Commentary

We live in a world consumed by entertainment and media. From what we know from earliest recorded history, we humans have always sought ways to entertain ourselves and others. Entertainment has come in the form of music, art and storytelling, and we are still enthralled with these; the only difference is that the medium we use has changed. For example, listening to each other tell folk tales by candlelight has been replaced by popular radio shows such as The Phantom and The Lone Ranger.

Have you ever had the perfect name for your company or product but you couldn't use it because it was already taken? Gene Simmons was in a similar situation when he was originally putting his band together - tons of other groups were performing under the name "Kiss". Luckily, Gene had the foresight to trademark "Kiss" and "KISS" for use in audio recordings, which prevented any other band from releasing music under the same name.

Many people believe that managing your social networks can be as easy as having an intern or assistant post status updates or tweets. Oftentimes when I ask clients what their social media strategy is, the most common answer I hear is that simply posting updates is more or less their game plan. Ultimately, though, a good social strategy is more than just "shouting" online and hoping someone out there will hear you.

Three weeks ago, a web development friend of mine called me crying. She was upside down on a project and did not know what to do or who to turn to.