A real long lasting social network and the meaning of a valuable eyeball – ACCORDING TO ME

The power is shifting daily to the individual. I get to pick who I want to read, make my own newspaper, build my own music collection – one song at a time. I also get to read and watch content from a wider variety of sources – WHENEVER I WANT.

It is why Blogging and Social Networks like MySpace grew exponentially and will continue to do so, unless you try and let old media eyeball tactics get in the way. I will stay away from any site that blinds me with pulsating, flashing ads.

I am not smart or saavy enough in the ways of marketing to pick the winner in the search and adsense space. I don’t care. I dislike them all as a blog READER. They won’t help me retire as a BLOGGER.

I am not a trend starter, but know a good idea when I see one.

I know that what I am willing to do so far :

1. Hear or watch a short ad in exchange for something of value – be it an article or video, directions etc…2. Submit a bid in a simple way to buy my advertising on relevant sites in a last minute fashion3. Attend an event for my community that is sponsored in some way.

Companies are figuring this out and I applaud it – Jingle Networks , Feedburner and my own GolfNow are examples.

A real long lasting social network can’t survive upon a bombardment of ads. I don’t want to go to a buddies site and see hygiene ads, or a financial site to see Ameritrade ads. That is so Web 1.0.

If you want to Blog for a LIVING, you better get creative about funding your site and words. If you are the next MySpace, you better do the same, because multiples for eyeballs alone are certain to shrink.

I believe you want eyeballs that transact AND eyeballs that interact beyond the computer to create a long lasting social network. Pulling them together in the Physical world for EVENTS gives you triple crown for an EYEBALL VALUE.

When and if MySpace succeeds at events in the physical world, they will become a dominant social network that has valuable eyeballs WILLING to accept ADVERTISING .

Until than, they can make or break a song and movie, singer or actor. BIG WOOP!