It's the life

petervidani:

Went about two minutes 100% sure J.J. Abrams was driving me in a cab through Brooklyn.

I’ve been doing some writing for 4PM Magazine lately. Those in the Milwaukee area can pick up a free copy of the magazine around town. Those outside the area can read some stories online at www.4pmmag.com

The nerd in me found this article interesting.

Interesting article about the statistics behind brands and Facebook.  Check it out.

Very interesting article about the future of beer, especially with microbreweries.

Let’s face it; we are coming to that point where your business has to incorporate social media in order to continue reaching new people.  Services like Facebook and Twitter are free and easy to set up, but that doesn’t mean that managing these accounts are a walk in the park.  When used correctly, social media can really be a benefit to your business.  But on the other hand, if you don’t use it correctly, it can be disastrous.  So what do you do?

The first thing you need to do is understand social media.  Break the term down to “social” and “media”.  It is a very social outlet, meaning it is supposed to be conversational.  People log in to these sites to have fun, contribute ideas, and learn new things.  They don’t come to these websites for a sales pitch or a commercial.  So if you set up a Twitter page for your company and only use it to post deals and specials, people are going to quickly ignore you.

The media side of the term describes the network-to-network communication.  But what sets social media apart from other media is that you have the freedom to communicate from one-to-one or one-to-many.  You are given the option to speak directly to individuals as well as the masses.  So it is important to talk to your “friends” or “followers,” so that you can build a good reputation with them.

Going off what I said earlier, people don’t want their social media experience to feel like a commercial.  Your ultimate goal may be to get people to visit your website or into your store, but they don’t want to be told to do so.  If you build a solid relationship with your social network, they are going to do that on their own free will.  Think of social media as a two-way street.  You need to contribute to conversations and express ideas to stimulate discussion amongst people in your network.  Failure to do so will quickly lead to a loss of interest in your company.

What it mainly boils down to is social media is a powerful asset to all companies when properly managed.  You just need to know and understand the fine line between having a positive presence online and presenting yourself as an infomercial for your brand.  Maintain the social aspect, talk to people, and gain trust in your community and the sales will happen on their own.

Jamie Livingston took a Polaroid picture everyday for 18 years.  It chronicles the start of his career as a musician, filmmaker, and circus performer.  It eventually shows him propose and get married, get diagnosed with cancer that eventually took his life.  He was 41 years old when he passed away.  It is pretty cool and definitely worth a look.  This picture was taken the day that I was born; January 18, 1986

Jimmie Deeghan is a member of Every Avenue on Fearless Records.  For anybody who has their doubts on how much money touring artists are actually making, take a look at this.

Now go buy a CD or shirt from a band you like.

emiliodelgado:

jimmiedeeghan:

THIS IS NOT A DRAMATIZATION
THE ACTUAL POSTED STATEMENT, IS IN FACT, UP TO DATE.
I’ve toured the U.S., U.K., and Japan and met some amazing people and seen amazing things… but for all of you who think that your favorite touring band is famous and/or wealthy.. this photo is for you.

hahahaha

you’ve got 10 on me brother

‘BOUT DAMN TIME!

I am happy to say that my friends in This Providence are finally doing a headliner.  It’s the ‘Bout Damn Time Tour and dates can be found on myspace.com/thisprovidence.

What an incredible day.  Probably the biggest day in my friend Steve’s life and I’m glad I was able to be a part of it.  Growing up is such a weird feeling.  Some days I hate the feeling of growing up and then other days I just want time to go by faster.  Make the best of everything day by day and you’ll be fine.