Of course living here in Indianapolis, Indiana it’s impossible to really see first-hand what is going on in other parts of the world.  You have to rely on outside sources to keep you updated.  But still I get the feeling that people and businesses are finally starting to get it.  I can definitely say that I have seen a huge shift in my connections toward people becoming less resistant.  More are really starting to embrace this powerful tool we call social media.

I see people posting a new Facebook status every day that I never thought would be wanting to share updates with the rest of the world.  Why?  Because these are the same people that I was working with a year ago that ran for the hills when anyone mentioned Facebook.  I, of course, did my best to explain the value but for a lot of people it’s really just a matter of time.  Now they are making new connections every day and many share with me their surprise that it’s actually beneficial.

I see businesses every single day joining Twitter to find out what their customers are really saying and keep up with the latest news.  Some are even running contests to grow their following and expand their network.  They realize that this will later benefit them when those people are making purchasing decisions.

I see people creating events and promoting them through social media.  They realize that it’s one of the best tools to increase awareness and attendance.  Most seem to even realize that the people they meet at these events will eventually be their best friends and business partners.

Being in the Internet marketing/social media industry, I understand that not everyone will understand the full potential and that everyone will use it differently.  I also realize that my small sampling of people is not reflective of “everyone.”  Nonetheless I am still seeing a significant trend.  The points above were not made to show great case studies, but  to illustrate that people of all backgrounds are finally starting to come around.  Posting a status on Facebook definitely does not mean you are gaining any type of value from your post, but it does show that plenty of people are finally there and more are becoming active users.

If you read blogs from anyone discussing social media, you will no doubt find posts all about convincing people who resist social media that it’s here to stay.  You will see things like, “your business needs to change now, otherwise you won’t be in business much longer.”  So let me ask you this – are people finally starting to catch on?

Drew Olanoff was diagnosed with cancer on May 20th, 2009.  Instead of giving up like many would, he has turned to social media to help increase awareness in an attempt to raise money for Livestrong.  The basic idea is that when something goes wrong just pause for a moment and take that energy to write a tweet using the hashtag #BlameDrewsCancer.  The idea is to have sponsors that will donate $1 for every participant.

To top things off, Drew has taken his effort to the next level announcing that he will be auctioning off his Twitter user name, @drew ,and donating the money to the Livestrong cause.  Who would be interesting in paying money for a Twitter username?  Drew Carey has indicated that he will pay as much as $100,000.00 for the name.

A great case study for using Twitter if you ask me.

I have talked with many Facebook users that are not Twitter users.  They seemed to be a little confused on exactly what the @Mention allows you to do and how it will benefit them.  Will many Facebook users even care about this update?  Let’s not forget how users have reacted in the past anytime Facebook makes a change.  While this update will be nothing as drastic as a new design, the initial reaction to Facebook changes have historically been  negative.  At first glance, the same group of people who think Twitter is for stalkers are likely to think now Facebook is even further supporting Twitter’s stalker habits.  Now not only can I tell you that I am have coffee with someone else – I can link directly to his/her profile from my status update.

My guess is that it will take awhile for native Facebook users to being adopting this new functionality.  But once people within your network begin to use @Mentions as a part of their status updates on a regular basis, their friends will likely follow.  The hope is that this will allow Facebook users to continue to connect to others within their network to share more meaningful information.  Let’s see if this holds true.

I do think this will go a long way in helping the business brands on Facebook.  It is now going to be much easier to share that you are going to eat @(restaurant) and link directly to their fan page.  This will also encourage more incentives to be offered for customers as sharing becomes easier.  I will continue to update my blog as this is rolled out to analyze the trends.

But in the meantime, what is your take on it?

Below is the breakdown on exactly how it will work from Facebook engineer Tom Occhino:

Now, when you are writing a status update and want to add a friend’s name to something you are posting, just include the “@” symbol beforehand. As you type the name of what you would like to reference, a drop-down menu will appear that allows you to choose from your list of friends and other connections, including groups, events, applications and Pages. Soon, you’ll be able to tag friends from applications as well. The “@” symbol will not be displayed in the published status update or post after you’ve added your tags.

Friends you tag in your status updates will receive a notification and a Wall post linking them to your post. They also will have the option to remove tags of themselves from your posts. We hope that tagging your status updates and others posts from the Publisher will enable you to share in a more meaningful and engaging way, and connect with even more people. We’re rolling this feature out over the course of the next few weeks, so you may not see the new feature just yet.

After a lot of hard work, last week Kyle announced that the book was available for order on Amazon.com.  This is a huge accomplishment for Kyle and Erik.  I know many people involved in the Indianapolis social media scene are very happy to see this success.  Both Kyle and Erik are always looking to reach out to help others and this book is right up there with sites like SmallerIndiana.com as far as efforts that are really putting Indiana and more specifically Indianapolis on the map when it comes to big ideas/social media marketing.  Ironically enough, social media marketing tools like Twitter have played and will play a big role in the success of this book.  Kyle has done a great job of promoting this book and today I would like to take a closer look on how he is doing it:

• First off, the lead with Wiley Publishing to be considered as an author of the book came from a participant in a social media class about using tools like Facebook and Twitter.  A class which was promoted using social media among other things.
• Kyle frequently posted Twitter, Blog and Facebook updates about his progress asking for feedback and suggestions in some cases.
• He even posted a blog entitled Help with Twitter Marketing for Dummies Book where he gave everyone that read his post and tweets an opportunity to get published in the book by submitting Twitter marketing thoughts in 140 characters or less.  Simply put, this was a chance to have your Twitter thought and username go out to everyone that will be reading this book.
• Now that the book is available for purchase he is doing something that I think is huge – offering 100 free copies of the new book in exchange for a commitment to publish a review.   The 100 copies will be split between people with a good network, or large following on social media, the Internet or their community and reviewers in magazines/newspapers.  This is the perfect way to potentially have 100 different people (assuming everyone follows through) telling all of their friends, followers, business partners, etc. about your book.  This has viral marketing written all over it.

Kyle has consistently reached out to help me in getting me personal blog started.  He has also contributed in helping to promote Fusework Studios on Twitter and other social media tools.  His reputation and eagerness to help make me sure that this book will be a success.  I know I am looking forward to receiving my copy!  Please join me in congratulating Kyle and Erik on this great accomplishment!

Here’s why:

• While 140 characters is not always enough to get your message out, it forces you to be creative and not ramble.  It is much easier for me to remember 140 characters than 1,400 and making Tweets memorable is key.
• 140 character Tweets are much easier to sort through and digest than 1,400 character novels.  Organization and navigation must be easy.
• Twitter was first and has already been adopted.  Second never wins on the web unless you are better and Woofer is not better.

Woofer is creative.  I will give it that.  And it may or may not serve as a good way to draw attention to Shuffletime, the other venture from the people that brought you Woofer.  But the Woofs will soon fade to Yelps and then back to Tweets again…

• Dick’s will be giving away a $100 Gift Card on Twitter every day for 50 days in a countdown until the Fall season – follow Dicks Sporting Goods on Twitter to stay up to date
• Twitter users are required to post a tweet (or many tweets) in an @ reply to @dickssportcmo telling the twitosphere what they would do with the $100 Gift Card and why
• They will be automatically entered into the drawing by doing so and each day the previous days winner will be announced.  From that time they have 48 hours to DM Dick’s their mailing address to receive the gift card.

The idea is great.  People sharing what they like at Dick’s Sporting Goods all over Twitter.  This will result in more followers, increased brand awareness online and offline, as well as giving people ideas on things to buy at Dick’s.  Sure they are giving some money away, but the overall amount money that will be taken in through this campaign will go on for a long time after it’s through.  Don’t you agree?

Consider a few points below:

Social media tools allow pro sports players to connect with their fans like never before.  This helps build a connection between the fans and their favorite players/team.  And let’s face it - without the fans the teams wouldn’t exist.

Many pro athletes could be labeled as ego-centric and use these tools in a way that could harm the team and/or player.  This may result in fines and other penalities.

But the ultimate question is, “should what athletes do off the field/court matter?”  This is the age old topic that has been the source of many debates.  Social media allows fans to see what that sports star is really all about – for better or for worse. 

Communication is changing forever.  Limiting access is only putting a band aid on the real problem.  If you are so worried about how a player may truly feel or what they might say that would harm the team – then should they be on the team anyway?  Let them learn for themselves.  The fans deserve it.

Dwight Howard’s Blog
See Dwight connect with fans and read about his thoughts on missing critical free throws during the game.  It’s all here. 

Follow Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on Twitter
The NBA’s all-time leading scorer and Laker great was tweeting during the games with his perspective on the action.  I bet he is happy the Lakers won!

Check Out the NBA’s Facebook Page
Stay up to date with all of the action as the Lakers and Magic battle it out.  Insider information, vote for player of the game, and create your own amazing NBA moments.

Here are 4 Other Ways to Make the NBA Finals More Social from Mashable

Well as I write this blog post, it is official – Kobe Bryant and the Lakers have won the 2009 NBA Championship!

So, this blog post has now been published.  Should I post a link to it on Facebook?  Should I post a link to it on Twitter?  Or should I do both at the same time? 

As each social media giant continues to grow, so do the number of ways to manage both at the same time.  Some allow for options to post to just one or both with each update.  Others post to both by default. 

Check out Mashable’s Twitter to Facebook: 5 Ways to Post to Both.  Pick your favorite from the list.  I suggest using Tweedeck to manager both.  And happy facebooking and tweeting.

ProBlogger has listed some additional ways to promote your blog within this task a few of which include: 

• Asking another blogger with relevant content to your post to include a link back over to your blog – it may take some time to develop these relationships before you are comfortable asking
• Including your blog URL in your email signature – don’t forget your blog is a part of your contact information
• Email marketing – this is a great way to see an immediate, significant impact
• Post comments on other blogs – a great way to develop reciprocal linking relationships
• Followup posts that build off of previous posts within your blog to increase momentum - this was my personal favorite and one I will immediately implement

These were just a few that stood out to me.  You can read the full list of 11 Ways to Promote a Blog Post here. 

So…I am in interested in your feedback.  What have you found to be an effective way to promote your blog?  Do you promote individual posts or your blog as a whole?  Please share in the comments.