"I've Got a Golden Ticket!"

For those of you who don’t know I won a trip two nights ago through KIIS FM in Los Angeles. See the winning photo on yesterday’s post. The next day they called to tell me opps they made an error. How can anyone get away with saying I’m a winner and then take it back. Its not concert tickets. Its a trip with my hero, Branson, on the best airline in the world.
Then in this social media world I of course share the joy after “winning” so you can imagine how embarrassing it is to say to my friends, family and acquaintances “opps”.

I talk again and again about where the value really lies in social media. Business people think they’ll monetize off the plentiful numbers but have yet to find a model that does so effectively. After this whole experience its more than apparent that the power in social media is a power for and by the people. When we get duped by corporations we are told to trust like Clear Channel and KIIS FM we finally have a way outside Consumer Reports to stand up for ourselves and scream that this just isn’t right.

I’m thinking about throwing my own contest. Maybe I’ll ask Tony Hawk to fly Virgin with his number one fan. And we’ll do the contest right. I just hope that at the end of all this Virgin tells KIIS to screw off just like they have expressed to me.

Birdman to the rescue

So I stumbled upon BLVD Status today when I was reading a 5 Ones report. All I have to say is AWESOME.  Too much to say about this new and improved web analytics tool so I’ll let SEO Master Chris Bennett say it for me here on 97th Floor.  Can’t wait to try it out!  Maybe this puts us one step close to monetizing our social media traffic but first understanding what interests them.

The New and Improved Google Analytics

Be sure not to miss Twiist Up coming up in February here in my hometown of Los Angeles.  I am excited. I must admit I only just discovered this nerd party recently and apparently it is approaching suaree number 5. Boo hoo that I missed the past 4.  Think tech, meets rockband meets a fantasy Skittles commercials sprinked with start up on top.  Its late. Even this geek girl needs her rest. I will wake up to my beloved 5 hour energy drink in the morning but for now its media decks, filing searching the web and finally those ZZZZZZZZ. Oh and Mark, “The Cobra Snake” look at you getting retro in the geek world.

Geeks in Retro

Hello world. Take some pointers from our very own president.

1. One, don’t try to do it all yourself. Be surrounded by a team a wee bit smarter than you. Your job is to lead and to inspire. = Obama
2. Two, let the people connect freely and without judgment. Give them the tools, the utility to want to spread the word. = Obama
3. Three, know what is forward thinking. What is the vision of tomorrow, not 10 years ago, because that no longer applies. = Obama

Obama Adopts and Embraces what is Today

“Social Media” Sounds valuable, but what’s it really mean?

Summit Web 2.0 has the leading experts in this crazy virtual world of social media speaking all under one roof in a jam packed three day technical journey. As I sit here in San Francisco’s luxurious Palace Hotel hoping to ease drop a savvy conversation between two “experts” I realize any disappoint experienced from not making the cut for an exclusive invitation to this event is simply not warranted.  Here are all these “suits” with thick rolodexs and fancy words but still lies the billion dollar question – “How do these sites make any money”. They don’t know. If these experts did they’d be in Vegas living the life of surplus cash rather than here making sure everyone knows how expert they are.   We all want that glorified 12-24 year old demographic. We want their parents cash. So why not just ask – “What will you spend on?” You listened to Ronald McDonald and still invest in a burger with Happy Meal smiles so what burger will you buy from me. Why not ask Mister Wallet, “What do you want to spend your ad dollars on?” Instead of finding all the ways to be viral so we all become this KMart no one shops at, (as sited in “The Purple Cow” by Seth Godin), why not start creating for the customer rather than fishing for one. Don’t feel too bad though, I mean the confernece does cost 4 grand a pop so, after all…someone is monetizing.

Web 2.0 Summit