Reachin’ Out - Digitally Speaking

We are all so incredibly connected these days. It is a digital world. Go on-line and just throw out a topic. You know what I mean even before I finish a message in 140 characters. Here are three examples I’ve noticed just in the past 48 hours:

1.    Scott (the nametag guy) Ginsberg likes to challenge his facebook followers with an unfinished sentence. For example he might post: Life is_____. I know I’m not alone in wanting to finish the sentence. I read some of the other responses…a bowl of cherries…a b*tch…a roller-coaster… wonderful… I want to add something clever, surprising or at least thought provoking. I don’t want to linger on this problem too long so I settle something like Cat Stevens lyrics. Life is …like a maze of doors that open from the side you’re on. I move on.

2.    I visit a LinkedIn group I have neglected lately -The Dallas Fort Worth Chapter of the American Marketing Association (DFW-AMA). A group discussion starts with a query. Does anyone know a good branding firm that can help me redesign my logo? Naturally, there are a dozen quick answers from a mixed bag of consultants, advisers, design firms and ad agencies. Ultimately the guy that started the dialogue posts: Thanks everyone, I have decided to let my web designer do it. (Ha. The answer was there all along – like Dorothy and those ruby slippers.)

3.    A new design shop in town is anxious to generate content for its website BLOG. The owner of the start-up invites copywriters, strategists and creative marketing people to contribute to this effort. In fact she has been so successful that it is almost impossible to keep up with the rolling posts. A typical BLOG is 250-300 words. The website is quickly becoming a mind-numbing source of stuff. How to write a better resume. 10 things you should do before you buy you next car. 7 most common mistakes people make when planning a vacation. (It’s kind of like that junk drawer in your kitchen that drives you nuts when all you are looking for is the take-out menu from your favorite local Chinese Restaurant.)   

Before I close this article I just have a few questions. Are we more or less connected now that these fragmented social engagements allow us to reach out and/or recoil? Are we really connecting or are we becoming more fragmented? Are we adding content or clutter? OMG. LOL.