I think this is a movement we can all get behind.

… so here’s a page of Internet marketing light bulb jokes, and here’s an example:

Q: How many pay per click experts does it take to change a light bulb?

A: Just one but the cost depends on how much the other light bulb changers are currently charging — and you’re going to need a totally new kind of light bulb for that fixture. Actually I have to create it. I’ve never seen a fixture quite like that one.

I have to confess: For a split-second, they got me.

After all, I use EFTPS for my business tax payments, so anything official-looking is going to catch my attention.

Then I started reading. Assuming you can’t read the screen shot of the email above, here’s what it said:

EFTPS ONLINE
THE ESAIEST WAY TO PAY YOUR FEEDRAL TAXES

Your Federal Tax Payment ID: 01037599764 has been not accepted. Pelase, make sure that all informtaion you have sumbitted is corerct and refer to Code R21 to find out the ifnormation about copmany payemnt. Pelase cnotact this page if you have any questions: http://eftps.gov/R21

Rteurn Reason Code R21 – The identifciation nubmer you enetred in the Cmopany Idetnification Feild is not functional. Try senidng ifnormation to your acocuntant advsier using other optoins.

EFTPS: The Electronic Federal Tax Payment System

WARNING!
You are uisng an Official United States Government System, which may be used only for authorzied purposes. Unauthorized modification of any information stored on this ssytem may result in criminal prosecution. The Govermnent may monitor and audit the usage of system, and all presons are hereby notified that the use of this system consittutes cnosent to such monitoring and auditing. Unauthorized attempts to upload infromation and/or change information on this web site are stirctly prohibited and are subject to porsecution under theCmoputer Farud and Abuse Act of 1986 and Title 18 U.S.C. Sec. 1001 and 1030.

That’s 35 typos, by my count — 11 in the second 26-word paragraph alone! C’mon, you slimy bottom-feeders — can’t you do better than this?!

I’m in Philly today for the first day of the IABC (International Association of Business Communicators) Heritage Region Conference. In fact, I’m presenting a session called “Overcoming the Social Media Fear Factor.”

Good news if you’re attending the session: We will not be eating bugs or weird animal organs of any kind.

See you there!

That’s what Augustine Fou suggests over on ClickZ, and even he acknowledges the provocative nature of the headline when he provides examples in which the ROI of social media outreach can be measured.

But here are a few tidbits from the article that are most interesting:

Social media is not media – people’s conversations cannot be purchased, nor should they be purchased.

Tru dat.

Social marketing is not marketing – instead it is listening and learning from customers’ genuine conversation among peers and earning the right to be part of the conversation by providing value and earning customers’ trust.

Tru dat x2.

It’s a good article worth reading, yet another voice in the ever-growing chorus singing about how social media needs to be looked at as a long-term strategy, not a short-term tactic.