Damien Basile is a social media force to be reckoned with, a man about town, a community builder, an early adopter, a wonderful human being and a friend and mentor. He recently sat down with me for an interview. You can and probably are already following him on Twitter @db. He also blogs at Cause Is the Habit and about branding on Posterous.
ZAC: Damien, thanks for taking the time to sit down for an interview, considering you might be one of the busiest cats in New York City. And in fact, that leads me to my 1st question, Why are you so busy?
Damien: Being not busy is boring. Solving problems and connecting people makes me happy so having downtime doesn’t really work for either.
ZAC: Where are you from? And Where do you live now?
Damien: I grew up in Staten Island, lived in San Diego, Brooklyn and now live in the West Village in NYC but that’s a boring-ass question. How about where am I going or where have I been? I’ve been to London, Paris and Barcelona and definitely want to live in Europe at some point.
ZAC: How long have you been engaging social media? When did you start blogging? Twittering?
Damien: Social media as a moniker is bullshit. Media has been social since the internet started – AOL chatrooms, bulletin boards, ICQ etc etc. If you take that into account then 1994. I started twittering August 2008 and started blogging November 2008. Just remember, it’s not about quantity it’s about quality.
ZAC: What exactly do you do?
Damien: See question 1, but mainly communications strategy. I used to do design, got into branding then here I am. It’s all a natural evolution of my interests-at-large. On a different note, there’s an app in the works. 
Digital Something
ZAC: Is social media a truly revolutionary force in our society, or is it just a bunch of BS and a passing fad?
Damien: See question 3, but ‘Social Media as God’ is BS and will go away. It’s the mass adoption curve. Once a majority of society gets used to interacting on social networks then and only then will social media fade away to become a part of the fabric of services we use online and offline. All media will eventually be inherently social.
ZAC: What is the greatest aspect of the rise of social media? And any negatives that you can think of?
Damien: An amazing thing that the latest iteration of social media has done is to give people direct access to companies in a way that hasn’t been seen before. Companies realize that people are talking about them online. Social media is traditional word of mouth on steroids. The negatives come into play when companies go way too far and become all about social media to the detriment of their business and traditional customer service. If you’re a company and all you’re doing is sharing on social networks then clearly you’re doing it wrong. Social media is a part of a larger game plan. While it might be the shiny new toy right now just remember that it’s like the sun – focus on it too much without the proper tools and you’ll go blind. A huge issue comes into play when companies just socialwash – think greenwashing but for social media. You’ll be seeing a larger backlash against social media for social media’s sake as companies rush to legitimatize themselves in the space.
ZAC: How was not sleeping during social media week?
Damien: There’s only two non-stop weeks in NYC for me: Social Media Week and Internet Week. I make sure I’m available. This year it was a little busier as it was the first time I planned and threw a VIP event (Digital Somethings) and partnered with Obliterati for a much larger public event. The real business is done at the events when you get to get social with the people you want to do business with. Panels are great but mixers are better for that.
ZAC: Do you love me?
Damien: Like a red-headed stepchild. Of course. ;D
ZAC: You and I both talk and write a lot about community, what is happening to the social media community these days? Do you find there to be more coalescence? More friendships made, business conducted? Or are we all just looking for free booze and swag?
Damien: Yes. But more specifically social media is at it’s most social when you take it offline to solidify relationships you’ve made online and vice versa. Friendships and business deals can only go so far online. You really need to interact offline in order to get the full breadth and depth of someone’s personality. Everyone is a part of a community. The question is how big a part of it are you? Myself? I like to be a super-connector introducing people I know to each other often in a timely and relevant way. Nothing is more boring than just taking all the time. I don’t ever want anything out of anyone specifically when connecting people. It makes me happy just to make my community that much more connected. If something great comes out it then great. If something great comes out of it for me then even better – an added bonus.
10. I know you are a big proponent of Foursquare, can you talk a little bit about them as well as any other subjects that really interest you?
Damien: Foursquare is brilliant because it’s literally changed the way I make plans and go out. My friendships have been changed according to who is nearby or at an interesting place or with someone else I know. It’s been so invaluable to me that I’ve moved my iPhone phone app off of the bottom dock in place of the Foursquare app.
Nonprofits have a tremendous opportunity with social media because it connects them to a large amount of people in a real targeted way. Whereas nonprofits used to beg for money more or less, they can now connect with passionate evangelists who will help them amplify their message without seeming pushy.
The hospitality and food industry are slow to pick up social media efforts in general but people like you are helping them get there. The one thing they need to remember is that their industries are INHERENTLY social. Forget broadcasting on social networks. Remember what your job is all about; it’s about the customer. Create an in depth relationship with them offline and continue it online in a relevant way, then get them to become an evangelist of you by ingratiating them to your services. As a company you want to be their expert best friend. There will be things that you two can share in a friendly way but you want to set yourself up as THE go-to place for whatever your area is.
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Why do you have a viedogame news site name in the title of the article?
please explain?
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