break down each and every one of the categories on a per-social-channel basis.

If you're an interactive agency, integrated marketing firm or social media expert, then you need to realize how important it is to construct a social media audit for both your client and the competitive landscape. But before you dive into the project and get too caught up in the numbers, let me offer one piece of advice: Don’t get too caught up in the numbers.

I am blessed for one million reasons, one of them is for the growing professional and personal affiliation that I have with Pam & Josh Moore. They are at 110% the real deal when it comes to social & integrated media brilliance and professional decorum. That being said Pam's most recent article regarding "fake fans" and black hat tactics brought me to my own revelation.

There is always a moment in chess when you ask yourself if it is better to be on the offensive or simply wait for your opponent to self-destruct.

Such is the case when you deal with negative comments, reviews and related communication in your social media channels.