Optimizing the Impact of Please and Thanks
When was the last time you applauded a company? On a Southwest Airlines flight to Austin for South by Southwest a couple weeks ago, our plane was delayed due to a flat tire. The tire was changed in about 30 minutes, and we were on our way. The flight landed late in Austin of course, […]
Friend or Faux – 6 Ways to Activate Customers
Two questions. How many Facebook fans does your company have? What do you want your Facebook fans to do on behalf of your company? Way too many people can answer the first question, but not the second. And that’s the biggest weakness of company-based social media at present. The Friend Bubble Doing something (buying Google […]
The Inefficiencies of the Reputation Economy
Nothing gets bloggers more excited than a discussion about blog rankings. Many conversations I had at South by Southwest touched on this subject. Jason Falls asked Guy Kawasaki to move his Social Media Explorer up the list on http://alltop.com (a great resource to find first-class blogs, by the way). Mack Collier told me that his […]
Beth Harte – The Twitter 20 Interview About Marketing and Social Media
Beth Harte has been dispensing solid, effective marketing advice to companies and students for more than a decade. Now, her killer blog (The Harte of Marketing) and her wisdom-filled Tweets have increased her reach and influence geometrically. That’s a positive development, as her students at Immaculata University and the folks in Philadelphia shouldn’t have her […]
The Double Life of a Live Tweet
As you may know if you follow me, I tend to tweet a lot. This is especially true at conferences, where I engage in Live Tweeting (sending summary tweets of main points the speaker is making while the presentation is ongoing). Some followers have told me that they appreciate my live tweeting, and that I’m […]
Disrobing Your Brand One Peanut at a Time
Consumers want to know that there are real people behind your logo. And while the speed and convenience of digital tools make them a natural choice for that type of communication, online isn’t the only available conduit for achieving humanization. I’m sitting on a Southwest Airlines flight, returning from Austin and the exhilarating and exhausting […]
The Social Media Reality Show
A recent survey from Netpop Research showed that U.S. Internet users are spending much more time communicating online, instead of entertaining themselves. That got me thinking? Aren’t they the same thing?
Interactive SXSW Business Card
In honor of South by Southwest, home of ironic T-shirts, and cool business cards, I had a special edition of my Convince & Convert cards made. Why should business cards just sit there? Why can’t they serve a higher purpose? In this case, that purpose is to open bottles. Ideally, you won’t associate Convince & […]
Clients Are Hot for Social Media Teachers
If you’re a PR firm or any sort of professional marketing services organization, I have an assignment for you. Before the end of this week, make an organizational commitment to educating your clients on social media basics. In the scramble to establish social media service offerings, and to win the struggle for social media control, […]
Yoda Was Wrong – Trying Counts
Are you too caught up in getting social media “right?” Yoda said “Do or Do Not. There is No Try.” When it comes to social media at least, the little green guy is full of it. If you accept the fundamental premise that social media’s power lies in its ability to change the nature of […]
Are You A Shaq or A Penelope?
Are you embracing social media connectivity, or trying to hide from it? I realize that not everyone on the planet is going spend hours and hours each day communicating via social networks, creating content, and generally treating the social Web as if it’s the greatest development since “add your own” butter at movie theaters. But […]
Embrace Your Customers Through Social Media
(Today’s post was written by a very special guest, Jacob Morgan. He’s a social media consultant of considerable prowess, and also manages a team of SEO specialists. He recently launched a new social media consulting firm called M&M Marketing. Read his blog (it’s great), and follow him on Twitter) When you get involved in social […]
The Consequences of Social Media Silence
Is your inaction in social media killing your brand? Most companies know they have some sort of operational or customer satisfaction skeletons in the closet, and fear a customer that has had a genuinely inadequate experience pointing out those shortcomings to an audience that is far larger than one. But isn’t it possible that those […]