DISQUS

Fan pages are underutilized, and phenomenal for building relationships/networks. My suggestion would be to keep your personal Facebook profile for your "friends" (you know, the ones who'll offer to defriend you in order to have you build your network) and use the fan page for what it is meant for-- building large groups of people who like and respect your work/you, communicating with them individually or quickly in a group, and sharing information through regular updates.

Very zen indeed.

Things to add:
Stop spending recklessly, including spending on mass media if it's not getting you anywhere.

DO learn the art of "friendship first"...build relationships before you shout out to the world "look at meeeeeeee"

Perhaps my favorite sprint guy @jgoldsborough on twitter didn't see your friend Ben. I had 100 followers when he helped me. This concept is exactly what ruins networks. If you want to sell your twitter space-- if that's the goal, then there are far better ways to do it than to think that your tweet is any more interesting to most of us than someone smart and interesting who is just starting out.

The "twitterverse" needs to get OVER itself

It's so fascinating because brands are TAUGHT the ratings system for television, radio and print advertisements. They can say, oh well this spot has this GRP, or whatever. We havent' yet found that measurement for a conversation. Believe me, I have sat through COUNTLESS Measuring WOM seminars that try and do it, but the average brand doesn't buy that data. This is about a two way communication-- a conversation, versus a one way shouting of an advertisement, which people are becoming more readily equipped to be able to avoid (DVR)

Phenomenal Post. Of course any business who participates in the conversation does so to make money...it's just not the IMMEDIATE goal, and it's not as easy to measure as a direct sale.

Great work!

Absolutely, totally agree. Automation in social media is seen as inauthentic, and exactly WHY companies that use it correctly are doing so well. Automation is how you feel when you call a company and never hear back. Personalization is how you feel when @comcastcares answers your question on twitter within minutes.