I was looking at the Mahalo Vlog Idol contest this morning, the finalist they have, and had some interesting thoughts revolving around what factors could go into finding the best winner for this thing… Granted I only started to check out Mahalo this morning as well, as to get a feel for what this site is all about… needless to say, it’s a great concept, and useful site. It’s no wonder they rock.

1. Personality - A good host will have a great real-life personality. This will remove the need to “train” an “actress” as a host. If someone has a horrible personality that will come through no matter how fake they are, unless they’re a well trained actress, in which case - you can get awesome results most of the time regardless - example: Nicole Kidman.
2. Appearance - On screen and off screen appearance is important when you’re the public face of awesome. Looks aren’t everything, but this is video-based media, in LA no less… Which means… Looks are almost everything. Therefore, model-type physical standards should apply (sort of): 5′9″ give or take a few inches, in-shape, well taken care of hair, clear skin, and nice teeth.
3. Communication - Does the person have the ability to listen, guide an interview, and work with whoever is on the camera with them? This is when a natural positive personality comes into play, having the ability to forget the camera is there, aside from addressing your audience, in order to hold awesome conversations will give you Barbara Walters results - minus her melodramatic bullshit and boring. As in, you’ll get natural conversation from people on camera as a result.
4. History - Is the person already established in the industry somehow? If so, how? Is this appearance socially acceptable? Chances are if the person was attached to some good causes, that’s a bonus. If the person is known for showing her boobies online, that’s a huge negative mark, regardless of how much we like boobies.

There’s one that may be “seen” as important, and really isn’t. Geek-credibility/Social network presence:

1. Subject matters - Anyone with the drive to learn can interview fellow geeks and nerds, all it takes is - review your subjects before hand, and maybe have a consultant handy for geek-coaching, and chances are if there’s too much knowledge about a topic - there will be too many assumptions given, making for bad content flow.
2. Out of the box thinking - I’ve seen time and time again when non-geeks ask some of the most awesome questions out of lack of insight. This creates great content, and drives geek people to get more into what they’re up to, keeping their assumptions at bay.
3. Broader viewer-base - If non-geeks can associate with the host, they’ll be more likely to watch. If the content is geek, geeks will watch too - the host just has to be savvy and intelligent. Hell she could be a Biologist for all we care, just make sure she’s not some bubbly idiot.
4. Social Arena - Some social interaction is a bonus, but awareness and willingness to partake is more better. Someone who isn’t branded online already would more easily be associated with Mahalo if they didn’t have a previously establish reader-base online… Granted having a blog isn’t all that bad, depending on what it is. The real magic begins when the new host can become an active blogger, create a fresh online presence, and really gets into the social scene after the new gig. This allows everyone to see the person grow online, and adds a new level of interest for those of you that like “reality” television.

It’s an interesting publicity stunt they’re pulling off though. Using Twitter, their site, and the social arena to perform an open casting call to fill some big shoes (Veronica Belmont). So hats off to them, and good luck in the decision process. I guess it’s down to the wire, and there are a handful of talented people left. I’m still looking over the contestants, and don’t really have a favorite… then again, I’m not much into these “Idol” type things.

One thing I’ve been noticing lately, that’s beginning to bug the hell out of me, is the use of the Social Media Market to Advertise via Social Arena applications and methods. Not only is this disturbing, it’s dangerous for what you’re marketing, and if you’re doing it - stop it, you’re clogging up my Internet.

Advertising vs. Marketing

Ok, here’s the deal. You have a great idea, you think it’s awesome and you can’t wait for the world to find out about it. Naturally you go straight to your friends and brag, that’s a given, but then you take it a step further and attempt to gain more exposure by SPAM ramming it to the whole Social Arena… You’re now Advertising in our space.

Correct me if I’m wrong here, but, Social Marketing is about social connections and creating a good network of friends that are knowledgeable and like to share their findings. Occasional items, such as this post, are fine to self-share on the Social Network, mainly because they’re written to share an opinion or a finding - and let’s face it, a blog is part of a social network (see below).

Marketing turns Advertising when:

1. The blog you’re writing is primarily used to generate revenue, market products or services, or brag about generating revenue from marketed products or services.
2. The items you share are geared at generating leads, anonymous traffic, and/or additional credibility in efforts to gain revenue, or become some web-based money making machine of some sorts.
3. You’re not typing to friends as much as you’re selling your self to a “target market” (the bastards that taint the arena with this kind of drivel are the worst, in my opinion)

Blogging and Actions

Actions, kids. There was a brief discussion yesterday on Twitter about how to “market” thyself on the Internet more better to get more exposure. Sean Bonner (@seanbonner) and Dan (@viss) pretty much summed it up with “Actions speak louder than words”… meaning, if you want to be an impacting individual in the Social Arena? DO SOMETHING AWESOME. Write a killer web-application, make some blog posts that are chalk full of totally rad ideas that put a new spin on things, become a resource that OTHERS WANT TO SHARE.

That way, you don’t have to brag about your input, and hey then you’re not advertising, and the Social Arena is marketing for you. Job well done.

We are not a Target Market

I’ve seen this … a LOT. Some new ass savvy dork discovers the Social Arena, Blogosphere, or some Social Network, and decides that this is the new California Gold Rush. They gear up to meet us, go to our meetings, hand out their business cards, moo-cards, and whatever else cards they can to make them appear part of our group, and simply… abuse that social “in” with us in efforts to get our clicks, and turn our dollars into theirs.

Now, I’m not saying - “new people, don’t come to our stuff, they’re OURS!!! RAAAH!” - not even close to that. But if you do come to our things, keep your greedy bullshit to yourself and try to use your newly found awesome connections to better yourself, better your connections to awesome, and when the time is right, and you have something awesome - we’ll be here to listen to your newly discovered rad… and we’ll share it with others that we know will love it… Just do the same for us when we do it too.

Cheers, folks.