One of the most common mistakes made by organizations when they first consider experimenting with social media is that they focus too much on social media tools and platforms and not enough on their business objectives. The reality of success in the social web for businesses is that creating a social media program begins not with insight into the latest social media tools and channels but with a thorough understanding of the organization's own goals and objectives. A social media program is not merely the fulfillment of a vague need to manage a "presence" on popular social networks because "everyone else is doing it." "Being in social media" serves no purpose in and of itself. In order to serve any purpose at all, a social media presence must either solve a problem for the organization and its customers or result in an improvement of some sort (preferably a measurable one). In all things, purpose drives success. The world of social media is no different.

Most of the time, we conform unconsciously. We don't even have to think about the fact that we are monitoring others and adapting to them. For example, many people start to dress like their boss, although they don't realize it. Even more often, people unconsciously mirror their boss's nonverbal behaviors during a meeting — using similar hand gestures or crossing the same leg, and so on. This is not crazy behavior. Indeed, there does appear to be an evolutionary advantage for those who mirror others. People who dress like their boss actually get paid more and promoted more quickly. When we mirror others, they like us more. Unfortunately, the downside is that we behave in a more conformist fashion. 

Contrary to prophets of the "information age" who joyfully predicted an abundance of high-paying jobs even for people with the most basic of skills, the sobering truth is that many information-processing jobs fit easily into the category of routine production services. The foot soldiers of the information economy are hordes of data processors stationed in "back offices" at computer terminals linked to worldwide information banks. They routinely enter data into computers or take it out again — records of credit card purchases and payments, credit reports, checks that have cleared, customer accounts, customer correspondence, payroll, hospital billings, patient records, medical claims, court decisions, subscriber lists, personnel, library catalogues, and so forth. The "information revolution" may have rendered some of us more productive, but it has also produced huge piles of raw data which must be processed in much the same monotonous way that assembly-line workers and, before them, textile workers processed piles of other raw materials.

I've always told my daughter she should pursue things until they don't make sense. It was a concept I used professionally which resulted in me being very innovative and forward thinking in my business. It's also a concept that encourages me to be more open-minded and open-hearted to new situations and experiences. However, at some point, the thing you're pursuing may no longer make sense, and you need to learn to jump off the dead horse. Stop banging your head against the wall, and let it go. Sometimes it's very difficult to do, especially when you are emotionally invested, but in the long run, you do realize the dead horse will never take you to your destination.

A localization economy can be traced to the desire of individuals to compare products. Individuals may prefer to shop for shoes in a regional shopping mall because they can compare the merchandise in four or five different stores in fewer trips. Firms selling similar products may repel one another under some circumstances, but when consumers have a demand for display variety, similar competing establishments may locate together. An additional shoe store in a regional shopping mall may actually benefit all the shoe stores by making the mall a more desirable place to shop for shoes. The additional store may lower the percentage of mall shoe shoppers who make purchases at each existing store, but total sales may increase due to the greater number of shoppers. Retail establishments selling complementary products may also tend to cluster. For instance, theaters and restaurants often locate together, reflecting the fact that people like to eat out before or after seeing a show.