If you use, or have an interest in Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn or
other "social media" platforms, stay tuned. That's what we are talking
about here. We'll tell you about what we are doing on these sites,
why, and we'll also tell you that there a huge amount of
disinformation about the value of social media platforms. Yes, HUGE
disinformation.
What's New:
1) Busy Learners Page On Facebook
As we've mentioned our product site is located at http://busylearners.com,
and it's is still the main place to go to explore how our books and
helpcards might help you succeed in your personal and professional
lives. That said, while I'm not a particular "fan" of most social
media, I feel that we need to make it easier for those who like places
like Facebook to find out about us and our work. To that end we've
created several topic specific pages, the first of which is
BusyLearners On Facebook, at
http://www.facebook.com/pages/For-Busylearners-From-Bacal-Associates/321814153775?ref=nf
. You can also use the shorter address: http://bit.ly/90kEbZ .
Unlike this newsletter, which is only published once a month or so, we
can update our followers, friends and fans often in very short
messages, if we use Facebook. We can provide you with excerpts and
graphics from our new upcoming books, for example, and you can access
them at your convenience.
Please consider become a friend of fan, if you are on Facebook. I
promise that once we start doing facebook discounts and coupons (shhh,
there's actually one now), you be pleased, and of course, if you
change your mind, it's simple to erase us from your Facebook account.
2) More Facebook Pages
There's more. We've been collecting links to free stuff people can
learn from (good videos, ebooks, whitepapers, and audios, free
university courses), and been placing them on our http://free2thee.com
blog. Frankly, it hasn't worked out. Nobody is visiting, so rather
than just throw away the whole idea including all the neat links and
resources, we are now going to be presenting all the free learning
resources on Facebook on Learning For Nothing and Your Stuff's For
Free page (note the takeoff on the old Dire Straits song).
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Learning-For-Nothing-and-Your-Stuffs-For-Free/301169410731
We'll leave the free2thee.com site up for the moment, so you can still
access the old links, but we won't be actively supporting it. Use the
Facebook pages for all the juicy "I want to learn" FREE stuff.
Of course, since I've written so many books on performance management
and appraisal, I just had to set up a performance management and
appraisal AND work performance page on Facebook. Again, a great place
for discussion, announcements, links and stuff, accessed while you are
on Facebook. It's at:
PLEASE become fans of all of these pages if you have an interest in
these topics. It's the only way we can know whether we are meeting
your needs. And, it is SOCIAL media, so post, ask questions and start
or participate in discussions. Otherwise, we'll shut 'em down, or let
them expire.
Our Twitter Accounts/Twitter Stuff
I think the value of Twitter (a microblog platform -- messages limited
to 140 characters) has been incredibly overblown, and I feel I have
sufficient data to show that it's value to small business is minimal
except for small numbers of success stories. That said, we participate
fairly actively on Twitter, because: I find it's fun (many others
don't); and just in case it does become a business asset in the future
(it isn't now). If you are on Twitter, and want to keep up with what
we are doing on various topics (we tweet really good links and
resources), please follow the accounts that interest you. Our twitter
accounts are listed below:
http://twitter.com/rbacal (personal account, most active, and you
never know what you'll find)
http://twitter.com/trdev (for training and learning related stuff,
mostly and run by our helper Pat Stark.
http://twitter.com/smallbusinessIQ (for small business. Really good
stuff and advice on small business gets posted there).
http://twitter.com/performanceappr (for posts about performance
management, performance appraisal, and work performance improvement.
We have a few others of lesser importance, but note that new material
posted to our websites on these topics is tweeted, so if you follow
these accounts, you'll know when the new stuff is available.
Please follow us to keep up, and again, we release free offers via
Twitter, too.
So that's enough about Bacal On Social Media. Now...
Bacal Takes On Social Media
Whenever I see crowds of people moving in a similar direction, while
praising the newest thing to the sky, I get curious. Is it really a
new thing? Is it really what it the claims say? Are the benefits
really there or are they wishful thinking? Whether we are talking
about concepts such as learning styles/Myers-Briggs type stuff, or
employee engagement, or social media like Twitter and Facebook, my
approach is the same: Strip the BS from the marketers, fanatics,
fools, and those with vested interests and let's see what's real and
not.
I don't think I can recall a bigger magnet for BS than the various
social media platforms. Perhaps because the platforms tend toward the
superficial due to how the platforms work, they seem to attract
proponents who seem intelligent and make incredibly stupid claims
about the usefulness of social media for small business,
communication, and learning. It's rare that I find people who are
actively asking even close to the right questions about social media,
or who dare to question the insane stuff that is posted by well know
social media gurus.
Then there's me. As I said, I get curious when I see thousands of
wildebeest running in one direction. Why I ask. Where, I ask. I must
say that the wildebeests will have a good reason, but mostly the
social media people don't. I'm tired of it. It's time to engage our
brains, individually and collectively, and look at the claims,
evidence, research, anecdotal stuff, etc, and couple it with knowledge
from sociology, psychology and commerce to identify the strengths and
weaknesses of social media.
But why bother? What harm does it do to allow the biased and ignorant
to trumpet their pet tools to the rest of the world? The answer is
simple. People believe what they hear and read particularly if it
comes from those that seem to be popular and are listened to by
others. Ideas do not stand on their merit anymore. Ideas "win the day"
based on the popularity and superficial features of the people pushing
them. To be concrete, when you have high profile social network
marketers telling small business they "must" be active on Twitter,
people listen. We can see that from the numbers, particularly of small
businesses that have gotten "on the bandwagon" and jumped off months
later in disappointment. The effort and lost opportunity costs these
people have invested are not trivial.
If we sit by and say nothing when false conclusions, logical errors
and dumbed down research are all over the place, we get what we
deserve. I am not comfortable sitting in the background, when I have
the ability to look at the claims, and in particular, the research and
reporting, and determine for myself, what is true and what is hype. I
hope you will also start being more critical of what is put in front
of you.
To help you do that, I'll be "taking on the social media machines" by
looking at the claims, presenting the real meaning of the numbers they
use to support their own biases, and otherwise help you use your head
about social media and its effects.
So let's get started with a few stories:
False Claims For Efficacy of Social Media For Small Business on ABC –
NO BS Guide To Twitter For Small Business is part of a series I've
started to discuss the false claims, and in particular with respect to
small business. This article outlines a rather shocking set of things:
First, ABC reports that a study shows that social media is good for
business, but in fact, the data and information they provide doesn't
give any such indication. It's wrong (see for yourself by reading the
original article). Then, within about 36 hours there are over 130
tweets echoing the wrong article and citing it as evidence. I could
not find a single person who pointed out the errors. http://bit.ly/999KWx
is the link to my article, and from there you can read the original
report.
It's an example of a "truth" that becomes accepted as truth because
many people want to believe it and say to others that it is true.
Regardless of whether it is true or false.
Here's another. Social media advocates rallied around when it was
announced that Dell had made hugely successful gains as a result of
their Twitter account. Apart from criticisms that in fact, Dell did
not develop NEW business, but simply shifted one sales channel to
twitter, one had to look closely to find that a small business that
used Twitter as successfully as Dell, and assuming annual sales of
100,000 dollars a year, would increase its TOTAL sales by about $2.45
a year. Yes, TWO dollars and 45 cents a year. The calculations aren't
that complex to do, really. As are other relevant calculations on the
Dell experience. It ain't so hot.
http://digitalseachange.blogspot.com/2009/06/dell-sells-litter-via-twitter-but-at.html
My short piece on the calculations is at: http://bit.ly/1KjfA
There's more. There's a movement pushing "social learning" that has
captured the hearts, but clearly not the minds of many important
training and development people who have pushed a pile of slushy
numbers that mean nothing like they say they mean. Check out:
http://bit.ly/axrQG What Do Intellectually Impoverished Educators/
Trainers Do To Make A Living? Why They Make Up New Fancy Sounding
Terms.
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Our No Fuss, No Spam Search Engines
It continue to grow and improve. In case you missed it we believe that
general search engines have become less useful for searches because
they include so much low quality material. We've created hybrids that
rely on both the best search engine technology AND human choice. We
select and include only the sites we think are worthy. Check the
search site out at: http://researchprofessional.org/ Topics available
are:
training, learning, and development (including Organizational
Development)
leadership and management
small business
customer service
web design
A Quick Plug For Our Conflict Guides/Helpcards/Book
This time of year tends to be rushed and people get impatient.
Conflict tends to boil over. Check out our tools to help you reduce
and/or manage conflict at: http://busylearners.com/products/indexcommunication.htm
Kindle: We're There
Got a Kindle. Then check out our newly converted publications now
available for the Kindle. Here's the link: http://bit.ly/dwmPDp You
might notice our Kindle prices have dropped, some by a lot. Enjoy!
Website Free Subscription
Finally a reminder that you can get a free subscription to Website
Magazine if you have a live website, and are in the USA. This is a
legitimate no credit card, no bull offer to a magazine of solid value,
and it is free.
"Until now, there has not been a magazine that caters exclusively to
the business of running a website. Website Magazine has tapped premier
talent in the Internet industry for their content and each and every
issue will contain practical advice and insights for website owners."
http://work911.tradepub.com/c/pubRD.mpl?sr=oc&_t=oc:&pc=webs or
http://bit.ly/dpgVEt
Just In: Another Free Offer For Those With Websites:
Just grabbed this myself, but haven't had a chance to read it yet.
It's The Complete Guide to Web Design"
There are millions of web designers out there, but how do you know
which is the right one for your business. Learn tricks, tips, and cost
savings to guide you through the web design process. Creating an
online presence is just as important as getting your name out to your
local consumers. Grow with the internet by learning how to pick the
right type of design for your market as well as how to sell directly
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This step-by-step "E-Everything Guide" complete with a connection to
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step.
Here's the link: http://work911.tradepub.com/c/pubRD.mpl?sr=oc&_t=oc:&pc=w_reso01
SO, remember to visit our Facebook pages, become fans, follow us on
our Twitter accounts, and we will be able to continue to direct you to
some of the best articles and learning resources anywhere. But talk to
us too. We want to hear what you need.
Our Sites:
Just a quick summary of our sites that have information on the
following topics:
World's Best Search Engines: http://researchprofessional.org
Training and Development Resource Center:http://thetrainingworld.com
Free Learning Stuff: http://free2thee.com
Small Business Resource Center: http://smallbusiness411.org
Small Business Blog (new material): http://smallbusiness411.org/wp/
Leadership Resource Center: http://work911.com/leadership-development/index.html
Communication Resource Center: http://www.work911.com/communication/index.htm
Conflict (both workplace and family) http://conflict911.com
Business, Strategic and Personal Planning: http://www.work911.com/planningmaster/index.html
Performance Management & Appraisal: http://performance-appraisals.org
Customer Service: http://customerservicezone.com
Our Main Site: http://www.work911.com
Multi-Purpose Articles Database: http://www.articles911.com
To new subscribers: The work911 newsletter is published no more than
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contains other work related resources, and updates about our sites,
and their contents. Past history indicates we publish about every ten
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