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The Social Path

A jargon-free journey through the world of social media.


Birmingham Magazine features Luckie's social media team.June 29

LCs_SocialMediaTeam Apologies for the blatant chest-thumping here, but I was quite proud to see this writeup in the new issue of Birmingham Magazine. (Click on the picture to see a full-size version.)

The writer, Carla Jean Whitley, did a great job boiling down the recent conversation she had with me and my cohort Whitney Sides Mitchell.

One of the main points I hoped to get across was the fact that there is a vital place in social media marketing for full-service agencies like Luckie & Company. I think veteran agencies have a level of breadth, experience, strategic perspective and resources that can be hard to find with solely digital upstarts or consultants.

Don't get me wrong. I think there are some stellar freelancers and specialized shops out there. But it feels like mid-sized agencies like ours often get short shrift in discussions of "who should be doing social media marketing."

In the end, I think the only way you can tell who would be the right social media partner for your business is to look for marketing folks who share your passion and your vision for reaching out to customers in new, rewarding ways. Maybe it's a two-person shop that just

Robots and Supermen among us...June 26

2329507744_01d5cca868_o ...and other wacky tech news this week of June 22nd - 26th.

  • News of the popstar's sudden death spread the world over like lightning -- and almost took the earth's axis with it. [Canada.com]
  • The dreamiest incarnation of Superman made a return this week, when we started seeing ads for Microsoft's Internet Explorer featuring none of than Dean Cain? [Switched]
  • Social site Mashable launches the Twitter Guide Book, which gives you every possible bit of information you'd need for starting, understanding or hanging tough on Twitter. [Mashable]
  • Talk about being ahead of the curve... one blog has compiled a wishlist of apps that have yet to be invented. The suggestions start at searching people and faces in your immediate vicinity to letting your smartphone FIND your keys or car for you. Wow. [ReadWriteWeb]
  • AdFreak reports on robot spottings worldwide
Twitter fights, subpoenas and TwilightJune 22

3554199759_61fe13cd52 I was inspired this week to share links that were in some cases dramatic and in others just plain unbelievable.

  • A city in Montana has been asking recent job applicants to turn over information about their social networking activity online. And by information, I mean, they are requiring passwords to Facebook, Myspace and even forums! [Switched]
  • Guess what doesn't stay in Vegas? Internet anonymity! In other surprisingly similar news, a Las Vegas newspaper has been subpoenaed by a federal grand jury to release information on the identities of their commenters. [ReadWriteWeb]
  • Guy tweets "so my apartment just collapsed". Luckily he was way across the country at the time, but woooow. [Mashable]
  • This year's graduates are being documented by MTV News as to their hopes and fears, milestones and defining moments. Of these defining attributes, one is America's election of its first biracial president, while ano
Iran brings the world its first Twittered revolution.June 18

3629285997_187e6a53aa A mere few months ago, celebrities like Ashton Kutcher and Oprah brought Twitter to the mainstream masses. Soon enough, people were jumping to prove that Twitter had been overhyped and was on the verge of stagnation.

Then came the Iranian Election. In the days since, Twitter has proven to be a vital hub of information for a peaceful revolution that has been locked out of almost any other communication channel.

If you've only been on the periphery of this online saga, here are a few links (in chronological order) to get you up to date:

  • "US State Dept. Helping Twitter Stay Up For Iranians" [ReadWriteWeb]
  • "Iran's Twitter Revolution" [The Nation]
  • "Iran's struggle for free expression on Twitter." [NPR]
  • "Twitterers Protests CNN's 'FAIL'" [WSJ]
  • "Ahmadinejad Rally Photoshopped to Appear Larger" [
Remembering Barry Beckett, a quiet musical legend.June 16

16beckett190 Music lovers everywhere, especially here in Alabama, suffered a tremendous loss last week with the death of Barry Beckett. Mr. Beckett was keyboardist for the legendary four-member Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, immortalized in the lyrics of Lynyrd Skykyrd's Sweet Home Alabama as "The Swampers."

I never got to meet Mr. Beckett, but I did get to sit down with two of his partners, David Hood and Roger Hawkins, as part of our series of Web interviews for The Year of Alabama Arts.

If you've got a few minutes, check out this YouTube playlist of excerpts from an incredible chat with some incredibly humble music legends:

To hear the Rhythm Section in top form, especially Mr. Beckett's subtle but distinct piano playing, just give a listen to Paul Simon's "Kodachrome."

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