4-13-13 Hodgepodge

Asking the Hard Questions

A company's social media manager asks, "Is social media worthless?" His answer is no, but it is clear that social media are not the panacea that one might think:

Just like working from home, engaging in social media has its place and its purposes. But we've looked at the data and, at least for our company, social media engagement isn't turning into revenue right now. That doesn't mean we're going to abandon our social media efforts completely-our engagement in that space has considerable value in terms of brand monitoring, customer support, and general outreach. But we need to reexamine why we're focusing on social and whether our efforts are making a significant impact on revenue growth.

I am impressed with the willingness of the author to go where the data lead.

Weekend Reading

"Trying to dig up explanations for the not-yet-explained, or maybe the merely coincidental, might make for a happy escape, but it accomplishes nothing in the end." -- Michael Hurd, in "The Psychology of Escapism", at The Delaware Wave

"She stays interested in life, and life pays her back with better physical and mental health than she might otherwise experience." -- Michael Hurd, in "Think Young, Age Gracefully!", in The Delaware Coast Press

"... [Andrew] Carnegie's rise began in earnest--not through some 'lucky break' but through the habit Carnegie would later refer to as 'going the extra mile.'" -- Yaron Brook and Don Watkins, in "To be Born Poor Doesn't Mean You'll Always be Poor" at Forbes

My Two Cents

A country that is born rich won't necessarily always be rich: And it won't, unless stories such as that of Andrew Carnegie's life become well-known again. My thanks to Brook and Watkins for their timely reminder of what America is all about.

Quote of the Day

"You can easily judge the character of a man by how he treats those who can do nothing for him." -- Malcom S. Forbes (via Rishi Khullar)

-- CAV