All Things Related to Social Media
Three Reasons Why Micro Wins Business
07.13.2009
From Marketing Vox comes Half of Communicators Think Twitter's a Fad. Actually, I would wager that you could substitute just about any business-related profession in place of "Communicators." It happens every time a evolutionary shift takes place and individuals are confronted with the need to change. The data behind this latest article comes from Ragan Communications and PollStream. And for more commentary on the study, definitely read blogposts from MarketingCharts and Ragan (the comments are insightful, as well). For me, here's what the study drives home.
The End Of The Industrial Age And Social Media
06.29.2009
David Armano's post for the Harvard Business blog, Debunking Social Media Myths brought to mind something I thought about this past weekend: that social media is serving as a leverage point for guiding businesses away from the industrial/post-industrial practices that guided them in the twentieth-century.
How To Bludgeon Your Brand In 140 Characters
06.24.2009
Habitat, a UK-based home furnishings company, received a lesson this week on how NOT to market its brand. Turns out whoever is minding their Twitter account decided to take advantage of all the buzz surrounding Iran and use related hashtags such as #MOUSAVI to peddle their wares.
The (Weak) Ties That Bind: The Jobhunting/Social Network Connection
06.08.2009
Today, my good friend and fellow deep thinker Tim Walker pointed me toward an article from Time.com called Using Twitter and Facebook to Find a Job. This prompted a short, private back-and-forth on Twitter about the benefits of social media for work seekers and the overarching connections to Richard Bolles. It's Richard Bolles who has come to be most commonly connected to the high-value idea of developing "weak ties" in our professional networking.
The Fallacy Of The "Don't Be Stupid" Policy
05.26.2009
Apparently, some well-known companies have a social media policy that goes like this: Don't be stupid. The underlying assumption is that hiring smart people means these same smart people interpret stupidity the same way. Really? That's a pretty stupid assumption but I think I understand it. Hear me out and let me know if I'm off-base here.
The Power Of A…So Close Yet So Very Far Away
05.02.2009
When an influential organization has an outstanding opportunity to change the game and create a new movement, you can be excused for feeling disappointed when the organization wastes it. Such is my reaction to ASAE's Power of A initiative. All I can do is shake my head and wonder if this is the product of a committee? You know, when a group of extraordinarily well-intended people get together and then beat a good idea senseless with a lot of weak-knee compromises and watered-down solutions.
Micro Center And The Art Of A Good Apology
05.01.2009
The ever-wonderful Jackie Huba pointed me to this example of a company who understands the value of monitoring their brand on the web. Turns out Jacque Jo at girlofwords loves Micro Center but had a world-class crappy experience and blogged about it. She presented the good folks at Micro Center a gift and they graciously accepted.
Online Community Roundup: April 3 2009
04.03.2009
For all who work with online communities, you should read these two exceptionally insightful blogposts from Rachel Happe and Spike Jones.
Three Questions On The Future Of Online Communities
03.30.2009
Online communities have the potential to bring your customers closer to your company (or constituents closer to your organization if you happen to be a nonprofit). Okay, there's nothing new in that proposition. Since the web's infancy, we've known about the potential of tearing down geographic barriers and bringing different people together around common causes. But how far have we truly come?









