A couple of months ago, Mandi and I had the opportunity to attend an AMA event in Austin titled the Wild Wild West of Social Media. There, the three distinct minds of Erica O’Grady, Giovanni Galluci, and Dave Evans gave us their take on how to use social media effectively. And ever since that night, the idea that social media is a new frontier of sorts for many folks has really stuck in my head. And now that I am leaving the great state of Texas, home of the Cowboys, Stetson hats and Black Angus beef, for the great state of California, it only seems right to put on some sepia-toned glasses, so to speak, and take a look at this new frontier called social media.

The Boom Towns
If you’re looking to make a move to the Social Media Frontier then your best bet is to take up residence in places like Twitter-ville and Facebook-ington. There you’ll find plenty of folks to learn from and network with. They are literally thriving metropolises where it is easy to find people you have something in common with, but equally as easy to get lost in the crowd.

The Trains
Just as it was in the middle of the 19th century, to get anywhere in social media you have to ride the train. All aboard the Tweetdeck and Friendfeed Express and get your message to its final destination as quick as a speeding locomotive.

The Telegraph
But trains aren’t the only way to be heard by your network. Thanks to the great telegraph companies like Ping.fm, one message can be sent to dozens of recipients all at the same time.

The General Store
Something for everyone and something when you need it, most folks visit the Digg & Delicious general store every so often. Great place to meet knew folks, swap stories with friends, and get a 10-pound sack of tutorial links or a barrel of the latest industry news.

The People
But as it is in any town, the people are really what make social media happen. And just like the fearless pioneers who set off to make their way in the wild world that was, social media has its pioneers and townsfolk as well.

The Gold Miners
They work their craft like miners with their pan and tenaciously and meticulously use every social media tool out there to spread their message. They revel in the small nuggets called connections and every once in a while hit the mother lode by writing a great blog post or passing along that one link that sets their network abuzz with excitement and discussion.

The Cowboys
Just plain fun to be around and listen too, these hard-working, trail blazing social media types are enthusiastic, knowledgeable, and trustworthy. They can be hard to get to know, but once you make friends, you have a loyal companion for life to help you spread the word and rock solid sources of great advice.

The Gunslingers
These social media bandits use every creative idea they can think of to spread their message. These guys aren’t necessarily dangerous, but definitely toe the line when it comes to breaking the social media interaction laws. These fearless, headstrong pioneers dare to challenge the accepted norm and if nothing else, provide the Mashable & TechCrunch Gazettes with excellent gossip.

The Traveling Medicine Shows
These charlatans arrive with a cleverly crafted message that sounds like a cure to what ails you. But upon closer inspection, you discover they’re selling you and every other person they can get their sticky fingers on, bottles of  the very same dehydrated water with a mysterious SPAM label on the bottle.

The Sheriffs
Every community needs a peacekeeper and social media sheriffs do their part to keep the peace when necessary. They wear badges like “Community Manager” and “Social Media Coach”, work to make sure everyone understands what the rules are and are quick on the draw to let you know if you’ve crossed the line.

And for the most part, life in Social Media town is peaceful with folks going about their business, connecting, networking, and discussing. But everyone once in a while, usually when a Sheriff and a Gunslinger disagree, it’s all bets off and the Open Forum & Blog Comment Corral is full up with tension and the lively gunshot-like prattle of a social media showdown.

Blellow Town
Now where does Blellow fit into this scene of a western landscape? We’re a brand new settlement, not yet connected to the depot but laying down tracks to make it easier for folks to come visit. We’ve got big plans for our little town with the industry of sharing knowledge and experience driving our every move.

Yessiree, the social media landscape sure does have an old west feel to it, but like those that conquered a new and dangerous territory, we are now embarking on that same kind of adventure. Full of dangers and trials, but in the end, we know it will have been worth all the struggles and hard work.

We have a great Social Media group on Blellow. If social and media are two words you can’t live with out, come join in the conversation. We’ll see you there, partner!