Nominate @Socialevisible as MTV’s First Twitter Jockey Contest Expert #zyncmtvtj #btv.

Well, I would take the MTV TJ  job. But self promotions really isn’t the purpose of my blog post.  Forgive the fact that my blog is still under construction. I’s something I could use some help with (hint hint wink).

 I needed something eye catching and that was the best I could do at the moment. It’s past noon, I’m still in my bathrobe and I’ve become distracted by a beautiful weather. Sleepy Hollow playing is on the flat screen (symphonic suspense-filled music plays in the background). I also have thoughts of tomorrow being Monday looming on the back of my mind, along with questions about the future of my career, living in Vermont, opportunities for professional development and my current employment situation… but I digress. Today’s not the day for indulging in internal monologue.

Is social media changing the world way too quickly?
Or are the only people who think this way above the age of 35?

Last week, I made a comment at a TOYOTA Google Analytics Seminar where there presenter responded with this phrase…“wow, [social media] is changing the world fast, maybe too fast.” This was his response in wake of me informing him that MTV is holding “American Idol” style twitter  auditions to hire their first MTV Twitter Jockey. Yep – the MTV TJ. The 12 year dynasty  of the MTV VJ may soon be overshadowed by MTV’s shifts to embrace social media as a prime mode for audience engagement as audience social media use explodes across all age demographics – among teens, teens and 20 & 30 something’s. You can read more on MTV”s TJ site. http://tj.mtv.com/

But don’t forget that studies on advertising still find TV advertising as most influential. Social media isn’t about advertsing. It’s about creating rapport. The MTV TJ will be positioned on a peacful pedistle alongside the MTV VJ.

Let’s compare the duties of MTV’s V-Jay to those of the T–Jay – MTV VJ (according to Wikipedia.com)

Originally hired to represent a wide array of musical tastes and personal ethnicities, VJs eventually became famous in their own right. Initially, they were nothing more than on-air personalities, but as the popularity of MTV grew, they began to branch out past just introducing music clips. Soon, they were considered by many to be full fledged music journalists, interviewing major music celebrities and hosting their own television shows on the channel.

About the MTV TJ?  As far as MTV knows, the TJ will be a full time social media personality and a part time on-air/live event personality. The MTV TJ will be delegate with engaging audience members.  But questions surround the ability for any person to direct and focus energies of MTV social media enthusiasts. It will take an expert social media user who’s demonstrated an ability to relate and engage with a broad audience base. So the questions surround the practicality of one TJ. I can understand multiple TJ’s working strategically beside one another, perhaps playing off each other in some way.

But is this more publicity stunt than an actual necessity created by social media user demand? American Idol style election?  For the entertainment industry, the monetization of the hiring process isn’t something new. We’ve seen it every year over past seven years.  The implication of using twitter for election is a signal the practical applications for social media will continue to change the way we  socialize.

It’s easy to follow the MTV TJ Contest:   Type “MTV TJ” into Google and Twitter tweet stream tops the list. You can follow the discussion there or login to Twitter and search the hashtag #zyncmtvtj.  What MTV TJ candidates must consider is that their entry into any social media electoral event of this magnitude will lead to their increased online visibiliy.  Candidate “digital dirt” will be exposed where it exists. Online reputation should be a serious concern for any leading candidate.  A wise MTV TJ candidate would have scrubbed their own accounts up real good and then hit up their network to do the same. 

Peace out.