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Michelle's Blog

What Kind of Online Superhero Are You?November 23

Putting yourself online always feels a bit voyeuristic. As time goes by, I am slowly getting over this thought. By putting ourselves online, we are eliminating trust barriers between each other. The more we know about each other, the less we all have to guess when it comes time to be friends, do business, share information, or whatever human transaction may take place. We are creating a human database that is both studied and evaluated by peers.

However, what we put online is much more deliberate than what we choose to be in real life. After all, we are not going to publish what we are ashamed of in our social profiles. The more degrees of separation stand between us, the more I can continue to control how you see me. This is perhaps why web 2.0 seems so polished and innocent still. I see very few disruptive characters among bloggers, and I’d almost wish I’d see more just to keep it honest.

Anyone who has watched a Twitterstream or follows their work associates on Facebook appreciates that the lines between our business and personal lines has and will now always be blurred. The question is: how do you choose to control it? Are you the same person onlin

Watch Me Literally Kick Ass at Austin Social Media ClubNovember 20

Ha, I love writing ridiculous headlines to catch the attention of RSS subscribers. Just a note: every time you use “literally” when you are actually speaking figuratively, an angel loses its wings. Sorry, Clarence.

So PR Guru Kristine Gloria put together a panel aptly titled “Women Under 30 Kicking Ass in Social Media” and I am on this panel. For this honor, I must thank my parents for having me in 1979 vs 1978, in which case I would be too old to be able to speak here.

Although we haven’t prepared for this (one of the advantages of a “discussion” vs. a “speech”), I’ve collected some discussion points we could talk about. Social media 1.) facilitates action and 2.) is not merely a means to evangelize–it is a way to listen. I have concrete examples of how social media feel the pulse of a potential audience to better generate ideas. It also 3.) can create rifts between you and your employer, as it requires you to build a brand at a personal level rather than a larger one and 4.) can require you to further examine yourself, as private and public spheres become incredibly muddled.

And now for your viewing pleasure, the ultimate ass kicker, Kung Fu Jesus!

Yo Zappos, Maybe You Can Help Me OutNovember 12

I was quite dismayed that Zappos was laying off people. I love Zappos use of social media, but am a bit put off by their prices as I am a cheapass.

Being a cheapass doesn’t always pay off, especially when you are trying to get a marketing company off the ground. The time you spend shopping ends up costing you the time you could be working. So I’m going to try and make Zappos social media strategy work for me.

If someone at Zappos can ping me on Twitter with a fairly affordable brown shoe like this one in an 8.5, I’ll buy it. As you can see, the seam tore on one side and it’s sort of embarrassing. I know Zappos is expensive, but if they can save me the time of shopping and hassling with a return if I need it, I don’t care. It’s worth it.

Here’s the shoe to be replaced:

I’m always on the lookout for cool Puma kicks, but I’m all right there for the time being. I hope this search for a personal shopper works out.

Meh, Sure, I’ll Check Out PubConNovember 12

So I got an email from Matt at WebHostingBuzz that we are going to start a Twitter blog. He is at PubCon and saw that Microsoft was doing it and thought it was cool, so now we are.

Me being me, I was naturally jealous. Why? It’s not that I care to see a presentation by Microsoft’s use of social media (although I give props to Phil Wheat for getting out there on the scene). It’s that I just love Las Vegas that much, and I like meeting new people in my industry.

So I booked a ticket and should be hanging out in Vegas this Thursday through Sunday.

Business first, if you meet me, please know that I work for the following companies:
WebHostingBuzz: Hosting company complete with published uptime each month. Proud host of hashtags.org and soon to be host of Platformic.
NameCheap: Domain registrar with easiest domain admin interface on the interwebs. API for complete domain reselling.
Sun & Ski Sports: Crazy cool gear for skiing, snowboarding, cycling, wakeboarding, and all things outdoors. @sunandski

and last but not least:
The

Friends Don’t Spam Friends (with Newsletters)November 11

I love my marketing friends. I like bouncing ideas off of them. You know what I don’t like?

When I send you an email about something random and then all of a sudden I have to unsubscribe to your email newsletters.

Seriously, when did this become kosher? When I want to be on your email list, I will subscribe. To me, this is like a store asking for your address so you can make a return and then signing you up for their catalog without your permission. I get a deluge of emails everyday, and I’d appreciate it if the only newsletters I get are the ones I choose to get.

Friends don’t spam friends. I’m setting a precedent right there, folks. If you send me your newsletter without my permission, just know that you are essentially giving me permission to 1.) mark you as spam and therefore get you one step closer to being blocked by ISPs and 2.) make you look silly in some public manner.