Comments RSS 
The Biggest Douchebag in Social Media?
December 19th, 2008
·
by Warren Whitlock · Filed Under: Blog Talk Radio · Twinterviews · Twitcast · Twitter Podcasts · Twitter Stories · Twitteratti · Warren Whitlock Live
Tonight’s http://TwitCastRadio.com was my Twinterview with @MattBacak, who was recently subjected to a Twitter Storm of negative tweets over a press release he issued about his social media activities.
Matt has been promoting online, teaching others how to marketing their books and businesses on the Internet and building several multi-million dollar businesses.
While the press release statements were true, they gave the impression that Matt was in Stage 2.. looking for a way to profit or use technologies like Twitter.
I knew this wasn’t like Matt. So I invited him to tell us what happened.
Listen to the interview now. I think you’ll agree that it’s a story of a sincere guy, who learns from his mistake. (no wonder he’s been so successful).
Do you think Matt was genuine on the call? I admit to not being totally objective, but I think you’ll hear that he is the man of integrety I know and love
Post your comments below.
Thanks for having me on the call! You ROCK!
Matt
Matt,
You are a class act for wearing my shirt, on top of being gutsy for spending so much of your no doubt valuable time interacting with people in the social sphere on a one-on-one basis. You have cleared your name and hopefully by your actions have shown yet again (I’m thinking of the wonderful example of Kryptonite) that a Twitterstorm or blogstorm is NOT the end of the line–IF you handle it the right way. Again, well done, and good luck.
- Todd (@vanhoosear)
Matt is a man who cares about his customers. He still returns personal email two and a half years after taking one of his small group weekend classes. He answers questions on a regular basis, he helps people get started on line by encouraging his students to do JVs together which he makes sure the whole multi-year multi-event group has access to.
Matt is a man of action and he teaches that. If you want to associate with a person who takes action and has success because of it follow Matt. I still read his emails and pay attention to him. I believe that if you do that you will be better off for it, too.
I was listening and chatting during the broadcast tonight. Matt ate more crow than he needed to eat. He ate it with dignity. I continue to respect him for his open approach to what was a moment of failure. To us, this was an example of a man rising from the ashes before they have stopped smoldering. Is this a good example of the entrepreneurial spirit of the USA or what.
Warmest Regards,
Edward Philipp
http://www.TeleSeminarWebFolk.com the home of the Holiday Gratitude Call.
Write what you are grateful for if you can’t make the call and I will read it for the world. 6 pm Pacific Christmas Day
[...] have his picture taken with a t-shirt that I designed (see above–the shirt first appeared on a blog post by Warren Whitlock, which also includes a link to a long audio podcast interview with Matt). The [...]
Matt & Warren;
Nicely done! Matt it was a great forum for you to express your contrition and speak about the whole ordeal. Audio is a wonderful format to hear passion and energy of the speaker, as sometimes this sterile web environment can give the wrong impressions of people. I think Matt may have affected more people’s success than even he ever set out to do, by being an example of what not to do, but more importantly what TO do following a social media crisis communication event.
It’s been an excellent case study in progress that we’ve taken to clients of ours to reinforce the need to have an authentic personality online, to foster transparency, and to participate in the conversation.
-Cheers!
Christopher Lower
Sterling Cross Communications
Traditional Storytellers Integrating Today’s Technology
http://www.sterlingcrossgroup.com
http://abovethebuzz.wordpress.com
http://www.twitter.com/mrchristopherl
Call him names. How ridiculous!!!!!
Give the guy a break. Whether you like him or not he’s is one of the best internet marketers on the net. Everyone can learn a lot from him. I sure do. Ya, he makes mistakes at least he learns from them. Keep up the wonderful interviews. Great show, Warren!
It was disturbing to see how one person’s mistake rose to the level of name calling as this did. The mistake was not a fraud, misdemeanor, moral or ethical failing yet by the response, you’d have though this man committed a horrendous crime that nothing short of cutting him off at the knees would be just punishment.
That he responded with kindness and sincerity once he understood he made a social guffaw shows his character that was not visible in his attackers who were so quick to resort to ugly name calling.
If the social world helps everyone, shares the love, where was it? I read above that Matt expressed his contrition. Since when is contrition expected? Who is the judge and jury? And what did he do that was so awful? He mixed the techniques from one type of marketing with those of another. What a disgrace.
No one thought about the fear this might create to anyone new trying to learn the rules. You could see the angry mob rising from countless twitter and digg sites. The numerous bloggers who jumped to write a post and add to the carnage.
Neither Matt nor anyone should know ridicule from making the ghastly social error of mixing the methods of one type of marketing with those of another.
Nor should the social media world sit in judgment.
Matt is a great guy and realy does care for people. He is also a great dresser for those of us that like black and khaki. The Social Media space is evolving as a tool for honest exchange of ideas and like an internet water cooler. There are different populations of users with different opinions on the web use in marketing. Just as there are purists who dont want commercial television, there are those that want to have similar behaviours on the web. The market is always the best arbiter of what it accepts. Matt contributes a great deal ans is transparent also. I am sure like any media we all learn the codes and etiquette. Matt is no exception, as he is a very effective onl;ine and offline marketer..and thats no dirt. Not everyone wants PBS or the BBC all of the time.
Wow! Thanks for the nice posts. If client needs any help
please email my assistant at tamara@powerfulpromoter.com or
you can always talk to me on twitter I’m very social there.
or heck just email me at: matt@powerfulpromoter.com
Hey, Matt is a good guy! Please quit bashing him (if you’re one of those who did) and give the guy a break. I’ve missed this call, Warren, but I don’t enjoy seeing anyone who gives so much and who HAS ethics getting chastised by an “angry mob.” So, I’m glad that you gave Matt a chance to speak and clarify… I mean, really. Hey, ppl, don’t be a wiener to a nice guy like Matt Bacak, OK?
Regards,
Cheri
@LongestWiener