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?
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 […]
Todd Defren – The Twitter 20 Interview About Social Media and PR 2.0
Todd Defren is one of America’s leading thinkers and influencers around the new era of public relations. Deftly blending social media, search marketing, and relationship building, Todd’s team at SHIFT Communications is breaking the mold for what a PR firm can and should do. In addition to his work at SHIFT, Todd’s blog at PR […]
The Wisdom of Social Media X-Rays
Are you actually helping your company via social media? Much of contemporary social media effort and brand reputation management is focused on uncovering the positive. Number of friends. Number of followers. Blog posts. Blog comments. Share of voice. Net promoter score. Brands (and their agencies) are creating reports and smiling when those reports show how […]
Don’t Put the Social Media Cart Before the Horse
Are you eschewing the basics to focus on social media? At two recent conferences where I spoke (Online Marketing Summit and Email Evolutions) there were several discussions about the confluence of email and social media. Thinking about email and social media concurrently is healthy – and appropriate. Both are best used as customer retention and […]
Marketing Sideways to Win at Social Media
Are you ready to kill features and benefits? You need to find the one thing about your brand that’s inherently interesting. The one thing isn’t something obvious. Instead, it’s an unusual aspect of your operations or corporate culture that often requires some anthropological thinking to uncover. Once you find the one thing and build social […]
Social Media Adds Viral Frosting to the Email Cake
Are you enabling your email subscribers to spread your message via social media? Call it Forward to a Friend 2.0. Call it the inevitable marriage of two sides of the customer relationship coin. Call it the next big thing in email marketing. The hand-wringing in the email community about the impact of social media is […]
Linkedin – 22 Ways to Dominate
Linkedin is in a resurgence. Since adding applications and mimicking some other Facebook-style functionality, the Grandaddy of social networks is becoming more relevant. Its important to recognize that Linkedin has different demographics than Facebook, Myspace and other social networks. Linkedin is older (68% are 35+), wealthier (66% make $60/year+), and better educated (72% are college […]