Sometimes a great lunch with a colleague with whom you’ve shared life in the trenches brings things into focus. Missa Goehring – a member of the Web marketing vanguard – and I were talking about an antidote for my general crankiness about things web – especially how hype simply blinds business people causing them to waste countless hours on useless online endeavors. Missa (like Denise) recommended that I consider more uplifting blog posts. And as if to reinforce their point I happened to run into a White Rabbit walking down an empty 6th Avenue as I made my way back to my car…

So through Deb’s looking glass folks! Here are my top picks for things fabulous on the web:

Facebook Advertising: Yes, you heard it here, I actually like the ads. And so does Missa who enthusiastically told me it delivers ads that mean something to her. I agree! Proof point: I just discovered Gardener’s Index a social media site for rabid gardeners like, well, me. How? A targeted Facebook ad got me there.

YouTube: Now a more mature platform, passionate communities are forming around special interest film and video. I am considering giving up Cable TV all together. YouTube offerings are far more compelling. Even those that you think would not interest me like Lauren Luke the eye shadow queen. Proof? For a person who never wear’s eye shadow, I find her delightfully authentic and very watchable. Or better yet, the fabulous Italian music group Audio Toys’ Time (not a Bohemian Rhapsody by the Muppets) who had the moxie to “Miss” piggy back on the Muppets’ Bohemian Rhapsody success and gain exposure. Bravo Muppets! Bravo Audio Toys!

Bing: Now why would I, hater of all things Microsoft, have anything nice to say about them? Because they FINALLY  created something that is not only useful, it is beautiful! They actually reached my satisfaction bar, and let me tell you, in case you haven’t already guessed, that is tough to do. A team over at Microsoft sat down and said: What do users use search engines for most? Let’s deliver it to them in a clean, fully thought through, intuitive, aesthetically FABULOUS way. Buying something, or selling something? Check out cash back gleams. BING! Shopping for airline tickets? Watch how they tell you when you will most likely get the lowest price. BING! News search: their Universal Search pages are fabulous with their glide over videos. Their Visual Search, is a knock out. BING!

How does that impact your business? If you are considering search, look at Bing, if you are looking for cost effective targeted advertising look at Facebook and if you have something to SHOW visually, a story to tell, you may find your most influential Passionistas on YouTube.

Oh yeah, and then there was the White Rabbit…he was advertising Wonderland’s Most Wanted: alice a Syfy TV event Sunday Dec. 6 check the really cool web promo.