This morning I posted a speech that I gave at my wedding in February 2011 on my own personal blog .  It was inspired by a number of experiences and people, including Mozart and Beethoven (who have been a strong influence on my life since a young child).  Buried in my notes and research Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was reported to have said “music breathes life.”  The growth of Crowd Factory is astonishing and it is breathing music to my ears.  The social media analytics landscape is expanding at lighting speeds and at times I feel like I am just trying to keep up!

Today is April 1st and according to tradition I should be writing to you that Crowd Factory, a company that measures the ROI of Social Media, bought Facebook and Mark Zuckerberg is now our CFO (I figure the guy has to be good with numbers?).  Instead I am reveling in the fact that a handful of sophisticated companies came knocking on Crowd Factory’s door in the closing days of the 1st Quarter and we ended with a bang!

I wish I could say I had a lot more to do with it, but alas I spent more than half of my week at the Web 2.0 Expo here in San Francisco.  In the coming week or so I plan to write a few pieces about individual sessions and people that I spoke with, though I think it might be more interesting to give you an overall impression of the event.  Here is my blunt, honest answer (and if I get in trouble and ruffle feathers I’ll take it):

The Web 2.0 Expo is an AMAZING opportunity for those that work in General Marketing, or is a Web Designer or even perhaps a media planner for an agency.  It just seemed to be, overall, those attending had more of a novice or beginner level of knowledge and understanding of what “Social Media” or “Web 2.0” should be or what is has evolved into.  Each and every session I attended was extremely valuable and full of information.  Additionally it validated my knowledge and analysis of the industry is up to date and reflects much of what I read on a daily basis.  It also showed me something I did NOT expect.

In a number of sessions, when certain questions were asked of the audience (that averaged about 200-250 in each session) regarding experience, understanding and current use of measuring or analytics of these tools you could hear a pin drop on to of a cricket (chirp….chirp…).  I wonder if it is because I am a Social Media junkie, I bury myself in articles and discussions that look at how people, consumers and certain demographics interact on the internet – but it seemed as if this was all news to people.

There were a number of sessions I attended that were focused on how to best use and leverage Facebook and Twitter for marketing campaigns.  I must thank Lauren Cooney who presented a session called: New Innovations in Social Media & Digital Marketing: It’s Time for More than Twitter & Facebook. For the first time since the term social media was first written, people, companies, corporations and even ENTIRE countries have the power of their voice, actions and ability to influence on the Internet (and even do it without Facebook and/or Twitter).

What I want to see now is the Marketing 1.0 for 21st Century Expo.  Where I sit I see Salesforce bought Radian 6, Google is adding tools like +1 and Facebook isn’t going away anytime soon.  What does this mean to the average person who uses Facebook to connect with old high school friends, works a 9-5 day job, takes a vacation once a year, looks for a new car every three years and is just trying to make ends meet?  NOTHING. ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. But, to someone like me, social media (and I know others are starting to say the same) has now blended, molded, folded into (doesn’t this make you think of making cupcakes?) traditional marketing.

Social Media = Marketing 2011*

*Or at least one component of.

To conclude, I must share one picture I posted on Facebook if you did not see it yet.  Taken at a table at Web 2.0 during a break I sat down to write some thoughts on…get ready, PAPER.  There were physical GASPS “what, why, how…where is his iPad, where is the Wifi, doesn’t he own a laptop, there is no battery, no illuminated screen.”  So when I tell you I will write more about my days, sessions and experiences at Web 2.0, it will take a week or so because I have ~20 pages of WRITTEN notes.  I will always stand by this: the way people communicate hasn’t changed since Mozart presented his first opera, the only thing that has is the medium and the amount of time we spend consuming it.