Regarding the Pope

As the year draws to a close, so do many other things. It is the end of the decade, the end of the semester, and the end of of Chuck Norris jokes, hopefully. (Did you know that underneath his beard is a washed-up has-been?) It is time to reflect back on social media in the last few months.

I've covered a wide variety of topics on this blog. I've offered my exertise on a variety of subjects. If Frisbees wanted to enter the digital age, they "could set up a microblogging site called Frisbeer, where people could quickly share info on Frisb-ups. People could use the hashtag #frisbee to find people looking to play or discuss Frisbees." I've offered my fellow comedians some advise on how to promote themselves via this crazy media we call social. They need to remember that "it is...important to see that these comedians are real people.". It's not all fun and games around here, though. I've done some serious reviews of things like crowdsourcing and some major blogs. I've even had to expose the mistakes of some of my favorite companies, like Sony. For one of there viral marketing campaigns, "not only was the site and its contents fake, but so were many of the comments on the site as well as the Diggs promoting it." My Playstation doesn't seem to hold it against me, though, so I can sleep well at night. And Sony, if you're listening, I would love to help you use social media in a more effective way.

I know what you're thinking:

"Wow, this guy knows so much about social media, AND he's devilishly handsome."-Your mind

You're only half right. I've still got a lot to learn about social media, as does everyone. It is still growing, finding its audience. Sure, social media matters, but why? In a recent tweet, I attempted to answer this. It seems like so much of the discussion on social media is being done by social media practitioners. I'd love to hear people's thoughts on how it has affected them and where they think it will go. If you would like to talk, I can be reached numerous ways. You can find me on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, or even by simply commenting here.

For those who don't know, crowdsourcing is a collaborative effort, like Wikipedia, that allows people from all over to create something piece by piece to create something whole. It is sort of like a giant jigsaw puzzle, with each person controlling just one piece. Today it is somewhat of a buzz word in marketing, as companies are relying on Web 2.0 sites to help market their products for them, and in many cases it's working.

I recently found the website Cameesa, whose motto is "Crowdfunding Fashion." Cameesa makes users created t-shirts, much like Threadless, but instead of voting, Cameesa asks you to fund the shirts. It takes $500 to get a t-shirt made, so if you want a certain shirt, you put down anywhere from $10 to the full price in the hopes that it gets made. If not, you can use that money towards another shirt. This system makes sure that there is a market for each shirt before investing any money into its production. By eliminating overhead costs, it allows for the company to guarantee they turn a profit. Threadless measures votes, which may or may not turn into sales, but Cameesa basically takes pre-orders, so they know they will get their money.

This method could wisely be applied to comedians just starting out. Having a CD or a DVD is a great way to promote yourself and make some money, but it requires investing money without the guarantee of returns. By letting fans on your website, Twitter, Facebook, or any other site you want to use invest in your products and help pick out what bits and acts they want you to include, you can make the ideal product, as well as find out what your audience is interested in hearing about. This can help turn you from a starving comedian into a thriving comedian. Plus, if you are one of the first to do so, it will be newsworthy, and there is a good chance people will talk about your innovative methods, further raising your profile.