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Hey! I’m over heeeeeeere!

When new media catches on, it spreads everywhere. And fast. Conversations about YouTube! were rare at first, but once we saw how quickly these videos loaded and how well they played, we wanted to tell all our friends about them!

We’ve experienced the same phenomenon with Flash, AJAX, Google, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and nearly every type of social media you can think of. We say “ooooooh! that is COOL!” then we dive into it.

Trouble is, that while we are swimming deep in the new technology we find nifty, most of our friends are doing the same (and we all keep sharing it). The result is a saturation of media.

Ad columnist for Entrepreneur.com, Roy Williams, wrote about “Advertising Trends: Publishing Past Media Overload“. In the article, he shines a spotlight on problems we face today in advertising that have only grown worse.

The more we have to look at and react to, the harder it is to see things individually. Say we go to a sports arena and have 30-70,000 people around us … ever noticed how really tough it can be to find a buddy (or wife) in the crowd?

Flip that around: in that same arena when you leave your friends (or your husband) to go grab a bite/drink/restroom break, it’s equally hard for them to see you. Getting noticed takes a LOT of effort. (And “hey I forgot my wallet” can be a painful trek back across the crowd!)

With all the new technology we have, often being force-fed to us (see how much you get hit with on your local news station’s web site!), it is no wonder those wanting your attention (and your money), have such a difficult time reaching you.

In Roy’s article, he suggests we all spend a bit more time writing headlines to get attention, then proceed to take that reader’s attention to inform them what you can do for them.

Be fun, smart, and innovative, but make sure you can back-up your headline with reality! Find what you want to get your readers to react to, and grab their attention. They are likely reading e-mail, checking in on Facebook, sending out a Tweet, checking the team scores on ESPN and doing some online shopping. Will you be seen?

Remember, there is a lot more to advertising than a pretty picture, cool graphics, or some well-written copy. It takes a balance of it all to get noticed!

Last week we did a little dance at our desks when Slashdot reported that social networking at work is good. We’ve been encouraging clients to embrace these new communication channels (as appropriate) – and not be afraid of what’s new.

The fear, I think, comes from the unknown. With names like Twitter, Flickr, and blog (oh my!) it’s not instantly clear what you’re getting into. So let’s break it down.

If we had to define the tricks of the social media trade on a bumper sticker, here’s what we’d have:

• Blog – Online journal, a “web log”
  
• Twitter – Mini blog… 140 characters or less
• Yammer – Twitter for business
  
• Technorati – Google for blogs
  
• Del.icio.us – A social bookmarks manager
  
• MySpace – Your personal website for connecting with friends
  
• Facebook – MySpace that started in academia
• LinkedIn – Business networking and contacts site
• YouTube – Online video sharing
  
• Flickr – Online photo sharing
  
• Second Life – A virtual reality
• Podcast – “Talk radio” to play on your iPod
  
• RSS – Tivo for the web – it puts what you want online in one place
  

Based on the definitions above, I’d have to say that we are a little surprised that the article featured Facebook as the tool that workplaces should encourage. Business-specific social networking sites do exist – specifically LinkedIn and Yammer. We have experience with both, and would recommend these as easy launching points for companies who are just getting their toes wet.

Don’t forget – you can follow Bing on Twitter and Flickr.

Just yesterday, Slashdot reported on a study that social networking at work might be a good thing. A BBC News write-up on the study (headlined Companies ’should embrace Facebook’) is here.

Wow. That’s a heck of a recommendation.

To sum it up, the study found that:

• Social networking encourages employees to build relationships and share information – and that attempts to stop such activity could be detrimental to the business in the long-run.
• Technology is increasingly popular as a medium for sharing ideas and collaboration – and that younger folks in the workforce have grown up with this. For them, this is the way they communicate.

• More freedom and flexibility in the workplace can actually help maintain stability.

• Social networks are networks. And by focusing more minds on a problem, you may arrive at an answer more quickly.

• Guidelines are still needed, but they should be practical. And, social network use can – and should – tie to a business goal.

For some people, this will beg the question “What is social networking?”

We’re glad you asked.

We’ve been answering this question a lot lately and even presenting to clients and non-profits on the tools and tricks of social media: blogging, Yammer, Twitter, Flickr, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, ChipIn … the list goes on.

Over the next few weeks, we’ll share some of this “social media 101″ information on Bingenuity.com – breaking it down into bite-sized pieces that explain what it is and how you can use social networking successfully in the business realm.

If you have specific questions that you’d like answered – leave us a comment or drop us a note.