Highway to Hale

I remember the first time I heard about Facebook. My older, wiser sibling told me I absolutely needed to start using it the moment after I finished high school. I ran into a major problem when Facebook didn’t support my small private college in South Dakota. I know it is hard to imagine such a hideous time when Facebook was exclusive to a pull-down list of colleges and universities across the US, but seriously, it happened. Solution? Join MySpace. That was fine for connecting with a few people prior to walking on campus, but my usage took an immediate dive the first day Facebook added my school to the exclusive pull-down list (about a week into my freshman year).

Fast forward four years.

The novelty of Facebook has dissipated a bit in favor of emerging social media tools. I have four years of experience using Facebook…but who in the next generation of the working force doesn’t? The internet is just what we do. As much as this idea is running rampant through the current class of people in the business world, I do not find the general college crowd to have the same passion for social media that I do.

In a class of 30 (journalism no less), two people had heard of and were using Twitter. 7%. It would have been less in my marketing class of 35-40 (I know because I asked during a presentation in which I used Twitter). As cliché as it is, I am learning new information about social media every day and even getting a good chunk of my news from blogs and Twitter (most recently the Facebook controversy over ownership of info). My school (like most others) does not offer any social media or interactive web marketing classes, so I am doing my best to pick up the information on the fly through practice. I am not stopping at ‘getting familiar’ with social media; I am searching for new ways to utilize these tools. That is where business is, that is where I want to be. I do not want to start at zero in May; I can jump right into improving the company I work for and begin by offering clients ideas and value that they can’t find elsewhere.

So, what is the truth about the Facebook Generation? The truth is that most of us do not have a clue what Social Media means in the big picture. Be careful about what you assume when talking to the incoming work force. Many people I know in my age group cannot navigate the internet efficiently or write well enough to convey an idea. The personal game of Facebook is where the average college student lives, practices, and stops exploring. We may have grown up with the internet, but it still takes work and learning to use all facets of the internet effectively to promote an idea, persona, or client.

With every blogger on the planet having written a Twitter Etiquette post, I’ve noticed a few trends (common sense, add value, don’t spam…you get the idea). One trend has caught my eye on occasion and recently played a role in some real life experiences for me. When choosing a Twitter tag or blog name, what should you consider? I’ve seen opinions ranging from using your real full name to using a name that stands out and provides insight into your personality.

I tend to place myself directly in the middle (@sjhalestorm for example) of these extremes. I spent the day in an unfamiliar city the other day where I met up with some people I converse with exclusively on Twitter. It was obvious that my little profile picture and info box were not the most recognizable aspects of my Twitter account. This is no surprise, but I found myself introducing myself as “Scott Hale, at sjhalestorm.”

Whether intentional or not, my internet brand is Sjhalestorm. As some of my more veteran followers may remember, I’ve had a few name changes along the way. After some time, I was able to create a hybrid of my name mixed with a memorable twist. Those I have engaged in conversation remember the name Sjhalestorm. It is a conversation starter.

When starting out, play with some options. I understand that the relative few users with tens of thousands of followers might not want to throw off a loyal group with a strange name change, but when starting out, test the waters. Find the name that others can pronounce, remember, and talk about. Stay consistent in your online presence. Part of branding is creating a coherent image across products that can be recognized, but not identical. Everybody has the luxury of building their own online brand, beginning with a name…so work hard to get it right.

What is the name/theme that represents your online presence? What does it say about you? Where can I find your brand (which sites)? Does your online brand leak into your physical life?

My name is Scott and I am currently (but not for much longer) a student at Augustana College. After some tweaking, exploring, and evaluating, I have decided on pursuing Communications/Business and Psychology degrees to be completed this May. They tell me it is time to grow up after that…

My four years at Augustana have been wonderful partly due to engaging professors, interesting classes, freshly formed friendships and my wonderful girlfriend that has been here the entire time (4 yr anniversary coming up soon).

As I transition out of school, I realize that I may have finally come up with a plan (in the loosest sense of the word). I have survived four+ years of “what are you going to do?” questions and think I may have finally come up with an answer that I am truly excited about. That will come out clearly as this blog evolves…

Things that keep me busy outside of school and trying to get acquainted with some career options include graphic design, photography, improv, lacrosse, snowboarding, tweeting (yes, that counts as a hobby), watching sports, board/video/card/any games, reading, and of course a special lady. While I would never survive classes in Physics, Biology, and Chemistry, I will take any opportunity to learn about each because I like to stay up on my nerdiness and knowledge in diverse areas keeps me on my creative toes. That same sentiment generally applies to any subject…I like to think it would be difficult for you to come up with a conversation in which I could not add my own semi-educated view (probably not true, but I dare you to try it because it will cause me to learn).

My psychology interest has pushed me to really explore what makes people tick and how people relate to each other and their environment. Coordinating groups and keeping ideas consistent and coherent brings me joy because I want to provide big pictures/concepts that are supported by fine details. I’m actually kind of anal about details which is how I landed Baseball Statistician and Editor-in-Chief roles.

Under it all, I’m a sucker for humor. Simple things, including sarcasm, make me laugh randomly. I could have easily been that guy you saw driving next to you that was smirking or laughing while riding alone because of a new thought. I hope I provide some laughs for the people around me because people are most relaxed when they are happy and perform at their highest levels during tasks when they are happy (check the research).

Follow me at: twitter.com/sjhalestorm

Read my randomness at: halestorm.tumblr.com