For some reason, no one in Social Media is really allowed to make any money. It's verboten. It's against the community spirit. It's the wrong thing to do.

That's just, plain stupid. Yes, the new digital channels are primed for those who are looking to connect, communicate and engage in conversations, but if there is no benefit in the end, then all is lost. For some, that end benefit will be dollars in the bank, for others it will be social capital (check out Tara Hunt's amazing book, The Whuffie Factor, for more on that), for some it will be the growth of their personal brand (which in turn will help them create ventures in other channels for monetary gain), and others do it simply as a way to stay connected and learn from more people.

It takes all kinds.

One ring does not rule them all in this instance. So, before we go pointing fingers at those who are developing and nurturing their own communities for their own financial gain (and charging access to them), always remember that the most amazing thing about these platforms is that it's not like mass media that is being shoved down all of our collective throats. It's not a stack of flyers that someone is dumping in your mailbox every other day that you can't ignore. The true magic of these channels and platforms is the choice. Personally, I live in a "no spam" world within my online communities because I simply unsubscribe, unfollow and unfriend those who are using the channels in ways in which I am not interested in.

Be honoured to be able to pay for the good stuff.

Sure, there is tons of brilliant and free content online. From following certain individuals on Facebook and Twitter to specific Blogs and Podcasts that no one should be without, but along with that, there is tremendous value in paying for access to certain online communities, buying reports, paying for e-books and online courses, etc... It's not only a great way for the content producer to make a living, it's great (and usually cheap-ish) way for the audience to get a boost of information and knowledge. The amazing thing about all of this is that it's pretty simple and easy (just do a quick search engine reference check) to know who the snake oil salespeople are from the legit businesspeople (if you're still not sure, just look to see what their refund policy is and how quickly they are to respond to any questions you may have about the product or service prior to purchase). Sure, there are many scumbags online (just like in real life), but with a little due diligence, it's fairly obvious where the gold lies.

It's a transition we all knew was coming.

Free is great, but at a certain point that well runs dry (for more on that, read Chris Anderson's book, Free). People are willing to pay for things like access, unique content, premiums, artefacts, etc... Creating platforms that add value to a community is worthwhile (and worth the cost). No one ever said that everything in Social Media has to be free... and even free has a cost associated to it.

What do you think? Is it wrong to use Social Media to make money?

By Mitch Joel

There are some people who do the heavy lifting when it comes to thinking about why human beings do the things we do.

Dan Pink (aka Daniel H. Pink) is one of those thinkers. He's the author of some of the best (and best-selling) business books like Free Agent Nation, A Whole New Mind, The Adventures of Johnny Bunko (the first American business book done in Japanese manga) and his recently-released hit, Drive - The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us. Here's how his Blog describes Drive:

"Drawing on four decades of scientific research on human motivation, Pink exposes the mismatch between what science knows and what business does -- and how that affects every aspect of life. He demonstrates that while carrots and sticks worked successfully in the twentieth century, that's precisely the wrong way to motivate people for today's challenges. In Drive, he examines the three elements of true motivation -- autonomy, mastery, and purpose -- and offers smart and surprising techniques for putting these into action. Along the way, he takes us to companies that are enlisting new approaches to motivation and introduces us to the scientists and entrepreneurs who are pointing a bold way forward. Drive is bursting with big ideas -- the rare book that will change how you think and transform how you live."

Do you think Google knows what motivates people?

During a recent promotional book tour, Pink stopped off at the Googleplex in Mountain View, California (on January 15th, 2010), for an amazing Google Talk. You can watch the one-hour presentation right here (and yes, it's well worth the time commitment): YouTube - Leading@Google - Daniel Pink.

P.S. - Pink is also a contributing editor at Wired Magazine.

By Mitch Joel

Many people felt that the advent of television was going to kill everyone's attention span. Many feel the same way about the Internet.

Just today, the same question/mantra came out in a meeting: "when do people have the time to go through all of this content online?" It's a fair question, but it's a bit of a non-issue. The reality is that most individuals are perfectly amazing at editing and aggregating their content intake. It's not a question of how many Blogs any one individual reads, follows and comments on, it's about what they retain. Some individuals can read one piece of content and retain nothing, while others can sift through hundreds of Blogs and retain almost all of that content. Beyond that, we're all perfectly capable of making the time for the things that are important to us.

Then, there are the grazers.

It's also probable that the majority of people online no longer spend a lot of time diving deep into one, specific piece of content, and that in a world where a 140 characters published millions of time every single day is real content, and our media inputs are everything from SMS text messages and emails to YouTube videos and Facebook status updates, we're becoming less about consuming every bit and bite and more about grazing lots of content, everywhere and always.

It's probably one of the main reasons that this Blog is not more popular.

Some of my Blogger peers have commented that my Blog needs more lists, shorter posts, pictures, punchier Blog post titles and more. Why? Because most people won't take the time to read 400-600 words of pure text content every single day any more. They just want to graze. They want to peruse, glance, speed read, etc... Proof of this was further validated today in the news item from CBC titled, Blogging falls out of favour with young people: "The proportion of U.S. teen and young adult internet users who blog regularly has plummeted to about 14 per cent from 28 per cent in 2006, according to a survey by the Washington-based Pew Research Center." What's really happening is that there are more choices and quicker/easier options. For young people (and the older ones too), it's much easier to update your Facebook status or tweet than it is to formulate a Blog post and get it published.

Is your content primed for the grazers?

Because whether we like it or not, that's exactly what the majority of online content consumers are doing. With so many choices, platforms and options, they're changing their own consuming habits to adapt to the vastness of this content.

It's something to think about... So, what do you think?

By Mitch Joel

Some of this is online, some of this takes place in the real world (since when is online not "the real world"?) and some of this is self-promotional...

1. Digital Nation. An amazing show/documentary from the PBS - Frontline folks. "Digital Nation is a new, open source PBS project that explores what it means to be human in an entirely new world - a digital world. It consists of this Web site as well as a major FRONTLINE documentary to be broadcast on Feb. 2, 2010. Our production team is posting rough cuts and raw footage on the web, and gathering input, feedback and stories from users as we go." Well, it's all online now for you to view.
2. Power Within in Calgary. On March 9th, 2010, I'll be sharing the stage with the likes of Anthony Robbins, Lisa Ling, Mike Lipkin and others in a full-day of live leadership learning and growth called, the Power Within. In you live in the area (or are willing to travel), you can call the Power Within at 1-866-POWER-04, mention my name and pay only $189 per ticket (the regular price is $229). Also, if you are going to attend the event, please make sure to drop me a line so that we can connect in person.
3. SmartBrief on Social Media. This is one of the "must-have" email newsletters that is still worthy of your inbox clutter (full disclosure: I'm on the SmartBrief on Social Media Advisory Board). In this specific issue, they have a special report titled, Social Media Blueprint - Making The Most Of Social Search, which is chock full of fascinating articles, interviews and insights... lots to digest.
4. Richard Branson in Montreal. The ever-fascinating founder of Virgin is coming to my hometown for a very exclusive luncheon (only 500 tickets - and it is my understanding that it it either sold out or very close to it) followed by a live question and answer period on February 16th, 2010. Branson will discuss everything from entrepreneurship and marketing to the economy and space travel. Sounds like fun!

By Mitch Joel