This is in response to a blog post over at Barbara Talisman’s blog, where she makes various disparaging remarks (and, at times, low blows) about the 12for12k Challenge. I’m posting here since Barbara has comment moderation switched on at hers. Hi there Barbara, I thought I recognized the name and company – you contacted me earlier this year through email (and then phone call) suggesting that donations raised go to your company instead of the charities. You would then use…

Image by luc legay via Flickr If you’re a business owner, do you have a social media presence yet? Set up your Twitter account, added a shiny new company blog and joined Facebook? How about a Squidoo page or a Ning community? Networking on LinkedIn? Got them all on your checklist? No? GOOD. Despite what you might hear, you don’t need a presence on every single social media network or community. Contrary to popular belief, social media is not the…

The amount of businesses that still aren’t utilizing social media isn’t getting any smaller. Despite case studies and figures showing that social media continues to force its way into the mainstream as an extremely effective tool for connections and expanding your networks. Yet are the businesses to blame, or does the real fault lie with those who are the loudest supporters of social media?

If you’re wondering what you want from social media, you could always think of how you like your eggs boiled. There are two trains of thought when it comes to boiling an egg – soft or hard boiled. This pretty much equates to delving into social media – gently or full-on. So, how do you boil your eggs?

Despite all the benefits and tools that social media can offer – for personal, professional and commercial needs – there’s still a lot of uncertainty about the medium. Confusion about what social media is; what it can offer; and what sites and applications to use. Yet if you really break it down, social media is no different from your time at kindergarten – here’s why.

Social media and Twitter go hand-in-hand as two of the leading lights in the world of Web 2.0. Both offer excellent opportunities to build relationships, share advice and help bring the online world together in a way that many non-users could fail to grasp. Lately, however, there’s been a growing trend of “me too” malaise creeping in. Is this the start of the social aspect of social media taking a downward turn?

One of the many benefits of social media is the way it encourages interaction, both on a personal and a business level. From building an online identity to offering/receiving expert knowledge and support, there’s no doubting that social media offers a medium for growth and community previously unseen. So why would proponents of social media make their blogs or websites anything but social?

If there’s one thing that has always been a constant, whether in the movies or real life advice, it’s that nice guys don’t come first. The most successful businesses have always been the ones that had a managerial ruthless streak and took no prisoners, while the nice guys never got the girl. Or did they? Is social media finally showing everyone how to really make a difference and earn respect, without the need for bullying and selfishness?