Social Media

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  • 3 Simple Ways to Measure Your Social Media Results

    Social Media Examiner
    Rick Mulready
    20 May 2013 | 3:00 am
    Are you looking for better ways to measure your social media activities? Do you know if your social media efforts are worthwhile? Social media measurement is one of the most frustrating challenges business face. In this article I’ll show you three simple measurement strategies that can fit into one of your future campaigns. Why Measure? In [...]

  • 15 Actionable Takeaways From Social Media Marketing World 2013

    Social Media Examiner
    Patricia Redsicker
    22 May 2013 | 3:00 am
    Did you miss Social Media Marketing World in April? Or perhaps you were there but weren’t able to attend all the sessions you would have liked to. In this article I’ve assembled for you 15 actionable social media marketing takeaways from some experts who presented at the event. Here’s what they had to say. #1: [...]

  • Delta Airline’s Disposable Customers

    Sensei Marketing
    Sam Fiorella
    19 May 2013 | 3:00 am
    So you’ve been a loyal Delta Airlines customer for 10 years, travelling almost 300,000 miles.  You’ve chosen it over other airlines even when Delta’s flight options require one- or two-stop layovers. When a competitive airline’s price was lower, you remained loyal to Delta and paid the extra fees.  You’re a loyal customer. Your loyalty earned you Silver, Gold and ultimately, Platinum status. You were ushered into the airport via priority check-in lines, checked your bags for free, received free upgrades, and boarded the airplane ahead of others. You were given a…

  • Don't Look Now, But We Might Be In A Developer Drought

    ReadWrite
    22 May 2013 | 1:53 pm
    Hey, developers! Do you feel like you're in demand? Apparently you should. HubSpot, a Cambridge-based marketing software-as-a-service venture, has started a new initiative to handsomely compensate anyone who can refer a developer friend. “If you do, and we end up hiring them, we’ll thank you with a big, fat check for $30,000,” its Refer A Dev program promises.  HubSpot’s solution may seem like an extreme one, but not if you’ve been looking at the numbers. In 2010, there were 913,000 U.S. jobs for software developers, and that number is expected to grow by 30% from…

  • Watch Out: Google's Penguin 2.0 Is Fast Approaching

    Social Media Today
    Aaron D Rains
    22 May 2013 | 7:00 pm
    Last week Google’s Matt Cutts announced that Penguin 2.0 is a couple of weeks away, so if you’ve been partaking in black hat SEO tactics, it’s time to stop. Listen up and follow these steps to make certain that your site is safe and your ranking doesn’t get slammed.
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    building43

  • MyTime: The Easier Way to Book Appointments

    Robert Scoble
    21 May 2013 | 10:56 am
    An easier way to book appointments is finally here. Book whatever you need, when you want, where you want. MyTime has built a place for you to come whenever you want to find open appointments for services you need. You can check off everything on your to-do list, from Haircuts to Oil Changes, all in one place. We also give you access to third-party ratings and reviews right on our site, and offer exclusive discounts on selected appointment times. Now booking an appointment and getting services you need is as easy spinning up a virtual server on the Rackspace Cloud ! Every business on MyTime…

  • Rackspace Startup Program Spotlight On Plutora: Aussie-Built Enterprise IT Release Management Software

    John McKenna
    16 May 2013 | 7:15 am
    Searching for software that automates the planning, management and deployment of complex releases and test environments across the enterprise in a simple and transparent manner? Sydney, Australia-based Plutora enables companies to manage their enterprise IT pipeline, enterprise IT releases and IT environments with an Enterprise Release Management and Planning, Test Environment Management and Deployment Plan application. It’s a robust on-demand Enterprise IT Release Management software built from the ground up to help organizations deliver effective and efficient releases while driving real…

  • Type A Machines: 3D Printing That’s Affordable and Reliable

    Robert Scoble
    15 May 2013 | 2:43 pm
    Forged in the fires of Noisebridge and TechShop, a team of dedicated hackers set out on an epic journey to bring better desktop 3D printers within everyone’s reach. Based out of San Francisco, Type A Machines was founded in 2012 by Andrew Rutter. In the many years since, Type A Machines has focused on designing and building the easiest to use and most reliable desktop 3D printers. Check them out at Maker Faire this weekend. Their booth is number 204 and is located in the Expo Hall, featuring multiple printers humming away, and some cool concept prototype machines to give you a glimpse…

  • Gild: A Solid Solution for Finding Developer Talent

    Robert Scoble
    13 May 2013 | 10:20 am
    Gild Source provides recruiters with comprehensive profiles of developers and an assessment of their coding ability, years of coding experience, and influence in the developer community. Tech recruiting has been begging for innovation. That’s why Gild is here. Gild brings meritocracy to hiring. Gild provides tech recruiting solutions that harness the power of data to liberate hiring teams from the challenges of finding developers. Using patent-pending technology, Gild evaluates the work of millions of developers so companies using Gild’s talent acquisition tools know who’s…

  • Rackspace Startup Program Spotlight On RentHouseMap: Mapping Rental And Shared Properties In The UK

    John McKenna
    9 May 2013 | 12:18 pm
    RentHouseMap (previously known as Cravify) is a property search engine that aggregates rental and shared properties from the largest real estate portals in the United Kingdom and displays them on a single, interactive map that allows users to easily browse only the properties they want. The company collects information about rental and shared properties from the most popular portals in the UK, including Zoopla, Rightmove, SpareRoom, Gumtree, Adzuna, EasyRoommate, Vivastreet and Nethouseprices. “When I relocated from Oxford to London for my job, I found it is expensive to buy new furniture…
 
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    Social Media Examiner

  • 15 Actionable Takeaways From Social Media Marketing World 2013

    Patricia Redsicker
    22 May 2013 | 3:00 am
    Did you miss Social Media Marketing World in April? Or perhaps you were there but weren’t able to attend all the sessions you would have liked to. In this article I’ve assembled for you 15 actionable social media marketing takeaways from some experts who presented at the event. Here’s what they had to say. #1: [...]

  • 2013 Social Media Marketing Industry Report

    Michael Stelzner
    21 May 2013 | 3:00 am
    Are you wondering how your peers are using social media? Wondering if you should focus on Pinterest or podcasting, or put more effort into Facebook? In our fifth annual social media study, more than 3000 marketers reveal where they focus their social media activities, how much time they invest, what the rewards are and where they’ll [...]

  • 3 Simple Ways to Measure Your Social Media Results

    Rick Mulready
    20 May 2013 | 3:00 am
    Are you looking for better ways to measure your social media activities? Do you know if your social media efforts are worthwhile? Social media measurement is one of the most frustrating challenges business face. In this article I’ll show you three simple measurement strategies that can fit into one of your future campaigns. Why Measure? In [...]

  • Google+ Redesign: This Week in Social Media

    Cindy King
    18 May 2013 | 3:00 am
    Welcome to our weekly edition of what’s hot in social media news. To help you stay up to date with social media, here are some of the news items that caught our attention. What’s New This Week? Google+ Unveils New Design: The new Google+ design “helps you easily explore content as well as dramatically improves [...]

  • Mobile Marketing: How to Get Started

    Michael Stelzner
    17 May 2013 | 3:00 am
    Do you use mobile marketing for business? Are you wondering how to get started? To learn how mobile marketing and social connect, I interview Jamie Turner for this episode of the Social Media Marketing podcast. More About This Show The Social Media Marketing podcast is a show from Social Media Examiner. It’s designed to help [...]
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    TechCrunch

  • LinkedIn Has Definitely Acqui-Hired Maybe, Omar Hamoui's Polling Startup, Minus Hamoui Himself

    Ingrid Lunden
    22 May 2013 | 3:39 pm
    Fresh from closing its purchase of newsreading app Pulse, LinkedIn has made another acquisition to dive deeper into the mobile space. TechCrunch has found out, and confirmed, that the social network has aqui-hired Maybe, the social polling startup founded by Omar Hamoui — the man who set up, ran and then sold mobile ad company AdMob to Google for $750 million. All staff from Maybe, except for Hamoui himself, are now at LinkedIn and working in its mobile division. That includes four engineers and one designer, LinkedIn has told us. Meanwhile, Maybe itself has now shut down. Financial…

  • Encoding.com's Vid.ly Integrates With FreeWheel To Provide Monetization Of Universal, Cross-Platform Video URLs

    Ryan Lawler
    22 May 2013 | 2:00 pm
    Cloud encoding vendor Encoding.com launched Vid.ly a couple of years ago to provide video creators with a way to publish a single universal video URL and then have that content accessible on any device. Now it’s providing a way to monetize those videos, thanks to an integration with ad delivery platorm FreeWheel. The idea behind Vid.ly is that Encoding.com does all the hard work of encoding it into as many video formats and renditions as necessary, then serving up the appropriate copy of the video depending on which device was accessing it. In addition to transcoding, it also provided…

  • GiftCards.com Agrees To Buy Giftly To Grow A Mobile Platform

    Kim-Mai Cutler
    22 May 2013 | 12:19 pm
    GiftCards.com, a Pittsburgh-based company that has been around for more than a decade and has sold 5 million gift cards, agreed to buy San Francisco startup Giftly to grow out a mobile platform. The terms of the deal weren’t disclosed, but Giftly had raised about $2.8 million from investors including Baseline Ventures, SoftTech VC, Floodgate, Thrive Capital, and Techstars’ David Tisch. Giftly’s acquisition follows a number of other ones. Karma was picked up very early by Facebook although it may not produce meaningful revenue for some time for the social network, according to…

  • Twitter Ups Web Security With Two-Factor Authentication Via SMS, But Shared Accounts May Still Be In Danger

    Josh Constine
    22 May 2013 | 12:18 pm
    After scores of accounts were potentially compromised a few months ago, Twitter today launched two-factor authentication through SMS to protect people from hacks and phishing scams on the web. Unfortunately, it may not help shared accounts like big brands and news agencies where multiple people need to be able to log in and out but only one phone number can get the login verification codes. Following the Twitter security incident in February where hundreds of thousands of accounts had to have their credentials reset, the tech world demanded Twitter offer two-factor authentication.

  • Twitter Introduces Charts By Genre And Popularity For Its #Music Service

    Drew Olanoff
    22 May 2013 | 12:16 pm
    We’ve confirmed with Twitter that it has rolled out a new part of its #Music service for the web, charts that we were accustomed to from the company We Are Hunted, that it acquired and now powers the service. The charts are broken up into a few areas: the familiar genre breakdown, as well as some categories like “Superstars” and “Unearthed” that appear to be built based on current Twitter trends and trajectory of artist mentions. This is leveraging all of the data that Twitter is collecting from tweets that include links to tracks from popular and emerging…
 
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    ReadWrite

  • LinkedIn's Facelift Continues With New Navigation Bar

    22 May 2013 | 3:20 pm
    Aligning itself aesthetically more along the lines of social networks like Facebook and Google+, LinkedIn has introduced a new navigation bar to its website. The aim is in line with the company's simplification efforts, which so far have included redesigns of the homepage and profile pages and as an overhaul of its mobile apps and the discovery news page LinkedIn Today.  (Read more: With Pulse, LinkedIn Is Becoming The Newspaper Of The Future) The company released this video that details how users can best use the new navigation addition: 

  • Don't Look Now, But We Might Be In A Developer Drought

    22 May 2013 | 1:53 pm
    Hey, developers! Do you feel like you're in demand? Apparently you should. HubSpot, a Cambridge-based marketing software-as-a-service venture, has started a new initiative to handsomely compensate anyone who can refer a developer friend. “If you do, and we end up hiring them, we’ll thank you with a big, fat check for $30,000,” its Refer A Dev program promises.  HubSpot’s solution may seem like an extreme one, but not if you’ve been looking at the numbers. In 2010, there were 913,000 U.S. jobs for software developers, and that number is expected to grow by 30% from…

  • Twitter Finally Gets Two-Factor Authentication

    22 May 2013 | 12:54 pm
    In a pure case of closing the barn doors after the horses have come home (and so many corporate Twitter accounts have been hacked), Twitter has announced today the option to implement two-factor authentication. If users opt-in, any sign-on from a new computer will require a code texted to their phone.  The feature hasn't been made universally available yet, so keep checking your settings if you want this added security feature. (See Two-Factor Authorization Is Awesome - Until You Lose the Damn Token.)

  • Let's Talk About Why Yahoo Really Bought Tumblr: Native Advertising

    22 May 2013 | 10:01 am
    If we needed an event to wake people up to the power of native advertising, it's surely Yahoo's $1.1-billion purchase of Tumblr. We'll be talking about this a lot at AdNatively, a one-day conference I'm emceeing in New York on Thursday, May 23. So what is native advertising? A quick, simple definition: It's an ad whose form and delivery is identical to the content environment in which it is served. The opposite, in other words, of interruptive advertising: billboards, takeovers, and big banners that take up space on the page but don't otherwise relate. Tumblr's Real Value So why did Yahoo buy…

  • If Google+ Is Good, Why Does Google Force It On Us?

    22 May 2013 | 7:02 am
    Google really, really wants us to like Google+. Google is embedding Google+ into each of its products, making it increasingly difficult to use its services without embracing the Google+ borg, whether you want to or not. Judging by Google+'s still stagnant market share, you generally do not want to use the social service, or whatever it is. When prodded by complaints that Google is forcing Google+ into its disparate products, despite not necesssarily fitting very well, Vic Gundotra, Google's senior vice president over Google+, rejected the criticism at Google I/O: I'm not sure that…
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    Mashable

  • Watch This Rocket-Powered Bicycle Hit 163 MPH

    Sam Laird
    22 May 2013 | 3:33 pm
    François Gissy is a French bicyclist, but he's about the furthest thing from your typical fixie-riding hipster. No, this is how Gissy rolls: attaching a rocket to his bike to reach a reported speed of 163 miles per hour That's a world record, according to French news site DNA. (Dutch cyclist Fred Rompelberg has actually reached a few miles-per-hour faster, but did so while drafting behind a car.) SEE ALSO: Cops Bust Woman for Hitting Cyclist After She Brags on Twitter Technicalities aside, 163 mph on a bicycle is completely ridiculous, and the YouTube videos at the top and bottom of this…

  • See How Much the Next 'Call of Duty' Graphics Improve

    Chelsea Stark
    22 May 2013 | 3:19 pm
    Call of Duty: Ghosts represents a significant graphical upgrade from the previous titles in the series, according to publisher Activision. To prove this, it showed a video during Tuesday's Xbox One unveiling that shows footage from the upcoming Ghosts compared to footage from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. The video's narration, said developer Infinity Ward, is able to do in-depth scans of subjects, including a Navy Seal-trained dog, and then translate them into the game world. You can see fine details on the models, like the scars on the dog's nose or bruising on a human hand. The…

  • Intellectual Property Commission: Pass CISPA Now

    Alex Fitzpatrick
    22 May 2013 | 3:01 pm
    A bipartisan and independent commission studying corporate espionage's impact on the American economy recommended passing the controversial Cyber Information Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA) in its report released Wednesday. ". . .Corporations need better information, and thus an open, two-way communications flow between companies and U.S. government agencies is more necessary than ever before," says The Commission on the Theft of American Intellectual Property's report. "Companies cannot be asked to share more information unless they have a reasonable expectation that they will receive…

  • Teens Getting Tired of Facebook Drama, Pew Survey Finds

    Vignesh Ramachandran
    22 May 2013 | 2:39 pm
    Though Facebook is still the most popular social network among teens, their enthusiasm for Mark Zuckerberg's network is decreasing, according to new findings from the Pew Research Center. Pew reports that 77% of online teens (ages 12-17) surveyed use Facebook. But while Pew's findings show that teens view Facebook participation as important for socializing, they have "waning enthusiasm for Facebook," as explained in the video above. The report cites teens' dislike for over-sharing and stressful "drama" on the social network. Teens also don't like the fact that more and more adults are joining…

  • HP Stock Jumps 13% After Beating Earnings Estimates

    Seth Fiegerman
    22 May 2013 | 2:20 pm
    Hewlett-Packard posted mixed results in its second quarter, but beat analysts' profit estimates, helping to send the stock up more than 13% in after-hours trading HP reported earnings per share of $0.87 on revenue of $27.6 billion, beating Wall Street's consensus estimate for earnings per share of $0.81, but coming in below the revenue estimate of $28.1 billion. The company's second-quarter revenue was down 10% year-over-year. In a statement, HP's CEO Meg Whitman praised the results as showing signs of progress in the company's long-term comeback. "I am encouraged by our performance in the…
 
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    Sensei Marketing

  • Twitter’s #bizforum debate turns 100

    Sam Fiorella
    20 May 2013 | 9:41 am
    On Wednesday, May 22nd, 2013 Twitter’s #bizforum debate turns 100 – 100 weeks old that is. I founded the  #bizforum Twitter  debate 100 weeks ago in response to both the growing popularity of Twitter chats but also my personal frustration at the levity or thinness of many of them.  Many Twitter chats encouraged featured guests or the general public to tweet responses to a series of questions within a specific topic of interest. I saw a need to go beyond the broadcasting that these formats either encouraged or resulted in. #bizforum was an experiment at first. A debate format that…

  • Delta Airline’s Disposable Customers

    Sam Fiorella
    19 May 2013 | 3:00 am
    So you’ve been a loyal Delta Airlines customer for 10 years, travelling almost 300,000 miles.  You’ve chosen it over other airlines even when Delta’s flight options require one- or two-stop layovers. When a competitive airline’s price was lower, you remained loyal to Delta and paid the extra fees.  You’re a loyal customer. Your loyalty earned you Silver, Gold and ultimately, Platinum status. You were ushered into the airport via priority check-in lines, checked your bags for free, received free upgrades, and boarded the airplane ahead of others. You were given a…

  • Has Your Distinction Gone Stale?

    Rebel Brown
    15 May 2013 | 2:00 am
    We all nod our heads when someone talks about the need to deliver distinct, compelling value to our buyers. We just assume that our value is as distinct and compelling as it was last month, or six months ago or…. But is our value really distinct? And if it is distinct, is it compelling to our markets? All too often our distinction becomes stale. We get comfortable, resting in the laurels of our past. That’s human nature because sticking to the known is what we’re wired to do. We also tend to get stuck in the follower mode thanks to herd behaviors. We watch what our competition…

  • Customer Journeys Are More Jungle Gym Than Funnel

    Jeannie Walters
    13 May 2013 | 5:29 am
    Humans like things that make sense. Math. Logic. GPS Directions. Customer journeys are often represented in the same way. The sales funnel is so simple, in theory. We put the many prospects in the top, they travel willingly and orderly through the funnel, and POP! They exit into a converting customer. Bravo! But customer experience travels on, past the prospecting and sales phase and well into the relationship with the customer. And while there are many ways to map out the journey – awareness through advocacy – many still rely on thinking the experience itself is linear. It is…

  • Are You A Company Or An Online Clique?

    Margie Clayman
    6 May 2013 | 7:19 am
    When we interact online with people that we work with and hence talk to on a regular basis, we run into a few potential pitfalls that can negatively impact customer acquisition. This is an easy problem to experience. It is natural for us to gravitate towards people we know, especially if we can share experiences and conversations from the offline, “real” world.  The problem begins when our co-workers begin to dominate our online presence to the point where we begin to seem inaccessible to other people. There are few greater obstacles in the way of customer acquisition via the online…
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    Martin Shervington

  • Ultimate Guide to Google Hangouts

    Martin Shervington
    22 May 2013 | 4:00 am
    With the launch of Google Hangouts, the world just got a lot more social! As +Vic Gundotra puts it, Google is now connecting people in new ways, with one of the new ways being Hangouts. Never heard of Google Plus Hangouts? Read on and discover one of the most useful tools for global socializing and [...]The post Ultimate Guide to Google Hangouts appeared first on Martin Shervington.

  • Google Glass – the start of something truly incredible

    Martin Shervington
    18 May 2013 | 7:34 am
    Google Glass is project to be launched from the lab of ‘Google X’ for the masses. But maybe you thinking “this just another gadget”? Well, when you start to put the pieces of the puzzle together you too may start to think this is a step along the way to ‘think and search’ capabilities for the [...]The post Google Glass – the start of something truly incredible appeared first on Martin Shervington.

  • How to write awesome marketing copy!

    Martin Shervington
    13 May 2013 | 12:00 am
    This article is a real “back to basics” on writing marketing copy with loads of hints and tips. Do you ever feel swamped by all the marketing channels now available? Should you be tweeting, setting up a Facebook page, managing your Adwords account, utilising log ins on Foursquare, Google+? I could go on. This “busy-ness” [...]The post How to write awesome marketing copy! appeared first on Martin Shervington.

  • Search Engine Optimization (SEO), using Google Plus

    Martin Shervington
    2 May 2013 | 7:56 am
    In the past couple of years Search Engine Optimization may well have gone through a transformation. Since the launch of Google Plus people are talking more and more about Social SEO. As such, I would suggest this has as much to do with psychology as it does with hyperlinks… This article will explore how you [...]The post Search Engine Optimization (SEO), using Google Plus appeared first on Martin Shervington.

  • The Psychology of ‘Comment Threads’ on Google Plus

    Martin Shervington
    30 Apr 2013 | 3:39 am
    Every thread on a post, especially those I have observed on Google Plus, has a culture… So, how  does a culture get built? How does it develop? And what do you do when it starts to shift in an odd direction? Well, when you understand a little more about  the psychology of ‘what is going [...]The post The Psychology of ‘Comment Threads’ on Google Plus appeared first on Martin Shervington.
 
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    Social Solutions Collective

  • Savvy 7 Interview Series: Brandie McCallum

    Carrie Keenan
    22 May 2013 | 5:44 am
    While I can’t yet say that I have met Brandie off-line yet, I’m happy to say that will be rectified very soon at the upcoming cmgrUN  in Chicago. A Twitter lover like myself, that is[...]Author informationCarrie KeenanSocial Media Community Manager at Thill LogisticsCarrie Keenan is the Social Media Community Manager for Thill Logistics, Inc.. out of Neenah, WI. As a professional whose primary responsibility is working in digital media and audience building, Carrie has a lot of insight and information to share about how to professionally represent your organization online. Carrie…

  • The One Page Holding Back Your Blog And How To Fix It

    Guest Blogger
    22 May 2013 | 5:22 am
    Every blogger has at least one thing in common: a desire to retain more readers, whether that’s through email subscriptions, RSS subscriptions or social media connection. With that said, let’s start this post off with[...]The post The One Page Holding Back Your Blog And How To Fix It appeared first on Social Solutions Collective.

  • New Directions: Boomers in Business

    Lisa Voncino
    21 May 2013 | 5:29 am
    Rumor has it that once you enter the world of the Boomer, your job prospects dim and your chances at new and gainful employment wane. If you are one of those lucky souls that has[...]Author informationLisa VoncinoPrincipal at Sundance Social MediaLisa Voncino, Principal of Sundance Social Media, is a Social Media Manager and Consultant living in the foothills of beautiful Colorado. Her purpose is to inspire individuals, especially baby boomers, to use social media as a path to create and sustain successful and prosperous businesses and organizations. Lisa holds a Bachelor's Degree in…

  • Creativity: The Science & Psychology

    Carrie Chwierut
    21 May 2013 | 4:24 am
    I get my best ideas when I’m doing mundane tasks, like taking a shower or driving to work along the same route every day. It is at those times that I’m on auto-pilot (don’t worry;[...]Author informationCarrie ChwierutOwner at Carrie's SocialI'm a Social Media geek who loves helping businesses figure it all out! On any given day, you'll find me Blogging, Posting or Tweeting.TwitterFacebookGoogle+LinkedInThe post Creativity: The Science & Psychology appeared first on Social Solutions Collective.

  • Warning: Beware of SEO Scams

    Robin Strohmaier
    20 May 2013 | 5:34 am
    SEO scams have been around as long as search engines have been in existence. From sending unsolicited emails to making unwanted phone calls, unscrupulous SEO scammers continue to fish for business by preying on the[...]Author informationRobin StrohmaierCreative Director at R & R Web Design, LLCRobin is passionate about helping others reach their Internet objectives through a strategic online presence. Fascinated with the growing potential and power of the Internet, she founded R & R Web Design LLC in the Chicago area in 2000. A published author, she is detail orientated and is a strong…
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    Social Media Today

  • Are Social Media and Community Management the Same Thing?: Notes from AOL and Internet Week New York

    Adam Chapman
    22 May 2013 | 8:33 pm
    On Tuesday AOL hosted a Social Media Salon for Internet Week New York where the differences between social media and community management were discussed.

  • Yahoo and Tumblr: Avoiding Commoditization by Association

    maggiefox - Social Media Group
    22 May 2013 | 7:58 pm
    There are three things on the Tumblr/Yahoo to-do list for 2013: 1. Push the edges on intelligent recommendation technology (just think of the dataset they must have!) 2. Innovate on engagement-based ad format design. 3. Bypass agencies: try to build partnerships directly with brands to help bring scale and meaning to a revenue model that is based on adding value rather than the very comfortable “interrupt and repeat.”

  • An Open Letter to Nutella: Why Did You Eliminate Your Greatest Marketing Asset?

    JonThomas
    22 May 2013 | 7:55 pm
    Sara Rosso was a bona fide Nutella superfan: a consumer so passionate about Nutella that she had dedicated her precious time to furthering the brand’s cause. She was the type of fan that brand managers dream of. Then Nutella shut her down.

  • Google+: Weak Social Network or Critical Marketing Tool?

    jdelbalzo13
    22 May 2013 | 7:00 pm
    Looking at Google’s social media history, one could speculate that the company just doesn’t have a knack for that particular sector. But Google+ is poised to succeed. Why? Google hasn’t made its newest social network better than any other. They’ve simply made it count for more.

  • Watch Out: Google's Penguin 2.0 Is Fast Approaching

    Aaron D Rains
    22 May 2013 | 7:00 pm
    Last week Google’s Matt Cutts announced that Penguin 2.0 is a couple of weeks away, so if you’ve been partaking in black hat SEO tactics, it’s time to stop. Listen up and follow these steps to make certain that your site is safe and your ranking doesn’t get slammed.
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    Social Media Explorer

  • Do You Understand The Mathematics Of Social Marketing

    Jason Falls
    22 May 2013 | 3:00 am
    One of the advantages of having exposure to a large e-commerce company and the incredible talent within its walls is that you learn from some of the top minds in the industry. It was just a few months into my tenure at CafePress that I started to dive deep into learning from the team that runs one of the largest Internet retail operations in the world. And boy, have I learned. A common theme you’ll find in the discussions among the top engineers, technicians and marketers of these types of sites is with their metrics and analytics. Everything revolves around traffic, action rates,…

  • 10 Business Lessons from One of the Greatest Live Rock and Roll Bands in History

    Jim Berkowitz
    21 May 2013 | 3:00 am
    I was absolutely enthralled by a recent article about a band that, since 1988, has been near and dear to many of us here in my home town of Telluride Colorado, Phish. Phish ranks among the greatest live bands in rock and roll history, and a sizable subculture of Phishheads would argue that there’s been none better. Here’s a couple of summarized takeaways from the article, The Business of Phish: Over the past 4 years Phish has generated $120 million in ticket sales, yet by more typical measures of a band’s success (album sales – Phish’s are minuscule, Billboard Top 10…

  • The Hockey Foundation

    C.C. Chapman
    21 May 2013 | 3:00 am
    My beloved Boston Bruins are currently working their way towards another Stanley Cup, so I thought today would be the perfect time to tell you about my friend Adam’s organization The Hockey Foundation. A couple of years ago when I first met Adam he was working for an NHL team trying to get them to embrace social media. They never fully understood it, he left and then he started talking about how he wanted to go to remote parts of the world where they had never heard of hockey and teach it to the kids. I vividly remember him first mentioning going to India to do this and my reaction…

  • What A One-Hit Wonder Taught Me About Marketing

    Jason Falls
    20 May 2013 | 4:19 am
    There’s one phone number that most people can recite, regardless of demographic. And I mean full phone number, not 9-1-1. Think about it for a minute: What’s the one phone number than most everyone you know has in common they can recite without hesitation? 867-5309. Tommy Tutone’s hit from 1981 emblazoned the number in our minds, and while little more of the song is all that memorable, “867-5309/Jenny” has an incredible marketing lesson buried within it’s one-hit wonderness. The song is the probably drunken announcement of a man who finds the number of a…

  • Highs and Lows in the Parent Blogging World

    Stephanie Schwab
    17 May 2013 | 3:00 am
    There’s never a dull moment in the parent blogging world. This past month has brought new highs and lows to this group, a group I’m firmly enmeshed in both as an agency which works with bloggers and as the founder of a conference bloggers attend. (I also happen to be married to a parenting blogger – my husband blogs on his own dad blog as well as in a number of other outlets.) Mom 2.0 Summit The high was most certainly the Mom 2.0 Summit, a fantastic conference for moms (and others) who blog (there were many men in attendance, and many non-moms too – my husband joined me). This was my…
 
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    Peg Fitzpatrick

  • “The worst bullies you will ever encounter in your life are your own thoughts.” Bryant McGill

    Peg
    20 May 2013 | 6:00 am
    Are you your own worst critic? If your internal dialog is killing your momentum towards reaching your goals and being happy, it’s time to stop the pattern. Here are five things that you can do to stop the negative chatter: 1. Be aware — pay attention to what you are saying to yourself. If you start being negative, stop yourself and move on. Dwelling on negative thoughts is not going to help you. 2. Call a friend — run the scenario that’s going through your head by your best friend. They’ll either tell you your being silly,  offer a suggestion or maybe just listen. 3.

  • Google+ gets pretty!

    Peg
    15 May 2013 | 5:00 pm
    Google+ got a fancy new update with 46 new features which looks very much like a Pinteresty Facebook but in a very good, user friendly way. Let’s look at some of the new Google+ features. From Google+: A multi-column layout. You’ll see one, two, or three columns of content depending on your screen size and orientation. Awesome-sized media. Photos and videos can fill the entire width of the stream, making it easier to scan, and nicer to look at. Delightful animations. The sharebox bounces, the menus slide, and the cards flip and fade — just to name a few. When you go in for the…

  • How writers can use Pinterest

    Peg
    13 May 2013 | 5:40 am
    Recently I had the pleasure of being the guest on #PinChat to talk Pinterest for authors and bloggers with Kelly Lieberman, we talked about how writers and bloggers can use Pinterest. I contributed to APE: Author, Publisher, Entrepreneur — How to Publish a Book, with a section called  How to Pin your Way to Success — An Author’s Guide to Pinterest in which I discuss how and why authors can use Pinterest. Writers have much to think about when building their online presence and Pinterest can be a smart part of it. Pinterest has consistently been in the top four traffic referrers for…

  • Five traits of a kick ass Plusser

    Peg
    10 May 2013 | 6:20 am
    Today’s Fab Five Friday is all about YOU Google+! I want to talk about the traits that make a kick ass Plusser. There are some people who are really rocking Google+ so I analyzed a bit to see what the successful people were doing and came up with some resources to help you get there too. So, is you a kick ass Plusser or ain’t ya? Five traits of a kick ass Plusser 1. Posts consistently on Google+: reliable Sharing on Google+ with Do Share Don’t be a spammer! What is link litter? And how to avoid it. Social media post length? Use the proper size for the win! 2. Comments on…

  • Getting Social with Holly

    Peg
    6 May 2013 | 6:00 am
    I had the honor of being interviewed by Holly Homer this week, a new friend that I met on Google+. Holly does some really interesting things around the web so I thought I’d introduce her to you.  Holly is just wonderful, you’ll love her. Her bio:  Hi.  I am Holly.  I have a blog.  Of the mom variety.  Yep, I am a mom blogger.  I write June Cleaver Nirvana and Kids Activities Blog.  My hometown is Dallas which is why I started She is Dallas and DFW Bloggers.  If you are headed to a casino, please stop by and pick me up.  I like to play poker. Oh, and if you think…
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    Social Media Era Of Poking

  • Stuck on What to Write/Post/Share?

    megantotka
    20 May 2013 | 10:16 am
    Let’s face it, whether you are a business or just a casual user of social media or a blogger, sometimes coming up with original content can be downright difficult. Lacking inspiration and not knowing where to find it can be very frustrating. I’m actually guilty lately of referring to thinking of things to write about as akin to running up against a cement wall. Coming up with new and fresh content can be tough. Sometimes, we get into a rut and just think about posting/writing/sharing the same old topics, over and over again. So how can we break out of this rut? Here are a few…

  • LinkedIn: Now Multi-Media

    megantotka
    14 May 2013 | 8:45 am
    LinkedIn is now arguably one of the most important social networks to be a part of, particularly if you are a part of the professional world. LinkedIn allows professionals from all over the world and nearly every industry to connect. Both those who are seeking jobs and those who are looking to hire new employees can take advantage of LinkedIn. The network has grown exponentially in the past few years, and now has millions of users and can compete with the other social media giants like Facebook and Twitter. Your LinkedIn profile is a bit more in-depth than other social media networks that you…

  • How to Use Social Media for Marketing Research

    Jure KLEPIC
    8 May 2013 | 8:19 am
    Social media has had a massive impact on marketing and the way that consumers view businesses. While many businesses are taking part in social media marketing, many fail to see the market research potential that the platform offers as well. These tips and tricks offer simple, easy to implement ways to turn social media into a powerful marketing research tool. Forming your Marketing Research Plan Before you can begin to sift through your various social media platforms for information, you must first form a research plan. With the sheer amount of information that is constantly streaming across…

  • Social Media Marketing: You’re Doing It Wrong

    megantotka
    6 May 2013 | 8:37 am
    Social Media Marketing: You’re Doing It Wrong While browsing the web recently for news and how I could translate stories I read into blog topics, I found an article titled Social Media Marketing: Get Out Now, You’re Doomed to Fail. I was surprised to read this, because in my experience, many companies have had success with social media marketing; plus, it’s virtually free. Since the headline captured my attention, I went on to read the article. To my surprise, it wasn’t really about getting out of social media marketing, it was about how to be successful at it. Perfect!

  • What Can a CRM Do for Your Small Business?

    megantotka
    3 May 2013 | 10:37 am
    Some of the first killer applications for personal computers were electronic address books that replaced the Rolodex. They were simply contact management systems, electronic databases that made it easier to keep all of your contacts up to date. In the era before office networks, laptops, smart phones and the World Wide Web, many businesses would print out contact lists and share them with employees. The modern equivalent is a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system, software designed to connect customer interactions such as email, phone calls and contracts with appointments, fulfillment…
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    @ProBlogger

  • 7 Questions to Ask Yourself to Bring Clarity to Your Blogging

    Darren Rowse
    22 May 2013 | 8:28 am
    Do you feel like you’ve lost clarity around what it is that you’re trying to do with your blog? I’ve recently bumped into a few bloggers grappling with this idea. Some were new,  even ‘Pre’ Bloggers, while a couple had been blogging for a while but had lost some direction. Out of these conversations, I put together a set of questions to help them think it through. The questions revolve around asking: What are YOU About? While I won’t guarantee you instant clarity on answering these questions I hope that putting a little time aside to work through them…

  • 7 Steps to Proofreading Like a Pro

    Guest Blogger
    21 May 2013 | 9:37 am
    This is a guest contribution by Charles Cuninghame, website copywriter and owner of Text-Centric. I’m sure we can all agree that proofreading is the least fun part of blogging. But while it may be tedious, it’s well worth the effort. Typos are not only embarrassing, they can also cost you money. In a widely reported study in 2011, British entrepreneur Charles Duncombe found a single spelling mistake can cut online sales in half! If you don’t have a product, then you could be missing out a blog subscriber or repeat visitor! Here’s a tried and tested proofreading process that I’ve…

  • Are You Balancing Emerging Technology with Effective Strategy?

    Darren Rowse
    20 May 2013 | 8:21 am
    Last week I was asked at a conference to reflect upon the future of digital and among other things I made a reflection that seemed to resonate with those gathered. It was: Don’t throw out the baby with the bathwater. As online publishers we see a steady stream of articles being written about new and future technologies, companies and trends in the online publishing space. It is certainly an exciting time to be doing what we’re doing with such amazing development happening all around us and some amazing projections being made about what is ahead of us – however in the midst…

  • How to Blog Like a Pro: Workshop on the Gold Coast Australia – Next Week

    Darren Rowse
    19 May 2013 | 7:56 pm
    Next week (29th May) I’m running a special workshop at the Internet Conference on the Gold Coast here in Australia. The workshop is titled – How to Blog Like a Pro – and you’ll get 4 solid hours of teaching in it – all delivered by me in a workshop limited to 40 people only. The workshop has only previously been available to those signing up to the full 3 day conferences as an add-on but there are a few tickets still available and so I asked the organisers if we could sell them as a stand-alone ticket (i.e. you don’t have to come to the full 3 day event).

  • How To Use Auto Responder Emails to Boost Your Blogging Efforts

    Guest Blogger
    17 May 2013 | 8:22 am
    This is a guest contribution by Asher Elran of Dynamic Search. I thought emails were a waste of time and that they are ignored, but then I learned how to do it right and watched the numbers flip.   After you published a great post and pushed it through your social network, the third step is to leverage your email list too. This is where the auto-responders can help you gain new subscribers while you’re busy writing your next blog post. The majority of email marketing services are the same. I prefer Constant Contact or Mobilizemail’s new email feature. Following the steps below…
 
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    The Social Media Marketing Blog

  • This Week in Social Media – 5/15/2013

    Scott Monty
    15 May 2013 | 1:31 pm
    A roundup of relevant links affecting our industry. Each week, I compose a newsletter that includes a series of links about current events and trends in the worlds of technology, social media, mobile, communications and marketing in order to keep our wider team up to date on changes, newsworthy items and content that might be useful in their jobs. These are those links. If you have additional links, sources or ideas that might be helpful, I'd encourage you to add some via a comment below or tag me in Google+. And if you’re on Flipboard, you can get these links in the This Week in Social…

  • This Week in Social Media – 5/8/2013

    Scott Monty
    8 May 2013 | 10:08 pm
    A roundup of relevant links affecting our industry.Each week, I compose a newsletter that includes a series of links about current events and trends in the worlds of technology, social media, mobile, communications and marketing in order to keep our wider team up to date on changes, newsworthy items and content that might be useful in their jobs. These are those links.If you have additional links, sources or ideas that might be helpful, I'd encourage you to add some via a comment below or tag me in Google+. And if you’re on Flipboard, you can get these links in the This Week in Social…

  • Must-Not-See TV

    Scott Monty
    7 May 2013 | 8:33 pm
    It wasn't all that long ago that we viewed TV by appointment. NBC's "Must-See TV" lineup of Thursday nights included legendary shows like The Cosby Show, Seinfeld and Cheers, among others, and audiences turned out in droves to see them.Things are drastically different now, as you know. Beyond DVRs and on-demand viewing, we now have online options that include Netflix, Hulu and others, and cable providers like Xfinity, DirecTV and Dish Networks, not to mention specialty apps like HBO Go. We not only have a wide variety in when we view our shows, but where we watch them as well.At the same…

  • This Week in Social Media – 5/1/2013

    Scott Monty
    1 May 2013 | 7:27 pm
    A roundup of relevant links affecting our industry.Each week, I compose a newsletter that includes a series of links about current events and trends in the worlds of technology, social media, mobile, communications and marketing in order to keep the wider team up to date on changes, newsworthy items and content that might be useful in their jobs. These are those links.If you have additional links, sources or ideas that might be helpful, I'd encourage you to add some via a comment below or tag me in Google+. And if you’re on Flipboard, you can get these links in my new This Week in…

  • This Week in Social Media – 4/24/2013

    Scott Monty
    23 Apr 2013 | 10:29 pm
    A roundup of relevant links affecting our industry.Each week, I compose a newsletter that includes a series of links about current events and trends in the worlds of technology, social media, mobile, communications and marketing in order to keep the wider team up to date on changes, newsworthy items and content that might be useful in their jobs. These are those links. If you have additional links, sources or ideas that might be helpful, I'd encourage you to add some via a comment below or tag me in Google+. And if you’re on Flipboard, you can get these links in my new This Week…
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    Social Fresh

  • Pinterest Introduces Rich Pins for Businesses to Drive Purchases

    Nick Cicero
    20 May 2013 | 10:33 am
    Pinterest just became a whole lot more useful to businesses with the announcement of new “Rich Pins” on the official Pinterest blog today. Instead of just linking back to the pin’s origin, each new Rich Pin will provide users additional information about that item aimed to better put them in a position to make a purchase. There are three different types of Rich Pins, each with its own unique set of characteristics and opportunities for brands: Product, Recipes, and Movies. Product Pins For items like clothes and furniture, the new Product pins offer real time pricing,…

  • 5 Instagram Keys For Marketing Your Business

    Jayson DeMers
    16 May 2013 | 6:10 am
    Since Instagram was launched on Android last year, it has continued to explode in popularity. According to Instagram’s official press page, there are 100 million monthly active users, 40 million photos per day, 8500 likes per second, and 1000 comments per second. This flurry of activity shows that not only is Instagram one of the most popular social networks, engagement is also relatively easy, making it a great opportunity for companies that are willing to post regularly. And because Instagram is relatively progressive when it comes to its API use, sites like Statigram allow companies…

  • 3 Keys to Successful Content Marketing on Wikipedia

    David King
    15 May 2013 | 9:33 am
    Offering content to Wikipedia’s editorial community is different than traditional content marketing. The content is rule-bound. The editors are thorough. And we must  produce neutral content about the company, rather than a thought-leadership subject. Some companies have such strong opinions about themselves and certain controversies they are involved in, it can be an emotional process to write neutrally on it. Recently I’ve seen many public relations professionals following the best practices established by Chartered Institute of Public Relations, Jimmy Wales, and PR…

  • Instagram gets personal with User Tags

    Nick Cicero
    2 May 2013 | 1:15 pm
    New Instagram features were released this week allowing users to tag friends and display photos of themselves on their Instagram profiles. While there are many well developed communities and active users on the platform already without user tagging, the ability to see a group of photos with common topics had previously been limited to locations (thanks to Foursquare’s API) or hashtags. Tagging other users was just something that only provided a link to another person’s Instagram account and a notification. In this update, when someone tags a photo of a friend (or brand), users…

  • The Influence Hierarchy

    Jason Keath
    30 Apr 2013 | 2:11 am
    Influence is like the Simpsons. Meaning, whether you love it or hate it, influencer marketing is the social media topic that will never die. Why? Because it is a mythical, wonderful, tool that many of us view as a magical shortcut to dollars and cents. Influence marketing is cool. It is fun. It is sexy. The idea of tapping into this flowing river of fans that bloggers and youtubers and Twitter users have, just sitting there, ready to act, ready to buy, sounds amazing. And there are some real opportunities there. But at the end of the day influencer marketing runs smack into the wall we call…
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    Noah Kagan's Okdork.com

  • How to do Funnel Marketing

    Noah Kagan
    21 May 2013 | 3:45 pm
    What’s the first thought you have after you read a really great book? What is it? …Rubs hands together while I use my mind reading skills…. You go look for other books by that author. Why do you think I have bought 5 of Seth Godin’s books? Point being is that if people like your stuff they want more. At the exact moment your customer is interacting with or just found your biz, they are MOST excited! So you want to funnel them into other FUN experiences with you instead of letting them go. They WANT IT. Create a funnel marketing plan to connect them to other fun activities (and…

  • How to Get More Subscribers

    Noah Kagan
    16 May 2013 | 8:21 pm
    Recently, I ASSUMED all my Twitter followers also subscribed to this newsletter. But I figured it was worth seeing if that was the case or not. With marketing / business / life, it’s helpful to test your assumptions to see for yourself. So I posted this one tweet: …Got me over 50 new subscribers (daily average is 15) to Okdork. Since it worked on Twitter, I tried posting on Facebook: Can you tell below which day I posted this?? Good guess Okay, let’s check out what I did with My YouTube Channel. I have been hacking with YouTube to grow my readership which I’ll share in FULL detail…

  • How I made $2,000 in 20 seconds

    Noah Kagan
    30 Apr 2013 | 7:35 pm
    A few weeks ago I was graciously invited to speak in Australia. They offered to cover flights and hotels. I generally don’t ask for speakers fees cause I love sharing my stories and working with people. And I have put on conferences so I know there are always more costs than expected. …But traveling costs me time, money and I like being at home with my tacos. Because of the coffee challenge, it encouraged me at the end of the conversation, to ask, “What kind of speaker’s fee can you include?” She mentioned, “Uh….I’ll have to ask my team about that.” Noah: “That’s cool.

  • One of the Best Cold Emails I’ve EVER Received

    Noah Kagan
    18 Apr 2013 | 4:00 am
    I get about 2 emails a day asking for coffee or advice. Lately, I’ve been deleting them because no one takes even a minute to write a well crafted email. I used to feel guilty but I figure since the person is being selfish, I can be as well. A few days ago I got a surprising email from Dave Daily. BLEW MY MIND. I want to share what an amazing cold email looks like (and dissect WHY it’s so great). Subject: How I lost your Sperry’s.. and apt. And why you should meet with me. (He referenced spending money to meet me already. SEE ARTICLE.) I kept bidding them up.. to…

  • My Travel Hacks & Free Luggage for Your Next Adventure (Part 2)

    Noah Kagan
    9 Apr 2013 | 4:00 am
    While I was in India, I learned a few travel hacks that I thought you could use when you travel in your country or others. All I Packed for 33 days in India (thanks for the bag Lisa F!)  1- Nice clothes. You can use this at the airport counter to ask for upgrades or do a tuxedo experience like my friend Ikrima: http://youtu.be/dpt2AInCkoE (via Susan Su) 2- Bring $1 bills. Assuming your currency is “more” valuable than another it’s a great tip and souvenir to hand these out to people. An alternative is snacks or candies you can give out to children. (via Nick Gray) 3- Using hotels.
 
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    socialmouths

  • Building Loyalty through Social Media

    Eileen Bernardo
    22 May 2013 | 9:16 am
    Guest post by Eileen Bernardo from Viralheat. Loyalty evokes a strong sense of emotion in human beings and is one of the pillars that support successful relationships.  Business relationships between brand and customer are no different.  When a consumer feels loyalty to a particular brand or product, they tend to stay lifelong supporters and champions of the brand.  They promote the product to their peers and continue to look forward to and purchase newer models, editions, etc. Since its evolution and subsequent adoption, social media has changed the way businesses interact with their…

  • Facebook Ads vs Promoted Posts: A Side-by-Side Comparison

    Kapil Jekishan
    14 May 2013 | 8:52 am
    Guest post by Kapil Jekishan from Latestcrunchs Targeting your audience on Facebook is not only painful, but confusing – especially if you want to go down the ‘organic’ path. Hey, I can’t blame them, as any business with interested parties and dollar driven investors want return on their profits. So whilst I don’t agree, I can understand why Facebook has made it difficult for business owners to connect with their followers unless you show them the money. Understandably, several individuals are unhappy with this new paid approach, including Dallas Mavericks owner, Mark Cuban, who…

  • Photos Dominate Facebook’s News Feed, Here Is How To Optimize Them

    Francisco Rosales
    8 May 2013 | 7:54 am
    You shouldn’t be surprised to hear that photos dominate Facebook’s News Feed. When we talk about content marketing on Facebook, there are different media types: Status, Link, Video and Images. But images, as in many other online platforms and networks, have become the most consumed content format and today, they take about 50% of the News Feed. What’s shocking on the other hand, is that only 1 out of 500 stories posted on Facebook actually make it to the News Feed. PostRocket made the funniest reference and I thought it would make a cool tweet… “It’s almost…

  • The State of Influence Marketing and Scoring Platforms

    Francisco Rosales
    2 May 2013 | 8:47 am
    As some of you know, Influence (or I should say the attempt of measuring influence online), continues to make waves in controversial waters. The latest: a list of “top 50 influencers” in social media published by Forbes (no link love). The problem: a score by Peek Analytics is used to measure influence triggering an obvious and, in my opinion, well deserved negative reaction. Check out my favorite responses from Mark Schaefer and Jure Klepic. Influence is a big part of the social media conversation and will continue to be as it, hopefully, shapes into something we can all live…

  • The Perfect Facebook Contest App [Infographic]

    Francisco Rosales
    26 Apr 2013 | 8:03 am
    As you know, Facebook contest have become a huge part of social media in the last year or so, specially as a vehicle for brands trying to increase their digital footprint and implement loyalty programs. Here is the problem, a huge percentage of these contests fall short in one way or another, from failing to follow Facebook guidelines to ineffective calls to action, not following with a good promotion, or even not having clear instructions on how to participate. This Infographic by Shortstack outlines all the elements you should consider when planning your next contest, designing the…
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    Bazaarvoice blog

  • Data is a space race, not a gold rush

    Ian Greenleigh
    22 May 2013 | 7:35 am
    Data is not a gold rush, as it is often mischaracterized. Gold can be exchanged for value in its raw form, as soon as it has been extracted from the earth. More gold is inherently better than less gold, and while what you will receive in exchange depends on the buyer, the carat, and market fluctuations, it’s hard to imagine a context in which gold cannot be traded for significant value. Gold is relatively rare, and difficult to extract. Lastly, gold is not perishable (sure, it has a half-life, but we’re not talking geological time here). Unlike gold, data’s worth is almost entirely…

  • Retailers: Think like publishers to monetize 100% of your site traffic

    Josh Wetzel
    21 May 2013 | 7:25 am
    How many daily retail site visitors purchase? Maybe ten percent convert to a purchase, but that leaves nine out of every ten visitors leaving to continue their research and possibly purchase elsewhere. It’s for this reason nearly every online retailer is obsessed with its conversion to sale metric. They look at every site change under this lens. However, that may not be the right way to approach an ecommerce site. Digital shoppers are perennially in research mode, soaking up every bit of information to make an informed decision. Retailers are therefore digital publishers, aggregating large…

  • Age, expertise, and gender noticeably affect sentiment

    Andrew Minard
    20 May 2013 | 7:05 am
    If you’ve ever been chided by your grandfather’s tiresome rant for not finishing your supper, using the computer too much, or listening to rock ‘n roll, you may have internalized the stereotype that the elderly are grumpy and cantankerous. Despite our subjective experiences, psychological research exists that counters this, and instead proposes that positive emotions increase with age. Positive sentiment increases with age A study by Arthur Stone, PhD illustrates that self-reported well-being dips during the younger adult years then increases sharply from age 50, with females being…

  • Who are the real product experts: Brands, consumers, or media?

    Tara DeMarco
    16 May 2013 | 8:00 am
    Expert opinions can carry more influence in purchase decisions than others. Not always, of course, but in some situations. Home Depot launched a new video series last month featuring an expert influencer, Martha Stewart, to inspire new home gardening projects and steer viewers toward certain products. In “Ask Martha” videos, she answers some of the most-asked questions across categories, pulled from the brand’s consumer Q&A on the brand site. And in “Learn & Do” videos, she walks viewers through do-it-yourself projects like home organization and gardening. It’s a great…

  • Connected Perspectives: Mike Maples, Jr., FLOODGATE founder

    Ian Greenleigh
    15 May 2013 | 7:01 am
    “Social networking, and social media, and user-generated content allow the act of marketing to not be an art of war, but an art of syndicating the truth,” says Mike Maples, Jr., founder and managing partner at FLOODGATE Fund, LP. In the next installments of our video series, Connected Perspectives, Mike describes how the next wave of technologies, our ever-increasing connectedness, and the evolving nature of marketing are changing the way businesses must operate to stay alive. First, he observes that technology waves affect everyone, while advancing the standard of living “across the…
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    12 Most

  • 12 Most Funny Pictureless Pinterest Descriptions

    Peg Fitzpatrick
    22 May 2013 | 6:00 am
    12 Most HE6TKNU4H59Q By Peg Fitzpatrick   Pinterest is the ultimate visual network with rows and rows of beautiful photos. But have you ever read the descriptions apart from the photo? The results are pretty fun as shown on the Twitter account PicturelessPins. I hope you get as many laughs from them as I did.   1. 2. [...]

  • 12 Most Vital Daily Tasks of a Freelancer

    Allison Herzog
    21 May 2013 | 6:00 am
    12 Most HE6TKNU4H59Q By Allison Herzog Ahh freelancing. For writers and creative types, freelancing can offer the option to earn a living while working on your own terms, controlling your own schedule and still doing what you love. With the ever-growing opportunity for telecommuting and remote work these days, freelancing can be a welcome career change for the [...]

  • 12 Most Snappy Ways to Revitalize Your Social Media Presence

    Katie Lance
    20 May 2013 | 6:00 am
    12 Most HE6TKNU4H59Q By Katie Lance We’ve all been there — in a social media funk — wondering how you can jump-start or revitalize your efforts. Maybe social media is new to you and you are looking to grow your presence online, or maybe you are an early adopter and need to refocus your efforts. Either way, there [...]

  • 12 Most Lip-Smacking Recipes for a Memorial Day Cookout

    Mary Dell Harrington
    17 May 2013 | 6:00 am
    12 Most HE6TKNU4H59Q By Mary Dell Harrington   At the end of every month, I tear off another page of our oversize family calendar and toss the tattered sheet away. April lands in the recycling bin and I am gleeful. There, on the last line for May, is the gateway to summer: Memorial Day Weekend. At Grown and [...]

  • 12 Most Critical Prerequisites of a Brand Refresh

    Frank Gullo
    16 May 2013 | 6:00 am
    12 Most HE6TKNU4H59Q By Frank Gullo My company recently completed a major brand refresh project. The new brand was unveiled after nearly two years of research, deliberation, ideation, and creative execution. In the end, everything came together successfully, but it was a challenging process at times. For others contemplating a brand refresh or for the merely curious, here [...]
 
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    chrisbrogan.com

  • Be Open to Inspiration

    ceb
    10 May 2013 | 8:41 am
    I’ve been in a bit of a fog the last week or so. Nothing worth talking about, really. Depression stuff. But then it lifted. What’s interesting to me is how I found my footing and how I got back on track, and so there are two items I want to share with you from this: the actual learning, and more importantly, the realization of what got me there. Be Open to Inspiration Humans have this way they deal with too much information. They discard tons of inputs and keep what they feel is important. This is necessary, by the way. Can you imagine how busy your brain would be if you thought…

  • Do Local Businesses Deserve Your Money?

    ceb
    7 May 2013 | 1:38 pm
    I sat at the counter at my local restaurant the other day and waited for over 7 minutes without anyone bothering to acknowledge that I was there. And then I walked out. And so did my money. For good. In fact, I drove to McDonalds, got some scrambled eggs and an iced coffee, and was in and out of the system within the same 7 minutes. (You can save your comments with disdain for McDonalds. If you’re a parent, you go there, unless you don’t. Either way. It’s not the point.) Now, before you try to defend this other place, no, it wasn’t busy. Yes, at least two employees had seen me, and…

  • Why Use These Outlier Social Media Tools?

    ceb
    30 Apr 2013 | 4:21 pm
    Why should you bother using tools like Vine and Instagram, and the like? That question was asked to me by Pam Vitaz, and she asked it somewhat in this context (my words not hers): Vine’s interesting, but you basically just shot a funny video. Why do that? Here’s the video she meant: Can’t see the video? Click Here. Can’t hear sound? Hover over it and click the little sound thingy. On the surface, it’s the kind of question you can answer with “why not?” But that’s not good enough. Why Use These Outlier Social Media Tools? First, it’s your…

  • Can You Work at Being Fearless?

    ceb
    29 Apr 2013 | 7:03 am
    Fear is at the heart of most of our worst choices. I read this facebook post by James Altucher and it really punched me in the stomach. But that’s just one punch in a series, because every time I question how I ended up somewhere, the real answer (underneath all the bull answers) is fear. It’s why most stupid things happen, why all bad things happen (when humans are involved), and is even worse than you think. I’m afraid of a weird collection of things. I’m afraid of sharks (ever since seeing Jaws at a very young age – because I pestered my parents tirelessly til…

  • Sponsored Post – Mobile Productivity and the Future

    ceb
    24 Apr 2013 | 4:53 am
    Can you be productive while on the road? I say yes. In fact, I’m writing this from a hotel room before heading off to a meeting with a client. The following is sponsored by Cloud Powered Work, which is a project with IDG, LinkedIn, and Microsoft’s Office365. Everything in this post is mine, and my opinions are my own. I just produced an episode of my radio show from my hotel room, because I realized that an episode was due and I hadn’t done the work before I took off for the day. Last night, while I waited for my slightly delayed airplane, I cracked open SkyDrive pulled down…
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    Logic+Emotion

  • Responsive Marketing

    David Armano
    19 May 2013 | 5:25 pm
    In the beginning, there were products and services, and some were good. Fewer became trusted brands, but those that did enjoyed unquestioned loyalty supported by a simple yet effective marketing engines built to reach people in mass quantity. The formula worked for decades. An empire was built on the shoulders of Madison Avenue and expanded globally. It is an empire, which still exists today, though arguably it’s a diminished version of its former self.   More recently, technology has had it’s own evolutionary process which it’s still going through. Well over a decade ago, when large…

  • Brands Who Used The Force on Star Wars Day #Maythe4thbewithyou

    David Armano
    4 May 2013 | 12:05 pm
    Brands that insert themselves into relevant cultural events is now becoming a norm in marketing. Did you know that May 4th is considered Star Wars Day? These brands did, and they inserted themselves in the conversation by producing content which reflected it. Here's a few that went to the dark side: Pop Chips went the simple route and used an action figure to do the heavy lifting. Harrods did some subtle and clever Photoshop to go over to the dark side of marketing. PayPal traveled to a galaxy far far away and kept their branding intact ...while Red Bull played it safe and stayed closer to…

  • Content as Currency and Other Thoughts From #Snowcial

    David Armano
    1 Mar 2013 | 6:35 am
    I'm in Lake Tahoe this week combining some business and down-time and recently spoke at "Snowcial"—billed as "SXSW for the snow sports and hospitality industry, it attracts a really cool cross section of people who span marketing, technology and even journalism. If you love skiing or snowboarding and marketing/technology, it's worth considering for your event calendar. I kicked off day one yesterday with a short talk about content, convergence and connectivity. Below are a few themes from my talk: Content As Currency  There's a good reason everyone is talking about the role of *content…

  • Every Brand Will Need A Content Strategy

    David Armano
    26 Feb 2013 | 8:18 am
    Somewhere in the debate to define what was hot or not as a worthy "real-time marketing" example during the Oscars, we lost sight of the bigger picture. We're not really talking about the benefits of marketing in a timely fashion as much as we are talking about the birthright of an organization or brand to produce, circulate and curate conversations around valuable content. I had to take a pause recently to remind myself of the bigger picture and consider other activations we have in play like working with the organization who represents the US Dairy industry. In this approach, we've gotten…

  • How The Marketing Community Lost Last Night #OscarsRTM

    David Armano
    24 Feb 2013 | 11:16 pm
    I'm not surprised, but that doesn't mean I'm not concerned. I witnessed something sad last night, while the Oscars were going down. As I anticipated, there was a great deal of activity by brands and their partners who took a shot at producing content connected to the Academy Awards. Some of the content was just OK. Some wasn't. And to be honest, some of it was pretty good even if not earth shattering. Because I had a feeling there would be a great deal of activity going on—I set up a simple hash tag, because I wanted a way to organize what brands would be doing. So, I set up #OscarsRTM…
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    New Media Expo Blog

  • Small Town Business Values in an Online World: Yes, It is Possible!

    Allison
    21 May 2013 | 10:00 am
    Growing up in a small town of fewer than 100 people (yes, you read that right…fewer than 100!) was not always the easiest, but one thing I will always treasure is the values I learned growing up and working in a small, family-owned business. We worked hard and we played hard. We helped our neighbors. We knew our customers by name. A lot of people will tell you that these things are not scalable as your business grows, especially if you take your business online. But you know what? Those lessons I learned during my high school years at the corner of Main Street and the cow pasture have stuck…

  • 10 Tips for Discovering New Blogs

    Allison
    20 May 2013 | 10:00 am
    We all tend to get stuck in our own blogging cliques from time to time. I’m as guilty as anyone. But getting out there and finding new blogs to read can be really inspiring. It can give you ideas for your own blog, introduce you to new people who have something to teach you, and give you a new perspective on the same old topics. Below, I’ve listed several ways to find new blogs to read. My challenge to you is this: at least once a month, use one of these tips to expand your feed reader (and purge any blog you don’t absolutely love – life is too short to read crap). 1.

  • The Top 12 Sites in the Marketing with Social Media Course

    Bill Belew
    17 May 2013 | 10:00 am
    Below is a list of the top 12 sites by unique visitors, visits and page views (they are different) upon completion of the Marketing with Social Media MBA course taught by Bill Belew (that’s me writing about myself in the 3rd person). The course focused on content/inbound/social media marketing and was taught at the graduate level in an accredited university in Silicon Valley. Here are the details: The students had different blogging rhythms - 1-3 times daily and wrote various lengths of posts – 200+ to 600+ words. All actively created internal and external links and fished,…

  • 25 Brilliant Bloggers Talk About Vine

    Allison
    16 May 2013 | 10:00 am
    Brilliant Bloggers is a bi-weekly series here at NMX where we look at the best posts from around the web all surrounding a specific topic. Every other week, we’ll feature a brilliant blogger, along with a huge list of more resources where you can learn about the topic. You can see more Brilliant Blogger posts or learn how to submit your link for an upcoming edition here. This Week’s Topic: Vine Vine is the hottest new kid on the block, and although people are still a little tentative about using anything that involved video, this is really helping to introduce a new medium to people in…

  • How to Track Conversions from YouTube Viewers [Video]

    Allison
    14 May 2013 | 10:00 am
    YouTube Partners can now link out to other sites within their video annotations, which can be a great way to drive new readers to a blog, ecommerce site, landing page, etc. You can also, of course, add links to your description and channel page. Very few people are creating video content consistently, so you have the opportunity to really stand out in your niche if you create videos. But traffic (from YouTube or otherwise) is nothing if that traffic doesn’t convert. Once someone comes to your website, are they actually performing the action that you want them to perform? Are they buying…
 
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    News from SMP

  • Baidu $370 million acquisition creates largest Chinese video platform

    6 May 2013 | 5:00 pm
    ISP Baidu creates largest Chinese video platform with $370 million acquisition of PPSChinese ISP Baidu creates China’s biggest internet video provider with acquisition of PPS for $370 million and merging it with its own service iQiyiChinese intern...

  • FSB hits out at London streets with Parking Crowdmap

    11 Apr 2013 | 5:00 pm
    Federation of Small Businesses runs social media campaign to highlight impact of parking on London's high streetThe Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has today announced a new tool it hopes will tackle what it describes as a ‘burning political ...

  • The British Library to archive a 100 terabytes of web data annually

    8 Apr 2013 | 5:00 pm
    The British Library to archive a 100 terabytes of data annually to capture the webThe British Library five other libraries will archive 100 terabytes of data annually including UK webpages in a preservative initiative called ‘Capturing the Digital...

  • Cyberbullying gets taught a lesson with SUBMIT Documentary Film campaign

    26 Mar 2013 | 5:00 pm
    Cyberbullying gets taught a lesson with SUBMIT Documentary Film campaignProducers and filmmakers use film combined with digital and social media to raise awareness of cyberbullying SUBMIT The Documentary initiative integrates face-to-face connecti...

  • Red Nose Day gets digi-fied

    14 Mar 2013 | 5:00 pm
    Red Nose Day gets digi-fiedToday is officially when the UK goes bonkers for Red Nose Day with the 25 year-old charity providing digital assets to help people fundraise or supportToday is officially when the UK and further a field literally goes bo...
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    idaconcpts.com - Ideas and Concepts from Damian Davila

  • 4 Great Gadgets for Ocean Sports

    Damian Davila
    10 May 2013 | 2:00 am
    Since 2007 I have called Honolulu, Hawaii my home. After traveling around the world for many years, from Ecuador to the United States to Canada to Germany to Italy to Mexico and then back to the United States, I cannot imagine living anywhere else. Living in the island of Oahu, I am surrounded by the Pacific Ocean and I love it. With my wife we love to practice many ocean sports, particularly surfing, stand-up paddle boarding and spearfishing. Based on our ocean adventures here in Hawaii, I recommend these four great gadgets for ocean sports. Underwater Camera If you don’t have a…

  • Ergonomic Consultancy: A Business Opportunity

    Damian Davila
    6 May 2013 | 3:03 pm
    Does this picture seem familiar? It may even reflect how you are sitting right now. Now you may even be rearranging your sitting position as you are reading this. As a blogger and marketing consultant I spend a lot of time sitting down in front of a computer typing away and taking calls. I am guilty of improper posture myself. Since one of my coworkers, who is around of my same age, got diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome and had to go through a very invasive surgery, I have taken several steps towards improving the ergonomics from my workspace at both the office and home. In the process of…

  • Pinterest’s List of Imitators – Part 2

    Damian Davila
    5 May 2013 | 8:57 pm
    Here is the second part to the list of Pinterest imitators that have risen to ride on the wave of popularity from the social media site. Trippy The main point of Trippy is to create Pinterest-style boards for travel so that they will help and guide you on your next trip. You connect to the app through Facebook so that the app can find whether your friends are using Trippy and if in the case that they cannot, then they can suggest friends of friends who are using it. Also, the app features a couple of well known artists and travel experts (e.g. Andrew Zimmern), who have saved places in your…

  • Responsive Design is 2013′s Web Design Trend

    Damian Davila
    3 May 2013 | 9:31 pm
    In a May 2013 webinar, Peter Goodman, VP of Salesforce Marketing Cloud, discussed the current state of advertising in the social media space. He took a look at the major advertising platforms on the leading social networks. Goodman explained how social advertising is the hottest topic in advertising, forecasted to reach a $11 billion in the US by 2017, according to BIA/Kelsey in April 2013. He explained that one of the critical decisions for advertisers is what placements to select. Goodman has found that while desktop placements see an engagement of 1 to 3%, mobile placements see over 3%…

  • Younger Consumers Turn Up Digital Music Listening

    Damian Davila
    25 Apr 2013 | 2:40 pm
    As a previous user of Pandora and a current user of Spotify, I understand the increasing trend of U.S. consumers ages 13 to 35 to use digital sources for music listening. While AM/FM radio is still the primary source for music listening, Internet radio (e.g. Pandora, Spotify) is quickly catching up. From the graph above, it becomes obvious that Internet radio will eventually take over AM/FM radio. Where the Digital Music Listeners Are From those tuning in to online music services in the United States, here is an approximate breakdown as of Q4 2012: In another study from the NPD Group released…
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    Forum One Blog Posts - All Blogs

  • Forum One's Responsive Prototyping Tool (Proty) Gets an Update

    Corey Lafferty
    21 May 2013 | 9:18 am
    We have great news! Forum One just made a bunch of updates to our responsive prototyping tool, Proty, to make it even easier for you to explore solutions to your digital communication challenges. The new version of the Proty HTML prototyping Firefox extension has been released. This version features several improvements including: We have great news! Forum One just made a bunch of updates to our responsive prototyping tool, Proty, to make it even easier for you to explore solutions to your digital communication challenges. read more

  • The Dream of Drupal Is Alive in Portland

    Kerry Thell
    14 May 2013 | 6:25 am
    Like the ’90s, Drupal really is alive in Portland, the city made popular again from the much-watched TV show, Portlandia. Portland is the homebase for the Drupal Association and host for this year’s DrupalCon, Drupal’s largest North American conference.  Like the ’90s, Drupal really is alive in Portland, the city made popular again from the much-watched TV show, Portlandia. Portland is the homebase for the Drupal Association and host for this year’s DrupalCon, Drupal’s largest North American conference. read more

  • Riccardo de Marchi Trevisan Joins Forum One, Contributes to Expanding International Profile

    Chris Wolz
    10 May 2013 | 7:08 am
    I’m excited to announce that Riccardo de Marchi Trevisan has joined Forum One as a Project Director. In his new role, Riccardo will help us expand Forum One’s work in delivering digital solutions to support organizations focused on international development. Riccardo de Marchi Trevisan has joined Forum One as a Project Director. In his new role, Riccardo will help us expand Forum One’s work in delivering digital solutions to support organizations focused on international development. read more

  • Five Reasons I'm Attending Health Datapalooza

    Jim Cashel
    25 Apr 2013 | 7:10 am
    Health Datapalooza is fast approaching! The event, June 3-4 in Washington DC, is the largest and most consequential national conference focusing on health data.     With everything from a coding sprint to a health data apps expo, everyone has his or her own reasons for attending. My top five reasons for going include: Health Datapalooza is fast approaching! The event, June 3-4 in Washington DC, is the largest and most consequential national conference focusing on health data. read more

  • Drupal is Among the Big Boys in Open Source Communities

    Kurt Voelker
    24 Apr 2013 | 7:32 am
    Black Duck Software recently released the results of its 7th annual “Future of Open Source” survey, and one data point in particular caught my eye. With 613 active distributions from more than 25,000 contributors, the Drupal Community is, in sheer numbers, larger than the world’s most recognized open source projects. read more
 
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    NowSourcing.Com » Blog

  • Your Doctor is Drowning in Debt

    ashley
    17 May 2013 | 12:01 pm

  • This Week in Infographics #61: Data, Doctors and TV

    ashley
    17 May 2013 | 8:44 am
    This week we start by taking a look at the perfect data storm. A digital deluge is coming. How will we batten down the hatches and open up the pipes? More people are using visually heavy social content such as photos and videos. All of this data usage threatens to capsize our mobile broadband networks. This infographic takes a look at how we can weather the storm of digital content. Next up, we take a look at Doctors and debt. We all know med. school isn’t cheap. This next infographic takes a look at the numbers behind doctors in debt and how it impacts health professionals. Then, we…

  • It’s a SaaS World

    ashley
    11 May 2013 | 9:00 am
    Courtesy of: ProfitBricks – Cloud Computing 2.0

  • How is Media Affecting Kids?

    ashley
    10 May 2013 | 1:54 pm
    Source: Early Childhood Education Degrees

  • The Love Connection

    ashley
    10 May 2013 | 1:50 pm
    Image compliments of Master of Health Administration Degrees
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    ManagingCommunities.com

  • Think About Online Community Moderator Escalation Policies Before You Need Them

    Patrick
    20 May 2013 | 4:15 pm
    Please Update Your ManagingCommunities.com RSS Feed Subscription This feed has moved to: http://feeds.managingcommunities.com/managingcommunities I apologize for the trouble. For more details, please read my post on the matter. Thank you.

  • Amy’s Baking Company: Lessons For Community Managers

    Patrick
    16 May 2013 | 10:27 am
    Please Update Your ManagingCommunities.com RSS Feed Subscription This feed has moved to: http://feeds.managingcommunities.com/managingcommunities I apologize for the trouble. For more details, please read my post on the matter. Thank you.

  • My Friend Posted Those Comments Under My Account!

    Patrick
    13 May 2013 | 5:00 am
    Please Update Your ManagingCommunities.com RSS Feed Subscription This feed has moved to: http://feeds.managingcommunities.com/managingcommunities I apologize for the trouble. For more details, please read my post on the matter. Thank you.

  • “Monetizing Online Forums” Passes 10,000 Downloads

    Patrick
    9 May 2013 | 5:00 am
    Please Update Your ManagingCommunities.com RSS Feed Subscription This feed has moved to: http://feeds.managingcommunities.com/managingcommunities I apologize for the trouble. For more details, please read my post on the matter. Thank you.

  • eBay Partner Network: Good Monetization Option for Niche Communities

    Patrick
    6 May 2013 | 1:53 pm
    Please Update Your ManagingCommunities.com RSS Feed Subscription This feed has moved to: http://feeds.managingcommunities.com/managingcommunities I apologize for the trouble. For more details, please read my post on the matter. Thank you.
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    Bokardo

  • Justifying fit and finish

    Josh
    2 May 2013 | 6:13 am
    If you’re a product designer this is one of the most important topics you have to deal with. Braden Kowitz of Google Ventures Design, in his recent post Why you should move that button 3px to the left: “Designers notice the gap between functional and delightful, and that’s why we obsess over the little details. But there’s a very real tradeoff between perfecting the design details and building more functionality: getting the details right often means moving slower…So it’s not enough to say “it looks better this way”. Designers need to make a case for why the team…

  • Two goals of giving feedback

    Josh
    1 May 2013 | 6:03 am
    Great post by Zach Holman of Github: You Won’t Regret Positive Feedback: I think our industry does feedback really poorly. I sure as hell do. My first impulse whenever I see a comp is to shit on it. Honestly. Even if it looks great. Especially if it looks great. We instinctively want to pick apart any deficiencies as soon as possible because that’s how product is created. We build things incrementally, chipping away the rough edges until we have a clean polished surface underneath it all. I think that leads to a feeling that being emotional or cruel is actually helpful during…

  • Product design replacing UX?

    Josh
    30 Apr 2013 | 6:02 am
    Product designer David Cole of Quora writes in The Rise of Product Design: “Looking back at the ideas espoused by the UX community, I find their relevance to my work winnowing by the year. Many of the practices seem forged in the fires of consultancy. Advocacy is a repeat theme in UX writing, but is borderline irrelevant when working for a product- and design-centric organization. Similarly, when you have internal stakeholders who understand the design process, you don’t need to worry about constantly building consensus. Deliverables like lengthy specs, comprehensive wireframes,…

  • To flat or not to flat?

    Josh
    24 Apr 2013 | 6:39 am
    Solid piece by Nick Bilton in the New York Times about the trend of flat UI: The Flattening of Design Several thoughts: 1) I’m not convinced that flat UI is a good thing…in my experience it does make UIs seem simpler but often at the expense of visual priority and affordances. Many flat UIs suffer from a very real problem in which clickable elements are not obvious, and often look like non-clickable elements (because everything is flat) 2) Design as news still fascinates me. Three or four years ago you would never have seen an article about a UI design trend like this published in…

  • How Facebook did UX testing for Home

    Josh
    21 Apr 2013 | 7:08 am
    Interesting piece on how Facebook did UX testing for their new Home software. Some of the more interesting bits include: Did most of the testing on Facebook employees (non-design or development) Utilized diary testing to find out about long-term effects of content (initial reaction is often positive, wanted to see how people liked it over time) Testing priority was on first-time user experience Live stream testing that anybody can view in real-time Send out a weekly email to the team with highlights of testing FYI: I’m writing a new book on how to communicate your product or service…
 
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    Collective Thoughts

  • The Perfect Data Storm [Infographic]

    Brian Wallace
    20 May 2013 | 10:46 am
    Network providers are struggling to keep up with the intense demand for digital content. High-def photos and videos are dominating hard-drives and network bandwidth, which ultimately slows down network connections and creates a sub-par digital experience for users. Check out this infographic to learn how network providers should prepare for the overwhelming content demand of the future.

  • Is Online Giving Right For Your Church? [Infographic]

    Brian Wallace
    20 May 2013 | 9:23 am
    What could a church do with an extra week’s worth of tithes and offerings each month? That’s what they can expect when implementing online giving in their church. Eighty-one percent of adults use the internet, and hardly anyone carries around cash and checks anymore, therefore online giving is a great way for church goers to give donations. Check out the infographic below presented by Church Central to learn more about the benefits of online giving for churches. Online Giving: Is it right for your church? [Infographic] Compliments of ChurchCentral.com

  • Your Doctor is Drowning in Debt [Infographic]

    Brian Wallace
    17 May 2013 | 1:01 pm
    Over half of undergraduate medical students are in debt and 35 percent of them have between $20,000 and $40,000 in debt. It gets worse, a little over 85 percent of med students and physicians are in debt, with 37 percent of them with over $200,000 in debt. Debt can have a big impact on medical professionals’ life decisions as well. Check out the infographic below presented by StudentDoctor.net to learn more.

  • The Liberalization of TV [Infographic]

    Brian Wallace
    14 May 2013 | 1:52 pm
    The courage of producers to continuously push the envelope has slowly molded television into programming as we know it today. Check out the newest infographic from CableTVAdvisor.com to see a few of the scenes from past shows that made society just a little uncomfortable. Source: The Liberalization of TV

  • How is Media Affecting Kids? [Infographic]

    Brian Wallace
    14 May 2013 | 12:48 pm
    Seems like kids are being overrun with media and technology. What happened to the days where “playing” meant going outside and running around, not sitting at the computer for hours on end. Media and technology is definitely affecting children. Check out the infographic below presented by early-childhood-education-degrees.com to learn about how media and technology affects kids. Source: Early Childhood Education Degrees
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    Brian Solis

  • Getting Back to Basics: Why Brands are Getting it Wrong in Social Media

    Brian Solis
    21 May 2013 | 8:29 am
    Question: What is your #1 advice for social media strategists and managers? Answer: Stop talking about social media Type “social media” into a Google search bar and you’ll find roughly about 4.7 billion results in .30 seconds. Next, try “social media conference.” You’ll see something along the lines of 1.2 billion results in .25 seconds. Social media is important but I’d argue we aren’t celebrating it for the reasons we should. Instead, we are forcing social media to conform to traditional thinking and processes rather than adapting business philosophies and supporting…

  • Internal social networks improve communication + collaboration when empowered to do so

    Brian Solis
    17 May 2013 | 4:49 am
    I received an email from my friend at CIO Journal just as I boarded a United flight from Mexico City to San Francisco. He was on deadline and the topic was too good to miss. I’ve spent more than a fair amount of time studying and reporting on the social landscape as it pertained to internal engagement, communication and collaboration. I frantically typed on my iPhone with my thumbs before the door closed. Time was.running.out. With the hit of the send button, the door closed, and I was relieved to know that I made the deadline.  Fast forward….the article recently ran in…

  • New Digital Influencers: The Coming Youthquake

    Brian Solis
    14 May 2013 | 7:32 am
    Elements of inspiration that went on to become my new book, What’s the Future of Business, Changing the Way Businesses Create Experiences Blame it on the youth they say. Indeed, there’s a great assumption that the future of technology falls in the hands of emergent generations. The youth of today will someday represent the majority of consumers, employees and citizens. That’s always the case, but what we don’t yet fully appreciate is just how different young adults think today. We don’t yet understand what it is they value and why. We’ve not yet assimilated how they make decisions…

  • Part 2: The Broken Link of Social Customer Service

    Brian Solis
    9 May 2013 | 8:05 am
    Part Two. An edited excerpt of What’s the Future of Business, Changing the Way Businesses Create Experiences In Part 1 of this series, The First Mile: The Broken Link of Social Media Customer Service, we reviewed the opportunities and challenges that face any business seeking to engage customers in social networks. To become customer-centric requires a culture that supports customer-centricity and an active investment in defining the first mile experience. The first mile of customer engagement is a post-commerce or post-transaction strategy that invests in an ongoing experience to keep…

  • The First Mile: The Broken Link of Social Media Customer Service

    Brian Solis
    7 May 2013 | 7:03 am
      Part One. An edited excerpt of What’s the Future of Business, Changing the Way Businesses Create Experiences For all that social media is doing to change business for the better, it’s not yet enough. Interview any executive and ask them what their priority business goals are for 2013 and I’m sure you’ll see some element of customer-centricity on the list. Yet the challenge that exists for any organization trying to get closer to customers lies in the definition of customer-centricity. If getting closer to customers is a key objective, why do many businesses neglect the…
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    Geek Girlfriends

  • A Month of Free Yoga and a Yoga Giveaway

    Christina
    8 May 2013 | 1:15 pm
    Need a little “me” time? Trying to squeeze more exercise into a busy life. Me too. I’ve been going to Bikram Yoga lately. It’s crazy. But I’m turning into one of those crazy hot yoga people I once mocked. I wish, though, that I had a room in my house and a source of video classes so I could fit in more of it without the commute. Hot Yoga requires more than just a mat and stretchy pants, though. You need heat and humidity. But now that I’m started on this obsession, maybe I’ll branch out to yoga at normal temperatures. My Yoga Online offers more…

  • NextIssue: Netflix for Magazines

    Christina
    7 May 2013 | 1:07 pm
    I am a magazine addict. I would subscribe to everything I could get my hands on if it weren’t for the clutter. And the cost. So I am thrilled with NextIssue, a all-I-can-read newsstand for my tablet. I run the Windows 8 app. But it is available for Android Tablets and iPads. For one price ($10 or $15 depending on plan), every magazine I want shows up on my tablet the minute it arrives on newsstands. (This is the digital version of the print magazine, not the magazine’s Web site or a subset of the print version.) Here’s a video of the Windows 8 app in action: I can read…

  • Going to College via Tablet

    Christina
    16 Apr 2013 | 9:53 am
    My son will soon be a high school senior soon. So whenever he is willing to talk to his parents, we discuss where he wants to go and how he’s going to get there. I loved college. And he seems to be dreading it. So I’m jealous that he gets to go and I don’t. But since I have a job, car, house, and family I don’t think dropping everything to get a degree in Philosophy is in the immediate cards. But that’s okay. I think I can fit some liberal arts in by cutting down on TV and email. All I really need is a laptop or tablet and a Web browser or iTunes U. The secret, as in most…
 
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    Dan Zarrella

  • [Infographic] How to Get More Likes and Comments on Tumblr

    Dan Zarrella
    19 May 2013 | 9:03 pm
    For more social media data like this, check out my latest book “The Science of Marketing” now! Another social network that has become very popular in the past few years but is marked by a lack of marketing data is Tumblr. It’s a fertile petri dish for some of the web’s most contagious content and has a fascinatingly wide demographic profile. And with the added buzz it’s getting from the much-talked about Yahoo acquisition, social media professionals should not ignore it. Gnip gave me access to the Tumblr firehose a little while back and I used it to collect a…

  • [Infographic] Exclamation Points Get More Retweets, but Fewer Clicks

    Dan Zarrella
    13 May 2013 | 9:10 pm
    For more social media data like this, order my latest book “The Science of Marketing” now! In response to a tweeted question from Rand Fishkin I decided to take a quick look at the relationship between exclamation points in tweets and retweets and clicks. I used a dataset of more than 2 million link-containing tweets sent by accounts with at least 1,000 followers and found something interesting. Tweets with exclamation points got more retweets-per-follower, but fewer clicks-per-follower. Tweet This! Share this on Facebook Share this on LinkedIn Share this on Reddit Stumble upon…

  • New Data Shows the 7 Most Powerful Calls-to-Action for More Retweets

    Dan Zarrella
    6 May 2013 | 9:14 pm
    For more social media data like this, order my latest book “The Science of Marketing” now! I’m a big fan of social calls-to-action. Previously, I’ve found evidence that they work on Facebook and Twitter. So I wanted to expand my research and see if I could find more words and phrases that were good at spurring people to social action. Using a huge data set of more than 2.7 million Tweets provided to me by the awesome folks at Buffer, I analyzed the use of calls-to-action (like “please retweet”) and their relationship to retweets. To control for number of…

  • New Data Shows the Importance of Hashtags on Instagram

    Dan Zarrella
    29 Apr 2013 | 10:19 pm
    For more social media data like this, order my latest book “The Science of Marketing” now! One of the quickest growing social media platforms on the web at the moment is Instagram, but there’s a lack of marketing data about it. I decided to collect data on just over 1 million images posted to the site and found several interesting takeaways. The first, which you’ll find in the infographic below, is the importance of hashtags. Not only do images that include hashtags get more likes than images that do not, there are certain hashtags that are correlated with more likes…

  • My Data Shows Email Popups Work and Don’t Hurt

    Dan Zarrella
    24 Jun 2012 | 10:26 pm
    I’ve had several conversations with marketers about email subscription popups like the one new visitors to my site see. Many of the most experienced and results focused are in favor, but there are some “marketing gurus” who are very vocal in their opposition. Never one to leave a debate like this to gut feeling and guesswork, I decided to actually look at my own stats to see what story they had to tell. These stats are from a single data point, this site. Your site may be different, you should experiment with any tactic like this to see if it works for you, don’t just…
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    Bazaarvoice blog

  • Data is a space race, not a gold rush

    Ian Greenleigh
    22 May 2013 | 7:35 am
    Data is not a gold rush, as it is often mischaracterized. Gold can be exchanged for value in its raw form, as soon as it has been extracted from the earth. More gold is inherently better than less gold, and while what you will receive in exchange depends on the buyer, the carat, and market fluctuations, it’s hard to imagine a context in which gold cannot be traded for significant value. Gold is relatively rare, and difficult to extract. Lastly, gold is not perishable (sure, it has a half-life, but we’re not talking geological time here). Unlike gold, data’s worth is almost entirely…

  • Retailers: Think like publishers to monetize 100% of your site traffic

    Josh Wetzel
    21 May 2013 | 7:25 am
    How many daily retail site visitors purchase? Maybe ten percent convert to a purchase, but that leaves nine out of every ten visitors leaving to continue their research and possibly purchase elsewhere. It’s for this reason nearly every online retailer is obsessed with its conversion to sale metric. They look at every site change under this lens. However, that may not be the right way to approach an ecommerce site. Digital shoppers are perennially in research mode, soaking up every bit of information to make an informed decision. Retailers are therefore digital publishers, aggregating large…

  • Age, expertise, and gender noticeably affect sentiment

    Andrew Minard
    20 May 2013 | 7:05 am
    If you’ve ever been chided by your grandfather’s tiresome rant for not finishing your supper, using the computer too much, or listening to rock ‘n roll, you may have internalized the stereotype that the elderly are grumpy and cantankerous. Despite our subjective experiences, psychological research exists that counters this, and instead proposes that positive emotions increase with age. Positive sentiment increases with age A study by Arthur Stone, PhD illustrates that self-reported well-being dips during the younger adult years then increases sharply from age 50, with females being…

  • Who are the real product experts: Brands, consumers, or media?

    Tara DeMarco
    16 May 2013 | 8:00 am
    Expert opinions can carry more influence in purchase decisions than others. Not always, of course, but in some situations. Home Depot launched a new video series last month featuring an expert influencer, Martha Stewart, to inspire new home gardening projects and steer viewers toward certain products. In “Ask Martha” videos, she answers some of the most-asked questions across categories, pulled from the brand’s consumer Q&A on the brand site. And in “Learn & Do” videos, she walks viewers through do-it-yourself projects like home organization and gardening. It’s a great…

  • Connected Perspectives: Mike Maples, Jr., FLOODGATE founder

    Ian Greenleigh
    15 May 2013 | 7:01 am
    “Social networking, and social media, and user-generated content allow the act of marketing to not be an art of war, but an art of syndicating the truth,” says Mike Maples, Jr., founder and managing partner at FLOODGATE Fund, LP. In the next installments of our video series, Connected Perspectives, Mike describes how the next wave of technologies, our ever-increasing connectedness, and the evolving nature of marketing are changing the way businesses must operate to stay alive. First, he observes that technology waves affect everyone, while advancing the standard of living “across the…
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    Beth’s Blog

  • Book Review: Cause for Change

    Beth
    22 May 2013 | 10:42 am
    I’m getting a jump on my summer reading!    Colleagues Kari Dunn Saratovsky and Derrick Feldmann have published a new book called Cause for Change:  The Why and How of Nonprofit Millennial Engagement.  The book is based on their many years of research, convening, and consulting with nonprofits on how to engage with this younger generation.     The book is a must-read and their annual conference, MCON, is a must attend – if you want the latest thinking about strategy to engage younger people in the sector – both inside and outside of your nonprofit’s walls. The…

  • Heartland Pride: Winner of the #npfail Little Bets Contest

    Beth
    21 May 2013 | 9:21 am
    Last month, during the Nonprofit Technology Conference plenary session on placing little bets and learning from failure,  we  issued a challenge to 1,000 nonprofits  in the audience.   Let’s do more than just give failure lip service,  let’s put it into practice and share learning from a failure or placing a “Little Bet.”     A ‘Little Bet” as defined by Peter Sims, author of the book – Little Bets, is a small action that you can take to discover something new.  It’s an affordable loss that leads to innovation. Place a little bet & or share…

  • Trainer’s Notebook: The Art of Good Openings and Closings

    Beth
    20 May 2013 | 11:22 am
    Sunrise on Sacred Maori Land outside of Auckland, NZ I’ve just returned from an amazing trip of facilitating workshops, discussions and master classes as well as a keynoting a conference on “Measuring the Networked Nonprofit”  in Australia and New Zealand.    It made me very happy to be teaching non-stop for almost two weeks.     I’m always learning as I help others learn.    Here’s a couple of reflections from my “trainer’s notebook.” I started with a full-day workshop outside of Auckland called “The Networked NGO in New…

  • Get the Scoop at the National Conference on Volunteering and Service in Washington, DC in June #NCVS

    Beth
    15 May 2013 | 2:32 pm
    Note from Beth: I’ve just finished doing some social media workshops in New Zealand with Volunteering Auckland and now in Australia.  Next month,  I will be traveling to Washington, DC for the NCVS Conference and can’t wait.  I will be doing  a panel on using social media as part of volunteer recruitment.   While I’m still “down under,”  Michelle Nunn agreed to share this guest post about conference highlight   Get the Scoop at the National Conference on Volunteering and Service in Washington, DC #NCVS guest post by Michelle Nunn I’m eager to let…

  • A Dog Named Red Helps Best Friends Animal Society Get Results on Facebook

    Beth
    14 May 2013 | 2:28 pm
    Note from Beth: Greetings from the Gold Coast in Australia.  I’m here to keynote Connecting Up Conference,  While I am in OZ,  I invited Jon Stahl to share this amazing case study.   Enjoy For several years now, nonprofits have been investing time, energy and money building Facebook pages and working to engage supporters on Facebook. Unfortunately, as Beth has pointed out , Facebook doesn’t always make it easy to generate meaningful and measurable results that drive your mission or your bottom line. About a year ago, Facebook began rolling out a series of important changes, most…
 
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    Chris Heuer's Insytes

  • Invaluable Advisors, Off to a Great Start

    cheuer
    29 Apr 2013 | 7:10 pm
    In the world of startups, a great advisory board is often used to demonstrate to potential investors that you know people who will let you use their name, which in today’s market conditions, probably means you can get a better chance of getting into an incubator/accelerator and might be able to convince some other first [...]

  • Seeking Co-Founders for My New Startup

    cheuer
    9 Apr 2013 | 6:19 pm
    So I am finally making some of the information about the startup I am developing public, starting with the company profile on Angels List and a simple list of the co-founder roles I am seeking to fill. While in stealth, I am operating under AdHocnium until we go public with the name and the alpha [...]

  • Moving on from Deloitte, Returning to Independent Startup Life

    cheuer
    8 Mar 2013 | 2:04 pm
    Today is my last day working for Deloitte Digital/Deloitte Consulting as a Specialist Leader focused on Social Business and Digital Strategy. I will be hanging out with my soon to be former colleagues a little bit at our Deloitte Lounge here at SxSW later today and enjoying the rest of SxSWi and all the #badgeless [...]

  • Egypt: More Than the Power of the Network, It’s Also Pervasive, Simple and Cheap

    cheuer
    30 Jan 2011 | 10:12 am
    Broadly I agree with Matthew Ingram in his post It’s Not Twitter or Facebook, It’s the Power of the Network, though I think the Foreign Policy columnist Evgeny Morozov he cites is missing the point. It is seemingly clear that the tools, and Social Media broadly, played a crucial role in changing the rules of [...]

  • I’ve Joined Deloitte Consulting LLP

    cheuer
    26 Jan 2011 | 4:20 pm
    Since a few of my colleagues at Deloitte began tweeting about it Monday night, and my friend Luke Fretwell (founder of GovFresh) retweeted it yesterday, I realized the cat was out of the bag and I couldn’t wait any longer to talk about it myself. So I mentioned it briefly last night at our Social [...]
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    Blogworks: India Social Media, Brand Consulting, Marketing, Strategy, Brand Consulting, Branding, Insights, Research, Brands for the future

  • Creative Commons 101

    Anurag Bhattacharyya
    12 May 2013 | 9:50 pm
    There is so much creativity out there. We continuously walk towards excellence and improving our projects. Photography, fonts, music and code are perfect examples. Looking for objects and existing implementations is often quicker and more practical than creating  your own. For professionals, understanding the boundaries of a license is critical; with this knowledge, one would be surprised by what is available.  Creative Commons provides an appreciated source for the modern ‘cut and paste’ culture that has been neglected by traditional copyright law. The necessity for content management…

  • Video case study: Harley-Davidson India celebrates 110 years of Freedom on social

    admin
    3 May 2013 | 3:21 am
    Harley-Davidson India’s  celebrates 110 Years of Freedom on social. The celebration was marked by the biggest event in Harley-Davidson India’s history – the first National H.O.G. Rally in Goa, from  31 January to 3 February, 2013. To amplify the event further, since the entire community couldn’t be with us in Goa, we took the celebrations to them via Facebook.  To create buzz and build anticipation for the event, an exciting cover photo campaign was initiated. We also shared live content from the event, in the form of quotes from the participants, photographs…

  • Infographic: Allen Solly’s End of Season Sale application – earning through Facebook

    admin
    2 May 2013 | 5:20 am
    We created an infographic on Allen Solly’s End of Season Sale application that shows how the Blogworks Three ‘I’ Model - Insights  Intimacy and Income – was the focus behind putting together an application that was able to translate the engagement with fans and customers online into sales at physical stores for Allen Solly and achieve an unprecedented ROI in the process. You can also read the detailed case study here.

  • Conducting a workshop at the Sankalp Unconvention 2013

    admin
    30 Apr 2013 | 3:55 am
    We were invited to conduct a workshop on the topic ‘Social Media: Going Beyond The Obvious’ at the Sankalp Unconvention 2013 in Mumbai, said to be the the Kumbh Mela of Social Entrepreneurship in India. The presentation was in two parts, The Content Challenge and The Engagement Challenge. Do read through

  • Allen Solly presents the ‘Vogue School of Style’

    admin
    30 Apr 2013 | 3:20 am
    Allen Solly, in association with Vogue magazine, organised a fashion-focused event in Mumbai, that showcased the most popular trends of the season. Called the ‘School of Style’, the event brought together fashion bloggers and experts to discuss everything fashion – wardrobe essentials, must-have accessories, how to shop smart, and the best ways to blend Spring/Summer staples in their daily look. The platform served to showcase Allen Solly’s Spring-Summer 2013 collection, and was a palpable hit with the city’s fashionistas. Allen Solly played the role of the…
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    Soshable | Social Media Blog

  • 5 Signs that Your Facebook Page Sucks

    JD Rucker
    21 May 2013 | 4:31 pm
    Facebook has a promise that it has made to businesses. It’s not an official promise in writing anywhere on the site. It’s an implied promise. “We have the attention of the masses. If you want to get in front of them, we’re the biggest game in town.” The unfortunate reality is that the majority of businesses, particular small and medium localized ones, are completely missing out on the potential benefits of their Facebook page. It’s not all about the page, but that’s a good place to start and the best venue through which to have control over your own…

  • Why Irrelevant Giveaways and Games Are Killing Your Facebook Page

    JD Rucker
    20 May 2013 | 9:14 pm
    So, you have a Facebook page for your business. You’re ready to tap into the most powerful social site in the world. You want to get fans, to get people to like your page and hear your messages, to communicate with them in a meaningful way and to help drive more business. You figure that, “Hey, I’m a business. The only way people are going to like my page is if I have a drawing for a free iPad or give them a game that they can only play if they like my page!” Nope. It’s the wrong thinking. It’s not just the fact that you’re going to get people liking…

  • The Most Important Social Media Webinar I’ve Ever Presented is Coming Soon

    JD Rucker
    20 May 2013 | 1:07 am
    On June 5th, I will be presenting a webinar called “Beyond the Basics: 5 Myths and 10 Rules for Advanced Social Media Mastery“. It might as well be called, “Stop the madness because the social media world is going down a dark path.” After delivering a good portion of it at the Automotive Boot Camp last week, the feedback was so tremendous that I decided it was time to do something that I’ve never done before – give a presentation for a second time. The world of digital marketing moves so quickly that I’ve never given a presentation more than once…

  • The History of Infographics (an #infographic)

    Michio Hasai
    19 May 2013 | 7:29 pm
    When I first got into the infographic business back in 2008, it often took a long explanation to prospective clients in order to get them to understand what they were and what they did. Today, that’s not a problem as dozens of new infographics are unleashed into the world every day. For those who have just recently been introduced to them, here’s a quick infographic that goes over the history of infographics. It’s like a movie about the movie industry, only it won’t take 2 hours to finish. Enjoy! Via: AudienceBloom.com Related articles 8 Types Of Infographics &…

  • Facebook is Feeling “Emotion” About Watching “Film”

    Lewis Austin
    18 May 2013 | 12:32 pm
    Facebook has brought out a brilliant new addition to status updates that was desperately needed. Prepare for your news feed to be flooded with emoticons and more than likely irrelevant adjectives. Without being too cynical, I’d like to bring to the forefront that MySpace had this feature back in the day, and if I remember correctly, there were a lot more emotions too choose from. In fairness, I think there are too many choices as there is. Please someone explain the definition of feeling “meh”. For a business, this feature is almost useless, however there are some parts of…
 
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    Brains On Fire Blog

  • What Makes a Manifesto

    Katie Scully
    22 May 2013 | 6:54 am
    This cool piece of work is from one of our newest design interns, Joy. A while back, a friend helped me stumble upon this cool little manifesto from design company (and man behind it all) Jonathan Adler. Please read it. It’s cool. The manifesto is honest, brave, fun, and so very Jonathan Adler. How do I know this? The proof is in the pudding. The company starts from the ground up, building on their own foundation and no one else’s. What is important to them guides their decisions, their process, and their final product. Everything circles back to their manifesto. Do you have a…

  • Are you working like an entrepreneur?

    Robbin
    21 May 2013 | 7:14 am
    This illustration for the cover of this month’s TOWN magazine is from my shiny talented niece Alice Ratterree. Okay. I have question for you this morning. How long has it been since you were so excited about an idea you couldn’t sleep? Hmmmm. I’ve started having some quiet conversations with the Brains on Fire tribe about what excites us. I really haven’t had an agenda, I’m just curious. So I’ve been asking and observing and listening. Here’s what I’ve discovered: We love and value great design. All of us. We love smart ideas and often send brilliant ones we stumble…

  • The “You Don’t Need Us Awards” Round 7 – Penzey’s Spices

    Nathan
    20 May 2013 | 5:49 am
    So this is a little something that we haven’t done in a while over here at the Brains on Fire Blog. The “You don’t Need Us Awards” celebrate the brands and businesses that are doing such an great job already connecting with their customers and advocates that, well, they they don’t need us. I’m happy to say that Penzey’s Spices is one of those brands. Penzey’s is an purveyor of fine herbs and spices that is based out of the U.S. My mom is a bit of a gourmet, and I grew up with their catalog always within reach in and around the kitchen area of our house. She still uses them…

  • A Beautiful Space

    Katie Scully
    16 May 2013 | 7:02 am
    I feel fortunate to have grown up in a beautiful place. When I was younger, my family and I would take the train from the suburbs and head north to the hustle and bustle of downtown Chicago. I was surrounded by beauty. Even in the dead of winter, the snow gently fell on hundred-year-old buildings, historic landmarks, and bridges over icy water. The city was, and still is, beautiful. At first it seemed trivial, just another silly way to boast why you, or your city, is better than another. In some cases that might be true. Florence, Italy came from a place of arrogant opulence. So much money…

  • Being ‘Wholehearted’

    Emily Everhart
    15 May 2013 | 2:00 am
    I regularly get lost down a proverbial rabbit hole on the Internet. I start Googling a restaurant’s hours of operation and end up watching 40 dogs-running-in-their-sleep videos YouTube (meet Bizkit here), then ordering new glasses. Sometimes these ‘trips’ are expensive and sometimes they are incredibly valuable. Today was the latter. This TED Talk dates back to 2010 and you may have already seen it, but it’s one I’ve never come across before and is now my favorite. The featured speaker Brené Brown is a researcher of human connection. What a fascinating thing to consider from a…
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    Shai Coggins

  • Stepping Out of the Comfort Zone

    Shai Coggins
    21 May 2013 | 5:50 am
    Life has been anything but still lately, it seems. Strange how that works out sometimes. Just when I was telling myself that I should revel in the stillness – instead of craving for more excitement, more challenges, more dreams – I end up facing one crazy thing after another. Over the last few weeks, I have faced some interesting work-related situations: Celebrating my first year at Vervely! As part of this anniversary, I am currently looking at launching a new initiative. Something that I’ve been wanting to do for some time now. Been invited to submit a couple of quotes for…

  • Still: May 2013 Theme

    Shai Coggins
    4 May 2013 | 6:19 am
    “To the mind that is still, the whole universe surrenders.” - Lao Tzu Over the last few years, the month of May has become a tough month for me. Tomorrow is my late dad’s birthday. In a few days’ time, we will be commemorating the fifth year anniversary of his passing. About this time last year, I also had to say goodbye to a job I once loved*. It seems to me that I can’t go through this month without tears. Admittedly, I’m already wiping some away as I write this, especially as I re-read some old posts (and comments) like the ones I’ve linked to, as…

  • 5 Books of the Month

    Shai Coggins
    26 Apr 2013 | 5:08 am
    The month is almost over and I realised that I haven’t had the chance to share with you my latest reads since February. And, since I haven’t done a Friday Five in a while as well, I thought I’d combine them in this post. Is that clever or just lazy? Anyway, here are the five books to cover my March and April 2013 reads: 1. Prodigy by Marie Lu Prodigy is Book Two of the Legend trilogy by Marie Lu. I’ve been meaning to write about the Legend series since I first came across it last year. The basic premise: Legend/Prodigy is in the YA dystopian genre. It is similar to…

  • Gelli Arts Gelatin Plate: Creative Gadget of the Moment

    Shai Coggins
    22 Apr 2013 | 7:08 am
    When it comes to art-making, I go through different phases. I love mixed media most of all, of course. That’s why I’m such an art skill and creative tools hoarder. They all tend to be very useful for bringing depth in to my mixed media work. But yes, I go through different favourites at any given time. Right now, I am very much in love with gelatin printmaking. It probably shouldn’t come as a surprise that I fell in love with gel monotype printmaking, as I’ve got a bit of a thing for all things printmaking. Even though my last printmaking experiments were done around 6 years ago, when…

  • Weekend Wonder: Exploration

    Shai Coggins
    19 Apr 2013 | 4:35 am
    Being a life explorer is something that I wish I can be more of. But, I seem to have become more and more risk averse as I grow older. Slowly settling in to this strangely alluring thing called “the comfort zone”. I have begun to like it there, you see. It’s easier. Less scary. So, even if I know that the explorer in me will sooner or later knock me on the head, I make myself at home in my comfort zone. Lately, though, I am finding more and more reasons to get out of that comfort zone to explore. Of course, when we talk explorations, it’s easy to get overwhelmed with…
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    Social Media Marketing

  • This Week in Social Media – 5/15/2013

    Scott Monty
    15 May 2013 | 1:31 pm
    A roundup of relevant links affecting our industry. Each week, I compose a newsletter that includes a series of links about current events and trends in the worlds of technology, social media, mobile, communications and marketing in order to keep our wider team up to date on changes, newsworthy items and content that might be useful in their jobs. These are those links. If you have additional links, sources or ideas that might be helpful, I'd encourage you to add some via a comment below or tag me in Google+. And if you’re on Flipboard, you can get these links in the This Week in Social…

  • This Week in Social Media – 5/8/2013

    Scott Monty
    8 May 2013 | 10:08 pm
    A roundup of relevant links affecting our industry.Each week, I compose a newsletter that includes a series of links about current events and trends in the worlds of technology, social media, mobile, communications and marketing in order to keep our wider team up to date on changes, newsworthy items and content that might be useful in their jobs. These are those links.If you have additional links, sources or ideas that might be helpful, I'd encourage you to add some via a comment below or tag me in Google+. And if you’re on Flipboard, you can get these links in the This Week in Social…

  • Must-Not-See TV

    Scott Monty
    7 May 2013 | 8:33 pm
    It wasn't all that long ago that we viewed TV by appointment. NBC's "Must-See TV" lineup of Thursday nights included legendary shows like The Cosby Show, Seinfeld and Cheers, among others, and audiences turned out in droves to see them.Things are drastically different now, as you know. Beyond DVRs and on-demand viewing, we now have online options that include Netflix, Hulu and others, and cable providers like Xfinity, DirecTV and Dish Networks, not to mention specialty apps like HBO Go. We not only have a wide variety in when we view our shows, but where we watch them as well.At the same…

  • This Week in Social Media – 5/1/2013

    Scott Monty
    1 May 2013 | 7:27 pm
    A roundup of relevant links affecting our industry.Each week, I compose a newsletter that includes a series of links about current events and trends in the worlds of technology, social media, mobile, communications and marketing in order to keep the wider team up to date on changes, newsworthy items and content that might be useful in their jobs. These are those links.If you have additional links, sources or ideas that might be helpful, I'd encourage you to add some via a comment below or tag me in Google+. And if you’re on Flipboard, you can get these links in my new This Week in…

  • This Week in Social Media – 4/24/2013

    Scott Monty
    23 Apr 2013 | 10:29 pm
    A roundup of relevant links affecting our industry.Each week, I compose a newsletter that includes a series of links about current events and trends in the worlds of technology, social media, mobile, communications and marketing in order to keep the wider team up to date on changes, newsworthy items and content that might be useful in their jobs. These are those links. If you have additional links, sources or ideas that might be helpful, I'd encourage you to add some via a comment below or tag me in Google+. And if you’re on Flipboard, you can get these links in my new This Week…
 
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    Ignite Social Media

  • Get "Rich" or Pin Trying: New Pinterest Rich Pins Let Brands Share Even More

    Thea Neal
    22 May 2013 | 12:35 pm
    Pinterest just made branded pins a bit more engaging. The new rich pins allow brands to include a whole bunch of exciting data including real-time pricing, availability and location for purchase. New rich pins include three varieties (product, recipe and movie) all with their own unique information. We'll get more into that in just a second. Best of all, rich pins don't just apply to Pinterest brand pages. Anyone who pins from Pinterest-validated brand websites will use them. So, how does this all work? Here's a snapshot of the major changes: Product Rich Pins Product pins can now contain…

  • How Brands Should Handle a Twitter Complaint

    Kieran Wilson
    21 May 2013 | 12:01 pm
    There are so many benefits and opportunities for brands to market themselves via social media. But, as we all know, sometimes you have to take the bad with the good. So what do you do when a customer takes to Twitter to complain? The Triangle Business Journal spoke with Jim Tobin, President of Ignite Social Media, about best practices brands should use to diffuse a Twitter attack. This is Jim’s advice: Move the Conversation off Twitter You can’t troubleshoot a problem in a series of 140 character tweets, nor can a brand truly understand the full scope of the issue from one complaint.

  • 5 Examples of Brands Using Google Plus Hangouts

    Amie
    20 May 2013 | 5:24 am
    In the digital world where user interaction plays an increasingly larger role in marketing, it’s crucial for brands to reach out to consumers. While some brands interact via a tweet or a Facebook post, Google Plus Hangouts has struck a chord with users. The low costs of Google Plus Hangouts – often available free for a simple production – coupled with the high level of user engagement make live Hangouts a killer innovation. Hangouts save brands the money of planning and executing a live event while increasing their potential reach with an online audience. These five examples of major…

  • Social You Should Know: Google+ Updates and YouTube Live Streaming

    Jim Tobin
    17 May 2013 | 5:00 am
    With our company's famous Mystery Trip kicking off Friday, here is this week's Social You Should Know with a heavy emphasis on the folks at Google and some changes they rolled out this week. Google+ Gets 41 Updates Google has long said that they are in the G+ business for the long haul, and Wednesday's announcement of 41 updates gave credence to that. Google+ now has an improved multi-column stream, improved photo editing and sharing, automatically added hashtags and more socially centered Google maps. They also announced a new way to get brand logos into search results, similar to the…

  • 7 Ways Jetsetter Used Pinterest to Grow Their Brand

    Amie
    16 May 2013 | 6:53 am
    Though pint-sized compared to other social platforms, Pinterest offers businesses the greatest ROI of all social networks. Why? Because Pinterest is relatively young and its audience is already primed for making online purchases. Consider the statistics: YouTube delivers 2 billion views per day Facebook has 850 million monthly users Twitter boasts 200 million users LinkedIn connects 100 million business users With less than 30 million unique monthly users, Pinterest definitely has the smallest audience. Despite its youth, Pinterest delivers targeted traffic that brands desire because 83…
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    Technosailor.com

  • 9 Years of Blogging: Lessons from the Trenches

    Aaron
    20 May 2013 | 11:46 am
    It is May 20 today and that means two things. First, it’s the 5 year birthday of this handsome boy. Without a doubt, his day will be filled with belly rubs and snacks… as it should be. But secondly, this is my 9th anniversary of blogging. It’s also the 9th anniversary of me installing WordPress for the first time and embarking on, what would become, a career change and my livelihood. This month, WordPress celebrates it’s 10th birthday which makes me a WordPresser for almost all of the time it has been around. In that time, I have dabbled in everything from traditional…

  • I hate social networking

    Aaron
    1 May 2013 | 5:21 pm
    I hate social networking. I despise it. All of it. For me it’s a tool (like me, some would say). “But, Aaron. You have 1500 friends on Facebook and nearly 10,000 on Twitter. You’re lying.” Oh but I’m not. I used to love social networking. I used to travel to conferences where other social media people were just to, in hindsight, make myself look more like a stud. That’s why there are so many. I’ve dated or slept with social media women just for access. I’ve been that guy at SXSW that, as a former Austinite, I now mock. That one cutting to the…

  • Two-Factor Authentication: What it is and Why You Should be Using it Now

    Aaron
    26 Apr 2013 | 8:46 am
    Photo by m thierry on Flickr.Not too long ago, WordPress sites around the world started getting attacked with automated botnet traffic trying to brute force admin passwords. The other day, the official Twitter account of the Associated Press was hacked. Last year, Wired reporter Mat Honan was hacked when his Amazon account was compromised. That compromise allowed an attacker to access his Apple ID which gave him access to Mat’s Google account which, in turn, let the attacker into Twitter. Email, in my opinion, is the gateway to identity theft. It’s bad if your Twitter or website…

  • WordPress Hacking and Cleanup

    Aaron
    12 Apr 2013 | 4:34 pm
    There’s a brute force attack underway on a global scale. Massive. The attack vector? Keep attempting user/pass combos in an automated way until a breakin happens. If your WordPress site gets hacked, I am available for cleanup and an audit. Aaron@technosailor.com It absolutely will cost you a minor fortune. That’s the way it goes. Don’t complain or whine, just get your credit card out. It would be cheaper to have a strong password and install a plugin that limits failed login attempts though. But if you don’t, rest assured I can help you despite you having to postpone a…

  • Abusing Twitter Direct Messages, Spam and Classlessness

    Aaron
    11 Apr 2013 | 8:01 am
    This morning I received a Twitter direct message from the official account for I hate JJ Reddick, one of the best Baltimore sports blogs I know of. I like these guys. I read the blog almost every day and follow many of the writers on Twitter. I live in Baltimore, or as we call it… “Smalltimore”. It’s a small town. You get to know people. You run into them all the time. (To be fair, I have yet to personally meet any of them, but it’s only a matter of time. Most of the writers are one degree of separation away.) As a Ravens fan, I am on board with them. I’m a…
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    The Social Customer Manifesto

  • Understanding what customers really care about

    Christopher Carfi
    1 May 2013 | 12:31 pm
    When I was invited to join Swipp earlier this year, I was blown away with the opportunity. I’m fortunate to be part of an experienced team that’s working on a tough, interesting problem – creating a new way to answer the age-old question of “who cares?” (Not only that, but it’s a blast getting a chance to help build an entire platform and ecosystem, not just another app.) We launched our consumer offering back in January and have been receiving great feedback. Since then, we’ve been heads-down making sure that our business customers can tap into the…

  • Street Use

    Christopher Carfi
    24 Mar 2013 | 4:57 pm
      When do we lose our creativity? At what age do we stop seeing possibility, and start only seeing what’s being shown and fed to us? I was at a neighborhood park today and it was packed. The swings were swinging. The teeter-totter was teetering and tottering. The jungle gym was…jungling. The water fountain had a line of kids filling up water balloons. They were filling them up, inventing games and having a great old time. The buzz was palpable. I looked a little more closely, and realized the water balloons weren’t actually water balloons. They were plastic bags. They…

  • The Age of Social Intelligence

    Christopher Carfi
    19 Feb 2013 | 11:49 am
    Current point of view on where social intelligence is headed. Would love your thoughts, comments and feedback! Are we on the right track? Age of Social Intelligence from Swipp

  • The Top Five Superbowl Ads (2013)

    Christopher Carfi
    4 Feb 2013 | 7:01 am
    The top five SuperBowl commercials, according to the Swipp community: (All commercials ranked by their Swipp Index -5 to +5, +5 being the best) Tide Stain Saver (+4.6) NFL: Leon Sandcastle (+4.0) Budweiser Clydesdales (+3.9) Gopro (+3.5) Dodge Ram: Paul Harvey (+3.4) Rounding out the top group were Mercedes, Oreo, Audi, Taco Bell and Kia. Mercedes-Benz: The Devil (+3.2) Oreo (+3.2) Audi – Have Fun Tonight – Black Eye (+3.2) Taco Bell – Live Mas (+3.2) Kia Forte: Respect The Tech (+3.2) You can see all the results here: http://swipperbowl.swipp.com. More commentary on how…

  • Thank you, Dr. King

    Christopher Carfi
    21 Jan 2013 | 7:09 am
    (The part you know starts around 12:10.)
 
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    @KokaSexton | Social Selling Expert | Social Marketing

  • The LinkedIn Meme that Went Viral

    Koka Sexton
    21 May 2013 | 2:18 pm
    LinkedIn is the professional network. Most people understand that LinkedIn is no longer just an online resume but a robust social network where professionals are able to connect, share and gather insights from others in their industry. One of the recent enhancements to LinkedIn is the ability to share rich-media into the activity stream like pictures. Photos in your LinkedIn activity stream?!? I post photos into Facebook but where would the value be in putting an image into LinkedIn? That’s what I wanted to find out. Would I be able to post a picture into LinkedIn and get as much, if…

  • My Favorite Tweets of the Week.

    Koka Sexton
    19 May 2013 | 3:45 pm
    These are a few of my favorite social media updates of the week. It seems like Storify is a great place to collect these for the blog. Not sure if I’m going to continue using them, the last thing I want is to create a bunch of content on the blog and then have to go back in a year and recreate it because Storify changes the system. But for now, lets have some fun with it. View the story “Favorite Tweets of the Week” on Storify

  • A LinkedIn Birthday, Great Pictures and Some Awesome Tweets of the Week

    Koka Sexton
    3 May 2013 | 7:45 pm
    It was a busy week and now that it’s Friday I’m reflecting on some of my favorite moments from social media. I’ve made some nice strides at LinkedIn and some of my work is beginning to pay off. I met some great people in the company this week about how to leverage my talent to help some causes (more on that soon) and I continue to feel blessed that I got a role in a company that gives me the opportunity to grow and help others. I’m also pretty excited for the LinkedIn Cinco de Mayo party this weekend. Happy Birthday LinkedIn! View the story “Favorite Tweets of…

  • A Busy Week of Events: #S20C #MUS13 and #LISalesConnect

    Koka Sexton
    14 Apr 2013 | 6:02 am
    It was a busy week for me. I was part of three separate events in San Francisco. First was the Sales 2.0 Conference, then I spoke with Jason Miller at the Marketo User Summit on the best practices of using social media for lead generation and then the biggest event of all (for me) was the LinkedIn Sales Connect event. It’s always fun and exciting when I get to go up on stage and talk to people about social media and how it can be applied for measurable business results. Big thanks to Marketo for inviting me to your user conference and letting me be a part of the sessions. All of the…

  • An #inDay with Sheryl Sandberg and Gina Bianchini

    Koka Sexton
    31 Mar 2013 | 4:18 pm
    InDay is a special day at LinkedIn where employees are given a chance to be creative and work on inspirational projects. All employees and interns are encouraged to participate and interact across the organization. We also have inDay speakers who come in and talk about a cause or project. You can see a list of past LinkedIn inDay speakers on Twitter here. I missed Gavin Newsom when he came to the office but I did win the seat lottery with Sheryl Sandberg and Gina Bianchi. This is a breakdown of the tweets during the inDay event. View the story “#inDay with @sherylsandberg @ginab…
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    MarketingProfs Daily Fix Blog

  • Can Your Campaign Appeal to Millennials and Baby Boomers? (Maybe If the Karate Kid’s Mom Helps Out)

    Sloane Heller
    22 May 2013 | 7:01 am
    A recent Forbes article described Millennials as elusive, self-involved, opinionated, and impatient.  The Millennial economy is a “participation economy.” In other words, Millennials want to play a role in every aspect of your business—from product development to marketing and the customer experience. Those folks born between 1980 and 2000 might be the toughest crowd for marketers to win over, but at 82 million strong, it’s imperative for companies to rise to the challenge. And what about Baby Boomers (born between 1946 and 1964) on the other side of the spectrum? Historically,…

  • Looking to Hire or Be Hired? Turn to Social Media (Job Recruiters Love It, Too)

    Vinda Rao
    21 May 2013 | 6:42 am
    With 98% of recruiters using social media in 2012 and the greatest opportunity for the staffing industry in 2013 being “access to passive candidates via social media,” the potential payoff for taking advantage of LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter for recruiting has never been stronger. My company, Bullhorn Reach, recently published the  2013 North American Social Recruiting Activity Report, based on data culled from the activities of more than 160,000 recruiters in the Bullhorn Reach user network in 2012. Here’s what we discovered. Which Platforms Are Popular for Job Recruiters?

  • If Gamification Can Make College Fun, Imagine What It Can Do for Your Marketing

    Matt Snodgrass
    20 May 2013 | 7:05 am
    Gamification. If you hear the word and immediately think of points, badges, and leaderboards, don’t worry—you’re not alone. The almighty Wikipedia defines gamification as “the use of game design techniques and game mechanics in non-game context to solve problems and engage audiences.” The idea is to take something fun and apply it to a situation in order to influence a particular behavior. But how is gamification applicable for real life? Does it really have application in the “professional” world? The answer, dear readers, is a resounding YES. Allow me to expand on…

  • The Psychology of Sales: Six Facts Every Brand Should Know

    Jhon Wlaschin
    17 May 2013 | 7:02 am
    Discount retailers, such as Target, Macy’s, and J.C. Penney, have tried various pricing strategies over the years to lure customers to buy more of their products. The primary tool in the competitive arsenal is to offer the best value because they know that customers are motivated to seek out price savings and great deals on frequently purchased products. Seems simple right? Just offer low prices and people will come. That is not necessarily the case, though. Feelings Affect Our Shopping Decisions An economist would say that customers are rational beings who try to get the most value for…

  • iStrategy Miami: Crucial Takeaways From the Digital Marketing Event

    Kerry O'Shea Gorgone
    16 May 2013 | 6:55 am
    iStrategy Miami in April brought together an all-star lineup, including Facebook marketing expert Mari Smith, business development and marketing media executive Dorothea Bozicolona-Volpe of Social Espionage, and Ken Segall, formerly of Apple. For those folks who couldn’t make it to iStrategy Miami, here are some key takeaways from an action-packed two-day event. Harness the power of simplicity. “Simplicity is instantly likable,” says Ken Segall. To best serve your audience, boil complex concepts down to simple turns of phrase, and use common words, familiar to your audience. This makes…
 
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    Social Business Strategist

  • Social Networking to Advance Your Career

    fouts
    29 Apr 2013 | 2:40 pm
    Silicon Valley Tech Women held a panel at the shiny new SalesForce offices in downtown San Francisco entitled Leveraging Social Networking to Advance Your Career. See the photos  from DJ Cline here. I moderated this panel of tech rockstars. LaSandra Brill  Sr. Mgr., Global Social Media Marketing,  Cisco Systems Marilyn Lin Director, Product Intelligence & Enablement, Salesforce.com Erica Lockheimer  Sr. Engineering Manager, LinkedIn Jana Messerschmidt VP of Business Development & Platform Relations, Twitter Takeaways from the discussion were many, and largely about developing a…

  • Marketing Automation Discussion at SFAMA

    fouts
    24 Apr 2013 | 1:17 pm
    Last night I moderated a very interesting panel for the San Francisco American Marketing Association on marketing automation. It was an great group for this kind of discussion and I wanted to share some of the takeaways with you. Anyone interested in digital marketing needs to understand these concepts, whether you use automation tools or not. On the panel: Jason Miller – Marketo Kim Stieglitz – Vertical Response Lindsay Mahoney – Silverpop Sean Stoffstall – Ozone David Mitroff – Piedmont Avenue Consulting I’m not going to go in depth here, (you should have…

  • The Computer Fraud and Abuse Act

    fouts
    8 Apr 2013 | 1:56 pm
    Oh boy, here’s a hot button topic for you. The Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA)  was created with good intentions. When it was passed in the mid 1980′s it was intended to protect us from fraud by making it illegal to use someone else’s password for a social media site, a website or even their computer (even at their request). What’s the big deal? Well, if you work for your clients on multiple accounts on social networks, websites or even log into their computer as a support person, you could be breaking the law right now. The House Judiciary Committee wants to…

  • Bing and Instagram – How will they affect Klout scores?

    fouts
    29 Mar 2013 | 10:46 am
    Klout recently announced the addition of Instagram interaction and Bing searches to their algorithm. While I don’t take Klout scores as the be-all end-all of social value, it’s still a useful metrics tool when evaluating how much an individual or a brand engages with the rest of the world. I see that my Klout score did jump a bit when they made this change, though Bing is not showing up yet in my score. Actually I use Bing very rarely, I prefer Google, even after I took the Bing Challenge. Even though Bing now offers Bing rewards, I still prefer Google. But this post isn’t…

  • What Makes a Business Social?

    fouts
    12 Mar 2013 | 1:16 pm
    A social business could be most simply defined as a business which engages with it’s customer base socially. It used to be all businesses were social. You made friends in the neighborhood and responded to their interests or you failed. Today we may think it has to mean they use social media, but there’s more to it than that. Just having millions of followers, fans and “interactions” on social networks doesn’t make you social. Talking to your customers, listening to what their concerns and ideas are and responding to them is what being a social business is about.
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    SocialTimes

  • LinkedIn Introduces Simpler Navigation Bar

    Cameron Scott
    22 May 2013 | 11:20 am
    LinkedIn began rolling out a simpler main navigation bar today, building on efforts to make the site easier to use. The new navigation bar includes sections for the user’s Profile, Network, job postings (Jobs), content streams (Interests) and a search bar. “When approaching this re-design, we analyzed years of navigation data to determine which links were adding the most value for you, and which could be removed to create a more focused and streamlined experience,” the company said. The bar disappears when the user scrolls down the page. The feature will roll out to all…

  • Twitter Rolls Out Two-Factor Account Authentication

    Cameron Scott
    22 May 2013 | 10:09 am
    Shutterstock.com / stockshoppe Twitter today launched a feature that will allow users to opt into two-factor account authentication on the service. Users who turn on the feature will receive an access code on their smartphone by SMS text message each time they attempt to log in to Twitter. They will be required to enter that code each time they seek to access their accounts. The company was pressured earlier this month to support more-secure login features, after several high-profile media accounts, including one belonging to the Associated Press, were hacked. But security on the site has…

  • A Mention on Google+ Drives More Sales Than One on Facebook, Study Finds

    Devon Glenn
    22 May 2013 | 9:08 am
    Google+ shares are more valuable to merchants than referrals from Twitter or Facebook, according to an analysis of $5 million worth of online purchases that came through the social commerce platform Addshoppers.com. While Facebook claims the highest percentage of social revenue overall (38.76 percent), a referral from Google+ is worth an average of $10.78, compared to a Facebook referral at $2.35 and a Twitter referral at $1.62. Email shares were the most valuable at $17.93. Google+ users are most likely to share electronics, the researchers found. The average order values, however, were…

  • Google Positions Drive as a Replacement for Paper

    Cameron Scott
    22 May 2013 | 8:25 am
    With an update to its cloud storage mobile app Drive, Google has taken Android users one step closer to a paperless future. The update allows users to photograph paper documents and convert them into searchable PDF files, using optical character recognition. “No more frantic scrambling through drawers looking for a receipt or digging through your pockets to find that business card — just scan, upload and search in Drive,” Google wrote in a blog post announcing the update. The update also displays files with visual icons and allows users to download files from the cloud to…

  • UK User Tweets About Hit and Run, Launching Police Probe

    Cameron Scott
    22 May 2013 | 8:15 am
    A Norfolk, England, driver felt so entitled to “knock a cyclist off his bike” that she boasted about the act on Twitter, where users quickly recognized the act as a hit-and-run accident and notified the authorities, according to a report in the Daily Mail. The police subsequently launched an investigation and direct-messaged the driver, Emma Way, 21, asking her to come forward. The cyclist, a 29-year-old chef, came forward to say that he had originally had no intention of reporting the incident, which occurred during a cycling race, fearing that his girlfriend would ask him not to…
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    Biz Growth News - branding, business development and new media tips to attract more clients in less time

  • 6 Steps To Using LinkedIn To Develop Productive And Profitable Business Relationships

    Krishna De
    15 May 2013 | 6:08 pm
    If you are a professional in financial services, you may be using LinkedIn as part of your networking and business development plan. Investors are active in social media with research in the US undertaken by LinkedIn in 2013 identifying that investors  use social media  to keep up to date with financial trends and to help them financial decisions. Research in the US undertaken by LinkedIn in 2012 identified that investors  research information about their financial decisions on LinkedIn. I recently had the opportunity to deliver a workshop for women who are in the Pensions industry about…

  • How To Use Pinterest For Business – Three Tips From A Pinterest Super User

    Krishna De
    14 May 2013 | 12:49 pm
    We hear that Pinterest is a really only used by younger females – so let me introduce you to Dan Ashbach, who is a retired airline pilot, just to provide a different perspective. You might have read my article about how many boards should we have on Pinterest where I comment that Dan has just 38 boards (I wonder if that is a coincidence that he has been married for 38 years) that versus many accounts I see with well over 100 Pinterest boards. Dan recently participated in a Google Plus Hangout with PinLeague and this is a recap of some of his ideas and perspectives about Pinterest as a super…

  • Five brands embracing Star Wars Day #MayThe4thBeWithYou

    Krishna De
    5 May 2013 | 5:20 pm
    If you were active on social media on the 4 May this year you would have noticed many updates about what is now known to be ‘Star Wars Day’. In 2011, the first organised celebration of ‘Star Wars Day’ took place in Toronto, Ontario and this year Disney’s Hollywood Studios planned to celebrate the day with events. We also saw a number of brands participate through their visual marketing and these included: - Harrods who did a clever photo editing job with the shadow of their concierge sharing it on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram - Oreo shared a picture of blue milk and a cookie on…

  • How to turn your Pinterest boards into a PDF or JPEG image so you can refer to them off line

    Krishna De
    5 May 2013 | 4:42 pm
    If you have been using Pinterest in your content marketing  you will know how powerful a platform it is for visual content curation and discovery – both for business and personal use. But perhaps you have wondered how you could turn the images you create into a PDF that you could then print and use in your meetings perhaps with your team or with clients? This is where the content curation platform Clipzine.me just might prove efficient for you. I recently tested the platform to turn a Pinterest board I had curated after an event into a PDF and JPEG presentation and below you will find a…

  • Pinterest Visual Marketing Tip – Using Diptic To Create Instructographics

    Krishna De
    22 Mar 2013 | 8:58 am
    If you are using Pinterest you will know how important great images in your blog and web pages are to encourage sharing of your content by visitors to your site. This is sometimes a challenge for those of us who are offering services rather than beautiful products. But even if you have great visual content to share, I came across a challenge at a recent Pinterest training programme I was running where  the course delegates were in the fashion and beauty business. They post great images to their blog, mostly when on location, and often have only their smart phone which they use to create and…
 
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    Techipedia | Tamar Weinberg

  • The Ultimate Guide to Search Retargeting, Part 2

    Guest Author
    25 Apr 2013 | 5:22 am
    This is a guest post by Ben Plomion.  In Part 1 of our Ultimate Guide to Search Retargeting, we looked at the players involved in this revolutionary tactic, how it works, and the impressive “Power Ups” it can give your marketing effort. Today, we’re going to look at how to take your Search Retargeting efforts to the next level through Advanced Prospecting. In particular, we’re going to look at two key levels you need to master—traditional Search Retargeting and Search Retargeting on the Facebook Ad Exchange (FBX)—as well as the villains you need to avoid along the way. Level 1:…

  • STOP YOUR ONLINE MARKETING.

    Tamar Weinberg
    8 Apr 2013 | 7:40 am
    Originally posted on Real Time Email. Stop your online marketing right now. Tell me the truth: have you signed up to SEO, PPC, or social media services in the last few years, paid a couple of grand per month for visibility, and found that you were seeing slow uptake but no ROI? You and maybe one hundred thousand other small businesses. Yes, you, small business owner. The problem with marketing today versus marketing in 2006 is volume. There’s volume everywhere. There are more websites today than there were 7 years ago. There are more SEO savvy folks, so you’re vying for eyes you…

  • The Ultimate Guide to Targeting Search Profiles on Facebook

    Guest Author
    12 Feb 2013 | 5:23 am
    This is a guest post by Ben Plomion of Chango. When Facebook launched Facebook Exchange (FBX) last September, it was an important day in the history of online advertising.  Facebook accounts for some 25 percent of U.S. display inventory on the web. Now that inventory can be purchased with real-time bidding (RTB), and marketers can target their most valuable customers with a display ad on Facebook. But, though it didn’t receive as much attention as the launch of FBX, Facebook made another critical move in December when it allowed advertisers to target customers based on what they searched…

  • 2013: The Rise of Customer Service Marketing (and Techipedia’s New Direction)

    Tamar Weinberg
    30 Jan 2013 | 5:51 am
    The social media marketing landscape has changed in the past 3 years. With intermittent signal, you’ll struggle to build momentum around your product or service. If you don’t do it right, you might not even want to do it at all. Social Media is an Answer but it’s Not THE Answer Those of you who know me know me as someone who was an early proponent about the importance of social media. I was selling social media services before most of today’s practitioners even realized what social media is. My book, The New Community Rules: Marketing on the Social Web, which was…

  • Think Like Zuck: 5 Secrets of Success of Facebook’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg

    Guest Author
    15 Jan 2013 | 5:32 am
    This is a guest post by Ekaterina Walter. There can be few companies that have become part of so many people’s daily lives in such a short space of time as Facebook. Since 2004 it has grown to over one billion users globally, with over half of those logging on daily. What can we learn from founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s incredible journey, and what are the keys to his success? I discuss the answers to this question in more detail in my book “Think Like Zuck: The Five Business Secrets of Facebook’s Improbably Brilliant CEO Mark Zuckerberg”, but in this post I wanted to share…
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    Stay N Alive

  • Glass Explorer Shares 3D Printable Adapter for Your Prescription Glasses

    22 May 2013 | 1:09 am
    I've got to admit - I love my Google Glass. A little awkward and geeky looking, yes, but for a geek like me that's part of the appeal. There's one thing I don't like about them though, and that's that I can't wear them with my glasses, and I hate wearing contacts. It appears one Google Glass Explorer has fixed that though, and being the geek that you are, you can fix the problem as well, using a torx screw driver and a 3D printer (of course you probably have one of those as well - it's cheaper than your Google Glass after all). Thingiverse (the Makerbot community for sharing 3D plans you can…

  • Want Facial Recognition With Google Glass? Use Google+

    19 May 2013 | 12:55 am
    In case you haven't been reading Facebook or Google+ lately, I got my Google Glass Explorer Edition this past week. You can expect me to share much more of my experiences here as I learn about it. One of the most frequently asked feature requests I see surrounding Google Glass is that it would be awesome if it had some sort of facial recognition included. We're seeing apps like MedRef that make facial recognition (sort of) available for medical professionals, but the question still remains, will we get to have it built in? Well the answer is it's actually already there - if you turn it…

  • Vlog #1 - JJ Talks About Holding the Cat

    14 May 2013 | 9:30 am
    While I have certainly shared many videos about my life and my family, I don't think I've ever called it a "vlog". Let's make this post the first - I officially call this "Vlog #1". In today's Vlog JJ talks about holding our cat #hashtag, and yes, we spell it that way! Enjoy, and please subscribe to our STAYTube channel!:

  • We've come a long way - Disqus is Now as big as Youtube

    13 May 2013 | 10:14 pm
    It seems like just yesterday that Robert Scoble invited me to go with him to visit Disqus Headquarters with their founders Daniel Ha and Jason Yan out at their new offices in San Francisco. They had recently launched their new commenting platform for blogs the year before, and wanted some exposure from the Scobleizer himself (see the interview in 2008 here and here, where I'm in the background - filmed on Qik - remember that?). Just today, Disqus announced 1 billion monthly unique visitors -- yes, that's as big as Youtube! While other bloggers are calling for the death of RSS, this puts…

  • On My Own Again - I'm Back in the Saddle

    13 May 2013 | 8:00 am
    When I started working for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with the first role with the title "social" in it (see my sum-up here), I came in with a desire to serve, but only planning to be there for 6 months. I had been on my own for several years at that point and really enjoyed my independence. I had no idea I'd end up there for 3 years, but thoroughly enjoyed the time I spent there and was able to help organize and shape the organization of social media within the Church. I learned of the Spirit there that guides the Church and its employees, and the wonderful things the…
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    Colin Walker - Social Thoughts

  • Of circles, communities and serendipitous discovery.

    Colin Walker
    18 May 2013 | 12:58 pm
    Social discovery is key for social growth. I have long said that saved searches are isolated events and treated as second class data when they should, in fact, be an incredibly valuable means of discovery. We have the ability to save searches on networks such as Twitter and Google+ but when you consider that Google a “search first” company it is surprising that this does not feature more prominently within its social network. Let’s consider how we connect and discover with people and content on Google+: when we circle someone we have a permanent connection and can choose the…

  • Social relevance, algorithms and choice.

    Colin Walker
    13 May 2013 | 3:03 pm
    Apart from family and existing friends … the interest graph is actually the primary driver behind expanding the social graph – The lines are blurring. One of the most important factors in social growth is discovery, discovery of posts and of people. Google+ was launched on the premise of being “real world sharing for the web” – it aimed to make it easier and more natural to divide our online lives into “circles” just as we are part of different groups offline (family, friends, colleagues, etc.) Social networks afford us multiple stages of relevance…

  • Facebook, Waze and Apple – a new dynamic.

    Colin Walker
    9 May 2013 | 1:23 pm
    The news that Facebook is considering a $1 billion acquisition of Waze seems like an obvious move but it also brings me back to a few ideas I had previously considered. Location is becoming increasingly important with “local” being vital for marketing, advertising and targeting as separate from the global, social conversation. Facebook changed the importance of location in social by killing the check-in and making location integral to everything we do so having access to crowd-sourced data from Waze will take this to another level. Apple and Facebook As Waze is one of the…

  • Could Author Rank influence the display of Authorship snippets?

    Colin Walker
    28 Apr 2013 | 3:16 am
    Author rank seeks to highlight influential authors based on links, citations and peer review but how will this be presented to the public? Could Author Rank influence the display of authorship snippets in search results? Google authorship and the concept of author (or agent) rank has captured the popular imagination in a way virtually nothing else search related has been able to do. Authorship is so easy to set up that anyone can do it but a misguided belief that authorship equates to author rank means that many feel their rankings will improve just by ensuring their rich snippets show up in…

  • Facebook Home – the shape of things to come?

    Colin Walker
    5 Apr 2013 | 10:10 am
    After watching the Facebook Home announcement I was instantly enamoured with the concept of people not apps, of content not containers, but after a few hours was left with one thought: is Home the future of Facebook? While I am not a big Facebook user I am fascinated by the principles of network science so the company interests me because it displays the most obvious adherence to these principles both in structure and terminology. Networks are about people and the connections we make with those people rather than the means of that connection. In this context Facebook Home seems a logical next…
 
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    Social Media Mom

  • How is Media Affecting Kids? [Infographic]

    socialmediamom
    14 May 2013 | 12:52 pm
    Keeping your children’s mind and bodies healthy is a big part of parenting. But how do you do that when they are being overrun by media and technology on a daily basis? A child’s idea of “playing” used to be enjoying the outdoors, now they prefer iPhones, iPads, gaming consoles and many other forms of gaming technology. How is this affecting them? Check out the infographic below to learn about how media and technology is affecting children. Source: Early Childhood Education Degrees

  • ABCs of Motherhood [Infographic]

    socialmediamom
    9 May 2013 | 2:35 pm
    Did you know there are 2 billion Moms in the world? That means lots of babies! Check out the infographic below presented by Mommy.com to learn some interesting numbers behind motherhood.

  • Technology in the Classroom [Infographic]

    socialmediamom
    26 Apr 2013 | 10:32 am
    If you are in your early thirties or over, you may remember some modern technology being introduced in school.  You probably took a typing class and may have worked on computers for one or two classes. Today, the classroom looks quite a bit different.  With the advancement of technology and the growing concern for the environment, schools are shifting their focus.  The days of backpacks heavy laden with oversized textbooks are becoming a thing of the past. Today’s textbooks are neatly compressed data stored on an iPad or other digital devices.  Such devices are, in some cases, also…

  • Are Women Bad Drivers? [Infographic]

    socialmediamom
    17 Apr 2013 | 10:44 am
    Are women really bad drivers? According to a study, 6.5 million car crashes happen when both drivers are women, which only accounts for 20.5 percent of all car crashes. Ninety-four percent of all crashes involving death or bodily harm involve male drivers. Also, women are 27 percent less likely to cause auto accidents than men. Check out the infographic below to learn more about the numbers behind both men and women drivers to decide for yourself if women are bad drivers or not. Source: Shift Insurance

  • The Lottery’s Biggest Winning Losers [Infographic]

    socialmediamom
    15 Apr 2013 | 6:53 am
    We all dream about what we would do if we were to win the lottery. And many of use swear up and down that we would save most of it or invest it. However, once you have all that money, that is usually the last thing on your mind. About 44 percent of lottery winners spend their entire winnings within just five years! The infographic below presented by Casino.org takes a look at some of the lottery’s biggest winning losers as well as winners who didn’t blow their winnings. Check it out below to learn more. How would you spend your lotto winnings? © 2013 Casino.org
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    Quick Online Tips

  • First Look: New Xbox One Gaming [Videos]

    P. Chandra
    22 May 2013 | 10:55 am
    Microsoft revealed the new Xbox One, the next generation gaming console which promises to redefine modern gaming. Powered by the cloud, it will re-position itself as your all in one home entertainment system, allowing seamless switching from live TV to movies to music to gaming of course – and did you know you can use voice commands to do a lot of that. Xbox One Powered by 8-core x86 processor and over five billion transistors, speed lag is not something you need to concerned about. 8GB DDR3 RAM, 500GB, Blu-ray drive, 4K HDMI in/out, USB 3.0 are some of the other cool features. While…

  • Buy Air Force One Plane [7 Days Left]

    P. Chandra
    22 May 2013 | 10:00 am
    The US Government is offering Air Force One for sale with bids starting at $50,000. Air Force One is officially the call sign of the air plane carrying on board the President of the United States. Air Force One planes are famous for their advanced security features and superior safety features. The General Services Administration announced the auction for the older DC9-32 aircraft which they claim transported several VIPs of the US government. The auction page lists the details of the aircraft, and it seems current there are no bidders, though the bids start at $50,000 only. The aircraft is…

  • Free 1TB Online HD Photo Storage to All Flickr Users

    P. Chandra
    22 May 2013 | 9:36 am
    Flickr got a big upgrade and gifted everyone a 1TB free HD photo storage space online so that you can upload all your photos, as much as you want. What was important is that Flickr also allowed unlimited high resolution photo uploads, and removed all the strange limits –  which was not possible earlier. The New Flickr Well how big is a terabyte of photos? Mostly you might never run out of space. 1 Terabyte will let you upload 350,000 10 megapixel photos!  Flickr wants you to upload every photo you have and share it without having to look for another online image hosting solution. They…

  • 10 Quick Tips to Make CSS Load Faster

    P. Chandra
    18 May 2013 | 8:27 am
    How can you make your CSS files load faster and quickly. Cascading stylesheets are an important component of your site design and it is essential your CSS files download fast and showcase your superb design element before other site components load. But as we continue to redesign websites, CSS bloat and poor CSS practices makes us forget the  importance of quick CSS delivery to visitors and need to increase site speed. Faster CSS Download So here some quick tips to make your CSS load faster. External stylesheets – Always avoid inline CSS in the html code to style individual elements,…

  • How to Add Google+ Content Recommendations to Your Mobile Site

    P. Chandra
    13 May 2013 | 10:58 am
    Google+ Content Recommendations is a great way to add more interactivity to your mobile site. Google has introduced this new feature to enhance the Google+ integration with your site, recommending the articles which have been +1 by your visitors and lead them to deeper engagement with your site. It will work on the latest Android as well as iOS browsers on the native Android browser, Safari, and Chrome. You can increase mobile site pageviews for sure by adding this feature in a few minutes. Add Google+ Content Recommendations For most websites and blogs which already display the +1 button or…
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    PR-Squared - Social Media Marketing and Public Relations

  • 7 secrets to a successful, enduring business

    cpenn
    20 May 2013 | 5:29 am
    What makes an agency successful begins not with fancy corporate jargon or a client roster of well known brands, but with the people at it. Choosing who those people are and who they collectively can be is a daunting challenge overall, but impossible without knowing what you stand for. That’s why core values are so important. At SHIFT, our core values are part of employee reviews. They’re part of monthly team meetings, when team leaders recognize accomplishments by their team members aligned with each of the values. They’re part of our hiring process, and candidates are…

  • Nibbling at the Apple

    cpenn
    7 May 2013 | 4:22 am
    It’s becoming fashionable to take a bite out of Apple. There was Jean-Louis Gassée’s scathing article in the Guardian. There was Jon Gruber (of Daring Fireball) damning Apple with faint praise: blaming the media for cherrypicking the news to weave a narrative about Apple’s slow demise. I expect the chorus to grow louder before it weakens. Blood in the water, and all that. Apple doesn’t do itself many favors. Its trenchant secrecy used to seem cool – and I daresay it would still be considered cool – if not for the fact that a) competitive technologies are legitimately “catching…

  • Did you know 70% of Facebook users are mobile?

    cpenn
    3 May 2013 | 5:56 am
    …at least some of the time. That’s the latest in our findings after reading through Facebook’s Q12013 SEC Filing. See what other surprises are on tap for marketers in our summary on the SHIFT Communications blog post.

  • SHIFT Turns 10: Reflecting Back, Looking Forward

    cpenn
    30 Apr 2013 | 5:55 am
    When we sat around a conference table and battled through the process of defining our values a few years ago, SHIFT changed as an organization – we now had criteria that helped us define what it meant to be a SHIFTer and helped guide us through decisions, whether it was about our people, clients or services. We had a roadmap in a way we never had one before – sure, the instinct had been there, but now it was tangible and the fact that those values have lived far beyond a poster on a wall, is something we all take tremendous pride in as an organization. Want to see what we did with those…

  • Put out the fires with effective crisis communications

    cpenn
    2 Apr 2013 | 5:41 am
    Over on the SHIFT blog, we’re looking at the strategy for extinguishing the fires when your brand is ablaze. Knowledge, speed, and ownership are the three keys that will help you get things under control quickly with effective crisis communications. Learn more and download the free infographic now!
 
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    The Responsible Marketing Blog

  • Role Reversal: Perceptions of Men and Women in Advertising

    Andrea
    9 May 2013 | 2:20 pm
    Check out this eye-opening video put together by a Women and Gender Studies class at the University of Saskatchewan by Sarah Zelinski, Kayla Hatzel and Dylan Lambi-Raine. They wanted to show how ridiculous media portrays gender roles and stereotypes in advertising through presenting gender roll reversals. As depicted in the video, our parents went through their own generational stereotypes with women striving for perfection at home and men expecting it. At least that’s what the ads told us. So, what if  my husband finds out I’m not buying the freshest coffee? Well, he can take…

  • Holy Shift: Creepy George will “Fix your transmission”

    Patrick
    1 May 2013 | 12:38 am
    Oh, this ad for Arlen Transmission is so bad in so many ways – but like a car accident, I can’t take my eyes off it. It’s got the tackiness and female objectification of the Beacon Plumbing’s ‘fix my pipes’ lady: . . . with a little touch of the classic Vern Fonk “Shipoopi” – Dance! video: Sure, it’s driving word of mouth, but would an ad like this make you more or less apt to hire Arlen Transmission? - – - Credit where it’s due: “Holy Shift” was a comment by Pavos Bannout in the video’s YouTube…

  • Nonprofits must differentiate or die

    Reeves
    22 Apr 2013 | 2:05 am
    It’s not a fear tactic deployed by marketing agencies to scare the bejesus out of nonprofits. It is, in fact, a hard truth about the nature of the nonprofit sector. Dissimilar, indistinctive and alike will get you killed in any fiercely competitive, over-saturated market – let alone the nonprofit sector. In today’s market, nonprofits (and businesses alike) must differentiate or die. Why fast, cheap, and fast design is killing your nonprofit’s brand tackles the subject head on, and we couldn’t agree more: “Only 20% of causes report having a formal, written marketing…

  • Dove Real Beauty Sketches: Responsible Marketing, I think.

    Andrea
    19 Apr 2013 | 5:11 pm
    If you haven’t already seen this “Dove Real Beauty Sketches” clip that everyone is posting on Facebook, take a gander: Dove once again pulls through in this touching video about how women view themselves in such poor light compared to how others see them. It is sad how women are especially critical of every mole, point, curve, bump, and supposed flaw on their bodies.Dove does a wonderful job conveying that we are our worst critics and you need to be confident in who you are because others do see you as beautiful. Dove’s message: “Imagine a world where beauty is a source of…

  • Announcing the 2013 Master Recycler Composter (MRC) volunteer training!

    Patrick
    16 Apr 2013 | 10:50 pm
    You probably know Outsource Marketing has been awarded a Best Workplace for Waste Prevention and Recycling for six years straight, right? Now you do. Did you also know that 60 percent of what goes to Cedar Hills Regional Landfill could be recycled? The King County Solid Waste Division is looking for outgoing individuals who want to inspire others to reduce waste and recycle more. Learn all about the do’s and don’ts of curbside recycling, including food scrap recycling, and then put your training to work through volunteer outreach. This FREE training is open to King County…
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    Web Strategy by Jeremiah

  • Google better organizes our world –and sells us back the experience

    jeremiah_owyang
    15 May 2013 | 2:15 pm
    Above Photo:  Google showcases interconnected screens at Google IO conference in SF. By Chris Silva (cross posted) and Jeremiah Owyang, Industry Analysts at Altimeter Group Last year’s over hyped skydiving was replaced by down to earth by grounded product enhancements. We’re live from the Google IO conference in SF with 6,000 developers, press, and media in San Francisco’s Moscone event center. We noticed a lot of Glass Explorer units (which surprisingly was barely mentioned in the keynote) we’ve purchased two to test, and will write up a detailed post on them after we’ve done a…

  • Resources: Converged Media, Integrating your Paid, Owned, and Earned

    jeremiah_owyang
    15 May 2013 | 5:08 am
    Is Facebook paid, owned or earned? The answer is yes. Facebook is all. They integrate advertising units along with content created by brands on their Facebook pages, and allow for consumers to share their opinions right in the comments. Sometimes, ads look like social content, and it’s hard to distinguish the difference. At Altimeter, we see this convergence only increasing, and these Venn diagrams will continue to have overlapping circles of paid, owned, and earned. To meet this converging media types, Altimeter kicked off a research project with Rebecca Lieb (a fantastic speaker in…

  • Social Business Buyers Invest in Scaling

    jeremiah_owyang
    14 May 2013 | 5:08 am
    Brands Focused on Managing Social Proliferation For those that like to be where they money be, this data is for you. Altimeter’s research continues to survey buyers of disruptive technologies, and continues our coverage on social technologies. In our recent Q4 survey to enterprise buyers, focused on marketing business decision makers, which are global national corporations with over 1000 employees, we posed a series of questions in our survey battery. In particular, we wanted to find out where decision makers are bullish on investing and found the following trends on marketers with…

  • Dear Brands, Our Relationship has Changed

    jeremiah_owyang
    13 May 2013 | 9:16 am
    Dear Brands, I want an open relationship. All my life, we’ve had a committed and dedicated relationship. You told me what to buy, I bought it, bought it again. But now, it’s about to change. I don’t want to buy from you directly, I want to rent, subscribe, and borrow your goods. If I end up buying your product, I want to use it with others to resell, rent to others, swap or lend. It’s not you, it’s me. Our world has changed, and along with it my preferences. From a more socially responsible mindset, economic pressures to be efficient, and how easy technology…

  • The Three Market Drivers: Causes for the Collaborative Economy

    jeremiah_owyang
    9 May 2013 | 6:10 am
    Above Image: Fire Dancers metaphorically ignite movement in Union Square, the center of SF commerce. Your customers are trading products and goods –rather than buying them from you! Want to know why? We’re conducting research in a pragmatic method to find out why, and then answer what companies should do to respond. Below is a preview of the upcoming report. [Business Disruption: Consumers don't need to continually buy from companies, as they are sharing, renting, lending, goods & services among themselves] I’m knee deep in interviews for the upcoming report on this…
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    Future Visions

  • Photo sharing and storage is still very broken

    Jonathan Burg
    21 May 2013 | 12:29 am
    My primary camera is my mobile phone. I create a ton of media and want a great, free solution for backup, sharing and nagivation. But I can't seem to find any one platform that can do it all for me. Moving Into The CloudI have relied on Picasa for manual photo and video storage for the past three years. Their auto-tagging features are a breeze, making navigation and discovery a pleasure. However, Picasa can get resource intensive, and in today's day and age, I'm looking for an automated cloud solution. And here's the kicker that no platform offers - auto-tagging my kids faces. My kids are too…

  • Forget Google Glass, this is the value of wearables

    Jonathan Burg
    6 May 2013 | 3:21 am
    The team at Eidos is really on to something here. Augmenting our reality, focusing our reality and enhancing our human experience rather than distracting from it. Art, science, health, culture, life... this is the future of computing. Eidos - Sensory augmentation equipment (full version) from TJB on Vimeo.

  • Imitation is the sincerest form of plagiarism

    Jonathan Burg
    24 Apr 2013 | 10:35 am
    Here's the latest Evian commercial, which my kids adore and I thought was pretty original. And here's a Turkish commercial for water from a few years ago...

  • Where is the luxury phone market?

    Jonathan Burg
    24 Apr 2013 | 5:49 am
    A Ford is a great car and it's fine for the general public. But there is also a large, premium/luxury market for the discerning enthusiast and people of means. Where is our luxury phone market? Firstly, there is a real market need. Every device on the market has it's trade-offs. The HTC One has the nicest feel in the hand and a stunning screen, but the camera and polish of the Android skin leave something to be desired. The iPhone and the Lumia have stunning cameras but each have their own tradeoffs. The Galaxy S4 has a nice camera, but a horrible plasticy feel in your hand. And virtually all…

  • In breaking news, the market demands a rumor mill

    Jonathan Burg
    22 Apr 2013 | 12:26 am
    By the third day after the Boston attacks, we all knew that the breaking news rumors in social media and on 24 hour networks were likely less than accurate. Yet, despite the inaccuracy of this information and with our skepticism meters running high, we found ourselves glued to Twitter and the 24 hour networks.  Here's the sad truth: in a time of crises, we thirst for information to quench our frenzied minds. We want this information so badly that we will lower our standards and tune in to real-time and social sourced quasi-journalism. Is this good for the news industry? Does it hurt the…
 
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    Des Walsh dot Com

  • Establishing the Business Value of Social Media for a B2B Company

    Des Walsh
    21 May 2013 | 7:07 pm
      Business Value of Social Media for B2B In discussing social media with business-to-business (B2B) companies, I find one of the key challenges in developing the conversation is that a lot of the reference points – what people have absorbed about or experienced of social media – is in the business-to-consumer (B2C) space. For example, a quite interesting report I read yesterday, about responsive or otherwise various brands are to questions on their chosen social platforms, was all about companies, many of which clearly sell to other businesses, but all of which, as far as I…

  • How Frequent Should Blog Posts be in a Professional Services Firm?

    Des Walsh
    7 May 2013 | 1:02 am
    When I speak to various groups about social media and specifically about blogging, I am regularly asked, “How often should we blog?”. I used to give a fairly standard, generic response along the lines of  “at least once a day for five days when you are starting out, then at least three times a week once you’re established”. But  a few conversations with people in professional services firms led me to think that response was a bit too generic and not necessarily helpful for specific firms. So I did some research to see what others had to say on the subject. I…

  • Why We Should be Grateful for Difficult Customers

    Des Walsh
    30 Apr 2013 | 8:49 pm
    It’s normal to be annoyed but let’s not waste the gift It’s perfectly normal, isn’t it, to react defensively or in a generally negative way when we feel a customer is being difficult? By which we mean they are being unreasonable, insensitive, rude, or simply annoying. And even the most zealous advocate of superior customer service will surely agree there is a limit to how far we should be expected to go with the old “customer is always right”, principle. Because, objectively speaking, sometimes customers can be quite unreasonably demanding, or just plain rude. But…

  • Naming a New Podcast

    Des Walsh
    28 Apr 2013 | 6:58 pm
    I’m planning to set up a new podcast and am having a challenge finding a good name for it. From some work I’ve done over the past weekend, I found Brian Casel’s comments about the subject on the Mashable site, in his excellent post 7 Tips for Launching Your Podcast Site, rang true for me: Pick something that is both memorable and speaks to your topic/audience. It’s my opinion that direct, descriptive names work better than abstract or overly creative names. Before you can hook your audience with your killer smile and groundbreaking content, you’ll need them to…

  • Being Found on LinkedIn for Your Ideal Search Terms – Demonstration

    Des Walsh
    21 Mar 2013 | 6:15 pm
    Back in January I posted here about being found on LinkedIn for your ideal search terms and promised a follow up with a demonstration, using an example of something I had done in that regard.  Here it is. Demonstration: adding “social media marketing” keyword To test the effect of adding a keyword phrase, I added the phrase “Social Media Marketing” to my profile, in a prominent position. I chose that term because, with the relatively new LinkedIn feature of skill endorsements, the skill I have been endorsed most for – so far by 161 people – is Social Media…
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    Affiliate Marketing Tips from Super Affiliate Zac Johnson

  • How ReputationChanger.com is Cleaning Up Your Online Reputation

    Zac Johnson
    13 May 2013 | 8:55 am
    When is the last time you did a search for a company, product or brand through Google? It was probably recently and something you probably also noticed was that some negative results appear at the top of the search engines. This of course makes sense, as Google wants the best content to appear for all search users. However, if you are a company that is appearing in the search results and people are seeing negative feedback, this is something that you definitely don’t want. So what are the options that you have? In many cases some companies will just leave their results as is and try to…

  • How to Make Money Online with Little Investment – Part 3

    Zac Johnson
    10 May 2013 | 2:33 pm
    Now that we have covered the basics of building your own business online for just a few dollars and mapping out your business model and how to find a winning niche, now it’s time to put everything into action. Since this is the last part in the series, let’s do a quick recap. The purpose of this three part series was to allow anyone to get started with their own site that has potential to generate income and possibly turn into a nice side business without the need to spend a lot of money in the process. Here is how we broke down the initial spending to set everything up. Domain…

  • How to Make Money Online with Little Investment – Part 2

    Zac Johnson
    9 May 2013 | 2:23 pm
    In the first part of this series we talked about the different ways that you can make money online, such as Facebook Ads, media buying and search marketing. The problem with all of these methods is that they all cost a lot of money and are based off having advertising budgets. Since we are trying to focus our efforts on starting an online business with little investment, we are not going to use these methods. Instead we are going to focus on creating a web site that we can focus our content on, grow over time and eventually rank in the search engines to bring in monthly recurring income…

  • How to Make Money Online with Little Investment

    Zac Johnson
    7 May 2013 | 4:55 pm
    When it comes to making money online you have a lot of options, but each of them is special in their own way. Some will take more money to get started, others will take time and some will require you to learn processes and know what methods work and which don’t. Before we just into a method (and three part series) that you can start using to earn your first few dollars online with a very small investment, let’s take a look at some of the most popular online business models right now. Pay per click marketing – You will need to have money to spend on search advertising and…

  • Top Sites That Pay Bloggers to Write Review Posts

    Zac Johnson
    5 May 2013 | 4:41 pm
    There are a ton of different ways to make money online, one of these ways is to make money in the paid review writing business. There are plenty of writing services out there and many of them will make payments through Paypal and can pay anyway from $25 to $100+ per paid post depending on article content and the site it is getting published on.. Check out the following list of sites that will pay you to write paid reviews on your sites. 1. Pay Per Post This is a new version of PayPerPost which has no busy dashboard, no more Advertiser-set prices, no more waiting for blog approval. Minimum…
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    Chad's Blog

  • Raising the Barr Weekly Memo: Know Thy Customer

    Chad Barr
    22 May 2013 | 6:50 am
    Issue No. 20 May 22, 2013 Raising the Barr Weekly Memo: Know Thy Customer Raising the Barr is a weekly memo, which is always pithy, powerful and succinct. It focuses on innovative ideas by maximizing your life and business while leveraging strategy, content, technology and the web, to help you transform the success. This week’s reflection point: What would driving be like without my SiriusXM radio in the car? There is nothing like blasting the speakers, while cruising in my convertible and admiring the beautiful scenery of lush green around me. And that is where my story begins. Last…

  • How To Break Through a Business Plateau?

    Chad Barr
    17 May 2013 | 5:00 am
    © Chad Barr 2013. All Rights Reserved.

  • Raising the Barr Weekly Memo: Move The World

    Chad Barr
    15 May 2013 | 6:48 am
    Issue No. 19 May 15, 2013 Raising the Barr Weekly Memo: Move The World Raising the Barr is a weekly memo, which is always pithy, powerful and succinct. It focuses on innovative ideas by maximizing your life and business while leveraging strategy, content, technology and the web, to help you transform the success. This week’s reflection point: For quite some time I have been suggesting that remarkable, provocative content is the critical aspect of one’s thought leadership. And to clarify, by content I mean, articles, position papers, audio books, booklets, eBooks, books, videos,…

  • Chad Barr Keynote at the 2012 CAPS Convention

    Chad Barr
    10 May 2013 | 5:00 am
    © Chad Barr 2013. All Rights Reserved.

  • Raising the Barr Weekly Memo: Let Me See Your Calendar

    Chad Barr
    8 May 2013 | 8:24 am
    Issue No. 18 May 8, 2013 Raising the Barr Weekly Memo: Let Me See Your Calendar Raising the Barr is a weekly memo, which is always pithy, powerful and succinct. It focuses on innovative ideas by maximizing your life and business while leveraging strategy, content, technology and the web, to help you transform the success. This week’s reflection point: Of all the projects you wish you had accomplished and have not yet, how many have you placed on your calendar to execute? When talking with many of my clients, we often discuss the projects they want to accomplish in the immediate future.
 
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    @andrewchen

  • I’m training new Growth Hackers. Email me.

    Andrew Chen
    20 May 2013 | 11:46 am
    Short version If you’re an engineer or designer looking for a new role, and interested in working with me- please send me a note and introduce yourself. (You don’t have to be in the Bay Area). Here’s my email: voodoo@gmail.com. I’ll reply back to you personally and we can chat more! Also, feel free to forward this on to anyone else that might fit. Here’s the longer version :) Dear readers, A year ago, I wrote a post on Growth Hackers that’s now become the most popular post ever on this blog, in the 5+ years I’ve been writing it. The term has…

  • Does your product suck? Stop adding new features and “zoom in” instead

    Andrew Chen
    16 May 2013 | 11:32 am
    [Adapted from an answer I wrote on Quora, and thought I'd share it on my blog too.] Adding a lot more features won’t save your product Everyone’s worked on a product it’s failing despite a ton of work behind it. It’s not for lack of great ideas, or a lack of bright minds working long and hard on the product. In the startup world, often this comes because after a new product is launched, there’s a Trough of Sorrow where features are often added to try to spark traction. After a few months of this, and a few shifts in direction, it’s easy to get a…

  • Linkedin, Facebook, Google, Twitter, eBay, YouTube, Wikipedia, Amazon, Hotmail, Blogger, Apple: How they used to look

    Andrew Chen
    13 May 2013 | 10:00 am
    This is an oldie but a goodie I had to share again- here are some screenshots of early web products, some close to their inception, some a couple years later. If you have some other screenshots of early products, be sure to tweet me at @andrewchen and I’ll try to put them up.

  • The critical metrics for each stage of your SaaS business (Guest post by Lars Lofgren of KISSmetrics)

    Andrew Chen
    6 May 2013 | 11:30 am
    [My friend Lars is a product marketer at KISSmetrics and loves helping SaaS businesses understand how their business is growing. He writes regularly for the KISSmetrics blog and his personal marketing blog. He wrote the following post about SaaS products and the metrics you use to evaluate their success level. Lots of great information in there. You can follow Lars at @LarsLofgren -Andrew] How healthy is your SaaS business? We’re bombarded with KPIs and an endless series of metrics to tell us how we’re doing. But instead of using data to measure our progress, it’s much more likely that…

  • The death of RSS in a single graph

    Andrew Chen
    29 Apr 2013 | 9:45 am
    Google Trend graph for “rss” – bad news. I recently wrote a blog post about moving all my RSS readers to email subscriptions, and I immediately got 30+ negative comments on it. Obviously it struck a cord. I still believe what I said, and here’s some more data and reasoning to back it up: RSS has been dying for years First off, the image above is the Google Trends search on “rss” over the last few years. That tells you how many people are searching for RSS on Google. To me, that’s the best indication that as a consumer-facing technology,…
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    David Binkowski.com

  • Too Soon? Facebook Already Changing GraphSearch Bar

    20 May 2013 | 7:43 pm
    Recently Facebook took the search world by storm launched GraphSearch, their supposed answer to Google's search dominance. You know, your friends know better than a collection of experts on a topic, right?  Facebook's GraphSearch has been, in a word, abysmal. The results are irrelevant or non-existent and, even worse, they can't find basic Facebook-specific content which forces you to Google it

  • Everything That's Wrong With Social Media in One GIF

    10 Jan 2013 | 6:13 pm
    I submit to the jury:

  • Companies Should Avoid "Socialteering"

    2 Nov 2012 | 11:34 am
    In the wake of Hurricane Sandy, I've seen brands doing Like or retweeting promotions whereby they'll donate money to the Red Cross et al for each action followers and fans take. Don't. Please, don't. I'm calling this distasteful phenomenon "socialteering". Damaging your brand by trying to capitalize on a tragedy is tasteless. Just donate the damn money and tell your fans that you did. You'll

  • Fake Facebook Likes and Twitter Followers -- And the Implications for Brands

    20 Sep 2012 | 6:05 am
    This post originally appeared on the Large Media blog. There's been a lot of talk about Twitter followers lately, including both presidential candidates, celebrities, musicians and the like utilizing services to game their numbers. Specifically, a lot of the "Top 10" have been found to have a substantial amount of fake followers, in some case to the point where 70% of their following is either

  • Understanding Ethical Blogger Relations

    16 Aug 2012 | 8:44 am
    I can't believe I'm writing this post in 2012 but as recent events have come to light apparently some advice about ethical blogger relations needed to be published as a reminder of what it means work with bloggers the right way. And by "right way", I'm not even going to touch myriad of "Don't call me a Mommy" or ignoring Dads or other issues that come from not knowing the people or space you're
 
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    Six Pixels of Separation

  • Welcome To The One Screen World

    Mitch Joel
    21 May 2013 | 7:56 pm
    Channel surfing got weird. There was this episode of All-Star Celebrity Apprentice this season that revolved around each team's ability to create a television ad for the consumer electronics company, LG. It wasn't really about a particular model of television or kitchen appliance. It wasn't about some new-fangled technology that would allow their washing machines to clean your clothes through some kind of micro-parcel technology. It was all about how connected these devices have now become. The television, the smartphone, the washer and dryer and yes, even the refrigerator are now…

  • CTRL ALT Delete. Reboot Your Business. Reboot Your Life. Your Future Depends On It. Today Is The Day

    Mitch Joel
    21 May 2013 | 4:48 am
    What are you going to reboot today? Today is the day. My second business book, CTRL ALT Delete, is now available. This book is broken up into two sections. Section one is titled Reboot: Business and in it, I define the five movements that have changed business forever that brands are doing little (to nothing) about. These aren't trends (as in, things that are coming). These are movements. They are here. They are backed up with data. They are massive. This will freak out many - but more importantly - provide an amazing opportunity for anybody (from startup to multinational) to take advantage…

  • Understanding Humans And Making Marketing Better

    Mitch Joel
    19 May 2013 | 5:31 am
    Episode #358 of Six Pixels of Separation - The Twist Image Podcast is now live and ready for you to listen to. There are certain people that business leaders and marketers should be paying a lot more attention to. Adam Alter is one of those individuals. He recently published his first book, Drunk Tank Pink - And Other Unexpected Forces That Shape How We Think, Feel And Behave, and it is a truly fascinating journey into the relationship between the forces of our environment and how this shapes the outcomes of our lives. Yes, it's deep stuff, but it is told in a very fun and compelling way (no…

  • Six Links Worthy Of Your Attention #152

    Mitch Joel
    17 May 2013 | 8:17 pm
    Is there one link, story, picture or thought that you saw online this week that you think somebody you know must see? My friends: Alistair Croll (BitCurrent, Year One Labs, GigaOM, Human 2.0, Solve For Interesting, the author of Complete Web Monitoring, Managing Bandwidth: Deploying QOS in Enterprise Networks and Lean Analytics), Hugh McGuire (PressBooks, LibriVox, iambik and co-author of Book: A Futurist's Manifesto) and I decided that every week the three of us are going to share one link for one another (for a total of six links) that each individual feels the other person "must…

  • The Most Important Thing You Will Watch All Week

    Mitch Joel
    17 May 2013 | 6:24 pm
    Have you thought about education lately? When you say the word "education," most people run in the opposite direction. I dropped out of university (and, if I am to be candid, I was dragged - kicking and screaming - through both elementary and high school). But, I still never allowed my school to get in the way of a good education. I always had sparks of curiosity and the desire to be creative in whatever work I was trying to accomplish. I always had a deep passion to learn, read, write and create (regardless of how bored I was in classrooms). Now, many places in the world have an…
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    Chris Pirillo

  • The Lone Ranger

    Chris Pirillo
    21 May 2013 | 11:47 am
    The Lone Ranger Not too many more days left of being a Lone Ranger when Diana is practically on the trail and homeward bound! Even though I confessed in Pirillo Vlog 392 that I’ve not yet seen an episode of Doctor Who, I know that my Doctor Who fan friends have been wondering how to pass the... Read the full article on http://chris.pirillo.com/

  • Can Man Live on Bacon Alone?

    Chris Pirillo
    20 May 2013 | 4:53 pm
    Can Man Live on Bacon Alone? In Pirillo Vlog 391, we ponder the ultimate question that gets asked whenever the house is filled with the scent of what I like to call “nature’s air freshener”: Can man live on bacon, alone? According to fellow bacon aficionado Heather Lauer in her... Read the full article on http://chris.pirillo.com/

  • In a Bit of a Pickle

    Chris Pirillo
    19 May 2013 | 12:11 pm
    In a Bit of a Pickle Is there anything more emasculating than not being able to open a jar with the power of your own bare hands? In Pirillo Vlog 390, we examine the increasing difficulty of opening modern containers in the 21st century. I think the machines have it in for us. They’re trying... Read the full article on http://chris.pirillo.com/

  • Sushi is Scary and I Want My Edamame!

    Chris Pirillo
    18 May 2013 | 11:14 am
    Sushi is Scary and I Want My Edamame! How do you introduce someone who’s never had it before to the wonderful world of sushi? Craighton Miller was brave enough to accompany me to dinner and give it a try, and it’s documented right here in Pirillo Vlog 389! Usually, if someone’s... Read the full article on http://chris.pirillo.com/

  • How to Scare the Crap out of Yourself

    Chris Pirillo
    17 May 2013 | 1:40 pm
    How to Scare the Crap out of Yourself I’m not going to tell you where it happens (though viewer comments may contain spoilers), but there’s a part of Pirillo Vlog 388 where I totally lose my cool. “But Chris,” you say, “when were you ever cool?”... Read the full article on http://chris.pirillo.com/
 
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    Common Craft - Common Craft - Our Product is Explanation

  • HuntingEnglish's Top Ten Explanation Tips

    leelefever
    20 May 2013 | 11:54 am
    English teacher Alex Quigley (@HuntingEnglish) recently shared his top ten explanation tips: A few gems: 1. ‘Know what the students know’ when planning your explanation: All great teachers have an excellent knowledge of their students. This knowledge is paramount in pitching the explanation just right. Vygotsky’s ‘zone of proximal development’ is key here – the explanation should be matched to the audience: not too complex as to be unintelligible to the students, but not too simple or unchallenging so as to bore the students and prove uninteresting. By knowing your students you…

  • Seth Godin on Learning by Analogy

    leelefever
    20 May 2013 | 10:49 am
    Marketing genius and author Seth Godin recently wrote about the use of analogy in educating others and frames an idea that's near and dear to my heart:   Marketing, like all forms of art, requires us to learn to see. To see what's working and to transplant it, change it and amplify it.   We don't teach this, but we should. We don't push people to practice the act of learning by analogy, because it's way easier to just give them a manual and help them avoid thinking for themselves.   The opportunity is to find the similarities and get ever better at letting others go first--not with what…

  • Want a Successful Revolution? Find an Explainer

    leelefever
    17 May 2013 | 10:47 am
    Jason Kottke pointed me to a passage from the Kurt Vonnegut novel Bluebeard, where he outlines the three types of specialists that are needed for success in a revolution. Remarkably, one is an explainer.     Here’s the passage: Slazinger claims to have learned from history that most people cannot open their minds to new ideas unless a mind-opening teams with a peculiar membership goes to work on them.   Otherwise, life will go on exactly as before, no matter how painful, unrealistic, unjust, ludicrous, or downright dumb that life may be.   The team must consist of three sorts of…

  • So, How's The Book Doing?

    leelefever
    14 May 2013 | 11:20 am
    About 6 months ago, my first book was published: The Art of Explanation. Being my first, I didn’t know what to expect from the process, the reviews, the sales, the marketing. Thankfully I found my way through and now have some information on how it’s been received. First, let me start by offering a HUGE thanks to all the people who have purchased the book. You rock. I wish I could thank you more personally. I hope it has helped you think differently about how you communicate.   So how IS the book doing?   A few factors helped me get some sense of how the book has been received since it…

  • Know-How Screencast - Animate Cut-outs in PowerPoint (Basic)

    leelefever
    8 May 2013 | 7:44 am
    This short video shares the basic steps to animating Common Craft Cut-outs using PowerPoint.  It is part of series focused on helping you make Common Craft Style videos and presentations using common tools.   Note: the "custom animation" functionality used below may appear differently in various versions of PowerPoint, but the basic ideas should be consistent across versions and in tools like Keynote. Watch: Reading this in email?  Watch here.  Want to get started? Check out our library of Common Craft Style Cut-outs. This video is part of the "Know-How" section of Common Craft, where we…
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    Drew's Marketing Minute

  • So you want a career in advertising?

    Drew McLellan
    21 May 2013 | 4:18 am
    I was recently contacted by a college student who asked if he could interview me for one of this classes.  One of the questions he asked is one I get a lot, so I thought I’d share my answer with you here. If you aspire to be in our business — I hope it helps.  If you’re already in the business — what did I miss? What advice would you give to anyone who was aspiring to enter the field of advertising? Yikes… there are lots of things to know but here are some of the biggies. You cannot do it alone so surround yourself with really smart, good-hearted people who you can…

  • Moving your prospects to the next step

    Drew McLellan
    17 May 2013 | 4:15 am
    When you’re creating any sort of communication aimed at a potential buyer, you want them to do what? When I ask this question, I typically hear a range of answers like: • Know more about our business • Understand how we’re better than our competitors • Wonder if we’re the right fit for them And of course…. • Buy what we sell! All of that is probably true. But it’s too complicated. No matter how or where we’re communicating with a prospect, what we should want them to do is… take the next step. Your job is simply moving your prospect to the next step. That next step might…

  • How does your paper resume stack up to this?

    Drew McLellan
    1 May 2013 | 1:02 pm
    The world has changed.  Things are different.  This is the new normal.  This ain’t your grandaddy’s marketing. We can say it a million ways but some folks just aren’t going to get it.  Or at least not yet. With the tools out there, the connections that can be made and the audience’s diminishing tolerance for being shouted at — there are many things we need to do differently.  Including finding a job. Check out this slideshare (PPT) presentation that Lorenzo Galbiati sent me as he embarks on a job hunt.  ( if you want to chat about career possibilities) GO…

  • What do consumers want from brands?

    Drew McLellan
    24 Apr 2013 | 5:06 am
    That’s the age-old question, isn’t it? When you think about everything we’ve experienced in the last decade and a half – from the Y2K scare to 9/11, Iraq and then the recession – no wonder that a certain level of insecurity about the future has become a permanent part of our psyche as we ease into 2013. What today’s consumers want most today is security and contentment. No doubt these wants are being shared by people’s economic outlook and circumstance, which most categorized as uneasy. Interestingly, here are some other key needs that our consumers expect brands…

  • Marketing is getting the details right

    Drew McLellan
    15 Apr 2013 | 4:48 am
    Marketing is getting the details right.  And its always the simple things that companies mess up.  Lt me give you an example. As you may know, I travel quite a bit. I’m a big believer in maximizing my travel by being a loyal brand consumer…which gains me status, points and makes my travel life easier and more convenient. I try to only fly United and whenever I can, I stay in a Marriott hotel. That affords me sort of an insider’s view of both of these businesses but still interacting with them as one of their frequent consumers. We’ve talked before about the value of…
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    Social Media Clubhouse

  • Teenagers: Why You Should Care About Your Digital Footprint

    chelseahickey
    22 May 2013 | 3:22 pm
    Social networking is an exciting way to stay informed, grow relationships and have fun. An often forgotten point is that with social networks come preferred practices, things you should know about your privacy and how your digital footprint can be affected. Whether it's your first day on Facebook or you've been on forever and have 300 friends, a lot of teens probably don't know about their digital footprint. That's okay, as long as you learn about it here, before you turn around and get bitten by your posts. Your digital footprint is the data trail you leave with everything you do online.

  • Class of 2013: Learn to Follow if you want to Lead

    basilpuglisi
    21 May 2013 | 11:19 am
    The title is as true for life as it is for Social Media, "great leaders come from those who learned to follow first". Leadership is not taught in a classroom, it begins during the higher education experience and develops when you become a part of a student group, club, internship or work in student affairs. Those opportunities are what separate the educated from employable professionals. Social Media is very much the same way, if you want to be effective as a thought leader, you'll need to be a follower, first. read more

  • +1, Try +41 by Ethan Parry

    ethan
    20 May 2013 | 12:14 pm
    In the world of social media, we have shares, likes, tweets and +1s. The latter is used on Google’s social network, Google+. I must admit that I haven’t been the most active on Google+, but after reading this article I decided that I should at least create a page for the company where I work. Even though Google+ lags slightly behind Twitter and Facebook in terms of users, it is gaining in popularity. I still prefer other social networks, but remain optimistic about Google+’s future. I was made especially aware of the potential for Google+ after watching the announcements made at…

  • Why Isn't My E-Mail Being Opened?

    cyaris
    19 May 2013 | 4:02 pm
    You do everything right.  You send a weekly or monthly email newsletter to your clients and customers, When it comes to content, you’re sharing and writing great stuff.   But, your email is still not getting opened.  You feel like all you are doing is banging your head against a virtual wall with no results, and you have no idea why they won’t open it. Every email you send falls into one of three categories:  Now.  Later.  Never.  (Thank you to Constant Contact for this information).  And for the most part, it is really just Now or LaterNever (thank you to Ellen Williams for…

  • Insights from The CMO Club Innovation Summit - @MargaretMolloy

    16 May 2013 | 11:49 am
    In this episode of Marketing Made Simple TV, Margaret Molloy, Chief Marketing Officer of Velocidi sits down with host Jeff Ogden and shares key take-aways from The CMO Club Innovation Summit in NYC. Learn what's on the minds of leading CMOs today. read more
 
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    SocialFish

  • Start a Fire in Your Social Network

    Maddie Grant
    22 May 2013 | 4:30 am
    Just conducted a fun webinar last week for the nice peeps at Higher Logic, on engagement in your online community.  Here are the slides for your viewing pleasure.  This is a small snapshot of the extensive information we teach in our Private Community Management Program – sign up for the wait list here. Start a fire in your social network…okay, not a literal fire. Instead gather the materials you need to start sparking interest and activity within your membership about this member benefit they all should be using. We all know launching a private social network is much easier than…

  • IMPORTANT: 2013 Nonprofit Engagement Data Management Study

    Maddie Grant
    21 May 2013 | 5:00 am
    Check it out!! From the NTEN blog: When it comes to tracking and using “engagement” data – the actions, interactions, and even conversations that relate to an organization’s work but don’t necessarily represent the transactional or financial data that have been traditionally used for measuring an organization’s health – today’s nonprofits are either tracking a lot, or hardly anything at all. And very few organizations are applying that data to make decisions about their programs or measure their strategic outcomes. That’s what we found when we, with Avectra, surveyed…

  • How Promoted Hashtags Can Ruin Your Online Campaign Efforts

    Shane Jones
    20 May 2013 | 5:00 am
    Let’s evaluate the potential opportunities that can instill positive feelings and compel followers to share, participate and engage in social conversation. One of the most surefire ways to encourage conversation on your nonprofit or association is through the use of hashtags on Twitter.   But in order to carry out a successful campaign that instills positive feelings, we must use judgment and minimize risk.  We can do so by looking at a famous previous campaign that has gone poorly for a brand, which will show you just how promoted hashtags can crush your online efforts.

  • Off topic: 80′s DC Punk Memorabilia Archive

    Maddie Grant
    17 May 2013 | 5:00 am
    Just for fun, I randomly decided I was going to archive a big pile of old concert flyers from the 80′s when I was growing up in DC and had the privilege of hanging out with the likes of Fugazi at Fort Reno Park.  (Speaking of which, I wrote an homage to them last year, a sort of social media ode. LOL.) So for archiving purposes, I’ve started a DCpunkrock Tumblr.  If you were around and in the scene then, or have friends who were, I’d be grateful if you would let them know, in case they want to add to the archive. I might need to change the theming so people can upload…

  • Crowd Empowered Microfinance

    Maddie Grant
    16 May 2013 | 5:00 am
    Here’s a followup post by Dan Marom, after he shared some insights last week into his book about the Crowdfunding Revolution.   ———————— Below is a preview of a chapter I wrote on Crowd Empowered Microfinance in the book Microfinance in Developing Countries, edited by Jean-Paul Gueyie, Ronny Manos, and Jacob Yaron. Microfinance is a multi-billion dollar industry with a rich history for supporting entrepreneurship and its endeavor to end global poverty. In recent years, we have witnessed the rise of crowdfunding, an industry devoted to…
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    Christopher S. Penn

  • Beware of checkbox marketing!

    Christopher S Penn
    22 May 2013 | 3:49 am
    Does this sound familiar? When you’re looking to buy a product or service, especially as a business, there’s a list of must-have features. A/B split testing. Dolby Surround Sound. Retargeting. If a product or service doesn’t have the features that you or your executives read as “must-have”, you give it a pass. Does this sound familiar? When you’re in product development, you have a laundry list of features that the best in class competitor has, and you’re comparing it to your own. At every turn, things that actually need to get done get bumped in…

  • Changing your mind in a suit

    Christopher S Penn
    20 May 2013 | 3:36 am
    Ever notice that business is getting more and more casual? I certainly have. Dress codes have been relaxed almost to the point of “please just wear clothing”. That’s okay – the more latitude you give people, the more ability you give them to differentiate themselves. That’s one of the main reasons I love to wear a very formal business suit on things like customer visits and on stage, complete with the seemingly unnecessary necktie. It’s a differentiator as more people get more casual. There’s an even more esoteric reason for doing so beyond surface…

  • What Warcraft teaches us about selling convenience

    Christopher S Penn
    17 May 2013 | 3:51 am
    One of the easiest paths to profit in World of Warcraft is to have a mage visit the various cities in the game and pick up stock items from various vendors and resell them at obscenely high prices. For example, here’s my mage visiting the engineering company in the game to buy some blueprints from him for 2 gold coins. She’ll resell these plans on the in-game market, the auction house, for anywhere between 20 and 437 gold, depending on how lazy the customer is feeling, and someone will buy them without fail in the next 48 hours. Why wouldn’t the customer simply go to the…

  • Mailbag: Single or double opt-in for email?

    Christopher S Penn
    16 May 2013 | 3:25 am
    Ellen Butler asks: “Do you require double opt-ins on your email list signups? Pls discuss! @cspenn @johnjwall” Since we’ve got a pre-recorded show in the can this week for Marketing Over Coffee, I figured I’d tackle this here. Let’s review the choices first. When it comes to opt-ins for email lists, there are 3 different kinds: Single opt-in: fill in the box, you’re subscribed to the list. Notified single opt-in: fill in the box, you’re subscribed to the list and you get an email message confirming your subscription with an opt-out link. Double…

  • Losing for the win

    Christopher S Penn
    15 May 2013 | 4:01 am
    Last night at the Boston Martial Arts Center I had an interesting experience while coaching one of the green belt students on some avoidance techniques. The drill was simple: I swung at the student with a foam-padded bopper and after avoiding a relatively slow swing, they had to hit a padded target. It’s a drill of avoidance and footwork on one hand, and accuracy on the other. The drill encourages not only good technique, but presence of mind – you can’t just wildly avoid or you’ll be out of position for the target hitting. What was interesting to me wasn’t the…
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    Socialmedia.biz

  • Find your voice in the social media crowd

    Chris Abraham
    22 May 2013 | 5:11 am
    Photo courtesy of Grant Neufeld (Creative Commons) How enemies, unfollowers & churn can be a good thing Every other week I like to remind you that you’re being a social media wuss. And, by wuss, I mean you’re being too much of a social media “nice guy”; spending too much time worrying about what others think. You spend too much time trying to get everyone to like you. You’re always afraid of stepping on toes or offending anyone. You’re especially afraid of getting fired. If you’re honest with yourself, that’s your biggest fear: losing your job if you’re an…

  • Attract customers to your community with content

    Guest
    21 May 2013 | 5:11 am
    Guest post by Mackenzie Fogelson SEOmoz.com Everybody is talking about content. And everybody’s writing content. Social media specialists, agencies, marketing departments, probably even your mom. And a lot of it isn’t pretty. Hopefully, by now, you got the memo that if you want your content to grow your business, it should be good. And hopefully you’re ready to do something about it. There is a very tiny yet very significant theme to keep in mind — a shift in perspective — that is important to embody when you’re generating content for your website, blog, and social media outlets…

  • Does your infographic tell a story?

    JD Lasica
    20 May 2013 | 5:09 am
    Make sure you do more than throw numbers at readers Target audience: Businesses, infographics specialists, marketing professionals, designers. Ilove infographics. And I love storytelling. But rarely do the two meet in any meaningful way. So I couldn’t resist the chance to share a new infographic from one of Socialmedia.biz’s clients, Charles Schwab. When Schwab hired us to create a series of infographics for the company, we spent considerable time developing a storyboard that was mindful of their brand while conveying a message that was as much about people and behavior instead of…

  • Top 5 CRM platforms for small business

    Guest
    16 May 2013 | 5:11 am
    Insightly, SugarCRM, Nimble, Zoho CRM lead way Guest post by Megan Totka Chief Editor, ChamberofCommerce.com At some point, a growing small or medium-size business comes face to face with a basic question: How do we manage our relationships with our customers? By using customer relationship management (CRM) software, a business owner can track customers’ shopping and buying habits, information about new prospects, sales, vendors, past interactions via social media and more. A good CRM system organizes all this information and makes it easily accessible, allowing team members to work…

  • Can you build an audience while maintaining intimacy?

    Chris Abraham
    14 May 2013 | 5:11 am
    Photo by practicalowl (Creative Commons) Yes. In fact, you must. Just don’t go on social auto-pilot and start collecting people You know how much I am obsessed with long-tail blogger outreach, right? I am a man possessed! That said, I really don’t collect people. People don’t like being collected. As people, we don’t like being part of a menagerie. While it’s easy to collect people, it’s even easier to take them for granted, and there’s probably a tipping point. I have been consulting some bouncing social media babies recently, and they’re doing it right.
 
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    Gauravonomics

  • Future of Engagement #9: Social Live Experiences

    gauravonomics@gmail.com (Gaurav Mishra)
    14 May 2013 | 1:45 am
    Organizations blend technology, community and location to create immersive experiences that blur the boundaries between online and offline. What are Social Live Experiences? Social live experiences blend technology, community and location to create immersive experiences that blur the boundaries between online and offline. Source: pochacco20 on Flickr The rise of social live experiences can be attributed to three broad trends. First, people are constantly live-streaming their experiences by posting updates, photos, videos and check-ins through location-aware smart phones and tablets, creating…

  • Future of Engagement #8: Collective Intelligence

    gauravonomics@gmail.com (Gaurav Mishra)
    28 Mar 2013 | 9:01 pm
    Organizations synthesize search, social and sensor data streams into insights that guide smarter actions. What is Collective Intelligence? Photo from jodiejaye on Flickr Collective intelligence involves analyzing the collective actions and feedback of people, finding patterns and trends, and sharing it back to aid understanding and guide action. Organizations, artists and changemakers are using collective intelligence to analyze opinions and behaviors, identify patterns and trends, and recommend actions or inspire change. The rise of collective intelligence can be attributed to three broad…

  • Future of Engagement #7: Transmedia Storytelling

    gauravonomics@gmail.com (Gaurav Mishra)
    10 Mar 2013 | 8:36 pm
    Media organizations, changemakers, and brands create cross-platform storyworlds to drive participation, action and loyalty. What is Transmedia Storytelling? Photo from xavitalleda on Flickr Transmedia storytelling involves telling a story across multiple media platforms – including TV shows, movies, graphic novels, books, games, mobile apps, microsites, social networks, online communities and offline events – in a way that each platform explores different aspects of the same storyworld. Media organizations, changemakers, and brands are using transmedia storytelling to create immersive…

  • Future of Engagement #6: Social Curation

    gauravonomics@gmail.com (Gaurav Mishra)
    3 Mar 2013 | 6:56 pm
    Media, organizations and brands curate content to drive social engagement. What is Social Curation? Photo from peterhellberg on Flickr Social curation involves aggregating, organizing and sharing content created by others to add context, narrative and meaning to it. Artists, changemakers and organizations use social curation to showcase the full range of conversations around a topic, add more nuance to their own original content, and set the stage to crowdsource content from their community members. The rise of social curation can be attributed to three broad trends. First, people are…

  • Learning Chinese

    Gaurav Mishra
    16 Feb 2013 | 11:25 pm
    Here is a brief introduction to my life in Shanghai, in English, Chinese, and Pinyin, thanks to Google Translate and my Chinese teacher ShaSha. Photo from pagedooley on Flickr Hello. My name is Gaurav. I am Indian. I am thirty three years old. I work in marketing, but sometimes I think of myself as a thinker and writer. I want to write many books. I want to use my ideas to change the world. Two and a half years back, in September 2010, I first came to China for work. Since then, I have come to China many times for work, mostly to Beijing and Shanghai. Six months back, in September 2012, I…
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    GigaOM

  • If Fisker goes for $20M, that’s an over 99 percent discount from its peak valuation

    Katie Fehrenbacher
    22 May 2013 | 4:10 pm
    Following a tsunami of bad news for electric car maker Fisker Automotive earlier this year, the company has been silent in recent months, as it’s been figuring out what will happen to it: will it be acquired, will it sell off its assets, will it declare bankruptcy? Well, according to Reuters, a group of investors that includes former General Motors exec Bob Lutz and Chinese auto tech company Wanxiang are offering to buy Fisker for $20 million in a prepackaged bankruptcy deal. If Fisker is bought for $20 million that would mean the company would be bought for less than 1 percent of its…

  • Google plans to bring its own voice search to the iPhone and iPad

    Erica Ogg
    22 May 2013 | 1:53 pm
    Google’s own version of Siri is coming to the iPhone and iPad “soon,” according to the company. On Wednesday Google announced an update for its Chrome app is now available for Android and that another update for the Chrome for iOS app will follow “over the coming days” and include Voice Search. From Google’s blog post about it: “You can now speak your searches into the omnibox. Touch the microphone, say your search query aloud and see your results (in some cases spoken back to you), all without typing a single letter.” Unlike Siri, this is not…

  • Survey: Share your thoughts on Microsoft’s Xbox One

    Jenn Marston
    22 May 2013 | 1:18 pm
    This Tuesday, Microsoft announced the Xbox One, which the company is calling an “all in one home entertainment system.” Through voice and gesture commands, users will be able to stream music, watch live TV, play games, and access apps. Is this the future of the living room or mere hype? We ask you, GigaOM readers, to weigh in with your thoughts. Note: Survey results will be posted on GigaOM Pro (subscription required). For survey participants who are not subscription holders, email pro-info@gigaom.com for a copy of the results. Related research and analysis from GigaOM Pro:Subscriber…

  • Twitter does the two-step, gets serious on security with new authentication feature

    Jeff John Roberts
    22 May 2013 | 12:47 pm
    After a series of high profile hacks, Twitter is finally getting serious about log-in security with a new feature that will require users to enter an extra pin code when using non-familiar devices. The feature, known as “two-factor” authentication, is already used by companies like Google and Apple and works by sending a pin code via text message to a user’s cell phone. Twitter has details and a tutorial video here. The decision to add an extra security feature comes after hackers have repeatedly gained control of high profile Twitter feeds. The most prominent example…

  • Jennifer Lopez gets into the mobile dealer biz, founding Viva Movil

    Kevin Fitchard
    22 May 2013 | 12:43 pm
    Verizon Wireless is going after the Latino market through a new venture called Viva Movil and it’s getting a little bit of help from Jennifer Lopez. The new venture, owned by Lopez, retail chain Moorehead Communications and mobile supply chain manager Brightstar, will have its own physical and online stores, but the devices and service plans all will be Verizon’s. Speaking at a Verizon press conference at CTIA Wireless, Lopez said that there are 52 million Latinos in the U.S. with a combined purchasing power of $1.2 trillion annually, presenting a huge opportunity for a premium mobile…
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    Marketing Land

  • Marketing Day: May 22, 2013

    Matt McGee
    22 May 2013 | 2:04 pm
    Here’s our daily recap of what happened in online marketing today, as reported on Marketing Land and other places across the web. From Marketing Land: Google Analytics Updates Goals Set-Up Flow, Adds New Templates & Offers A Verification Option Google Analytics announced a number of new... Please visit Marketing Land for the full article.

  • Google Analytics Updates Goals Set-Up Flow, Adds New Templates & Offers A Verification Option

    Amy Gesenhues
    22 May 2013 | 1:53 pm
    Google Analytics announced a number of new updates today to Goals, including a new set-up process, new templates, and a new verification option. Goals are created at the profile level, and can be started by navigating to a user’s account, property, and profile from the admin tab. Once the... Please visit Marketing Land for the full article.

  • Twitter Adds Two-Factor Authentication Option Amid Recent Twitter Account Hijacks

    Barry Schwartz
    22 May 2013 | 12:51 pm
    Twitter announced they’ve added two-factor authentication in order to help better secure Twitter. Recently, there has been a large increase in the number of high-profile Twitter accounts being hacked into. Such examples include the AP Twitter account, MTV Twitter account and many more. Many... Please visit Marketing Land for the full article.

  • Official: Google Confirms “Conversational Search” Is Live In Chrome

    Danny Sullivan
    22 May 2013 | 12:02 pm
    Now, you can speak your queries to Google on the desktop in the way you can on mobile devices and get responses spoken back. It’s pretty impressive, but more impressive is the way this new “conversational search” takes what you’ve previously said and “remembers”... Please visit Marketing Land for the full article.

  • Twitter’s Lead Generation Card Now Live For Selected Brand Advertisers

    Matt McGee
    22 May 2013 | 11:41 am
    After testing a lead-gen capable tweet internally, Twitter has now expanded the product to a select few brand advertisers — and more will, no doubt, be able to access the technology soon. Twitter announced its new “Lead Generation Card” today. It gives brands a chance to drive new... Please visit Marketing Land for the full article.
 
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    Econsultancy

  • Tapping into the minds of your audience: The psychology of social media

    Chris Lee
    22 May 2013 | 7:15 am
    Many digital marketers make a common error from the outset when planning their content marketing campaigns. The tendency is to think "what shall we give our audience?" when it is just as important to ask "why should they care?" I am fascinated by the whole psychology of social media: What motivates people to take certain actions, such as overshare the minutiae of their life, or angrily "out" brands on social networks rather than complain directly to them in private, or retweet unproven allegations (and therefore get sued), and so forth?As well as these inevitable threats there lie…

  • How The Rolling Stones use Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Google+

    David Moth
    22 May 2013 | 1:39 am
    It’s time again for us to shine a light on how one of the world’s biggest brands use the four main social networks. However unlike in previous weeks when we’ve focused on consumer brands such as Coca-Cola, BMW, Red Bull and Nike, this week the subject is The Rolling Stones. The Stones are obviously very different from the other brands we’ve looked at in that they have a dedicated, global fan base, but they’ve still got to try and maximise their revenue by flogging concert tickets and merchandise. With ticket prices what they are this is no easy task, particularly when targeting…

  • How the top 10 US retailers use Pinterest

    David Moth
    21 May 2013 | 6:18 am
    Pinterest is no longer the darling of the social media world, but its relationship with brands has become cosier recently with the launch of its business pages and new updates that enable companies to show product information on their pins. The power of Pinterest as a tool for driving traffic and sales is an issue we’ve investigated extensively on the blog, as well publishing a Best Practice Guide on the subject. However some brands remain unconvinced and either don’t have an account on the social network or give their pages limited attention. So to find out who is yet to jump on the…

  • Yahoo's Tumblr acquisition sends clear message to advertisers

    Patricio Robles
    21 May 2013 | 5:42 am
    It's official: Yahoo has purchased popular blogging platform Tumblr for more than a billion dollars - $1.1bn to be exact.The internet's latest nine-figure acquisition is probably one most industry observers wouldn't have predicted. After all, despite that an ex-Googler, Marissa Mayer, is at Yahoo's helm, there were few prior indicators that she was looking to make a billion dollar purchase. And if there had been, Tumblr, while incredibly popular, doesn't seem like the company that would have made it to the top of the list as Yahoo's track record with acquisitions of user generated content…

  • Six brands that have been busy experimenting with Google Hangouts

    David Moth
    21 May 2013 | 3:51 am
    We’ve been keen exponents of Google Hangouts for some time here at Econsultancy as they’re a great way of sharing content and promoting our brand. In recent weeks we’ve hosted several Hangouts as part of our preparations for Integrated Marketing Week which has helped us to identify and iron out a few bugs with the system. Our head of social Matt Owen has become something of an expert on Hangouts as a result and yesterday blogged his tips for hosting a successful event. Currently I feel that Hangouts are one of the few reasons for bothering with G+ as user interaction with brand updates…
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    Convince and Convert

  • How the “Disrupted Generation” Responds to Marketing

    Stefan Pollack
    22 May 2013 | 4:00 am
    In the summer of 2012, as I sat around with my colleagues in our conference room one afternoon, we were jolted by an “aha” moment.  We realized that the coming of age of the newest generation, the iGen (or generation Z) is right now and that there would be another disruption similar, but different, from the one of the past decade. It was time to hustle and really scrutinize this generation, which turned 18 in 2012. So we examined deeper… iGen is a generation born with consumer-driven capitalism at its core and altruism at its heart. Never before has there been a generation so globally…

  • 6 Ways to Make More Out of Your Facebook Ad Campaign

    Ben Plomion
    21 May 2013 | 4:00 am
    Whatever you think about Facebook, there’s one thing that’s hard to dispute: Mark Zuckerberg isn’t afraid to mix things up and try new strategies, and that’s especially true when it comes to advertising. If you don’t follow the social network closely, it’s easy to miss the newest advertising tools and tips. Let’s take a quick look at six things you can do to get more out of your Facebook campaign right now. 1. Don’t Let Facebook Do Your Bidding If you’re advertising a Facebook Page, Event, or App, and you don’t pay close attention, you might think you’re only option…

  • Smart Marketing is about Help not Hype

    Jay Baer
    18 May 2013 | 7:00 am
    Can I please get your help making my new book a smash hit when it releases next month? Please watch this… Through speaking engagements and such, I’ve sold a lot of copies of Youtility, and we’re headed toward the best-seller lists. But I could use a hand from you to make sure it does even better. We’ve produced thousands of hours of free content here, and I don’t ask for much. But I REALLY need you this week, please. Until Friday, you can take advantage of a collection of exclusive book-related bonuses, not available anywhere else. Plus, free shipping anywhere in…

  • Contagion, Social Media, and Why Things Catch On

    Jay Baer
    17 May 2013 | 4:00 am
    Jonah Berger, Wharton @j1berger Jonah Berger, Marketing Professor at the Wharton School, joins the Social Pros Podcast this week to discuss his bestseller Contagious: Why Things Catch on, the science behind those viral marketing hits, and the importance of setting realistic and helpful goals with a viral marketing campaign. Read on for some of the highlights and tweetable moments, or listen to the full podcast. Please Support Our Sponsors Huge thanks to our amazing sponsors for helping us make this happen. Please support them; we couldn’t do it without their help! This week: From…

  • 3 Ways to Use Google to Be Better at PR

    Carrie Morgan
    16 May 2013 | 4:00 am
    I’d like to let you in on a secret that most PR pros don’t think of: some of the easiest placement opportunities you’ll EVER land for a client (or your employer) are found using the most common online tool you can think of. Google. It’s completely under-appreciated as a PR tool. Let me share a few specific details, so you can get your company or your clients more business online. After all, when you do things that other PR pros don’t think of doing, or don’t know to do, it puts you that much further ahead of the game, right? It’s a win for you and for your clients. 1. Use…
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    Stories Above New York

  • W 66th Street, Lincoln Center Theater

    Stewart Mader
    22 May 2013 | 2:01 pm
    Photographed from the President’s Bridge.

  • 40 Wall Street, 70 Pine Street

    Stewart Mader
    20 May 2013 | 8:50 am
    Photographed from the penthouse of 70 Little West Street (The Visionaire).

  • New York Rooftop Bars

    Stewart Mader
    16 May 2013 | 9:49 am
    Seeing – and photographing – New York from stories above is a great way to take in the grandeur and magnanimity of the city. I’ve updated my list of New York rooftop bars, restaurants, and cafés in time for summer, when the largest number of open-air venues are open (several have retractable roofs and are open year-round as well). This list is also available in Foursquare. 230 Fifth 20 stories above 230 5th Avenue 212-725-4300 230-fifth.com Alma Restaurant 3 stories above 187 Columbia Street 718-643-5400 almarestaurant.com Asiate 35 stories above 80 Columbus Circle…

  • Look Building, 488 Madison Avenue

    Stewart Mader
    13 May 2013 | 10:56 pm
    The Look Building, so-named because it once housed the editorial offices of Look Magazine, a bi-weekly publication that emphasized photography and counted among its staff the future filmmaker Stanley Kubrick. Bob Dylan recorded “The Times They Are a-Changin’” in the studio of music publisher Witmark & Sons, another tenant. The building was awarded landmark status by the Landmarks Preservation Commission in 2010. Photographed from the 22nd story of 477 Madison Ave.

  • Pillars of Civilization

    Stewart Mader
    13 May 2013 | 9:42 am
    Dean Robinson of the New York Times writes about architect Renzo Piano’s comments on cities in a BBC interview (53 min) about the opening of London’s tallest building, The Shard: When Piano speaks of cities as “great human inventions” and basically civilization itself, and then insists that “you don’t give up the idea of city . . . and by defending city you have to defend the intensity of exchange and density, because the idea, the romantic idea, of the little village, it does not work” — well, the thinking feels right. The idea that towers are the pillars of…
 
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    The Online Community Guide

  • Important People

    Richard Millington
    22 May 2013 | 5:13 am
    Set up Google alerts for your topic and the word book. You want to find people that are publishing a book relevant to your topic. Invite them to a live interview for the community and ask for 20 copies to giveaway. Authors are very keen to reach this specific group of people. Look on LinkedIn for people that have recently joined a relevant company at a high position. Invite them to do an interview for the community talking about their life and career. Create a regular column of people on the move within your sector (Jeremiah did this well for years). Afterwards, ask if they would like a…

  • Restraining A Monster

    Richard Millington
    20 May 2013 | 11:30 pm
    If you don't try to prevent your community from doing something bad, you're morally responsible for the outcome (perhaps legally responsible too). It might be fun to join the Amy Baking Co fan page and watch the increasingly furious, aggressive, messages. It might be fun to let your members relentlessly hound someone they (and you) dislike. Yet actions have consequences. You can't predict what happens when your members hound an increasingly unstable person. Especially one whose business and reputation has been publicly destroyed. History suggests this has the potential for…

  • Review Your Existing Community Plans

    Richard Millington
    19 May 2013 | 11:30 pm
    As part of our consultancy, we spend a lot of time reviewing a client’s existing plans for a community. There are a variety of things we look out for. Some we’ve listed below: Strategy Do you have clear, ROI, goals? i.e. not likes/engagements but one of these? Do you have a framework for measuring the health, progress, and ROI of the community? Is this framework logical and valid? Have you set a specific time to collect and analyze the data you need? Are your data collection methods valid? Is your community concept clear and based upon research you’ve undertaken? Are you taking the…

  • Join Us And Change How People Build Communities

    Richard Millington
    18 May 2013 | 7:02 am
    Let’s try this again, we’re hiring.  We’re looking for someone that wants to change how people build communities. The current approach is completely wrong. It is too reactive, too focused on platforms, and too similar to marketing. As a result, most communities fail. Even those that succeed struggle to reach their potential. By applying the principles of social science, we can change this. This is a message we want your help in spreading    Community Advocate  We’re hiring a community advocate. We’re hiring someone that can build positive relationships with a…

  • Investing Social Capital

    Richard Millington
    16 May 2013 | 11:30 pm
    Social capital is the value of the connections between members. This encompasses both the quantity and quality of those connections. Over time, communities build up social capital. What do you do with this social capital? You invest it in community projects. You invest (not spend) the social capital in projects which will benefit the community in the future. This means establishing a goal. This means asking members to work on a task that is too complex for a single person but benefits the community in the long-term. This might be creating a resource for newcomers, organizing a series of live…
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    Daily Blog Tips

  • Do You Use The “30 Days to a Habit” Strategy?

    Daniel Scocco
    22 May 2013 | 6:33 am
    The premise: many studies and researches found that successful people tend to have more habits (positive habits, mind you) when compared to average people. That’s because habits add consistency and discipline to your professional and personal life, traits that are essential to reaching your goals. Examples of positive habits one can have: Exercising for 30 minutes every morning Meditating before going to sleep Remembering and using the first name of everyone, on every interaction Learning a new foreign language every couple of years Settings goals for the day every morning Reading a…

  • Tool to Measure the Speed of Your Website

    Daniel Scocco
    15 May 2013 | 7:05 am
    A couple of weeks ago I came across an interesting tool to measure the loading speed of your website. The tool was created by Pingdom, and it basically loads your website, tracking the time at each stage of the process. It’s called Pingdom Website Speed Test. Once the test completes you’ll with a score (varies from 0 to 100), the number of requests performed (i.e., how many elements were loaded), the total load time and the total size of your page. Here’s how DailyBlogTips scored: On top of that you’ll also get access to a detailed break-down of all the elements that…

  • The eBay Affiliate Program Case

    Daniel Scocco
    7 May 2013 | 6:23 am
    If you have been building websites or working with Internet marketing for a while you probably already visited the DigitalPoint forum. It’s the largest and one of the oldest online, and it’s owner, Shawn Hogan, was well known in the Internet marketing circles. A couple of years ago I read around the web that Shawn was facing some legal troubles with his affiliate marketing activities, but there weren’t many details about the issue. Fast forward to the present day and it seems that the problems he was facing were both real and serious, according to a recent article on…

  • Internet Marketing 101: Basic Elements of Sales Pages

    Daniel Scocco
    1 May 2013 | 9:16 am
    Last week I linked to a post which contained 10 tips for creating effective sales pages. While all the tips mentioned are solid, I think they don’t cover all the elements you need to include on a sales page, so I decided to list them. Here you go: 1. Benefits As I explain in this post, benefits sell, not features. And since benefits are what your customer is looking for you should always start the sales pitch with them. 2. Story This is the only item which I think is optional, and its use depend on the type of product you are selling. For instance, if you are selling an ebook about…

  • Tips to Create Effective Sales Pages

    Daniel Scocco
    24 Apr 2013 | 9:12 am
    If you already have a sales page, or are planning to build one soon, you should check out a post from my buddy Karl Staib, titled 10 Tips to Create a Sales Page that Converts Prospects to Customers. Karl goes through the strategies that worked well on his own sales pages, including the best practices of the industry. For instance, here’s one of the strategies mentioned, which many people overlook: 4. Share Your Technique Giving people advice that is valuable can be a little surprising to people. Many companies will hide their best information from you, so you have to hire them. When you…
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    Louis Gray

  • Mobile Data Goes Up, Phone Calls Go Down, Can't Explain That

    2 May 2013 | 1:11 am
    By the end of last month, Verizon was regularly sending me updates on how close I was to reaching the top of my 4 gigabyte data cap available in the plan I share with my wife. A little over two weeks in, I had used more than two gigabytes, after three weeks a third, and by the end of the billing cycle, I could have hit maximum capacity, had I just left my favorite Spotify playlist on play and asked all my apps from Google Play to update simultaneously.But I was nowhere near capacity for our shared voice plan. Not by a long shot. In fact, the month saw a record low in our actual voice…

  • Devoxx France Video: Early Adopters, Press and Social Media

    25 Apr 2013 | 3:01 pm
    Last month, I had the opportunity to travel to Paris, France and speak at Devoxx 2013, with a focus of helping startups raise their "visibility seed round". Often, companies focus on their product, and yes, to raise money - but there's a missing piece, gaining the first customers and first press. Before stepping on to the stage, I sat down with fellow Googler +Alexis Moussine-Pouchkine to talk about mistakes company often make in reaching out to first users and press, and how they can leverage social media.We also talk a bit about Google Developers Live (+GDL), the program I manage,…

  • Fifteen Signs You're a Fitbit Fanatic

    19 Apr 2013 | 10:06 pm
    Two years ago (to the day, surprisingly), I highlighted four squared (16) ways to tell if you've become a Foursquare addict. In the ensuing two years, I've continued to enjoy my regular checkins from place to place, but I've got another obsession that also tracks my comings and goings - not in where I go, but what I do, with the Fitbit. Fitbit, as I described in March, has the potential to take your every day activity and match you up against friends, rewarding you with virtual badges and making you exercise more than you might otherwise.I'm having a blast telling everyone I know who doesn't…

  • Pictures, Or It Didn't Happen on Mobile

    19 Apr 2013 | 10:06 pm
    Foursquare made waves two weeks ago with the launch of their newest application, which more broadly emphasized recommendations, discovery and tips from friends than the original use of the app - a simple checkin, alongside the race for badges and mayorship as you traveled from place to place. Some sites called it the death of the checkin altogether, not wanting to miss an opportunity to be sensational.But the application's refresh did more than take the focus of all my minor comings and goings. It made photos an even greater part of the experience, putting pressure on me, more than ever…

  • All Hands Meetings: Good, Bad and the Ugly

    19 Apr 2013 | 10:06 pm
    Whether at a startup or a Fortune 500 company, culture and communication with colleagues can have an incredible impact on morale and the bottom line. Amass enough naysayers, and the negative inertia can drag down the optimists. Similarly, a well-timed rallying cry can spur troops to close out the quarter on an up note, and help others be willing to work extra hours for a shared goal. One of those opportunities for shared discussions is the company-wide all hands meeting, led by management, typically starring the CEO. In my dozen-plus years in the Valley, from the tiniest of startups, to my…
 
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    THINKing

  • Quotes On Creativity

    Harry Hoover
    21 May 2013 | 12:02 pm
    Other Posts You Might LikeQuotes On CreativityQuotes On CreativityQuotes On CreativityZemanta

  • Quotes On Creativity

    Harry Hoover
    20 May 2013 | 11:04 am
    Other Posts You Might LikeQuotes On CreativityQuotes On CreativityQuotes On CreativityZemanta

  • Assignment Creativity: Urban Photo Adventure

    Harry Hoover
    14 May 2013 | 7:18 am
    Creativity happens when you let it, not when you try to force it. That’s why you get your best ideas when running or showering. Your mind is typically in neutral in those situations and ideas seem to occur spontaneously. So, what can you do to put your mind in neutral and spark some creativity? You can go on an urban photo adventure. Instead of just seeing your city, observe it. Look at things you’ve passed by hundreds of times, but in a different way. Here are a few suggestions to guide your photo excursion. Leading lines. When you look at a photo, your eye naturally follows…

  • Color Your Brand

    Harry Hoover
    24 Apr 2013 | 11:14 am
    When you think of your favorite brands, what comes to mind first? I often think of a color, and apparently I’m not alone. Saw this article over at Social Media Today talking about the role of color in marketing. The article says that, Visual cues help drive buying behavior, and color is the most persuasive element: 85% of shoppers say color is a primary reason why they buy a particular product. Additionally, the post contained an infographic of brands and their color schemes, and it occurred to me that I’d know a lot of those brands by color scheme alone. Big red circle with a…

  • Recycling Is Good For Your Content

    Harry Hoover
    22 Apr 2013 | 9:03 am
    Since it’s Earth Day, we thought we’d discuss recycling – recycling your content, that is. Have you successfully recycled your content. Let’s review a few ways that I have given old content new life. Pull a few blog posts on the same subject and turn it into a white paper or e-book. That’s what we did with this piece on personal branding. Then, you could turn that e-book into a presentation. Got the presentation ready? Pin one of the images from the presentation onto Pinterest. Or just create a board and pin away, as I have with the personal branding topic. Also,…
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    Firebelly Marketing

  • Has Social Media Changed The College Experience For The Better?

    Charlotte Hancock
    30 Apr 2013 | 7:11 am
    I stumbled across a blog post a few weeks ago about how social media was ruining the traditional college experience. To me this seemed like a bold statement and more a matter of opinion. A large percentage of millennials are in college or heading to college this fall – it is interesting to think about how the generation with the highest social media consumption is experiencing college differently. The integration of social media is inevitable and offers some enhancement to the experience. 1.    Finding Roommates Pot luck. The greatest fear of any pre-freshman student. What could be…

  • Facebook Graph Search Optimization: 5 Must-Reads

    Chad Richards
    29 Apr 2013 | 12:01 pm
    What should you do to optimize your Facebook page for Graph Search? Find out in these 5 must-reads. What Facebook Graph Search Means for Your Business By Kelly Jo Horton Graph search is Facebook’s social solution for connected search. It is a search algorithm that delivers results based on connecting the dots in the mountains of data Facebook has collected from its billion users. Results are served up based on relevancy and relationship rather than keywords. So what does this mean for your Facebook brand page? It means it’s time for businesses to get social, and I do mean social. Graph…

  • Firebelly Goes To The 2013 TechPoint Mira Awards Gala

    Kelly Rynard
    24 Apr 2013 | 11:16 am
    Saturday, April 20 was the 2013 TechPoint Mira Awards – Firebelly was named a finalist in Marketing Technology Excellence & Innovation category . We are honored to be named one of “The Best Of Tech In Indiana” among the tech greats of Indiana. Check out Duncan’s video, where he talks about being a finalist in a recent blog post: Firebelly Is A 2013 TechPoint Mira Awards Finalist. The evening began with a lovely cocktail and interactive dinner at the JW Marriott in Downtown Indianapolis. The Grand Ballroom was bustling with people dressed to the nines in tuxedos…

  • Millennials And The Need To Stay Connected

    Charlotte Hancock
    23 Apr 2013 | 8:00 am
    Millennials do not want to miss anything – we check our phones as soon as we are awake, clutch them all day, and finally fall asleep after a nightly update. For millennials, checking social media is as routine as brushing our teeth or eating dinner. Millennials have a need to be connected and fulfill this through constantly texting, updating social networking sites, and responding to emails via smartphone. InsightExpress conducted a survey of how millennials use social networking and mobile devices to stay connected. Here are some interesting things that were found: 1.  One in five…

  • What Facebook Home Means For Marketers: 5 Must-Reads

    Chad Richards
    22 Apr 2013 | 6:00 am
    Facebook has rolled out Facebook Home, a mobile experience that “puts your friends at the heart of your phone.” But what does this mean for marketers and brands? Find out in this week’s must-reads below. Facebook Home: What’s in It for Marketers? By Andrew Cherwenka Facebook introduced the launch of Facebook Home, ending rumors of a custom-built social phone dating back to 2008. What is it and what does it mean to marketers? What does Facebook Home mean for marketers? By Natalie Brandweiner Facebook’s objectives and users’ are once again in conflict. Users…
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    ConverStations

  • Make Good Small Choices

    Mike Sansone
    9 May 2013 | 2:15 am
    Since October, my wife and I have been focusing our walk and work to serving in a local rescue mission and with our homeless neighbors – specifically in the area of recovery. One of our most repeated and shared mantras has been, “Make Good Small Choices – They Add Up to Big Results.” Many times in life – and business – we try to swing for the fences every time. Too often we find ourselves in knots or falling over. Sometimes both at once. With the still quickening pace of change and tools, small business owners and rural business might often find better…

  • To a Wonder-Filled 2013

    Mike Sansone
    1 Jan 2013 | 3:19 am
    Happy New Year! Here’s to 2013 being a year filled with wonderful times and opportunities to be profitably courageous and positively contagious. Angela and I have invested the previous months focusing our time and energy on a mission field. Our ministry work (Lk 14:23, Mk 16:20) has been fulfilling and, at times, stretching – and we look forward to more exercise in 2013. As I begin to return some attention to business, the work I do will be focused on helping business grow using the SmallBizTracks model. Personal and Spiritual writings will be found on my Armchair Articulations…

  • Movement Avoids Overwhelm

    Mike Sansone
    1 Nov 2012 | 5:41 am
    Some of life’s biggest projects are best traveled in small steps. I’ve heard that relocation is one of the three most stressful times of life (along with a wedding and a funeral). Moving has so many … moving parts to it, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. It would be easy to adopt an “I don’t know where to begin” attitude – a sticking point to getting stuck. Begin somewhere and maintain movement, focusing on one task at a time. Don’t worry about seeing the destination at the starting line. This practice has served well in my life, most recently…

  • What Gives You the Chills?

    Mike Sansone
    24 Oct 2012 | 5:57 pm
    Here’s J.J. Abrams (Lost, Super 8, Revolution) and one of my favorite question-askers/storytellers, Morgan Spurlock (A Day in the Life, Super Size Me) in a short video about choice, technology, and how to know which possibility to go after: Can't see the video in your RSS reader or email? Click Here! Isn’t this true with some of the Social Media choices we face? With so many choices – which do you go after? Certainly not all of them – that would turn into a slow process of none of them. Go after the one that thrills you first!  Hate Facebook but love Pinterest?  Go…

  • One Duck at a Time

    Mike Sansone
    24 Oct 2012 | 3:21 am
    Ducks in a Row vs. Ducks in a Bunch. I’ve talked about this before. For most of us, getting your ducks lined up before you start something can be disabling. It’s like waiting for all the lights to turn green before you leave the house. While some folks need to move from Ducks in a Row to Ducks in a Bunch to get going, there are many others that need to take things One Duck at a Time. Maybe that’s you. If you’re having a tough time getting started, stop trying to herd ducks – just attend to one duck at a time. That’s what we’re doing at Small Biz…
 
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    New Marketing and Interactive

  • 100 Lean Startup Tools and Resources

    dean@deanwhitney.com (Dean Whitney)
    19 May 2013 | 5:13 pm
    Over time we have worked with dozens of tools and resources to help clients with business, marketing, design and programming. After a while it got hard to keep track so we started keeping a list. We... An early pioneer in interactive media, sought after speaker and leading expert on search and social media marketing, Dean Whitney is the Founder of Dean Whitney Interactive.

  • How colors affect conversions [infographic]

    dean@deanwhitney.com (Dean Whitney)
    3 May 2013 | 1:15 pm
    Color affects conversions because it has a powerful psychological influence on the human brain. Learn how others have harnessed it and how you can do the same. Here’s a great infographic from... An early pioneer in interactive media, sought after speaker and leading expert on search and social media marketing, Dean Whitney is the Founder of Dean Whitney Interactive.

  • Kick the Bank with a KickStarter Crowdfunding Campaign!

    dean@deanwhitney.com (Dean Whitney)
    20 Apr 2013 | 9:50 am
    By now you’ve probably heard of the whole crowdfunding boom and Kickstarter.com. Essentially, crowdfunding enables folks to raise money for just about anything from a crowd, or community... An early pioneer in interactive media, sought after speaker and leading expert on search and social media marketing, Dean Whitney is the Founder of Dean Whitney Interactive.

  • Manage Your LinkedIn Company Page in 5 Minutes Per Day

    dean@deanwhitney.com (Dean Whitney)
    12 Apr 2013 | 3:11 pm
    As you probably already know, LinkedIn is by far the best platform for making B2B connections online and an increasingly effective way to find superstar talent. It's also becoming an increasingly... An early pioneer in interactive media, sought after speaker and leading expert on search and social media marketing, Dean Whitney is the Founder of Dean Whitney Interactive.

  • Geek mixtape – 6 awesome songs from tech ads

    dean@deanwhitney.com (Dean Whitney)
    20 Mar 2013 | 8:56 pm
    We love tech and ads and music so I thought I’d put together a little tech ad mixtape blog post. Here’s 6 awesome songs from tech ads. Blackberry Z10 ‘Keep Moving’ Commercial... An early pioneer in interactive media, sought after speaker and leading expert on search and social media marketing, Dean Whitney is the Founder of Dean Whitney Interactive.
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    Direct Marketing Observations

  • What’s Next for Tumblr?

    marc meyer
    21 May 2013 | 5:08 am
    Yahoo’s recent announcement of its intent to purchase Tumblr has brought out the virtual fangs. Lets take a look at some of the more creative responses. Tumblr users are passionate and are worried about what will happen to their platform. Is that passion enough to keep their pages safe from being “Yahoo’ed?” If the deal goes down, Tumblr as you and I once knew it, may be done. Though the spin is that Yahoo will not screw it up, it’s tough to think that advertising, for example, does not become a focal point of the pages. The evolution of a “social”…

  • Yelp is Broken and Social Flashmobs Apparently Rule

    marc meyer
    17 May 2013 | 11:03 am
    I was just reading about the social media meltdown of Amy’s Baking Company in Scottsdale, if you’re not familiar with it, the restaurant was featured on Chef Gordon Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares production that airs on the FOX Network. To give you a quick recap, things did not go well for the owners of the restaurant and for the second time since Ramsay has been doing the show, he walked away and essentially refused to help the restauranteurs out.  This act in and of itself says a lot since in his own right, Ramsay can be pretty irascible. So for something to essentially send him…

  • When content turns into an ad

    marc meyer
    14 May 2013 | 10:12 am
    It can’t be good… I was going to go off on a rant, but the fact of the matter is…it can’t be good. You feel duped and cheated and misled.

  • The Way Social Media Used To Be

    marc meyer
    2 Apr 2013 | 8:20 am
    From the cartoonery of John Atkinson and WrongHands we give you… Vintage social networking.

  • Is Social Currency Counterfeit?

    marc meyer
    21 Mar 2013 | 8:58 am
    Check out this image. Now I’m pulling this next blurb from Vivaldi Partners via wikipedia but pay attention to it: Vivaldi Partners defined social currency as the extent to which people share the brand or information about the brand as part of their everyday social lives at work or at home. Now, let’s fast forward to an article that Jay Baer wrote in which he states that online influencer outreach is overrated: I’m not suggesting that influencer outreach is useless or should be abandoned. But, it’s not magic beans. It needs to be looked at for what it actually is – the top…
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    The Engaging Brand

  • What is strategy?

    Anna Farmery
    22 May 2013 | 5:45 am
    Strategy in business is one of those phrases that can make a grown person cry....because it is used with such business jargon as paradigm shift, proposition, strategic imperatives.....all of which are totally unemotional and not at all engaging. Leaders may sound clever using the business jargon but they don't sound passionate, they may sound worldly but they don't sound human! And leaders may have the job title of leader but have they engaged people to follow? The question is this...would you try and sell your product or services to customers with this kind of slogan "There is a strategic…

  • SMS Marketing in Business Statistics

    Anna Farmery
    21 May 2013 | 5:31 am
    Marketing in business has grown in complexity - not in terms of the aim but in the array of choices of how we reach the customer. Digital marketing has grown from blogging to social networking to many more social media marketing tools and of course with the rise of the tablet or smartphone, mobile marketing is becoming another area to consider.... I have been researching mobile for business over the last few years and wanted to share with you this infographic from Slicktext which looks at specifically SMS marketing. I will ask the guys to come on The Engaging Brand podcast to explain in more…

  • How to understand the US in bUSiness

    Anna Farmery
    20 May 2013 | 6:16 am
    There has always been an irony for me - that the term 'a business' sounds impersonal, separate and almost intangible! Yet business is all about people, it is emotive, personal and brought to life through connections and collaboration. When coaching I try and concentrate on the word 'US' in business because if we understand their true value then we grow our business. Us is wide in definition and covers... US= How well you collaborate with your colleagues US= How well you connect the vision to the team and the team to the business vision. US= How well you connect to the outside world -…

  • Show 435 - Best Practice for Online Collaboration

    Anna Farmery
    19 May 2013 | 3:03 am
    The Engaging Brand podcast covering social marketing, business ideas and brand marketing tips has a new episode but before we start...The listener winning an Engaging Brand goodie bag - picked from all the people who share, like, tweet about the show to say a BIG thank you from me! - is Jeannie Bolstridge. Anna Farmery talks with Lionel Roux from Wimi - a company Wimi specialising in collaborative work tools. We discuss Collaboration online - why are people reluctant to it? What is the strength of collaboration online? What about security of cloud - is this a barrier to growth?

  • What is the meaning of your life?

    Anna Farmery
    18 May 2013 | 8:09 am
    Our little weekend thought tries to inspire you to think differently about your life, your career, your business and this week I want you to....relax! Too often we take life too seriously, we look at meanings behind everything.....we look for hidden meaning in the gestures of others, the words of others, why we are here etc etc But remember...the only meaning you need to consider is this What do you want YOUR life to have meant? When you are out in the garden, at the gym this weekend think less about the meaning of life...and focus on the meaning of YOUR LIFE.
 
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    Polygraph Media Blog

  • Data Proliferation and the rise of the Chief Data Officer

    Chris Treadaway
    8 May 2013 | 12:50 pm
    Quick update today -- the "data proliferation problem" is just a theme I've heard from a lot of conversations recently. A fellow "data" startup CEO mentioned to me the other day that he lamented just how hard it is to sell "data" and "data services" to people in brands and the enterprise.  Marketing departments have millions of dollars to spend on print advertising that they know does not work... but a modest $100,000 investment to help people understand their data opportunity requires significant explanation and is often met with blank stares.

  • SXSW Panel on OPD (Other Peoples' Data)

    Chris Treadaway
    5 Mar 2013 | 6:24 am
    SXSW Interactive2013 approaches... it's the the fifth year in a row I'm attending and the sixth in the last eight for me.  The event continues to thrive and is the one "must-attend" event of the year in my book. A few quick thoughts on the panel I was invited to join by Carter Rabasa of Twilio and Hung Truong of NewFoundry -- it's my first time speaking at SXSW.  I straddle marketing & technology professionally, and am speaking on the tech side in this session. Discussion will center on mashups and/or "OPD" -- other peoples' data.  To me, the…

  • What Lance Armstrong and Facebook Have in Common

    Chris Treadaway
    11 Feb 2013 | 6:28 am
    Today's blog post comes to you from our Business Development Manager, Craig Carter, who had a little fun speculating about Lance Armstrong and Facebook. I thought it was pretty amusing, so here goes... (Preface—Except for the Facts and Figures charted below, all statements are pure speculation and have not been confirmed by the World Anti-Doping Agency.) What do Lance Armstrong and Facebook have in common? The short answer is they have both given their teammates Performance Enhancing Drugs (PEDs).   Now before you go running off to the mountain top, screaming that Mark Zuckerberg is…

  • The folly of analytics and value of big data analytics

    Chris Treadaway
    6 Feb 2013 | 1:14 pm
    Analytics has become a hot topic over the last 12 months as middle-managers are asked tough questions by their executive stakeholders. For all the insanity around social marketing, mobile apps, and "conversations", many CMOs, CIOs, and CFOs want to know exactly what they're getting for their money.  Budgets are growing and advertising spend is fluid.  People want to know the impact of strategy changes and tactics tweaks. But don't worry.  This pattern is not just familiar to you in your business, it's happening everywhere. Middle managers have turned to analytics…

  • Polygraph: Solving & more importantly Explaining Big Social Data, Facebook

    Chris Treadaway
    15 Jan 2013 | 10:48 pm
    Howdy everyone -- it's been awhile since I've posted here.  Lots of work on Polygraph and a new addition to my family in the form of a baby.  Margot Ellen Treadaway was born on December 14th and is our first child.  Lots of life changes -- all good.  But the blog has taken a bit of a back seat recently. That's a-changin'.  Regular blogging is back for us as we bring Polygraph v2 to market.  I'll tell you more about that later. But for now, I thought I'd better explain how our business has evolved and where it is going.  For those of you who have followed…
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    Brass Tack Thinking

  • Connecting On LinkedIn the Right Way

    Amber Naslund
    13 May 2013 | 7:36 am
    Hi there...we've moved our RSS feed for Brass Tack Thinking, and we don't want you to miss a post. Update your Reader Now. This feed has moved to: http://www.brasstackthinking.com/feed/ Update your reader now with this updated subscription address to keep getting Brass Tack Thinking updates as usual. After all, we'd miss you if you left! Thanks for reading.

  • On Being Present In A Digital World

    Amber Naslund
    6 May 2013 | 2:51 pm
    Hi there...we've moved our RSS feed for Brass Tack Thinking, and we don't want you to miss a post. Update your Reader Now. This feed has moved to: http://www.brasstackthinking.com/feed/ Update your reader now with this updated subscription address to keep getting Brass Tack Thinking updates as usual. After all, we'd miss you if you left! Thanks for reading.

  • The Begrudging Death of the Social Media Superstar

    Amber Naslund
    30 Apr 2013 | 5:00 am
    Hi there...we've moved our RSS feed for Brass Tack Thinking, and we don't want you to miss a post. Update your Reader Now. This feed has moved to: http://www.brasstackthinking.com/feed/ Update your reader now with this updated subscription address to keep getting Brass Tack Thinking updates as usual. After all, we'd miss you if you left! Thanks for reading.
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    NTEN

  • Donate to the NTC 2014 Scholarship Fund! (A Past Recipient Shares Her Story of Change)

    Megan
    21 May 2013 | 7:08 am
    If you've been to NTC, you know that it can be an incredible event full of knowledgeable nonprofit techies. As Lyndal Cairns, a 2012 NTC Scholarship recipient, shares: Before I went to NTC, I was the only social media manager working in the HIV sector in Australia. In fact, I was the only nonprofit social media manager I knew; so I felt alone and rather adrift. I had reams of research and ideas aplenty, but I didn't know how to put it all together into a cohesive set of strategies. NTC taught me how to focus and evaluate our social media work, how to develop that into a set of actions, and…

  • 7th Annual Nonprofit Technology Staffing & Investments Report: A Closer Look (Staffing Levels)

    Annaliese
    20 May 2013 | 7:33 am
    Last month we released our seventh annual report on nonprofit investment and practices regarding technology.  You can download the complete report here, and don't forget the companion online benchmarking tool, where you can compare some of your organization's data against your peers in our research.I'd like to take a closer look at one aspect of our research and organizational practice: technology staffing levels.In our latest survey, we decided to ask about technology staffing levels differently.  Why? Because we know that the term "IT Staff" means something very specific to…

  • Member Round Up: Fundraising tips, new research, and tools

    Eileigh
    17 May 2013 | 4:12 pm
    Flickr: W.D. VanlueFundraising tips, some new (and free!) research and tools, and a list of creatures that walk a fine line between ugly and cute bring this week to a close--check out what your industrious community has been up to! As you refine your fundraising strategy and explore new ways of connecting with donors, check out Blackbaud's 2013 Online Marketing Benchmark Study for Nonprofits to compare your organization to others and gather new ideas. You can also watch Farra Trompetertalk about three ways to keep your donors engaged so that they stay with you longer. If your organization is…

  • Emerging Technology, Engaging Youth, and Your Mission: YOLO!

    Megan
    17 May 2013 | 7:46 am
    Flickr: jasonshimBy Jason Shim and Shubhagata Sengupta At Pathways to Education, we offer cross-cultural conflict resolution training called YOUCAN, and one of the first topics we cover with the students is that the analogy of an iceberg can be useful in understanding people.Typically, you only see about 10% of an iceberg above the water, and the remaining 90% remains submerged and unseen. We use this analogy to help students remember that when interacting and communicating with others, there is much underneath the surface that remains to be discovered through conversation and engagement.The…

  • NTEN Case Study: Financial Management in the Cloud

    Annaliese
    17 May 2013 | 7:00 am
    Kimberlee Roth Out-Word, LLC Jill Farrow, NTEN's chief financial and operating officer, quickly learned that "operationally, we at NTEN do everything in the Cloud," and that includes financial and operations management. When Jill Farrow, now NTEN's chief financial and operating officer, first toured the organization's Portland, OR, offices, she noticed something conspicuous in its absence. Puzzled, she turned to then executive director Holly Ross, who was giving her the tour and asked, "Where are the servers?"Farrow, who now laughs retelling the story, quickly learned that…
 
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    PsyBlog

  • How to Pick a Winner: A Psychological Trick to Improve the Odds

    Jeremy Dean
    20 May 2013 | 6:38 am
    Does thinking too specifically about a bet make you more likely to lose? I'm not, as they say, a betting man; but if I were I'd put down the form book and spend my time studying a new paper by Yoon et al. (2013) published in Psychological Science. The Korean researchers are fascinated by the question of whether thinking more carefully about a bet can actually make you less likely to win. In their first test of the idea they looked at 1.9 billion bets placed on baseball and soccer through a Korean company called "Sports ToTo". They wanted to see how people did when betting just on who won…

  • The Incredible Dating Power of a Guitar Case

    Jeremy Dean
    15 May 2013 | 7:00 am
    Would you give this man your telephone number? (Don't let the guitar case influence you.) In France there's a psychologist, Professor Nicolas Gueguen, who roams the North-West, asking young women for their telephone numbers—or at least his research assistants and experimental confederates do. This isn't just to boost the national stereotype, but all in the name of science. The results they've reported over the years confirm some things we think we already know and a few new insights. His experiments often involve approaching random strangers (usually women) in the street and asking them for…

  • How to Help Other People Change Their Habits

    Jeremy Dean
    13 May 2013 | 4:46 am
    Three pointers on helping someone else change their habits. Having written a book on how to change your own habits, in interviews I was often asked: how can I change another person's habits? Say I want my partner to stop cracking his knuckles or get my daughter to put down her mobile phone at meal times or start someone else exercising: how do I do that? It's not something I cover in the book, which focuses mainly on how habits work, how much of our everyday lives they influence and how to change your own personal habits. Ultimately the same techniques apply; but when you are working on…

  • Illusory Correlations: When The Mind Makes Connections That Don’t Exist

    Jeremy Dean
    9 May 2013 | 5:38 am
    Why do CEOs who excel at golf get paid more, despite poorer stock market performance? To see how easily the mind jumps to the wrong conclusions, try virtually taking part in a little experiment... ...imagine that you are presented with information about two groups of people about which you know nothing. Let's call them the Azaleans and the Begonians. For each group you are given a list of positive and negative behaviours. A good one might be: an Azalean was seen helping an old lady across the road. A bad one might be: a Begonian urinated in the street. So, you read this list of good and bad…

  • Perform Better Under Stress Using Self-Affirmation

    Jeremy Dean
    7 May 2013 | 5:37 am
    Can thinking about what's important to you improve your problem-solving powers? Have a look at the following list of values and personal characteristics. If you had to pick just one, which most defines who you are and what matters to you? Your family Being good at sports Belief in a higher power Your friends Your creativity Aesthetics Your job Perhaps what matters most to you isn't there (this isn't a comprehensive list!), in that case think about what does matter to you most. In the burgeoning series of experiments which use this type of self-affirmation exercise, participants are then asked…
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    Usability Counts

  • Six Ways Interaction Designers Should Act More Like A Product Manager

    Patrick Neeman
    20 May 2013 | 12:29 am
    “So why should I understand what a product manager does?” It’s because 60 to 70 percent of what Interaction Designers do has a direct correlation in skill set to the Product Management job description. Outside of pricing models and a few other business methodologies, good Interaction designers can easily act as Product Managers in many environments. Great product management and product design is the crossroads of minimizing risk and maximizing value. With the advent of the user experience process, it can be argued that many Interaction Designers are better trained in Product Management…

  • David Cole: The Rise of Product Design

    Patrick Neeman
    16 May 2013 | 11:12 am
    One request I made when I started the new job was to include Product Design in the title, because I believe a) you can’t expressly design User Experience, and b) User Experience is everyone’s responsibility. There’s another divergence in UX: in-house versus agency. The goal may be the same (usable product or website), but how you get there varies mainly because how you have to communicate product design. I’ve worked on both sides, and my approach to how I get things done is very, very different. In the agency world, wireframes are deliverables. In the product world,…

  • Service Design for UX Designers

    Cathy Wang
    13 May 2013 | 11:00 am
    Cathy Wang (@cathycracks) is a designer that I’ve had the pleasure of meeting virtually (hard to pin her down — she’s from Vancouver, lives in Milan, travels a whole lot). She works in the field of Service Design in the real world. As UX Designers, we should pay attention, because this is something that can greatly expand your influence. Read on. Have you tried explaining to people what you do as an User Experience Designer? Now try to imagine what you would have to say if you were a Service Designer. People have often asked me what I mean when I say “I design…

  • Mashable: A Facebook Update In Real Life

    Patrick Neeman
    12 May 2013 | 11:00 am
    Very, very funny. You just finished reading Mashable: A Facebook Update In Real Life! Consider leaving a comment!Stuff to check out UX Drinking Game | UX Resume and Career Guide

  • Silly Saturdays: The User is Drunk

    Patrick Neeman
    11 May 2013 | 10:39 am
    You just finished reading Silly Saturdays: The User is Drunk! Consider leaving a comment!Stuff to check out UX Drinking Game | UX Resume and Career Guide
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    Blonde 2.0's Blog

  • Join Me at LeWeb London!

    Ayelet Noff
    13 May 2013 | 8:12 am
    After the fabulous time I had last year, I cannot wait to go back. The second edition of LeWeb London will take place June 5th and 6th. It is, as always, one of the industry’s great international gatherings, bringing together the leaders and influencers defining a movement. I’m always amazed at what Geraldine and Loic Le Meur can put together. The focus of this year’s lineup is “The Sharing Economy”.   This new movement is not only a shift from consumerism, but an adjustment of social values altogether. While on the surface the sharing movement consists of peer-to-peer…

  • What Mad Men Can Teach us About Social Media Marketing

    Jessica Young
    8 May 2013 | 8:31 am
    Don Draper and the team at Stanley Cooper.   I have just discovered Mad Men. Where has this amazing television series been hiding? Ok, it’s been on my watch list for some time now, (about 5 years) but I have finally crawled out of the pile of Real Housewives of Atlanta and Keeping Up With The Kardashians (Oh, the humanity!) and started watching some quality television. Not surprisingly, I have noticed some parallels with the work that is done at Blonde 2.0 and by the Sterling / Cooper gang.     Ok, so Joan Holloway isn’t swanning around and there is significantly less…

  • The BEST apps for Pizza lovers

    Gal Perelman
    22 Apr 2013 | 5:28 am
    Everyone is a lover of pizza. And if you say that you’re not- well, you’re lying. Even as a former health fanatic, I still remember the month that I consumed pizza, every day for 19 days in a row.  The hot dough, crispy crust, perfectly burned cheese on top with an assortment of toppings; just thinking about it makes me drool a little [excuse me while I wipe up my keyboard]. Luckily for me, the advancements in technology managed to include pizza in their to-do list along with computers, smart phones, and other great innovations. Now, ordering pizza is just as fun and exciting as playing…

  • Who Needs to Pay for a Personal Trainer When you Have a Smartphone!?

    Yonina Bailen
    17 Apr 2013 | 8:14 am
    There are many excuses not to work out: Gym memberships are expensive; you don’t have time; you can’t work out alone; and so many more. I know them, because I’ve used each at least once. Well these days,  with the endless amount of health and fitness apps out there, it seems like all the excuses have boiled down to the only real one out of all of them- laziness. So what do these workout apps have to offer? There is a large variety of health-focused apps available these days and they range from dieting to body building. Still, according to The Huffington Post’s health trends article…

  • Marketing with Facebook’s New News Feed

    Maria Green
    10 Apr 2013 | 5:51 am
    Facebook finally started rolling out the new Facebook news feed. I don’t know about you, but I’m happy with the new redesign. It’s cleaner and more fun to look at. To put it simply, it’s just a lot easier on the eyes. For marketers, Facebook’s new ‘news feed’ is both a challenge and an opportunity. It’s a challenge  because now Facebook users can block out pages from their main feed and focus on their friends. Meaning, there’s a chance they might not even see your publications. On the other hand, Facebook gives marketers a better chance to stand out when posting…
 
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    Social Media Mafia

  • Open for business

    admin
    8 May 2013 | 8:16 am
    Delighted to say we’ve launched our new site that is a feature rich mapping portal with social media integration and business listings. One thing I’m keen on doing is creating a visual display of where all the network members are in the world, it is hoped this will achieve it. We’re brand new here, so we’re going to boot-strap it up in typical mafia style and say we’re in “beta” which is basically the way to be. Lots more features and content will follow as we start to see patterns emerging and desire. Get yourself listed.
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    Media Culpa

  • Follow the Eurovision Song Contest 2013 in social media – semi final 1

    kullin
    14 May 2013 | 5:43 am
    Tonight is the first semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2013 in Malmö, Sweden. The contest is sure to spark an enormous amount of activity in social media and below you can find an extensive list of official Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, MySpace, Instagram accounts and more. Don’t forget to vote and tweet your support for your favourite songs. Official Eurovision social media channels: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EurovisionSongContest Twitter: https://twitter.com/Eurovision and https://twitter.com/eurovisionpress Twitter hashtags: #eurovision #esc2013 Google+:…

  • Sweden is the 4th most socially devoted country on Facebook

    kullin
    2 May 2013 | 6:09 am
    Socialbakers have introduced a concept called “socially devoted“, aiming to describe brands and pages on Facebook that excel in fan engagement and social customer care. That same label has now been applied on a country basis to see what countries are the most socially devoted. It turns out that Guatemala is ranked first in Q1, 2013, with an average Response Rate of 93.54% for local brand pages. Norway is ranked second, followed by the Netherlands and Sweden in fourth place. The complete Top 25 country rankings, based on percentage of answered questions, can be found below:  …

  • KLM and social media – how to become a social business

    kullin
    27 Apr 2013 | 8:14 am
    This week, I had the opportunity to attend the Engage 2013 conference in London, courtesy of Socialbakers. Among the top speakers, we got to listen to Lionel Lassalle, Social Marketing & Co-Branding Manager at KLM who talked about KLM’s journey to transform social users into customers. KLM has been working actively with social media for quite some time, and the airline’s presence in social media jump started with the crisis management during the Eyjafjallajökull eruption in April 2010. It was not until then that the company really started to take advantage of social…

  • Top Facebook pages in Sweden – February 2013

    kullin
    11 Mar 2013 | 4:57 am
    Socialbakers have just released statistics for the top Facebook pages in Sweden for February 2013. Some notes about the report: - One of the top ten brands is actually seeing a decreasing number of fans: the candy Hallonlakritsskalle. It has seen a steady but slow decline for the last six months. - Just like in January 2013, three out of five top brands by post engagement rates are car brands. - Four out of the five most socially devoted brands are telecom brands, compared to three last month. - The #1 media brand by local fans, Vakna! Med The Voice, has lost more than 1,000 fans since the…

  • Burger King and Jeep turn Twitter hacking into PR opportunity

    kullin
    20 Feb 2013 | 2:11 am
    Earlier this week, the official Twitter account for Burger King was hacked and turned into a McDonald’s feed. Now, the same thing has happened to @Jeep. The Jeep logo was replaced with a Cadillac logo and the hackers tweeted things like “We got sold to @Cadillac because we caught our employees doing these in the bathroom” with an image of a bottle of prescription-only pills. Jeep soon got control of the account and deleted the tweets tweeted by the hacker. For a brand, crises like these are of course serious, but handled correctly they can also become an opportunity. Often…
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    Regular Geek

  • Geek Reading May 22, 2013

    Robert Diana
    22 May 2013 | 10:00 am
    I have talked about human filters and my plan for digital curation. These items are the fruits of those ideas, the items I deemed worthy from my Google Reader feeds. These items are a combination of tech business news, development news and programming tools and techniques. Strategy: Stop Using Linked-Lists (High Scalability) Difference between Startup Weekend and a Startup (Hacker News) EdgeCast Launches A New Content Delivery Network Just For E-Commerce Companies (TechCrunch) Five advanced Java Synchronizers you probably don’t know (Java Code Geeks) All the Startup Advice You Read is Wrong…

  • Geek Reading May 17, 2013

    Robert Diana
    17 May 2013 | 10:00 am
    I have talked about human filters and my plan for digital curation. These items are the fruits of those ideas, the items I deemed worthy from my Google Reader feeds. These items are a combination of tech business news, development news and programming tools and techniques. How to Cross the Chasm (Javalobby – The heart of the Java developer community) Admin SDK and Google+ APIs for business (Google Apps Developer Blog) Multilayered architecture (1) – Introduction (Java Code Geeks) Framer 2: Prototyping with Photoshop Integration (Hacker News) How Change Initiatives Damage Organizations…

  • Geek Reading May 16, 2013

    Robert Diana
    16 May 2013 | 10:00 am
    I have talked about human filters and my plan for digital curation. These items are the fruits of those ideas, the items I deemed worthy from my Google Reader feeds. These items are a combination of tech business news, development news and programming tools and techniques. Extreme syntax (Hacker News) When to refactor code (Hacker News) Dew Drop – May 16, 2013 (#1,548) (Alvin Ashcraft's Morning Dew) Legacy Code Preservation: Why Preserve the DSL? (S.Lott-Software Architect) Double Shot #1129 (A Fresh Cup) Switching from native to web apps: an experiment (Broken Links) The difference…

  • Geek Reading May 15, 2013

    Robert Diana
    15 May 2013 | 10:00 am
    I have talked about human filters and my plan for digital curation. These items are the fruits of those ideas, the items I deemed worthy from my Google Reader feeds. These items are a combination of tech business news, development news and programming tools and techniques. Simple Top-Down Parsing in Python (Hacker News) Lesson from Airbnb: Give Yourself Permission to Experiment with Non-scalable Changes (High Scalability) Google accidentally confirms Android 4.3 (BGR) Parallelism and concurrency need different tools (Hacker News) Bayesian Programming for Starcraft AI (Hacker News) Dew Drop…

  • Geek Reading May 14, 2013

    Robert Diana
    14 May 2013 | 10:00 am
    I have talked about human filters and my plan for digital curation. These items are the fruits of those ideas, the items I deemed worthy from my Google Reader feeds. These items are a combination of tech business news, development news and programming tools and techniques. The reliability of Go – Go in production (Hacker News) Dew Drop – May 14, 2013 (#1,546) (Alvin Ashcraft's Morning Dew) Clojure: Testing The Creation Of A Partial Function (Jay Fields' Thoughts) Legacy Code Preservation: How Do We Manage This? (S.Lott-Software Architect) The $12 Gongkai Phone (Hacker News)…
 
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    Mizz Information

  • Could Facebook be the Answer to Conference Wifi?

    Maggie McGary
    14 May 2013 | 5:27 am
    Image by uhoman on FlickrWifi at conferences is becoming a huge issue: attendees can't do without it but event organizers struggle to find budget to pay the exorbitant fees venues charge for it. What's an organization to do to prevent lack of free wifi from becoming a deal breaker for attendees? Could it be possible that Facebook could be the solution to this problem in the near future?I blog all the time about my love/hate relationship with Facebook, and had sworn I'd never check in on Facebook. But everyone has their breaking point, and apparently free wifi is mine, because when I…

  • Pins of the Week: New Twitter Chat Tool, Cheat Sheets...and a Cocktail

    Maggie McGary
    9 May 2013 | 7:57 am
    It's been a busy few months of un/self-employment, which is an oxymoron--aren't unemployed people supposed to have oodles of free time to do whatever they want? I have managed to squeeze in a few trips and a few weekday movie matinees (my favorite guilty pleasure in life) but, believe it or not, I've been too busy to spend much time on Pinterest. Need to fix that, stat! But the good news is that my unemployment is about to come to an end, as I've accepted a new job and start in a week. Anyway, back to the business at hand...here are some of my favorite pins of the past week(s):1) New Twitter…

  • 5 Productivity Apps I'm Loving

    Maggie McGary
    30 Apr 2013 | 5:23 am
    As you know if you read this blog or know me in person, I've been on a crusade to find a job these past few months, and am currently freelancing while looking for full-time work. Granted, I'd prefer a steady paycheck and to be part of a team, but I admit that freelancing has its perks--the best for me being the flexibility to work from anywhere. That photo above? Yep, even worked from there a few weeks ago while on a trip to Grand Cayman for the wedding of some friends. It didn't suck.Anyway, I thought I'd share five apps that I've been using lately which I think are great for anyone running…

  • Why Leaning In Won't Work for Most Women

    Maggie McGary
    24 Apr 2013 | 8:34 am
    I've been reading Lean In and trying to reserve comment until I finish the whole thing, but realize now that I have a lot more to say about the book than one post could logically cover, so I'm just jumping in and writing before I finish the book. Which I need to finish fast, btw, since I'm hosting book club tomorrow night and this is the book I picked!One of the overriding themes of Lean In is that women need to be confident. Speak up in meetings. Ask for raises, for promotions, for flexible schedules. In short: be like a man and act more confident than you feel, sell yourself for positions…

  • How a $7 Facebook Promoted Post Can Help You Find a Job

    Maggie McGary
    16 Apr 2013 | 2:27 pm
    About five weeks ago, I quit my job--the ultimate "never do this" move. Why? Because crying out of frustration every day about a job happens to fall into my "life is too short" category and I decided I was entitled to a one-time exception to the "never quit a job without having a new one" rule. So here I am, five weeks later, licensed by the state of Maryland to do business as McGary Associates and trying valiantly to land a new job (McGary Associates is merely a side-gig, not my plan for full-time employment. BTW, if you or anyone you know are looking to hire someone with my skillset, here's…
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    SiteFoxSiteFox

  • 5 Article Templates That Will Turn Your Blog Into A Customer Magnet

    Samir Balwani
    21 May 2013 | 8:00 am
    Having a business blog is a great way to drive new customers and build exposure for your company. But what do you write about? What kind of content will drive results? Just writing a blog to write a blog isn’t enough; to truly be successful, you have to think strategically about topics that will lead to converting visitors into customers. With that in mind, here are 5 thought starters for your next blog post. 1: Explore off-label uses for your product One great way to highlight your product without overtly selling your product is by showing off-label uses. How are people using your product…

  • Introducing the SiteFox Developer’s Program

    Samir Balwani
    21 Apr 2013 | 8:19 am
    Do you use WordPress to create websites for small business owners? Are you a WordPress developer that manages multiple websites? If you are, then our new developer’s program is for you. We’ve just introduced a number of features to help you more easily manage your client’s websites and even offer them added value. Members of the SiteFox Developer program receive a discounted rate on all business accounts and priority support for their clients. Use SiteFox to give your clients: Managed and secure WordPress hosting WordPress tutorials for getting started with their website In-depth…

  • Five Reasons Why People Hate Your Business Website

    Samir Balwani
    6 Mar 2013 | 6:00 am
    Small business websites have a reputation of generally being bad. It’s not our fault, web trends keep changing and we’re too busy growing our business to worry about our website. The truth is that as your website becomes more and more important (people look for you online before searching anywhere else), making sure you are giving users a positive experience becomes more important too. Creating a positive experience can be simple; most times the simpler the better, small businesses tend to get in trouble when they try to make things overly elaborate. Here are five things you want to make…

  • 3 Ways to Integrate Social Media into Your Website

    Samir Balwani
    26 Feb 2013 | 6:00 am
    Your social media presence should only be part of your online marketing strategy. If you want to get the most out of your online presence, it’s important to integrate your social media profiles with your social media hub (your website). Thankfully, tying everything together is easier now than ever before. Almost all the major social media websites have created simple plug and play widgets for bringing everything together. Link to Your Social Media Profiles The first place to start is to ensure that you’ve made it simple for website visitors to find your social media profiles. There are…

  • Your Guide to Creating a Successful Small Business Website

    Samir Balwani
    21 Feb 2013 | 7:00 am
    Successful small business owners know that focusing on tasks that grow the bottom line are the most important. This mentality is the reason why, many times, business owners forgo creating and managing a website – a major missed opportunity. Your website, when well optimized, can act as a new and effective marketing channel. Use your website to act as your online sales person; introducing your business to new customers and converting them into customers. Table of Contents Benefits of a Business Website Creating Your Website Optimizing Your Website Capturing and Nurturing Leads Common…
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    Community Building

  • Find that opportunity to engage your community

    Martin Reed
    1 May 2013 | 12:27 pm
    There are so many opportunities to engage members of your online community. Think: Pets Children Relevant current affairs Member birthdays (but do it right) The welcome email (but do it right) Interesting hobbies (do you enjoy clam digging?!) Member achievements (in the community and in their personal lives) Community milestones (forget numbers – this is more about community campaigns) Relevant ‘National Days’ – eg National Sleep Awareness week for an insomnia support forum Don’t spend too much time trying to come up with exciting, glamorous and unique…

  • If you want to charge for membership of your online community…

    Martin Reed
    28 Feb 2013 | 5:06 pm
    Do it from the very beginning. Membership fees are but one way to monetize an online community. Two main strategies here: Allow members to join for free and encourage them to ‘upgrade’ to paid membership. Charge a one-off application fee just to get in. I recommend strategy 2. If you charge someone to join your community you weed out everyone but the most willing and the most enthusiastic. No more tire-kickers. You get an immediate cash contribution and you get a member who is far more motivated. An added bonus: You get to spend time managing and developing the community, not…

  • Something in your community shouldn’t make sense

    Martin Reed
    31 Jan 2013 | 5:53 pm
    I’m not talking about making your online community confusing or difficult to use. Instead, there should be at least one part of your online community that only ‘insiders’ understand. One of the biggest threats to online communities is growth. From a member’s perspective, it’s impossible to be friends with everyone. The larger the community, the more noise it generates and the more distracting it can become. Make sure older members don’t get crowded out or marginalized. As a community grows, it needs to have elements that make sense only to certain members.

  • Buzzing Communities: Book review

    Martin Reed
    11 Dec 2012 | 1:57 pm
    Disclosure: My name was mentioned in this book and I received a free copy. However, this is an unsolicited and unsponsored book review that is completely of my own opinion. This review, for Richard Millington’s Buzzing Communities is only the third book review I have shared on Community Spark after Patrick O’Keefe’s Managing Online Forums and Angela Connor’s 18 Rules of Community Engagement. I prefer to review books that are aimed specifically at community building and are from authors I know and trust. Rich writes the community management blog Feverbee and is the founder of…

  • An easy way to increase activity and engagement in new online communities

    Martin Reed
    13 Nov 2012 | 6:36 pm
    Most new online communities fail because members don’t return to keep discussions alive or get involved in new ones. Most of the time that’s because new members haven’t developed the habit of regularly visiting the community or members simply forget that your community exists. Prevent this from happening by: 1. Making sure that all members receive an email when someone replies to a discussion they started (or they’re involved in) 2. Making sure that all members receive an email when someone posts a new discussion topic. Most community software comes with this…
 
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    Social News Watch

  • Conversational Posts Earn the Right for Conversion Posts on Facebook

    JD Rucker
    21 May 2013 | 7:19 pm
    This isn’t going to be a long post (I know a lot of mine have been too long, lately) but that doesn’t make it any less important. It’s short because the concept is simple. Unfortunately, many are missing out on this easy technique. There are plenty of types of content that you can post on Facebook, but they invariably fall into one of two categories – conversation and conversion. You’re either posting to help spark conversations that are on topic with your industry or you’re posting content designed to drive conversions of some sort to increase business. In…

  • It’s Not Just Social. It’s Search. It’s Reputation. It’s Presence.

    JD Rucker
    18 May 2013 | 2:35 am
    Take a look at those familiar little icons in the top right corner of the screenshot above. Four of the primary social media sites’ logos adorn a prominent position on the homepage. It’s not an uncommon sight. Some put them at the top. Other put them at the bottom. Some make them large and prominent. Others make them small and subtle. One way or another, most dealerships put them somewhere. They do it for a reason. The reason is presence. We’ve all heard about the potential of social media but few local businesses and car dealers in particular have found the level of success…

  • The Three Primary Auto Dealer Content Types for Facebook

    JD Rucker
    13 May 2013 | 4:23 am
    Everyone who plays in the Facebook page strategy game has their opinions about the types of content to post. Car dealers and vendors have tried different things over the years. Some have found success while others have let it fall off completely, dismissing it as unimportant or too time-consuming to mess with on a daily basis. For those who are doing well or wanting to do well with engagement on their pages while still demonstrating real ROI, here are some content types that have worked well for us. It’s important to mix things up on Facebook. Fan fatigue happens regularly, especially…

  • The Best and Worst Cities by Drivers

    Michio Hasai
    11 Apr 2013 | 2:14 pm
    Some cities have better drivers than others. It could be because of the streets and conditions. It can be based upon the population itself. Then again, it could just be that some places attract really good or really bad drivers. That’s the premise behind this infographic by Good2Go insurance.

  • Launching a Niche Blog Network gives You Content Control

    Michio Hasai
    3 Apr 2013 | 3:30 pm
    Content marketing has been growing for over a decade now, but 2013 is proving to be its pinnacle year. Marketers are starting to realize that search and social center around content rather than the other way around, making true content marketing on and off a website a must-have discipline for companies wanting to find success online. There are two major components to content marketing – offsite and onsite. For onsite marketing, it’s easy. You simply have to put engaging content on your website, then drive eyeballs, links, and social signals to it. Offsite content marketing is more…
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    SitePoint » News

  • What’s New in Chrome 27

    Craig Buckler
    22 May 2013 | 8:14 am
    Chrome 27 was released on May 22, 2013. You probably have it but can check by clicking the tool icon, then About Google Chrome. If all else fails, download the new version from google.com/chrome.It’s rare to find radical new features in Chrome but there are a few hidden gems…Increased SpeedGoogle has improved page rendering by 5% using “smarter behind-the-scenes resource scheduling”. In other words, it’ll use more of your idle network connection to download stuff.Google claims:our estimates show that when you add up those saved seconds across all Chrome users,…

  • Introducing the new HTML5 template Tag

    Craig Buckler
    17 May 2013 | 10:02 am
    Modern web applications use DOM manipulation to dynamically change areas of the page or insert values. A typical example is a table of figures; the initial page could return HTML column headers then initialize an Ajax request which returns several data records. The data is then appended to the table — but how? The developer has two choices:JavaScript is used to build HTML row strings or DOM fragments which are appended to the table. That seems easy until you need to make a change and must hunt around your JavaScript for the associated HTML code. To make life simpler, developers often…

  • What’s New in Firefox 21

    Craig Buckler
    15 May 2013 | 3:03 am
    Firefox has come of age. In version numbers, that is.Firefox 21 was released on May 14, 2013. If you’ve not received the update, click Help > About Firefox > Check for Updates. Let’s look at the new features you can expect after installation…<main> Element SupportThe HTML5 <main> element was introduced earlier this year and represents the main content of the body of a document or application, i.e. perhaps a wrapper for an article and aside.It’s simply a container tag and all browsers will render it regardless. Firefox “support” probably…

  • Happy 10th Birthday CSS Zen Garden

    Craig Buckler
    10 May 2013 | 5:23 am
    CSS Zen Garden is ten years old. If you started coding recently you may not have heard about the site, but Zen Garden was a defining moment in web history.Zen’s developer, Dave Shea, had a simple objective: to illustrate why CSS should be taken seriously and inspire designers. The concept provided a static HTML page and allowed developers to apply and submit their own styles. The only restrictions were that the CSS should validate and the resulting page worked in IE5+ and Mozilla (Firefox’s predecessor).The number of submissions increased exponentially and there was a sudden…

  • We’re Putting the (MySQL) Band Back Together

    Craig Buckler
    29 Apr 2013 | 6:45 am
    MySQL — the world’s most-used relational database — will be 18 next month. The first version was developed by Michael Widenius and David Axmark and released by MySQL AB on May 23, 1995. The open source product rapidly gained traction alongside PHP to become an integral part of the LAMP stack.Sun Microsystems obtained MySQL for $1 billion in January 2008. 15 months later, Oracle acquired Sun for $7.4 billion and became the owner of Java, VirtualBox, OpenOffice and MySQL. The takeover caused significant controversy since the world’s biggest commercial database provider…
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    Connect - Digital Marketing Expertise from iCrossing

  • Staying TRUE to build a connected brand

    Georgie Wright
    22 May 2013 | 2:36 am
    As consumers become increasingly more connected across platforms and devices, brands must stay TRUE to their core in the content and experiences they provide.  That was the key take-away from David Cooperstein’s day one keynote presentation at the Forrester Forum for Marketing Leaders in London, UK. Cooperstein, a vice president and practice lead serving CMOs and marketing leadership for Forrester, shared the TRUE framework, which stands for: Trusted, Remarkable, Unmistakable and Essential.  He then offered attendees struggling with a fast-changing technology landscape and increased…

  • SEO friendly content

    Caz Adlington
    21 May 2013 | 5:50 am
    In case you hadn’t noticed, Content Marketing is the hot topic in digital right now. Everyone is in agreement that great quality content is one of the essential ways for brands to connect with their customers online. In the world of search, links are still our main tool for increasing visibility and driving traffic to our clients’ sites; but that doesn’t mean the Content Marketing train is passing us by. Brilliant content is how we can earn quality links, which means all the content that a business puts out there needs to be providing maximum SEO value. It’s not just about the volume…

  • iCrossing as Aragorn: The future of search and media

    jo-ann.fortune
    17 May 2013 | 6:01 am
    If iCrossing were a character from The Lord of the Rings, it would be Aragorn. This was the claim of Chief Strategy Officer Mark Iremonger at the Client Summit 2013. Iremonger drew comparisons between our agency and “the wise peacemaker who marshals resources” to illustrate the point that search marketing must integrate with a brand’s traditional reach channels to utilise the SEO potential that exists in all online engagement moments. “Historically an SEO agency may have existed outside of a brand’s circle of trust, acting as either a Saruman – powerful but unethical, Frodo –…

  • “Think human plus machine” urges Dave Coplin

    jo-ann.fortune
    17 May 2013 | 4:22 am
    Dave Coplin, the UK’s self-titled Chief Envisioning Officer for Bing, believes we should strive to make people’s professional experiences of technology as fulfilling as they can be in their personal lives. Speaking at the iCrossing Client Summit 2013, Coplin held that we’ve reached a “plateau of mediocrity” in the enterprise world – a state which can block creativity. “There are some wonderful things happening in the consumer world that can inform how we work in our professional lives. Many people have a better computer at home than the one that they’re provided with at work…

  • Mark Howe: The always-on approach

    jo-ann.fortune
    16 May 2013 | 1:12 pm
    Google’s Mark Howe added a new word to the vocabulary of online marketers at the iCrossing 2013 client summit. ‘Frazzing’, explained Howe – Managing Director of Agency Operations in North & Central Europe – is a term coined by psychologists to describe the way consumers “frantically and ineffectively multitask” when coping with numerous screens and a proliferation of information. And how we plan media and advertising to match this behaviour is key to our effectiveness as online marketers. With 75% UK smartphone penetration predicted for the end of 2013 and one in…
 
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    Herd - the hidden truth about who we are

  • Teenage pregnancy and the HERD

    Mark Earls
    21 May 2013 | 2:25 am
    Interesting piece here about what does and doesn't work to reduce teenage pregnancy in the UK - written from the perspective of the audience (or a recent graduate from teenage). However, one of the things these personal accounts tend to miss is the higher level social mechanisms. Daniel Nettles of Newcastle University classic work suggests that early onset of reproduction in human populations is something that is the result of the population (not an individual) feeling under critical pressure. His analysis suggests the variation in regional rates across the UK is simply explained by this…

  • MMR revisited

    Mark Earls
    4 Apr 2013 | 3:07 am
    Source: NIH Very bad news today re the re-emergence of previously suppressed serious childhood diseases like measles in the UK - thanks to the middle-class mums who choose to ignore scientific evidence and listen instead to anecdote and speculation. MMR is by any measure an extremely safe vaccine, not the toxin blamed by the discredited Andrew Wakefiled and the rumour mill. This is a case when we're all in it together - "herd immunity"  

  • How long should a ghostbike be allowed to hang around?

    Mark Earls
    3 Apr 2013 | 11:39 am
    We've long collected examples of cellotaphs and ghostbikes - those popular floral tributes to the fallen that populate so many streets here in the UK and in the US. I think they're particularly interesting social and cultural phenomena because they are examples of public-created art and monumental social artefacts (rather than stuff created by and for the great and the good for private consumption). Today reveals an interesting problem: how long should a ghostbike be allowed to hang about? Should it be a temporary monument? Should it be a permanent feature? Should they even be…

  • I copy, you copy, he/she/it copies

    Mark Earls
    3 Apr 2013 | 11:17 am
    Source: flickr Nice piece today in the Standard (prompted by the British Council "The English Effect" exhibition) elaborates on one of the questions we explored last summer in the run up to my School of Life Sermon: how English thrives through copying words from other tongues Normally most of us would imagine there's some unique quality (its flexible grammar, maybe) that enables something to spread but maybe in this case is more it's ability to copy copy copy that works.  

  • Paleonostalgia

    Mark Earls
    29 Mar 2013 | 6:49 am
    Really nice interview in New Scientist last week with evolutionary biologist Marlene Zuk about she calls "paleonostalgia" "You see this attitude in what can be referred to as "palaeo-nostalgia" – the notion that we were all better off before agriculture, or civilisation or the industrial revolution. It's not to say life has been unmitigatedly getting better. But it's more helpful and accurate to see that all organisms are constantly evolving. There has been no point in our past when we were perfectly adapted to our environment. I'm not dismissing the…
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    C R U C E S

  • Location: the essential element in your personal brand

    Michael Myers
    21 May 2013 | 8:41 am
    Last week I was lecturing to my class on the importance of personal brands in the digital age. This is a lecture I’ve given numerous times before, with an emphasis on transparency and passion. Let them know who you really are without getting too personal Passion is what gets work done I had them look ...

  • What the Internet is doing to our brains (video)

    Michael Myers
    8 May 2013 | 11:17 am
    In regards to how your brain works, the Internet is a completely new paradigm for gathering/processing information. This video puts things in perspective. Enjoy!

  • Awesome commercial from Nokia (video)

    Michael Myers
    2 May 2013 | 4:33 am
    This is an awesome commercial for the Nokia Lumina 920. One of my students has this phone and I have to say that I was shocked at how cool the Windows interface is. (Not yet struck by lightening.) It is one of the coolest interfaces I’ve seen. A great combination of usability and branding. Enjoy!

  • Creativity on Vine

    Michael Myers
    30 Apr 2013 | 4:27 am
    With the world becoming more bitesize (think Twitter, Instagram, Reeses bites, business plans, online product demos) we will become more challenged to deliver compelling content that’s been compressed. This is a great example of what can be done in six seconds! Enjoy.

  • Fujitsu’s real world – virtual world collision (video)

    Michael Myers
    29 Apr 2013 | 4:40 am
    This is a much different tact than most companies take on the future where every surface is an interface. (See Corning’s take here) This would be a less expensive option. Enjoy!
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    Twilight Fairy

  • A meet description in verse

    Twilight Fairy
    25 Apr 2013 | 10:14 am
    One sunny April afternoon, I excitedly rushed to a blogger’s music meet, and quickly reached the venue, For I wanted the front seat!   The restaurant was quite full, The chairs were few, I saw some old faces, A lot of them new.   Soon the program started, And along came Prateek Shah, Who had people introduce themselves uniquely And the audience doing wah wah.   Fun was had, along with introductions, Imagine a male couple ball dance, The audience chose all the next participants, and a lot of people got their 15 minute fame’s chance.   Soon a presentation by HP…

  • Google guitar – Chura liya hai

    Twilight Fairy
    9 Jun 2011 | 11:41 am
    As you might be aware (unless you live under the rock that google dominates), today’s google logo was dedicated to Les Paul (you can quickly forget who this was). Not only is it in the shape of a guitar’s chords, it is also interactive. So you can hover your mouse over the chords and “pluck” & “strum” by just moving the mouse! Clicking the keyboard shaped thingy converts your keyboard into a mini casio with (barely) one octave. So all day today, several enthusiasts (read everyone who wandered to the google homepage) have been playing music on it and…

  • Mad about “Castle”?

    Twilight Fairy
    28 Jun 2010 | 8:16 am
    I like watching “Castle” on Star World, a “Dramedy” (Drama + Comedy) based in a crime setting that is shown everyday from 10pm-11pm, Mon to Thurs in India. Of course the series is running behind in terms of what is shown in the US (where the 2nd season has finished already). Only 2 episodes are left for 2nd season to finish in India, but fret not if you like this series, a 3rd season is in the offing. Not every episode of the series is path breaking and definitely could do better, however irrespective of that, I like culling out a lot from any stuff that I watch on TV.

  • Evanescence – my fine art photography show

    Twilight Fairy
    17 Jun 2010 | 2:44 pm
    After publicising my first solo fine art photography show, Evanescence [pronounciation], all over my online “properties”, I realised I hadn’t blogged about it at all! (Though I did microblog it on twitter if that counts). The main reason why I didn’t, was because I think no one reads my blog anyway since I am more active on twitter, so if you are reading this pliss let me know. Another reason was that I hadn’t officially blogged about the very important, life altering, transition from my IT industry job as a Project Manager to a totally new avatar – A…

  • It’s a Woe-man’s world

    Twilight Fairy
    9 Feb 2010 | 2:15 am
    Recently Mail Today asked me to write an anecdotal article for them. It got published on 31st Jan’10 (best viewed in IE).  Here’s the unedited version of the article (which has one anecdote extra). Awaiting bouquets/brickbats in comments. It’s a Woe-Man’s world “Some husbands are living proof that a woman can take a joke”. How else does one explain the umpteen number of smart, intelligent, independent women getting married to chauvinists & changing their entire outlook for that mandatory milestone in life that we call “marriage”? They believe they need to…
 
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    Ben Werdmuller

  • HTTP signatures

    Ben Werdmuller
    6 May 2013 | 11:51 am
    It looks like I’m not the only person who likes the idea of signed HTTP requests as an authentication method. Joyent and Digital Bazaar have co-written an Internet draft for cryptographically signed HTTP requests: Several web service providers have invented their own schemes for signing HTTP requests, but to date, none have been placed in the public domain as a standard. This document serves that purpose. There are no techniques in this proposal that are novel beyond previous art, however, this aims to be a simple mechanism for signing these requests. Signed HTTP requests are also a key…

  • Mobile devices as keys to your personal cloud

    Ben Werdmuller
    30 Apr 2013 | 5:16 pm
    Jotting down some quick notes for something to consider: mobile devices as proxies that redirect content types to services as required, cacheing data on its way to / from the Internet. Some properties and use cases: I take a picture, and my mobile device knows about the services I use that accept photos, and can upload to them automatically when I get a connection. My mobile device has a camera built in, but I can also push from my professional camera to it. I place my mobile device onto a PC to log into it (I may have to authenticate on both devices). My preferences are downloaded from the…

  • Software factories vs software universities

    Ben Werdmuller
    29 Apr 2013 | 5:31 pm
    I’ve worked in startups for almost my entire career – sometimes my own, sometimes companies started by other people. I’m good at what I do, and I love it: I get to create tools that empower people to do things they previously couldn’t, or that were substantial obstacles. Usually that involves some kind of democratization; a righting of an inequality of access. I love creating these platforms, I love watching people use them, and I love evolving them in partnership with the people who use them. I’ve become more aware that some of my friends in technology startups…

  • The Progressive (Profitable) Web

    Ben Werdmuller
    2 Apr 2013 | 1:42 pm
    Ryan Holiday laments the loss of Google Reader and RSS in general in Our Regressive Web, arguing that if someone came up with them today, we’d think they were brilliant ideas: Nothing better has risen up to replace them. The underlying needs of a fairly large user base (that these services meet) still exist. We’re just regressing. [...] RSS is impervious to blogging’s worst, but most profitable traits. [...] No wonder nobody ever pushed for widespread adoption. Of course it died a slow death—along with Google Alerts and Delicious. Their mission is antithetical to the ethos of our…

  • Engine attribution

    Ben Werdmuller
    21 Mar 2013 | 5:39 pm
    This site is (right now) powered by the WordPress open source blogging engine. If you hit “view source” in your browser, somewhere near the top, this is what you’ll see: <meta name="generator" content="WordPress x.x.x" /> (Where x.x.x is the current version.) I’m in the process of moving away from WordPress. More about that another time. But as part of this, I’ve been wanting to check out the sites of folks who participate in the IndieWeb community and figure out what they’ve been using. The IndieWeb community believes in owning your own content and…
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    Suzemuse - Create. Share. Learn. Be Brilliant. Personal Blog of Susan Murphy.

  • You Don’t Want to be a Social Media Expert

    Suze
    22 May 2013 | 4:33 am
    Why are people so hung up on labels? Ever since social media began its rise to mainstream popularity back in 2006 or so, I’ve seen it time and time again – everyone clamouring to become the next big “expert” on the subject. “I can teach you to Twitter in just 1 hour!”, “I’m a LinkedIN GURU and you can be, too!”! Still today, I see even more and more cringe-worthy iterations on the term “social media expert”. It seems like everyone has jumped on the bandwagon these days in one form or another. Everyone wants to be an…

  • Cut Through The Noise

    Suze
    15 May 2013 | 4:00 am
    We are lost in a sea of noise. It seems like every day, our online streams are more and more full. There is more noise than ever, and there seems to be less and less signal all the time. It can be pretty discouraging if you’re trying to build an online presence. Sometimes you might think, “Why bother? My voice is just going to get lost in the shuffle.” But the truth is, digital channels are one of the best ways to share your stories, tell the world about your passions and be heard. So how do you do it? Here are a few things I’ve learned.   Start small. A billion…

  • Chris Hadfield: Social Media Un-Guru

    Suze
    13 May 2013 | 3:00 am
    If you’re anything like me, you’ve been watching with interest as Commander Chris Hadfield has been hurtling around our planet for the past few months on the International Space Station. While it’s pretty amazing that we are even able to have humans floating around in space, what I think is even more amazing is how Commander Hadfield has been able to share his experience with the world in an unprecedented way through social media. Hadfield, along with being an astronaut, is also a musician and photographer. Which means that not only is he able to do one of the most dangerous…

  • Review of Ctrl Alt Delete – A Book You Must Read

    Suze
    9 May 2013 | 5:21 am
    First, a disclaimer. I have been a Mitch Joel fan since the first time I ever met him at a Podcamp what seems like a million years ago (it was actually only about 6). He’s a friend, and if that makes my review biased, well, so be it. But… You need to read this book. Ctrl Alt Delete: Reboot Your Business. Reboot Your Life. Your Future Depends on It, is the latest collection of things to fall out of Mitch Joel’s amazing brain. The minute the book arrived in my mailbox, I put everything else on hold and started reading – and I couldn’t put it down. Our…

  • Social Media: A Choose Your Own Adventure Story

    Suze
    18 Apr 2013 | 4:18 am
    When I was a kid, I LOVED Choose Your Own Adventure books. I would read to a certain page, then I’d get to make a choice. “If you go left on the road, turn to page 53. If you go right, turn to page 75.” I’d choose, then flip to the page and continue the adventure. Each time through was a totally different experience. The online world is a lot like that. These days, we don’t have the media telling us what to watch (I grew up in a town with one – count them, ONE – TV channel – we were TOLD what to watch, or we turned off the TV). These days, we…
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    sassholes

  • Teaching My Kid To Get A Career...

    11 May 2013 | 7:15 pm
    (This post originally appeared at Dad-O-Matic.) Those of you with kids in diapers or grade school may want to skip this post (unless you want a peek into the future at one of the many other parenting adventures you can look forward to facing). Those of you with teens and young adults getting ready to enter the workforce and start to earn more than an allowance, please read on... Jobs vs. Career In simple terms, I think of a job as something you do to make money. This is especially true when we are young. Babysitting, dog walking, lawn mowing, packing grocery bags, hawking fast-food, etc., are…

  • Roger and Me

    5 Apr 2013 | 8:46 pm
    Roger Ebert Blvd. (Photo credit: rexb) I've had the pleasure of meeting Roger Ebert, and like so many, I was terribly saddened by the news of his passing. (Name-dropping disclaimer: The older I get, the more I catch myself name-dropping.  At first, I felt embarrassed that I seem to always have a story about someone well-known.  But the truth is, I've been "out in the world" working for over 30 years, almost half of them in the entertainment industry, so I've been fortunate to meet and work with a lot of celebrities and notable business folks along the way...) Critical Mass Just read…

  • Wrist Watch: Pebble vs. Basis Band

    23 Mar 2013 | 9:22 am
    I'm Jeff and I am an early adopter. There. I said it. I admit to my vice (that's the first step, right?) As an admitted early adopter I was one of the early backers of the Pebble smart watch on Kickstarter, and I received my Pebble shortly after the first production run. Although I have had my Pebble for more than a month now, I have only worn it several times. That's because the same week that my Pebble arrived, I also received my Basis Band… another new gadget I ordered early enough to be among the first to receive. One Available Wrist As most humans, I only have two wrists, one of which…

  • Three Words for 2013: Move, Measure, Meditate

    2 Jan 2013 | 5:00 am
    My friends Chris Brogan and C.C. Chapman are vocal proponents of the practice of choosing three words as your focal point and reminder of goals for the coming year. The challenge is to narrow your annual objectives to three words that serve as guideposts to remind you and keep you centered on the things you have decided really matter.  I've tried to master the art of three words a few times in the past, but not every year.  In fact this year I've chosen to focus more on being in control.  That said, there are three words that I do think I should put at the top of my…

  • How To Be In Control in 2013

    31 Dec 2012 | 2:06 pm
    Life Is Full of Uncertainties. Every day we are faced with the challenge of reacting to things that are outside of our control.  The actions and behavior of others, the weather, illness, loss, the economy, wars, accidents...  So many things that affect us deeply can seem so random and out of our hands.  We can ask why... We can live in fear... We can numb ourselves from seeing or feeling...  We can give up, since we have no control over it anyway... Or, we can take control. We Do Have Control. Granted, not over everything.  There are things, lots of things, that just…
 
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    Social Networking for Newbies

  • How to remove a LinkedIn connection – new interface

    admin
    16 May 2013 | 4:15 pm
    Let’s say that you connected with someone on LinkedIn who turns out to be somewhat of a nuisance. How do you disconnect from them? LinkedIn makes it very easy to remove one of your connections – and best of all, they won’t be notified that you removed them. To learn how to do this, please watch the short video tutorial below: How to Remove a LinkedIn Connection If your LinkedIn user interface looks different than the one shown in the video, you probably still have the old interface. LinkedIn rolls out things in phases and they may not have changed yours. Please click on the…

  • How to request LinkedIn recommendations

    admin
    28 Feb 2013 | 6:09 am
    Quality LinkedIn recommendations are worth a lot. They greatly enhance your Credibility – especially with people who don’t know you. The short video below shows you the mechanics of asking for a recommendation. A few suggestions: Always send a personal message when requesting a recommendation Only ask for recommendations from people you’re certain will recommend you. You need both quality and quantity. Always thank the person after they have recommended you

  • Adding personal info to your LinkedIn profile and why you should do it

    admin
    26 Feb 2013 | 6:03 am
    Since LinkedIn is all about networking and connecting with people, your profile acts as your electronic business card. Therefore, your LinkedIn profile should have the same info you have on your business card – i.e. phone, email address, website, etc. I for one no longer collect business cards from people. I rely on using the LinkedIn mobile app on my Android phone to find people on LinkedIn and communicate with them that way. Therefore if you don’t list your phone number on your LinkedIn account you’re going to make it very hard for me to phone you. Several people have lost…

  • Networking Math

    admin
    24 Feb 2013 | 6:50 pm
    Today I reached a milestone with my 4,000 LinkedIn connection. 4000 connections While the number of connections by itself is just a number, fact is that having more connections gives you more POSSIBILITIES for getting introductions to the people you -or for the people in your network – want to meet. This makes your LinkedIn account more valuable. And this makes YOU more valuable to YOUR NETWORK – since you can facilitate more introductions, share more resources and add more value. Another thing of interest here is that LinkedIn only gives you 3,000 invitations to build your…

  • How to withdraw a LinkedIn invitation

    admin
    12 Feb 2013 | 8:32 pm
    If you invite people by mistake and/or you change your mind about inviting someone to join your LinkedIn network, you might be able to withdraw the invitation. The following video shows you how to do this plus a few other things you need to be aware of.
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    GROWMAP.COM

  • When Is the Time to Incorporate My Small Business?

    Bradley Derringer
    22 May 2013 | 4:00 am
    Many of us either run or work for small businesses, or freelance in order to provide for ourselves and our families. And for a while, we’re able to get by running our day-to-day operations without a hiccup. But do you know when you should incorporate your business, or even the reasons why you should consider incorporating? When we begin a new business, we often create sole proprietorships, where we and our business are considered one in the same in the court of law. By choosing to incorporate, we essentially make it public that we are separate, meaning the law can no longer seize personal…

  • Office Phone Systems: What Functions Do You Need?

    GrowMap
    18 May 2013 | 3:46 am
    Businesses probably have no idea how many customers they use by not handling incoming calls well. Many people will not leave a message or are tired of playing telephone tag or going through what I call voicemail hell. Marco Suarez shares with us what a quality office phone system should include. A good phone system is a crucial element of any smoothly operating office. Without one, you could be losing out on valuable enquiries and customers. Your company will lose its professional image if you’re heard scrabbling around passing phones across desks. What you need is a phone system that will…

  • 99 Most Popular Food Blogs: Guest Post or Comment On

    John Gibb
    16 May 2013 | 7:55 am
    Click image to visit GoodFoodGoodFriends.com for a list of CommentLuv food blogs   Ah, food… I love it! One of the most essential and basic needs of all of mankind. Every single day, billions of men and women across the globe have to eat. From North American wheat to chappati in India to the tuwo shinkafa in West Africa, food is very crucial to sustaining life itself. So it does not come as a surprise to know that in this age of computer technology and high-speed Internet, there are countless blogs who focus on food, and I mean good food! Often these sites are written by food experts,…

  • The Real Story Behind Sharing Others Content (And a Tool to Help)

    Amanda Disilvestro
    15 May 2013 | 7:57 am
    It’s no secret that success is becoming more and more about the connections that you make. Whether you’re looking for a job, trying to make a sale, or attempting to further your career, there is nothing more annoying that hearing the words “it’s not what you know, it’s who you know.” However, those words don’t seem to phase those who actually have the connections, and that’s where this article comes into play. You want to get yourself to a point where you know enough people in an industry to get you to where you want to go, and sharing other company’s or other individual’s…

  • Awesome Video! Now What?

    David Leonhardt
    14 May 2013 | 8:29 am
    You have just created an awesome little video.  A promotion that isn’t too promotional.  A teaser that entertains and raises curiosity. But now what? Here are five crucial places to post your video. First, get that video up on YouTube. That is a no-brainer that you have probably already thought of.  Even if you don’t promote the YouTube URL, chances are that somebody will see it there. If you do want to promote the YouTube URL directly and you need a little boost, you might try using some of the social sharing co-op services that I have reviewed here and here. Plus YouTube…
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    Digital Street Journal

  • Social Media Lesson, Part 1…The Basics

    Jonathan Trenn
    21 May 2013 | 6:17 pm
    Tweet I recently told a friend, someone who happens to be a Director of Marketing in the US for two luxury items, that I’d help her understand digital marketing and social media. She expressed her frustration by saying “There seem to be so many galaxies in the social media universe that when trying to grasp it all I feel a bit like an astronaut cut loose in space to float aimlessly through the darkness”. Very well put. So, I’ll encapsulate how I’ve responded here.  Not a cut and paste, but I’m rewriting it for the blog. First of all, what is social media?

  • A closer look at the impact of local search on restaurants

    Jonathan Trenn
    9 May 2013 | 10:00 pm
    Tweet Let’s take a look at local a bit further. That report from imma/yp focuses on several industries but eventually emphasizes “Restaurants and Dining” because it not only is one of the most sought after categories, it is also the number one category that the searcher will reach fulfillment with.  Meaning if they are searching for something (a restaurant’s location), they are more likely to actually go to the restaurant. Now lets remember that search engines, online directories, and social platforms such as Yelp and FourSquare will often have gobs of information…

  • Local search is vital; six things to remember

    Jonathan Trenn
    9 May 2013 | 2:47 pm
    Tweet OK.  More on local. As with most trends, consumers lead.  And the trend is that we’re now turning to the web as the go-to source for local information.  Not just going to the websites of local businesses.  We’re using local search to reel in information. According to a report from imma/yp, 40% of us use local search on a daily basis.  And two thirds of us use local search 3-4 times a week. Wow.  Those numbers are higher than I would think.  Nevertheless, using a PC, a tablet, or a smartphone for local information is becoming standard operating procedure for most of…

  • Small business misconceptions on social media

    Jonathan Trenn
    7 May 2013 | 7:35 am
    Tweet In April, I wrote that many small to mid sized businesses struggle to see any real results on their social media efforts.  I theorized that many enter the arena without any sense of what they’re doing.  They often base their efforts on misconceptions about the whole thing.  I wanted to list a few here that I’ve seen in my years of observing and participating. In no particular order… They view online as a vast frontier of nothingness where they won’t be on anyone’s radar. There is, of course, some truth to this.  But this ignores that their company is…

  • Social Media: The reality of it all vs. the wonder of it all

    Jonathan Trenn
    6 May 2013 | 9:28 am
    Tweet One thing that I think is a problem with social media for small and mid-size businesses is that anyone can “do it”.  Or so we’re told. Yes, any mom and pop can have their own Facebook page.  A Twitter feed can be set up in no time.  Download a blog format from WordPress and you’re on your way. Over the past few years, I’ve read countless articles, blog posts, and books written by “social media rock stars” that espouse lofty declarations telling us that one can start their blog and now have exposure to “millions of readers”. This…
 
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    TheWayoftheWeb

  • Testimonials

    SeanIble
    14 May 2013 | 8:01 am
    I’d just had a new eCommerce store built in WordPress, added loads of great products at really competitive prices but was lacking the traffic and conversion to really see my online business take off. The Way of the Web was recommended by a friend, they really showed an interest in my business and helped me fulfill its potential with SEO, content and traffic analysis. It’s an ongoing project and they have been with me every step of the way and long may they continue to do so John Wakefield CEO Bargain Biker Brands www.bargainbikerbrands.co.uk The post Testimonials appeared first…

  • Top social networks: Guide to images for company pages

    Dan Thornton
    13 May 2013 | 4:53 am
    Are you setting up social network profiles for your business? Or maintaining social media which already exists? Either way, it’s important to make sure your pages and profiles look their best. If you’re updating your company logos, re-branding, or simply want to change images to give your page a refresh, then it’s important to ensure you know the right image dimensions, file sizes and positioning for each social network. So we’ve compiled the requirements in once place. When looking at logo designs, always keep in mind that social media generally requires versions…

  • How we redesigned our website and logo

    Dan Thornton
    1 May 2013 | 6:31 am
    We’re lucky to have a number of talented web designers and developers in our network at TheWayoftheWeb. But we didn’t have a lot of time and money to get a new logo and website up and running. So I thought it would be really useful to share the process we went through…   Our new logo: For a long time I’d blogged without investing in a proper logo and identity. So I was enormously grateful to the talented David Darnes when he offered to donate his skills a few years ago to support me starting out as a business. Having originally been influenced in naming my blog…

  • Welcome to the new TheWayoftheWeb

    Dan Thornton
    11 Apr 2013 | 7:27 am
    Around 7 years ago, I started blogging on a free Blogspot website, mainly because I had thoughts and ideas about the internet and media which I wanted to share beyond a very small group of colleagues. One day, 5 years ago, I moved my blog onto the current domain and my own self-hosted WordPress site, as I’d grown my readership to thousands of people each month and wanted to give them a better experience. Then almost 3 years ago, I found myself setting up as a freelancer to provide content and marketing to a small group of clients which has since grown – along with my business…

  • If you’re seeing this…

    Dan Thornton
    9 Apr 2013 | 3:41 pm
    It means our recent hosting migration has been successful. You may also have noticed the site looks a little different – unfortunately the need to move hosting providers occurred during a period in which we have been looking at some design changes for the whole site, which haven’t been ready to publish in time for the move… So in the meantime, enjoy the focus on articles for a little bit while we finish with the crayons and paper to push out a new layout. The post If you’re seeing this… appeared first on TheWayoftheWeb.
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    Connection Agent

  • It’s Moving Day – Find Me Now at SteveWoodruff.com

    Steve Woodruff
    2 May 2013 | 5:15 am
    This will be the final post here at Connection Agent (I think!). As I announced earlier this week, I’ve decided to launch an entirely new site: SteveWoodruff.com The theme: Discover Your Fit. Because that’s what I do – help businesses and individuals discover their purpose, set new direction, refine their offerings, and craft a clear message. To say I’m excited about the new direction my business has taken in the last few years is an understatement. It’s really not just a business to me – it’s a mission. If  you’re a subscriber to Connection…

  • My Second-to-Last Post at Connection Agent Blog

    Steve Woodruff
    30 Apr 2013 | 4:30 am
    Connection Agent is going away? Yes. And, no. This week, I’ll be launching a new website at SteveWoodruff.com, which will be the new home for all my writings about marketing (my pharma biz, Impactiviti, retains its own separate identity and site). So this blog, and the Clarity Therapy blog, will be superseded by a professionally designed and hosted site. The overarching theme will be the message that has been at the core of my work for many years: Discovering Your Fit. (sneak peek – not quite live yet!) For a long time here at Connection Agent, I’ve blogged about marketing…

  • Why I Love Being an Introvert

    Steve Woodruff
    12 Apr 2013 | 4:50 am
    I didn’t always enjoy the fact that my wiring is definitely on the introvert side of the fence. Since our culture tends to value extrovert tendencies and behaviors, we who are quieter, who are more inclined to think before speaking, and who are energized more by alone time than by crowds can often feel marginalized or inferior. Over time, I’ve shaken free of that perspective. I was born with this wiring, and though I’ve become much more outgoing and confident with people (some people now mistake me for an extrovert), I remain a thorough-going introvert. And I love it. Yeah,…

  • Defeating Mis-Matches in Business

    Steve Woodruff
    11 Apr 2013 | 5:34 am
    Interview with Steve Woodruff, Clarity Therapist The goal of Clarity Therapy is to “defeat mis-matches – the wrong people in the wrong job; small companies pursuing the wrong types of business; or large companies partnering with the wrong vendors. A lack of clarity leads to tremendous inefficiencies in the business world.” More? Click to biggify (interview with New Jersey Business magazine). —> Want to understand what I’m all about? There it is, in a nutshell. Avoiding mis-matches by discovering your fit. Don’t merely think about finding work. Find your…

  • Solopreneur Isolation Syndrome

    Steve Woodruff
    19 Mar 2013 | 4:35 am
    I was speaking with a fellow consultant earlier this month, and the subject wandered over to one of the difficulties of being a solopreneur/small business owner. Isolation. Ever feel alone out there, hacking your way through the weeds? Yeah – join the club. Now, neither of us would go back to working for others, and we’ve freely chosen the paths we’ve taken. So this is not a lament. It’s just a fact of life. It can get pretty lonely out there when you’re not part of a (localized, physically present) team. As a solopreneur, I love my alone time, and I also get…
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    WordPress.com News

  • War and Life Afterwards: An Interview with Brian Castner

    LouAnn
    22 May 2013 | 8:15 am
    Brian Castner We’re honored that Brian Castner, Iraq War veteran and author of The Long Walk, makes his official online home right here at WordPress.com. Brian’s history and work are fascinating, as are the writing and photographs he shares on his blog. We asked Brian a few questions about his background, his book, his blogging philosophy, and his choice of WordPress.com for his site. Could you please tell us a bit about your unique background? I served in the Air Force as an Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Officer, and deployed twice to Iraq in 2005 and 2006. EOD is the…

  • Customizing Comet: Beau and Arrow Events

    Lauren Orsini
    20 May 2013 | 9:00 am
    Who doesn’t love “Before and After” home improvement shots? It’s always amazing to see how just a couple of changes, like a coat of paint or a quick do-it-yourself project, can transform a living space dramatically. It’s no different when it comes to WordPress.com blog themes, in which a little customization can go a long way. Today let’s take a look at Beau and Arrow Events, a wedding inspiration blog run by Ellen and Kate, two San Diego-based event planners. You’d never know that this chic blogazine is running on Comet, one of our sparest themes. Here’s how the bloggers…

  • Freshly Pressed: Friday Faves

    Cheri Lucas Rowlands
    17 May 2013 | 9:00 am
    An ode to a father, a story of growing up with two mothers, a request for a cloak of visibility, and a reflection on goodbyes. Here are four Freshly Pressed standouts from this week — all quite personal pieces that have resonated with many readers. Go ahead and dive in: Why I Don’t Diet — An Ode to My Father My father spent his years fighting his size, wishing he was smaller, weaker, less of a giant. He was taught to hate his body, and he was ashamed of the amount of space he took up. But he passed his strength to me, and I won’t squander my inheritance. I will not let…

  • New Theme: Snap

    Nate Schaumburg
    16 May 2013 | 10:00 am
    Happy Theme Thursday! Sharing and managing your work online should be easy, and today I’m thrilled to announce a new theme from our friends at The Theme Foundry that helps you do just that! Snap is a responsive, lightweight, and minimalist theme that makes it easy to feature your projects. Snap’s clean grid based blog layout and configurable page templates also make it incredibly flexible. Snap: Home Page Read more about Snap in the Theme Showcase, or test drive it for yourself by going to Appearance → Themes in your Dashboard.

  • Widget Visibility and You

    Christopher Finke
    15 May 2013 | 7:00 am
    Since the dawn of time, humankind has yearned for control. While we can’t give you more control over most of your life, we can give you more control over your widgets. And today, with the new widget visibility tool, you can configure your widgets to be shown or hidden only on certain pages. Widgets are a way to add new content (like your Twitter stream, a tag cloud, or a link to your blog archives) in the sidebar, header, or footer of your site. To see the widgets you have available to you, log in to your WordPress.com dashboard and click on Appearance » Widgets. To add a widget,…
 
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    Social Media Bird Brain

  • Five Tools for Your Social Media Intern

    15 May 2013 | 3:51 pm
    Via Unpaid Intern Summertime... and the interns are easy... Well, not really. But if you've made it known that your small nonprofit would like to entertain a few interns for the summer and/or fall, you've probably got a couple interviewed and ready to start. And given that Social Media is a big deal that many small nonprofits can't afford a full-time manager for, you're probably thinking of

  • The Battle of the Sexes and Other Interesting Crossed Lines of Social Communication

    1 May 2013 | 7:39 pm
    Thought by Jason Griffey, Photo by Pierre Metivier (Flickr) Maybe you've heard the story about the Philosophy 101 student who wrote 'everything is everything else' and got an A for the class term. Yeah, it sounds kinda woo-woo, but to me at least, it makes sense. Especially when talking about the internet and social communications. To illustrate, let's take a look at a few things I found while

  • Re-igniting Your Fire Using Social Communications

    23 Apr 2013 | 6:38 pm
    Everyone can feel a little down from time to time. Especially after a big push or a big disappointment. We've talked a lot about how you can use social communications to get your message out, to share your triumphs, to ask for assistance. But have you ever thought of using it on those days that are a little bit darker - when it's a little harder to get out of bed, you're a little slower getting

  • Blackout

    22 Apr 2013 | 11:52 am

  • Four Requirements for Successful Social Communication

    17 Apr 2013 | 7:21 pm
    The hooha about the new medium in town is long gone. People are turning to subjects like big data and still looking for ROI. In whatever shape or form it takes in the future, social communications are here to stay. Over the years in this blog, I - and hundreds of others engaged in the subject of social media - have overlapped each others' messages about what's important in establishing your
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    Corporate Eye

  • Using Simple Math to Inform Your Disclosure Policy

    John Palizza
    20 May 2013 | 1:49 am
    One of the main channels of communications between corporations and investors are sell side analysts.  They are useful in any number of ways, including as industry experts, creators of detailed financial models of the companies they cover, entry points to very sophisticated sales forces and as the ones who have a recommendation on your company’s stock. However, how they spend their time is often misunderstood. Based on personal experience, the perception among corporate executives is that analysts spend their time in front of their computers doing research and constructing earnings…

  • Yahoo Considering Tumblr for Acquisition

    Susan Gunelius
    17 May 2013 | 7:53 am
    On Thursday, AllThingsD broke the news that Yahoo! is in serious talks to acquire Tumblr. This comes on the heels of failed acquisition attempts and acquisition rumors that Yahoo! CEO Marissa Mayer had her eye on Daily Motion (that acquisition was blocked in France), Hulu, Pinterest, Zynga, and more. It’s speculated that a Yahoo! acquisition of Tumblr could reach $1 billion. This news comes shortly after Yahoo! CFO Ken Goldman told the audience at the J.P. Morgan Global Technology, Media and Telecom conference in Boston that his company is launching marketing campaigns directed at the…

  • Yahoo! Tries to Regain Cool Factor with Younger Audiences

    Susan Gunelius
    15 May 2013 | 5:57 pm
    Yahoo! wants young people to think it’s cool. That’s a strategic priority for the company according to CFO Ken Goldman who told the audience at the J.P. Morgan Global Technology, Media and Telecom conference in Boston on this week that Yahoo! is launching marketing campaigns directed at the 18 to 34 year old audience. The new marketing initiatives will make the Yahoo! brand more visible and spread the word about new products on outdoor billboards, sporting events, and other places. Goldman explained, “Part of it is going to be just visibility again in making ourselves cool,…

  • 2 out of 3 U.K. Smarphone Users are Mobile Shoppers

    Susan Gunelius
    14 May 2013 | 6:44 am
    Think your customers aren’t using mobile devices to shop? Think again. New research from market research firm Arbitron Mobile found that 66.8% of U.K. smartphone owners used mobile commerce apps in March 2013. That number is higher than any other country included in the study (United States =55.9%, Germany = 57.6%, and France = 52.5%). The report also shows that U.K. smartphone owners spend the most time using mobile commerce apps and shopping with their mobile devices. You can see the specific data below: United Kingdom: Minutes per month = 134.8, Sessions per month = 54.5 United…

  • Responsible Business Summit: 15 Thoughts

    Adrian Meredith
    13 May 2013 | 1:25 am
    Earlier this week I was lucky enough to attend the 12th Annual Responsible Business Summit in London which was superbly hosted by Ethical Corporation. Having predominantly experienced investor relations conferences, I was full of enthusiasm for the wealth of new information and ideas about to assault my senses, and two full days later, I am pleased to say that it was an incredibly interesting and perhaps I could even say, an inspiring event. A real effort was made by the organisers to keep the sessions interactive and to use technology to engage the audience. We voted via Twitter and SMS on…
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    Vino Party - Il blog sul Vino

  • Wine & the city 2013 a Napoli

    Fabio Mele
    17 May 2013 | 2:31 am
    Dal 21 al 25 maggio 2013 si rinnoverà a Napoli l’evento “Wine & the city” giunto ormai alla sesta edizione. L’evento si configura sempre di più come un nodo cardine nella promozione del vino, dell’arte e delle attività correlate nella zona campana e più in generale del sud Italia. Non si svolge in fiera né in stand, ma in 100 indirizzi diversi lungo la città, dove vengono presentate 70 cantine vinicole italiane di cui l’80% campane, assieme ad eventi correlati tra musica, arte e installazioni. L’obiettivo è quello di fare sistema tra i massimi livelli vinicoli,…

  • Vino: la battaglia dell’export punta l’Oriente?

    Fabio Mele
    22 Apr 2013 | 1:55 am
    Incrociando i dati Coldiretti e il Wine Monitor di Nomisma, assieme al punto della situazione fatto recentemente dalle case vinicole al Vinitaly 2013, senza dar nemmeno troppo risalto ai numeri saltano all’occhio un paio di concetti: nel 2012 in Italia, complice la crisi economica, si è bevuto meno vino, mentre mercati esteri emergenti come Cina e Brasile sono in netta crescita in quanto a consumi. Basta fare due più due per capire come, oggi, l’opportunità più importante che il mercato offre alle aziende vitivinicole italiane non è tanto il mercato interno, quanto la grande crescita…

  • Il vino e l’apporto calorico

    Gelsomina
    8 Apr 2013 | 6:37 am
    Un aspetto molto studiato nell’ultimo decennio e relazionato al mondo del vino è quello legato al suo impatto sulla salute, in modo particolare all’apporto che esso è in grado di fornire all’essere umano sia in termini positivi che in termini negativi. In particolar modo, molti nutrizionisti si sono soffermati a considerare il suo “impatto” nell’alimentazione quotidiana di un individuo nei singoli casi di persone sottoposte a diete dimagranti. Innanzitutto specifichiamo che il vino, tra le bevande più antiche del mondo, è ottenuto dalla fermentazione alcolica…

  • Vinitaly 2013: il vino italiano leader nel mondo

    Fabio Mele
    8 Mar 2013 | 3:34 am
    Si rinnova il tradizionale evento di Vinitaly a Verona nell’edizione 2013, che si terrà nella bella città veneta dal 7 al 10 aprile, una quattro giorni che vedrà come sempre il vino assoluto protagonista. Diamo anche un po’ di numeri sul vino e sui prossimi sviluppi del mercato. L’Italia diventa leader nella produzione vinicola mondiale, producendo quasi 41 milioni di ettolitri – superando la Francia scesa a 40,5 – e di questi, 24 finiscono per riempire le bottiglie dei vini di qualità, vale a dire gli oltre cinquecento vini con etichettatura Doc, Docg o Igt, di cui potete…

  • Vini ed eventi per San Valentino

    Fabio Mele
    9 Feb 2013 | 4:19 am
    Prevedete una romantica cenetta a lume di candela con la vostra dolce metà per il 14 febbraio? Oppure uscirete per andare in un rinomato ristorante? In questa situazione, non potete lasciare la scelta del vino al caso, ma è possibile scegliere alcuni vini che sembrano essere studiati apposta per l’occasione! Se nel precedente articolo abbiamo puntato su consigli relativi al gusto, in questo caso tratteremo una serie di vini che vanno a pennello per l’occasione grazie al nome del marchio. Stiamo parlando del vino “Primo Amore”, prodotto dalle cantine venete Zonin, che promette di…
 
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    Chris Abraham

  • You need 1000x more followers on Twitter

    Chris Abraham
    21 May 2013 | 11:57 pm
    Very few people hang on your every word. Everything that comes out of Ellen’s mouth is duly noted. Same thing with Bieber, Gaga, and Katy. Godin and (skinny) Brogan only need to say something once. But if you’re reading this, there’s a good chance you’ll need to speak up, maybe repeat yourself, and be more persistent than the Earth’s top celebs or our most hallowed social media motivational speakers.Yes, we might be heroes to a few people in our lives — our moms, namely, and maybe our dads, partners, children, if we’re lucky, and maybe a couple-few…

  • Don’t blame Marissa Mayer if your photo business sucks

    Chris Abraham
    21 May 2013 | 5:06 am
    Shooters are a bunch of over-sensitive wusses. I shot stock from 1983-2003 (for The Stock Market which became Corbis and for Pacific Stock) and people were saying that stock was the death of professional photography, or digital was or the Internet was or Photoshop was. Stop being such little whiny babies — besides, most of the people who are complaining about Marissa’s statement aren’t REALLY pros and I have seen lots of their stuff and while they have DLSRs, they’re not very good, either. So, better to blame your images than blaming the CEO of Yahoo! and Flickr and…

  • Beware Your Resolutions

    Chris Abraham
    21 May 2013 | 1:00 am
    When wrote my New Year’s fitness resolution publicly on The Huffington Post, I forgot about unintended consequences as well as “The Secret.” Putting my New Year’s resolution into the world, obviously started a cascade of Oprah Winfrey-class Intention-Power! The Universe woke up and had its way with me.My resolutions were pretty simple. One of them was just “get back onto my erg.”As a lark and to make myself more accountable, I invited a couple Facebook friends to start a virtual rowing club, Team Grotto, populate a virtual 4-man boat, and sign up to compete…

  • The Reebok Spartan Race is Sparta! This is Sparta!

    Chris Abraham
    18 May 2013 | 12:45 am
    My former Director of Client Services, Dan Krueger, is a brick shithouse. He literally looks like a character from the movie 300. When I met him he was kind of a dump, a little bit of a schlub, like I am now. That’s him to the right: commando!Now, he’s promoting the Reebok Spartan Race, one of those cool obstacle races that have become so fashionable and such an important part of the CrossFit obsession and lifestyle.To be honest, I am single and not getting any younger so I am going to go for it myself! Work on my inner studmuffin — the lad I used to be when I rowed in…

  • The Online Community Is Inexorably Global: Are You?

    Chris Abraham
    14 May 2013 | 11:42 pm
    I think “realness” is what’s required in online communications, just realness according to protocol. One cannot be rude. One cannot be uncouth. One should be tonally perfect when it comes to communicating online but don’t let that stop you — making mistakes (and copping to them, acknowledging them, and accepting them) is normal. But “normalspeak” is essential. Online chat and conversation is not, no matter what anyone tries to sell you, is not formal written communication. It shouldn’t be. It cannot be. Being stiff and inaccessible is almost…
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    Steve Kayser

  • Storytelling Story-Selling Secret Sources

    Steve Kayser
    25 Apr 2013 | 6:31 am
    The post Storytelling Story-Selling Secret Sources appeared first on Steve Kayser.Whatever business you're in you have a story. If it's a good story it informs, educates, entertains and helps people down a path to find a solution to the problem they have. The trip down the path is your story.The post Storytelling Story-Selling Secret Sources appeared first on Steve Kayser.

  • 3 Positive Ways to Deal with the Negative World

    Steve Kayser
    22 Apr 2013 | 2:24 pm
    The post 3 Positive Ways to Deal with the Negative World appeared first on Steve Kayser.Recent world events that have brought such overwhelming tragedy and negativity can make us spiral downward, creating despairing attitudes and dismal spirits. These affect our work. We’re less productive. We miss our sales goals. We wander away from family and friends. How do we get back on track? Find. Focus. Finish.The post 3 Positive Ways to Deal with the Negative World appeared first on Steve Kayser.

  • No Arms, No Legs … No Worries

    Steve Kayser
    15 Mar 2013 | 1:13 pm
    The post No Arms, No Legs … No Worries appeared first on Steve Kayser.Our times our piled high with difficulty and uncertainty. Stress and anxiety. Problems too big to get your arms around, Too high to climb. Unless ... you don't have legs or arms. The post No Arms, No Legs … No Worries appeared first on Steve Kayser.

  • The Stunningly Visual Power of Words

    Steve Kayser
    13 Mar 2013 | 8:47 am
    The post The Stunningly Visual Power of Words appeared first on Steve Kayser.The words in this video had the same purpose - but not the same meaning. And meaning is everything. It's seeing without eyes.The post The Stunningly Visual Power of Words appeared first on Steve Kayser.

  • The Complex Sale: How to Outsmart Yourself – With Your Own Brilliance

    Steve Kayser
    10 Mar 2013 | 11:50 am
    The post The Complex Sale: How to Outsmart Yourself – With Your Own Brilliance appeared first on Steve Kayser.To win at the complex sale, one must be a storyteller, master strategist, philosopher, psychologist and have an innate understanding of the B2B Goldilocks Universe ...The post The Complex Sale: How to Outsmart Yourself – With Your Own Brilliance appeared first on Steve Kayser.
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    Uber.la - tech reviews, opinion and wit

  • Social Media Marketing Basics & Best Practices

    jmacofearth
    20 May 2013 | 2:15 pm
    Engagement: social happens when the customer initiates a contact ("goes social") with your company. If there is no one home, at the question or challenge goes unanswered, the social engagement is a failure. The numbers indicate that 70% of brands leave questions unanswered. The lights are on, somebody started a Facebook page or a Twitter account, but no one is paying attention.

  • Review of VINE Using VINE: Um, Not So Much

    jmacofearth
    20 May 2013 | 5:33 am
    With my premise that social media is about telling stories, I find it hard to imagine much good, story-rich, content being created in VINE. Doesn't the Instagram pic of the owl do enough? Do we need to see the VINE? Maybe. But, if people with iPhones (VINE is not available on Android or Win8 yet) needed a better way to share video snippets, this isn't it.

  • Writing a Plan for Your Future – A Career Path Template (Downloadable)

    jmacofearth
    17 May 2013 | 4:00 pm
    "The point is, in the big picture, no one is going to look after your career for you, but you." --from Erin Malone on Boxes and Arrows in 2004

  • The Swallowed Elephant Is Leaving My Metrics: Looking for Virality

    jmacofearth
    17 May 2013 | 12:31 pm
      It's probably no secret that most bloggers don't do it for the money. (grin) But the fame, authority, notoriety, all that jazz? Well, that's really why we do it. So the big hump of traffic caused by my last two viral posts is about to go off my thirty-day metrics radar. And thus my publicly [...]

  • Doing Social Business: What's Everyone Else Doing?

    jmacofearth
    15 May 2013 | 5:42 pm
    The trick with social business is not to figure out what everyone else is doing, or what they've done. The trick is to figure out what to do next, and what hasn't been done yet.
 
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    Digital Marketing Blog // Digital Operative

  • Makers Quarter – Wins SOTD Award

    BJ Cook
    22 May 2013 | 3:46 pm
    In launching any new website, the sigh of relief comes when it goes live without a hiccup. Yet the icing on the cake is when your hard work pays off in the form of industry recognition like a nice Site of the Day award from our friends at CSSDesignAwards. MakersQuarter.com is a great example of responsive website design, complete with custom photography.

  • Spring is Here and Kenshoo is in the Air

    Matt Browne
    7 May 2013 | 3:48 pm
    I’ve read some bold promises from marketing automation software throughout the years. They all seem to promise the same thing… sit back, relax and let our little bot make you look like the rock star of the marketing department. Sayings like, ‘it’s cheaper, it’s faster, it’s easier, it’s more profitable become commonplace in every sales pitch. I’ve been through enough of these pitches throughout my tenure that I’ve grown a sixth sense at cutting through the crap and getting down to what’s really important. When our agency first deployed…

  • Got Culture? What it is and How to Get it

    shannon
    7 May 2013 | 3:24 pm
    I’ve been thinking a lot about culture and what it means and how it can define a company. It’s a trendy buzzword as of late peppering blogs and whispered about at HR seminars with its promises of  providing a cool factor to any company. But what is it exactly and how can you get it? According to Frances Frei and Anne Morriss at Harvard Business Review: “Culture guides discretionary behavior and it picks up where the employee handbook leaves off.” To some culture is a guidepost that helps employees understand their company as a whole. If one were to mention Google,…

  • Responsive Javascript Part 2

    Thong
    2 May 2013 | 10:30 am
    Quick recap. In part 1 of this blog we create two events, a hover event for desktop and a click event for mobile. With these events, we wrapped it around an IF statement so the script can decide which event to render base on window width. In part 2 we are going to make that code better! The main issue addresses testing responsive. Most people seem to believe that, by dragging the browser handles, that’s is the best way to test responsive layouts. Just because the window emulate different resolutions doesnt mean its the best way to test. The ONLY REAL WAY of testing responsive is by…

  • Google Analytics Certification Tips from Around the Web

    Denise Pena
    30 Apr 2013 | 1:49 pm
    Are you planning on taking your Google Analytics Individual Qualifications Exam? Check out these resources from around the web to help you train and prepare. While it’s possible to pass the exam without paying for help, a few of the resources I’ve listed below require a fee. Some people can cram studying into one day and pass the test, while others need time to digest and review – whatever works best for you as long as you’re able to keep the information and don’t dump it right after the test (we’re not in college anymore!). Resources from Google:…
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    Seldom Seen Kid

  • Capcom Blood Pool

    Matt Churchill
    11 May 2013 | 1:18 pm
    Capcom, in support of their latest Resident Evil title Resident Evil Revelations, have created a swimming pool filled with blood. The PR stunt comes hot on the heels of their 2012 human butchery. It’s certainly an interesting way of getting people to associate your gaming brand with blood and gore, and will appeal to their core gamer market, but I can’t help but feel it’s a little contrived. It’s certainly got the Internet interested, with most of the major gaming blogs talking about the stunt – whether it helps or hinders the release of the title remains to be…

  • Warburton’s Loaf Sells for £112k on eBay

    Matt Churchill
    20 Jan 2013 | 2:41 pm
    A loaf of Warburton’s bread sells for £112k. I love the Internet.

  • NASA Invite Social Media Community to Launch

    Matt Churchill
    14 Dec 2012 | 4:17 pm
    NASA will give 70 members of its social media community the chance to get a behind the scenes view of the US space program and an opportunity to see a launch in-person. The NASA Social, scheduled for January 28-29, will coincide with the launch of NASA’s Tracking and Data Relay Satellite-K (TDRS-K). The selected few visit the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA Socials are in-person meetings with people who engage with the agency through Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and other social networks. TDRS-K is targeted to launch at 8:52 p.m. EST Jan. 29 on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V…

  • Twitter Photo Filters

    Matt Churchill
    10 Dec 2012 | 3:20 pm
    Twitter have announced that they will be launching photo filters with the latest versions of their iPhone and Android apps. The move comes hours after Twitter and Instagram integration ceased. There will be eight photo filters, all of which can be applied directly in the mobile app. This, along with the compulsory roll out of the new image heavy Twitter profiles, demonstrates just how much value Twitter is placing on imagery and the ease of sharing that content instantaneously. The success of Instagram and PicPlz has shown just how important the ability to share image content is to users.

  • Twitter and Instagram Fall Out

    Matt Churchill
    10 Dec 2012 | 2:09 pm
    Instagram has pulled photosharing from Twitter, the microblogging service confirmed on their blog on Sunday. It’s the latest example of a pair of social networks ceasing official ties and preventing their users from cross-posting or integrating their content; Linkedin dropped integration withTwitter in the summer much to users’ dismay. These moves demonstrate the coming of age as businesses of many of our favourite social networking services – to survive, no matter how big you are, you need to be ruthless and that means, it would seem, upsetting users in the short term.
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    the i.d.e.a. brand

  • How to Manage a PR/Advertising/Integrated Agency

    Indra
    16 May 2013 | 7:00 am
    It doesn’t matter what area of specialty your shop offers, whether you only do PR or you offer an integrated suite of services, like we do at i.d.e.a., you got into the business because you love what you do. Isn’t that great? To do work that you love is a gift. But somewhere along the way, you realized that it isn’t all about being creative, interacting with clients and working with a talented team. You actually have a business to ...The post How to Manage a PR/Advertising/Integrated Agency appeared first on the i.d.e.a. brand.

  • Subway Uses QR Codes the Right Way

    Gary Ware
    15 May 2013 | 7:00 am
    A few weeks ago, Joe wrote a great article on QR codes and how they’ve become more of a disruption in  advertising than they are helpful. Being a curious tech nerd who scans just about every QR code I come across, I have to agree with him. The majority of experiences with QR codes are so-so at best. I don’t have high-expectations, I just want to be taken to an experience that takes advantage of the fact that I am on ...The post Subway Uses QR Codes the Right Way appeared first on the i.d.e.a. brand.

  • Beyond the Hashtag: How Memecube Increases Engagement at Conferences

    Stephanie Garcia
    10 May 2013 | 7:00 am
    I don’t blame my coworkers for looking at me strangely when I came back from Gamification Summit and started talking about how cool Memecube was. If you’ve never heard of Memecube, you’d think it was some type of Rubik’s cube made up of Internet memes—although, that does sound like a really fun accessory to have on your desk. No, Memecube is even cooler than that. Let me explain… Live Tweeting At Conferences If you’ve attended a marketing conference within the last three ...The post Beyond the Hashtag: How Memecube Increases Engagement at Conferences appeared first on…

  • Fee, fie, foe, fum…

    James White
    8 May 2013 | 7:00 am
    I want to explore the realm of fairytales again and see if any of their sub-contexts ring true in the world of advertising. Let me ask you, what fairytale does this make you think of? Fee, fie, foe, fum, I smell the blood of an Englishman… The thirteen Colonies winning the American War of Independence against the Kingdom of Great Britain, or Jack and the Beanstalk? Let’s go with the story of Jack, as I’m not sure if I believe the fairytale ...The post Fee, fie, foe, fum… appeared first on the i.d.e.a. brand.

  • Why Professional Photography Still Matters

    Indra
    6 May 2013 | 8:22 am
    Have you seen the latest Apple TV commercial? After a beautifully shot and edited series of images of people using their iPhones to shoot or edit, it ends with just one voice over line – “Every day, more photos are taken with the iPhone than any other camera.” Brands like Apple remind us that “everyone” is a photographer. Just add an Instagram filter and you too will feel like an artist. But just as all burgers are not created equally, ...The post Why Professional Photography Still Matters appeared first on the i.d.e.a. brand.
 
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    Nashville SEO Social Media Marketing | Web Design Search Engine PPC

  • NEW SITE: Inbound.org

    David
    13 May 2013 | 11:44 am
    I just recently discovered Inbound.org, a for-fun partnership type of site founded by SEOMoz.org’s Rand Fishkin (way to go #Seattle) and Hubspot’s Dharmesh Shah. I don’t know how in the world I missed out on this but it is an awesome site dedicated to all things inbound marketing. What is Inbound Marketing? The World of Inbound Marketing, credit to Inbound.org Taken verbatim from the site, “Inbound Marketing is the process of earning the interest of visitors and customers rather than buying it. Unlike paid advertising, the cost of distribution of inbound marketing…

  • 7 FREE Dribbble iPhone Apps

    David
    26 Apr 2013 | 9:37 pm
    I’m fairly new in being a player on Dribbble, having only a couple of shots so far to boot, and have more to upload in the future. I have been wanting to be a player for so long, and being the benchwarmer that I have been for a while, it feels good to actually be a debut player, even if it means being a role player right now than an All-Star. With that being said, I have compiled a list of FREE Dribbble iPhone apps for those who are looking for their first Dribbble app client or those looking to replace their existing one(s). Look for an in-depth review of each of these apps in the next…

  • Halo Sketches

    David
    26 Mar 2013 | 9:44 pm
    Check out my Halo Sketch gallery. I needed a break from a lot of design, development, and marketing work, so here’s a sketch of the ever-popular Halo series from Microsoft. Enjoy the illustrations :) The post Halo Sketches appeared first on Nashville SEO Social Media Marketing | Web Design Search Engine PPC.

  • Website Promotion Extended!

    David
    26 Mar 2013 | 8:53 pm
    Win A Website! Visit http://www.zioneyemedia.com/win-a-website For Instructions. To all my friends: You think March Madness is about to end? Hope not! It’s being extended to April… That’s right, I’m extending the promotion to win an awesome website from yours truly until the END OF APRIL! So if you or your friends who are musicians, bands, Emcees, or in dance / bboy crews, do yourself a favor and check out this promotion! Visit http://www.zioneyemedia.com/win-a-website to find out more on instructions on participating and winning!   The post Website Promotion…

  • Win An Awesome Website

    David
    1 Mar 2013 | 12:16 am
    Are you a musician or in a band? Do you dance hip hop or are in a breakdance crew? Do you spit rhymes? Well, this promo is for you. For the month of march, one lucky winner will be able to get my Builder Web Package, valued at $2,599. Not only will the winner get an awesome site, but complete with customized logo, social media integration, email marketing tools, and more. Go to my promotion rules page to find out the rules and regulations on entering. Questions? The post Win An Awesome Website appeared first on Nashville SEO Social Media Marketing | Web Design Search Engine PPC.
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    FreshNetworks Blog

  • Why Snapchat is about so much more than teens and sexting

    Matt Rhodes
    16 May 2013 | 4:46 am
    Snapchat seems to be attracting more interest recently with more users of and more questions about the mobile sharing app which allows you to send images and text (‘Snaps’) to contacts with an ‘auto-destruct’ after a few seconds. In April, CEO Evan Spiegel announced that 150m photos were shared each day, and the app has come under investigation as to whether the images actually do auto-destruct. There is also a perception that the app is a fad among teens, and the auto-destruct nature of the communication makes it suitable for mere frippery or even for sexting. But…

  • What’s the secret to being a great leader?

    Sarah Platts
    14 May 2013 | 10:59 am
    Last year I wrote about innovation having attended an Open University Business School event on the topic, and recently I’ve just been to another one all about leadership. Here’s a quick summary of 6 questions and answers that came out of the session: 1. What do we mean by leadership? Professor Jean Hartley took everyone through the 5 Ps: Person – personal characteristics and leadership style(s). Position – e.g. a position of authority often creates access to resource pools, but equally there are many leaders who don’t hold positions of formal authority. Process – i.e.

  • Sir Alex Ferguson retires – an analysis of the immediate reaction on Twitter

    Matt Rhodes
    8 May 2013 | 3:40 am
    Old Trafford, Manchester (Photo credit: Sean MacEntee) At 09:20 this morning Sir Alex Ferguson retired after 26 years in charge of Manchester United. The club, and the manager, are respected and supported far from the city of Manchester, and reaction was quick to spread on Twitter. In many analyses of event and how Twitter reacts to them, the focus is on volume – just how many people are talking about an issue. But more interesting than this is what people are saying. There is a hypothesis that when there is ‘breaking news’ (at least on Twitter), most of the discussions…

  • Research shows that 51% of consumers don’t want brands listening to them in social media

    Matt Rhodes
    18 Apr 2013 | 8:16 am
    Listen, Understand, Act (Photo credit: highersights) According to Altimeter, 42% of businesses in the US are prioritising Social Media Listening in 2013 – putting real focus on how they sift through and learn from the conversations in social media. But a recent study of US consumers found that 51% of them do not want brands to be listening to what they say online. As a greater emphasis is placed on social media listening and big data, the tensions with consumer privacy will also rise. The report, by Netbase, is based on a survey of 1,062 US consumers and highlights the challenges brands…

  • The Future of Education: How the Khan Academy is changing the way we learn

    Alex Boardman
    15 Apr 2013 | 1:23 am
    Classroom (Photo credit: Vitó) Last week I got a glimpse into the future of education through the eyes of  two visionaries: Salman Khan (founder of the Khan Academy) and Martin Bean (Vice President of the Open University). Both speakers talked about how online learning has had, and is still having a massive and transformative impact on education, and how it has the potential to vastly improve society. Khan’s website now has roughly 6.5 million unique users a month and it’s videos have had more than 200 million, while the Open University has had more than 1.5 million people graduate…
 
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    shesgotclients.com

  • Mastermind With Me This Year? (Plus a Quick Lesson)

    Christine
    20 May 2013 | 10:42 am
    This coming weekend is one of my favorite weekends of the entire year–Memorial Day weekend. The unofficial start of Summer means beach time, and there is no other place I’d rather be! This time of year also always reminds me that we’re really close to another year being nearly half over. I’m wondering… how is 2013 going for you in your business? Are you feeling productive? Successful? Where you want to be? If not, I want to share a quick lesson with you about the top four characteristics shared by the most productive and successful entrepreneurs. (These are the ones…

  • How to Find Ideal Joint Venture Partners for Your Business

    Christine
    9 May 2013 | 12:55 pm
    Joint ventures are juicy. They’re all about two or more businesses combining resources to create a win-win situation. Entrepreneurs know they should be “doing” joint ventures (JVs for short)—but the big question is, how do you find good JV partners? You need to find partners who have the same client base as you do, so ask yourself: “who else do my clients buy from?” For example, if you’re a personal trainer, then your clients are also buying the services of a chiropractor or a massage therapist. So, you want to joint venture with a massage therapist, or a chiropractor. Where to…

  • FREE Call: What Savvy Entrepreneurs Know: 5 Essential Keys to Guarantee Financial Growth This Year

    Christine
    2 May 2013 | 4:44 pm
    Do you ever wonder what highly successful business owners are doing that keeps their income (AND their influence) growing year after year? Do you ever sit on the outside looking in at others who consistently launch new offers, run great programs, hold amazing workshops… and wonder how they do it? Do you ever wish you could take a peek behind the curtain and get the REAL scoop on the strategies these high-achieving folks use to fuel their growth? If you’re a smart, skilled entrepreneur who feels that the truly THRIVING business you want is just out of reach, you’ll want to…

  • Pricing 911: How to Know What to Charge!

    Christine
    25 Apr 2013 | 12:55 pm
    It’s true: most business owners get tripped up on pricing at one time or another. While there’s actually not a truly scientific way to set your prices, there are a few guidelines you can follow to make the process less tricky. 1) First and foremost, remember your big picture clarity: who your target market actually is. Have you done your research about their income level, buying habits and what they tend to spend on services or products similar to yours? Get really clear here. 2) Look at others who sell similar offerings in similar industries and pay attention to what they…

  • Resource: Be Fit, Fine & Fabulous in Career, Business and Life

    Christine
    24 Apr 2013 | 8:26 pm
    It is the goal of everyone to be successful – but sometimes dreams and intentions can get lost or take a back seat to the hectic day-to-day shuffle and bustle of life. Women especially are trying to find fulfillment and balance in their lives personally and professionally. Many struggle with their weight, finances, emotions and are often hungry for spiritual nourishment in their lives. So how do you take the drab and make it fab? That’s what Dr. Laureen Wishom examines, exposes and explains in Fit, Fine & Fabulous in Career, Business and Life. She says, “Fit, fine and fabulous is a…
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    Online Marketing Blog

  • 7 Steps to SEO at Scale: How to Ramp Up Your Search Engine Optimization Strategy

    Miranda Miller
    22 May 2013 | 4:00 am
    comScore reports that in April 2013 there were over 20 billion search queries and of the 13 billion+ handled by Google, 16% of daily searches have never been seen before.  Each of those attempts represents buyers looking for solutions at the moment of need. Online marketers that take advantage of modern, scalable search engine optimization best practices as part of their overall digital marketing mix can gain a significant advantage over competitors to become “the best answer” when it matters most. Understanding the basics of search engine optimization can be challenging given…

  • Top 5 Social Media Questions Marketers Want Answered

    Lee Odden
    21 May 2013 | 7:08 am
    What if you could tap into the minds of 3,000 marketers to find out where they stand when it comes to social media marketing? How valuable would it be to know how your peers are handing the time commitments, social media platforms and measurement? Lucky you and lucky me, the answers to those questions are found in today’s 2013 Social Media Marketing Industry Report from Michael Stelzner and Social Media Examiner. A few of this year’s social media statistics: 86% of marketers say social media is important for their business 69% plan to increase their use of YouTube 58% of…

  • Integrating Digital Marketing & PR – Breaking Down Silos Through Content

    Lee Odden
    20 May 2013 | 5:11 am
    For a recent presentation at a corporate communications and PR conference, I polled my network of digital marketing and PR pros working client-side about the most pressing questions they’re dealing with when it comes to integrating Marketing and Public Relations. Since we’ve been working in the digital marketing and PR space at TopRank Marketing for well over 10 years, it was interesting to see  the diverse feedback from companies of various sizes and industries. But several themes revealed themselves that I think our readers will relate to. Thanks to feedback from Digital and…

  • Online Marketing News: Video Trends Map, Content Recommendation Engine & New Google+ Layout

    Miranda Miller
    17 May 2013 | 4:00 am
    New Google+ Layout: Hangouts, Photos and Stream Reminiscent of Pinterest Google announced a major update to their social network this week that changes the way Hangouts, photos and the Google+ stream are viewed by users. The decidedly Pinterest-esque layout was just one of many announcements this week out of Google I/O, the totality of which Jeremiah Owyang and Chris Silva dubbed a “wreck.” “The end result, we hope, is an app that looks and feels great across a family of devices,” Senior VP Vic Gundotra wrote of the Google+ changes. This is in line with Google’s…

  • 11 Examples of Killer B2B Content Marketing Campaigns Including ROI

    Lee Odden
    16 May 2013 | 7:23 am
    According to a CMI and MarketingProfs study, 91% of B2B Marketers are using content marketing and that means a few things: First, it means content marketing has gained critical mass within the popular marketing mix and any company in a competitive industry would be hard pressed to attract business without it. Second, it means competition to stand out with your brand’s content is only going to get harder as more companies adopt content marketing best practices and mature in their skills. As companies evolve from simply recognizing the important role of content and experimenting with it,…
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    Platform Wars

  • Ceasefire ...

    5 May 2013 | 8:36 am
    I'm working on some new things. And I've started to feel the need for a new online identity. And to try to find some collaborators with similar interests to join me in this next project. That's something I'm going to talk about more, on my other blog, very soon.But I can't keep opening up new fronts. There's a balancing / decluttering that's needed too.I just shut my Facebook account. That was for other reasons, but it's also going to clear some space and time. And it's pushed me towards thinking about further changes.Therefore I've decided that I'm going to close Platform Wars. Permanently.

  • Yahoo and Alibaba

    27 Apr 2013 | 7:11 pm
    Business Insider :So now you know the truth: The reason Yahoo is valuable to its investors has nothing to do with it being a consumer Internet company or its display advertising business. It's a tracking stock for Alibaba. This puts Marissa Mayer in a wonderful position. The only way Yahoo can return to growth is to invest lots of money in building or buying new, disruptive products and businesses ... That means Mayer has time to implode Yahoo's core business and spend a lot of money growing something else in its place.

  • Google Forks WebKit

    4 Apr 2013 | 10:43 am
    This is disturbing.Sure, there are probably good technical reasons. But forking WebKit means that the capabilities of Apple and Google's browsers are almost certainly going to diverge. Is this a subtle push-back by Apple and Google (owners of iOS / Android respectively) against HTML5 as a successful platform that cuts across mobile operating systems?

  • Facebook's Newsfeed

    4 Mar 2013 | 1:11 pm
    Good analysis by Josh Constine.

  • Microsoft Office on iPad

    4 Mar 2013 | 11:29 am
    ZDNet asks how it will work.
 
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    Comments on: Blog Link Bankruptcy

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    Content Matters

  • Tumblr is not a blogging platform

    Barry Graubart
    19 May 2013 | 12:44 pm
    Lots of great information out there on the Yahoo-Tumblr deal, but I keep seeing posts comparing Tumblr to Wordpress and referring to it as a "blogging platform". While that might be technically accurate, just as you might still refer to Twitter as a "micro-blogging" platform, it reflects little understanding to how Tumblr is used today and why Yahoo is buying it. First and foremost, Tumblr is a social platform. Users post media to Tumblr and it gets shared. A lot. If you look at their user numbers, it tells a lot of the story. As of April, 2013, Tumblr had 170 million users and 100 million…

  • I Moved

    Barry Graubart
    9 May 2013 | 6:09 am
    I’m thrilled to share that I’ve just joined Connotate as Vice President, Product Strategy.  Connotate is the leader in the web content extraction space. Publishers, ecommerce retailers, financial institutions, government agencies and others rely upon Connotate to aggregate, organize, analyze and distribute web data at scale. Connotate agents can mine content from websites, extracting critical pieces of data, then structure, aggregate and organize that information for use in analytical applications. Clients use Connotate to monitor prices on tens of thousands of items, run background…

  • Sales Tax Will Have Little Impact on eCommerce

    Barry Graubart
    7 May 2013 | 10:53 am
    The web is all a-flutter about the likelihood that Congress will start requiring ecommerce sites (and catalog retailers) to begin to collect sales tax in all states. The bill has passed the Senate and now moves to the House, where its passage is less certain. If it passes, it will clearly be a boon for the states, who now miss out on an estimated $20 billion per year in sales taxes. But it's unlikely to do much for brick & mortar retailers, in their efforts to curb showrooming. In the early days of online commerce, the avoidance of sales tax was definitely a key factor in helping…

  • The Publisher's Guide to Mobile and Tablet Development

    Barry Graubart
    5 Apr 2013 | 8:10 am
    During the past 12-18 months I've had more conversations with publishers about tablet and mobile than about any other topic. In fact, it's probably more than the next three topics combined. The speed in which mobile and table computing are overtaking the desktop is unprecedented. According to Deloitte, more than one in five Americans own a tablet device. And every day, new vendors and agencies come along pitching products and solutions. The result for most publishers is confusion. In speaking with colleagues at Newstex, I learned that they were seeing the same confusion among many of their…

  • Facebook Home Could Throw Off Incredible Usage Data

    Barry Graubart
    4 Apr 2013 | 10:45 am
    The big thing that jumped out at me from today's Facebook Phone "Facebook Home on Android" event was the potential usage data trove that this could open up for Facebook. This diagram tells the story: Under this architecture, Facebook Home sits between the Android OS and your apps. In other words, Facebook potentially gains control of all of the usage data thrown off in "app exhaust".  Of course, that's on top of controlling communications on the phone via Chat Heads and other features. Of course, the underlying OS has always known about which apps you're using and with whom you're…
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    FUEL LINES

  • 10 Steps to Market Yourself As A Speaker for Ad Agency New Business

    Michael Gass
    21 May 2013 | 1:06 pm
    Public speaking establishes credibility, a positioning of expertise and can produce a consistent flow of leads.Speaking at conferences, seminars, workshops and webinars is a tremendous asset for agency new business. Attendees are often highly qualified prospects, who are interested in what you have to say. Many will view you as an expert just because you have been deemed qualified to speak at the event.As you speak, your audience gets to know you and begin to form a relationship with you. Most people have a desire to work with other people that they know, trust and like. This can be your time…

  • Ad Agencies that don’t have content practices will be scrambling for new business

    Michael Gass
    5 May 2013 | 11:47 pm
    The Moroch Agency’s Niche BlogAgencies talk about the value of content marketing but few are doing it and even fewer do it well.Roper Public Affairs, 80% of business decision-makers said they prefer to get information via articles, not ads. 70% said content makes them feel closer to a company and 60% said content provided by companies helps them make smarter buying decisions.Agencies are historically bad at new business. They seem to lose their marketing minds when it comes to marketing themselves.  A clear example of this is with content marketing.  Digital, social and mobile have…

  • Podcasting for Ad Agency New Business

    Michael Gass
    1 May 2013 | 11:39 am
    Podcasting is an effective tool for business development, networking, and a positioning of expertise.Trent Dyrsmid, is an online marketing expert, author, speaker, and the founder of BrightIdeas.co. His podcasting audience is made up entirely of ad agency professionals, small business owners, and independent marketing consultants. Trent has produced over 100 episodes. Trent writes,“Podcasting, if done correctly, can be an incredibly powerful tool for business development, networking, and positioning yourself as a thought leader (which is what content marketing is all about). Consider…

  • My Steps for Fueling New Business Through Social Media

    Michael Gass
    23 Apr 2013 | 7:50 am
     Outlining a social media strategy for creating new business opportunities from inbound and content marketing quickly.strat·e·gy : A plan of action or policy designed to achieve a major or overall aim.Since I launched my consultancy using social media in 2007, social media has become main-lined into traditional marketing. But, a lot of agencies  were caught “flat-footed” when it caught fire, being fueled by the greatest economic downturn since the Great Depression. Most agencies didn’t jump into the social media arena until 2010. When they did relent, their engagement…

  • Ad Agencies: Will 2013 Be the Year 3D Printing Goes Mainstream?

    Michael Gass
    15 Apr 2013 | 1:17 pm
    3D Printing is an innovative technology that is sure to impact advertising, marketing and even agency new business. “A faster and cheaper alternative to traditional methods of manufacturing is making its way into the mainstream market, and it looks to be changing the way people do business—including advertising.” 3D Printing Buzz3D printing is a process of making three-dimensional solid objects from a digital model. Objects are created by laying down successive layers of material. This is performed by a materials printer using digital technology.  A design file is sent to the…
 
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    Kneale Mann | Leadership

  • Tom Asacker | The Business of Belief (part 2)

    Kneale Mann
    22 May 2013 | 2:30 am
    Yesterday, I posted part one of a conversation I had with my colleague Tom Asacker who has published his latest book The Business of Belief. This is the second part of our conversation. You write: “We choose what we choose because we believe in it. And those beliefs are driven by our desires.” Can you expand on that? Tom: Belief is what humans do. Our personal beliefs and desires drive our choices. And in most cases, like fish in water, we’re unaware of that reality. Let’s take a relevant example. Right now someone is reading this blog post. If you were able to ask them why, they…

  • Tom Asacker | The Business of Belief (part 1)

    Kneale Mann
    21 May 2013 | 2:30 am
    Writing a book is hard work. Many who have never attempted this endeavor, like many disciplines, have an opposite opinion. If you have ever had the inkling, here are a few things to consider. First, you need a thesis to carry your book. It is an angle, a story you want to share, a theory or outline that will hold your readers’ attention. Next you need to write For business books, generally that means 50-80,000 words, novels are 75,000 words and up. Then you need someone to edit it to ensure there is a flow which will keep that reader hooked. There are footnotes and credits and all that fun…

  • Our Ongoing Education

    Kneale Mann
    17 May 2013 | 3:51 am
    We live in a fascinating time. Technology, communication, collaboration, and knowledge bring us more changes every day to connect and grow. As far as leadership and business culture, it’s also an ever more complex time. We have four and sometimes five generations in the workforce side by side trying to homogenize the experience through systems and processes, strategies and priorities, options and competing priorities. This is challenging for all of us. I do subscribe to the mantra that education is a lifelong journey and that may be more important now than every before in our existence. Sir…

  • Be a Human Leader

    Kneale Mann
    14 May 2013 | 4:00 am
    There are over seven billion of us on this planet, over two billion online, and the noise is unbearable most days. Look at this, click on that, check my offer, attend this event, go to that store, read this article, buy that cool gadget, the list is endless. Then we're expected to share it, text it, tweet it, connect it, friend it, email it, or blog it. The cries for attention seem unrelenting and perhaps as we have trained ourselves to sift through endless data, content, and advertising, we have forgotten ourselves? But it would be good to think we take more care with our relationships and…

  • Awaken the Child

    Kneale Mann
    10 May 2013 | 2:30 am
    When you were a kid, you were probably discovering new stuff all the time. There wasn't corporate governance tied to strategic objectives to increase third quarter earnings, you just tried stuff. Some stuff went well, some not so well, some evolved into other stuff, but you probably didn't over think much because you were too busy discovering and creating. My mom still remarks about how I would get lost in my own world when I was a kid. That kid is alive and well. Is yours? Snakes and Ladders But as we grow, we begin to form teams and norms and start to worry more about the opinions of others…
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    Social Networking Watch: News on the Social Networking and Social Media Industry

  • Path Is Getting Popular In Indonesia

    Mark Brooks
    21 May 2013 | 10:26 am
    TECH IN ASIA - May 21 - Path, a social network app, has been growing in popularity in Indonesia for its more-private circle of friends. Unlike Facebook it limits its users to 150 friends. Almost all internet users in Indonesia are Facebook users too but are increasingly getting overwhelmed by the ads on their Facebook walls. Avid users of social media in Indonesia on average still have four to seven social networking apps installed and used actively on their smartphones. by Elisa EffendySee full article at Tech in Asia See all posts on Path

  • Yahoo Board Approves Tumblr Acquisition

    Mark Brooks
    20 May 2013 | 11:52 am
    MASHABLE - May 19 - Yahoo's board of directors has approved a $1.1 billion acquisition of blogging platform Tumblr. The deal is reportedly an all-cash acquisition. CEO Marissa Mayer was interested in the platform's younger-skewing user base, and had been in talks with the board about Tumblr for the last six weeks. Yahoo has purchased 10 startups since Mayer became CEO. Those companies include Stamped, a mobile app for finding and recommending activities, news browsing app Summly, and to-do list app Astrid. Tumblr has grown to a giant since its launch in 2007. It had ~67M unique visitors in…

  • Your Klout Counts

    Mark Brooks
    20 May 2013 | 11:43 am
    THE NATIONAL - May 19 - Social networking isn’t only for fun anymore. Today, it’s a serious business. That was brought into sharp focus recently, when American Airlines announced that passengers with a Klout score of 55 or more will gain access to its network of premium lounges all around the world. Klout aggregates information across your social media accounts and comes up with a score that measures your influence. The average Klout score is 40. Klout has partnered with other brands in the past – from Sony, to Nike, to Disney – to deliver rewards to users with high scores. And Klout…

  • Zynga Tells CupidWithFriends To Stop Using ‘With Friends’

    Mark Brooks
    20 May 2013 | 11:23 am
    TECH CRUNCH - May 17 - Zynga has told the makers of the dating site CupidWithFriends that they need to change the site’s name, because it allegedly infringes on Zynga’s trademarks. CupidWithFriends was built by the startup Apartment 7. The site launched a couple of months ago, allowing users to build and edit dating profiles for their friends. There’s also Bang With Friends which was recently booted from the Apple App Store. by Anthony HaSee full article at Tech Crunch See all posts on Zynga This post also appears on OnlinePersonalsWatch.

  • MessageMe Raises $10M

    Mark Brooks
    17 May 2013 | 12:31 pm
    TECH CRUNCH - May 17 - MessageMe, a messaging app that launched in March, has raised another $10M. This newest round will be used to help MessageMe keep up with growth in the future, as it faces up to an increasingly crowded field of competitors. They include biggies like WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger. Two months ago, the app was seeing 500 notifications per second among 1M users, despite the fact that Facebook cut MessageMe off from Social Graph access one week after it launched. Facebook apps are not allowed to use “Find Friends” features to seek out Facebook contacts on third-party…
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    HighTalk

  • The Downfall of Social Media

    gfsnell3
    22 May 2013 | 9:07 am
    It was inevitable. Because social media is not the end all be all. Social media won’t cure your marketing woes. Social media will not make you more popular. And social media will not cure cancer. Social media is a channel (or more accurately several channels) and it always has been. Just like television, radio, email and websites. Facebook, […]

  • The Big, Fat Content Glut

    gfsnell3
    14 May 2013 | 2:10 pm
    Content is everywhere – and that’s the problem. Content creators – bloggers, videographers, writers, artists, designers, musicians, journalists, directors, illustrators, actors, etc. – should be celebrating. The internet has opened up the world to them. Writers can sell novels and non-fiction directly to readers. Musicians can sell their songs right to listeners. YouTube and Vimeo […]

  • Why “Likes” Matter

    gfsnell3
    8 May 2013 | 11:50 am
    Nothing causes as much consternation as a Facebook “like.” Marketers want to give it a value.  Sales guys want to monetize it.  Communicators want to measure it. But the simple fact is that few people understand it. So what is a like?  What does it mean when a Facebook user “likes” something? First, you need […]

  • 10 Signs That You Need to Unplug

    gfsnell3
    2 May 2013 | 1:50 pm
    1. You use the word retweet instead of repeat in casual conversation. 2. You actually say to someone: “I just read something about that on Facebook.” 3. The distant sound of a mobile phone ring makes you check your own phone for an incoming call (extra points if you do this after hearing a mobile […]

  • 4 Myths of Social Media Authenticity

    gfsnell3
    29 Apr 2013 | 9:12 am
    One of the great big whopping lies about social media is authenticity. Because – let’s face it – there isn’t much that’s authentic about social media. There’s lots of spin, cherry-picking, and bright-side propaganda from both individuals and brands going on. Few people and brands are truly genuine about their attitudes, personalities and opinions on […]
 
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    Jeff Korhan - New Media and Small Business Marketing

  • Social Marketing is Relationship Selling

    Jeff Korhan
    17 May 2013 | 4:16 pm
    The Social Marketing Process ©Jeff Korhan Mainstream small business will more reliably get better results from social media if they view it more as selling than marketing. Why? Because effective relationship selling is personal, and now marketing is too. As social influences continue to profoundly affect business, just about every business activity is going to require relationship building skills. Traditional marketing or advertising was something you did – to your communities. Whereas, social marketing in our digital environment is something we do – with our communities. That…

  • If I Were Starting Social Media from Zero

    Jeff Korhan
    13 May 2013 | 2:30 am
    A couple of months ago without notice, all of the social media sharing counters on my primary website had reverted to zero. Just like that, thousands of shares that had accumulated over a period of nearly seven years had vanished. Why is this significant? Social sharing is what is known as “social proof.”  It’s evidence that your site is active and worthy of the attention of new buyers that happen to be passing through. Not knowing if this action was recoverable, I settled into the realization that I may have to simply move on and start fresh. While the problem was…

  • Social Media is Still Uncharted Waters

    Jeff Korhan
    10 May 2013 | 3:52 pm
    When you are embarking on a journey whose destination is uncertain, you have to get comfortable with uncertainty. When it comes to social media, uncertainty has been, and for the foreseeable future, will necessarily be part of its use in your marketing equation. These are uncharted waters. Everyone is still learning. So, small businesses simply need to first get their feet wet, after which they will find their way if they follow a proven process, such as the one outlined in Built-In Social. What I’m Hearing Now that social media hype is beginning to fizzle, the truth is coming out from…

  • Why The Best Products are Souvenirs

    Jeff Korhan
    28 Apr 2013 | 8:10 pm
    Marketing expert Seth Godin has more than once noted that a book is souvenir – a vessel for ideas that allows them to be readily used and shared. I believe we can further expand on that idea. Have you ever considered that the products and services your small business creates are souvenirs too? What Exactly is a Souvenir? We often think of souvenirs as relatively low-value items that are purchased or received for free as a memento of an experience with a place, occasion, business, or organization. However, the original and primary definition of souvenir is to remember or come to mind.

  • Small Business Social Media Accountability

    Jeff Korhan
    19 Apr 2013 | 3:03 pm
    Recent tragic events here in the United States (and around the world) have heightened awareness of the global reach of media, especially social media, and the consequences for businesses using it. Small business advertising has historically been local, making it easy to craft messaging that is appropriate for the targeted audience. However, now any piece of digital content has the capability of reaching audiences far removed from those for which it is intended. This creates new responsibilities that many businesses are only just beginning to fully comprehend. Your small business may be local,…
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    miketrap.com

  • Maker's Schedule, Manager's Schedule

    22 May 2013 | 10:30 am
    Maker's Schedule, Manager's Schedule: Are you on the “maker’s schedule,” or the “manager’s schedule?” Thoughtful @paulg post from a while back.

  • Highlights of the New England Venture Capital Awards this year,...

    22 May 2013 | 7:45 am
    Highlights of the New England Venture Capital Awards this year, a.k.a., “The NEVYs.” Great night, proud to be a part of it.

  • In 1962, Time magazine called David Ogilvy “the most...

    21 May 2013 | 1:06 pm
    In 1962, Time magazine called David Ogilvy “the most sought-after wizard in today’s advertising industry.” In his years as an advertising executive and copywriter, Ogilvy created some of the world’s most successful and iconic marketing campaigns, including the legendary Man in the Hathaway Shirt, plus notable efforts for Schwepps, Rolls Royce, and the island of Puerto Rico among many others. As content marketers, we can learn a lot from the legendary Mr. Ogilvy. He was, after all, one of the pioneers of information-rich, “soft sell” ads that didn’t insult the intelligence of…

  • My pal Andy Miller’s company, Leap Motion, about to change...

    20 May 2013 | 6:50 pm
    My pal Andy Miller’s company, Leap Motion, about to change the way we interact with machines. Amazing.

  • Telling Actifio’s story in the final round of judging for...

    17 May 2013 | 11:01 am
    Telling Actifio’s story in the final round of judging for the SBANE Innovation Awards. We won. Thanks, guys.
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    Phil Gerbyshak

  • The 3 R’s of DIY Video: Record, Rinse, Repeat

    Phil Gerbyshak
    8 May 2013 | 6:21 am
    [Today's guest post…..Sean is the Head of Business Development at Bravo Video, which enables businesses to capture video from customers, users and fans - right over the web.] Notice any trends lately on Phil’s blog?  If you’ve been paying attention, you’ve probably noticed a handful of self-recorded videos in some of Phil’s recent posts.  Knowing what we know about Phil, my guess is he’s on to something. We also know that video is incredibly powerful, so I won’t spend too much time arguing this point (although I do feel the need to mention that a recent…

  • Help Stop Human Trafficking in Milwaukee and Beyond

    Phil Gerbyshak
    30 Apr 2013 | 10:22 am
    Did you know Approximately 27 million people a year are trafficked worldwide for labor and sexual exploitation. Of these, 80% are women and 50% are children. Human trafficking is modern-day slavery. Estimated to generate $32 billion annually, it is the fastest growing criminal industry in the world. Due to increased media attention, many Americans are more aware of the horrors of trafficking. But most perceive it to be a crime isolated to the far corners of the globe rather than a domestic or local issue. Trafficking victims have been identified in cities, suburbs, and rural area in all 50…

  • Discover the Power of Story Telling for Your Small Business

    Phil Gerbyshak
    26 Apr 2013 | 9:30 am
    One of the most important tools you have as a small business owner is the power of storytelling. Your story makes the difference between someone buying from you, and someone buying from someone else. Not directly mind you, but indirectly. All of the marketing you do, all of the people you hire, and yes, all of the reasons you’ve started your business, they all matter to somebody, often to you. What story gets passed down from generation to generation? That your company had another record year in 2008? Or that your company was founded in 1997 by a single dad looking for a better way for…

  • How Can My Business Get Social Media Right?

    Phil Gerbyshak
    19 Apr 2013 | 3:00 pm
    In Nielsen’s 2012 annual Social Media Report, they reported that Americans were, collectively, spending more than two billion hours on social media sites every month. With 212 million Americans using some form of social media, businesses (both small and large) cannot overlook these sites when coming up with a marketing plan. Here are a few tips to nail your company’s social media presence: 1. Plan Your Strategy With so many social networking sites to choose from, each with its own style of conversation, you’ll have to come up with a plan in order to be successful. Before you…

  • Prepare for the Worst (but Expect the Best)

    Phil Gerbyshak
    9 Apr 2013 | 9:16 am
    Very often I get what I expect, for better or for worse. I always expect the best out of people, and fortunately, I get what I expect. People generally EXCEED my expectations – and they’re even better than I’d hoped they’d be. But I also prepare for the worst. I leave myself extra time everywhere I go – just in case. This morning offered a great reason of why I do both of these things. I am on my way to Phoenix for a speaking engagement. I booked the first flight of the day out, as I always do, just in case there are weather problems out of Milwaukee, or Chicago,…
 
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    We First Blog

  • Sustainable Brands Istanbul: What brands must do to ensure their sustainability initiatives succeed

    Simon
    20 May 2013 | 10:16 am
    Last week I had the privilege of speaking at Sustainable Brands Istanbul, and I wanted to share some of the insights from the event. We heard several fascinating presentations from speakers such as Marc Mathieu at Unilever (lower image) and Christiaan Maats, the founder of OATS shoes that both highlighted how sustainability has become a way of being rather than doing business. Among the discussions several key issues stood out: 1. What is Sustainability? As the conversation around the role of sustainability in business matures at different paces around the world, the definition of…

  • LIVESTRONG is #StillStrong and Sharing Its Story

    Dana Byerlee
    17 May 2013 | 8:29 am
    Today is LIVESTRONG Day and the anniversary of the launch of their now iconic LIVESTRONG wristband. Since 2004, the Foundation has recognized one day each year as LIVESTRONG Day to honor the 28 million people living with cancer. Yet this year marks a special opportunity: to drive the conversation past the Lance Armstrong controversy and shine a refocused light on the incredible ways the organization impacts thousands of lives every day. Many people will probably find the actual breadth of contribution by LIVESTRONG both surprising and inspiring. While most people are aware of the foundation,…

  • Why We Need a Global Brand Initiative

    Dana Byerlee
    14 May 2013 | 9:33 am
    Last month, the United Nations marked 1000 days until the 2015 deadline of the “Millennium Development Goals,” a program started in 2000 with the goal of eliminating the worst impacts of human poverty within 15 years. This countdown was, in part, a response to data from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development that countries are giving less and less to international development. In the steepest reduction in 15 years, aid was down 4% last year and 2% percent in 2011. Unfortunately, many of the programs designed to help developing nations reach the Millennium goals…

  • SuperBrands and the Unreasonable Screen: How to lead in mobile

    Simon
    13 May 2013 | 8:58 am
    Guest post from Gary Schwartz I was speaking with David Epstein, the founder of The Unreasonable Institute, the brainchild of Unreasonable at Sea, the Google sponsored innovation ship that is presently sailing from port to port globally. Mr. Epstein’s mission statement is borrowed from George Bernard Shaw who in 1903 wrote in Man and Superman: “The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man.” The Unreasonable Institute is based in Boulder, Colorado and is…

  • Why Business Must Become a Third Pillar of Social Change

    Dana Byerlee
    9 May 2013 | 6:40 am
    In 2008 Bill Gates told the World Economic Forum that governments and philanthropies could no longer meet the needs of the world’s problems. He called on companies to accept greater responsibility to develop solutions to the massive problems that endlessly plague our planet, and to take on projects of “creative capitalism.” Many people didn’t know what to make of it, or found it a little ironic coming from the world’s richest man. The issue was hotly debated but by 2013, this vision can no longer be called idealistic, unrealistic, or naïve. It’s fast becoming a reality and…
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    Interactive Insights Group

  • 8 Ways to Create the Perfect Facebook Post

    Robin Broitman
    2 May 2013 | 11:43 am
    We recently updated our Superlist of Social Media and Content Marketing Case Studies and one of the enhancements that people really like is the Facebook Page section.  This section provides examples of the myriad ways smart  companies are using their Facebook pages successfully to engage customers and grow their businesses. I recently discovered a terrific Blueprint for the Perfect Facebook Page Infographic from Salesforce that provides great tips for creating the perfect Facebook post.   In sum, the recommendations are: Keep your post copy short and your tone personal. Target your…

  • Updated & Expanded: Superlist of Social Media & Content Marketing Case Studies & Examples

    Robin Broitman
    14 Mar 2013 | 1:36 pm
    UPDATED AND EXPANDED!!  Much has changed in the world of social media since we first published our Superlist of Social Media Case Studies in 2008.  A plethora of new social media services have come and (some) gone.  More and more organizations are using social media tools in unique and creative ways.  It’s a rare organization that isn’t using some form of social media these days. But finding and learning examples and case studies of good social media remains important to anyone wanting to improve their organization’s social media program. Therefore, we decided to update our…

  • Spring Cleaning Your Facebook Page for Timeline

    Robin Broitman
    1 Apr 2012 | 8:26 am
    Facebook’s Timeline for Pages is here. If you haven’t refreshed your page for Facebook’s Timeline feature, you should do it soon. Here are a couple of guides to help you with Spring Cleaning Your Facebook Page: View the story “Spring Cleaning Your Facebook Page for Timeline” on Storify

  • Ultimate Guide to Facebook Pages

    Robin Broitman
    28 Jul 2010 | 6:58 am
    In our popular Facebook for Business Superguide we included a section on Facebook Groups and Pages. But, with Facebook’s new “like” feature and the growing popularity of Facebook Pages as a legitimate business tool, things have changed a bit. So we’ve gathered some additional and updated resources that will help you make your organization’s Facebook page more effective — whether you’re just building one or whether you’ve already got one that you’d like to improve.  We have several sections including – Setting Up Your Page, Enhancing…

  • HOW TO: Respond to Rants & Other Criticism on the Social Web

    Robin Broitman
    9 Jun 2010 | 5:44 am
    If your organization is participating in social media through blogs, Twitter and other social networks –and even if you’re not — it’s only a matter of time before someone rants, makes a negative comment or expresses criticism about some aspect of what you’ve said or done or stand for. Sometimes the comments demand a response.  Other times, it’s better to ignore them.  Determining when and how to respond to these negative comments is something that every organization wrestles with on a regular basis. We’ve pulled together this collection of articles…
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    Social Media University, Global

  • Happy 5th Twitter Birthday @MayoClinic

    Lee Aase
    29 Apr 2013 | 1:24 pm
    It was five years ago today that I created our @MayoClinic Twitter account, and launched it with this message: Just signed up for Twitter — Mayo Clinic (@MayoClinic) April 29, 2008 If I had known Twitter was going to get this big, I would have been a little more creative and thoughtful in composing that first tweet. Not exactly a memorable “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind” formulation. But it got us started. That’s probably the main thing. A little over 10,500 tweets (and 530,000 followers) later, we have seen revolutionary impact and…

  • A Tale of Two Daves

    Lee Aase
    29 Apr 2013 | 6:07 am
    Two guys named Dave have had life-changing impact on me, and I recently noticed several similarities in their approaches to life. David Allen is the Guru of GTD (or Getting Things Done), and reading his book by that name eight years ago made a huge difference in my approach to dealing with the potentially bewildering blizzard of “stuff” that knowledge workers must manage just to stay afloat. Much of the early content in this blog (in the pre-SMUG days) was about David Allen’s practical tips, and I have no doubt that the psychic space he helped me create gave me the breathing room so I…

  • How do you take down a deceased family member’s Facebook profile?

    Lee Aase
    27 Mar 2013 | 5:07 pm
    From the mailbag this morning: My son passed away Jan 10, 2013 and still has an active site on facebook.  A friend of his is posting messages from him in heaven to his family and we feel that this is inappropriate. How can I get this site closed? Any suggestions on how this mom can take down her deceased son’s Facebook profile?

  • Gluten-Free Parody Makes Celiac Disease Less Miserable

    Lee Aase
    15 Feb 2013 | 10:15 am
    My daughters are big fans of Les Misérables, and we regularly hear strains from the movie soundtrack throughout the house and on family car rides. They also are real troupers when it comes to helping with gluten-free baking and cooking, which is a necessity in our house because my son John and I both have celiac disease. So Ruthie was excited when she came across this parody that blended the two topics…and posted it on my Facebook wall. If you haven’t had to deal with gluten-free baking, references like xanthan gum may be lost on you, but the parody by Michael Bihovsky is really…

  • Developing Social Media Residency Curriculum

    Lee Aase
    2 Feb 2013 | 10:16 am
    I’m developing curriculum for our Social Media Residency program, which we put on through the Mayo Clinic Center for Social Media. The course I’m doing right now is Blogging 101: Getting Started with Blogging. So I’m writing a post to show how all of the formatting tools work… or at least to give a sense for the basics. So while the rest of this post might not be particularly compelling or meaningful for you, if you participate in Social Media Residency you will get to see the end product. You also can get access to the module if you or your organization join the…
 
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    Are We Connected?

  • Yahoo and Tumblr – Did We Tell You or What?

    Ken Montville
    20 May 2013 | 4:58 pm
    OK. So I had no idea when I wrote this post back in March that Yahoo! would think that Tumblr was so cool, so hip and so irresistible as to want to pay $1.1 billion with a B for it. Nah. I was just thinking that it was a pretty cool place and that for people who were going to miss Posterous it would be the logical place to head. I guess there are other people who think it’s pretty cool, too.  Say, Marrisa Mayer for one, who promises “not to screw it up”. There’s a great piece on Marketplace about this. Young, Hip, Cool and Mobile The buzz about Tumblr is that…

  • Upcoming changes to Google SEO

    Mike Mueller
    13 May 2013 | 9:53 am
    Yet another post on SEO.  Sorry about that.  It’s relevent and timely information so it just made sense to do it now. The video below is from Matt Cutts.  You can read his original post HERE.  He’s one of the three most important Matts you should know.  He’s a very nice and genuine guy (I’ve met him a few times).  He’s the head of Google’s Webspam Team. Why is that important?  They are the one’s who determine where site’s show up in search results amongst other things. When Matt says something, it might be a good idea to listen. BTW:  I…
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    SociableBlog

  • Google Hangouts – A New Messenger by Google

    Guest Authors
    17 May 2013 | 6:55 am
    The Google Talk history is probably the longest and the strangest history for Google. Sometimes they “lost the source code“ for the app and it weren’t upgraded for years, then the messenger was changed with every new launch of a different service – the most recent change occurred when the company launched Google+. And it ...

  • 79 Most Popular Social Media Blogs to Comment on or Guest Post For

    John Gibb
    17 May 2013 | 5:35 am
    Ah, social media… most people can’t live without accessing their Facebook or Twitter at least once a day, if not multiple times in the morning! What about blogging? It is still one of the biggest activities in the cyberspace. It is so huge that it cannot be ignored any more. Statistics available from NM Incite, ...

  • Data Breach Strike Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn Users

    Guest Authors
    17 May 2013 | 4:01 am
    Because of the fast pace development of communication technology, particularly the internet, you could say that letters are a thing of the past. The world now welcomes the lightning speed of digital technology that can send messages to anyone, and anywhere in a blink of an eye. That is why there is no doubt how ...

  • Blackberry Extends BBM Chat to iOS and Android

    Bidisha Gupta
    16 May 2013 | 10:11 am
    Have you heard the latest buzz? BlackBerry is making its Messenger (a.k.a BBM) real-time messaging service available on Apple’s iPhone and iPad and Google’s Android platforms from summer. BBM was the original free messaging service between BlackBerry users and now the company is abandoning its platform exclusivity to generate more revenue for the company. Who ...

  • How Guest Bloggers Are Sleepwalking Their Way Into Penalties

    Guest Authors
    16 May 2013 | 4:59 am
    If you’re not living under a rock, you have probably known by now that Google has been updating algorithms for SEO. With that said, webmasters must take more careful consideration in accepting guest posts from bloggers who may compromise quality of their site by contributing unrelated content and links. In this article, we will try ...
 
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    Social Networking Watch: News on the Social Networking and Social Media Industry

  • Path Is Getting Popular In Indonesia

    Mark Brooks
    21 May 2013 | 10:26 am
    TECH IN ASIA - May 21 - Path, a social network app, has been growing in popularity in Indonesia for its more-private circle of friends. Unlike Facebook it limits its users to 150 friends. Almost all internet users in Indonesia are Facebook users too but are increasingly getting overwhelmed by the ads on their Facebook walls. Avid users of social media in Indonesia on average still have four to seven social networking apps installed and used actively on their smartphones. by Elisa EffendySee full article at Tech in Asia See all posts on Path

  • Yahoo Board Approves Tumblr Acquisition

    Mark Brooks
    20 May 2013 | 11:52 am
    MASHABLE - May 19 - Yahoo's board of directors has approved a $1.1 billion acquisition of blogging platform Tumblr. The deal is reportedly an all-cash acquisition. CEO Marissa Mayer was interested in the platform's younger-skewing user base, and had been in talks with the board about Tumblr for the last six weeks. Yahoo has purchased 10 startups since Mayer became CEO. Those companies include Stamped, a mobile app for finding and recommending activities, news browsing app Summly, and to-do list app Astrid. Tumblr has grown to a giant since its launch in 2007. It had ~67M unique visitors in…

  • Your Klout Counts

    Mark Brooks
    20 May 2013 | 11:43 am
    THE NATIONAL - May 19 - Social networking isn’t only for fun anymore. Today, it’s a serious business. That was brought into sharp focus recently, when American Airlines announced that passengers with a Klout score of 55 or more will gain access to its network of premium lounges all around the world. Klout aggregates information across your social media accounts and comes up with a score that measures your influence. The average Klout score is 40. Klout has partnered with other brands in the past – from Sony, to Nike, to Disney – to deliver rewards to users with high scores. And Klout…

  • Zynga Tells CupidWithFriends To Stop Using ‘With Friends’

    Mark Brooks
    20 May 2013 | 11:23 am
    TECH CRUNCH - May 17 - Zynga has told the makers of the dating site CupidWithFriends that they need to change the site’s name, because it allegedly infringes on Zynga’s trademarks. CupidWithFriends was built by the startup Apartment 7. The site launched a couple of months ago, allowing users to build and edit dating profiles for their friends. There’s also Bang With Friends which was recently booted from the Apple App Store. by Anthony HaSee full article at Tech Crunch See all posts on Zynga This post also appears on OnlinePersonalsWatch.

  • MessageMe Raises $10M

    Mark Brooks
    17 May 2013 | 12:31 pm
    TECH CRUNCH - May 17 - MessageMe, a messaging app that launched in March, has raised another $10M. This newest round will be used to help MessageMe keep up with growth in the future, as it faces up to an increasingly crowded field of competitors. They include biggies like WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger. Two months ago, the app was seeing 500 notifications per second among 1M users, despite the fact that Facebook cut MessageMe off from Social Graph access one week after it launched. Facebook apps are not allowed to use “Find Friends” features to seek out Facebook contacts on third-party…
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    prTini

  • Social Media Scales Business Development

    Heather Whaling
    21 May 2013 | 7:06 am
    Good work begets more good work. When you exceed customer expectations, deliver impressive results and consistently go the extra mile, word spreads. Entrepreneurs aren’t the most patient people  in the world. So, they’re always looking for ways to accelerate this tried-and-true business development practice. One way to jumpstart business development? Social media. Whether you’re a small company or a larger brand, social media scales lead generation, uncovers new opportunities and shortens the sales cycle. Combined, this results in faster growth, better clients and – my…

  • Imagining the Amplified Agency

    Heather Whaling
    16 May 2013 | 9:29 am
    According to a recent article in Harvard Business Review, there’s a new kind of worker that every company needs: the amplified individual: We live in a world in which amplified individuals — people empowered by technologies and the collective intelligence of their social networks — can do things that previously only a large organization could. … People like these are engaged in “socialstructing” — that is, bypassing established institutions and processes for building new things, and instead working to create what they find missing in the world by communicating…

  • Geben Communication’s Must Read Articles – Week of May 6th

    Heather Whaling
    10 May 2013 | 4:00 am
    Each week, Geben will compile and share some of our favorite PR and social media articles. As we close out this new week, here are some of this week’s must-reads: The Best Social Media Tools of 2013 (so far) Why is Facebook Blue? The Science Behind Colors in Marketing Scholastic engages–and increases–Facebook fans with live author chats Starbucks, BuzzFeed Introduce Reaction-Cam to Create Animated GIFs of Your Face Fashion Billionaire Tory Burch Talks Oprah, Eric Schmidt, And The Importance Of Thick Skin Flipboard Brings Personalized Magazines To Android, Heads To The Web With…

  • 3 Reasons to Love the Web Today that Have Nothing to Do with PR & Marketing

    Heather Whaling
    9 May 2013 | 9:50 am
    After national tragedies or community disasters, I’m always amazed at the power of digital communication and seeing how social media amplifies social good. After the Boston Marathon bombing, Mark Drapuea reminded us that ”social media scales human nature.” After the earthquakes in Japan, Amy Jo Martin realized that “social media can allow us to accelerate the act of kindness.” Here’s the thing: This scaling and accelerating doesn’t — shouldn’t — only happen in the wake of a tragedy. In the last 12 hours, I’ve already come…

  • Introducing #CommHacks: A Virtual “Hackathon” for PR Pros

    Heather Whaling
    6 May 2013 | 10:55 am
    Finally — a “hackathon” for the non-coders among us! The team at Tracky is hosting the first virtual hackathon for communications professionals. #CommHacks, if you will. Anyone working in the PR, marketing, journalism or content space can participate. The best part? No formal developer/coding training required. Here’s the deal: #CommHacks is a hackathon based around #workhacks, or things that make a frequently used communications task easier, more efficient or, perhaps, eliminated altogether. #CommHacks encourages virtual collaboration to improve the entire…
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    Tech in Asia

  • Zalora Supports Cash-On-Collection at 7-Eleven Stores Across Singapore

    Anh-Minh Do
    22 May 2013 | 6:23 am
    Things have been evolving quite a bit for Zalora since it entered Singapore. Last year, there was some controversy over customer service, but this year the fashion e-store hit over one million monthly visitors in March and last week it delivered to its one millionth customer. Now, Zalora is continuing to step up its game in Singapore by offering customers a cash-on-collection option at local 7-Eleven stores across Singapore. That means it’s even easier to pay for your e-commerce clothing purchases starting from today. This is all part of Zalora’s play to make customer service as good as…

  • TwitCasting Gets Seed Funding for Social Live-Streaming Expansion

    Steven Millward
    22 May 2013 | 3:30 am
    Twitter is fun, but it’s not a very visual medium. Japan’s TwitCasting is trying to change that with its video broadcasting platform that’s tied very closely to Twitter. Today the startup has revealed that it now has US$640,000 in seed funding from East Ventures and various angel investors to help it grow. (Disclosure: East Ventures is also an investor in TechinAsia). TwitCasting now has more than 2.4 million users, of whom 80 percent are in Japan, 10 percent in Brazil. Yosuke Akamatsu, CEO of Moi Corporation, the startup company behind TwitCasting, says in the announcement: TwitCasting…

  • Khailee Ng: Indonesian Startups Should Practice Their Pitches More

    Enricko Lukman
    22 May 2013 | 2:30 am
    Indonesia Digital Byte (IDByte) 2013 has found its 12 startup finalists derived from four Indonesian cities. I caught up with Khailee Ng (pictured right) from social news network Says.com, one of the judges who selected those finalists. All the way from Malaysia, he saw and scored the startups who made their pitches at the Yogyakarta, Bandung, Surabaya, and Jakarta roadshows. I asked him what the startups could specifically improve based on what he saw at the competition. These are his thoughts: (Disclosure: Tech in Asia is a media partner of IDByte 2013) First, he addresses the fact that…

  • Rocket Internet’s Fashion E-Store Zalora Scores $100 Million in Funding

    Steven Millward
    22 May 2013 | 1:38 am
    Rocket Internet’s fashion e-store for Asia, Zalora, has raised a truly massive round of funding. The sum is an eye-watering $100 million – yes, one hundred million dollars – coming from best buddies and returning investors Summit Partners, Investment AB Kinnevik, Verlinvest, and Tengelmann Group. Michele Ferrario, the managing director of Zalora, said in today’s announcement: Our company is one of the fastest growing e-commerce companies in Southeast Asia and has bright prospects. It is an honor for us that investors of such great repute have invested into an…

  • Qihoo Works With Alibaba to Launch a Product Search Engine

    Steven Millward
    22 May 2013 | 12:00 am
    Qihoo (NYSE:QIHU) already has a search engine and Alibaba already has a product search engine, so it makes sense for the two to work together. And that’s what they’re doing. The tie-up between the two Chinese web giants effectively gives Qihoo a new shopping search option on its 360 Search site, which exploded onto the scene in China last summer. Thanks to Qihoo’s huge traffic from its established web browsers and web portal, Qihoo’s 360 Search instantly became China’s second largest search engine last year. Basically, it looks to be just Alibaba’s existing…
 
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    Capture the Conversation

  • Intro to Google Enhanced Campaigns

    Graham Swalling
    15 May 2013 | 10:44 am
    In early 2013 Google announced ‘Enhanced Campaigns’ as the next iteration of campaigns in Google AdWords.  Alongside a preview of new features was notice that all existing campaigns would have to be manually updated, or they would be automatically updated by July 22nd. To assist you in preparation for upcoming changes and manual updates, we are be producing a blog series on news, features, and benefits relating to Google Enhanced Campaigns.Like most other members of the online advertising community, we are excited by some of the new features and their respective benefits. On the…

  • Google+ Changes And What They Mean For You Part III

    Reed Pankratz
    8 May 2013 | 9:00 am
    Part Three: The Next Steps Now that we’ve walked you through Google+ changes and the benefits associated with those changes in Part 1 and Part 2, you are prepared to move forward in taking advantage of Google+ and what it has to offer your brand and your community. Create A Google+ Page If you haven’t yet, use a Gmail account and create a Google+ Brand Page. Creating a Brand Page is easy and the first step in taking advantage of changes taking place in Google Search to reach more consumers. Completing the verification process, adding recommended links and utilizing keywords in the…

  • The Path // Q1 2013

    Brandon Whalen
    7 May 2013 | 10:41 am
    We are very excited to announce the release (and re-branding) of our quarterly social media trend reports. You still get the same insightful analysis and reporting on the latest digital marketing and social media trends, but now it comes under a much cooler name. With that being said, head here to download a free copy of The Path // Q1 2013!We build these reports every quarter as a way to extend the work we do around the agency to our friends, clients and colleagues who run into the same struggles. Our hope is that we can support learning and growth in the industry and make some new friends…

  • Join Our Intensive Social Media Training Workshop!

    Brandon Whalen
    3 May 2013 | 9:30 am
    Have you been looking for ways to integrate your marketing efforts with social media, but don’t know where to start? Join us for an all day social media training workshop on June 18th at the Boulderado Hotel in downtown Boulder.We’ve partnered with our friends at LOHAS to create a full-day social media intensive workshop as a pre-event to the opening of the 2013 LOHAS Forum. You’ll get a deep dive into the behaviors of today’s most conscious consumers and learn how best to engage with them on modern social platforms.What’s on the agenda?Keynote: Creating Fierce…

  • Google+ Changes And What They Mean For You Part II

    Reed Pankratz
    29 Apr 2013 | 8:00 am
    Understanding the Google+ platform and the changes being made from Part 1 in our series is the first step in creating a better Google+ experience for your brand and your audience. Now, we’ll take the next step by diving into what these changes mean for your job as a community manager.Now You Can Get More Creative/Promotional With Your G+ Layout Brands now have the opportunity to use the extra space provided in their cover photos to make a great first impression. With the increase in creative real estate, brands can now showcase what separates them from their competition and make it the…
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    McKremie Online Marketing Blog

  • How to Write Edgy SEO Titles that Go Viral

    AnnaMack
    14 May 2013 | 12:29 am
    Every content provider wants their content to be shared along as many paths as possible. This is the foundation for why content marketers are in the business they are in: to create buzz about what they provide. Achieving this buzz can be difficult and is based on more than simply the general public’s whims at [...]

  • The Wrong Way to Do Social Media Marketing

    AnnaMack
    28 Apr 2013 | 12:09 pm
    By now, companies large and small understand that social media is a great way to promote brands and build customer relationships. This knowledge does not come without a learning curve. Several large corporations have made social media blunders that have caused them to come into the online news spotlight, as well as to be discussed—not [...]

  • How to Tell if Your SEO Company Sucks

    AnnaMack
    21 Apr 2013 | 4:09 pm
    Search engine optimization is certainly a tough industry for your average business owner to understand. All of the complicated lingo regarding keyword density, backlinks and citations can make the owner of a small business’ head spin. For this reason, many of them leave the technical mumbo jumbo to the SEO Company, and simply look at [...]

  • What’s the Difference: Content Marketing Vs. Inbound Marketing Vs. Digital Marketing

    Stuart
    16 Apr 2013 | 10:13 pm
    Content marketing, inbound marketing, digital marketing…marketing, marketing, marketing. What’s a business owner to do when faced with all these sub-categories of promoting their business to potential customers? It’s enough to create a marketing madness that isn’t a positive one, but that instead has you wanting to digital your content and market it inbound, or something [...]

  • Stop Writing Keyword Stuffed SEO Articles Already!

    Stuart
    11 Apr 2013 | 9:04 pm
    For over a whole year, web analysts have been claiming that SEO is dead and they could be right. Actually, search engines are smarter and can detect keyword stuffing and many other search engine optimization elements that actually turn on a red flag when they are encountered on a web page. The main problem is [...]
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    Position² Blog

  • Google’s I/O Coverage for Marketers, Video Ad Units in Facebook and much more… | Best of the Week

    Team Position²
    17 May 2013 | 3:29 pm
    This week’s hot news, events and videos from the online marketing and social media world.   From the Position² Blog This Week:   Foursquare – 11 Ways to Get More Out of it 11 ways to get more business out of the Foursquare.     How to Compare Your Facebook Page With the Competition User-Generated Video Ad Units Come To Facebook Newsfeeds Through New Partnership Google’s Big Announcements: Everything You Need to Know Here’s Why These 6 Videos Went Viral How to Fix 6 Failing Marketing Metrics Your CEO Actually Cares About   Matt Cutts Talks…

  • Google+ Announces Site Re-design and Hangouts App Launch

    Team Position²
    17 May 2013 | 4:12 am
    Well folks, what do you know…?! It’s raining Google updates this week!!! The multi-faceted company has announced a list of updates ranging from changes in Google+ to its Street View technology. In this article, we’ll focus on two important updates among those, the Google+ site redesign and the launch of the Hangouts app. Google+ Site Re-design Google+ added 41 new features to its social network to make it smarter and more intuitive! It increased picture size and included hashtags. The new design is more image-focused. The site re-design also includes a multi-column layout for images and…

  • Foursquare – 11 Ways to Get More Out of it

    Team Position²
    16 May 2013 | 9:13 am
    Checking in at locations from social networking sites is all the rage today. Be it from cafes, hotels or shopping malls – citizens of the social media world are at it with full gusto. With over 30 million users worldwide and 3 billion check-ins and millions more being added daily, Foursquare is one of the top players among location-based sites. A strong, active presence on Foursquare is definitely a plus and should be an important part of your marketing mix. Here are 11 ways to get more business out of the location-based service: Stake Claim on Your Business You can easily create your…

  • YouTube Launches Paid Channels

    Team Position²
    10 May 2013 | 7:08 am
    The video kingpin is now giving brands a chance to have increased flexibility in monetizing and distributing video content. YouTube launched a

  • YouTube Paid Channels, Google Adwords New Keyword Tool and much more… | Best of the Week

    Team Position²
    10 May 2013 | 4:28 am
    This week’s hot news, events and videos from the online marketing and social media world.   From the Position² Blog This Week:   Using Apps in Marketing – 5 Lessons For BrandsWhat should your app offer? Read on to find out…     The End of Traditional Ad Agencies  22 Facebook PR Secrets Every Community Manager Should Know  26 Social Media Marketing Tips from the Pros  Two Terms Marketers Need for Today’s Media Landscape  YouTube Introduces Paid Channels    Still Relying on Old SEO Tricks? Here’s What Works…
 
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    The Next Web

  • Simple to-do list app Clear updated for iPhone and Mac so users can share lists by email

    Nick Summers
    22 May 2013 | 3:20 pm
    Clear, a simple and incredibly beautiful productivity app for iOS and Mac OS X, has been updated today with the ability to send to-do lists to another user by email. When TNW’s Matthew Panzarino first looked at Clear on the iPhone back in February last year, he gave it a pretty glowing review. “There are apps that make you re-think the way that you’ve been using apps altogether, breaking the mold and re-forming it with just a few minutes of use,” he said. “Clear is that kind of app.” It’s a straight-forward, if relatively limited list app for managing your workflow and getting…

  • Google Code’s download option deprecated due to misuse, only existing project downloads to be kept after January 15

    Emil Protalinski
    22 May 2013 | 2:50 pm
    Google on Wednesday announced it is deprecating almost all download options for Project Hosting on Google Code. The company is blaming “increasing misuse” for the move. This is not a complete deprecation, and Google has a timeline that is worth laying out: As of May 22, 2013 (today), existing projects that do not have any downloads and all new projects have lost the ability to create downloads. On January 15, 2014, existing projects with downloads will lose the ability to create new downloads. All existing downloads in existing projects will continue to be accessible for the…

  • Check out the world’s first job ad integrated into Twitter. Lets candidates apply without leaving the site.

    Zee
    22 May 2013 | 2:46 pm
    Earlier Today, Twitter announced its Lead Generation product, making it easy for anyone to post offers to Twitter and have people claim them without having to leave Twitter.com. Shortly after, a job ad posted to Twitter, with the ability to apply for the position without leaving Twitter.com was brought to our attention. We believe it’s the first job listing to allows candidates to apply for the role without having to venture anywhere but the tweet page itself. We’ve attempted to get absolute confirmation from Twitter but the company’s response was “this isn’t…

  • Docstoc launches ExpertCircle, a product and vendor peer-reviewed service for SMBs

    Ken Yeung
    22 May 2013 | 2:36 pm
    Docstoc, an online resource for starting and running a business, today launched a new service called ExpertCircle. With it, small and medium-sized businesses can get expert reviews about products and vendors across a host of different industries, all vetted by peer professionals. Originally geared towards being a document-sharing service, Docstoc has slowly been moving beyond simply providing files to companies to a one-stop shop for anyone looking to create, manage, and wind down their business, anywhere in the United States. In January, the company released License 123, a database service…

  • Rdio for Android and iOS adds Find People via Facebook and Twitter, record label Pages, new side navigation

    Emil Protalinski
    22 May 2013 | 1:42 pm
    Rdio on Wednesday announced it has updated its native Android and iOS apps with user interface changes and new features. You can download the latest versions now directly from Apple’s App Store and Google Play. First and foremost, the new “Find People” feature (available on the side navigation) gives you a curated list of recommended friends and their music taste, based on your connected Twitter and Facebook accounts, as well as hand-picked artists and influencers. If you use Rdio for music discovery – this is definitely for you. Next up are the new label Pages. Just like…
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    Jennings Social Media

  • JSMM & VBM Announce Summer 2013 Video Blog Packages: VBM Rolls Out Newest Promotion

    admin
    17 May 2013 | 10:17 am
    Jennings Social Media Marketing (JSMM) and Viral Bolt Media (VBM), a sister company to JSMM announced new summer video blog pricing. A video blog (vblog) is a video weblog that captures the essence of a subject matter expert, discussing key points of content. These short excerpts are not to be confused with a promotional Web video as they constitute the core messages of a particular topic without much editing or special effects.

  • JSMM Announces Newest Client: TITLE Boxing Club® – Parkville

    admin
    10 May 2013 | 10:14 am
    JSMM is very excited to be lacing up the gloves with TITLE Boxing Club® - Parkville on developing a knockout social media strategy.

  • JSMM Welcome Newest Client: Creative Candles

    admin
    2 May 2013 | 7:08 am
    By Valerie Jennings, CEO of JSMM JSMM is very excited to announce our newest client, Creative Candles. Creative Candles is a exclusive candle manufacturer headquartered out of Kansas City. Many will find these beautiful candles on the shelves of Pottery Barn, on the pages of Oprah Magazine and in the presence of Martha Stewart. Creative Candles has a wide selection of candles from their 39-inch tapers, which are among the tallest in the world, to rustic Tuscan Pillars all in over 44 choices of colors. Their tapers have graced the tables at the White House, Lincoln Center, The Waldorf Astoria,…

  • JSMM Welcomes New Clients

    admin
    23 Apr 2013 | 1:30 pm
    By Valerie Jennings, CEO of JSMM We are very excited to announce a few new clients this spring.  Welcome Experience Fitness, LLC, Evologic, and Spaces, Inc. Thank you for becoming JSMM’s new clients! Experience Fitness, LLC is a private fitness studio located in Overland Park, Kan. providing personal training, small group training, youth training and boot camp training. Experience Fitness LLC prides itself on its nationally certified and experienced trainers with the knowledge and attitude to help achieve goals. Evologic is a complete resource for ever-changing office needs. They…

  • Does Social Media Sell? Influencer Over Purchase & ROI

    admin
    17 Apr 2013 | 2:47 pm
    By Valerie Jennings, CEO of JSMM Social media marketing can sell, but what about influence over purchase?  In this recent article about social media and sales, some brands still believe that social media shouldn’t be utilized for generating revenue.  What a conundrum for a CFO: spend more money on social media but don’t use it for sales?  JSMM disagrees.  Social media should be utilized for sales for B2C brands and B2B brands should still have a ROI strategy, even if it’s just SEO. Find out how retailers are making money from social media and how to tap influence over purchasing…
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    Relationship Economy

  • The Purpose of a Collaborative Strategy

    Jay Deragon
    22 May 2013 | 2:16 am
    Markets are dramatically changing and thus old strategic thinking and related methods are no longer relevant to the market. What we think about strategy and how we develop strategy must change.  We are in the middle of a transition concerning the context of strategy and its meaning to business. When organizations think about strategy, it’s often in the context of objectives defined in terms of achieving financial results. The old mental models about strategy were driven by competitive advantages aimed at optimizing financial results by dominating existing markets. But when the market…

  • Results Are A Matter of Choice

    Jay Deragon
    20 May 2013 | 2:14 am
    While 79% of companies use, or are imminently planning to use, social media, and the majority of them are not using the technologies productively. The fact is that most applications of social technologies are being used to extend old business practices while the real potential gains are largely untapped and misunderstood. The main stream media reports stories about social media primarily in terms that relates to traditional media. Traditional media models are built around sensational stories that capture mass attention so the advertisers who support those “channels can get more…

  • The Solution Is Finding New Answers

    Jay Deragon
    17 May 2013 | 2:13 am
    No matter what the industry every leader is facing new challenges. These are not the same old challenges of yesterday so the same old solutions will not meet today’s challenges. Market’s are getting smarter. Competitors are getting smaller and employee’s are expecting more than a pay check as the reward for a job.  Customers are expecting instant feedback and customization. Reorganization isn’t the answer. A new mission statement isn’t the answer. Forming teams to solve your problems isn’t the answer. Bringing in the “change experts”…

  • How Does Intangible Capital Influence Results?

    Jay Deragon
    16 May 2013 | 2:15 am
    In today’s marketplace organizations cannot afford to simply manage by results. An organization’s results are the effect of cumulative interactions between people, processes, markets, and the organizations strategy. Managing by results usually means adding or subtracting to reach a desired result. For example a headline in Bloomberg Magazine yesterday read “HSBC Signals 14,000 Jobs Cuts in $3 Billion Savings Plan”. The copy read “HSBC Holdings Plc (HSBA), Europe’s largest bank, will eliminate as many as 14,000 more jobs as Chief Executive Officer Stuart Gulliver set out plans to…

  • It’s About Changing The Conversation

    Jay Deragon
    15 May 2013 | 2:15 am
    When we use the word “social” most businesses think in terms of Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or having a blog with the social network icons on their web site. This represents a clear lack of understanding of the fundamental shifts occurring before our eyes yet most cannot see. We cannot see what we don’t understand. To truly understand something we have to listen to the meaning not just the words.  The easy way to do something you don’t completely understand is to copy someone else who seems to understand.  The old school has taken this thing called…
 
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    jasonyormark

  • My Switch From iPhone To Android: Part One

    Jason Yormark
    13 May 2013 | 1:46 pm
    After a month or so of research, testing and gathering opinions, I finally made the switch from iPhone to Android. I ultimately landed on the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 even though my search initially had me thinking either the HTC One or the Samsung Galaxy S4. When I actually moved my search to in person, while I was impressed with these devices, I was intrigued by the additional screen real estate of the the Note 2. After a few weeks of pondering and testing, I decided that having one device that could replace my iPhone and iPad Mini was the way to go. Here are my thoughts and observations thus…

  • My Search For An iPhone Alternative

    Jason Yormark
    25 Apr 2013 | 9:44 am
    About 6 years ago when I was still at Microsoft, I made the jump from whatever Microsoft friendly phone I was using at the time to the iPhone. I was insanely jealous of my Apple fanboy co-worker and his. Let’s be honest, the iPhone was a game changer, and me being the gadget freak, I needed to have one. Especially after playing around with it. For the past 6 years I’ve been an iPhone user and never thought twice about anything else. It fueled my migration from PC user to Apple across the board. Macbook, Apple TV, iPad, all of it. I’m somewhat deeply invested in the App Store…

  • 5 Ways To Ensure You Don’t Get Hired

    Jason Yormark
    28 Jan 2013 | 10:50 am
    If there’s one area that I have had a tremendous amount of experience around, is in the hiring process. When I was at Microsoft, there was a period of time, where that was practically all I was doing as Microsoft Advertising was in a hiring frenzy back in 2006 or so. Literally 30-40 phone, and in person interviews not to mention all the reviewing of resumes. While I certainly don’t interview at that pace anymore, since joining Strategies 360/ShowPony, I’ve continued to have to interview as we grow our team. To this day I am amazed at some of the choices (or lack thereof)…

  • Twitter Advertising Review: Not Ready For Primetime

    Jason Yormark
    14 Jan 2013 | 9:03 am
    I have had the luxury of having quite a bit of experience watching an ad platform evolve from the ground up having been at Microsoft Advertising in the launch days of adCenter. It’s not an easy task to build a platform to accomodate that much data and users. Many of these plastforms, even the Microsofts and Googles of the world experience growing pains in figuring out how to deliver value and a strong user experience. It takes time. And Twitter needs A LOT more time. On the work front, we’ve managed our fair share of ad campaigns on a variety of search and social networks all with…

  • My Hot Brands & Products of 2012

    Jason Yormark
    9 Jan 2013 | 11:38 am
    I always feel compelled to share some of my favorite things that I experience or use whether they be everyday occurrences  or one time experiences.  I thought the best way to do so was to wrap them up into a yearly recap to make it easier to compile all of them.  So without further ado, here were my favorite products, experiences and services I used in the past year that you should definitely check out. HOT Spotify – Without a doubt, Spotify was my favorite product in 2012.  I only started as a casual user, but quickly I found that the bulk of my music consumption found it’s…
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    Edelman

  • Competition or Cooperation

    Richard Edelman
    22 May 2013 | 9:13 am
    At the 100th anniversary of Harvard Business School, Harvard President Drew Faust told a story of three stone-cutters. The first one worked an eight-hour day, did his job well but was content to collect his paycheck and go home. The second one talked about the magnificent cathedral that he and his fellow workers were building together. The third one was interested in the outstanding work he was doing in his part of the job. To paraphrase her conclusion, “Harvard Business School is turning out too many of the third kind of stone-cutters. We need more of the second kind for business to…

  • Engagement On the Next Level: Health Care Professionals “Lite”

    Martin Floerkemeier
    22 May 2013 | 7:31 am
    Do you remember the last piece of health information that you looked for? Most likely you have consulted “Dr. Google” or a real health care professional (HCP), like a doctor. But is that the case for less serious conditions, too? You might have discussed skin irritations with your esthetician, back pain with a physiotherapist or cold remedies for your newborn with your midwife. We call those experts HCP lite and we have enormous success engaging with mutual benefits. Of course, we all know that at a certain point their expertise doesn’t match medical education, but honestly we trust…

  • Edelman Grant Supports San Francisco Wellness Center

    Clark Hsu
    21 May 2013 | 10:53 am
    San Francisco’s Asian and Pacific Islander (A&PI) Wellness Center was the first place I called when one of my best friends found out he contracted HIV. Within 24 hours, the conversations he had with the experts at A&PI Wellness Center not only helped him navigate local resources and education available to him, they helped him believe in his life path. The organization gave him a second place to call home. You can imagine how thrilled I was to find out that the organization would receive an Edelman Community Investment Grant last month. I’m grateful for Edelman’s support of a…

  • Five Things I Wish I Knew at 22

    Matthew Harrington
    21 May 2013 | 8:41 am
    My youngest daughter just graduated from the College of William & Mary. It was a weekend marked by extraordinary traditions, as William & Mary, chartered in 1693, is the second oldest college in the country. The contrast of tradition with the future-facing graduates was quite striking and for this Dad, more than a little bittersweet. My mother often told me: “the only constant in life is change.” As the rate of change accelerates, the graduates of 2013 — and the rest of us — have but one thing to do: embrace it. Fumbling for words of wisdom of my own to share with my daughter…

  • Rebuilding Trust Through Employee Engagement

    Tamara Snyder
    21 May 2013 | 6:21 am
    Perceptions of fraud, misaligned incentives and negative workplace environments are driving a deep distrust in business and leaders – a skepticism that extends inside organizations as well. Thus an organization’s values, integrity and ethical standards have become critically important to rebuilding trust. That’s the bottom line from a new perspective on the 2013 Edelman Trust Barometer, A Question of Integrity: Engaging Employees and Executives as Storytellers on Corporate Values, Ethics and Integrity. Edelman’s Employee Engagement team explored this theme in greater detail and…
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    Adam Sherk

  • Top Link Building Tactics for Publishers

    Adam Sherk
    14 May 2013 | 5:00 am
    When it comes to link building publishers have a significant advantage because editorial content, be it hard news or evergreen content, lends itself naturally to linking and sharing. In addition producing quality content on a daily basis creates a steady stream of new opportunities. It is one of the many reasons that content marketing has become so popular, as brands in other industries put an emphasis on content development and promotion and essentially become publishers themselves. For traditional publishers, link building typically falls within the third main bucket of a comprehensive SEO…

  • The Best Free (or Cheap) Tools for Blogger and Influencer Outreach

    Adam Sherk
    30 Apr 2013 | 5:07 am
    Blogger and influencer outreach is an area with strong crossover between PR, audience development and link building. For publishers it typically involves identifying users that are sharing, discussing and linking to content from your brands and their competitors, and about specific topics. Then building relationships with those users over time and coming up with ideas for outreach, content development and promotion. But the same general approach applies to any industry. Social monitoring tools like Radian6 and PR suites like Vocus and Cision offer the greatest range of functionality for…

  • SEO Tips for Infinite Scrolling

    Adam Sherk
    16 Apr 2013 | 5:15 am
    Infinite scrolling has been growing in popularity with various forms being utilized on a variety of sites. While there are pros and cons from both a technical and usability perspective, and it hasn’t worked for everyone, in the right situation it can be a good fit. Social sites use infinite scrolling as a way to offer a never-ending stream of new content, and it has appeal for sites that want to offer a seamless browsing experience for large groups of items. Publishers are starting to use it more often too on their home and channel pages. Don’t Forget SEO In reviewing infinite…

  • SEO Guidelines for Sponsored Content and Partner Links

    Adam Sherk
    3 Apr 2013 | 5:27 am
    Sponsored content or “native advertising” in various forms is growing in popularity as publishers seek additional sources of revenue. Done well it can be a good fit for both publishers and advertisers, and dare I say even add value for users. However in any implementation it is important to comply with search engine guidelines to avoid negative repercussions for SEO. This topic has been in the news recently with Google first issuing a reminder that any links within sponsored content should not pass PageRank. This stemmed from the incident in which Interflora and some UK newspapers…

  • Has Search Interest in Celebrity Gossip Peaked?

    Adam Sherk
    26 Mar 2013 | 7:37 am
    Are searchers less interested in celebrity gossip than they used to be? According to Google Trends, yes. While doing some research I was surprised to see that search interest in the keyword phrase [celebrity gossip] peaked around 2009. Despite occasional spikes it has been declining ever since: By comparison [celebrity news] has been more consistent over the years but it has always trailed behind. However according to Google Trends it overtook [celebrity gossip] for the first time in October 2012: In the Google AdWords Keyword Tool [celebrity gossip] still has more than twice the average…
 
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    The Blog of Matthew Loop | Chiropractic Internet Marketing

  • Before You Start an Online Business, Watch This FIRST!

    Matthew Loop
    20 May 2013 | 1:20 pm
    Before starting an online business, watch this video first. You’ll discover how to avoid the MOST common mistake many beginners make that keeps them a slave to their business. Not learning this lesson early-on costs many entrepreneurs the freedom and flexibility the so desperately desire. You’ll also find-out the dirty little secret most internet “gurus” would rather you not know about how much they actually sit behind a computer weekly. This might just SHOCK you! The video below was shot at the luxurious and beautiful Sofitel Santa Clara in Cartagena. I highly…

  • How to Get a Celebrity Endorsement for Free [video]

    Matthew Loop
    16 May 2013 | 8:18 am
    Here’s a powerful short video reveals the #1 secret to getting a celebrity endorsement and how ridiculously simple it can be. The benefit of doing this is that you’ll be perceived as the most credible business professional in your city / town or in your online niche. This, in turn, leads to EXPONENTIALLY more new customers, clients and sales. For filming, we were on location at the beautiful Castillo San Felipe de Barajas in Cartagena. Click the play button and watch the video now.     Did you like this post? If so, click the Facebook “like” button below and share it…

  • Charles Ramsey: America’s New Hero (Interview and 911 Call)

    Matthew Loop
    7 May 2013 | 5:18 pm
    Today, while on Twitter, I noticed a blog post by Global Grind titled, 13 Reasons Why Charles Ramsey Is The Most Epic Hero In History. The headline naturally sparked my curiosity so I clicked and had a look. I’m SO GLAD I did! In case you’re not familiar, Charles Ramsey has become an instant internet sensation. He helped rescue Amanda Berry and Gina DeJesus, two girls that made headlines a whopping 10 years ago when they were kidnapped. Below is the actual video interview. The story is very inspirational, but to hear Charles tell it is hilarious! It totally made my day. I think…

  • 3 Chiropractic Marketing Strategies That MULTIPLY Your New Patients

    Matthew Loop
    2 May 2013 | 1:51 pm
    Here are 3 PROVEN chiropractic practice marketing strategies that get you 2-3x more new patients monthly. These are very simple and do not require a lot of time or effort to implement. If you’re a chiropractor searching to grow your practice quickly, this is a must-watch video.     Did you like this post? Click the Facebook “like” button below and share it with your friends. Related Blog Posts: Does Your CA Know How To Properly Answer The Phone? Free Facebook Training for Chiropractors [video] Chiropractor Fractures Wrists in Accident! Now What? 5 COSTLY Mistakes…

  • Caribbean Adventure on the Island of Providenciales

    Matthew Loop
    2 May 2013 | 7:30 am
    Here’s a glimpse of our getaway to the exclusive island of Providenciales, which is part of Turks and Caicos. Of all the places we’ve been in the Caribbean, this was our favorite and had the most beautiful beaches. We stayed in the world-famous Grace Bay area at the Windsong Resort.     Did you like this post? Click the Facebook “like” button below and share it with your friends. Related Blog Posts: 5 Things I Really Love About Being a Dad Ferrari F430 Test Drive [video] Hot Air Balloon Adventure in Sedona, AZ AWESOME Paragliding Adventure in South America
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    Diva Marketing (Blog)

  • What Is Your One Big Truth About Social Media?

    Toby
    13 May 2013 | 5:45 am
    The truth is like the sun. You can shut it out for a time but it ain't goin' away. ~ Elvis Presley Just One Crowd Sourced Question Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin, Pinterest and other social networks changed how we think about "social media" from those long ago days of the blogosphere. However, I wondered if the "truths" of social media also changed. Is social media still about people-to-people conversations or is monetization the focus? Has social media become a ghost writer's paradise or is transparency still critical? What does authenticity mean in 2013? Just Once Crowd…

  • 7 Step Secret Sauce Recipe For Social Media Success

    Toby
    3 Apr 2013 | 7:58 pm
    He: I need more traffic to my blog, more followers to my Twitter account and more likes on my Facebook. Me: So I told him the 7 Step Secret Sauce Recipe For Social Media Success. In all candour, it's nothing new but as a reminder I thought I'd pass along. 1. The End Game - Start with the end game in mind .. or as marketers might say -- your goals. What do you want to achieve? What is success to you? Is it gaining a new audience or repositioning your brand with current customers? Is it building stronger relationships with your employees? 2. Know Your Audience - The more you understand the…

  • Social Sharing

    Toby
    11 Feb 2013 | 6:18 am
    Remember the all important word we were taught in kindergarten? Share. We shared crayons, books and sometimes our PB&J sandwiches. Through sharing we made new friends. What we didn't understand, at least at five I had not a clue, was that from these small interactions we were creating a unique 'classroom community' that was a little different from the other kindergarten classes. Taking that idea into the social web .. each social network and digital community we particiapte in has its own culture influencing our experiences. In the social web we're sharing like mad. Some people might say…

  • Super Bowl 2013 Lights Go Out But Oreo's Twitter Team Has A Light Bulb Moment

    Toby
    3 Feb 2013 | 8:48 pm
    When The Baltimore Ravens might be walking way with the 2013 Superbowl win, but when it came to social media marketing Oreo won the viral prize with a simple tweet. When the lights went out in the Super Dome tonight the savvy Oreo Twitter team had a brilliant light bulb moment. Within minutes their tweet ~ "You can still dunk with the lights out" was was being shared across social networks, on blogs and picked up by main stream media. When I first checked there were 10,521 retweets within 41 minutes. Let's do a little sideline analysis. The Plays Content: relevant, creative, fun,…

  • Stories From Smaller Nonprofits: VolunteenNation

    Toby
    31 Dec 2012 | 2:46 pm
    Traditionally, December has been Diva Marketing's Holiday For Small Nonprofits Series. It's a time when people who work in smaller nonprofts are welcome to tell their stories. It's a way of giving back through shining a light on lesser known organizations through the voices of the those who are passionate about their cause. It's a hope that perhaps before the year ends you'll reach into the your heart for one last 2012 donation. Or as 2013 begins find a new organization to support. This year life got in the way of life. As The Fates would have it, just as I was feeling sad that I didn't have…
 
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    SocialTimes

  • LinkedIn Introduces Simpler Navigation Bar

    Cameron Scott
    22 May 2013 | 11:20 am
    LinkedIn began rolling out a simpler main navigation bar today, building on efforts to make the site easier to use. The new navigation bar includes sections for the user’s Profile, Network, job postings (Jobs), content streams (Interests) and a search bar. “When approaching this re-design, we analyzed years of navigation data to determine which links were adding the most value for you, and which could be removed to create a more focused and streamlined experience,” the company said. The bar disappears when the user scrolls down the page. The feature will roll out to all…

  • Twitter Rolls Out Two-Factor Account Authentication

    Cameron Scott
    22 May 2013 | 10:09 am
    Shutterstock.com / stockshoppe Twitter today launched a feature that will allow users to opt into two-factor account authentication on the service. Users who turn on the feature will receive an access code on their smartphone by SMS text message each time they attempt to log in to Twitter. They will be required to enter that code each time they seek to access their accounts. The company was pressured earlier this month to support more-secure login features, after several high-profile media accounts, including one belonging to the Associated Press, were hacked. But security on the site has…

  • A Mention on Google+ Drives More Sales Than One on Facebook, Study Finds

    Devon Glenn
    22 May 2013 | 9:08 am
    Google+ shares are more valuable to merchants than referrals from Twitter or Facebook, according to an analysis of $5 million worth of online purchases that came through the social commerce platform Addshoppers.com. While Facebook claims the highest percentage of social revenue overall (38.76 percent), a referral from Google+ is worth an average of $10.78, compared to a Facebook referral at $2.35 and a Twitter referral at $1.62. Email shares were the most valuable at $17.93. Google+ users are most likely to share electronics, the researchers found. The average order values, however, were…

  • Google Positions Drive as a Replacement for Paper

    Cameron Scott
    22 May 2013 | 8:25 am
    With an update to its cloud storage mobile app Drive, Google has taken Android users one step closer to a paperless future. The update allows users to photograph paper documents and convert them into searchable PDF files, using optical character recognition. “No more frantic scrambling through drawers looking for a receipt or digging through your pockets to find that business card — just scan, upload and search in Drive,” Google wrote in a blog post announcing the update. The update also displays files with visual icons and allows users to download files from the cloud to…

  • UK User Tweets About Hit and Run, Launching Police Probe

    Cameron Scott
    22 May 2013 | 8:15 am
    A Norfolk, England, driver felt so entitled to “knock a cyclist off his bike” that she boasted about the act on Twitter, where users quickly recognized the act as a hit-and-run accident and notified the authorities, according to a report in the Daily Mail. The police subsequently launched an investigation and direct-messaged the driver, Emma Way, 21, asking her to come forward. The cyclist, a 29-year-old chef, came forward to say that he had originally had no intention of reporting the incident, which occurred during a cycling race, fearing that his girlfriend would ask him not to…
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    VIRALBLOG.COM » Viral ideas.Trends. Inspiration

  • What Top 5 Social Brands On Twitter Are Doing Right

    Marion aan 't Goor
    21 May 2013 | 8:00 am
    Socialbakers published its “Socially Devoted Brand Survey,” containing information about the most social brands on Twitter. Who are these brands and what are they doing right? Let’s take a look. Customer care through social media is becoming increasingly important. Socialbakers, a social media analytics platform, looked into the brands that are doing things right when it comes to customer care on Twitter. Jan Rezab, CEO of Socialbakers says: Twitter enables a certain open conversation, and allows brands to address their customers’ needs immediately and directly.  More…

  • POE Social Media Planning Beyond Reach (Infographic)

    Igor Beuker
    20 May 2013 | 1:27 pm
    Size does matter, but big is only good when smart when it comes to strategic POE social media planning beyond reach. Get the insights and infographic here. I think I might have seen all the buzzing, womming, seeding, social media planning, buying, strategies and tactics available. From local brands to big spending global brands. And by big spenders I mean $2 and $5 billion a year brands. In May and June I’m touring through Europe, delivering several keynotes on: POE, Content Marketing, Big-Data and similar topics. So I just couldn’t leave this inspiring infographic untouched. CMOs…

  • Remember Me Game Features YouTube Star Devin Supertramp

    Igor Beuker
    20 May 2013 | 9:50 am
    Remember Me game features YouTube star Devin Supertramp in a stunning creation for the launch of Japanese video games developer Capcom. Social entertainment company Bigballs Films has launched the final phase of a nine-month European and North American campaign for Capcom. The result? A stunning video and video game. Multi Platform Social Gaming Experience The multi-platform, mixed media campaign plays out on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and Tumblr, as well as connecting back into the real world. Developed by Parisian studio DONTNOD Entertainment, and launching on 4 June in North America and 7…

  • Cyberbullying Indicators: What Digital Behavior Reveals?

    Jessica Carol
    20 May 2013 | 7:37 am
    Cyberbullying teens have been making headlines and people are now scampering to understand just what they should do to control the situation before it gets out of hand. Parents and educators have a vital role to play in terms of prevention. However, many a times a teen that don’t speak up shows no obvious signs that they’re being bullied – so, how do you stop something you cannot see? Experts such as Justin Patchin are now talking about a teen’s digital behavior and how it can point to cyberbullying. Cyberbullying: Nothing out of the ordinary The problem with teenagers is that…

  • Heineken’s The Negotiation: Real Or Fake?

    Laurens Bianchi
    20 May 2013 | 4:09 am
    Heineken offered a handful of men the opportunity to go to Champions League final at Wembley. How? By challenging their negotiation skills….with their women. Taking place in a furniture store, Heineken offered a handful of men the opportunity to go to Champions League final at Wembley if they could convince their ladies to buy a couple of football seats. The big catch? The men weren’t allowed to mention anything to their ladies. Many guys hate shopping with girlfriends, but what if the guy is secretly challenged to buy an overpriced piece of not-so-rad furniture in exchange for…
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    Pamorama | Social Media Marketing Blog

  • 7 Facebook Marketing Case Studies

    Pam Dyer
    19 May 2013 | 4:26 pm
    Learn some inventive ways to integrate Facebook into your social media marketing strategy. Every day, businesses are inspired to bring creative marketing ideas to life on Facebook in ways that have a real impact on their bottom line. Many have discovered how to leverage their Facebook communities to strengthen brand loyalty and communicate directly with customers. As your company invests in the social network for marketing, advertising, and branding, it’s useful to have a few examples of what others have done with the platform. These case studies look at the goals, approaches, and…

  • 50 Top Tools for Social Media Monitoring, Analytics, and Management

    Pam Dyer
    12 May 2013 | 1:01 pm
    Use these platforms to manage, measure, and analyze your social media marketing initiatives. To succeed in today’s connected world, you need to build a community around your company, brand, and products. Over the last decade, social media monitoring has become a primary form of business intelligence, used to identify, predict, and respond to consumer behavior. Listening to what your customers, competitors, critics, and supporters are saying about you is key to getting great results from your social media campaigns. There are countless tools out there, offering many ways to analyze, measure,…

  • Understanding Facebook EdgeRank [Infographics]

    Pam Dyer
    5 May 2013 | 1:03 pm
    Give your posts a higher probability of appearing at the top of users’ News Feeds. The News Feed — in the center column of your home page — is a list of stories from the people and pages you follow on Facebook. Customized and continuously updated, it is designed to make the most out of the time you spend on the social network by serving up the information that’s the most meaningful to you. News Feed stories include likes, status updates, app activity, photos, videos, and links. According to comScore, 40% of time on Facebook is spent on the News Feed. When a user logs in, there…

  • Use Pinterest Web Analytics to Jumpstart Your Social Media Marketing

    Pam Dyer
    28 Apr 2013 | 3:54 pm
    Pinterest Web Analytics gives site owners insights into how people are interacting with pins that originate from their websites. With more than 48 million users, Pinterest is one of the most popular social networks on the Web. Rather than telling people about your products, Pinterest makes it possible to show what you have to offer. Companies are increasingly using the platform to reach new audiences, increase visits to their websites, and generate leads and sales — and it’s working. As I noted in a previous post, Pinterest users spend more money, shop more frequently, and…

  • The Role of Color in Marketing [Infographics]

    Pam Dyer
    21 Apr 2013 | 3:09 pm
    Use the right colors to increase brand recognition and drive purchasing. It’s more important than ever for brands to project their value. Marketers in general understand the need for consistency in color and design. But it’s also vital to move beyond the standard logo and tagline and take a holistic approach to evoking emotions among potential customers across all of your marketing channels — including social media sites. You can use color to your advantage. Color is a form of non-verbal communication and an important part of our daily lives. The underlying emotions that…
 
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    Exploring Conversational Media

  • Cartoon of the day

    Jeff Esposito
    22 May 2013 | 3:57 am

  • Cartoon of the day

    Jeff Esposito
    21 May 2013 | 4:25 am

  • Are you shipping too early?

    Jeff Esposito
    20 May 2013 | 5:03 am
    Are you proud of everything you’ve written? Do you ever feel like you rushed just to finish the task at hand? Have you cut a corner here or there while writing? If you answered yes to any of these questions for your blog posts, emails, work letters, postcard, etc., you have shipped too early. We live in a world where speed is of the essence. Unfortunately the downside of speed is that we often sacrifice quality for clearing the task at hand. We have all done this at one point or time, but that doesn’t make it right. Take time to re-read – Even if you are strapped for time, take a minute…

  • Cartoon of the day

    Jeff Esposito
    20 May 2013 | 4:03 am

  • Vin Diesel, Ponies and Bacon

    Jeff Esposito
    17 May 2013 | 3:28 am
    Wikepedia This week flew by. In what started out a bit slow and draggy finished out with a head-down, pop it up and damn its 5:30 and time to head home.  Looking forward to the weekend, putting together Baby Espo Jr.’s Buzz Lightyear bed, mowing the lawn and catching up on some reading with some relaxation baked in there. How was your week? Any big weekend plans? Hope you have a good one – catch you next week. Until then, enjoy this week’s edition of Five for Friday. Vin Diesel: Facebook ‘Owes Me Billions Of Dollars’ – no you did not read that wrong… the Fast &…
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    Social Media B2B

  • 10 Ideas to Make Boring B2B Social Media Posts Captivating

    Jeffrey L. Cohen
    1 May 2013 | 4:20 am
    Many B2B marketers are still trying to figure out social media for their companies. Years of product marketing driven writing, or content as we now call it, has honed their skills on features-based marketing. No matter how exciting your products and services are, this kind of marketing is boring. And it is not going to work in a social media context. Prospects and customer want solutions to their problems. They don’t want to hear about your products in a blog post. Once you identify your target audience and their pain points, you can begin creating top-of-the-funnel content to connect…

  • B2B Social Media Success Starts with Measurable Objectives

    Jeffrey L. Cohen
    10 Apr 2013 | 4:36 am
    B2B Marketers are always comparing their company social media efforts to other B2B companies. What are other companies trying to achieve? What is working? What are their biggest challenges? In a recent survey Ascend2 asked 687 business leaders, marketing executives and practitioners from around the world just those questions. And good for us they separated out the answers for B2B companies. Some of these results were featured on eMarketer, but you can download the full Social Media Marketing Strategy Report for free from Ascend2 (registration required). Below are a selection of the results.

  • Integration, Content and Analytics Drive B2B Digital Marketing Success

    Jeffrey L. Cohen
    19 Mar 2013 | 4:00 am
    In a recent study, CEB’s Marketing Leadership Council and Google found that 57% of the buying process is complete before a B2B buyer ever contacts a salesperson. And their results showed an even higher number, 70%, in some instances. The researchers used their interviews with more than 1500 decision makers and influencers in a recent major business purchase at 22 large B2B organizations (spanning all major NAICS categories and 10 industries) as the basis for their Digital Evolution in B2B Marketing whitepaper. The authors contend that mastering the following three topics are required…

  • How To Find the Best B2B Social Media Linkedin Groups

    Eric Schwartzman
    28 Feb 2013 | 5:56 am
    Most people learn how to use Linkedin by building a network of professional connections. Some even take the time to post updates to their activity feed. But if you haven’t noticed yet, not a lot of people hang out in the activity stream on Linkedin. The lion’s share of real engagement happens in Linkedin Groups, especially for B2B companies. But not all Linkedin Groups. Most are veritable spam fests where unscrupulous marketers spam links to promotions or try to drive clicks to their blog posts. So how do you find the really good Linkedin Groups? How can you tell which ones are…

  • 4 Reasons Why Google+ is a Killer B2B Social Media Platform

    Glenn Gow
    25 Feb 2013 | 4:15 am
    Most of our B2B clients have staked a claim on Google+, but they don’t invest in it. Why? Because they consider it a ghost town. They say Google+ is irrelevant. They invest in Facebook and Twitter and (more and more) in LinkedIn. But you know what? Recent studies indicate that, while many companies were asleep at the switch, Google+ has emerged as the killer platform for B2B social media marketing. B2B marketers need to understand these four reasons that Google+ is the next killer platform for marketing, and why it should be an important part of your B2B marketing mix. 1. Number of Active…
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    {grow}

  • 5 creative lessons I’ve learned from my enemy

    mars
    21 May 2013 | 9:02 pm
    By Mars Dorian, {grow} Contributing Columnist Since my early childhood, there has been a guy in my life that I can’t stand. One day, he beat me up so bad I was crying before the whole Kindergarten. It happened again. And again. Meh. When I left Kindergarten, I thought I was never going to see my enemy again. But Lady Luck wanted to play another game with me. Call it twisted destiny, but we ended up in the same high school. Worse, we even ended up in the same class. The war continued. Don’t get me wrong — he was sharp and creative, but his character and perspective were on the polar…

  • Carving a path through leadership “hell” with Mitch Joel

    Mark
    20 May 2013 | 9:02 pm
    Click here if you can’t see this video interview with Mitch Joel. Mitch Joel has a new book out and it made me so damn uncomfortable!  It is an eye-opening, sobering view of what it is going to take to compete … not just in the future, but right now. And it’s not going to be easy. Mitch is a brilliant strategist, visionary, and business leader and his new book, Ctrl Alt Delete: Reboot Your Business. Reboot Your Life. Your Future Depends on It, is brilliant too. It’s so … honest. Uncomfortably honest! I was happy to catch up with Mitch and talk to him about…

  • Are businesses failing to find an ROI in social media? Another view.

    Mark
    20 May 2013 | 10:02 am
    There was a lot of buzz on the Internet last week about a report and infographic from Manta.com stating that 60 percent of small business owners are not realizing a return on their social media marketing efforts. The results of this survey were reported on NBC News Entrepreneur.com USA Today The Austin Business Journal Small Business Trends … and dozens, perhaps hundreds, of blogs. It took a little digging, but here is an example of why we need to take this kind of information with a grain of salt. The Manta research was not a national survey. It was not a representative survey. It is…

  • Influence marketing: What’s next?

    Mark
    19 May 2013 | 1:00 pm
    One of the things I took away from the recent SXSW conference is the frenzied search going on to find new ground for our marketing messages. The media landscape is a mess. TV, radio, and newspaper advertising are in a freefall. Online ad click-though rates are dropping. Nobody is quite sure how to master “native advertising” that cleverly embeds ad messages in content. All the old “pipelines” for our content are drying up. So one viable alternative is to borrow somebody else’s pipeline. Today, bloggers, podcasters, and home video producers are gaining consumer…

  • The magic of social media. A {growtoon}.

    Mark
    16 May 2013 | 9:02 pm
      Join the growtoonists each Friday for a humorous take on marketing, social media, and current business events. Joey Strawn is a social media strategist who loves enjoying a good book and then drawing in it. Check him out on Twitter: @joey_strawn          CommentsBy: the 3 best funnies to end your week… | IMHOOT by the 3 best funnies to end your week… | IMHOOTRelated StoriesTree S(app). A {growtoon}.No horsing around. A {growtoon}.March Madness. A {growtoon}.Inappropriate Attire. A {growtoon}.Blogzilla. A {growtoon}. 
 
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    AdamVincenzini[dot]com

  • David Warner's Twitter Tirade Becomes an Instant Social Media Cautionary Tale

    17 May 2013 | 9:05 pm
    In the last few hours, yet another Twitter-storm has sent the traditional media into a spin and sports administrators into damage control. Let's go through the time line of events and then take a look at what all involved parties can learn from the very public event. Australian Cricketer David Warner (@davidwarner31) is currently taking part in the Indian Premier League cricket competition. He woke up this morning to an article written by News Ltd journalist Robert "Crash" Craddock (@CrashCraddock1) who highlighted the pitfalls of the world's most lucrative cricket competition. His…

  • 10 of the Most Useful New Social Media Tools of 2013 (so far)

    3 May 2013 | 8:54 pm
    It's been a while since I've cobbled together a post that looks at some of the newer social media tools making an impact around the web. If you haven't come across one of these posts before, the aim is to highlight some of the hidden gems which can make your online life a bit easier, as opposed to talking about the more mainstream tools that get the big chunks of air time. Some similar posts from the past can be found here. Enough reminiscing for now, let's take a look at the new tools, sites and web and mobile apps worth having on your radar. 10 of the most useful social media tools of 2013…

  • The 7 different types of social media consultants

    30 Mar 2013 | 4:22 am
    Over the last few weeks, I've sat in a bunch of meetings where the skill set of social media specialists have been a hot topic. The reason why there is so much debate about it is because there are so many different types of people, of widely varying experience, who can occupy positions with a social media remit. On the back of these discussions, and to help organise my own thinking on the subject, I thought it might be useful to try and classify the different types of social media consultants and the pros and cons of each. It is difficult to categorise these types without making some…

  • 30 great business, innovation and marketing quotes for the wall in your office

    10 Mar 2013 | 9:31 pm
    I'm a huge fan of quotes. I like the way they help validate the values you consider important and question ones held by others. I also think quotes tell other people a lot about who you are and who you aren't. In a previous job, we had a wall covered in our favourite quotes, each serving a different purpose depending on what the priority was on any given day. So, when I was searching for some of my favourites the other day I thought it'd be fun to compile a nice list of them, and share them here on my blog. I'd really like to add to the list too, so if you have your favourites handy, drop…

  • How to start and grow a blog (part two: technology)

    3 Mar 2013 | 4:40 am
    Welcome to a special multi-post feature on starting and growing a blog. This series has been designed with the blogging novice in mind but may contain a few tips that might appeal to more seasoned bloggers too. In part one of this series, I looked at the important questions you need to address from a strategy perspective. Part two focuses on the technological options at your disposal, specifically around the selection of the blogging platform most appropriate for you. (The rest of the series will include posts on blog optimisation, content planning and refinement, promotion, and a few others…
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    Janet Clarey

  • So how do you show that you can learn and adapt – and master – constant change?

    Janet
    15 May 2013 | 4:56 am
    My colleague, Bill Brandon, brought Brian Hall’s post 10 Technology Skills That Will No Longer Help You Get A Job to my attention when I was looking for feedback on what the most relevant and valuable professional development needs are of today’s training and learning technologies practitioners. Hall’s post ends with this: “To justify any salary, it’s not only about what you know – now – but what you can learn going forward. The key to a long career in Silicon Valley, or anywhere in the tech world, is showing that you can learn and adapt –…

  • Ten Lessons Over Ten Years

    Janet
    2 May 2013 | 11:09 am
    I was in San Francisco in 2003 at a conference that was held at the same time as The eLearning Guild’s “Annual Conference.” I remember sitting in a cable car that was loaded with the Guild’s conference attendees and wondered how I could bail on my conference and attend the Guild’s conference instead. The eLearning Guild’s conference seemed to be much cooler – lots of instructional design and e-Learning types. The theme of the conference I was trapped in was blended learning. I sat in a room and watched PowerPoint presentation after PowerPoint…

  • Is there value in defining mobile learning and classifying mobile devices?

    Janet
    14 Feb 2013 | 12:20 pm
    While  writing our Mobile Learning Cookbook, I tweeted that… This simple statement served as a catalyst for debate of sorts that extended to Facebook and then back to Twitter. Andy Black jabbed at me a bit saying mobile learning has been around for a long time and that wearable integrated tech is the next wave.  (There’s almost always a snark.) Yup, mobile learning has been around a long time but in reality, mobile learning hasn’t been implemented at the majority of organizations hence my discussion. (I don’t disagree that wearable integrated tech is here now and probably in…

  • Hello 2013

    Janet
    2 Jan 2013 | 2:34 pm
    For me, 2012 will go down as a year I basically went dark publicly. While I wrote a lot for my work, I think I posted here just 5 times.  Good grief, three or four years ago I probably was posting 5 times in a week! As 2013  begins, it seems an ideal time to reflect back on 2012, share some observations and predictions, and get blogging again. LCMSs are alive and well and the market will grow. In December, I wrote about Bankia’s learning content management architecture and how its use of a single source, asset-based approach to content led to huge cost savings and greater efficiency.

  • A Glimpse of Your Future Workforce – Now in Middle School

    Janet
    7 May 2012 | 6:29 am
    Six months ago Thomas Suarez, a 6th grader from Los Angeles, spoke at a TEDS event about the making and sale of an “app”  he created on his own – “Bustin Jieber” (a whack-a-mole type anti-Justin-Bieber game.)  (There’s nearly 2 million views of the video on YouTube so you may have seen it.) Anyway, he’s quite eloquent and now owns his own company. While he’s clearly much further ahead than the majority of 6th graders I know, his actions offer a glimpse of our future workforce. Suarez, who is self taught, started to build, create and sell his…
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    360i Blog

  • Equifax Names 360i Its Lead Agency

    360i
    22 May 2013 | 8:44 am
    We’re excited to announce today our new partnership with Equifax, a leading credit reporting firm, which has named us its Lead Agency following an internal review. As an innovative marketer successfully navigating an ever-changing landscape, Equifax is reinforcing its commitment to making digital and data cornerstones of its growth trajectory. Terry Griffin, senior marketing executive for Equifax Personal Solutions, told Ad Age, “We needed to accelerate our growth and we needed to partner with someone who would advance the strategy for acquiring valuable long-term customers.” In our…

  • Hey Yahoo!, Here Are 3 Ways You Can Keep Your Promise to Tumblr

    Maggie Walsh
    20 May 2013 | 3:16 pm
    How did Yahoo! announce its $1.1 billion deal to acquire Tumblr?  With a GIF, of course. In a blog post promising not to “screw up” Tumblr, Yahoo! CEO Marissa Mayer announced that her company would be acquiring the platform, home to more than 100 million millennial creators, GIFs and adorable animals. The web is buzzing about whether Yahoo! will be able to keep its promise to maintain the integrity of the Tumblr user experience – but what about the positives the media giant could bring to the platform? As ‘A-List’ partners with Tumblr and big fans of the platform ourselves, we’re…

  • Kraft Cheese Inspires Summer Cookouts with ‘Pin to Win’ Promotion

    Kara Passarelli
    20 May 2013 | 8:33 am
    Kraft Singles is helping fans gear up for summer through a Pinterest contest aimed at inspiring summer grilling and creating good times among family and friends. Recently launched, the sweeps encourages fans to “pin to win” the necessary essentials for spicing up their backyard barbeque spread—that is, ooey, gooey Kraft Cheese-inspired creations in the hopes of winning a Weber Grill, among other prizes. Over the next 12 weeks, Kraft Cheese is creating themed pinboards that will include up to 15 inspiring grilling essentials and be comprised of recipes, theme decorations, grilling…

  • Debunking 5 Myths of Programmatic Buying

    Kolin Kleveno
    16 May 2013 | 10:53 am
    At last week’s iMedia Agency Summit, I spoke on a panel called ‘Demystifying Programmatic Inventory.’ The entire session was geared toward helping marketers better understand the somewhat murky world of programmatic buying. As someone who lives and breathes in this space everyday, I’m often surprised by the number of misconceptions that exist about this subset of marketing. It is my belief that the lack of clarity on programmatic buying is a big part of our industry’s general ambivalence toward it: Whereas some advertisers are reticent to accept programmatic buying as a viable…

  • IWNY13: Join 360i & Four Top Content Startups for #CurationNation

    360i
    16 May 2013 | 7:17 am
    Internet Week, a week-long festival celebrating the business and culture of the web, returns May 20-27. This year, we’re hosting our own I-Week event at 360i HQ in New York called “Curation Nation.” The event and panel discussion is a special installment of our Startup Outlook series and will feature four top startups in the content curation game. Tickets to the May 22 event are still available at curationnation.eventbrite.com, but limited spots remain so be sure to RSVP as soon as possible. The event will share how four leading curation startups are using technology to help brands and…
 
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    Mindjumpers

  • Facebook Growth in Numbers

    Anne Herngaard
    22 May 2013 | 1:37 am
    On its Facebook page, Facebook has recently released a photo album with 12 photos containing some of the platform’s major growth numbers in the past year. Most of the numbers compare growth from last year to May 2013. The number of monthly active users has more or less stagnated and has only grown 23%. However, the number of Likes and Shares has grown significantly, which indicates that even though there are not so many new users joining the platform any more, users still enjoy content and are willing to engage with it. So, content is still king Facebook seems to put more and more focus on…

  • How Brands Use Vine

    Anne Herngaard
    16 May 2013 | 1:28 am
    The video app Vine is moving into a golden age. The six seconds format perfectly suits today’s news stream and will probably be an advantage like we have seen it for Twitter’s 140 character format. It makes it shareable and accessible. Some huge brands are already using the new service, but what can you actually do with it? The biggest strength of Vine is its simplicity. With the phone in your hand, you can suddenly be a director. The app allows you to as many frames as you want within the six seconds of video shot. This makes it a perfect tool to create visual storytelling and…

  • Understanding EdgeRank [infographic]

    Anne Herngaard
    10 May 2013 | 2:13 am
    Most people have heard of Facebook EdgeRank by now. But many probably also gets a bit lost on the way of actually accommodating to the algorithm. The logic behind Facebook is often difficult to decipher and page owners can easily feel that the equation is out of their hands. We have found this infographic from the Postrocket blog that summarizes how EdgeRank works. In the infographic, Facebook’s news feed product manager, Will Cathhart, has broken down the algorithm into 4 main social factors. 1. Your previous interactions with the author 2. Your previous interactions with the post type…

  • How To Create Relevant Content

    Anne Herngaard
    7 May 2013 | 1:52 am
    In today’s media landscape, brands constantly strive to engage its users, customers and stakeholders. However, it is easy to get lost by making it a quest for Likes or by focusing too much on your own products in the communication and thereby loose engagement. One of the most crucial things when creating content is to make it relevant to your users. Your audience needs to be able to connect your products and services to their own context, so why not help them out? Relevant content adds value to the individual and makes him or her more prone to engage with it. Here are a few tips to help you…

  • How to Manage Issues on Social Media

    Julie Elina Lipsøe Jørgensen
    3 May 2013 | 1:03 am
    Everything is closer and goes faster in the world of social media. People on Greenland can respond to a thread written in Madagascar within seconds. People are able to find likeminded people, build communities around specific interests, and find inspiration and support within those communities. If one yells, the reach is not only limited to local and random surroundings. An army can be assembled from the whole world, within seconds, ready to fight and destroy your brand. So how do you respond, stop the army from increasing, and maybe turn the situation around to your benefit? What does the…
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    SocialTechWeb

  • DSTV on your iPad

    Pierre
    3 May 2013 | 4:55 am
    Sky TV in the UK has had this feature forever but it is great news that DSTV in South Africa has also made this amazing feature available. You can now play DSTV OnDemand programs on your iPad. It’s easy to setup and actually works perfectly well on a 4mb/sec MWEB ADSL line. All you need to do is register on the DSTV website. http://ondemand.dstv.com/ After the registration you will be sent an email. Following the basic instructions on the email DSTV send you, you will link your DSTV smart card number to this account. I would safely assume that this is how the application will determine…

  • The new LinkedIn navigation

    Retha
    10 Apr 2013 | 2:20 am
    LinkedIn made many changes over the past year, most for the better such as the new profile design and new Jobs search.  The next rollout of design changes started a short while ago, and we will all soon have the new top navigation to simplify our LinkedIn experience. The top bar will now consist of a much simpler layout, with a small LinkedIn logo and menu options only for Home, Profile, Network and Career. Network has two drop-down options: Connections and Groups, and Career splits into Jobs, Companies and Post a Job. There’s a new and improved Search with autosuggest, autocomplete and…

  • Do you have a secure backup of your website?

    Pierre
    9 Apr 2013 | 6:18 am
    If the answer is no you stand a very real chance of losing all of it completely. We live in a time that hackers abound. Their motives for creating havoc on your site is often not clear. You should be aware that to be recognised as a “hacker” you have to be rated. To obtain said rating the padawan hacker has to hack a website leaving their hacker handle as proof of their dirty work. This explains a reason behind their intent. There’s obviously a million other reasons why your site could be targeted. No matter what precautions you might have taken or how up to date you keep…

  • In app purchases

    Pierre
    9 Apr 2013 | 6:13 am
    The current trend is that apps are free to download and use but the developers build in “in app purchases.” These are also referred to as micro transactions. It’s not a bad practise or done with any malicious intent. It rewards the developers with some money to continue their endeavours. For example: you could download a basic drawing program and then opt to purchase additional pen types or additional colours. The problems arise when the ipad is handed over to our little darlings. (Kids) The games they download with or without our consent mostly have these in app purchases.

  • Who should you connect to on LinkedIn?

    Retha
    6 Mar 2013 | 3:32 am
    Your LinkedIn success depends a lot on who you are connected to.  Many professionals on LinkedIn misunderstand this and believe that you should be connected to as many people as you can convince to accept your connections. This could not be further from the truth. This is what LinkedIn says about it: Connecting to someone on LinkedIn implies that you know them well: They’ll have access to people you know Others may ask you about them and vice versa You’ll get updates on their activity LinkedIn lets you invite colleagues, classmates, friends and business partners without entering their…
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    The Next Web » Social Media

  • Pinterest isn’t just looking for a Country Manager in France. They’re already there.

    Rude Baguette
    22 May 2013 | 6:53 am
    Editor’s note: This article by Liam Boogar originally appeared on Rude Baguette, which covers the Internet and technology sector in France, combining breaking news with in-depth analysis. Female-friendly social network Pinterest already announced earlier this month that after their big push in the UK, France was up next – according to this job post that appeared this week, “next” is now. The standard Country Manager position, Pinterest is looking for someone with a strong social media background and the ability to research the market, localize the product, and build a team from…

  • Latest Google+ redesign comes to the mobile Web: Cover photos, larger tap targets, and card-based posts

    Emil Protalinski
    21 May 2013 | 1:38 pm
    Google on Tuesday announced a redesign of its Google+ social network for the mobile Web. The revamp is meant to bring the mobile version of Google+ in line with the last redesign of the service. Here’s what’s new: Posts now appear as “cards” in the stream, making it easier to read, +1 and re-share them. We’ve also redesigned the Profile and Page experiences to include cover photos, larger tap targets, and much more. More importantly, here’s how all that looks: As you can see, posts are now shown as cards, just like on Google+ for the desktop. Furthermore,…

  • Facebook debuts Share Dialog for iOS out of beta, lets developers add sharing to apps with one line of code

    Emil Protalinski
    20 May 2013 | 1:25 pm
    Facebook on Monday announced the release of its native Share Dialog, which lets iOS developers add sharing capabilities from the social network to their app with just one line of code. The feature is now available in the Facebook SDK for iOS, which you can download directly from here. The Share Dialog also improves upon the iOS 6 share sheet by adding support for publishing Open Graph actions. While app developers will certainly appreciate that adding the functionality only requires one line of code, the real advantage is for users. The Share Dialog means users can share activity from an app…

  • Done deal: Yahoo acquires Tumblr for “approximately $1.1 billion”, promises “not to screw it up”

    Robin Wauters
    20 May 2013 | 5:03 am
    It’s done, ladies and gentlemen. As expected, Yahoo this morning announced its acquisition of blogging phenomenon Tumblr. The Internet giant has bought the six-year old New York company for “approximately $1.1 billion”, substantially all of which will be paid in cash. The news is in line with earlier reports from AllThingsD, which first broke the news of sale talks between both parties, as well as the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal. Amusingly, the press release says: “Per the agreement and our promise not to screw it up, Tumblr will be independently…

  • Pinterest begins categorizing pins based on content, introduces a share button for mobile apps

    Jon Russell
    19 May 2013 | 10:37 pm
    Pinterest has announced an interesting piece of news that sees its popular social sharing site begin to categorize pins based on different types of content, while a share button for third-party mobile apps has also been launched. “From your feed, you can tell when a pin has more information by the icon that appears below the picture,” the company explains on its blog. Pinterest is starting out with three categories which will each get their own dedicated pins to help make it easier for users to identify the kind of content included. They will be used by an ten initial…
 
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    Rich Baker

  • Google Atmosphere – London 21 May 2013

    Rich
    20 May 2013 | 11:03 am
    For those that know me, since 2009 I’ve been active in the corporate social media space, pioneering the use of twitter for crisis PR and online customer service. Back then, it was a relatively new phenomenon, and the work I was doing was greeted with interest, scepticism and in some cases, fear. Myself and other [...]

  • This is Water

    Rich
    17 May 2013 | 6:19 am
    In 2005, author David Foster Wallace was asked to give the commencement address to the 2005 graduating class of Kenyon College. However, the resulting speech didn’t become widely known until 3 years later, after his tragic death. It is, without a doubt, some of the best life advice we’ve ever come across, and perhaps the [...]

  • Engage for Success – 4 years in the making #E4S

    Rich
    8 Nov 2012 | 2:05 pm
    Four year ago David Macleod and Nita Clarke published their ground-breaking study into employee engagement. The report, called Engaging for Success, commissioned by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, shared real-life case studies ...

  • Do you value Intuition?

    Rich
    17 Sep 2012 | 11:19 am
    One of the areas I am studied during my MBA involved a look at how innovation and creativity manifest themselves in individuals and organisations. Part of this considers the perception we have of intuition. Rather than it be a ???magical??? ability th...

  • Branch – from the creators of Twitter

    Rich
    26 Aug 2012 | 12:31 am
    I've been invited to try out the new 'conversation platform' Branch, from the creators of Twitter. It's a more structured and controlled way to have conversations about things. And you can choose who participates! I'm also interested in Branch as ...
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    Courtney Engle

  • How to Import Tumblr into WordPress

    Courtney Engle Robertson
    22 May 2013 | 7:00 am
    Do you want to switch from Tumblr to WordPress and keep all your content?  With the news that Yahoo is buying Tumblr, many people are starting to move to WordPress. The news of Yahoo’s acquire means that for those using Tumblr as their main website, it’s time to move. When Yahoo acquired news app  Summly, it quickly shuttered the app and rolled its features into Yahoo’s news system.  I would expect Tumblr to be rolled in, despite Marissa Mayer’s promise to not screw this up. We’ve seen the new features coming to WordPress that make it as easy to draft…

  • Geotagging Your Website for Improved Localization

    Courtney Engle Robertson
    21 May 2013 | 7:00 am
    Standing out with Local SEO takes some work, but it isn’t too difficult.   When I search for coffee in my town, I should get results for nearby coffee shops. If I go to another town, the results should reflect that location. How this happens is with a bit of code. Business Address First, you need to tell the search engines where your business is located.   Your contact page and main page of your website should include your physical address in a way that is readable by search engines.  For that, I like the Local SEO contact form, as well as the Local SEO plugin by Yoast. Additionally,…

  • Mobile Optimized Website Checklist

    Courtney Engle Robertson
    20 May 2013 | 7:00 am
    Is your website mobile optimized? By making sure your website is ready for the mobile traffic already visiting, you’ll want to review these 7 points to give users the best experience. Mobile responsive When a visitor loads your website on their mobile device, does the site scale to fit that evice?  Avoid expecting users to pinch & zoom or squint at their screens. They won’t. They’ll just move on. To easily test this out, grab the side of your internet browser on a desktop and make it very skinny.  You should see the items resizing themselves automatically. Media visible Does…

  • Connecting Across the Web

    Courtney Engle Robertson
    17 May 2013 | 7:00 am
    When you meet someone in person, do you connect with them online for ongoing networking?  Have you threaded together your online community across multiple platforms? Extending the Networking Relationship Networking in meatspace is so old fashioned! Who really shows up at local networking events or meets people offline?  Uh…. I do! Really, this proven method of connecting with others can often be more valuable than an endless number of followers on any social platform.  That said, it is still incredibly valuable for you to extend that relationship from meeting in person to remaining…

  • How to Use LinkedIn Channels

    Courtney Engle Robertson
    16 May 2013 | 7:00 am
    LinkedIn Channels are a new addition to the news area of LinkedIn, known as LinkedIn Today.  Essentially, it is a list of curated topics (up to 20) that LinkedIn members can follow. While it may not be breaking news, it will likely be more on point for recent information in your industry.   You can subscribe to LinkedIn Channels at http://www.linkedin.com/today/channels. Once subscribed, view http://www.linkedin.com/today to see news that you’ve subscribed to. To make use of channels, visit your LinkedIn Today view on a regular basis.  Find articles here that are interesting to…
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    The Social Workplace

  • Star Trek Out of Darkness and Into Enterprise Mobility

    Elizabeth Lupfer
    17 May 2013 | 8:13 am
    This article originally appeared: What Star Trek Can Teach Us About Enterprise Mobility, Citrix Online Photo courtesy of: Legoagogo via Flickr Being on the Starship Enterprise was like being in the workplace of the future. In fact the Enterprise operated with the same challenges that enterprises face today. Everyone had lots of devices, needed access to lots of different apps and desktops from these devices, and the ability to share data and do this with complete security and control. On top of that, everyone wanted the ability to work at any time, from any device and from anywhere. The…

  • Commit. Engage. Excel. Keeping and Engaging Your Talent.

    Elizabeth Lupfer
    16 May 2013 | 12:28 pm
    TalentKeepers just released its 2013 Talent Engagement and Retention Trends Survey Report which is now the largest and longest running study of its kind.  This year’s research signals another shift in nearly every aspect of how organizations manage human resources is underway, and finally this time the shift is signaling a brighter outlook. This optimism shows up in a wide range of measures as organizations gain confidence and take a longer view in planning their talent strategies. In all, it’s a great, comprehensive report and a valuable read for any human resources and employee…

  • The Business Impacts of Talent Intelligence

    Elizabeth Lupfer
    13 Mar 2013 | 2:41 pm
    Last year, Oracle President Mark Hurd outlined the ways that executives can use HR intelligence to help them make better business decisions, shape the future of their organizations and improve the bottom line. He highlighted that talent management is one of the top three focus areas for CEOs, and explained how HR intelligence can help drive decisions to meet business objectives. Hurd urged HR leaders to use data to make fact-based decisions about hiring, talent management and succession to drive strategic growth. To win the race for talent, Hurd explained that organizations need powerful…

  • Recognizing a Multigenerational Workforce this Employee Appreciation Day

    Elizabeth Lupfer
    1 Mar 2013 | 4:00 am
    Happy Employee Appreciation Day! In order to help you quickly identify generational differences as well as motivators and themes for recognizing employees of every generation appropriately, Michael C. Fina, a leading provider of global employee recognition and incentive programs, launched a new infographic: “Appreciating A Multigenerational Workforce”. The infographic allows managers and leaders to quickly identify generational differences as well as motivators and themes for appreciating employees of every generation appropriately. “While it is important to recognize employees every…

  • Who’s Using Social Media Anyway?

    Elizabeth Lupfer
    28 Feb 2013 | 2:39 pm
    Guest post by Ann Barrett, Director eRecruitment & Social Media Strategy at Sun Life Digital. You can find Ann via her Social Recruiting blog where she writes about social media and Human Resources. She can also be found on LinkedIn. Facebook. Twitter. Google+. Pintrest, Instagram, LinkedIn. They all have become mainstream words we use in our everyday conversation. They have penetrated all forms of media including print, TV, radio, video and digital. It would almost seem strange not to hear or see those familiar icons. For a long time, there seemed to be a perception that only younger…
 
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    CompuKol Connection » Blog

  • Strengthening Your Twitter Relationships

    Michael Cohn
    21 May 2013 | 2:00 am
    Twitter continues to be a strong social media contender. Facebook and LinkedIn are still extremely strong and they are constantly introducing new features. However, so is Twitter and people should try to find new and improved ways to connect. The perception of Twitter You may still believe that Twitter is a fun, little social media channel that enables you to tell people about what you had for breakfast or which movie you saw over the weekend. However, it is so much more valuable than that for your business. It is a really good idea for you to take a look at how you are using Twitter as well…

  • Email Marketing Campaigns and Social Connections

    Michael Cohn
    18 May 2013 | 2:00 am
    With social media’s impact on people today, both in business as well as on a personal level, it is extremely important for the social components of social media to be fully incorporated into the Email marketing campaigns of businesses today. There is a tremendous amount of relevancy in business today and there are parts of a branding strategy that can be enhanced tremendously by connecting the social aspect to the communication strategy. For businesses that make the most use out of both the social media and Email communications, the end result and the measure of what they will be able to…

  • Why Content Marketing Is Important for Your Business

    Carolyn Cohn
    16 May 2013 | 2:00 am
    You may have heard about content marketing and you may even understand why it is important the question is whether you have a deep enough understanding to recognize the differences between content marketing and traditional approaches to marketing. What content marketing is and why it works Content marketing uses online content for promotional purposes. The objective of this is to get clients to buy what you are selling eventually. Of course, that will only happen after you have had the chance to build a strong, mutually beneficial relationship with your customers.  Effective content…

  • What’s a Blog Without Comments?

    Deirdre Breakenridge
    14 May 2013 | 2:00 am
    When it comes to internal company blogs the communications department is usually onboard and the executives come to realize that they have to take the time to blog and write out their thoughts.  They know it’s important to communicate information in their own voice about company initiatives in order to keep everyone informed and sharing useful information. Blogs are a great way to communicate directly with employees, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that employees will embrace the blog from the start and engage with executives.  What’s a company to do? When I met with my client last…

  • Preventing Google From Killing Your Business

    Traian Neacsu
    11 May 2013 | 2:00 am
    Too much reliance on Google’s organic traffic plus a hit by an algorithm update like Penguin, and your business can go south from one day to another. Sound too dramatic? I don’t wish this on anyone but sadly, it happens, and I’m confident this is not the only case. The best way to be Google-safe and to build a thriving online business is to simply ignore Google. Yes, that’s right. This might sound a bit strange, especially coming from someone who makes a living selling SEO services. However, I am also a business owner and the more I learn about business management, the…
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    Sneeze It

  • Writing a Great Email Subject Line

    David Steel
    13 May 2013 | 5:45 am
    If you’re using email to market your products and services, it’s important to know how to write an email subject line that will hold your reader’s attention. Today’s email marketer has to juggle quite a few responsibilities, including managing mailing lists, creating marketing campaigns, and composing high quality sales copy for emails that will be received by current and potential customers. Content is always king, but it’s just as essential to write a buzzworthy line in the subject of your email to optimize results. So how do you go about writing compelling subject lines that your…

  • 6 Tips for Twitter Engagement

    David Steel
    4 May 2013 | 5:45 am
    It seems like every business and every person out there has their own Twitter account these days. However, few of them are seeing real success from their presence on Twitter. They just put up an account and then throw their hands in the air wondering why nothing is happening. The key, therefore, is in learning to increase user engagement onTwitter. So how do you go about doing that? Take a look at these easy tips and ideas for how to boost your Twitter Engagement. • Get active – If you send out one Tweet per week, don’t be surprised that you don’t have any…

  • SEO Is Not Dead

    David Steel
    7 Feb 2013 | 11:45 am
    Since the onset of Penguin and the climactic changes taking place in the online world, we’ve heard it said repeatedly, in the voice of gloom and doom, that SEO is dead. In fact, SEO today is more important than ever before. With so much riding on the correct layout of your pages, your navigation and your overall search engine visibility, SEO is an important part of our website plan. SEO is not the same as once it was, that much is true. The ability to build links and to have them count as the vote that they were at one time in a search is simply no longer an option. Your best option, as…

  • How to Maximize Customer Service on Twitter

    David Steel
    21 Jan 2013 | 6:45 am
    Twitter is by far the most up-and-coming customer service channel for brands who want to provide near real-time support, as well as show the Twitterverse that they are a customer-centric brand. However, like other customer service channels, it is important to monitor performance in terms of response time and satisfaction rate. WaveMetrix has looked at some of the best practices from brands that are successfully providing support on Twitter, to help other brands understand where to start and how to go about it. The first step is to make sure you have a brand-centric Twitter account (handle)…

  • Five Reasons to Consider Guest Blogging

    David Steel
    7 Jan 2013 | 6:06 pm
    There are many reasons why people blog, but for businesses it’s mostly to increase revenue and gain credibility while reaching new customers. One way to do this is to lend your expertise to other sites as a guest blogger. Now, you may question the benefits of guest blogging and wonder, “Why help somebody else get new content on their sites when I can be focusing on getting fresh content on my own sites?” Well, that’s a valid question worth exploring so here are a few reasons why you should consider guest blogging: Increase Quality Traffic To Your Site – If you put out quality work…
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    all the news that's fit to blog, tweet & post

  • Latinos: Social & Mobile Study

    Debbie Hemley
    15 May 2013 | 5:00 am
    I’m a big fan of Infographics, especially ones that are beautifully designed and illustrated plus contain a summary of valuable research. Love this one, Latinos on the Road: A Social and Mobile Ride, from Social Lens Research:

  • Social Media Marketing Tips from #SMMW13

    Debbie Hemley
    8 May 2013 | 5:18 am
    Over the past five years, social media marketing has grown by leaps and bounds. The rules of engagement have steadily been evolving and there’s now a body of tried and true experiences to learn from. Social media marketers have been asking for guidance and at Social Media Marketing World 13, their wishes were granted. I’d even go as far to say–exceeded. Today, in my new article on Social Media Examiner I discuss 26 Tips that resonated loud and clear over the two day conference. Read the full post. If you’ve found your way to my blog as a result of the article, welcome…

  • Mobile Apps for Business and Social Networking

    Debbie Hemley
    23 Apr 2013 | 4:30 am
    Mobile apps have taken the business world by storm.  Apps are targeted to specific interests and needs.  And, can assist carrying out business tasks and networking on the go. Today, I have a new article on Social Media Examiner, 26 Mobile Apps to Improve Your Business and Networking. You can read the full post there. If you’ve found your way to my blog as a result of the article, welcome and thanks for stopping by. You may want to check out my portfolio. Feel free to drop me a line in the comments below or via the contact form.

  • Why 26?

    Debbie Hemley
    15 Apr 2013 | 9:33 am
    For the past few years I’ve been writing articles about social media and developed a personal style, 26 Tips: An A-Z Guide, that has become my signature post on Social Media Examiner. Last week while at Social Media Marketing World, #SMMW13, a woman introduced me to her colleague as Social Media Examiner’s “26 person.” The woman graciously shook my hand and immediately inquired, “Why 26?” Hmm, good question! I’ve been writing these posts for so long that I had to stop and think a moment. I realize this: blogging, like other types of writing, needs to…

  • Visuals and Social Media Marketing

    Debbie Hemley
    20 Mar 2013 | 4:16 am
    Perhaps you’ve been told pictures are worth a thousand words. And, how visuals are favored on social networking platforms. At times you may feel at a loss for how to use them or the myriad of ways they can be incorporated into your social media marketing efforts. Today, I have a new article on Social Media Examiner, 26 Ways to Use Visuals in Your Social Media Marketing. You can read the full post there. If you’ve found your way to my blog as a result of the article, welcome and thanks for stopping by. You may want to check out my portfolio. Feel free to drop me a line in the…
 
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    The Anti-Social Media

  • Yahoo! acquires Tumblr

    Jay
    21 May 2013 | 4:00 am
    Is it just me, or does anyone else get concerned when the subheading of your press release is “Promises not to screw it up?” All eyes are on you, Yahoo! The post Yahoo! acquires Tumblr appeared first on The Anti-Social Media.

  • LinkedIn Bans Users From Promoting Prostitution, Escort Services

    Jay
    13 May 2013 | 7:07 pm
    Well, there goes my social networking strategy. The post LinkedIn Bans Users From Promoting Prostitution, Escort Services appeared first on The Anti-Social Media.

  • F*#& You! Friday – Chat Stickers

    Jay
    3 May 2013 | 4:00 am
    Somewhere in the past year, Facebook and other instant message services decided smileys weren’t enough. We needed bigger, bolder images to fully express ourselves as digital beings. And thus, chat stickers were born. No longer bound to the cold confines of text, you can now express yourself in an oversized smiley face. Or an animated cat. Or whatever else could be stuck to your chat. And I love it. Who needs words when you can express yourself as as bunny with an oversized head? I know I don’t. I welcome the sticker revolution. The less language to be butchered, the better. The…

  • Get off my Facebook!

    Jay
    30 Apr 2013 | 4:00 am
    Every time I see a promoted post on Facebook, I always see this comment: Get off my Facebook! Ugh. Let me break down everything I hate about that comment. Since when do you own Facebook? Last I checked, you were too busy clicking on cat photos and inspirational quotes to invest in Facebook stock. How do you think Facebook is paid for? Do you think Faceboook just runs flawlessly every day through magical elves? Or that thousands of people spend countless hours developing code for fun? Advertisers pay lots of money to display ads so you can keep coming back for free. What else can I give to you…

  • Adding Emotions to your Facebook Status

    Jay
    29 Apr 2013 | 4:00 am
    I want to know which genius thought of Facebook emotions so I can kick his or her ass. Facebook emotions are little addendum’s you can add to your Facebook status. You might say, “I’m feeling happy!” or “I’m feeling sad.” Others many get more creative and say, “I’m feeling nonchalant.” Still others might cross the line with things like, “I’m feeling you.” These can also be expanded to illustrate the media you are consuming, such as movies, TV, or books. Color me unimpressed with this new “feature.”…
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    HubSpot's Inbound Marketing Blog

  • Twitter Introduces Lead Generation 'Cards' to Collect Leads From Tweets

    22 May 2013 | 2:22 pm
    Hold on to your hats, marketers, because we’ve got some exciting news that’s going to transform the way you use Twitter Ads.  A little background first: back in June, Twitter rolled out Twitter Cards, their name for the multimedia you sometimes see in expanded tweets on Twitter.com, Android, and iOS applications. Fast forward to today: Twitter released the Lead Generation Card, a new type of Twitter Card that will allow marketers to collect leads directly within the tweet. Users don’t even have to fill out a form -- since their information (Name, email, and username) is…

  • 22% of Salespeople Don't Want to Make Money

    22 May 2013 | 9:30 am
    “Two roads diverged in the social media wood, and I, I took the one less traveled,” said 21.7% of salespeople. In a recent survey of 511 predominantly B2B sales reps and executives published on A Sales Guy Consulting, approximately 22% of salespeople claimed they didn’t use social media to close deals, while an overwhelming 78.3% said they had used social media to sell. Are you, or someone you know, part of the 22%? If so, it could be impacting your career, your business, and your paycheck. But there's good news -- there's still time to join the 78%! Allow me to try to make the case for…

  • A Chat With an Internet Addict Who Was Forced to Go Off the Grid

    22 May 2013 | 6:00 am
    My fellow inbound marketer Sam Mallikarjunan is an internet and social media junkie -- always connected, always checking in, always tweeting, always emailing. He went on a cruise with no internet for a week, and had to leave his cell phone and computer at home. Here's how it went. Me: Hey Sam! Thanks for talking with me. You just got back from a vacation, so I know you're probably quite busy catching up on stuff. Where'd you go? Sam: Hey Corey! Took a cruise to the Bahamas. I needed the laws of physics to separate me from my phone. Me: Haha yeah, sooo, that's the reason I wanted to talk to…

  • The Future of Inbound: Shel Israel Looks Ahead to the 'Age of Context'

    21 May 2013 | 1:00 pm
    Shel Israel writes The Social Beat blog column at Forbes.com and has authored four books about digital media's impact on business. He's now working on his fifth book, The Age of Context: How it Will Change Your Work and Life with Robert Scoble, due to be published in October.  I got a chance to catch up with Israel to talk about the latest trends in marketing: context, personalization, and the debate over tracking cookies. Here's what he said. Q. Can you tell us a bit about your upcoming book, The Age of Context? What are some examples of "context" we…

  • Only Marketing to the Top of Your Fundraising Pyramid Is Hurting Your Nonprofit’s Future

    21 May 2013 | 9:30 am
    The top of your fundraising pyramid is just that -- a small, concentrated piece of your whole universe, made up of older, rich donors who, though important, won't be able to add to the strong foundation of your future fundraising efforts. While they’re reliable for contributing large sums of money to help you reach your yearly goal, they are high risk, high reward from an investment of time and resources perspective. The question to ask yourself, your team, and those at the top of your organization is, “Do we have the base (occasional donors), and more importantly, the reliable core…
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    Rey(es) of Light

  • Why I Run

    Patrick Reyes
    26 Apr 2013 | 7:03 pm
    Sharing my “Why I Run” story I was recently asked to share why I run to our Team Kensington running group. I had sort of thought about it before but as I now get into the heart of the training and the recent events at the Boston Marathon, the reasons of why I run continue to evolve. I think it would be easy for me to say that I’m running to “lose weight” or “get healthy” but those reasons began to change as my training over the last 7 months continued and my mileage increased. Now I view running as an opportunity to interact with others, encourage…

  • It’s Friday, But Sunday Is Coming

    Patrick Reyes
    29 Mar 2013 | 9:00 am

  • A Look Ahead…2013

    Patrick Reyes
    15 Jan 2013 | 5:00 am
    Gini Dietrich shared her 2013 Business and Personal Goals with you yesterday and it motivated me to share with you my personal goals for 2013. If you happen to be friends with me on Facebook or follow me on Twitter, you’ll know that 2 Timothy 1:7 is my personal Bible verse for 2013. The idea of not living in fear but with “power, love and self-discipline” covers every aspect of my life…both relational, physical, mental, and professional giving me the motivation to try new things this year and experience things that quite frankly would normally scare the heck out of me!

  • The Downside of Success

    Patrick Reyes
    21 Dec 2012 | 6:58 am
    In my last post, I told all of you about my weight loss and exercise program as part of Oakland Christian School‘s Biggest Loser competition.  Well today’s is to give you a little update! On Wednesday, I received an email from Merianne telling us that we are in for a “surprise weigh in” on Friday.  Well, much to my delight, my initial thought was “Nice! I can’t wait to see if I maintained or maybe even lost another pound or 2!” So this morning, I stepped on that scale and I actually GAINED almost 4 pounds!  Not the news I was hoping to get!

  • You’re Not As Healthy As You Think

    Patrick Reyes
    13 Nov 2012 | 3:00 pm
    I’ve always considered myself “athletic” but never “healthy”.  Often times, many people think the 2 are interchangeable but I’m here to tell you they aren’t.  Sure, I’ve been able to play soccer but there were times that I jumped into a game only to feel the painful effects the following day or the next few days for that matter.  When I actually played a season, it would take me at least 3-4 games to get into game shape. I mention all of this to you for a couple of reasons.  First, many of you might be aware of the lifestyle change…
 
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    33 Charts

  • Doctors as Victims of Technology

    DrV
    22 May 2013 | 5:53 am
    This post on Wing of Zock by Jason Franasiak is worth a peek. Perspectives of this type make deterministic assumptions about technology:  Technology shapes us and we follow.  This reflects a view among physicians that we’re the victims rather than the beneficiaries of technology. We cling to the belief that things were better way back when.  We blame technology for what we no longer do.  But in reality, the failure of physicians to keep the exam room clinical encounter centered on the patient is a failure of the physician.  The computer doesn’t know better.  It’s just a computer.

  • Book Notes: The New Digital Age

    DrV
    21 May 2013 | 5:26 am
    In The New Digital Age – Reshaping the Future of People, Nations and Business, Eric Schmidt and Jared Cohen take you though a futuristic view of a hyper-connected planet with all of its promises and challenges.  From the future of war and cyberterrorism to virtual hate crimes, online identity and cyber discrimination, the authors offer a unique and thorough take on what lies ahead for all of us. For those willing to take the leap into The New Digital Age, take some comfort in knowing that it isn’t another technocornucopian book about widgets and gadgets.  It’s instead concerned with…

  • Should Doctors be Paid to Use Social Media?

    DrV
    18 May 2013 | 6:40 am
    The question of physicians and renumeration for social participation makes great cocktail party, or Twitter, conversation.  If you cornered me around a plate of hors d’ouvres, here’s what I might say: I think we have a responsibility to be part of the conversation.  All of us should be participating in some way.  Optimally we should be making the stuff that starts conversation.  At a minimum we should be contributing to the dialog. But bandwidth is limited.   The translation of great thinking and experience into digital media requires time, energy and rest.  Caring for the sick…

  • Creating Content Beyond Patients

    DrV
    9 May 2013 | 8:20 am
    When we think about doctors using tools of communication, we assume that the only thing they are capable of is creating for patients.  When people look at my blog they say, ‘why would a mother of a child with intestinal problems care about that?‘ I never said that they would. And who said that a physician’s only use of public media is to translate health info?  It’s a great service but its not all we can do.  Our capacity to publish can be used in all kinds of ways.  Advocacy, policy, political action, business development, health awareness, personal reflection,…

  • Doctors, Social Media and Shiny Objects

    DrV
    7 May 2013 | 6:35 am
    Most presentations to physicians on social media don’t do the job that they should be doing.  They focus on the medium rather than what the medium can bring.  They focus on tools rather than the value offered by tools.  The audience only sees the shiny object. Presentations that tell doctors about social media rarely motivate.  Few of us care about computer processors.  But everyone cares about what computers allow us to do. Our focus should be on what a networked public presence can deliver to make our lives as professionals or the lives of our patients better.  Emphasize the…
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    Talk It Up!

  • How NOT to respond to negative comments on Facebook

    heidim@heidimillerpresents.com (Heidi Miller)
    19 May 2013 | 7:04 pm
    Lessons learned from the Amy's Baking fiasco on Facebook I'll admit it: this post is primarily shadenfreude, only thinly masquerading as helpful advice. In the age of all-access internet, I find the actions of this couple quite hard to believe. The truth is that most of you are probably already aware that you shouldn't yell at people, call people names or lie on your company Facebook page. If I needed to tell you that, we would have a lot more work to do together before you typed one more keystroke in publicly available social media. However, some Samy and Amy Bouzaglo never got that message.

  • Social Customer Service in Action

    heidim@heidimillerpresents.com (Heidi Miller)
    1 May 2013 | 4:50 pm
    At the GartnerCRM summit, an enlightening session using real customer case studies and data to show the trends and techniques for winning customer service on social media Jenny Sussin, Principal Research Analyst at Gartner with a primary focus on social for CRM, gave this informative session on not only what is happening in terms of social customer management but also how to start initiatives and what to expect when you do. A brief summary of her presentation follows, with some of my own editorial comments thrown in. Approaching Social Considering that 340 million Tweets are exchanged every…

  • Writing your own user manual

    heidim@heidimillerpresents.com (Heidi Miller)
    27 Apr 2013 | 8:27 pm
    The session at #shesgeeky Seattle on writing your own user manual. Write your own user manual from Heidi Miller

  • Real beauty and why it matters

    heidim@heidimillerpresents.com (Heidi Miller)
    17 Apr 2013 | 4:23 pm
    Three days ago, Dove launched a new part of its Campaign for Real Beauty: a forensic sketch artist drew women as they described themselves and then a second time, as others described them. The differences are shocking. Dove's Campaign for Real Beauty has been running successfully since 2004, sporting images of women of all colors, shapes and sizes celebrating their life, experiences and wrinkles as beautiful. This week, the company ran a campaign showing the results of a recent experiment. Dove's PR firm, Ogilvy & Mather, hired Gil Zamora, an FBI-trained forensics artist, to sketch women…

  • Inside the social media mind

    heidim@heidimillerpresents.com (Heidi Miller)
    5 Apr 2013 | 10:46 am
    Yup, it's been a while! My position at the rapidly-growing startup Spoken Communications leaves me very little time to indulge in writing up blog posts. However, I'm still quite actively coaching and speaking, and today, I had the honor of speaking to a group of OS developers at the Hewlett Packard brown bag lunch. I have to admit that I was nervous: what could I teach developers? In my experience, these are some of the smartest and most creative thinkers on the planet. When I asked Mark Atwood, my friend who made the speaking invitation, he said, "We just want to know what you people do all…
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    Wave: "tracking how people and brands use social media"

  • Top 10 social media lessons: Chanel, Vuitton, Burberry use social to help build their luxury image

    Alan Ault
    22 May 2013 | 3:29 am
    Lesson number one: luxury brands can use social media without compromising their premium image Our Wave blog has been running since June 2010 and in these past three years we have written over 500 social media case studies, exploring everything from digital campaigns to emerging platforms across all industries. We’ve aimed to show how brands can use left-field approaches to engage fans in their social communities, how they can measure their performance and how they can learn from fan engagement. To mark 500 case studies, we’ve looked back at the top ten lessons from the last three…

  • Maybelline cosmetics: identifying Facebook strategies which drive advocacy

    Ben Rogers
    21 May 2013 | 4:47 am
    Maybelline's Facebook posts are effective at getting fans to leave recommendations on their page. In the past few weeks, we have seen how brands are introducing advocacy into their online communities, by sharing recommendations from other sources, such as professional reviews and consumer comments. This can help turn fans into advocates, who can contribute to spreading the message. Brands can also encourage advocacy in communities with posts asking fans to confirm their love for a particular product. We compared the Facebook communities of several beauty brands including Maybelline, MAC…

  • BlackBerry Q10: why do consumers buy it?

    Jason Hardman
    14 May 2013 | 2:51 am
    Previous Learning Deficit case studies looked at the Sony Xperia Z, Oreo and Pepsi to show the detailed insights which social media can offer alongside topline volume of engagement. However, our experience shows that truly maximising social insight means asking specific questions where the answer can help brands advance their business and make decisions.   As an example, we looked at owner reviews of the BlackBerry Q10, which is said to be outpacing BlackBerry's flagship Z10, to understand why owners of the Q10 say they bought the model. Our analysis shows that the keyboard accounts for…

  • Driving social media engagement: there is no ‘one size fits all’

    Anders Schonberg
    1 May 2013 | 3:36 am
    Brands need to invest in understanding exactly what gets their fans involved. A few weeks ago, we introduced the Engagement Curve, showing that the proportion of people engaged within a Facebook community drops as the fanbase gets larger. The clients I meet often ask what the key is to an engaged community and there are many best practices out there claiming to provide the perfect recipe, but we wanted to explore this issue ourselves to help provide clients with actionable advice. We investigated successful brands’ strategies, including Mercedes-Benz USA, ASDA and Game of Thrones, to…

  • Pepsi’s Beyoncé campaign suggests relying on social engagement volume can be misleading

    Ben Rogers
    24 Apr 2013 | 5:27 am
    Pepsi's new Beyoncé campaign received 7 million views in three days, but is that the best way to measure its success? Our first article in the Learning Deficit series revealed that social media insight is not just about analysing volume. We identified seven other dimensions in social media, one of those being the topics of discussion which drive engagement. After looking at brands such as Oreo and Sony's Xperia Z, this third case study investigates Pepsi’s 2013 Beyoncé ad. The video shows Beyoncé drinking a Pepsi before dancing to her new single "Grown…
 
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    Networking in High Heels

  • The Networking Personality – How to Go From Wall Flower to Business Power

    marketinggoddess
    21 May 2013 | 6:09 am
    Business Women – Networking in High Heels In networking events all across the country, from Chamber After Hours to professional luncheons to business mixers, there are always those people to meet and greet everyone.  Often referred to as the “movers and shakers,” the truth is these people are in possession of the networking personality.  You know, the networking personality is that set of charismatic characteristics that turns everyday business people into born promoters and marketers to help grow their contacts and enhance their connection based. While this may seem like good…

  • Suppressing Your Feminine Side May Be Bad for Business

    marketinggoddess
    11 Nov 2010 | 9:27 am
    Written by Kimberly M. Wiefling, M.S. About 15 years ago a woman I barely knew, the wife of a coworker, was listening to me describe the challenges I faced at Hewlett Packard. “You’re not using your feminine power!” she suddenly pronounced, as if she’d just discovered the cause of some mysterious chronic illness I’d been suffering from for a lifetime. My first reaction was, “Use my feminine power? I sure hope not!” Since I was obviously perplexed, she further explained that this included nurturing behaviors like bringing food and drinks to meetings, and expressing other…

  • What does it take to become successful in life?

    marketinggoddess
    31 Oct 2010 | 5:00 am
    By Chia-Li Chien Visualize your success; otherwise you’ll just be doing “stuff!” My fellow Women Advisory Board (WAB) board member, Professor Pamela Hemphill, invited me to speak to her class at Central Piedmont Community College on June 22, 2010. Initially, Professor Hemphill asked me to speak on “what it takes to become an author” after learning about my book, Show Me The Money. But I knew not everyone in attendance would actually have a desire to become an author, so I changed my topic to “what it takes to become successful in life.” It was 6 pm and still 95 °F with 85%…

  • Financial independence means different things to everyone

    marketinggoddess
    5 Oct 2010 | 5:00 am
    By Chia-Li Chien During my 2nd quarter SRI Business Retreat meeting recently, I talked with forty-six business owners about history. I used as an example the fine economists who also play the role of historian by reporting our economic situation on a monthly basis. They do a great job of telling us what is going on in the economy. For example, the Federal Reserve System provides a great deal of historical data about our overall economy. You can even download local data from your Federal Reserve branch. My branch is the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, which covers North Carolina.  Why do…

  • What You Think is Right, May Only Be Cultural

    marketinggoddess
    2 Oct 2010 | 9:03 pm
    By Gail Hahn It was on the Ivory Coast of Africa while facilitating teambuilding and communication style workshops with members from 34 different African nations who all worked for the same international organization. Bringing some assemblance of order, cultural understanding, corporate culture adherence and just plain getting your point across was no small feat. The main point was that what we think of as ‘right’ may only be cultural. It is our belief, our values, the way we think and behave based upon what we learned from our parents, society, supervisors and general socialization. We…
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    Social-Media

  • 5 Things You Shouldn’t Post On Your Social Media Sites

    johnteevan
    14 May 2013 | 1:35 pm
    Social media is a superb item to use for marketing and promotion, but sometimes it can appear annoying to some of your followers without you even realizing it. Begging for “re-tweets” on Twitter is amongst one of the most annoying habits, and that does not include just me. According to David Siteman Garland at Rise to the Top, many users find this motive of begging annoying and many just surpass it when received. Spamming someone’s Facebook wall or Twitter timeline is another massive annoying habit. This includes posting links to someone’s wall or tagging them in pictures they have…

  • My Journey Out of Debt Step #7: Pay Off Your Mortgage Early

    stotw
    3 May 2013 | 7:05 am
    Did you know that the vast majority of self-employed millionaire businesswoman (98%) are home owners? Not only that, but about one in three (34 percent) has a ZERO mortgage balance! One in five has a balance under $100,000, and only 4 percent has a balance of $500,000 or more. (SOURCE: Stanley, Thomas J., Millionaire Women Next Door, p 9). While some may argue that it’s more “tax-savvy” to maintain a mortgage on your primary residence, I perceive the benefits of a zero mortgage balance to outweigh the cons: 1. One of the biggest benefits of paying off your mortgage is…

  • The Future of Publishing and Digital Audiences

    klacy
    25 Apr 2013 | 2:42 pm
    I think we can all agree that we are in the publishing game. Publishers of rich, story bent content ranges from the New York Times to any brand. The changes that are happening in traditional publishing also matter to any marketer. Our ability to shift with changes in technology from mobile to social will be the foundation to success over the next five years. Below you will find a presentation I gave to a publishing conference in Minneapolis, MN. The future of publishing is here and now. Content is kind. The rest is just details. The Future of Publishing and Digital Audiences from Kyle Lacy…

  • 4 Mobile Website Tips

    lspencer
    19 Apr 2013 | 11:17 am
    New and advanced technologies are paving the way in terms of businesses and commerce growth.  New and improved digital platforms are being created every day to help businesses reach out to their target market and generate more sales. If you think digital technologies have advanced at lightning speeds over the past decade, wait until you see what’s in store over the coming months and years. Recent research shows that digital media and technology is expected to grow at even faster rates in the next few years. One of the main forms of digital growth being seen today is mobile device usage.

  • Do You Need To Break Up With A Bad Client?

    stotw
    17 Apr 2013 | 1:11 pm
    Have you ever worked with a client who makes you a little crazy, and brings a ton of stress to your life? Of course you have. We’ve all been there, and today’s episode of She Takes on the World TV has your back. Once you realize you’ve got a bad client on your hands, it’s important to identify how the relationship is interfering with your life so that it becomes clear what you need to do next: Break up with your client. Just like your friends would tell you that you should never stay in a bad relationship, you should never keep working with a client that drains your…
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    Web Ink Now

  • There are no shortcuts

    David Meerman Scott
    22 May 2013 | 5:51 am
    I'll tell you up front, it's not easy. If you want to do something worthwhile, you need to work at it. Many people ask me about writing a book. I've written 8 books and each one was a tough slog. If you want to write nonfiction, you’ve got to research your topic, find an angle nobody else has, do a bunch of drafts, get feedback, do several rounds of edits, and more. Fiction is even tougher because your writing has to work on so many levels including conflict, characterization, dialog, setting, and much more. And that's only half of it. The other half is promoting your work so people find…

  • Building inbound marketing assets are not marketing expenses

    David Meerman Scott
    16 May 2013 | 7:03 am
    I get pushback from many entrepreneurs and business owners as well as CMOs in larger businesses about the idea of using inbound marketing because they see the investment in people to create content as a barrier. They say things like: "I cannot find money in my budget to spend $5,000 a month (or whatever the number) on content creation." When I probe, the vast majority of these decision makers are looking at content creation in the same way as they look at other marketing expenses they currently have such as advertising, trade show booths, spending on agency retainers, and printing brochures.

  • My TEDx talk The Need to Explore

    David Meerman Scott
    14 May 2013 | 9:45 am
    The video of my talk was just posted to the TEDx YouTube channel. Direct link to The Need to Explore on YouTube. This is a completely new speech for me with no reliance on the material I use in my keynotes. It was fun (but hard work) to create a brand new talk combining several subjects I am passionate about: space exploration and our ongoing communications revolution. Soon I will post about how I created the talk.

  • How to Pitch a Blogger

    David Meerman Scott
    8 May 2013 | 8:41 pm
    I get several hundred pitches a week from well-meaning PR people. Conversations with other bloggers suggest this is the norm, so now it is as tough to reach a blogger as it is to reach a mainstream journalist. It may be even more difficult since most of us work part-time on our blogs and we devote less time to wading though pitches as journalists. Sadly, nearly all of the pitches I get are just plain spam. But the good news is that I do pay attention to things that people send me. I occasionally write about them. So how do you increase your chances of getting a blogger like me to talk about…

  • How Gareth Fairhurst used content marketing to get elected

    David Meerman Scott
    2 May 2013 | 9:14 am
    Gareth Fairhurst, a local councillor on Wigan Council, has used online communications and social media, including his blog, Twitter @cllrgwfairhurst, and Facebook to communicate with his constituents in Standish, a village in Greater Manchester, England. In 2012 Gareth, an independent, won re-election with twice the number of votes as his nearest major party rival. He credits his content marketing efforts as instrumental in his success. "In the last local elections [May, 2012] I knew I had to try the online experience, as I was an independent candidate and that is always a disadvantage to the…
 
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    We Are Social

  • An inspiring week for Jaguar

    Ardel Amani
    22 May 2013 | 7:12 am
    The three day design festival which is Clerkenwell Design Week kicked off yesterday, and with more architects per square mile than anywhere else on the planet, you can really feel the buzz here in EC1 (We Are Social’s London office is bang smack in the middle of the whole thing in St. John’s Square). With a history of design that flows through each of their models, our client Jaguar is a proud sponsor of Clerkenwell Design Week for the second year running. While working closely with Jaguar’s Advanced Design team, we were interested to hear how for them, inspiration can come…

  • We Are Winning @ The Revs

    Jim Coleman
    21 May 2013 | 8:12 am
    Last Friday we had the privilege of attending the Rev Awards at The Grosvenor, where we were proud to pick up two awards! Despite being up against some very stiff competition, our Get Well Soup campaign for Heinz won both Best Social Campaign of the Year and Best Engagement Campaign of the Year. We were also shortlisted for the overall Agency of the Year title, but were narrowly pipped to the post by our friends at AKQA. We were in a pretty good mood anyway, but the evening’s entertainment certainly added to it. Russell Kane’s excellently inappropriate comedy performance kept…

  • We Are Social’s Monday Mashup #165

    Nick Mulligan
    20 May 2013 | 11:09 am
    Exposure to car brand tweets increases brand consideration Research produced by Twitter into 1800 UK Twitter users has found that those exposed to a tweet by an automotive brand are more likely to visit their website, search for an auto-brand or engage in ‘lower-funnel’ activities, including registering for a test drive and locating a dealership. Dividing the participants into three groups: those who had been exposed to at least one automotive brand tweet and two control groups representing the average Twitter user and average internet user, they found that those in the first…

  • Yahoo to buy Tumblr for $1.1 billion

    Nick Mulligan
    20 May 2013 | 10:23 am
    As has been rumoured for the last few days, Yahoo is set to purchase Tumblr in a $1.1 billion all-cash deal, which has been announced in blog posts by both parties. First of all, Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer announced the move, using the provocative image above in her post and discussing the various improvements that Yahoo hoped to see in terms of audience and traffic, whilst reassuring those concerned that David Karp would remain CEO and that “we promise not to screw it up”. A similar message came from the other side, with Karp himself ensuring Tumblr users that the system was not set…

  • Tweeting Jo-Wilfried Tsonga to Victory

    Nicolas Billieres
    20 May 2013 | 8:44 am
    Last Wednesday, after several weeks of hard but gratifying work, the team here at We Are Social in Paris served up one of our most groundbreaking campaigns to date. As you may have read in Creativity, Campaign or Creative Review last week, we’re working with BNP Paribas to help train Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, French No. 1 and World No. 8, through Twitter ahead of the French Open. This exciting campaign marks 40 years of partnership between BNP Paribas and Roland-Garros – The French Open. It enables members of BNP’s We Are Tennis community – as well as tennis fans and social media…
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    Communicator

  • Are you M positive?

    jvbakshi
    26 Apr 2013 | 11:44 pm
    Lincoln on money power Today, I heard another pitch from an ‘entrepreneur’, and I was reminded of a similar exchange which I walked away from, some six years back. At that time, I had just put in my papers at Nokia, to start my entrepreneurial journey. And the person, with excellent skills of persuasion and pester power, had cornered me into meeting at a coffee shop. The following discussion, though unimportant, hinged around me, my personal network, and how with just a few hours of work- read display of skills admired above, I could create an income source which grows even when I…

  • There’s a library at the heart of the global village

    jvbakshi
    9 Apr 2013 | 2:06 am
    Deborah Jacobs (@djlibrarian) was quick to pick up the comment I made, at the last board meet of READ( @READglobal), celebrating seven years of operations in India. Deborah and a bunch of others are part of a small and significant movement that has been, over the last 20 years, bringing a model of learning that connects with rural communities in far flung parts of the globe. The story begins with this lady, Dr. Antonia Neubauer, a Lake Tahoe- based travel entrepreneur, who was stumped when one of the sherpas who had accompanied her through a trek in Nepal refused the customary…

  • It’s Complicated!- Media, Messaging, Sustainability and Development

    jvbakshi
    31 Jan 2013 | 9:40 pm
    #DSDS2013 This week, I spent some time attending the Delhi Sustainable Development Summit. TERI’s flagship event with marquee names as sponsors and heads of states as speakers, I had expected to be overwhelmed by the quality of thought leadership and statesmanship on display. I am disappointed. Not merely because I was hoping the Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh to go beyond hyphenating Global Development with Global Sustainability, a quote which was RT-ed all over, including by yours truly. I am disappointed, because Minister Jean- Francoise Lisee, of Quebec is. According to…

  • Social Media and Censorship- When Private becomes Public

    jvbakshi
    27 Aug 2012 | 6:34 am
    I interrupt the series on Millennial Marketing to share the debate and raise a few questions on the unfolding drama of Social Media censorship. For those interested, you can check out the post on Marketing to Millennials here. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Time_youcover01.jpg- Time Magazine Cover, Dec 25, 2006 Time magazine put a mirror cover and made YOU, the person of the year and in charge of the Information Age on Dec 25, 2006. Ever since, governments, traditional media, ISP’s have been grappling with the challenges of regulating content. Till recently, governments controlled…

  • The Flip Side of Social Media

    jvbakshi
    9 Jul 2012 | 11:44 pm
    Courtesy- Fashion Magazine: http://www.fashionmagazine.com/blogs/society/2011/11/14/snps-word-of-the-day-millennial/ It’s time to end the silence. And what’s prompting me this time around is the flip side of social media. Having spent almost a year of talking, lecturing, Debating the worth and RoI of social media, and social networks as the BIG, big thing of today, not tomorrow, or 3 years later, but right now, I thought I’d put in perspective the one thought that seems to come up with increasing frequency. Human- centred business, and community-powered social change also has a flip…
 
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    tcapushnpull.com

  • The Art of Hosting a Pinterest Contest

    Ali Maruca, Social Media Coordinator
    17 May 2013 | 10:53 am
    We not-so-long-ago blogged about how Pinterest is a smart social media asset for certain brands. While Pinterest isn’t the new kid on the social media block anymore, it’s still an emerging platform and one of the the latest trends is to host a contest on the virtual pinboard. But how do you go about engaging your followers and connecting with them via virtual bulletin boards? While these campaigns are still relatively new, here are some key fundamentals you need to include when planning a Pinterest campaign: Strategy.The objective for the campaign should absolutely fit smoothly into your…

  • Franchises: Should you Have Local Social Media Accounts?

    Sarah Irish
    10 May 2013 | 1:13 pm
    When we’re sitting down to brainstorm a social media campaign for a client, one of the first things that comes to mind is “how can we make sure this campaign is completely integrated into the existing marketing strategy?” One of the biggest challenges we face in this process is when working with franchises. From a strategic standpoint, it is essential for a franchise to be on social media, at least on the national level. However, many problems can arise when a franchise opens up social media communications to their local franchisees. We see some pros and cons to having local franchise…

  • Have we replaced face-to-face conversations with Twitter, Facebook messages and Gchats?

    Ali Maruca, Social Media Coordinator
    3 May 2013 | 7:58 am
    It’s safe to say that social media has infiltrated every aspect of our lives, right? I remember when Facebook had just started and required a university email address to create an account. Back then, it was literally just a profile picture and an “About Me” section. Fast-forward a few years and you have photo albums, a news feed, chat and private messages. Then Twitter came along and condensed our communication to just 140 characters. Pretty soon, “I’ll friend you on Facebook” or “Follow me on Twitter” infiltrated our personal introductions.  Now, with several social media…

  • Social Media in the Aftermath of Tragedy

    Sarah Irish
    26 Apr 2013 | 11:44 am
    Last week, after terrible tragedy hit Boston we saw strangers band together on social media. Hashtags like #BostonStrong and #BostonBrave were quickly created to help spread awareness and encouragement to victims and their families. Platforms like Twitter and Facebook quickly became news sources pushing out information about the situation. As someone with many close friends in Boston, I can tell you this was both a blessing and a curse. Although there were many positive aspects of social media during this attack, there were many downfalls. The Boston Bombing was the first major attack on US…

  • Metrics & Reports: A community manager’s nightmare made simple

    Ali Maruca, Social Media Coordinator
    18 Apr 2013 | 1:20 pm
    Now that social media has been around for a few years and brands are starting to accept the need to be present on a variety of platforms, social media professionals are now asked on a daily basis to show the fruits of their labor. While so much of what we do is sentiment-based, you may think that they’re asking for the impossible. But the simple answer to their question: ANALYTICS! We do a mix of quarterly, annual and semi-annual reports for a variety of our clients. These reports are customized documents that reflect and evaluate the social media ROI that we have for each client and…
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    Social Media Network - Marketing

  • How To Analyse And Measure / The ROI Metrics For Social Media

    21 May 2013 | 4:15 am
    Measuring Social Media can end up being a tedious task if not done with right Objective. You need to be clear on what exactly you are looking at. Measuring will go hand in hand with the objective and the reason as to why you ventured onto Social Media Platform. It is essential that you discuss and make sure that every concerned person is in tune with your Measuring Metrics. This is to be done at the very beginning. Over the course of time as your Page Members grow there will be fine tuning and tightening of the Metrics; however it is best to have a direction from…

  • Social Media BackLinks

    5 May 2013 | 9:55 am
    A very big part of managing and nurturing your Social Media Business / Brand Page is to be found on Search Engines. Other important reasons are Brand Image, Customer Care, Relationship Building etc. Search Engines like Google.com have been long enough on the net to know how to recognize good and healthy links and url. One of the ways to come up ahead on the search engine listings is to have BackLinks. Technically, BackLink is an inbound html code that points to your website. You probably are wondering why you would want a BackLink. This means that,…

  • Acquisition Ideas For Your Facebook Brand Pages - Social Media

    15 Apr 2013 | 8:30 am
    Acquisition ideas for your Brand / Business Facebook Page: This is the process of getting new people on-board. This is the phase where you bring in new Customers and Clients. In order to get people on-board you will need to make a Business decision if you want to do aggressive marketing or have a subtle chronological effort. There are a couple of ways in which you could look at Acquisition:Forums: Join the industry / category based Forums. Forums have a good format of automatic giving your links in your signature. These are really good platforms if used properly. Do not…

  • ​Your Response On Facebook Determines The Future Interaction Of Your Community - Social Media​ ​​

    10 Apr 2013 | 7:22 am
    It is critical to decide before hand on how to go about​ your Social Media Platform.When you work on the various Social Media Platforms it is important to concentrate on your Responses. Response is very critical. Apart from regular Posts you also need to actively respond to the various comments and remarks. Your response to various comments should be well administered. At the very beginning you need to decide what types of comments will be responded. Your framework is to cover both, when you should Respond and when you should not Respond. It…

  • Traps That The Corporates Fall InTo While Working On Social Media

    3 Apr 2013 | 1:26 am
    Social Media is not being talked about but is also practiced by major Business Houses. However not each and every Corporate is well tuned on what exactly is to be done. So, while they are on the Social Media Platform they are not all to-gather there as yet.There are lot of unfortunate situations and traps that the Corporate falls into. Traps that the Corporate falls into: Once the Page is created they feel that they have won half the battle. Not attending to the Page is showing clearly that you are not organised. Just…
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    Simply Zesty

  • Exclusive: Wimbledon To Launch Twitter’s “Magic Mirror”

    Lauren Fisher
    22 May 2013 | 4:33 am
    This year, the Wimbledon Tennis Championships is upping the ante by featuring Twitter’s ‘Magic Mirror’ at the tournament.  This will give fans exclusive access to live photos from within, powered by the Mirror. Tweets will be posted through Wimbledon’s official Twitter account, accompanied by the hashtags #TwitterMirror and #Wimbledon. The Mirror first launched at the Oscars this year where celebrities could automatically tweet photos through the official Oscars Twitter account, simply by posing in front of the mirror. The Indian Premier League (IPL) then followed…

  • Coca-Cola Brings India & Pakistan Together With Beautiful Happiness Campaign

    Quinton O Reilly
    22 May 2013 | 3:18 am
    India and Pakistan have never really seen eye-to-eye. To say that the relationship between the two countries has been tested would be an understatement, but Coca-Cola brought people from the two countries together through a simple and beautiful idea. Creating an interactive vending machine, people from both countries would connect in real-time and complete actions for a free coke.

  • Fighting Fire With Fire: Will iOS 7 Feature Integrated Flickr & Vimeo Sharing?

    Quinton O Reilly
    22 May 2013 | 12:00 am
    It looks like Apple is making Google products on iOS a distant memory as it integrates more services into its latest update. It looks like Yahoo’s relaunched photo service Flickr and social video site Vimeo will become part of iOS 7 when it’s released later this year, 9to5Mac reports. These two services will join Twitter and Facebook and users will enjoy immediate access to these accounts. If the move does go ahead, it will mean much deeper integration for the two services, similar to how Facebook and Twitter currently functions on iOS 6. As well as reducing the number of steps…

  • Essential Tools To Predict & Track Innovation

    Lauren Fisher
    21 May 2013 | 11:00 am
    We all want to know what’s next in the fast moving world of technology, and at Digital Shoreditch, developer Kevin Bluer (an early tester on the Google Glass developer program) discussed some of the basic tools that you can use to track innovation and emerging technologies. These apply to everyone who works in marketing, technology or media as it’s essential that you remain ahead of the curve regardless of what you’re doing. By knowing what’s coming next and what’s being hyped right now, you can build a strategy that keeps your customers interested in you and…

  • Twitter Has A Major Security Problem So Why Is Nothing Happening?

    Quinton O Reilly
    21 May 2013 | 6:15 am
    Let’s just say it now, Twitter has a major security problem. For all the changes made to the site, its security measures are firmly unchanged since it first started. The last two months in particular has highlighted this weakness as a series of high profile media organisations saw their accounts hacked. To pick out a few, Associated Press (AP), The Onion, BBC Weather and yesterday, The Telegraph saw its own Twitter and Facebook account compromised. Regardless of how you view these incidents, the fact that quite a number of prominent media accounts were compromised is cause for concern.
 
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    FutureComms

  • Everything You Need to Know About Agile Marketing

    Paul Sutton
    15 May 2013 | 1:10 am
    It’s been given many names over the last few years, but whether you call it news-jacking, brand-jacking, piggybacking or its latest nomenclature agile marketing, when done well reacting to the news agenda can be one of the most powerful weapons in a PR or social media professional’s arsenal. Social networks, and Twitter in particular, have upped the agile marketing game significantly, with the likes of Premier Inn, Paddy Power and Oreo gaining significant buzz both on and offline as a result of timely interjections published through microblogging. There are essentially two types of agile…

  • The Social Media Brand Winners (and Losers) in Fergie’s Retirement

    Paul Sutton
    9 May 2013 | 12:50 am
    Brand-jacking. Agile marketing. It’s the latest and greatest thing in social media marketing. Coral bookmakers got it spot on last summer when Robin Van Persie left Arsenal with a fast response on-the-ground stunt, and Oreo nailed it when the lights went out at the Superbowl with a now near legendary tweet. And yesterday, as the news of Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement as manager of Manchester United broke on Twitter, there was another fantastic opportunity for some brand magic. But while the social fleet of foot were quick to react to the news with some quick (and quick-witted) responses,…

  • Is it Time to Scale Back on Social Media?

    Paul Sutton
    4 Mar 2013 | 1:30 am
    Image Credit: Mashable Here’s a question for you: how many social networks are you a member of? Three? Five? Ten? If you’re anything like me, and if you’re honest with yourself, you probably have no idea how many networks and services you’ve signed up to in the last few years and now have profiles on. I’m guessing (and it is a guess) that I probably have profiles on at least 30, maybe closer to 40 or 50 social networks and services. Not only is that just plain ridiculous, but it’s nonsensical from an online security perspective. 40 accounts, many of which are dormant, all…

  • 3 Killer Apps That Could Define the Future of SMS

    Paul Sutton
    22 Feb 2013 | 1:05 am
    Early in the 21st century text messaging became the latest, greatest thing in the communications industry. It exploded firmly onto the scene in 2001 when the number of SMS messages went from 17 billion to 250 billion globally in the space of 12 months. By 2012 this number had climbed to nearly 10 trillion. That’s 10,000,000,000,000. Or ‘a lot’. (source: mobithinking.com) But despite these huge numbers, the humble SMS seems positively clunky in an age of tweets, Facebook messages and even BBM. (Well, maybe not the latter.) While other methods of mobile communications have developed and…

  • Overcoming the Challenges of Blogger Outreach

    Paul Sutton
    20 Feb 2013 | 12:30 am
    A couple of weeks back, blogger outreach platform InkyBee finally came out of private beta after two years in development. Having been party to the development process, I was keen to find out more about what looks like a promising UK-based start up. So I asked Co-Founder of Forth Metrics (the company behind InkyBee) Hugh Anderson all about it… ——————————————————————————————— Where did the idea for…
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    The Sociable

  • Interview: How to get your start in the digital marketing industry

    Piers Dillon Scott
    21 May 2013 | 2:50 pm
    It’s usually the first rule of SME marketing – don’t let the work experience guy near your company’s social media accounts.  But with more freshmen opting for digital marketing degrees, and more small companies using the social web to reach their customers does this ‘rule’ stand any more? Next Saturday, May 25, one of Ireland’s leading digital marketers, Damien Mulley, will be hosting a free digital marketing seminar that will help students get their start in the digital marketing world. Speakers from the industry will explain what it’s like to be a digital marketer and…

  • Starbucks and McDonalds, not Google or Nokia, will decide the future of wireless charging

    Ciaran Treacy
    20 May 2013 | 2:30 pm
    Many of the day-to-day technologies we now take for granted have been brought about by corporate sponsorship, i.e. a single company or conglomerate throwing its weight behind one idea or another. The latest corporate power struggle is one that’s quite literal. Several companies are arguing over the future standard of wireless charging. And those that could influence the decision the most won’t be technology companies. The argument currently raging is one of power, between the Power Matters Alliance (PMA) and the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC). Both these companies believe that…

  • Tiny meteorite puts a huge dent in the Lunar surface

    Piers Dillon Scott
    18 May 2013 | 2:57 pm
    Did you raise a pint to Ireland’s national saint on March 17 this year? If you did, let us reassure you that if you saw flashes in the sky you weren’t seeing things. What you were seeing were dozens of meteorites bombarding the Earth and the Moon. And one of those that hit the Moon was so large, and hit with such force, that the impact was visible from Earth with the naked eye. These false-color frames extracted from the original black and white video show the explosion in progress. At its peak, the flash was as bright as a 4th magnitude star. It was also the largest recorded…

  • Google I/O gives us a sexy new Google Maps

    Piers Dillon Scott
    15 May 2013 | 1:16 pm
    Nerd Christmas (aka Google I/O) is nearly over and this year we’ve hit the jackpot. The big man has given us a new Android phone, a new integrated messenger, several improvements to Google+, and, best of all, a sexy new interface to Google Maps. Almost every single Google service (or at least the ones they’re not likely to shutter), has gotten an update this year but Google Maps stands out as the most impressive and important change.  Google has described this as “the biggest change we’ve made to Google Maps since we launched eight years ago,” and it probably is. While a…

  • YouTube and HubSpot to award the best of Ireland’s social media #sockies

    Piers Dillon Scott
    13 May 2013 | 1:47 pm
    Ireland’s social media kings and queens will be crowned on May 30th, at the country’s annual Social Media Awards. And this year the winners will have the added honour of being recognised by two of the largest names in corporate social networking, YouTube and HubSpot. The two companies have been announced as category sponsors for this year’s awards, joining the main sponsor Bord Gáis Energy.  YouTube is sponsoring the Best Video/Video Campaign (Non-Broadcast) category and HubSpot is sponsoring the Inbound Marketing/Content Marketing Campaign category. HubSport’s move to sponsor the…
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    The Marketing Nut

  • IBM Watson Taking #SmarterCommerce and Customer Service to the Next Level

    Pam
    22 May 2013 | 5:34 am
    I am writing this article live from the IBM Smarter Commerce event in Nashville, Tennessee. Yesterday was day one and  jam packed with amazing presentations and learning. Redefining customer service, context of content and relationships are at the core of all conversations. I am most inspired by IBM’s announcement of Watson, the engagement advisor. This is not your every day Watson. IBM Watson brings to us a faster, personalized service for smarter commerce. Delivered from the cloud and straight into the hands of mobile consumers, Watson, a cognitive computing system quickly learns,…

  • Top 10 WordPress Plugins to Increase Social Engagement and Build Community

    Pam
    17 May 2013 | 9:38 am
    So you have invested thousands of dollars on what you hoped to be a killer website and/or blog. Yet something is still missing.  You are still lacking social engagement. You may be creating the right content but you are making it too difficult for people to share it with their friends and community. Visitors to your site may want to engage with you on other social networks and become part of your community. The problem is they can’t do such if they are not invited. You can’t be too shy in inviting them to join your other platforms. You don’t have to tweet noise at them all…

  • Facebook Case Study: How Not to Manage Your Social Media – Amy’s Baking Company

    Pam
    14 May 2013 | 1:14 pm
    Those who frequent our blog platforms know we do our best to only share positive, helpful information.  However, once in awhile a case study pops up out of no where that we can’t help but share. We can all learn from these situations. I am not going to do some big ol’ synopsis of the drama that is behind and in front of this scenario. I don’t want to be involved, don’t want the drama in my day, life or business.  I will keep it simple and simply share with you the screen capture of their Facebook page. The page and their comments speak for themselves. I don’t…

  • 12 Ways to Delight Your Social Media Community & Audiences

    Pam
    14 May 2013 | 2:30 am
    What do you think of when you think of the word “delight?” Some may think of a huge ice cream cone. My 9 yr old son may think of a $50 gift card to his favorite online game or a super size Slurpee from 7-11. Delight is in the heart of the receiver. What delights me, won’t necessarily delight you the same way. According to Dictionary.com, the word delight is defined as “to please someone greatly.” Notice the key word of “greatly.” Delight does not equal status quo. It does not mean doing, writing, posting, tweeting, pinning, +1-ing the same exact thing…

  • 5 Ways to Grow Your Business with Facebook

    Aaron Lee
    13 May 2013 | 10:27 am
    When Mark Zuckerberg created Facebook in his Harvard dorm room back in 2004, his vision was to connect people and get to know one another at Harvard. Since then it has expanded to other colleges and today it has connected over a billion people from around the world. What he didn’t anticipate was how quickly it would pass over the one billion users mark and that it would be used by many businesses as a platform of growth. Today most businesses already have a business page on Facebook and you can hardly find an advertisement without a mention on how to find them there. Last month, Dan Levy,…
 
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    MachoArts | Design, Social Media, Blogging tipsMachoArts | Design, Social Media, Blogging tips

  • 5 Web Design Mistakes Novices Make

    Lucy Harper
    9 May 2013 | 4:25 am
    As a web designer or business owner, you’ve probably seen it all when it comes to novice web design creations. On the one hand, it’s understandable that small-business owners need to stay within budget while getting their online business up and running. What they don’t understand is that sometimes the shortcuts that save money in the short-run end up costing a lot more down the line. These five web design mistakes are ones you can present to potential customers when trying to help them understand why it’s worth their while to pay for your services. In the end, having a The post 5 Web…

  • Friday Photography Inspiration #89

    Natalie Turner
    26 Apr 2013 | 12:39 pm
    This post is a part of our weekly photography inspiration series. Each Friday we feature some of the most professional and amazing photographs captured by talented photographers from all around the world. Here are latest photographs for your inspiration. If you like this post feel free to share it on Twitter and Facebook. Photography Quote of the Week: “While there is perhaps a province in which the photograph can tell us nothing more than what we see with our own eyes, there is another in which it proves to us how little our eyes permit us to see.” – Dorothea The post…

  • Would You Turn Down a High Five From Tom Selleck? No – and You Shouldn’t Turn Down Outbound Links Either

    Thomas McMahon
    24 Apr 2013 | 6:44 pm
    A nasty rumor has been going around the web and it has caused a lot of problems for bloggers, webmasters, SEOs, link builders, and even site visitors and readers. In an effort to hold on to Google’s ever important PageRank, some people are unwilling to link out to other websites and only link internally within their own site. The thought being that linking out to websites will make their PageRank flow right out the door and they’ll lose everything they’ve been striving for. But this is a backwards way to approach the web and it creates a poor web experience The post Would You Turn Down…

  • Friday Photography Inspiration #88

    Natalie Turner
    5 Apr 2013 | 9:30 am
    This post is a part of our weekly photography inspiration series. Each Friday we feature some of the most professional and amazing photographs captured by talented photographers from all around the world. Here are latest photographs for your inspiration. If you like this post feel free to share it on Twitter and Facebook. Photography Quote of the Week: “You don’t take a photograph, you make it.” – Ansel Adams &nbspThe post Friday Photography Inspiration #88 appeared first on MachoArts | Design, Social Media, Blogging tips.

  • 7 Useful tools you should use to make web development more efficient

    sandramiller
    1 Mar 2013 | 6:34 am
    Web development is rocket science for most people because it’s demanding and detailed. The development process requires a site map, a design, the code, styling and many small elements to make its entirety. Without using the proper management tools, your web development process risks suffering from inefficiencies, which cost money. This article gives you some of the most effective tools to use in order to have an efficient web development process. Plagiarism checker The technology age is moving so fast and web developers need to move with it. With the number of competitors springing up…
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    Jessica Malnik

  • The History of Typography (VIDEO)

    Jessica Malnik
    12 May 2013 | 12:09 pm
    For those who don’t know, I’m a bit of a font nerd. I’m fascinated by how much typography has changed over the years. I came across this awesome stop-motion video on Vimeo on the history of typography. I couldn’t resist sharing it here. The History of Typography – Animated Short from Ben Barrett-Forrest on Vimeo.

  • What Makes A Great Conference?

    Jessica Malnik
    9 May 2013 | 7:29 pm
    I’ve always had two views of conferences. They are either really good for networking and getting the pulse for the community or they are focused on actionable takeaways with insightful examples. I have never seen a conference master both really well. Until I went to Userconf in NYC last week. For those who aren’t aware, Userconf is a conference entirely around customer support, specifically geared to community managers, support managers, product managers, and anyone interested in learning how to create awesome customer touchpoints. It’s put on by Uservoice and CoSupport.

  • Is The “Social Media Kool-Aid” Running Out?

    Jessica Malnik
    21 Apr 2013 | 10:18 pm
    Will 2013 be the year social media pros stop drinking the kool-aid? I recently read a great post from John Trader on PR Breakfast Club on this very topic. John(@john_trader1) wrote: “2013 is the year that we start to think about the unique qualities that define our own markets and how we can leverage industry advice based on custom metrics that drive meaningful analytics instead of a knee jerk reaction that incorporates advice without taking into consideration the wants and needs of our own communities.” I couldn’t agree more with John’s analysis. The days of carefree…

  • QR Codes: The Biggest Missed Opportunity?

    Jessica Malnik
    4 Apr 2013 | 9:58 pm
    When’s the last time you scanned a QR Code? I’m guessing for many of you, it’s probably been at least a few months. For many marketers, advertisers and PR pros, QR codes were (and in some cases still are) the shiny object that was supposed to help bridge the offline and online world. It sounds perfect. For example, X ad agency creates an ad outside a local mall. Then, people scan this little bar code. They are whisked away to your  store’s website (hopefully it’s mobile-friendly), where they magically receive a promotional code or coupon. Sounds peachy, right?

  • 7 Web Practices That Need To Die

    Jessica Malnik
    26 Mar 2013 | 8:52 pm
    1. Web Galleries/Slideshows Better known as, a great way for news/media sites to inflate their “page views,” while subsequently annoying all their site visitors. Scroll, Click, Click, Click. . . 2. Banner Ad Overload Nothing screams a professional-looking website quite like an ad farm. I mean, really people? Banner ad click-through rates are abyssal. Why would you kill your credibility and clutter your site with something that isn’t even going to work in the first place? 3.  Intro Music/Sound Effects It’s 2013. If music starts playing when your site loads, it’s…
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    Smedio

  • How to Optimize Your Marketing for the Visual Marketing Revolution

    Douglas Idugboe
    21 May 2013 | 11:25 pm
    The growing impact of visual elements in content development has given birth to a new kind of marketing – visual marketing. These elements include photos, videos, infographics, comics, memes, slideshows, and other visual content. One reason for the growth of this trend is in many cases, data and complex ideas are more clearly expressed through visual imagery. Moving forward, any effective marketing campaign will need to make use of a strategic combination of visual marketing content. What is visual marketing? Visual marketing is the strategy of using visual aids to communicate your…

  • The Future of Social and What Facebook Wants You to Know

    Douglas Idugboe
    23 Apr 2013 | 11:02 pm
    The future of social media is being spelled by Facebook. Everybody familiar with the industry already knows about Facebook’s much-maligned, mismanaged IPO, and how the resulting debacle resulted in its share price languishing while Wall Street wonders if the social media pioneering giant will eventually recover and make money. This is why nobody is surprised Facebook is starting to change its strategy by taking small, largely unnoticed steps that work together in driving the company to a new direction. The social network has since rolled out new content, new algorithms, and has…

  • Where Interactive Marketing is Going

    Xath Cruz
    9 Apr 2013 | 12:01 am
    Interactive marketing has proven itself to be one of the most disruptive and powerful marketing approaches of the past few decades, managing to turn centuries-old and established media and agency models completely upside down, and showing an ability to grow digital properties into some of the largest businesses in the globe. Currently, interactive marketing makes up for 15% of all advertising spending in the world. Where is Interactive Marketing Heading? 1. Interactive Marketing Will Focus on Relationships Instead of Media The future of interactive marketing relies mostly on building and…

  • How to Create Multiple Streams of Income from a Website

    Xath Cruz
    26 Mar 2013 | 12:54 am
    You can create multiple streams of income from a website. You don’t just have to rely on Google AdSense as a primary source of revenue for your website. Think about what would happen if Google finds a violative condition to suspend your Adsense account. A reactivation from them takes weeks, if not months. You don’t want to put yourself in such an autocratic predicament, do you? A site can be monetized regardless if it’s a personal blog or a commercially branded one. Here are a number of ways you can create multiple streams of income from a website you own: Advertising Ad…

  • 7 Things I Learned about Digital Marketing from Claude Hopkins

    Douglas Idugboe
    13 Mar 2013 | 4:05 am
    For those of us working in the digital marketing realm, you probably operate on the assumption that we are trailblazers – and to be fair, we are. You might be surprised, as I am, to learn that the basic principles that govern our industry are old hat. Enter Claude Hopkins, a man who pioneered the concept of advertising as we know it – in 1923. Hopkins’ seminal work, “Scientific Advertising” is chock full of timeless advice that is applicable now in 2013 as it was 90 years ago. Though I recommend that everyone working in marketing, sales, or ecommerce read the public domain…
 
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    ReelSEO Video Marketing

  • How to License Music for Your Videos

    Guest Expert
    22 May 2013 | 2:00 pm
    You want to use a copyrighted song in your video. When do you need permission to use a song? How do you go about doing getting a license to use it? Luckily, there is a process you can go through and it doesn't have to be painful.

  • Five Reasons Advertisers Should Adopt Interactive Pre-roll

    Guest Expert
    22 May 2013 | 12:35 pm
    Here are five reasons why interactive pre-rolls (Polite Pre-Roll, Ad Selectors, and In-Stream Takeovers) are redefining what video can achieve and why advertisers should continue to adopt these units.

  • Three Professional Ways to Light Faces [ReelRebel #39]

    Chris Atkinson
    22 May 2013 | 9:01 am
    You've probably heard of three-point lighting and you use it to perfection. However, if you want to really look pro, you can change the way your key light shines on your subjects' faces to create a desired dramatic or more flattering look. Introducing short, split, and butterfly lighting.

  • YouTube Will Soon Take Google+ Page Integration Out of Beta

    Chris Atkinson
    22 May 2013 | 8:39 am
    The Google+ page/YouTube channel integration has been in beta for about a month now, and YouTube is getting closer to opening it up to everyone. There will soon be an option for everyone to make the connection in the next few weeks.

  • YouTube Announces 2013 Next Vlogger Winners

    Chris Atkinson
    21 May 2013 | 1:02 pm
    YouTube has announced the winners of the Next Vlogger 2013 contest. 15 lucky winners will now receive $4,000 in production stuff, a Google+ Hangout workshop series with experts in the field, and the chance to collaborate with a whole bunch of other vloggers around the world.
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    gabycastellanos.com

  • Oferta de Trabajo: WANTED: Social Media Strategist by socialphilia

    Gaby Castellanos
    22 May 2013 | 8:43 am
    ¿Creías que ya lo habíais visto todo? ¡NO! Seguimos reclutando al mejor equipo ever y tenemos una nueva oferta de trabajo que ofreceros. Como ya sabéis socialphilia goes global, estamos en España y en Latinoamérica, por eso te buscamos a ti, estés donde estés, para unirte a nuestro equipo. Creemos en el karma y confiamos en el dharma, quizás todo esto te suene a chino pero no importa, todo lo que tú debes saber es esto: WANTED: Social Media Strategist Hombre o  mujer, con experiencia en Social Media (al menos tres años). Buscamos un cerebrito, alguien que sea fan de los…

  • Oferta de trabajo: WANTED: Content Manager para socialphilia

    Gaby Castellanos
    21 May 2013 | 5:59 am
    Esta semana estamos más emocionados que cuando se juntaron por última vez las Spice Girls, así que ¡aprovechad!  Como ya sabéis socialphilia goes global, estamos en España y en Latinoamérica, por eso te buscamos a ti, estés donde estés, para unirte a nuestro equipo. Creemos en el karma y confiamos en el dharma, quizás todo esto te suene a chino pero no importa, todo lo que tú debes saber es esto: WANTED: Content Manager Hombre o  mujer, con experiencia en Social Media (al menos tres años) y con la capacidad de crear contenido de interés para una de las marcas “más…