If vanilla and fresh linen was still feeling too feminine to scent the man cave, fear not, manly men, Yankee Candle has heard your barbaric yawp and is now offering Man Candles. Offered in macho scents such as 2x4, Riding Mower, First Down and Man Town, you need never hang your head again after being dragged into the candle store. They even offer a sports-themed candle holder so you don’t ruin the tabletop. Just in time for Father’s Day. Full story at Yankee Candle via Buzzfeed. You know you want a Man Candle. Permalink | Leave a comment »
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Most Topular Stories
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The scent of man, now available at Yankee Candle
Holy Kaw!16 May 2012 | 1:31 pm -
5 Effective Tricks to Create a Killer Call to Action
@ProBlogger16 May 2012 | 7:04 amThis guest post is by Greg Digneo of Sales Leads in Thirty Days. Here’s the dirty little secret: there are actually two steps to building an extremely popular blog. The first and most popular step is to drive traffic by guest posting, social media, and SEO. The far less sexy step is to convert that traffic into loyal readers who will become the backbone of your community. Who will share every piece of content you produce with their friends. And who will ensure that every post sparks an engaging discussion. But most of all, they will be the first to buy your products and services. The… -
What Does it Take to Write a Billion-Dollar Marketing Story?
Copyblogger16 May 2012 | 4:00 amIn 1984, two artists used a simple process to create a story that captivated an audience for years and generated billions of dollars in revenue. That same process is being used today by a master copywriter to attract hundreds of thousands of paying subscribers. With companies creating millions of web pages of content marketing, finding an untold story or a new angle can feel like an impossible task. Especially when you want to avoid creating a story so unique nobody understands it … or wants to pay for it. So how do you create a story that cuts through the noise and strikes at the heart… -
What to Say When Nobody Cares What You Do
Chris Garrett on New Media1 May 2012 | 12:00 pmIt’s a simple but uncomfortable truth. Nobody cares what you do. Oh, people might ask. At a networking lunch, a cocktail party, and so on. But nobody cares. What do people actually care about? “Enough about me. What do you think about me?” It’s funny because it is true. People want to hear if listening to you is worth their time and energy. How might you help them? Who do you know who might be useful? Are you fun to be around? Wait … didn’t I say they don’t care what you do? Yup, it’s not about what you DO, it’s about what they GET! I… -
Meditation as a Blogging Practice
Business Blogging - How to Build A Better Blog14 May 2012 | 6:45 amThis is a guest post by Linda Dessau of ContentMasteryGuide.com. This recent Twitter interchange with small business marketing consultant and former meditation instructor Jeff Korhan got me thinking about meditation as a blogging practice. I find it most helpful to brainstorm, draft and write my blog posts in the morning. This rejuvenates my creativity for the day ahead, fulfills my most important marketing strategy and fills me with a sense of accomplishment that energizes my productivity for other tasks. Sometimes, this creative work begins as a form of written meditation, long before I…
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Holy Kaw!
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The scent of man, now available at Yankee Candle
16 May 2012 | 1:31 pmIf vanilla and fresh linen was still feeling too feminine to scent the man cave, fear not, manly men, Yankee Candle has heard your barbaric yawp and is now offering Man Candles. Offered in macho scents such as 2x4, Riding Mower, First Down and Man Town, you need never hang your head again after being dragged into the candle store. They even offer a sports-themed candle holder so you don’t ruin the tabletop. Just in time for Father’s Day. Full story at Yankee Candle via Buzzfeed. You know you want a Man Candle. Permalink | Leave a comment » -
Dirty Disney cartoons? [video]
16 May 2012 | 1:16 pmIt’s hard to imagine Disney cartoons have ever been the subject of censorship, but like many beloved cartoons, there’s a seamier side that’s bound to offend if you get the references. Such was the case with “The Shindig” where Clarabelle Cow’s exposed udders were deemed too risqué for Ohio audiences as was her reading material; Three Weeks was an early example of “women’s mass market erotic fiction.” As the old saying goes, "What happens in the barn, stays in the barn." Full story at Neatorama. The evil underbelly of Disney. -
Mammals may not get to cool climates in time
16 May 2012 | 12:09 pmNine percent of the Western Hemisphere’s mammals—and up to 40 percent in some regions—may not be able to outpace climate change. “I think it’s important to point out that in the past when climates have changed—between glacial and interglacial periods when species ranges contracted and expanded—the landscape wasn’t covered with agricultural fields, four-lane highways and parking lots, so species could move much more freely across the landscape,” says Joshua Lawler, associate professor of environmental and forest sciences at University of… -
Time of year matters for vitamin D risk
16 May 2012 | 12:08 pmWhen considering a patient’s blood vitamin D levels, it may be best to consider a lower threshold for concern, as well as the time of year. "In evaluating health risk," the University of Washington researchers conclude, "season-specific targets for Vitamin D blood concentration may be more appropriate than a static target when evaluating patients health risk." Full story at Futurity. More research news from top universities. Permalink | Leave a comment » -
The (not so correct) anatomy of sea life
16 May 2012 | 11:52 amMarine biology, scharine schiology. Pleated Jeans skips scientific facts for its series of sea life diagrams. Via Pleated Jeans. (H/T @laughingsquid) Laughing is good for you. Permalink | Leave a comment »
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@ProBlogger
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5 Effective Tricks to Create a Killer Call to Action
16 May 2012 | 7:04 amThis guest post is by Greg Digneo of Sales Leads in Thirty Days. Here’s the dirty little secret: there are actually two steps to building an extremely popular blog. The first and most popular step is to drive traffic by guest posting, social media, and SEO. The far less sexy step is to convert that traffic into loyal readers who will become the backbone of your community. Who will share every piece of content you produce with their friends. And who will ensure that every post sparks an engaging discussion. But most of all, they will be the first to buy your products and services. The… -
Get Obsessed with Your Message
15 May 2012 | 1:01 pmThis guest post is by Danielle LaPorte of DanielleLaPorte.com. Blog = up? Posts = rolling? It’s time to get obsessed with your message. A quick dictionary moment, to differentiate between your voice, your topics and your message. Your voice is what makes your writing distinctive, compelling, unmistakably you. You’ll carry your voice from your blog, right into your book. Seamless, identifiable. Individual. Your topics are the categories or subjects you write about (Eco-luxe weddings on a shoestring budget! Savvy corporate management, with heart and soul! Thrifty vegan recipes!) Your… -
On the Elusive “Next Level” of Blogging
15 May 2012 | 7:04 amWe’ve all heard of it—the elusive “next level” that so many bloggers talk about online. But what is the next level? How many levels are there? Is there an end point in leveling up? These are all worthwhile questions—especially for more experienced bloggers who have spent a lot of time and energy in reaching the level they’re already at. For these bloggers, trying to reach the next level can involve a degree of risk, so the steps that get us toward the next level might be taken slowly and with care. On the other hand, the web isn’t exactly undersupplied with… -
Grab Your BWE Virtual Ticket for $100 Off—24 Hours Left
14 May 2012 | 5:09 pmWish you could get to Blog World Expo this year, but can’t make it to New York? Me too. I’ll be in Queensland with the winners of my blogging competition, but I know there are plenty of bloggers from other countries, as well as within the States, who won’t be able to attend Blog World this year. Fortunately, you and I don’t need to miss out on the information and fun of the Expo (and if the speaker list for this year is anything to go by, the conference is going to be really impressive). We “remote” bloggers can still “attend” on a BWE virtual… -
Install Your First WordPress Theme
14 May 2012 | 7:09 amThis guest post is by Karol K of ThemeFuse. Seeing a headline like “How to Install a WordPress Theme” on ProBlogger might seem strange at first. This doesn’t sound like a “pro”-thing at all, right? If you’ve been dealing with WordPress for a while then this is probably even more than obvious to you. However, everyone starts somewhere, and there are plenty of experienced bloggers who haven’t ever installed a WordPress theme—but would like to give it a try. Maybe you’re installing your first theme right now, and you’re searching for a…
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Copyblogger
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What Does it Take to Write a Billion-Dollar Marketing Story?
16 May 2012 | 4:00 amIn 1984, two artists used a simple process to create a story that captivated an audience for years and generated billions of dollars in revenue. That same process is being used today by a master copywriter to attract hundreds of thousands of paying subscribers. With companies creating millions of web pages of content marketing, finding an untold story or a new angle can feel like an impossible task. Especially when you want to avoid creating a story so unique nobody understands it … or wants to pay for it. So how do you create a story that cuts through the noise and strikes at the heart… -
How to be a World-Changing Writer
15 May 2012 | 4:00 amAs a copywriter, you know that words have power. You know words can influence, inform, and inspire. They can persuade your fellow humans to do some amazing things (or to do the wrong things, but we won’t go there today). What you may not realize is that your words can change the world. Here’s something else that’s really cool that you might not have realized … The keys to world-changing writing are also the keys to damn good copywriting. But as you know, good writing doesn’t happen all by itself. So let’s talk about what it takes to be damned good …… -
WordPress Hosting That Means Business
14 May 2012 | 8:00 amDid you know Copyblogger Media has a WordPress hosting division? Many people don’t, because it’s been a bit under-the-radar. The whole thing started with our frustration with web hosting in general. Specifically, the fact that a lot of “WordPress hosting” amounts to generic one-click installation of the CMS on a standardly-configured box — which simply doesn’t cut it for optimal performance and security. So, last year we decided to manage our high-traffic network of content and product sites ourselves. We did this by bringing into the family a team of people who themselves… -
The Truth About Making Money While You Sleep
14 May 2012 | 4:00 amWant to hear about the day in the life of a so-called “successful entrepreneur?” Yesterday, I stayed in bed until about 2 PM. I watched the last few episodes of Mad Men. Around sunset, I took a leisurely stroll down the beach. When I got back, I hung out with a friend for a couple of hours, ate dinner, and went to bed. In other words … I goofed off. And while I was goofing off, my business generated a pretty decent chunk of revenue. You want to know the coolest part? I did absolutely nothing to “earn” it. I didn’t check my email. I didn’t talk to… -
7 Instructive Content Marketing Links
12 May 2012 | 6:00 amThis week on The Lede … Are Content Publishers Waking Up from Their App Dreams Nightmares? An Email Marketing Autoresponder Schedule that Sells 3 Quick Tips To Conquering Your Fear of Public Speaking Does Your Domain Say “Trust Me?” Why “Freemium” Fails for Startups: 3 Business Lessons from the Band New Order 5 Basic SEO Truths We Can Learn from Star Wars Peter Shankman on the Value of an Audience If you want to grab more useful links (than the seven we highlight here) every week, follow @copyblogger on Twitter. Are Content Publishers Waking Up from Their App Dreams…
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Chris Garrett on New Media
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What to Say When Nobody Cares What You Do
1 May 2012 | 12:00 pmIt’s a simple but uncomfortable truth. Nobody cares what you do. Oh, people might ask. At a networking lunch, a cocktail party, and so on. But nobody cares. What do people actually care about? “Enough about me. What do you think about me?” It’s funny because it is true. People want to hear if listening to you is worth their time and energy. How might you help them? Who do you know who might be useful? Are you fun to be around? Wait … didn’t I say they don’t care what you do? Yup, it’s not about what you DO, it’s about what they GET! I… -
Breaking the Rules for Fun and Profit
30 Mar 2012 | 1:04 pmI joke that I am the most conventional unconventional guy you might ever meet, but it is true in a way. When we think of unconventional we often think about specific things. Going off to live on a commune might be a big one, having tattoos and piercing might be smaller “bucking the system” type ideas. Anyone who knows me at all will know I am not the extreme kind of unconventional, and I expect you will be somewhere on the spectrum too. So what makes me a “rule-breaker” and why might you consider breaking some rules yourself? The Rules Have Changed I don’t need… -
New Edition of the Problogger Book Released
14 Mar 2012 | 12:15 pmProblogger Book 3rd Edition Well it’s finally here! The third edition of the Problogger book is now available to order. (You might have already seen the news at Problogger). The first edition came out May 2008, co-authored by Darren Rowse and myself, and published by Wiley Publishing. We released the second edition in 2010 to expand and update the contents. Now you can grab your copy of the third edition over at Amazon paperback for $16.32 and Kindle ebook for just $9.99. (Not sure if Wiley are going to make other formats available or not). The third edition again has loads of… -
The Real ROI of Engagement
2 Mar 2012 | 1:58 pmLoyalty means business We are bombarded by “feel good” social media advice. Join the conversation. Engage. Listen. But this stuff takes time and effort. Where is the return on investment? It’s not just about chatting, and the ROI is not found by simply throwing up a Facebook page. If you are struggling to convince your boss (or yourself) that the effort of engaging your customers and prospects is worth it, the two headline reasons you should work on engagement are: 1) If you lose as many visitors as you attract then you are making your marketing twice as difficult. and 2)… -
Authority Blogging for Artists
10 Feb 2012 | 11:02 amWhat should a blogger do when they want to profit from their creativity, knowledge, experience and skills, but not by teaching “how to”, but instead from the results of their work? As you no doubt know, my strategy for building a profitable blog around what you know is called Authority Blogging. Build an audience of people who know, like and trust you. Get to know what they really want and need, then develop a solution for them that they are eager to buy. How does this work for artists, writers, crafts and other creative people? This is the dilemma Brian Dubé had when he…
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Business Blogging - How to Build A Better Blog
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Meditation as a Blogging Practice
14 May 2012 | 6:45 amThis is a guest post by Linda Dessau of ContentMasteryGuide.com. This recent Twitter interchange with small business marketing consultant and former meditation instructor Jeff Korhan got me thinking about meditation as a blogging practice. I find it most helpful to brainstorm, draft and write my blog posts in the morning. This rejuvenates my creativity for the day ahead, fulfills my most important marketing strategy and fills me with a sense of accomplishment that energizes my productivity for other tasks. Sometimes, this creative work begins as a form of written meditation, long before I… -
Is Digital Publishing Part of Your Content Marketing Plan?
27 Apr 2012 | 2:17 pmIf you missed it on DeniseWakeman.com, my colleague Ellen Britt and I have a survey running about how professionals and small business owners like you, are incorporating digital publishing into their content marekting. We would love to get your input, and then, if you choose, we will send you a copy for the indepth industry report we create from the information we glean. At the moment of writing this post, 770 people have added their two cents. Our goal is to have a minimum of 1000 responses. Whether or not you're actively involved in digital publishing, or plan to, your level experience is… -
Why Your Business Blog Needs to Be More Than a Diary
13 Apr 2012 | 6:38 amThis is a guest post by Linda Dessau of ContentMasteryGuide.com. As your business grows (and grows up), it can be inspiring to look back at a chronicle of what you've accomplished and how far you've come. Having that record is one of the benefits of blogging, and a reason to continue dating your posts. But when business blogs are completely filled with announcements and personal musings from the business owner, that's a missed opportunity to connect with your prospective clients. Sure, your family, clients and other supporters will always be thrilled to hear of your latest successes,… -
Business Blogging vs. Facebook [Infographic]
11 Apr 2012 | 2:50 pmJust ran across this infographic and I have to say, I'm in total agreement and have been preaching this for several years. This doesn't mean I don't think you shouldn't be using Facebook as a marketing tool, but think about where you're putting your effort and what you get out of it... Embedded with permission from Patricia Redsicker. Which side do you come down on...Facebook or Business Blogging...which is better for YOUR business? -
Facebook Marketing - Two Resource Articles for Your Online Marketing
12 Mar 2012 | 11:57 amRecently I posted a couple of articles on DeniseWakeman.com about Facebook marketing. While they are not specifically about business blogging, if you are using the Web to market your business, then no doubt Facebook is one of your online tools. In case you missed the articles, I want to make sure you get access to these resources.First, if you are intimidated or confused about how to create videos, there's a cool, easy and FREE tool you can use to create videos from the pictures in your Facebook albums. In the post I share five ways you can use this for your business.CLICK => Easy Video…
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Daily Blog Tips
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Burn the Bridges
16 May 2012 | 6:37 amFirst of all keep in mind I don’t support or see as a positive thing the massacres that happened in Central and South America when Spain, Portugal and other European nations started colonizing the continent. Quite the opposite. That being said we can still learn from their strategic and military choices, and that is what this post is about. Hernán Cortés was the Spanish general who was responsible for the fall of the Aztec Empire and sub-sequent colonization of the Americas by Spain. His military technology was far superior, but the Aztec outnumbered his men, and they were fighting… -
The Verge Slams Internet Marketing Gurus
14 May 2012 | 9:17 pmIf you still haven’t seen the piece on The Verge where they slam some Internet marketing gurus pretty hard, well, grab some popcorn and visit the link below, cause you are in for a treat (whether you agree with the opinions of the article or not). The post is titled Scamworld: ‘Get rich quick’ schemes mutate into an online monster, and it runs for thousands of words with a very comprehensive view on the matter. Just to give you an idea on how they didn’t hold any punches: there are pictures and videos of some pretty famous Internet marketers (e.g., Frank Kern and Mike… -
How to Structure Your Posts (and Why You Need To)
14 May 2012 | 4:30 amDo your posts seem to be a loose collection of ideas, in no particular order? When I’m coaching bloggers, one common problem that comes up is a lack of structure. During the drafting process, many writers simply sit down and type whatever comes into their head. That’s fine for a warm-up … but it’s not a very efficient way to create a blog post. Think of structure as the underlying framework for your posts. With a strong frame in place, your post won’t sag in the middle or have bits falling off at the edges: it’ll be easy for you to create, and easy for your readers to take in. -
Make Money On YouTube with Affiliate Marketing
11 May 2012 | 7:52 amA couple of weeks ago I published a post explaining the basic process you need to go through if you want to become a YouTube partner, which allows you to display ads and monetize your uploaded videos. My buddy John Chow followed that post up with an explanation of his approach to YouTube monetization, which is quite different. In his post titled How to Make Money on YouTube John explains that in addition to the money he makes from the ad impressions on the video he also earns by placing affiliate links in the description of the videos. In fact he mentions that the affiliate links earn much… -
First Impressions on Websites Can Be Misleading
9 May 2012 | 7:02 pmOne thing that makes online marketing particularly complex (and interesting) is the fact that you can never be sure about what’s going on behind the scenes of a certain website. That is, you can’t know how many visitors the site has, how much it makes per month and so on. In fact sometimes the first impression you’ll get can be quite misleading, and here are some examples: Number of Comments Until a couple of years ago the average number of comments a blog would get per post was a good indicator of its traffic. Today, however, I don’t think this rule holds true. For…
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Online Marketing Blog
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Interview: The Future of Cloud Marketing Software with Vocus CMO Jason Jue
16 May 2012 | 4:50 amAt TopRank Online Marketing, we are fortunate to provide consulting to quite a few innovative B2B companies that serve other marketers. A great example of that is PRWeb and parent company, Vocus, both long standing clients. In late 2011 Vocus welcomed Jason Jue as Chief Marketing Officer. As Vocus & PRWeb’s Account Manager at TopRank, I was keenly interested in getting to know Jason better and learning his plans for the future – and what better way than through an interview for all readers of Online Marketing Blog to see? In this interview Jason talks about the undeniable… -
Channel Your Internal Marketing Warrior: 4 Tips for Strengthening Your Marketing Plan
15 May 2012 | 3:25 amRelease Your Internal Marketing Warrior In March of this year I made a decision: I wanted to get healthier. The problem I have always faced is that I didn’t see the point of exercise, just for the sake of exercise. Treadmills and stationary bicycles never did much for me, but I was looking for a way to regain some focus and start down a healthier path. About a month ago I spoke with my good friend Ali who had recently started a training program to become a yoga instructor. She convinced me to attend a class with her and I even though I’ve done yoga before, this was an entirely new… -
5 Ways to Optimize the Business Value of Attending Conferences
14 May 2012 | 9:37 amAre you optimizing your conference experience? TopRank receives a lot of value from having me speak at conferences but you don’t have to be a speaker to realize a positive return from events. Small, large online or offline, there are numerous ways to optimize and maximize your return on conference involvment both in the short and long term. If your company is considering whether to send you to events because of uncertain return or benefits, show them the following list. In fact, if I were running a conference, I’d make sure these tips are shared with attendees, sponsors and… -
Online Marketing News: Take Action on Social Data, LinkedIn Gets the Scoop, Google Reigns Supreme, Google & Big Data for SEO
11 May 2012 | 3:35 amActionable Social Analytics This recent infographic by awareness takes a dive into social analytics. In an era where virtually every brand is online, it is essential that action is being taken off of the data we are collecting from social networks. This infographic provides not only some of the Key Performance Indicators (KPI) that your company should be tracking, but how to calculate these numbers as well. Examples of the KPI’s your company should be tracking: Brand Awareness & Reputation Marketing Program Effectiveness Lead Generation Effectiveness Use LinkedIn to Get Juicy… -
Holistic Optimization Across the Sales Cycle: Optimize Speaking Events May & June
10 May 2012 | 8:08 amWhen you have a business that relies on attracting new business online the sheer volume of options can be confusing. Should offline advertising efforts transfer to online? Maybe email marketing? What about SEO or the hot topic, social media? So much focus is placed on tactics and channels, that a lot of misplaced digital marketing budget gets wasted or spent inefficiently. To bring some clarity to the myriad online marketing options available, I think it’s worth marketers taking a holistic approach that starts with an essential understanding of goals and customers. Who are your best…
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Delicious/tag/blogging+tips
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10 Social Media Tips for Bloggers
16 May 2012 | 12:35 pm -
Hardening WordPress « WordPress Codex
16 May 2012 | 12:33 pm -
How to Write Headlines That Work | Copyblogger
16 May 2012 | 12:33 pm -
How to Write Your “About Me” Page
16 May 2012 | 12:07 pm -
11 Ways You're Annoying On Twitter
16 May 2012 | 10:38 am
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Blogging Tips
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05 WordPress Plugins for Social Media Promotions
16 May 2012 | 11:00 amThe use of plugins is the best thing I like about WordPress. The WordPress plugins are easy to install and they really enrich the usability and scalability of any self-hosted WordPress blog/website.This post will list some of the best WordPress plugins for social media promotions. In a previous post, Zac also lists few social media centered WordPress plugins as part of the BloggingTips.com Complete Guide to Blogging series. Consider my list as an extension of Zac’s list.Here we go:05 WordPress Plugins for Social Media Promotions(1) Sexy BookmarksIf you want massive social media exposure and… -
Finding Blog Success, then Rinse and Repeat
16 May 2012 | 8:45 amNow that you’ve followed along this entire series of articles from Blogging Tips, you are in a great position to launch and run a fantastic blog of your own. You’ve learned how to register your domain, set up WordPress, customize your blog, outsource your work, and market your blog through social media, among several other lessons.So, what is the next logical step?If It Works Once, It’ll Work AgainWho says you have to stop now? If you walked through all the steps outlined in this series of articles, then you are in a great position to have a well-oiled machine. Your blog… -
30 Awesome Single Page WordPress Themes
15 May 2012 | 1:00 pmSometimes all you want or need is simplicity. Nothing says simple like a single page portfolio or blog on WordPress. The following 30 designs are just that, single page WordPress themes for the blogger, artist, or business who just want to keep it simple. Some of these themes accomplish their single page design through sliders, others through auto-scrolling, and still others by pure minimalism. No matter how it’s accomplished though a single page theme stands out from the crowd and can give your website a truly unique look and feel. Let us know if you like the themes in this roundup and… -
Write Better, Blog Better: 3 Essential Writing Tips for Bloggers
15 May 2012 | 12:55 pmWhile web traffic and search engine optimization tips are absolutely useful for a blogger hoping to gain in popularity throughout the web, there are many basic elements of blogging and writing that can also help significantly with this pursuit. Oftentimes, it seems that bloggers today get so caught up in SEO, traffic, and social media marketing that they forget about the writing element of blogging. After all, the cruxes of blogging are the posts that you write. If you want to be a truly successful blogger (a challenging feat at that), you have to consider important things like SEO, web… -
Building a Product or Service Off Your Blog
15 May 2012 | 9:31 amAs your blog continues to grow and mature, you’ll likely start looking for other ways that you can expand this online business. After all, your blog is a legitimate business, even if it may have started out as a personal interest or hobby. When you’ve built up an audience and developed a sizable mailing list, it’s time to capitalize on that reach by building a product or service off your blog.Release an E-Book or Digital ProductYou might remember an earlier article in this series where we talked about writing an e-book to accompany your blog. There are two main ways that you…
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Smackdown!
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Florida Just Outlawed Chocolate, Y’all
26 Apr 2012 | 12:38 pmFlorida has definitely had it’s “doh!” moments, but this one is a doozy. It seems as if last month, March 23rd 2012, Florida HB 1175 went into effect, with the following intent: Controlled Substances: Adds to list of Schedule I controlled substances certain specified materials, compounds, mixtures, or preparations that contain hallucinogenic substances or that contain any of these substances’ salts, isomers, & salts of isomers – Florida HB 1175 For those who don’t know, substance in Schedule I are classified as follows: (1) Schedule I. -
I Got My Eye On You
22 Nov 2011 | 2:15 pmNo, really… I think this may be a sign that I am watching too much The Walking Dead. By the way, this would look great on you or your boyfriend/girlfriend on a t-shirt! -
Google Says “Fuck It” For The Christmas Season, Removes The Ability To Report AdSense Violations
22 Nov 2011 | 12:57 pmIt has to be tough policing a program like AdSense. It must be exceptionally difficult during the holiday season, when the payoff to running scams grows so much more. It is so tough, in fact, that this year as the holiday shopping season grows near, with Black Friday just a few short days away, that apparently Google has finally decided to say “fuck it”, make it easier on themselves, just remove the ability for anyone to report any violations of the program whatsoever, and allow the scammers to have a field day in the mean time. While Google may want to give the impression to… -
True Love Means Never Giving Up…
13 Oct 2011 | 9:44 pm“True Love means never giving up” – many a stalker were born from this one innocent sounding phrase. -
Motivationally Speaking…
10 Oct 2011 | 6:04 pmThe truth is much less pretty than the actual picture.
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Weblog Tools Collection
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WordPress Community Summit
16 May 2012 | 7:00 amThe WordPress core team is pulling out all the stops this year and shooting for a big summit to be attended by prominent contributors and community members. Instead of the traditional meet up, which is typically attended by only the core developers and their chosen guests, the core team is now looking for your nominations to decide who will attend the first ever WordPress Community Summit. The Summit will allow the core developers to get to work with the best and brightest of the WordPress community (support forum volunteers, the Theme Review Team, volunteer documentation editors, community… -
WordPress Theme Releases for 5/15
15 May 2012 | 7:00 amFlourish is a lovely, simple, pastel theme with subtle decorative flourishes in the background and accents and features a vibrant, colorful image of needlework in the header. Galaxy is a professional theme for corporate business websites and blogs. -
WordPress Plugin Releases for 5/13
13 May 2012 | 7:00 amNew plugins Add To Post allows you to add additional content to either the start, end or both areas of your blog posts. Rewrite Rules Inspector is a straightforward WordPress admin tool for inspecting your rewrite rules. WP2Cloud seamlessly integrates with Amazon S3 to provide high availability, high reliability, quick and easy disaster recovery, and serving content in a highly scalable fashion. Updated plugins Fast Secure Contact Form lets your visitors send you a quick e-mail message and blocks all common spammer tactics. Additionally, the plugin has a multi-form feature, optional extra… -
WordPress Theme Releases for 5/11
11 May 2012 | 7:00 amBlossom is a very simple and colorful layout with a floral theme and faint pinstripe background in an earthy green. Live Wire was designed with a mobile-first attitude, supports post formats, and is translation-ready. -
WordPress Plugin Releases for 5/9
9 May 2012 | 7:00 amNew plugins Ad Code Manager allows you to manage your ad codes through the WordPress admin in a safe and easy way. Updated plugins FoxyPress is a custom plugin made to integrate FoxyCart e-commerce functionality into your WordPress website. Simple Google Connect is a framework and series of sub-systems that let you add any sort of Google based functionality you like to a WordPress blog.
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Blogger Buster
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Blogging for your Business Hangout
15 May 2012 | 6:43 amUpdated! If you missed the Blogging for your Business hangout on Google+ today, you can watch it here instead: Download your copy of The Blogger Template BookYour complete guide to choosing, installing and optimizing Blogger templates (PDF 114 pages) Exclusive Blogger Templates designed by Blogger Buster from only $10! -
Learn the Basics of Blogger and Get Certified - For Free!
2 May 2012 | 2:13 pmIf you are just starting out with Blogger, Alison offers a useful free e-course which you may find useful. The Google Blogger course by Russell Stannard offers video training, an end-of-course assessment and Alison certification: Upon completion of this course you will be able to create your own blog. You will know how to add dates, pictures, links, video and embedded video to your blog. You will understand how to preview and publish your blog. You will gain a good knowledge of the settings that allow you to edit your blog. Once you've passed the module, you can choose to purchase a PDF or… -
Create a contact form with Google Docs?
26 Apr 2012 | 3:00 amWhile creating a client's website (using Blogger, of course), I decided to try using Google Docs to create a comprehensive contact form. The form was wonderful: with a bit of tweaking, I was able to embed a CSS styled form (rather than use an iframe); validate required fields with jQuery; redirect to a custom "thank you" page, and even have the form submissions emailed directly to the client! Feeling rather happy with the results, I created a similar contact form for the Blogger Buster contact page and was in the process of writing up a tutorial when I realized my inbox was… -
How to create a contact form for Blogger using Kontactr
24 Apr 2012 | 7:00 amContact forms enable visitors to our sites to send us emails without having to expose our email address to potential spammers. I've been using Kontactr to embed a contact form in this site for years now, and still believe it is the most ideal solution for those using the Blogger platform. However, it seems my previous tutorial is now out of date! Recently, Kontactr added CAPTCHA functionality to their forms which makes even more difficult for spammers to abuse the facility. We can also now customize the appearance of the form to match the design of our sites. Here is a comprehensive… -
Free Blogger Template - CleanRed Portfolio Design
23 Apr 2012 | 2:29 pmCleanRed is a portfolio style template, originally created for CSSHeaven.org and now converted for use as a Blogger template. CleanRed Homepage, including a welcome message above the latest posts Demo | Download This template is wholly compatible with Blogger's Template Designer. All fonts, font colours, background colours and widths may be changed through the interface. It's even possible to change the layout while retaining most of the template's stylistic properties! Read more »Download your copy of The Blogger Template BookYour complete guide to choosing, installing and…
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Influential Marketing
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Yahoo's CEO And The Modern Believability Crisis
15 May 2012 | 4:02 pmI don't actually have a degree in Irish Poetry. I share this because recently at a few events I may have mistakenly mentioned that I did. See, I studied English literature at Emory University in the late 90s. While there, I took exactly two elective classes specifically on Irish literature and as most people who study that field already know - Emory has one of the best collections of Irish literature and poetry in the world. So I did focus on Irish Poetry, but the degree that I earned in 1997 was a BA in English Literature. Why am I telling you all this? Well, you can hardly blame me for… -
Why I Don't Want You To Buy Likeonomics (And This Isn't A Marketing Trick)
6 May 2012 | 8:36 amA few days ago I got the first shipment of my new book Likeonomics to my house. Right now the book is sitting in front of me and I really want to ask each of you to go out and buy it - but I can't. In fact, it really helps me if you DO NOT buy it yet - and the reason why explains a lot about the nature of timing, business, and what is broken with the publishing industry itself. Book sales, like movie sales, are reported on a weekly basis through a reporting system called called Bookscan. The Bookscan number is a key factor in helping to determine which books make "the lists" (NY Times… -
5 Marketing Lessons From Uber (The World's Best Travel App)
3 May 2012 | 9:28 pmSeveral weeks ago I was standing on a street corner in New York. (This is not the sentence I thought I'd start this post with, but go with me ...) After unsuccessfully trying to hail a cab, I decided to try out an app I had heard about called Uber. I had heard it was useful for those kinds of situations. From the moment of signup - a process which took way less time than I expected, to the actual act of immediately booking a car and heading happily on my way to LaGuardia Airport just 15 minutes later - the experience transformed my NY trip. Experience itself is getting lots of great media… -
Greensurfing - The Rise Of Voluntary Social Media Jealousy
1 May 2012 | 7:03 amThe idea that Facebook causes jealousy isn't new. A study back in 2009 essentially demonstrated that romantic relationships were often suffering from jealousy induced by Facebook. The same study is still being referenced today. Unfortunately, there are a few signs that this is becoming a much bigger trend than something driven by the insecurity of dating. For the first time in human history, there is a place where any of us can go to be surrounded by only good news. Despite the troubles in the world, or your personal struggles - Facebook offers a nearly pain free bubble. Every status… -
The Ultimate Business Question: Are We Having Fun?
23 Apr 2012 | 9:53 amThis weekend I found myself glued to a two hour piece of promotional television that I usually avoid desperately. The FOX network was having a special recap of their 25th Anniversary of producing entertainment programming. Amidst the 120 minute recap of over 140,000 hours of programming hosted by Ryan Seacrest (of course!) - there were a few moments when they brought actors of long running programs back into the studio and interviewed them. In some cases, they created a "cast reunion" to bring actors back together (like the casts of In Living Color or Married with Children) while in others…
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Social Media Darwinism
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There is NO Passive Marketing with Social!
16 May 2012 | 12:00 pmTraditionally, marketers think of outcomes like they think of the weather – you sit back and see what happens. Suffering from the lack of true and authentic knowledge of their audiences, or any provision for real-time data or analytics, they are consigned to a passive role: spend money and hope it creates the intended outcome. Well “hope” isn’t a strategy. Not so with Social Media. With Social, there is no passive tense. Social media allows the marketer to jump into the fray and to CREATE outcomes instead of being a victim. Take for instance the example of TV. In the… -
The Emotion found in Social Data
9 May 2012 | 12:00 pmLet’s be clear. Most people who write on social media outlets don’t do so just for the sake of doing it. Some might, but the vast majority of people who share content, post comments, or offer sentiments and opinions online do so because they are in what Andrew Jeavons of Survey Analytics calls “the point of emotion.” In other words, they are emotionally invested in the product, service or experience about which they are opining. As Jeavons points out, most feedback is conducted via traditional methods that suffer from huge structural deficits. Surveys – break-down for four… -
CMOs: Shedding light on marketing performance
18 Apr 2012 | 8:19 amBusinesses use enterprise data and metrics to manage business performance and drive efficiencies across the organization. But when it comes to marketing, there has always been a bit of the “black box” effect. Marketing is the one major budget item that traditionally has been the hardest to understand and measure from a traditional business performance standpoint. Quarterly and annual reviews provide some idea of how the money is being spent, and frequency, reach, target rating points, media impressions and clip counting are among the longstanding measures of marketing… -
NASCAR appeals to more than just Sports Fans!
4 Apr 2012 | 9:34 amAs fans of the movie Talladega Nights would know, stock car racing in the United States has its origins in bootlegging during Prohibition, when drivers ran bootleg whiskey made primarily in the Appalachian region of the United States. Bootleggers needed to distribute their illicit products, and they typically used small, fast vehicles to better evade the police. Many of the drivers would modify their cars for speed and handling, as well as increased cargo capacity, and some of them came to love the fast-paced driving down twisty mountain roads. The repeal of Prohibition in 1933 largely dried… -
More B2B Marketing on Mad Marketing TV — The After Party
7 Mar 2012 | 7:00 amAfter last weeks show, guest host Jeff Ogden and B2B marketing expert, Paul Dunay discuss: - Marketing at a small company versus a larger company - Buyer personas and the importance of knowing your buyers - Approaches for creating engaging content - How writing a book can help generate awareness and build reputation MadMarketingTV is sponsored by Act-On Software: Marketing Automation for the Fortune 5 Million. Visit http://actonsoftware.com to learn more. Related posts: Changes in B2B Marketing — Mad Marketing TV Ep 13 Join guest host Jeff Ogden and special guest Paul... Related posts…
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Social Business Advisor: Social CRM and Enterprise 2.0
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Free Webinar: Common Collaboration Problems with the CIO of Pabst Brewing Company
15 May 2012 | 12:28 amThis Wednesday the 16th at 10am PST Ben Haines, the CIO of Pabst Brewing Company will be joining me on a webinar to discuss some of the common collaboration problems that organizations face today. We’re going to try to have a casual discussion around what obstacles organizations are running up against and how they are overcoming these obstacles. The event is being powered by Cisco which is allowing us to host the event on their platform. Here are the details taken from the event site: Collaboration is not new. In fact, we have collaborated for thousands of years. However,… -
What Would Happen if Your Organization Didn’t Invest in Collaboration?
10 May 2012 | 11:40 amI (and many others) have spent a great deal of time talking about why organizations should invest their resources in collaboration tools and strategies. But let’s assume for a moment that you didn’t. How long do you realistically see your organization going on without making this investment; 1 year, 2 years, 3 years? Do you really see your organization waiting this long? At this point I have probably worked with, spoken with, and researched hundreds of companies and it’s rare to come across an organization that nothing in place when it comes to collaboration. At the… -
Implementing Enterprise 2.0 at IBM
8 May 2012 | 1:06 amI had the opportunity to have several in-depth conversations with John Rooney (CIO of Technical Strategy) and Ethan McCarty (Senior Manager, Digital and Social Strategy) of IBM. The conversations resulted in our recently released case study on Implementing Enterprise 2.0 at IBM. Here is an overview of that case study. With over 420,000 employees in over 70 countries, IBM is one of the largest and most recognized companies in the world today. A company of this size needs to be able to coordinate and collaborate, share business processes, and respond to market demands. In order to make… -
The Twelve Principles of Collaboration
3 May 2012 | 10:41 am1. Individual benefit is just as important as the overall corporate benefit (if not more important) Don’t focus on the overall corporate value and benefit when communicating collaboration to employees. Employees care about how this will impact them on an individual basis. How will this make their jobs and lives easier? 2. Strategy before technology Before rushing to pick that shiny new collaboration platform focus on developing a strategy which will help you understand the “why” before the “how.” This is crucial for the success of any… -
New Study: Only 10 Percent of Employees are Engaged
1 May 2012 | 11:52 amI don’t like reading things like this, I really don’t. But today I came across a report released by Modern Survey which found that we have a lot of work to do around engaging our employees. Modern Survey isn’t the first firm to report low engagement numbers, Gallup and Blessing White (along with others) have all found low engagement rates within our organizations. The questions, approaches, methodology, and data that all of these firms get is different but the trend and overall findings remains the same. I don’t think we realize how crucial employee engagement…
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Drew's Marketing Minute
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Are you falling behind when it comes to mobile?
13 May 2012 | 12:04 pmI think it is fascinating in a “I don’t get it” sort of way. We all know that mobile is where digital is headed. We’ve all repeated the “by 2015, the #1 way we will access the internet is through our smart phones” and yet… it seems like most people are lollygagging along when it comes to getting onto the mobile train. Is your website mobile optimized? Are you learning more about mobile ads? Are you thinking about how you’re going to accept mobile payments? Or do you look like this infographic? Browse more infographics. You might… -
Going viral = out of your control
8 May 2012 | 5:38 amIt seems like one of the goals I hear more and more is… “and we want it to go viral.” I translate that to mean — we want a lot of people to see it. But rarely when someone says they want something to go viral, do they really understand the implications of that. The biggest one is — the minute it begins to go viral, it begins to take on a life of its own and it is beyond your control. Let me give you a very tangible example. My daughter and several of her college friends decided that they wanted to jump into the Sh*t People Say meme that was started in… -
9 Keys to Wicked Awesome Landing Pages
5 May 2012 | 10:21 amNote from Drew: Every once in awhile I like to open up the blog to a guest with a depth of expertise that I think you’ll benefit from. Here’s Jason Well’s take on landing pages. A few weeks ago I spoke at SES New York about mobile PPC and SEO. I touched briefly on mobile landing pages. After the presentation one of the attendees walked up to me and said, “thanks for covering mobile landing pages, but most people still need help on their standard landing pages.” He was right. Especially in the B2B world, ‘regular’ landing pages are still critical. While keeping in… -
What can you learn from a small town?
30 Apr 2012 | 4:20 amTurns out, quite a bit. The whole concept of having a marketplace is blurry today. It used to be — you sold stuff to your neighbors because they were the only ones close enough to buy from you. But today the world is one “global small town” where all your customers can talk directly to each other and every one of them can buy from you or from the guy on the other side of the planet. In their book Small Town Rules (click to buy it on Amazon*) authors Becky McCray and Barry Moltz take a look at what works in a small town and help us understand how those same rules apply to us,… -
What is the next step?
25 Apr 2012 | 4:31 amThat’s the question you should ask yourself as you create any marketing piece. ”What is the next step I want the prospect to take?” Whether it’s a Facebook fan page, an enewsletter, a TV spot or a blimp with your logo on it — you have earned their momentary attention. What are you going to do with it? Where do you want to take the conversation/connection from here? Do you want to give them the opportunity to contact you? Do you want them to share your content? Do you want them to ask you a question? Do you want them to laugh so hard that they have to tell…
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Branding Strategy Insider
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Measuring Advertising Effectiveness
14 May 2012 | 9:10 pmShow me the Money! This memorable line from the 1996 movie Jerry Maguire might just as well be coming from today’s CEO’s and CFO’s: a growing and vocal demand for accountability from the Marketing function. Big Data Coming – For Better or Worse Everywhere you go these days, you hear about “big data:” the coming golden age where all problems will be solved by crunching massive amounts of data from the web and every other imaginable source. You would think that the CMO’s ability to, indeed, show them the money, would never be better. But according to a recent IBM study, “From… -
Brand Marketers Must Create Wow Moments
13 May 2012 | 9:10 pmThe brain remembers the emotional components of an experience better than any other aspect. —John Medina When Steve Jobs passed away on October 5, 2011, the world didn’t just lose one of its great visionaries, but it also lost an astonishing corporate storyteller. His presentations, “Steve-notes” as they were fondly called, had all the elements of a Broadway production, including a cast, drama, heroes, villains, and props. Most brand marketers use presentations to deliver information, often dryly. Steve Jobs gave presentations that informed, educated, and entertained. The most… -
Brand Marketing's New Currency
12 May 2012 | 9:10 pmIn the late 1980s and early 1990s, neuroscientists at the University of Parma discovered mirror neurons in our premotor cortex that fire when we perform an action and also when we observe others performing the same action. For example, the neurons that fire when we grasp a cup also fire when we see others grasp a cup. By mirroring the activities of others in this way, mirror neurons endow us with a built-in leaning toward empathy, social interaction and altruism. We don’t always behave well in social settings, but because we are predisposed to social engagement, the rocketing rise of social… -
Brand Strategy: Repositioning Commodities
10 May 2012 | 9:10 pmEven producers in the commodity world of meats and produce have found ways to reposition themselves and thus create a unique selling proposition. Their successful strategies can be summed up in five ways. 1. Identify. Ordinary bananas became better bananas when a small Chiquita label was added to the fruit. Dole did the same for pineapple with the Dole label, as did the lettuce people by putting each head into a clear Foxy lettuce package. Of course, you then have to communicate why people should look for these labels. 2. Personify. The Green Giant character became the difference in a… -
Brand Strategy For Startups
9 May 2012 | 9:10 pmA startup business faces many difficult challenges getting off the ground. For many early stage CEO’s assessing their priorities, product development and the seed money to grow are their primary concerns. Few if any are thinking much about brand building–mainly because they believe it to be sophisticated marketing they simply can’t afford. For startup CEOs, brand building needs to be as important to early success as product development and raising money. You can have the most innovative, groundbreaking product ever conceived, but if you can’t create a strong foundation for…
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Brian Solis
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The Fallacy of Information Overload
15 May 2012 | 6:50 amSome of you know me through my work in studying how social media and disruptive technology impact business and culture. Others have worked with me in translating insights into action and change within the enterprise. Every now and then, I share another side of myself that evokes the aspiring social scientist in me as I explore how all of this is affecting us as individuals and human beings. Not a day goes by when I’m not asked about whether or not the social media bubble will finally burst. Twitter, Facebook, Google+, Foursquare, Pinterest, this all has to be too much right? More… -
Music, Film, TV: How social media changed the entertainment experience
10 May 2012 | 7:56 amSocial media is more than a digital water cooler for TV and movies. The global conversation that takes place around events and the experiences people share based on what they watch teaches us about consumer preferences. More importantly, their activity influences behavior. Behavior counts for everything. Studying it is just the beginning of course. In order to understand and eventually steer behavior, we must translate activity into insights and in turn, translate insights into actionable strategies and programs. The Hollywood Reporter recently published an exclusive poll about social media… -
The future of TV is more than social, it’s a multi-screen experience that needs design
7 May 2012 | 11:19 amThe future of television is much more than social; much in the same way that the future of media is too, more than social. Social is a fabric; it connects the individual nodes that make up the human network. But, social however, is not a means to an end. And, as such, the same is true about the working theories driving Social TV. Understanding the role social plays in how viewers connect with programs and other people is essential to defining the future of television. Over the years, I’ve written much about my vision for the long overdue convergence of not only web and TV, but also how the… -
The Path from a Social Brand to a Social Business
2 May 2012 | 9:17 amI’ve been a long-time supporter of MediaTemple’s (MT)Residence program along with Gary Vaynerchuk, Neil Patel, and many others whom I respect. I wanted to share my “7 questions to answer to become a social business” with you here.. Social Media is pervasive and is becoming the new normal in corporate marketing. Brands who get this right are starting to build their own media networks rich with customer connections numbering in the millions. Right now, Coca-Cola has over 34 million fans on Facebook, but they’re hardly alone. Disney follows just behind with 29 million… -
Do Customers Really Matter to Your Business? Prove it.
30 Apr 2012 | 8:21 amFrank Eliason and I have known each other for many years. We’ve shared the stage on many occasions, he’s made an appearance on Revolution, and most importantly, I’m proud to call him a personal friend. Frank has championed the adaption and transformation of customer service during his time at Comcast and at CITI. Never one to shy away from sharing his opinions, he’s certainly bullish on where service needs to be as a function and a philosophy versus where it is today. In fact, he’s gone so far as to call out social media customer service as being a…
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Why Advertising Sucks
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It's time for some Chili Peppers.
15 May 2012 | 12:15 pm -
A Toast to Stupid People and the Idiots that Hire them.
11 May 2012 | 9:02 pm"We need you to take a look at a color proof that is a little weird". "Sure, I'm going to get a messenger right away so he can pick it up". "Oh, don't worry, I'll scan it for you". (Silence on my end of the phone line) Let's explore the age old question: how do really stupid people - and I mean morons, I mean those folks who you end up just staring at and wondering how they made it so far in life - get a job in advertising? How do they trick people in believing that they know what they are doing? HOW??? Ok listen. Advertising is NOT that big of a deal of a job, if you really think about it. -
Bacon Rules.
11 May 2012 | 10:49 amVia Something of That Ilk -
Obama has balls the size of Earth. Equality, now!!!
9 May 2012 | 2:35 pmvideo platformvideo managementvideo solutionsvideo player -
4 Year old teaches you how to Save Battery Life on iOS Devices
7 May 2012 | 7:25 pm
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Search Engine Watch - Latest
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Life After Google Penguin – Going Beyond the Name
16 May 2012 | 6:00 amDon't try too hard to look for dates and names of updates. Rather, look more to the effects as Google’s algorithm evolves so you can adapt accordingly. What really matters is that Google is looking harder at link spam now, so you should be too. -
7 Time-Saving Google Analytics Custom Reports
16 May 2012 | 4:00 amThe right Custom Reports can be incredible time savers. Instead of spending time digging around for important metrics, you can find what you need separated neatly into columns for some analysis that will lead to some actionable insight. -
Piwik Open Source Analytics: A Primer
16 May 2012 | 2:00 amWith a focus on privacy and keeping data safe, Piwik is a web analytics package that aims to be a free software alternative to Google Analytics. Here are some of Piwik’s features and how it compares to other top-billing analytics packages. -
Make Second Tier Search Engines Part of Your Lead Generation Strategy
16 May 2012 | 12:00 amGoogle and Bing can only get you so far. If you work in an extremely competitive industry you may find yourself paying anywhere from $30 to $50+ per click. Working with second tier engine/networks can provide an abundance of traffic at a low cost. -
Social Media Ad Spending Forecast to Hit $9.8 Billion by 2016
15 May 2012 | 10:00 pmSocial media advertising revenues in the U.S. will grow from $3.8 billion in 2011 to $9.8 billion in 2016, according to BIA/Kelsey’s U.S. Local Media Forecast (2011-2016). The leap would represent a compound annual growth rate of 21 percent.
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Being Peter Kim
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Sharing "Social Business By Design" #SBBD
1 May 2012 | 5:01 amToday is the official publication date of Social Business By Design. It's been a whirlwind three-year journey from the original blog post that introduced the world to "social business" to a full book describing how to make strategy and tactics succeed. If you're starting on your social business journey, this book will provide you with a roadmap explaining the whys and hows. Last week, Dion explained why we wrote the book and outlined its key features. If you're a seasoned social business practitioner, you'll find value in the frameworks, outlines, and visual thinking. As one early…
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Marketing Interactions
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Robotic Email Campaigns Miss the Point
16 May 2012 | 7:33 amIn addition to learning that lead generation is the top marketing priority for tech marketers, IDC's 2012 Tech Marketing Barometer Study asked them about their perceived effectiveness at lead nurturing. In reponse to the 22% who said they use regular nurturing touches geared to buying stages that include more than email and web-based multi-step campaigns, Kathleen Schaub, VP-research, CMO Advisory Service at IDC, said: “I don't believe this, or people don't understand what nurturing means,” Schaub said. “I talk to a lot of our clients and people in the industry, and I… -
Can B2B Marketers Become Content Whisperers?
13 May 2012 | 2:30 pmOne of the mandates bandied about lately is that B2B marketers need to become listeners. They should set up listening posts and they must listen first, before launching marketing programs. You're told listening is a requisite for establishing 2-way dialogue and sustaining relationships across the buying process. If you've "listened" to all of this, then you know that listening informs (or should) how marketers respond to prospects' online behavior. Anyone who's married or in a relationship can relate to "listening." Trust me, I've been married to a… -
Content Strategy Must Reach Beyond Marketing
6 May 2012 | 3:50 pmArguably, content strategy is most often thought of as a marketing application. That's a great start, but it doesn't do the practice justice. In fact, that view tends to cause siloed efforts and limit the potential of content strategy. Content is a part of everything a business does in regards to communicating with prospects, customers, and the industries their offerings serve. Content is anything that says something about your company, brand, expertise, or point of view that forms an impression, including: email video articles white papers blog posts blog comments conversations… -
B2B Content Strategy Should Never Be a Wallflower
2 May 2012 | 12:30 pmA B2B content marketing strategy should never be contained in a silo. First of all, to be literal, a silo is a dugout, cave or shelter for grain. Secondly, it denotes walls and barriers that keep its contents apart from everything else. A B2B content marketing strategy must lead somewhere. It should be based on a continuum that matches the needs of prospects and customers wherever they may be in the experience at any time. The issue I see often, is that content marketing is an add-on to everything else that marketers have on their plates. It's viewed as a campaign, a project or a… -
Designing Calls to Action for B2B Marketing Content
26 Apr 2012 | 3:27 pmDuring my keynote at the B2B Content 2 Conversion conference on Tuesday, one of the questions the audience asked was about a slide I used when discussing how to create a content flow. To sum it up, I suggested that each "touch" should be based on three components: The question your content will answer for a persona. The answer to the question that becomes the content asset. A call to action (CTA) I was asked to elaborate on what I meant by a call to action. The normal response to the "call to action" mandate is inserting a "have a sales rep call me" or some other…
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BrandSTOKE
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Time for Swiss watches to strengthen their brand?
9 May 2012 | 6:25 amLuxury watches tell more about the wearer than about the time of day. And the best watches, as everyone knows, are made in Switzerland. Just like Scotch whiskey, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and Bordeaux wine, “Swiss-made” is a place-of-origin brand. It’s not a Swiss-made watch unless the assembly work and testing of the movement take place in Switzerland. Swiss law also requires at least 50% of the components of the movement be manufactured in Switzerland. Some well-known Swiss-made watches include Breitling, Patek Philippe, Hublot, Victorinox Swiss Army, Tissot, Rolex, TAG… -
You are your furniture
3 May 2012 | 11:52 amMarketing would have us believe we are defined by what we consume. What we wear, what we drink, what we drive. And what we sit on. In furniture retailer Havertys‘ new TV spot (below), a customer expresses her “oneness” with her customized chair. Although the commercial cleverly promotes Havertys’ customization program, it does not differentiate the brand. The option to select fabrics and colors is commonplace within the category. Nor is Havertys an affinity brand, the gold standard in marketing. The spot does, however, support the theory that the brands we choose are… -
Is Mr. Peanut man enough?
26 Apr 2012 | 6:26 amLet’s say you want to sell more nuts to men. Let’s say you obtained a rare Men’s Health endorsement. Let’s say you are Planters. What do you do with your fop of a spokes-character? You know, that cane-twirling, white-gloved, top-hatted dandy? What Planters did was introduce him to a rough crowd (a pistachio and an almond) to toughen up his image. The three comprise Planters NUT-rition Men’s Health Recommended Mix, “the manliest mix we’ve ever assembled.” (Watch TV spot below.) “Men are grocery shopping more, and they want a healthy snack… -
Branding’s dirty little secret: Not everyone cares
19 Apr 2012 | 10:44 amDespite the multitude of branding consultants, theories, philosophies, processes, diagrams, white papers, and, of course, books, not all consumers care about brands. For a variety of reasons, they may remain oblivious or choose to ignore a brand’s best efforts to engage them. Specifically: • They may not care about a particular brand category. For example, they may not need home insurance. Marketing directed to them is wasted. At least, for now. • Or they may not distinguish between the brands within a category. They may believe all brands of gasoline are identical. To them, gas is… -
Oreo: A brand reminds us it is eternal
12 Apr 2012 | 6:27 amYour grandparents probably ate Oreos. So did their grandparents. Oreo, “Milk’s Favorite Cookie,” just turned one-hundred years old. Since the first batch was delivered by the National Biscuit Company (Nabisco) in 1912, Oreo has become the world’s top-selling cookie with sales of $2 billion. In celebration of the century mark, Oreo’s current owner, Kraft Foods, launched a print campaign featuring various cultural milestones from the last hundred years, such as prohibition, the peace movement, World Cup Soccer, etc. See some of the ads here. Not only has the brand…
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Strategic Public Relations
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Will Facebook Unveil a Mobile Device?
14 May 2012 | 5:49 amBased on Facebook's recent app store news and a string of mobile acquisitions, I'm wondering when it will launch its own device?It's something I predicted yesterday during the weekly BraveAdWorld podcast. My colleague Taylor Wiegert and I discuss it during the weekly news items. It's probably my first prediction. That may tell you how strongly I feel about it. But it's not like I'm going out on a limb.The prediction is based on my last post with CNET's overview of the need for digital ecosystems for certain brands to succeed in the future. A digital ecosystem includes the device, a… -
The Power of Unassuming Brands (a lesson from Signal P&G)
6 May 2012 | 11:25 amThe Signal P&G event brought together brands we see in the news almost daily -- from Twitter and Facebook to Coca-Cola and more. But the brands on Procter & Gamble's dais getting less media attention, or perhaps less positive media attention, were more interesting that day. Presentations from Amazon, AOL and Nokia taught me to reconsider the power of unassuming brands.These companies are not startups or unknowns. But news coverage can suggest that new brands may "kill" more established brands. Stories with only one clear winner, atop a pile of competitors, make for shareable… -
TidyCat's Social Media Team Stops a Stink Over Its #lifestinks Campaign
8 Apr 2012 | 9:58 amTidyCats latest ad campaign spans online and offline to get consumers sharing about what stinks in their lives. But one of their ads created its own stink. To the brands' credit, they were listening and responded in less than 24 hours to stop a possible catfight with consumers.Billboards localize the campaign by referencing what stinks in each market. I'm imagining traffic in Los Angeles, rain in Seattle and there are plenty of opportunities for the NYC subway. These examples are all harmless, even humorous, locally relevant and make TidyCats' point that #lifestinks.Don't Trash the the… -
Instagram's Android Launch Complete's the Picture for Brands
4 Apr 2012 | 5:37 amWith 1 million downloads made in the first 24 hours of its release, Instagram's long-awaited Android app has clearly been well-received.The Android release was a bit of a tidal wave as you can only access the platform via its mobile app or using your app login to use web-based options that tap into the Instagram API.More users mean more potential for your audience being on the platform. So here's a quick recap of Instacontent, from here and elsewhere, to help users get their sea legs with an app that's gotten a serious second-wind. Watch How Brands Do: There are a variety of brands with an… -
Hunger Games' Social Media Lesson? The Need for Real-Time (Data) and Longer Lead Time
26 Mar 2012 | 11:36 amThe word of mouth and promotional frenzy around Lionsgates' Hunger Games has been deafening. It helped the film break box office records -- before it even opened it seemed.While I may never see the movie (I'm not the target audience), one thing I'm first to admit is that I really like how the movie was marketed.According to this article in Forbes, the key to The Hunger Games' social media success can be attributed to the use of real-time input from fans and a healthy lead time to build momentum for the film."Lionsgate adopted a ongoing continuous process for improvement based upon user data…
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Adverblog
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Video of the day: Staples Screensaver
16 May 2012 | 7:02 amMessy desktop? Messy office? Your solution is one click away. Just activate the screensaver! Really nice idea and execution for this TVC by Argentinean agency David for Staples. I love when they use sense of humor to promote brands that ain’t so cool nor fancy. I think it really works, at least with me, to generate brand awareness. via -
Infographic: Google beats Facebook media
16 May 2012 | 6:00 amFor the last few years I have been convinced that running Facebook ads is a pretty solid strategic choice. At the same time I found them creatively limiting: tiny pics or video thumbnails and condensing the message into a slither of straight-to-the-point copy. In light of Facebook’s multi-billion IPO comes news that Facebook ads are also not quite as effective as we might think. At least when you compare them to those of the other digital ad juggernaut, Google. This infographic done by WordStream isn’t necessarily well executed. Actually it is quite difficult to orient… -
Twitpoker for success
16 May 2012 | 5:00 amHow can a small new business with zero brand presence on social media gain over 1.5 million impressions in one day? Well, looks like gambling is the answer… Pick five influential tweeters, put them around a poker table and broadcast the game on the Web, allowing their followers to help them playing their hands. The idea is damn smart, but I can’t help feeling disappointed the concept has nothing to do with the brand which, for your info, it’s a travel agency. Young & Rubicam is the agency. Thanks Sebastián for sending this through. -
Red Stripe: Street Art at shutter speed
16 May 2012 | 2:38 amRed Stripe’s “Make Art On The Street” released this animation of a special piece of street art. Scottish artist Spaceboy, helped by his graphic students from Edinburgh College of Art, animated his paste-ups on the shop shutters of Newhaven Harbour. It is a nice animation in itself, capturing and recording each frame of the paper installation. But what I really like about the film is that the interview with Spaceboy (talking in his heavy Scottish accent) is actually woven into the dubby Jamaican soundtrack. Ah sey one! I think they could have done a bit more to connect… -
The Student’s Corner: DHL Friend Express
15 May 2012 | 11:50 pmIn Singapore punctuality among young generations is not a very diffused virtue. To correct this bad habit and promote DHL’s ability to always deliver on time, Uni Lee a student at the LASALLE College of the Arts come up with the DHL Friend Express concept. Select friend, date and appointment time and send a DHL service to pick him/her up to be delivered perfectly on time to your date. The concept is pretty fun, and I like that fact that it starts from a real local insight. I do miss the connection with the DHL brand and product a bit, as here the main target audience are everyday…
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MarketingProfs Daily Fix Blog
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Should Your Marketing Message Require Reading Between the Lines?
16 May 2012 | 10:28 amYears ago, the political philosopher Leo Strauss wrote an essay entitled, “Persecution and the Art of Writing,” in which he advocated reading some philosophers “between the lines.” For a host of reasons, the philosopher felt that the truth he had to speak could only be spoken surreptitiously or “by means of brief indication.” Of course, one can run into a lot of trouble scholastically when arguing that a philosopher meant to say something other than what he explicitly stated. I mean, how are you supposed to prove that? Strauss insists that a “between… -
Learn These Four Classic Approaches to Marketing Campaigns
16 May 2012 | 7:03 amA guest blog post by Geoff Livingston and Gini Dietrich. A classic marketing strategy mistake is to select tools because they are new or talked about frequently in the media. Fascinated with the latest tool, marketing rounds (what we like to call your team) forget to select media and methods to achieve an objective. Measurable objectives, however, often require selecting a primary approach towards the customer, after which tools are selected based on budget, time, and other resources. There are four common approaches to marketing campaigns today. Direct Community Interaction With… -
Four Tips for Breaking Out of Your Slump Just Like Albert Pujols Did
15 May 2012 | 7:03 amA guest blog post by Maranda Gibson of AccuConference. Former St. Louis Cardinals powerhouse first baseman Albert Pujols traded the Midwest for the West Coast when he accepted a record-breaking deal from the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. His start for the Angels was highly anticipated, so many people were shocked that Pujols had done more striking out than anything else since the beginning of the season. That’s right. A lot of money was invested in a man who could hit a home run off any pitcher in either league, but all he had managed to do lately was strike out—until May 6,… -
What the Evolution of Marketing Automation Looks Like [Infographic]
14 May 2012 | 7:03 amA guest post by Irv Shapiro of Ifbyphone. The term “marketing automation” often conjures up images of people waiting on hold or receiving out-of-office responses. However, smart business owners know that marketing automation equals measured results. The term “marketing automation” includes lead management, Web analytics, email marketing, voice-based measurement, inbound marketing, and social media. And marketing automation contains a wealth of opportunities for businesses to… Measure ROI and lead quality Streamline the leads-to-sales process Enhance user interaction… -
Content Management for Marketers: What’s the Difference Between Open Source and Cloud Platforms?
11 May 2012 | 10:49 amA guest post by Roland Benedetti of Nuxeo. Ten years ago, if you asked a group of marketing professionals which content management systems (CMS) they encountered most often, you would probably get a few blank stares. Nowadays, however, everyone knows what a content management system is because marketers use them nearly every day to create content, edit websites, and manage projects. But is there only one type of CMS? Do they all operate the same? Which type is best for which function? One of the biggest differences in CMS solutions is what is called open source vs. cloud-based solutions. Do…
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Seth's Blog
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Digital analogs are no longer sufficient
16 May 2012 | 2:00 amThe parking meter was rebooting. I guess we're supposed to walk to the other end of the garage and find one that's working. We're seeing digital awareness coming to just about everything. In this case, it was the parking meter near the library. Of course, it's not really a parking meter, it's a centralized fee collection system that saves the town a lot of money. It's easier to collect from, certainly, it doesn't waste the time of meter readers (who get alerted as to what spaces aren't paid for, as opposed to checking them all) plus it doesn't let a new parker enjoy a few minutes of the last… -
Hard work on the right things
15 May 2012 | 2:00 amI don't think winners beat the competition because they work harder. And it's not even clear that they win because they have more creativity. The secret, I think, is in understanding what matters. It's not obvious, and it changes. It changes by culture, by buyer, by product and even by the day of the week. But those that manage to capture the imagination, make sales and grow are doing it by perfecting the things that matter and ignoring the rest. Both parts are difficult, particularly when you are surrounded by people who insist on fretting about and working on the stuff that makes no… -
Worldliness
14 May 2012 | 2:41 amIntelligence is the combination of knowing a lot about a little while you also know a little about a lot. Deep domain understanding helps you create analyses. Your ability to understand how a particular system (no matter how small) works allows you apply a confident analysis to new systems you encounter. Once you know everything there is to know about nuclear physics, soccer or the praying mantis, it makes it easier to understand new systems. At the same time, it's impossible to be smart without also being aware of the wider world. That's because it's the random interactions and the… -
The reason the customer is always right...
14 May 2012 | 2:08 amIf you insist that they are wrong, they stop being your customer* (if given half a chance). People spend their time and attention and money in places that make them feel valued. *There's nothing wrong with asking customers who are wrong to leave. Just be sure you do it on purpose. -
Dedicating the merit
13 May 2012 | 2:02 amFor an author, one of the nicest parts of the traditional book is the dedication page. The dedication is far more than an acknowledgement to someone who helped you write the book, it's a permanent signpost, a capstone to the work of a year or more. Even if the person you've dedicated the book to can't read it, the writer benefits from the knowledge that a connection was made and that a memory was preserved. Here's the thing: you can dedicate just about anything. A project, a meeting, a tweet. You don't have to tell anyone but yourself. This blog post, like all the posts before it, has a…
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TechCrunch
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Why The Internet Doesn’t Make Us Care More About Politics
16 May 2012 | 1:30 pmAmerican politics used to be fun: frequent political carnivals in the 19th century would mix parties, parades, and political speeches in an endless stream of local civic life. As a result, America had an astonishingly high turnout, between 70-90%, in presidential and local elections. Yet, the Internet has never quite captured the emotional gravity of real-life engagement, and keeps tripping up multi-million dollar campaigns designed to inject life into an otherwise passive electorate. For example, take two technology initiatives that were widely predicted to dramatically increase democratic… -
It’s Time For A Larger iPhone
16 May 2012 | 1:27 pmThe Wall Street Journal reported this morning that Apple is currently ordering larger screens for the next iPhone. With the usual nonsense, the WSJ cited people familiar with the matter and stated these screens measure at least 4-inches diagonally. Production is set to begin next month, they say. The Journal better be right, though. A 3.5-inch screen is just too small now. At this point to say anything to the contrary is pure fanboi nonsense. The standard argument that consumers don’t want a large phone is tired and overused. Besides, it’s effectively proven wrong by the 20… -
More Google+ In Gmail: Improved Circle Integration, Circle Search and Quick Access To Contact Details
16 May 2012 | 12:44 pmThe folks over at Google just love their Google+ social network and more and more Google+ features have been creeping into Gmail lately as well. Today, Google is bringing even more of Google+ to its email client. With this update, Google is especially focusing on adding a deeper integration with Google+ circles. You will now, for example, see profile photos from people in your circles when you select a circle in the left sidebar. You can click on those images to search for email from a specific contact. In addition, if you really take your Google+ circles seriously, you’ll be happy to… -
Bitly Kinda Says It’s Not Raising $20M, But Sorta Hints That It Is
16 May 2012 | 12:42 pmIs link shortener Bitly raising $20 million in new funding? The Verge says it is. In response to my email, a company spokesperson denied The Verge’s story, but in vague enough terms that it could probably turn around and announce a new round in the next few weeks or months. Here’s what the spokesperson told me: Want to quickly let you know that they’re always discussing potential funding and stay in touch with potential investors on an ongoing basis. Though, this article is not based on any facts. I’ll work with the folks at bitly to connect with you for the next… -
Viacom Gives Up Fight Against Time Warner Cable, Adds Channels to TWC iPad App
16 May 2012 | 12:35 pmCustomers of Time Warner Cable have some reason to rejoice today, as the cable company has gotten the go-ahead to add channels like MTV, VH1, and Comedy Central to its live streaming iPad app. The addition comes after the channels’ owner Viacom has settled its differences and resolved litigation with Time Warner Cable. The legal fight erupted last year, after Time Warner Cable released its iPad app, which lets subscribers stream live shows to tablets inside their homes. While many networks grumbled about the app, Viacom was most vocal in rejecting the app, taking its distribution…
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Mashable!
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NBA Star Uses Twitter — And a Platypus — to Prank Sports Media
16 May 2012 | 1:28 pmAround the sports media scene, Denver Nuggets center JaVale McGee has a certain reputation: Quirky, unique, a bit out there, something of a laughingstock at times. Reporters and fans love to chuckle at his on-court goofiness. Examples abound, but here’s the best one: a legendary GIF of McGee throwing up a wild shot and then earnestly running back on defense — except his team still has the ball. This week, however, McGee decided to turn the tables on those who love to poke fun at a young millionaire basketball player just trying to do his best. On Monday afternoon, he posted this… -
Register Now to Join Mashable and Partners in Brazil for Rio+Social
16 May 2012 | 1:04 pmRegistration is now open for Rio+Social, the historic meeting of social media, technology, global development and sustainability leaders during the UN’s Rio+20 conference. Policy makers, journalists, technologists and environmentalists are now invited to register and apply for accreditation to the free conference. Ten exciting new speakers were added to the Rio+Social lineup Wednesday, including entrepreneurs, UN leaders and philanthropists. Former president of Ireland Mary Robinson and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation chief communications officer Kate James are among the… -
Thirst App Will Change The Way You View Twitter
16 May 2012 | 12:53 pmA new iPad application called Thirst might reinvent how you look at your Twitter stream. Using its own natural language processor, Thirst filters, organizes, and presents your Twitter stream in an engaging way, helping you find the tweets you want to read quickly and in context. “I wanted to make an app that no matter how often you check Twitter, these are the things you need to see, ” Thirst Co-Founder and CEO Anuj Verma told Mashable. The app is designed so it can be useful for people who check Twitter constantly throughout the day, as well as those who might only check Twitter a few… -
The Facebook IPO Timeline
16 May 2012 | 12:32 pmIf the Facebook IPO were a real person, we certainly wouldn’t blame it for posting braggy status updates. This infographic, created by our friends at mbaonline.com, imagines the road leading up to the decade’s most-anticipated initial public offering, as if it were documented on its own Facebook Timeline. As a Facebook user, give yourself a pat on the back for helping the company make it this far. You are one of 900 million, and you spend an average of 20 minutes per day surfing the network. That means Facebook’s usership logs 16,000 years of combined time on the platform… -
Facebook Fans Get to Pick Bonus Levels in ‘Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater HD’
16 May 2012 | 12:06 pmActivision is polling fans via Facebook on which levels will be included as additional downloadable content on Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater HD. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater HD is a rebuilt version of the classic games. It features seven levels from the original Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, released in 1999, and Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2, which came out in 2000. Players will be able to skate all over classic levels such as “Warehouse” and “Mall” that have been rebuilt using the old maps. Starting Wednesday afternoon, fans will be asked to pick which of their favorite Tony…
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ReadWriteWeb
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Startup Swingers: Swapping Founders to Generate Fresh Ideas
16 May 2012 | 12:00 pmRemember "swinging"? Two people in a committed relationship go to a party with a bunch of other people in committed relationships. They all separate, find new partners for the evening and get jiggy. It may sound lurid and gross, but it’s the cool new thing for startup founders. Swapping Ideas, Not Spouses First, let’s be clear. We’re not talking about sex. We’re talking about Founder Swap, a June 1 event in New York where teams from six different startups will get together, trade partners for a day and go home with an injection of fresh ideas. The tagline? “Like Wife Swap but for… -
Google Goes Back to What It Does Well: Finding Things
16 May 2012 | 10:00 amSurprise! Google has completely transformed the way search works again. But this time, it's a kind of search that would have made the old Google proud. Today, starting with U.S., English-language users, Google unveils the Knowledge Graph. Search now looks at the words of your query and identifies the things in it. You're not just searching the Web anymore. You're searching the world. From Words to Things Most of Google users' queries are ambiguous. In the old Google, when you searched for "kings," Google didn't know whether you meant actual monarchs, the hockey team,… -
Read/Write Daily: Bionic Eyes That Can See Clearly
16 May 2012 | 9:45 amToday's theme is improving on life. Nature did a pretty good job of engineering some hardy life forms. But now we're able to tinker with life ourselves. We're further along than you might think. Researchers have lifted the lid on turtle evolution, a perfect demonstration that technology is natural. But now we have our own genetic ideas. We're able to triple the physical endurance of mice in the lab. This paper shows that high-resolution prosthetic human eyes are possible! Here are slightly and greatly more accessible articles about these bionic eyes. We've also developed low-cost artificial… -
Why the iPad Works for Writing
16 May 2012 | 8:02 amWhen the first iPad launched in 2010, critics were quick to lampoon the device for being geared too heavily toward content consumption. The criticisms weren't entirely without merit, especially considering that the first-generation iPad didn't even have a camera, and external media slots are still nowhere to be found. Over time, the iPad has evolved into something that's much more creation-friendly. It still doesn't compare to a desktop or laptop computer for many things, but it's great for quite a few others. Writing is one of them. I happen to write things for a living, but the… -
The Truth About Why Yahoo's CEO Got Fired
16 May 2012 | 7:02 amWhat's the takeaway from Yahoo's recent CEO fiasco? Don't lie on your corporate bio, for one, and make sure no one else has lied on your behalf. But the real lesson has nothing to do with falsified credentials. Sure, the world will remember Scott Thompson as the Yahoo CEO who got fired over a fake computer science degree, but the context is crucial: A battle with Yahoo shareholder Dan Loeb for control of the company. If not for Loeb, we may never have found out about Thompson's juiced resume, and he might still be CEO. The real lesson is: Beware the activist investor. Four months…
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building43
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Ask Ziggy: Phone a Friend Hands Free
16 May 2012 | 9:03 amThe Ask Ziggy app for Windows Phone 7 platform is a free program that translates human speech into transcribed text. Use Ask Ziggy to call contacts, send texts, emails and tweets, get local weather, and update your social networks. The app can also switch from female to male voice as well. “Natural language processing is a big part of this. What we try to do is take natural language, and we break it down into different parts of speech,” explains Shai Leib, Ask Ziggy founder & CEO. “The parts of speech like the nouns, the verbs, the adjectives and the different phrases that they… -
AngelPad: Building Great Startups!
8 May 2012 | 8:36 amAngelPad is a mentorship program founded by Thomas Korte with a team of ex-Google employees to help technology startups build better products, attract seed funding and grow more successful businesses. AngelPad provides founders with funding, mentorship and the chance to work alongside other great founders at the AngelPad office in San Francisco. “AngelPad is in the business of taking companies from a very early stage, anytime from idea to some prototyping, all the way through fundraising and beyond as they become part of the network of companies in AngelPad,” explains Thomas Korte,… -
Firebase: Syncing Data between Clients
7 May 2012 | 7:17 amFirebase is a cloud service that automatically synchronizes data between clients and with their cloud servers. It frees developers from worrying about how their data will be communicated and stored, and allows them to focus on their own application logic. Apps built with Firebase can be written entirely with client-side JavaScript, update in real-time out-of-the-box, are inherently scalable, and interoperate well with existing services. “Firebase is a scalable real-time backend. What that means in layman terms is it’s like Dropbox for your applications data. It really let you build great… -
BoostCTR: Improving Online Ad Copy
7 May 2012 | 6:25 amBoostCTR powers leading advertisers and agencies to optimize ad content across search and social networks. It is the first comprehensive and systematic approach to optimizing ad content. The Boost Method combines proprietary technology with its network of 500+ expert copywriters to deliver highly effective, performance-driven online ad copy at scale. Founded three and a half years ago in Miami, BoostCTR is now headquartered in San Francisco. David Greenbaum, CEO of BoostCTR says, “BoostCTR is a service that is focused and dedicated on one thing – which is improving pay-per-click (PPC) ad… -
Podio: Managing Your Work Better & Smarter
4 May 2012 | 5:27 amPodio is an online work platform. It allows people to manage their work better, smarter and in their own way. Podio is currently based in Copenhagen, with a multinational team of German, French, British, and Danish employees. You can work with everyone on Podio – your co-workers or your clients, contractors and suppliers. Podio adds structure to any type of work. Pick an app to fit your specific needs and start to work the way you want. More than 45,000 apps have been built or modified by Podio users. Or you can build your own app on Podio, without technical skills. Apps have been built…
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SmartBrief on Social Media
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Study: More Brits contact brands via social media
16 May 2012 | 9:28 amUp to 18 million Web users in the U.K. -More- -
Developer plans to build underwater hotel in Dubai
16 May 2012 | 9:28 amA hotel in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, will guarantee an ocean view to every guest -- because the hotel itself will built on -More- Web Content Manager Corporate Executive Board -
We still like Facebook, Ford exec says:
16 May 2012 | 9:28 amFacebook is a "growing and critical part" of Ford's marketing, says Matt VanDyke, the automaker's director of marketing commu -More- 7 Whiteboard Sessions for every social strategist. Learn how to implement & scale a social program across your enterprise company with this 36-page framework by Spredfast by delivering good customer experience, adopting social media company-wide, gaining insight into your social customer, & showing an ROI on social. Download 7 Whiteboard Sessions. -
Does your company archive its social media activities?
16 May 2012 | 9:28 am-More- -
Analysis: Google+ needs to leverage search to catch Facebook
16 May 2012 | 9:28 amIf Google can harness an "integrated socially enhanced search engine," it has a shot of activating all those inorganically gr -More-
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JasonKeath.com
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Is it possible to remove hatred from politics?
10 May 2012 | 7:36 am“Criticism may not be agreeable, but it is necessary. It fulfills the same function as pain in the human body. It calls attention to an unhealthy state of things.” — Winston Churchill You may or may not know that I am against the amendment to ban gay marriage in the state of North Carolina, my home state. But I am also against the ugliness, insults and divisiveness that originates from both sides of issues like these. It is misplaced passion and unchecked anger. Neither of which do well to solve America’s deep bench of problems. I have fallen victim to this misplaced passion and… -
Every Person Has A Story, Epic Chick-fil-a Video
13 Apr 2012 | 9:40 am -
Who uses the word “chalice”?
12 Apr 2012 | 9:00 am -
Forget the Easy Button, TNT Creates An ‘Add Live Action Drama Button’
11 Apr 2012 | 1:01 pm -
A 9 year old boy who built an elaborate cardboard arcade
10 Apr 2012 | 7:22 amUPDATE: Caine’s Scholarship fund has already raised $111,000. His original goal was set at $25,000. A 9 year old boy who built an elaborate cardboard arcade in his dad’s used auto parts store is about to have the best day of his life. Give this kid a woodshop class and watch out. Help Caine’s Scholarship Fund: CainesArcade.com Caines Arcade – YouTube. Hat tip @simonjcole
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Liz Strauss at Successful Blog
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Have You Promoted Your Company Today?
16 May 2012 | 11:54 amThe old adage that you have to spend money to make money is very true, yet we all know businesses that do not adhere to this belief. So, stop what you are doing for a minute at work and ask yourself a very simple question, is my company doing all it can to promote itself? If the answer is no, now is the time to speak up. One of the first things you may hear from upper management is that we’re promoting the company within our budgetary means, aka we are spending as little money as possible to get our brand out there. While it is understandable in a troubling economy that small businesses… -
How To Prep Your Customer For A Killer Video Testimonial
16 May 2012 | 5:25 amby Sean Rosensteel Video marketing has become an extremely popular approach for generating interest in services or products offered online. With so many affordable tools in the marketplace, videos can be easily produced and distributed online for less than what other mediums (like TV) would cost. Consequently, utilizing the ever-so-popular video testimonial has become a common approach to connecting with prospective customers. And the proliferation of video cameras installed on most computers manufactured within the last few years has made it easy for people to record their own videos. -
Choose Your Winners Wisely and Invest Unconditionally
15 May 2012 | 5:14 amRelational Reciprocity I don’t play with every new social media tool. In fact, I ignore most of them. I’ve decided my view is that tools are vehicles for problem solving or uniquely rare opportunities for new learning. The former I go looking for when I need them. The latter show up without warning, but are few and far between. Once the decision is made to participate, I’m in with “both feet.” I’m a saturation learner, always have been. It shows in my 14+ years of dance training, my 8 years of theater, my 35 years of education and educational publishing… -
Getting Organized Without Wasting Your Time
14 May 2012 | 10:40 amby Ann Smarty click photo for source A System to Save Time When you run a blog, there are some things you can’t help but spend a ton of time and energy on. Coming up with new posts, fiddling with the template, talking to readers, publishing videos of funny cats you found on YouTube and just had to share…these are the important elements in the life of the average blogger. Certainly, the last thing you want to waste time on is organization. Yet every time most of us set out to organize things, we tend to spend all day on the process. Getting sorted turns out to be more of a hassle… -
3 Things I Learned, Lost, and Earned by Being Off Social Media for 10 Days
14 May 2012 | 5:23 amPeople or Screens Every morning for almost a year, I’ve been publishing photos of the sunrise over Lake Michigan. Sometimes when the afternoon is worth a photo graph I also publish a photo of the sunset too. On Twitter I greet my friends with a “Good morning, Twitterville” and a kind word. I try to check in with them via Facebook and Linkedin too. Many of my online social interactions help me keep my day moving … as I transition from one task to another, it helps me to stop by Twitter to give my friends a shout out or to take time for a short read and a retweet. Being…
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chrisbrogan.com
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Create a Setting and Connect With Emotions
13 May 2012 | 10:26 pmI recently moved the delivery time of my beloved newsletter to be Sunday morning (well, that’s when it launches here, though my New Zealander and Australian friends all get it on Monday). In the process, I talked to people about sharing this information over breakfast, and with a “second cup of coffee” sometimes. I basically set a scene in the reader’s head that we were having a personal chat over breakfast. Ask yourself this: in trying to reach others for whatever your goal may be, is it facts or emotions that will win them over? Which do you think plays the bigger… -
Nobody Reads Agency Blogs- Or Why You Need Skin in the Game
7 May 2012 | 6:57 amThanks to Jason Falls, I just read this post about how many marketing agencies are closing down their blogs and tweeting and Facebooking instead. “Nobody reads agency blogs, and there are so many out there it’s impossible for people to keep up anyway,” said Sam Weston, director of communications at digital agency Huge. Nobody Reads ANY Blogs- If They’re Boring I’ll tell you without even having to look why nobody reads a blog: because it’s boring. Because it’s poorly written. Because it’s utterly self-referential. Nobody has time to read junk. Why would you? -
Constraints
5 May 2012 | 9:43 amI was at a live performance the other night where Jacq sang and played with Girish, and I had a great conversation with Reggie, the drummer for the night. (I am SO sorry that I don’t know your last name, Reggie.) We talked about the fact that his typical drum kit for events is usually like 30 or so pieces, but that he decided to go minimal for the event. He had a kick drum, a snare, a tom, two cymbals, and a cowbell. What Reggie said was something like this, “I really enjoy this, because it means I really have to use what I have to get the expression I’m aiming for. I… -
Pattern Break
2 May 2012 | 9:17 pmWhen you wake up in the morning, you check your emails, probably from your phone. First thing. Yes? Why? There’s no good answer to why. Even brain surgeons can wait until they’ve done other things before checking in on the world outside of your immediate proximity. So why do you do it? Because it’s a habit, a pattern. Do you read the top tech and marketing blogs? Why? Why do you read this blog? Because you’re subscribed? Are you getting something from it? If no, then why are you still doing it? Twitter and Facebook are hugely pattern-driven. They thrive off the same… -
Where Should You Put Your Content?
30 Apr 2012 | 7:44 amI’ve been asked by subscribers of my personal newsletter how I decide what goes on my blog and what goes into my newsletter. I think the answer differs depending on your strategy, but I’m more than happy to tell you how I view it. I put information that sells on my blog, and information that nurtures in my newsletter. Information that Sells My job, because people seem confused these days as to what exactly it is I do or am selling, is to help mid-sized to larger companies build business (revenue and growth) by improving their use of the human digital channel (social media, email…
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BlogWorld & New Media Expo Blog
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How Will You Use Open Google+ Hangouts?
15 May 2012 | 2:05 pmRecently, Google opened up Google+ Hangouts so everyone can broadcast on air (previously, this function was only available to a select few). Hangouts are the best Google+ function in my opinion, so I’m excited to see this change. When you’re hanging out, you can also embed to stream on your site, and it will record and post to YouTube automatically. Here’s a video showing what people are doing with Google+ On Air Hangouts: So the question is…how will you use this new function? Here are just a few ideas for online content creators: Run weekly online course Broadcast a… -
BlogWorld’s Podcasting Team Grows
15 May 2012 | 7:14 amJeffrey Powers has joined the BlogWorld team as Podcasting Editor-in-Chief and will also be producing original videos for our blog. His series, BlogWorld TV, will showcase a variety of topics and feature some of the industry’s up and coming thought leaders (check out his first episode!). Jeffrey joins Cliff Ravenscraft, who produces The Podcast Report each week for BlogWorld, and will be providing readers with useful content on a regular basis. Right now, Jeffrey’s inviting all BlogWorld attendees to shoot a quick video that he’ll use for a future episode of BlogWorld Video. Just say… -
Using Business Cards at BlogWorld: Some Things to Think About
14 May 2012 | 10:00 amYou’re ready. We’re all ready. BlogWorld New York is less than a month away and Twitter and Facebook are a-buzz with conversation. In monitoring these conversations I’d say our attendees’ top item to bring to BlogWorld is business cards. I’m not going to disagree with their importance, but lets talk about their effectiveness and some best practices for using them. You see, the first few times I attended conferences, I also thought business cards to be the most important item to bring along, but over time my views about business cards and how I use them have… -
Five Questions with Daniel Lewis: BlogWorld New York [Video]
13 May 2012 | 6:30 pmToday's BlogWorld TV segment includes Five Questions with Daniel Lewis of the Ramen Noodle Podcast. Are you going to BlogWorld New Media Expo New York? Let everyone know – we will have opportunities for your voice to be heard! In this first episode of BlogWorld TV, Jeffrey Powers of Geekazine makes the call out to the public. If you are going to BlogWorld New York, feel free to create a 10-second video and he’ll add it to future episodes. All you have to do is get on camera and say: My name is ________ and I am going to BlogWorld & New Media Expo in New York June 5-7! -
How to Attend BlogWorld Even if You Can’t Make it to New York (or get much more out of it even if you do attend)
13 May 2012 | 5:05 amThe 2012 New York BlogWorld & New Media Expo (June 5-7) is going to be one of the coolest BlogWorlds yet. I’m not just saying that, either. From listening to The Podcast Report, it’s clear that BlogWorld is becoming the center of the entire new media industry. But what if you realize how cool this year’s event is going to be… but you’re bummed out because you can’t be there? Well, with the Virtual Ticket, you can still “attend” from home! Just like we did for last year’s Los Angeles event, we’ll be recording pretty much all of the conference sessions and providing them…
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Social Media Explorer
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Introducing The Rebel’s Guide To Email Marketing
16 May 2012 | 10:20 amIf you joined DJ Waldow and me today for our 22-minute webinar on five secrets to email marketing, you learned that one of the secrets was that he and I have written a book. I’m proud to tell all of you that The Rebel’s Guide To Email Marketing is now available for pre-order on Amazon and will be in your local book stores late this summer. This is my second book (thanks to all of you who have supported No Bullshit Social Media: The All-Business, No-Hype Guide To Social Media Marketing) but DJ’s first. And if you know both me and DJ, you know he’s truly the subject… -
Social Media Sucks for Businesses and Here’s Why
16 May 2012 | 6:00 amLet’s just get straight to the point… social media sucks. Plain and simple. For years it’s been “business as usual” and then suddenly everyone is bouncing around words like “social”, “engage”, “community” and all kinds of other blather. Some of the biggest companies in the world such as Ford, Starbucks, Dell, American Express and many others have fallen for the trap. I’m here to warn you before you do anything stupid. Social media sucks and here’s a few reasons why … Social media shifts the limelight from… -
Choosing and Weaving Social Within a Multichannel Marketing Program
15 May 2012 | 6:00 amEditor’s Note: Today’s post is of the guest variety and offered up by my friends Gini Dietrich and Geoff Livingston. Their new book, Marketing in the Round, is out and available. They are smart. It is good. Pay attention. The world of marketing in small and large businesses is a siloed one. Companies have ad campaigns, PR plans, social media strategies, and websites built independently and bolted together in a haphazard manner. It’s surprising how rarely these disciplines work together to achieve corporate objectives like establishing a second vertical for a product, or… -
The Irony Of Measuring Marketing Now
14 May 2012 | 6:00 amI once provided counsel for a company that had little confidence in social media marketing. It begrudgingly decided it would hire a consultant, go through some strategic exercises and probably prove that social media was bullshit and it would be better off sticking with its traditional guns. The brand’s insistence with my work, as is with most clients I’ve dealt with, was that we measure everything as infinitely as possible. Skeptics are like that. They want to know how many clicks, how many re-tweets, how many milliseconds the time-on-site number increases each month, even if… -
How To Engage In Online Forums For Your Brand
11 May 2012 | 6:00 amEditor’s Note: In light of our recent affirmation that forums and message boards are a bountiful home for consumer interaction and engagement around brands and products, I thought it appropriate to invite some solid expertise here to help advise us on how to proceed in exploring online forums for marketing purposes. Today’s guest post is by the person I regard as the foremost expert on managing online forums in the U.S., if not the world, Patrick O’Keefe. I regularly find myself in the position of having to defend online forums, without actually wanting to be put into that…
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Brian Solis
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The Fallacy of Information Overload
15 May 2012 | 6:50 amSome of you know me through my work in studying how social media and disruptive technology impact business and culture. Others have worked with me in translating insights into action and change within the enterprise. Every now and then, I share another side of myself that evokes the aspiring social scientist in me as I explore how all of this is affecting us as individuals and human beings. Not a day goes by when I’m not asked about whether or not the social media bubble will finally burst. Twitter, Facebook, Google+, Foursquare, Pinterest, this all has to be too much right? More… -
Music, Film, TV: How social media changed the entertainment experience
10 May 2012 | 7:56 amSocial media is more than a digital water cooler for TV and movies. The global conversation that takes place around events and the experiences people share based on what they watch teaches us about consumer preferences. More importantly, their activity influences behavior. Behavior counts for everything. Studying it is just the beginning of course. In order to understand and eventually steer behavior, we must translate activity into insights and in turn, translate insights into actionable strategies and programs. The Hollywood Reporter recently published an exclusive poll about social media… -
The future of TV is more than social, it’s a multi-screen experience that needs design
7 May 2012 | 11:19 amThe future of television is much more than social; much in the same way that the future of media is too, more than social. Social is a fabric; it connects the individual nodes that make up the human network. But, social however, is not a means to an end. And, as such, the same is true about the working theories driving Social TV. Understanding the role social plays in how viewers connect with programs and other people is essential to defining the future of television. Over the years, I’ve written much about my vision for the long overdue convergence of not only web and TV, but also how the… -
The Path from a Social Brand to a Social Business
2 May 2012 | 9:17 amI’ve been a long-time supporter of MediaTemple’s (MT)Residence program along with Gary Vaynerchuk, Neil Patel, and many others whom I respect. I wanted to share my “7 questions to answer to become a social business” with you here.. Social Media is pervasive and is becoming the new normal in corporate marketing. Brands who get this right are starting to build their own media networks rich with customer connections numbering in the millions. Right now, Coca-Cola has over 34 million fans on Facebook, but they’re hardly alone. Disney follows just behind with 29 million… -
Do Customers Really Matter to Your Business? Prove it.
30 Apr 2012 | 8:21 amFrank Eliason and I have known each other for many years. We’ve shared the stage on many occasions, he’s made an appearance on Revolution, and most importantly, I’m proud to call him a personal friend. Frank has championed the adaption and transformation of customer service during his time at Comcast and at CITI. Never one to shy away from sharing his opinions, he’s certainly bullish on where service needs to be as a function and a philosophy versus where it is today. In fact, he’s gone so far as to call out social media customer service as being a…
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123 Social Media
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Building a Social Media Dashboard
9 May 2012 | 9:08 amWarning: fopen(http://su.pr/api/simpleshorten?url=http://123socialmedia.com/building-a-social-media-dashboard/&login=barryhurd&apiKey=R_5908e1757bbb2d6bc0b88f47a59d3403) [function.fopen]: failed to open stream: HTTP request failed! HTTP/1.1 503 Service Unavailable in /home/executiv/public_html/123socialmedia.com/wp-content/plugins/wp-tweetbox/wp-tweetbox.php on line 109 Warning: fread(): supplied argument is not a valid stream resource in /home/executiv/public_html/123socialmedia.com/wp-content/plugins/wp-tweetbox/wp-tweetbox.php on line 112 Warning: fclose(): supplied argument is not… -
Social Media Policy & Employee Rights with National Labor Board
12 Mar 2012 | 5:14 pmWhile there are many social media policy documents floating around and we’ve covered the topic in-depth here many times before (see related articles below) - it is always interesting when social media policy is viewed strictly from a legal and labor relations perspective. On that note I want to draw your attention to cases from the acting general counsel of the U.S. National Labors Relations Board. While the NLRB has a very broad goal, its various rulings regarding existing social media policy and regulation is interesting. The most recent report (dated January 25, 2012) covers 14… -
Corporate Social Media Training, cookie cutter = bad
9 Mar 2012 | 2:27 pmOn a daily basis we receive inquiries for social media training via webinar and on-demand platforms. The reality of the request is that most of the people want a “canned solution.” The general reasoning goes like this: They have a problem. They need it fixed. They want to buy something off the shelf to fix it. Unfortunately when it comes to corporate social media training, nothing exist on the shelf. There isn’t a single cookie-cutter item that can be universally applied to a corporate footprint that doesn’t cause more problems than it is worth. Typical examples… -
Social Media Training, a guide to no nonsense education
13 Feb 2012 | 11:21 amTo help some of our readers I’ve collected a list of training articles that I have written over at BarryHurd.com that detail some of the core elements around types of media and how the interact in both the offline and online world. I typically add an additional article about once a month to this list in an effort to create a holistic resource to raise the common understanding of what ‘social media’ is and is not. This series of social media training documents is also a go-to list of ideas when I am researching client projects or developing tactical plans. If a ‘social… -
Social Media Training – 40 Questions for the Corporate Team
6 Feb 2012 | 6:26 pmThere are a lot of questions regarding social media training and how it ties into a larger organization. To help with that I’ve collected some of my thoughts in a free whitepaper that highlights some of the critical areas of impact you should be thinking about. You can read through the list of questions I’ve covered below… but will need to download the whitepaper to get some of my value-added thoughts. Some questions to think about… How much does this cost? What forms of social media will reach our business goals? Are there any “low cost” benefits? What are…
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Marketing Roadmaps
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The one in which I declare war on infographics
28 Apr 2012 | 10:11 amGLAM-Wiki Infographic (Photo credit: Wikipedia Infographics are all the rage these days. Every new media company seems to have one (or more) to visually explain their offerings, and every social consultant seems to have one to share their analyses. The damn things are all over Pinterest and there are even entire websites devoted to infographics. Except I find most of them are pretty useless. You can’t print them out unless you have a large format printer, and the print is so tiny you can’t read them on the screen most of the time either. Which is tragic on the rare occasions… -
Happy Saint Patrick’s Day
17 Mar 2012 | 8:40 ammeillionen - clover (Photo credit: waen ♡) Today I’ve got a short post over on my personal blog about the new Cartier ad, L’Odyssée de Cartier. Up next here (maybe tomorrow) a few words about infographics. -
The blog contest you are so glad wasn’t yours…
10 Mar 2012 | 2:41 pmLast week, a blogging hot mess developed around a contest being run for Chrysler by Ignite Social Media. You can get the deets at this post by Avitable. Fair warning: Avitable has a definite point of view on the events in question. I don’t. Or more accurately, I’m not picking a side because I think both “sides” could have done things differently and achieved a far different outcome. As many on the comment thread on Avitable pointed out, this sort of contest, in which consumers are encouraged to vote for their favorite bloggers so one of the bloggers can win a tremendous prize,… -
Brief report on blog monetization panel at Family Travel Conference
11 Feb 2012 | 11:12 amImage by Getty Images via @daylife Last week, I was privileged to participate on a panel about blog monetization at the inaugural Family Travel Conference . In my presentation I talked a bit about the different ways to make money with your blog as well as some of the considerations if you decide to go the advertising route, including the advantages of working with an ad network. My fellow panelists were Steve Bookbinder of Digital Media Training, Tim Springstead of Travora (formerly the Travel Ad Network), and moderator Michael Theodore of the Interactive Advertising Bureau. In the… -
Is Facebook the new website?
31 Jan 2012 | 7:00 pmThis weekend is the Super Bowl, and while I will be paying slightly more attention to the game because the Patriots are playing, my main interest is in the advertising. This year, I will be watching closely to see how many commercials drive to Facebook pages, in addition to or instead of, a website. Because Facebook is clearly where so many brands are going these days. It reminds me a little of the “web rush” in the mid/late 90s when mainstream brands realized what many tech companies had grokked since the first browser in 1993, that the browser had changed the marketing equation…
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The Social Customer Manifesto
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Turning fans into advocates
9 May 2012 | 1:41 pmThere are some great conversations happening over at the Advanced Social Media Strategies for PR, Marketing and Corporate Communications event at Cisco today. In particular, wanted to give a shout out to our CEO Sean O’Driscoll, who is presenting today on the topic of Turning Fans into Advocates. Check out Sean’s deck, embedded below. Turn fans into advocates through influencer engagement View more presentations from Ant’s Eye View -
It’s no game…
19 Apr 2012 | 11:43 amThis one should be a lot of fun. Sean O’Driscoll will be presenting with the folks over at Badgeville on the topic of engagement and gameification in a webinar on April 25th at 10:30 PT. (Register here.) The quick agenda: How to use the Journey to the Engaged Enterprise as a benchmark for your external and internal social engagement plans Critical milestones at each stage of the Journey, and common obstacles that can prevent you from reaching them Why the principles of Badgeville’s Behavior Platform are critical to driving the kind of successful, sustainable customer and… -
The Social Engagement Journey event, April 23
19 Apr 2012 | 10:29 amREGISTER NOW Sean O’Driscoll, our fearless leader at Ant’s Eye View, is keynoting an event next Monday here in the Bay Area. Here’s the description: “Becoming a fully engaged enterprise in today’s social world isn’t about creating a “social media strategy.” It is a journey defined by stages of operational maturity, milestones, and ultimately, a destination. The successful journey requires practitioner experience, pragmatism – and perseverance. But the payoff is immense. The fully engaged enterprise discovers on this journey that customers again trust… -
The Hunger Peeps
8 Apr 2012 | 7:30 pmKatniss Everpeep volunteers as tribute. Katniss Everpeep startles the judges. Katniss Everpeep cuts down a Tracker Jacker nest. Katniss Everpeep destroys the supply pile. Katniss Everpeep avenges Rue. Katniss Everpeep buries Rue in flowers. Katniss Everpeep and Peepa are crowned victorious. -
No, you can’t control your own data, says the travel industry
7 Apr 2012 | 10:16 amA big thanks to Jennifer Cobb for the link to this New York Times article entitled “Swatting Down Startups That Help Consumers.” The gist is that there are a raft of startups that act on the behalf of customers in interacting with big brands (These kinds of services can be thought of as “fourth party” services.) Some examples: Customer-benefitting booking engines for car rentals Airline milage program points aggregators (think Mint.com, but for points) Airline seat watchers that automatically rebook you to a better seat when one opens up A number of brands…
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SocialTimes
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Roundtable: Decoding Taste Through Social Graphs
16 May 2012 | 9:18 amNEW YORK – Whether users are shopping, browsing, or talking about their interests online, the success of the social graph depends on how well companies can interpret the results and use them to predict behavior, said experts at the APPNATION NYC Mobile + TV 3.0 Summit in SoHo this afternoon. continued… New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media. -
Casablanca To Stream Free Tonight On Facebook At 7PM
16 May 2012 | 8:31 amCasablanca, the classic 1942 film starring Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman, turns 70 this year. To celebrate, Warner Bros. will be screening the film for free tonight, Wednesday May 16, 2012, on Facebook. continued… New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media. -
Turner Broadcasting Invests In Funny Or Die To “Give People a Laugh Anywhere, Anytime and on Any Device”
16 May 2012 | 7:24 amToday Turner Broadcasting, home of TBS and Adult Swim, is announcing a strategic partnership with social video site Funny Or Die. Lost Remote’s Cory Bergman reports that Turner has made a minority investment in the company, which was co-founded by Will Ferrell in 2007. continued… New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media. -
Roundtable: The Future of the App Economy
16 May 2012 | 6:13 amNEW YORK – Sustainable revenue was on everyone’s mind at the APPNATION NYC Mobile + TV 3.0 Summit in SoHo this morning. continued… New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media. -
Pinsanity Makes Fun of Pinterest [Video]
16 May 2012 | 4:27 amImagine someone stole your cupcake or scarf, and then pinned it on their wall. Imagine they took your quotes, shoes or gardening ideas and pinned them to a literal wall. Well, you don’t have to, just check out what happens when a Pinterest obsessive goes looney in this new Pinterest video by Comediva. continued… New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.
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Social Media Mom
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Top Online Masters Programs for Women’s Studies Explain What Women Want
11 May 2012 | 12:28 pmReading time: 4 – 6 minutes Credit In colleges and universities across the nation, women’s studies programs allow students to investigate issues of gender and sexuality through scholarly research and debate. These programs first began to emerge in the late 1960s and early 1970s with the rise of the women’s liberation movement, and many feel this relatively new field of study is well suited toward new types of degrees, like distance learning programs. Women’s studies programs have flourished in American institutions of higher learning, taking root almost everywhere. The… -
A Mother’s Day Infographic
10 May 2012 | 11:05 amReading time: < 1 minute It is that time of year, for those of you who don't know: Mother's Day is Sunday, May 13. In honor of this special day, we are featuring a new infographic from Internet Exposure. Here you will see just how tech savvy moms have become, as well as what they really want for Mother's Day. Not Yo Mama’s Mama – a Digital Mom Infographic by Internet Exposure -
Online Graduate Certificate Programs That Will Teach You To Be A Leader
8 May 2012 | 7:34 amReading time: 3 – 5 minutes Credit There are few things more valuable in life than being a good leader. With this skill, you can rise to the top of your profession, take charge in difficult situations and be admired by friends and peers alike. Many people feel that leadership is an innate quality – in other words, something that you are born with. This is true in some ways. Extroverted, gregarious people are somewhat more likely to become leaders. But it is also true that you can learn to be a leader. Like anything else, leadership is a skill that can be improved, often times with… -
The Internet’s Role in Your Personal Privacy
27 Apr 2012 | 8:33 amReading time: 4 – 6 minutes As people use the Internet more frequently and provide more personal information via social media sites such as: Facebook, Foursquare and Twitter, there is an increasing tension between a United States citizen’s right to privacy and freedom of speech, and the government’s desire to monitor its citizenry to protect against unlawful actions. With this tension only growing, those in the legal field must be aware of these concerns and prepared for future instances where public sentiments and proposed government legislation could potentially clash. With… -
A Quick Guide to Pinterest for Families
2 Apr 2012 | 8:38 amReading time: 4 – 6 minutes If you haven’t heard, Pinterest is the latest internet hit. Part social media, part photo swapping – the new social sharing site has the potential to go strong for quite some time. But what should parents know about Pinterest? Is it harmless for children? Teens? What does Pinterest really do? What is it for? I will attempt to give you some understanding into the new and exhilarating world of pinning. To begin with, you can’t just sign up for Pinterest. You have to either be invited or request an invite. At this early stage, neither one is…
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PR-Squared - Social Media Marketing and Public Relations
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Seven Principles of Content Marketing
14 May 2012 | 11:20 amNow that we’ve all agreed that “Content is King (Again),” and Content Marketing is all the rage, maybe it is time to think about some easy-to-follow tenets. Let’s keep this simple. Follow a 70/30 Rule – 70% of content curated, 30% branded. Why? Because the rest-of-the-world is at least 70% more interesting than your brand; and, promoting external content builds social capital, makes grateful fans of influencers. All content should be SHAREWORTHY. Don’t publish junk. Better to be quiet than to queer the signal-to-noise ratio. All content should benefit… -
Seriously, This Is Gonna Be Cool: The Corporate Social Media Summit
4 May 2012 | 7:05 amNext month I’ll be moderating a panel at the Corporate Social Media Summit, which is being held June 13-14 at the New Yorker Hotel in NYC. It’s gonna be a great time, with an impressive list of corporate attendees, including SHIFT clients such as McDonalds and H&R Block, among many others (Whole Foods! Dell! Lego! Mercedes!). I’ll be moderating the panel on “Reputation preservation and enhancement: Use social media to maximize the impact of your brand.” I’ll be joined by McDonald’s Heather Oldani, Director of U.S. -
Never Give Up, Never Surrender!
29 Apr 2012 | 5:22 am -
SHIFT Communications Named Digital/Social Agency of the Year
24 Apr 2012 | 9:00 amShameless self promotion time. Hang on. Wow, wow, wow. We are busting at the seams over here. Today the Holmes Group named SHIFT Communications the 2012 Digital/Social Agency of the Year – with “honorable mentions” in the category going to behemoths like Edelman, Ogilvy and Weber Shandwick. This marks the 3rd time in the last few years that SHIFT has nabbed “agency of the year” honors. We were the “Agency of the Year” according to the American Business Awards, and the “New Media Agency of the Year” (again via Holmes) back in 2008. Both times we were psyched. But this… -
What’s Old is New Again: Earned Media Can Be Your Hub
23 Apr 2012 | 6:17 amI was catching up with a former client recently. We launched their company a coupla years ago, and by almost any measure, it is now considered a hot commodity. They have tons of social media fans, lots of inbound media requests, do a lot of great content marketing, etc. We originally parted ways, very amicably, because they had reached a degree of success that no longer warranted as much proactive effort (and, being a startup, they were wisely watching their burn rate). During our catch-up session, this company representative described a newfound fever within the company to get more…
