The trappings of social media

As my readers know, I'm a huge fan of social media. I love social  bookmarking sites, like Diigo, book networks like Goodreads and, of course, sharing sites like Twitter.

I've written widely on the value of social media in the classroom, and I speak loudly about their dangers and how to avert them.

Now that I'm a full-time writer and education consultant, though, I find myself using social media more than ever, as a promotional tool. I use Facebook to promote my books and LinkedIn to promote me as a consultant. I have suddenly become obsessed with using social media as one giant commercial tool.

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Today, this social media trap taught me a valuable lesson.

I tried something new. I got an invite from a trusted online source, and the next thing I knew I was uploading my LinkedIn connections to this new social network as "colleagues." Little did I know that when I did this, the nefarious program would automatically generate a very "spammy" email to all of my LinkedIn connections.

Before I knew it, my inbox was overflowing with emails from connections, asking me about this. Suddenly, I was doing damage control, explaining to people that I had no idea an email would even be sent.

After some contemplation, I realized I was more mad at myself than I was at the company. How could I, someone with years of experience with web tools and social networks, make a mistake like this? Then, it dawned on me that I'd been caught in the trappings of social media -- the obsession of omnipresence.

So, am I shutting down my social media accounts and unplugging from the Internet? Of course not. Will I discontinue all promotional posts? No.

What I can promise any reader or social  media connection of mine is that I'll never make the mistake I made today, in search of popularity and omnipresence.

Oh, and the next time I have the opportunity to discuss social media use with teachers or students, I'll be sure to share this experience with them. You should do the same.


Don't miss Mark's book ROLE Reversal: Achieving Uncommonly Excellent Results in the Student-Centered Classroom, now available in the ASCD store, Barnes & Noble and at Amazon.com

Are you a curator of information?

In this digital age, most people are sharing information daily. Sure, in many cases, it's insignificant commentary about something that might only interest a group of friends or family. Sometimes we share pictures and videos of loved ones.

What many educators, and certainly their students, fail to realize is that we are all curators of information, and this comes with a huge responsibility. While telling your Facebook friends or Twitter followers about your weekend is acceptable social behavior, it's equally important to share content that improves learning.

There are a myriad of tools available to help us easily curate information. You can learn more about them at www.learnitin5.com. One is Paper.li. It empowers the user to gather important stories, pictures and videos and create a virtual newspaper that can be shared in many ways. Consider what you have to share, while you check out this example.




Don't miss Mark's book ROLE Reversal: Achieving Uncommonly Excellent Results in the Student-Centered Classroom, now available in the ASCD store, Barnes & Noble and at Amazon.com

What is the best way to start a Facebook conversation?

As I continue to explore the power of Facebook as a social networking and marketing tool, I've now added a page for my book, Role Reversal.

I'd love your opinion. What else should go on a page like this? How can I start a conversation about the book on the Facebook page?

Any thoughts?


Don't miss Mark's book ROLE Reversal: Achieving Uncommonly Excellent Results in the Student-Centered Classroom, now available in the ASCD store, Barnes & Noble and at Amazon.com

Does the social network happy medium exist?

In a recent post, I wondered if I am using Facebook right. As a writer, presenter and consultant, I am also a salesman, and the product I sell is me.

I find it difficult to sell myself without coming off as self-aggrandizing and, perhaps, even a little arrogant. Many writers and presenters I know promote their blogs, books and appearances on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and other social networks. To their credit, they also share tons of valuable

Photo credit: Marquettejournal.org

information for free.

My social networking strategy is to share more information than promotional material. I give away how-to videos on my Learn it in 5 web site, and I share hundreds of powerful links to valuable professional development sites on Twitter each month.

Mixed in with all of this information, and any thought-provoking posts I place here, I must admit to adding promotional material to Facebook, Twitter and this blog (note the message at the bottom of the page, pushing my book, Role Reversal.

I guess I'm trying to find that magic happy medium -- the perfect blend of information sharing and self-promotion.

I wonder, though, does the social network happy medium really exist?


Don't miss Mark's book ROLE Reversal: Achieving Uncommonly Excellent Results in the Student-Centered Classroom, now available in the ASCD store, Barnes & Noble and at Amazon.com

Am I doing Facebook right?

So, I started using Facebook. I know, you're probably saying, "Is this guy serious?"

I know I'm about a hundred years late (okay, really it's only about six years). And it's not like I haven't had a Facebook page, because I do; here it is. I just didn't really use it. That is all changing, and maybe for the wrong reason.

Photo Credit: News.Yahoo.com

Most of the people I know, family and friends, use Facebook for updates, news, jokes, video, picture sharing and lots of other recreational use.

I've been so busy on Twitter, which I use strictly as a Personal Learning Network, I never saw the use for Facebook. Recently, though, I saw a smart article about ramping up your business with social media. Since I'm a full-time education author and consultant, I figured it was time to really start using Facebook.

So, I started sending out friend requests by the dozens. I went to a person I respect as an educator and a consultant, and I started friending her friends -- a pretty solid strategy, I figured. Plus, many of them I already followed on Twitter.

Then, I began adding my professional websites, pictures of my books and appearances and links to other Mark Barnes promotional stuff.

Is this necessary for someone who is in the business of promoting himself? Probably. Something about it just doesn't feel right, though. It feels contrived.

So, what do you think? Am I going about this whole Facebook promotional stuff properly, or not?


Don't miss Mark's book ROLE Reversal: Achieving Uncommonly Excellent Results in the Student-Centered Classroom, now available in the ASCD store, Barnes & Noble and at Amazon.com