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That explosion led to me getting paid to write about social networking for b5media, consulting gigs, and eventually directed me to go after my Masters degree in Digital Media Study. Also I moved my humor blog from myspace to my own domain which has led to some freelance writing for popcrunch.com (I write their show) and for doubleviking.com... Finally my humor blog has had offers to join larger blogging networks and has become a steady stream of secondary income.
Social networking has been very good to me.
On Feb 7th I decided to try to see if I could raise some money for the local Children's Hospital using my blog and Twitter in the month of Feb 2008. By just making a couple of pleas, I raised $670 by the morning of 2/29. The goal was 1000, but $670 still kiss ass! Most donations were in $10 and $25 amounts.
http://thomsinger.blogspot.com/2008/02/little-l...
One reader of my blog said she donated because she felt she has gotten more than $25 in value from my writing, so this was her way to pay. Cool, huh?
What if everyone could raise just a little money for charity? Sure $670 is not a material amount to The Dell Children's Medical Center in Central Texas....but what if 1000 people did this? That would be $67,000....and that is a material amount.
I am excited at the thought that the average guy who is not rich can make a difference by tapping into his social network. A drop in the bucket will add up over time and overflow the bucket.
I also think that social online entrepreneurs who make money should earmark 5% (or 10%) of the top line to a charity of their choice from the beginning. If you wait to donate $50,000 once you have earned a million dollars you may never do it...because $50,000 is a big amount. But if you do it one little sum at a time when you are making pennies, it will not sting to give the money in little chuncks. You wont miss it. And over time it will add up and make a difference!
thom
* Beating the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and several hundred other global, mainstream outlets to interview all three co-founders of Webaroo for my little known podcast in early 2006. I was also granted permission to be first to announce their official launch. No one really cared though. :)
There's more, but I won't bore you folks with the details.
I hope my social networking activities will do two things:
1) To network with people in my local area (as well as people that are not bound by proximity...via Twitter, Facebook, etc). Networking isn't something I have much experience with, but using social media as an ice-breaker can make this so much easier.
2) Create awareness for (*shameless plug*) a Daddy blog that I am working on with a few close friends at DaddyRockstar.com.
Hopefully I remember to post back in a few months to let you know how it went!
http://thegreenhouse.gardenfork.tv
I found myself answering a lot of viewer mail, and thought it would be better if viewers could post their questions, ideas, thoughts, suggestions in a central place where everyone could read and respond. So I created The Greenhouse.
Its grown right along with the show, following the 1% rule of viewer participation.
Cheers!
I have been in my company, IBM, for the last 11 years and have been involved in social media for the last 5. Of those 5 years, all three jobs I have been having were due to my corporate blog and social networking activities behind the corporate firewall, so much so that the last one of those jobs has been, still is, my dream job all along: working as a community builder and social computing evangelist @ IBM!
That, to me, proves the business value from social networking, both from an enterprise and individual perspective, inside and outside of the corporate firewall!
Keep those stories coming!
Cheers!
While doing research for my book on mobile marketing I came across Zena Weist's blog, Nothin'But Socnet (http://nothingbutsocnet.blogspot.com/). I did an interview with her to learn more about social networking. She suggested I jump onto Twitter.
Through following her on Twitter and in Facebook I got to know her well enough to ask her to give me an early read on my book chapter on social networking.
She gave me feedback and told me that my writing voice reminded her of Chris Brogan. So now I follow you on Twitter and here I am. Not only did I get Zena's great feedback, I found your very resourceful blog.
I have a social networking success story that I can't share broadly right now. It's sort of a special event that's going to happen at VON. That's one reason I sked if you were going to VON. But it once that happens it will be widely shared. ;-)
Two weeks later she introduced us to a marketing contact at her company.
One month later we were hired and they were our biggest client. We staffed up by bringing on two more people to service the business.
Those two people felt secure enough in our company, that each of them bought their own homes, and one even proposed to his girl.
So even thought that's nothing that can be tracked via RSS readers or some analytics program, that simple outreach to friend through LinkedIN has had a profound impact on many people.
Those are the intangibles of the impact of social media on us as a society.
Here are some of my results so far:
http://postworthy.com/Worthy/ex/Social_Media_Ex...
I moved to a new, rural area and joined my "neighbourhood" with the Neighborhoods Facebook App. There was hardly anyone in it at the time. I thought about leaving, but didn't. Soon after, I landed my first web design contract from my new area. The clients wanted somebody local and happened to find me in that app.
Six (so far) clients for my blog design business via Twitter.
And those are just a couple highlights!