From the monthly archives:

October 2010

How To Throw A Great Tweet-Up

by · October 15, 2010

For the last three years, I’ve hosted a Tweet-up at Blog World & New Media Expo in Las Vegas. No, it has never been an “official” Blog World party, but Rick Calvert and the BWE organizers have always come and since it didn’t typically interfere with the official goings on, have appreciated my efforts in getting folks together for a little fun.

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How You Can Help End Cyber Bullying

by · October 15, 2010

“Who did you help today?”

It is simple question, one that inspires empathy, encourages us to think beyond ourselves, and when answered demonstrates the true power the web holds.

For most of us, social media has changed our lives in some meaningful way because we were helped by someone. Collectively social media is changing the world for good because it demands and rewards individuals and communities who work feverishly to answer this question.
I want to turn our attention and conversation toward a community that desperately needs our help – bullied students.

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The Illusion of Accountability

by · October 14, 2010

This may sound slightly ironic, coming from me, but I think sometimes we fall a little too in love with metrics. The Internet has trained a new generation of marketers and brand managers to expect that every impression, message, action and conversion should be measurable and trackable, and “less measurable” media such as TV, Print and Radio have suffered as a result. Today, social media is part of that conversation, and the tools and techniques to measure social engagement efforts are legion.

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Is Social Media a Requirement for Community Managers?

by · October 13, 2010

I recently jumped in on a Twitter discussion between a few folks who were at odds about defining social media’s role in building and managing communities. Some felt that requiring social media as part of the job description for community managers was not right and might lead those interested in the role to overlook other skills important for the job. Others stated that they could not think of one community management role that could not benefit from the use of social media therefore it was a must have skill for those in the position. I tend to lean more towards the latter opinion. I posted a few messages from the Twitter exchange below.

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How To Fight The Social Media Stigma

by · October 12, 2010

“So, you like, Tweet for a living?” The thinly veiled mocker quietly asks.

“No, I mean, like, seriously? That stuff is kind of a waste of time, isn’t it? Well, at least you get to be on Facebook all day.”

The veil is dropped and the disdain shows its face. You’ve just met the social media stigma – the reason nearly half of all brands are not sure of social marketing’s value.

“This social media stuff sounds fun, but is there really a point?”

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The Key To Social Media Success In Regulated Industries

by · October 11, 2010

If you were following along at the old personal blog last week, you know I visited Bangalore, India. There I spoke to a global conference about social media in regulated industries.

My talk dove a bit deeper into the subject matter than I have before and while the research and topic was fresh on my mind, I thought it appropriate to share a takeaway I distilled out of all the preparation work. There emerged for me a common thread in analyzing industries like banking/finance, health care, pharmaceuticals, non-health-related insurance, firearms, tobacco, alcohol and publicly traded companies.

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Let’s Kick Off BlogWorld In Style, Shall We?

by · October 11, 2010

It started with a dream: Steaks and brews to butter up Chris Brogan. It turned out to be a slushie bar with booze and two hours of the best friends and fun you could ask for.

Now, it’s a tradition for BlogWorld and New Media Expo. attendees. This Thursday night, for the third year in a row, we’re going to kick off BlogWorld in style and you’re invited! The Slushie Mall Bar Tweet-up will be at Fat Tuesdays in the Miracle Mile Mall Shops at Planet Hollywood, Thursday, Oct. 14 from 7 p.m. until 9 p.m. PT.

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Will Social Media Make You Ignore Your Customers?

by · October 9, 2010

Editor’s Note: The following is a guest post from Ilana Rabinowitz, Vice-President of Marketing for Lion Brand Yarn Company.

Last week on Twitter, Christopher Penn asked a good question, “How often to do you talk to your customers?”  The short answer is “virtually all the time.”   When you are developing new products, hiring people, or designing a website, if you aren’t at least talking to your customers in your head, there really is no point.  Along comes social media and that requirement increases exponentially with very public results.

Talking in the evening. Porto Covo, Portugal
Image via Wikipedia
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10 Sure-Fire Ways To Alienate Your Brand’s Most Devoted Advocates

by · October 8, 2010

Congratulations! Your brand is now the toast of the digital marketing world.

That kooky user-generated video contest garnered several thousand entries with 50 million views total and across the span of a month, empowered a whole new breed of consumer advocates preaching the greatness of your latest hit product on the market. The champagne is flowing as your ad agency, who spawned that brilliant idea, is receiving top honors in their industry awards.

Who says social media has no discernible use? Not you, anymore.

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