On the next Twitter and Social Media Radio Show, we are talking about using social media and causes to increase your brand awareness, grow your network, and do more good.

We have TWO Rich guests.. The combination should make for some interesting flubs from the host … Is it a coincidence that two very smart communications experts are both Rich?

Follow both these guys.. then make sure you are logged in at TwitCastRadio.com and ready for the chat at 10pm Eastern (7pm Pacific)

@RickyBobby77

• rich wakefield
• Location Atlanta, Georgia
• Bio Pop cult. music. graphic design junkie. Falcons and Braves Fan.

@RichBecker

• Richard Becker
• Location Las Vegas
• Web http://www.copywr…
• Bio Rich at Copywrite, Ink. Instructor, UNLV. State Commissioner, AmeriCorps (Nev.). ABC Examiner, IABC. Co-founder, BloggersUnite. And other stuff.

Christian Science Monitor is one of the many news pieces quoting “authorities” on what Twitter means to the business now that @Oprah has “blessed it”.

People are under the impression that they are talking to the world when trying to market themselves on social networking sites, she says. “But they are only talking to a small niche,” she says.

Twitter does have a lot of users. In fact, it saw a 131 percent rise in unique users in March alone, according to Internet research company comScore Inc. Capturing the bulk of those users, however, can be a challenge. Oprah and Mr. Kutcher can do it. But few have their brand power.

“The thing they have that everybody wants is eyeballs, but how do you monitize eyeballs?” says Ms. Quint, “Google has found a way to do it.”’

But can Twitter?

It’s NOT about eyeballs Ms Quint.. Twitter lets us connect to each other and bypass you and the media.

I just saw a post over on we are social about the amount of time people in various countries use social media.

It’s not a competition. The revolution we are seeing in the way people communicate is just people talking to people.

I believe these are not new media.. we are entering a post media era.

Television gave us the chance to have a shared experience.. to watch things from afar in the comfort of our living room.. but it required our attention and conformity and that allow advertisers to stick their products into those same living rooms.

This wasn’t because we wanted to sit in front of the tube.. it was just a necessary step to getting to the programing.

Now we can have video anywhere, and 2 way conversations. We don’t have to choose one place to have the telephone, or one room to watch entertainment.. and advertisers are not happy with our lack of conformity.

It may be a lot harder to place a media buy today, but there is hope for savvy advertisers who embrace the conversations that consumers want. We are all aching to connect, and we love it when we have a meaningful connection with someone that can help us pursue our dreams.

As long as those dreams include acquiring stuff, corporations who listen have nothing to worry about.

I use the term Social Media to describe those sites that are being used by people to revolutionize the way we communicate and do business. At least till I get a better term for it.

What do you think? Are we just consuming media, or is this just more conversations?

Please share you comments below and add your @ handle so we can talk on Twitter too.

Technorati Tags: soucial media use, post media era

I’m logging in from Vancouver today.. live at the Canada Marketing Summit where I’m speaking on Friday.

If you are anywhere near Vancouver, come to the Radisson on Friday night to tweet up when we do this week TwitCastRadio here

If you can’t make it.. you can still see all 16 speakers from this paid event FREE. The live video feed is being professionally produced for a product to be sold later… BUT HERE’S THE TRICK.. If you watch LIVE.. you get it FREE

Here’s the link –> Canada Marketing Summit FREE feed

canada marketing, Warren Whitlock, free marketing, online seminar

I’m heading out to LA for Mark Victor Hansen’s Mega Book Marketing University this Friday-Sun (2/27-3/1). Click here for venue information

While there, I’ll be tweeing up with any authors that use Twitter. If you are in the LA area, use Twitter, and want to become well know and have a best selling book, drop by the event lobby Friday or Saturday afternoon. (Tweet me @WarrenWhitlock to let me know your are coming).

Mega is a must for authors.. but the tweetups will be in the lobby and no ticket is required.

On Friday 2/27, I’ll be doing my radio show from somewhere near LAX with @RobMcNealy and @BeTheMedia talking about how authors, bloggers, entrepreneurs and everyone can “be the media” and how you can get the recognition you, your book, and your business deserve.

You can join us live in the chat room Friday night at 7:00 pm Pacific time at http://TwitCastRadio.com

BeTheMedia, social media radio, robmcneally. mega book, mark victor hansen

It’s Monday at Affiliate Summit West here in Las Vegas. You can follow what we are doing on TweetChat using #ASW09 hash tag.

Started the day with breakfast where we saw that Germans like Frosted Flakes

Then there was an amazing session with @GaryVee who took a question from the audience about balancing social media use with “real work”

What you have to realize is that social media IS real business

Twitter is everywhere at this conference. I took this shot while sitting next to @MariSmith during the Facebook session

asw09, affiliate summit, vegas, vaynerchuk, Warren Whitlock

Twitter Handbook has been written, compiled, edited, and prepared for release.

Dozens of volunteers were given a pre-release view.. and now we’re adding to that with a FRIDAY NIGHT PARTY.

Join our TwitCast.. our live chat and radio talk show on TwitCastRadio.com

Friday August 29th at 10pm Eastern (7pm Pacific, 4pm Hawaii or check your local time here)

Everyone attending will get into the pre-release VIP group for:

• The code to download the pre-release version
• Step by Step instructions to promote yourself on Twitter with the book
• The grow your network of followers game
• Live chat with social media experts
• You questions answered live

How to participate

1. Make sure you have a BlogTalkRadio (TwitCastRadio is a part of the BlogTalkRadio (BTR) network)
2. Go to the show page now to make sure your system is set, and check your time zone. Do this now and you can here my Twinterview with @RickButts of TwitterSqueeze
3. Click on the “add to friends” button to connect to me, and “add to favorites” to help us grow the show’s reach on BTR
4. If you like the show, leave a COMMENT on the site.
5. Make sure you log in about 10 minutes before the show with your BTR username and password and join the chat
6. When you get to the chat, others will see your BTR handle. Make it the same at your Twitter Handle or your real name
7. Post your question and say hello to others in the chat. These will be your best contact from growing you network
8. IMPORTANT: Tweet about the show now, when you join, and at the end of the show to grow the network (and show you are a VIP<G>)

Over the last 48-hours or so Twitter has been a mess. Following and Follower counts have been all over the board for most Tweeters. And with this comes a valuable lesson. As the dust settles, and Twitter finalizes their database updates, most people are finding a net loss of Followers.

This should be a wake up for you and anyone else who is using ANY New Media social channels like Twitter. The lesson learned is — DO NOT count on any social network to carefully hold and guard your followers, friends or contacts.

Social networks are merely communication channels, not storage vaults

Your main focus must be to leverage these social networks, not hang your hopes on them.

And that means moving people from interaction with you on the social network over to your New Media Marketing Hub that is FULLY under your control. (You do have one don’t you? If not, click here to learn more about the Hub concept.)

Once a person is at your Hub, you can welcome them into your subscriber family, and so much more when it comes to growing your business and boosting your bank account.

All this needs to be done persuasively, influentially and seductively. The move needs to be done without malice or manipulation. And definitely without using any of the deceptive methods of the Black Triad.

If you’re an entrepreneur, a marketer or a sales professional — you MUST take the time and effort to build your contact list separately; and in a way that is FULLY under your control.

That means:

1. An email subscription people can initiate on your New Media Marketing hub.
2. Building a database with off-line contact information (address, phone, etc) so you can employ a click-and-mortar approach to growing your Tribe

If you don’t take these actions, all your time, effort and connections could disappear without warning — literally overnight!