There’s always something to howl about.

Social media marketing: As the Whores of Babble On take over, I’m re-enrolling at the Old Skool House

I’ve changed my mind about this. I mean, I don’t hate twitter, but I do hate what twitter has become.

See, I have this thing about advertising. I think it’s safe to say that my online reading, my television viewing and my radio listening, are driven in large part by the absence of advertising. Funny, because I love advertising and a good ad is a work of art. But here’s the thing, how often do you see a good ad?

If you follow me on twitter you know that one of my favorite television channels is TCM- Turner Classic Movies. Yeah, I like movies, and TCM is commercial free. It’s hours and hours of commercial free television, and I love that.

Pay Per Click would never work with me because I have trained myself not to look at the right column of my online viewing. The ads you put on your blogs? Couldn’t tell you what they are- I refuse to look at them- it’s just a lot of visual noise. Slam too many ads up there, and I’m no longer a reader. Am I alone?

We love social media, but we are getting it all wrong. Social media- a way to connect with a mass of people- has become a giant cesspool of vendorsluts and their ads. There is a huge difference between you and I connecting, and you and I selling and buying. If I buy a magazine off the news stand, I know I’m paying for advertising, but I’m also not trying to create a relationship with the publisher. However, if I stop by your blog, or follow you on twitter, or friend you up on facebook, I, being the nice warm person I am, really would like to get to know you better. I naively make that assumption about you as well. So when you start pimping your blog on twitter, or advertising products, that puts me on guard that you might be more interested in selling something. Is it just me who thinks like this?

Putting ads all over the place? Fine. You don’t have to defend yourself to me. Pimping your blog is certainly legal, and quite common- in every sense of the word- and I’m obviously not your target market, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it, nor does it mean I have to support it.

The people who are playing in various sandboxes and kiddie pools online are ready, willing, and able to connect, but here’s what we forget- this doesn’t make them a lead. It makes them a person. A real person with a real need. Stop shoving your crap down my throat. I’m a nice person- a nice person who doesn’t like be inundated with advertising when she’s trying to connect.

Here’s what is going to happen, and I’m thinking that I would welcome this sooner rather than later: someday we are going to have to pay to have ad-free zones on the internet. If you want to sit quietly and connect with someone on a real level? Without being asked to retweet, stumbleupon, or digg something? Without being subjected to intrusive ads touting botox and email newsletter functions? You’re gonna have to pay for that luxury. But the good news is that just like buying a magazine, or watching NBC instead TCM, I will know from the start exactly what to expect from our connection. Are you functioning in the vendorslut zone? Fine. Let’s connect there on a very superficial level.

If I want to connect with 800 salespeople- I know where to go. If I want to connect with real people- you know those people who are funny and smart and passionate? Those people who really add to a conversation, who push me to be my best? I know where to find them as well.

It’s breakfast at Tiffany’s for this web 2.0 party girl. I may have social media fatigue. Lucky me, I’ve dusted off a Tiffany lamp at an old skool desk and the light it gives off is absolutely stunning.