In the digital world, you’re putting “content” out for all the World to see, literally. Not only can they see it when you post it, but even when you change your webpages or social media work, trust me, there are places that the dedicated can find the “old” versions, be it for good or bad purposes, or worse yet, bad legal purposes.

Via link chasing, I came across this this article “Social Media Marketing: Why You’re Better Off to DIY”, which says what I have mentioned in several meetings or talks.

My view has always been to help you understand why it’s so important that you are the one to be your voice. I can, as many others who work in this field, show you where to put the material you generate, but we don’t know your business like you do.

If you need coaching, I specialize in actually teaching people how to become proficient in managing their own content, to include how to save time while doing it. Get a hold of me if you need some direct, focused, customized help in this area!

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However, if you manage your financial and physical assets via electronic means, do you have a plan to make sure there aren’t problems for those left behind?  Good question, isn’t it?

Do you have a business that has customers?  Have you ordered product/services for them, that you have to be around to make sure gets where it needs to go?

Are you a financial consultant type of business, where you retain customer’s data and regualrly provide information to them?

Or, and one of a myriad of other circumstances that would be negatively impacted if the way to get in contact with your customers was suddenly completely unavailable?

Think about how you may ensure that a trusted person can keep the operations running so long as necessary to close out the work/records.

Someone is considering this already.

But this doesn’t only apply to your business life.  After you’re gone, who can get at your online email and data sharing/photo services?  How about MySpace and Facebook and Twitter accounts?

Not a fun topic, but not only planning the disposition of your real assets and bank accounts, you need to make sure that your digital life is managed for a successful close out as well.

Social media is here for a while.  Just as email is now considered for most, don’t be alarmed by doomsayers who bemoan the “graying” of Facebook.  Of all the email transmitted, about 97% is SPAM, but…we’re still using it to communicate.

Below are some questions that may help gauge your current use of social media, and tune up your attention to this form of marketing for your business:

• What’s the plan for your social media presence?
• Is your plan integrated into your marketing plan?
• What social media are you presently on?
• Which ones get you contact with others, who may be viable, qualified prospects?
• Which ones are you spending your social media input time on (and for how long)?
• How many entries involve your business/product/services?
• How many entries discuss your experience as a professional?
• How many entries involves non-business related (humor, local events, charity support)?
• How often are you posting?
• Are your social media sites/names visible on your business materials (business cards, brochures, website)?

Take a few minutes and answer these questions to help see if you’re effectively using social media to your benefit.

Feel free to contact me to help tune things up if you find you’re not doing as well as you should be.

Now, you can stop that world and get off, unlike the real one.

Over at TechCruch:  Wipe The Slate Clean For 2010, Commit Web 2.0 Suicide:

Web 2.0 Suicide Machine.

Consider it your own digital version of Dr. Kevorkian.  Oh, and it will let you leave your last words, too.

Yes, pretty extreme, but it’s now a way off the social media merry-go-round. Oh, and once you start the process, it’s a done deal.

Caveat:  It only handles this for Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

So, if you’re in the mood to “opt out” of what you got into, go and take yourself out of the game.

Sound extreme?  For some, it’s not.  This article discusses how major sites, get you in, then your data becomes theirs.