THINKing

We Get Paid For Doing This!

Anyone in advertising and marketing will tell you there is a lot of run-of-the-mill work in between the really fun projects. So, it’s nice to go back once in a while to reminisce over the projects that made you say, “I can’t believe we get paid for doing this!”

Tweeta20 – A Non-Profit Social Media Pilot Project

On Tuesday, May 11, nine Charlotte social media folks and I will spend an hour trying to raise money for Thompson Child & Family Focus, an organization that has spent nearly 125 years providing education, treatment and support for children traumatized by sexual abuse, domestic violence or rampant neglect.

Buzzword & Jargon Tools

Let’s all agree right now that we will try to communicate like humans and not mind-numbed corporate zombies. Who is with me?

OK. To help you out, I’m offering a few buzzword and jargon fighting tools. Here you go:

Business Jargon Generator -  This one is not a buzzword fighting tool but generates some funny phrases.

Zigging

Back in the 20th Century when I first went into marketing, my mentor told me that when everyone else is zigging, you should consider zagging. Good advice now, as it was then. I got to thinking about this today as I was having lunch with a colleague I worked with back in that other century. More on that in a minute.

Steal With Style

Writers “steal with style” all the time – that is they may borrow a phrase from some other writer but somehow make it their own. Thst’s one thing, out-and-out plagiarism is another. Just received a note from Jonathan Kay at Grasshopper about an apparent idea heist. I’ll let Jonathan tell the story,

Stand By Your Brand

With apologies to Tammy Wynette, who warbled the song, Stand By Your Man, now is the time to stand by your brand. If you don’t, someone could hijack it or do it irreparable harm.

Get Social Fresh

I’m part of a group which is presenting a social media conference, Social Fresh, in Charlotte, Monday, August 24 at the Holiday Inn Center City. Consider this your invitation to attend. You can register here. Here’s what we have announced so far:

Social Media Generates Leads For Mainstream Marketers

More mainstream marketers are jumping on the social media bandwagon. The Center for Media Research reports,

According to a social media study by Michael Stelzner for the Social Media Success Summit 2009, 88% of marketers in a recent survey say they are now using some form of social media to market their business, though 72% of those using it say they have only been at it a few months or less. 

Hidden Gems

I was checking out the statistics for my blog recently and found a number of excellent posts had had very little traffic. So, here is our first edition of Hidden Gems that will resurrect these overlooked posts:

Brand Euthanasia

Fighting For The Middle Ground

Client Media Relations Misconceptions

Retool Your Content Marketing

Content marketers looking for a way to keep their communities informed now have a free tool for that purpose. Conduit now offers a build-your-own toolbar in which you can feature – and update – your best content. This is a great way to make sure your best content is a click away from your community members.