It’s not just for businesses, organisations or individuals … It’s for everybody !

Quote  from 20 Factsand34 Examples About Social Media Oct09 Christian Palau - ”Social Media is the new marketing school … and our teachers are our users”

The social media landscape as we speak/write/breathe/share/apply is and always constantly changing. From the above presentation, showcasing 20 Facts and 34 Examples about Social Media, how many can you relate to ?

Are you inside and actively using and applying social media without yourself knowing it ?

A performance measure used to evaluate the efficiency of an investment or to compare the efficiency of a number of different investments. To calculate ROI, the benefit (return) of an investment is divided by the cost of the investment; the result is expressed as a percentage or a ratio.

The return on investment formula:

From Investopedia

How does ROI apply in Social Media ? Is there any standard rules/tools to measure it ? Do you as a business organisation shun Social Media because it is very difficult to measure the ROI ? Does a modern information technology tool such as Social Media, use the traditional ROI method ?

Soicalnomics – Social Media Blog, had a great write up on businesses and examples with regards to ROI in Social Media, the facts and figures speak for itself, the power and influence of Social Media.

Even without a proper or widely accepted ROI tool, have you taken the first step to engage your communities, marketing channels, customers, friends, partners using Social Media ? Do you want to be like those (people/friends/business beside/around you) in life that sit in the back row with their arms folded, judging, and complaining or do you want to sit in the front row with a big vision and goals, spending your energy to make your vision a reality and dreams come true ?

I have embraced and learned using Social Media to engage my readers, bloggers, partners and vendors, the growth had been phenomenal and my blogs are still growing while I am still learning the world of Social Media.

On 11th August 2009, Socialnomics shared with all their readers – “Statistics Show Social Media is Bigger Than You Think”

When I started off in the direction of Social Media, it didn’t dawned upon me how huge, impact-ful and helpful with the adoption of social media, the tools and channels of social media networking, on my blogging and sharpening my communication with people/friends/customers/vendors/business partners in real life and in the blogsphere, twitterverse and social media arena.

Moving forward to 5th May 2010, Socialnomics shared again with their readers – “Social Media Revolution 2 (Refresh)”

Less than a year since they did their first video, there were significant changes and growth in social media. Just how big has it become ? Is it for real ? How long would it last ?

Quote from Socialnomics – “Social Media isn’t a fad, it’s a fundamental shift in the way we communicate“

Therefore, what is social media all about ? What lies in social media for me, as a company, as a blogger, as a service provider, as a consumer ?

Let me share with a presentation by Marta Kagan “What the F**k is Social Media?”

I am stepping into the role of an avid student/learner in social media, learning and helping fellow bloggers, tweeples and brand names, before moving up the next level to be a freelance social media consultant, gaining as much as experiences in both reality and social media networks, to build up my experiences and sharing. My recent speaking experiences in the ISW-Course is my maiden step forward.

Moving forward, I would be sharing more on social media, researching more in-depth into social media on/for travel and photography bloggers, thus moving into a niche expertise for me that I ventured off and somehow grow into.

Is Social Media a fad ? How much have you embrace it ? Are you into Social Media ? What are the harsh realities of Social Media ? What is the future of Social Media ?

This year’s NDP 2010 theme song – “Song for Singapore” by Corrinne May, Singer Songwriter.

It’s a brand new day, a brand new story
I remember the way it used to be
We’ve come so far.
You’re my history, you’re my beginning
In all I’ve done
I’ve been nurtured in your arms
And you’ve carried me this far

I want to sing,
sing a song for Singapore
with every generation
there’s more to be grateful for
So come and sing
sing a song for Singapore
You’re my brother, you’re my sister,
I’m thankful for my Singapore
My Singapore, my Singapore.

Come together everybody
Fly the flag and share our story
Live our wildest dreams
Celebrate the red and white
The moon and stars in harmony unite
Let every colour every heart

Come on and sing,
sing a song for Singapore
with every generation
there’s more to be grateful for
So come and sing
sing a song for Singapore
You’re my brother, you’re my sister,
I’m thankful for my Singapore
My Singapore, my Singapore

We’ve had our ups and downs
Sometimes the best things are taken for granted
You’re my family, you’re my home.

Come on and sing,
sing a song for Singapore
with every generation
there’s more to be grateful for
So come and sing
sing a song for Singapore
You’re my brother, you’re my sister,
I’m thankful for my Singapore
My Singapore, my Singapore

Beautiful music, masterpiece and lyrics …..

3 months out of action, having to undergo an operation, hospitalization and rehabilitation program, the 3 months there had been a break that I wanted to have but not in such circumstances arising. However, this 3 months period did give me a good time to reflect upon my life and how I wanted to carry on my life . It dawned upon me that I really needed a more balanced lifestyle from my workaholic lifestyle, although some people would say, I am not hardworking or productive enough.

Looking back at my other 3 months, it was kind of 1 month of holiday from the crossover of the New Year and the Chinese Lunar New holidays and the month of June, trying to adapt back into working life again after 3 months of in-action.

Realigning my goals and objectives for the year 2010, some were on track and the journey there had taken the 1st step off. Some of them were thrown off track and needs to realign back again. More obstacles were thrown in front of me, the bad wolf is calling me , bad and discouraging thoughts sometimes flooded my mind and I needed to make this a big great fight to bring out the good wolf and put the bad wolf away.

“Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising every time we fail.”~ Confucius

Some critics were pretty harsh, I thank them for their feedback and it will only make me stronger if the criticism is helping me to become a better person and not those whose criticism is only for the sake of criticizing and personal without any foundation nor the heart to help.

Before you judge people, have you judged yourself first ?

The next 6 months of 2010 had already begun … Life is slowly coming back normal to me again, I had failed in different parts of my life, work, business, entrepreneurship etc etc …. I learned my mistakes and climbed back up again and again. Although we all might (and usually will) make mistakes and encounter failures down the road, we must make less mistakes and failures … and need not fear them.

- First and foremost, I would need to put in extra hard work on my advisory and consultancy business, enough said….

- Something great has spin off from my recent 2 months, for now, it would not be revealed in details to anybody. Another development was in my foray into social media networking over the past 1-2 years, it was an awesome experiential and enlightening journey, making many new friends and increasing networks of friends and business partners, thus leading and growing myself into a freelance social media consultant and blogging consultant.

- My photoblog had went through a revamp, new template courtesy of coach Jack and it breathes a new life into it, all it needs now is to add more travel flavours to be inside it ! My goals and objectives for my photoblog is on track for 2010 !!

With powerful wisdom words from Stephen Covey, I would like to encourage all of you ! Let’s all do it together ! Look forward to the next half of 2010 and take the 1st step to make it a lot better, more significant and impacting than the 1st half of 2010.

Be Proactive, Begin with End in Mind, Put First Things First, Think Win Win

Pushing away my ignorance, it was a month of helping to spread the awareness of IAC, what they do and how they can help those people with disabilities using information technology and digital world. This awareness led up to the IAC TweetMeetSG event on 26th June at SMU Campus Green and I was there with my fellow blogger friends, to lend our support and endorsement to this event.

It was great to see and catch up with my other friends from blog sphere / twitterverse, who were there to support this great cause too ! I was happy for them when they won prizes for their participation in this TweetMeetSG and helping to spread this awareness and good cause !

Sharing photos taken by Claudia from 24seven, with her new Canon 7D !

Created with Admarket’s flickrSLiDR.

To all my readers, I would like to encourage all of you to take a stand and help a person with disabilities to lead a better life, with the courses available at IAC and how learning digital and information technology can they be more equipped to contribute not only to themselves and their families, they can be role models too.

Let no digital divide deprive people with disabilities to learn new skills and knowledge, spread the words “SOW – It’s Time to Grow”, you never know who you can impact in their life and make a difference to them.

Therefore, there comes a time whereby I must Pay It Forward, helping out Jack in his 1st course coaching organised under Intrillion Academy, known as Internet Speed Wealth Creation Course (ISWC) ! With Jack’s extensive experience and track records in internet marketing, his course was enriching and enlightening, coaching and sharing concepts together with his participants and not overwhelming them with technicalities instead.

Being a disciple of Jack under the blogging field, I was invited out of the blue to share my blogging experiences, journey and knowledge in social media networking to his 1st batch of course participants. It was an honour and I confessed that I wasn’t prepared at all and I was basically very anxious and it wasn’t great, therefore, I need to brush up and I might be speaking more in future ISWC courses ! Oh, do check out the photos here on Flickr !

There were also opportunities to share with the participants on my social media networking experiences and blogging experiences, glad to know them there and it was fun sharing ! This would possibly be paving the route for me to move up to the role of Social Media Manager !

Finally, with a graduation group photo of ISWC – 1st Batch ! Congrats to all from ISWC – 1st Batch ! Wishing all of you success in your internet marketing, blogging and social media networking journey !

Before I proceed, are these a common sight in Singapore nowadays ?

- Blind people selling sweets / tissue papers

- Disabled people selling sweets / tissue papers

Do you any of these people ? How can we help them ? The power of information technology and specialised training facilities can make a difference in their life, to learn new professional skills and knowledge, contributing not only to themselves, their family and society too.

Ladies and Gentlemen, come down to TweetMeetSG on 26th June 2010, sign up here http://pea.to/tmsup ! Take a stand, support this noble cause, bring information technology into the life of people with different disabilities, bridge the digital divide.

Together, we can all help make a difference and impact the life of a disabled person with the aid of information technology.

With the help of modern music equipment and software, trainees at IAC, had the opportunity to learn and compose their own music too. Here, I am pleased to share a music sample by Gerald Bartholomew, a graduate of IAC, with their kind permission given to share with everybody here.

Even though this is a short music clip, the time, efforts and challenges faced by people with different disabilities, producing a music piece is a great achievement and let’s all cheer them on, to overcome their challenges and achieve their goals. Ladies and Gentlemen, presenting to you, a music piece by Gerald Bartholomew, a graduate of IAC -

la bamba

There is a Tweet Meet Facebook http://pea.to/IACtms , do visit the site and join them !