Today I stumbled upon a web app like no other. If you're at all interested in the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, this site is for you. It's called www.instantoilspill.com, and it aims to raise awareness about clean energy. All you have to do is plug in a web address, and poof, you can watch the contamination happen. The page you chose will slowly succumb to an oil spill, drop by digital drop.
After testing out this messy online campaign, I headed to the sink to brush my pearly whites for a night out, and I had a thought. Social media has become a lot like toothpaste.
1. There's always more. Just when you think that web users have thought of everything, someone squeezes out something new. The Instant Oil Spill site is just one example.
2. There are tons of different flavours. While there used to be just one or two toothpaste tastes, there are now dozens. As for social sites, just head on over to NameChk.com, where you can register your username across multiple online destinations, and you'll see dozens of social networks that you've probably never heard about.
3. It should be part of your daily routine. To be successful with online branding, whether it's personal or professional, you need to interact with the world of social media on a regular basis. As with brushing your teeth, it's a good idea to post and chat on social sites in the morning and at night. If you're particularly hardcore, an after lunch visit can also be good idea.
4. It doesn't cost much. A tube of toothpaste always seems to last quite a while, does wonders for our smiles, and costs just a few dollars here and there. In the social media world, most of the sites that pack the biggest punch are free, or cost under $10 a month for a subscription.
5. It's not going away anytime soon. The Pew Internet and American Life Project just released survey results revealing that Generation Y, who have grown up with the Internet, will continue to use social media well into their adult years. Although toothpaste has a much longer history, dating back to 4th century Egypt (according to Wikipedia), social media has a bright (and lengthy) future.
