The Psychology of Social Media

We live in a society dominated by social media. A society in which there are a million and one ways to let the world, or at least your followers and friends, know what you are doing every second of every day! The question is, why? What is it about the human psyche that dictates, "your importance is based on how many likes or re-tweets you receive based upon this current posting." Why do we feel the need to disclose every detail of our lives on social media, only to be judged by individuals no more worthy of judging us, than we are of judging ourselves. Yet we welcome the judgment hoping someone, anyone will comment on how great our lives "seem" to be.

Courtesy of Favim!

I have often wondered how many magical moments are missed because we have to stop and take picture after picture of the particular moment and post it to our social media. Are family vacations or girls weekends not as special if the world can't see how much fun you're having? How much fun are you having, if you have to stop to make sure everyone sees how much fun you're having? Steven Strogatz suggests that social media can give a false sense of connection. This can cause individuals to spend more time fostering relationships that are not as meaningful, while the ones that are, begin to weaken. This phenomenon is growing exponentially and doesn't show any signs of slowing down.

On a more personal note, I tend to lessen my time with certain individuals who feel the need to update social media posts every few minutes we're together. Social media in a sense, has contributed to the break down of being truly social. The next time your out to dinner or at the mall, glance around at the robotic society we now live in. It almost looks as if two people eating lunch don't even realize the presence of the other. An entire family walking together look as if they have never even met, let alone live together.

Social media has been a positive tool when used properly and when used sparingly. Yet, statistics show that most people use the Internet or check their mobile device over 150 times per day and post updates over 50 times per day. According to an article on Metro, social media can have a negative effect on an individuals well being when over use comes into play. There are some who experience disconnect anxiety when they are unable to get online and others who begin to underestimate the danger involved when disclosing too many personal aspects of their lives.

Social media doesn't have to be a bad thing, but if you find yourself unable to go a day without checking in or tweeting your latest emotion, you may need to take a step back and ask yourself if you've become addicted. Remember, the ones that truly care about how your day is going, are the ones who ask you personally without waiting for a status update. It is imperative that you remember to feed and foster the relationships that are important while drawing the line on the ones that aren't.

The Future of Sports

Have you ever wondered if there were some type of conspiracy behind the winners and losers in different sporting events? Not the type of conspiracy that suggests some athletes may be aliens from outer space, but a much more local conspiracy. Let’s take basketball for an example. If your success or failure during the season determines how high your draft pick becomes, wouldn’t you throw a few games, especially if you’re not in the running to claim the title anyway? Or, what if your success could be determined by the amount of money your sponsors are investing in you, or even worse, your competition. If you’re like most sports fans, this is unthinkable and it would totally take away from the unpredictable nature of sports along with the allure of watching your favorite team play. As with any conspiracy, it is usually based off of some theories of truth. This video gives some insight to a more positive sports experience. An experience where your success is based on your talent, drive and passion, and that’s it:

Fan Fuel is a company that believes the success of an athlete should be determined by the talent, skill, and passion of that athlete. Could this be the future of sports? Is it even imaginable that sports and entertainment sponsors would allow such a lucrative business to be turned over to the measly accommodations that sports fans might be able to provide? This may seem like a great idea in theory, but sports fans have become increasingly spoiled by the “scripted” realism that current sports shows provide. After all, sponsorship dollars and over the top aesthetics are what drive us to want to do, see and spend more to get that experience. This is not only true for sports, but look at the music industry, singing is no longer a requirement as long as you are marketable and bankable. It is not quite this bad in sports though, you at least have to know how to play the game and have a remarkable skill level in order to compete. I must say, I agree that sports teams should have to earn their success in the same way that any company should have to earn theirs, but I also believe that sports sponsors are here to stay and anyone who tries to push them aside are in for the fight of their lives. 

Funding Your Film

Independent Filmmakers: Funding Your Film

Photo from google images.

One of the hardest parts about writing and creating a great film is having the means to fund that film. Crowd funding is widely used among independent filmmakers and is an excellent way to fund your project. Sites like "Give Forward," "Razoo," and "Indiegogo," are great tools because they also allow you to share your funding efforts on social media sites. There are also the more traditional funding methods such as corporate financing and product placement but this can be time consuming and still may not produce results. Fortunately, for the filmmakers that rely heavily on the support of others to produce their projects, there are other methods to successfully complete their films.

As an independent filmmaker, one of the methods I used on my last film was adding a prop donation page to my website. I listed the different props needed for my film and asked individuals to either donate the props or they could leave suggestions on how to create certain props effectively and inexpensively. This method produced great results because one of the props needed was a "fake pregnant belly" and one was donated to my film, saving me over $100.00. Another method I used was a more traditional method which was researching the new, “mom and pop,” restaurants in my community. This method was effective because the agreement included complimentary food for the cast and crew and in return, I would send new customers to their restaurant via my daytime job, which is a very popular hotel chain.

Finally, figure out what your particular film has to offer and research special interest groups that may have similar interests in the message your portraying. There are individuals out there who may not necessarily believe in you, but they believe in your cause and are willing to invest in that. It will not be an easy task to convince individuals to part with their money especially in this economy, but do not let that deter you from your goals. Typically, there are always going to be individuals or companies that are looking to invest in the next big “idea.”

Also, be sure to make professionalism a character trait when seeking funding from any source. Remember, you are asking for help, not the other way around and your attitude can be the difference between success and failure.

Writer's Opinion - Business Plan Strategy

In an earlier post, the expert views of Dr. Steven Gedeon and Steve Blank were discussed. Dr. Steven Gedeon is an expert on business plans, and states the Executive Summary and qualifications of the management team are the most important aspects of that plan.  On the other hand, Steve Blank believes a business model is more important to start-up companies because they focus more on dynamics and iterative realities these companies face.

As an individual, planning and execution has never been a strong character trait for me. I enjoy taking each day as it comes, while allowing anticipation to fuel my excitement. The unknown does not ignite fear in me but excitement. I welcome change in most aspects of my life and look forward to the mysteries that each day brings. This is not the personality of a successful business owner.

As a business owner, a business plan was the better choice based simply on the knowledge I already have about business plans. There is one area where the ideologies of Steve Blank seem to be precise and has allowed me to rethink how I continue my business plan process. It is difficult to base a business plan on realities, regardless of the amount of research done to anticipate the success or failure of a business.

There are so many factors that contribute to a company’s success. Timing is a factor that is not often considered. I have found that asking relevant questions and finding the answers is a great way to determine the demand for specific products and services. For instance, is the company’s product more advanced than the technology or the individuals that may be using it? Is it cost effective for the area where it will be sold? In other words, it doesn’t make sense to offer a high end product in an area stricken by poverty. This strategy currently allows me to measure and develop strategies for the market I m currently trying to introduce my products and services. Besides this simple technique, I am still employing all of the traditional business plan methods such as research and development and past marketing strategies.

Business Plans, do you need one?

Dr. Steven Gedeon, is a professor in Entrepreneurship & Strategy at the Ted Rogers School of Management. Dr. Gedeon has an impressive academic history including a Doctorate Degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). According to the Ryerson University Staff page, Dr. Gedeon has received prestigious honors in numerous categories including the Business Plan of the Year Award in 2003 and the ACE Fellow in the John Dobson Foundation in 2006.

Although Dr. Steven Gedeon is hailed as a business plan expert, his tactics for a business plan stem from a couple of simple key components he suggests every business plan should have. Dr. Gedeon expresses a few of these key points in this Youtube Video. 

Another valuable component according to Business Plan Expert Views, is the Executive Summary, qualifications of the management team and the overall business idea and financials. Lastly, Dr. Gedeon states every business plan should display credibility and include a plan to action. These tactics allow potential investors to determine the success of the business based on real numbers in real time.                                                                                        

Steve Blank, on the other hand, seems to have a very different view when it comes to business plans. Steve Blank, a Professor at Berkely University, explains his views on why start up companies should have a business model rather than a business plan in this article written in 2010. Blank suggests that business plans are supposed to be based on specific "knowns" in the company's target market but are actually based on "unknowns." The business model on the other hand focuses more on dynamics and the iterative realities that start-up company's face. This Youtube Video gives a little more insight to what a business model would entail.

Steve Blank may have an unorthodox view of how small businesses and start-up company's should begin their journey, but his successful track record definitely earns him the right to speak and be heard. After all, Steve Blank was honored by Harvard University as a Master of Innovation in 2012. Not to mention an impressive list of start-ups including Convergent Technologies, Pixar, and a video game company called Rocket Science Games. 

Both Dr. Steven Gedeon as well as Steve Blank are experts in their fields. They also have more in common than is readily recognizable. They both agree that you do need a plan in order to have a successful start to any business. Now whether that is an actual "plan" or "model," it is in the business owners best interest to conduct extensive research into what their market demands and what their business can successfully supply. In order to answer the question, "do you need a business plan?" we have to rely on an answer that is an oldie but goody, and that answer is, "it depends!"

What Do Sports Fans Want?

Marketing is one of the key tools businesses use to let their customers know who they are, and what they have to offer. The same holds true for Sports Marketing, especially when it comes to getting their fans to “come out” and watch the event. In cities like Miami, Atlanta and Tampa Bay, where traffic is heavy and it seems easier and more enjoyable to watch their favorite teams from home; how do these organizations convince their fans to “come out to the ball game” so to speak? According to an article published by “PRNewser,” Shawn McBride states some sports organizations, like the Yankees, are implementing a customer service based program that resembles Disney World and the Ritz Carlton! Yet, how can this be accomplished through the arena of sports?

One of the similarities between the Ritz Carlton and Disney World’s customer service is learning the ability to recognize a guests unexpressed needs. This basically means, know what you’re customers want before they do. So what does the sports fan want? A lot.

Check out this video:

As you can see the sports fan includes people of all races, ages and financial backgrounds and their wants are just as different as their characters. Is it possible to have a section where shorter individuals like the lady in the video, can enjoy the game? How about the mother who wants an area to take her children if they become unruly and still be able to enjoy the game? How does a sports organization even begin to understand the wants and needs of every fan every time? On a more personal note, I despise the traffic when trying to get to the arena, but unfortunately there is nothing that can be done about this particular aggravation. The one thing that can be done in every situation discussed on the video is empathizing with the fans. Once an organization can relate to their actual fans, they may not be able to meet every need, but if they can provide an amazing experience for the fan, it may be worth it to suffer through the minor inconveniences.

Video retrieved from:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BzPvFjRZuBA