Texting Could be Your Last Word. Period.

Texting while driving? 

   

Was the message worth it?

     Is texting part of business social media?  Well, yes and no -- texting implies rapid back and forth conversations, while business social media should be well thought out campaigns conducted through social media outlets and email.
     However --
     Composing the text of your emails and etc. while driving is JUST AS DANGEROUS AS TEXTING WHILE DRIVING.
     A new study by the Texas Transportation Institute finds that reading or writing a text message while driving can more than double a driver's reaction time.
     Re-read those last seven words:  more than double a driver's reaction time.
     Researchers found that reactions times of 1 to 2 seconds while not texting slowed to 3 to 4 seconds while texting -- and here's something more to think about:
     The study found very little difference in response times between a driver composing a message and reading one!
     You might think a couple of seconds is no big deal, but a driver going 30 mph covers 220 feet in five seconds.  A driver doing 60 mph covers 440 feet in five seconds.  That means that if you're on the tollway, a freeway, or other road where the speed limit is 60 during rush hour and a vehicle suddenly stops in front of you, there's not enough time to react if you're glancing down at your phone.
     Additionally, drivers in the study were more than 11 times as likely to miss a flashing light while texting or reading.
     Currently, 34 states have texting and driving bans.  Organizations such as the AAA and insurers oppose texting while driving, and with obvious good reason.
     You've built up a great business through your business social media skills -- don't flush it down the toilet with one ill-timed text.

Caught in a Whirl

The Facebook Tornado!

     There's an old adage about business success -- it's called "location, location, location."  While it was originally intended to apply to real estate, it now applies to the internet and your business social media.  Let's face it -- a billboard that's not being read is no good to an advertiser, and if your social media isn't being read it's no good to you, either.  Ergo the adage, "location, location, location."
     So, where's the big location these days?  Well, Google Plus is beginning to flesh out a bit, but the place to reach people is with your page on Facebook.  Yes, you need a page on Facebook.  You need to have people 'like' your page on Facebook.  You need to talk with people on Facebook.  Given the recent spate of Facebook changes that have/are driven/driving people crazy, it's still the number one place to be on the net.
     According to Citigroup Interweb's analysis, Facebook accounts for a whopping 16% of all US time spent on the web.  Google is in second with 11% and Yahoo third with 9%.  Even more telling, Citi found little migration to Google Plus.  The story is here:  http://blogs.wsj.com/marketbeat/2011/09/26/facebook-sucks-up-a-ridiculously-huge-and-growing-share-of-our-time-wasted-online/
     Here's the kicker that should kickstart your business social media into having a lasting presence on Facebook: as the site continues to grow and evolve, it's going to grab up a greater share of the search and advertising dollars.
     Your signature on your tweets and emails should ask customers to "like" you on Facebook.
     Think of it as the vortex of a tornado; the more hits, the more customers, the more customers, the more hits, spinning around and around and around until...
     You're not in Kansas anymore, Dorothy!