Riding with an avatar

Even though I try, the more I learn about social media the less I like it! Like I said before, I understand the benefits of social media as part of a good marketing strategy, and if you use it correctly you can reach your target market with the right message at the right place.

At the last module we were discussing another piece of the social media puzzle: second life. I think the name makes perfect sense… If you prefer to create a digital representation of yourself and spend hours online living on an alternative reality you really need a second life because YOU DON’T HAVE ONE! Why would you go online to visit a bar, go to a concert, meet people??? What happened to enjoying the taste of a cold beverage at the bar? Interacting with someone face to face? Really living?  

I would never imagine myself creating an avatar to go on a motorcycle ride online. There is nothing that replaces the sensation of being out on the road, feeling the wind on your face, enjoying the scenery at every curve. There are so many beautiful places around us to explore, new people to meet, friends to visit… and they are all out there. Not online.

 Let’s get our bikes out on the road and RIDE!!!

TOO MUCH INFORMATION!!!

Last week, after procrastinating a lot, I finally decided to create my profiles at three social media websites. Yes, not one or two, but three!!! Facebook, MySpace and Twitter!  

 During the process I realized why I had been waiting for so long… I HATE IT! It is not that I had never tried before, I have! Who remembers Orkut? A long time ago, after moving from Brazil to the US, I decided to create an account to keep in touch with my family, post pictures, share some thoughts…  I knew then that I wouldn’t like and I was right. I posted maybe ten pictures on the first week and those are the same ones that are still there three years later! It is just TOO MUCH INFORMATION!!! Who has the time and patience to get in a read about what everybody is doing, thinking and let them know about your every single step! I’D RATHER RIDE!

 Back to 2011, the quest starts again!

 I started with Facebook, took some time to choose a good picture (after all I wanted to make it work!), updated my profile, looked for some friends and good! I’m on! And now, after a week I have 51 friends!  How sad!

 Twitter… Same picture, profile, found a few people / companies to follow… done! I even have followers! A total of eleven souls, one friend, three classmates (who are graded for participating on other’s social media activities!) and seven others that I never heard of! And I only made one stupid tweet!

 Finally MySpace… How frustrating! I didn’t know anyone! I guess my friends are like me and don’t like social media!  For a whole week I had ZERO friends and now I have two friends from my class!

 And the great thing is that after a whole week trying to get in everyday to “manage my social media activities” I found out that I did everything WRONG! I should have created profiles related to my project and my blog! Long story short I had to create new profiles on all of them and started from scratch! My Facebook page now has one person that likes it… and she really doesn’t! It is just my wife trying to give me moral support!!!

 While I struggle trying to improve my social life online, I look out the window and the weather is looking great! How I wish I were out there riding!

 ANYONE UP FOR A RIDE?