First, let me say that I am truly appreciative of everyone who took the time to enter my contest. When I began to brainstorm about what the title of my second poetry book should be, I quickly decided to turn to my readership in order to come up with the best title possible. And, when I engaged you, the reader, I was not disappointed at all. So many ideas poured in, and I was a bit overwhelmed by the added quality of so many; that made my job of picking just one so much more difficult. I was patient and diligent in coming to my decision, and I turned to some of those people within my inner circle that did not submit an entry into the fun title contest for some added input and opinion. To them, I am also extremely grateful!

So, after putting many hours into this decision, I am excited to announce that the winner of the “Title My Next Book” contest and hence recipient of a signed copy of the upcoming book upon its release is (drum roll… ) Andrew McLaren! Congratulations! I have selected “Guerrilla Wordfare” as the title of my next book. This title really speaks to the heart and soul of the content that will fill this book’s pages! Again, I am thankful for the great contest participation, and I look forward to providing book release details as they become available!

There are skeptics out there who are not willing to take a risk and engage in the world of social media. Some are afraid of change while others simply do not feel that they know enough about it. Then, there are some that know that their competition hasn’t engaged the customers through social media means. All of these are given as reasons for staying away. EXCUSES! But, what these individuals, businesses, brands, and organizations fail to realize is that social media and related Web 2.0 and beyond technologies are great opportunities that can aid their efforts in many different ways. What works for one company, brand, or organization won’t necessarily work for the rest – it is not a universal solution, for, instead, social media and related technologies and marketing efforts should be shaped and tailored to fit the needs and goals of company, brand, or organization. There is no copy and paste; alternatively, proper planning and preparation are needed to reach optimal success. Those rules (the need for planning and preparation) haven’t changed, for only the environment and landscape have changed. Just like football evolved from predominantly a running game to that of a passing game, marketing has evolved from television and newspapers to online media marketing. However, as in the past, the need to preplan and coordinate is just as great if not more so now than ever in the history of marketing. With new options and opportunities comes some added complexity in the marketing mix. But, determination, persistence, and planning will go a long way.

Here are a few things to keep in mind:

1. Who are your customers?
2. Where do your customers frequent online? (Facebook? Twitter? Blogs?)
3. What do you want to communicate to your customers?
4. Are you willing to listen to your customers?

For decades, more and more people have surrounded televisions around the nation and even the world to watch the Super Bowl. In its 44th annual installment on Sunday, more and more companies are looking at ways to do one of two things. One: those shelling out nearly three million dollars per 30-second advertising spot are wanting to maximize their visibility as best as they can. A great example of this is GoDaddy.com and its extended commercials (and conclusions) that are online following the airing of the Super Bowl ad. Two: some large companies are simply forgoing the costly route of producing and broadcasting their advertising messages within the normal Super Bowl channels. An example of this is Pepsi and their sudden departure from Super Bowl commercial placement. After 23 straight Super Bowl appearances, they are throwing all of their Super Bowl marketing budget behind social media! They are wanting to make a bigger difference and appeal in the world, and social media is allowing them greater success through their new Refresh Project.

While we do not know which team on the field is going to walk off with the Lombardi Trophy, one thing is for sure – the real winner will be social media. This illustrates how marketing is going through a paradigm shift of sorts. Mass media channels are simply not the only way to go if you seek national or global brand recognition. We have a new set of tools at our disposal, and some are tinkering with these new tools. Of course, there are a few companies and executives out there that are oblivious to this change that is rapidly fermenting; it is time to jump aboard the Social Media train.

Too often, we are content with what we currently have, and we tend not to welcome change. This occurs both within our personal lives and certainly within the business world. Too often, we are left behind when we do not look to new adventures and social trends. Of course, there are numerous examples of this within our very lives. Personally, I have never tried tofu. As a proud meat and potatoes kind of guy, I have never taken the liberty of ordering some, but that all changed last evening. I tried blackened and barbequed tofu with rice; even though I favored the barbeque-seasoned tofu, I liked both! Was it a risk? Sure! But, it is a good risk, and I am willing to try almost anything new for the sake of knowing what I truly enjoy and refining who I am as a person! As a result of me embracing this opportunity, I have gained a taste for a new food, something that I know for future reference (one more great option to pick from)! Take another example like social media! It has helped us connect in ways that many of us have never imagined. For some, it helped reconnect with lost friends. For others, it helped reach a new niche market and gain increased revenues and new loyal customers. Many people have shied away from this newer technology and social phenomenon. For those who decided to embrace it, great things have occurred. Certainly, it is not the universal answer, but it opens up great and new doors – new opportunities!

No matter what part of life you focus on, there are changes just waiting to be made. These are not just the ridiculous or irrational changes, for there are numerous others as well. Do you need to take every turn in the roadway? No, but we also should not be unwilling to make promising changes in any part of our lives! Letting such opportunities, both business and personal, pass us by simply pushes us further away from achieving our optimal greatness! While some changes may be mistakes, avoiding all types of change (and hence opportunity) would unfortunately be the greatest mistake. Hence, we should embrace change and get a head start on our competition. Make the best of life and write your own future instead of simply following someone else’s plan.

As a superuser on the newly-popular location-focused social media Foursquare, I am finding myself running into new questions of protocol. Here are three that I find myself struggling with the most thus far:

• What do you do when you go to several businesses located at the same address? I find myself curious how to check-in when I pump gas at a local Shell gas station and then pick up some food for the family at the McDonalds inside. To me, they are two different businesses; I mean – they both have unique phone numbers. As such, I should check-in to both individually, right? What about if you are walking inside the mall on a Sunday and go store to store?

• When should I check-in? For the purpose of mere convenience and professionalize, I tend to check-in from my vehicle upon arrival and before entering the location. So, there are times when I arrived at the business too early, thinking that they were opened (only to find out after checking in that the business doesn’t open for another hour or two). I know this might not seem like a big deal, but I certainly do not want others to view me as a Foursquare spammer of sorts, looking simply to increase my check-in count, etc.

• Twitter Profiles? Do they want them or not? Foursquare allows you to enter them on the regular website, but they do not allow you to add the venue’s Twitter account using the mobile site. Of course, most people just want to hurry and add the missing venue and get going on their journey, but why not offer it as an option like they do on the regular site?

So, I am confident that 2010 will big year for Foursquare! Hence, I am sure that these questions will probably answer themselves soon, but I am hoping to find resolution to these fun-spirited Foursquare cultural curiosities.