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DR. WHAW? – March 9, 2010

2010
03.09

This post was written by DR. WHAW? Contributor Melissa Cafiero.

It’s a GORGEOUS day here in Texas – mid-70s, blue sky, zero clouds, birds chirping, people laughing (jealous yet?) – so it was pretty hard to focus on work when all I wanted to do was sit outside and soak it up. I hope your day was as wonderful as mine, and if it wasn’t, then I hope tomorrow is better.

Let’s get to it!

DR. WHAW? – March 9, 2010

  1. Tweetshare: Fuze Box’s Take On Branded Twitter Channels by Leena Rao – Tweetshare is a third party application for Twitter “…that allows anyone to immediately publish any type of content to the web, including HD video, presentations, images and more and automatically start Twitter conversation threads around their content.” The free app will also offer measurement and analytics details (a service after Rebecca’s heart!). The fan pages look pretty neat and, in theory, this sounds like an interesting tool. What do you think about it?
  2. FBI’s most-wanted list turns 60 by Dane Schiller – If you’re a criminal, not only do you have to worry about Big Brother watching you, but as the FBI begins to use social media to share details on the organization’s Most Wanted list, you have to worry about everyone watching you.
  3. The 11 Commandments of Corporate Tweeting by Bernhard Warner – The title says it all. Are there commandments on this list with which you don’t agree? Did the author leave out anything you would add? My favorites are #2, #8 and #11. What about you?
  4. Seek higher authority by Ann Wylie – I can always find at least one nugget of useful information in Ann’s newsletter, Wylie’s Writing Tips, and today’s was no different. In this article, she discusses ways to get your readers to take action, rather than simply listening to advice and letting it flow right out the other ear. This particular article is second on the page, but do check it out.
  5. Do You Have the Weirdo Syndrome? by Charlie Gilkey – I have the Weirdo Syndrome, do you? “The Weirdo Syndrome is the love/hate relationship some people can get from their own uniqueness. If you simultaneously want to be a part of the crowd but know you’re at your best when you’re not, you’ve got the Weirdo Syndrome.”
  6. Using a three-folder system to keep e-mail under control by Erin Doland – I’m meticulous about my e-mail filing. If the preview pane in Outlook can’t show all my messages at once, I’m overwhelmed. Luckily, I control it (for the most part), and often only have one or two messages in limbo; however, e-mail overload and disorganization seem to plague many people, so be sure to check out the comments as well. This is a simple system I think might help some of you get started… if you want.
  7. 10 Amazing Life Lessons You Can Learn From Albert Einstein by Mr. Self Development – What a great list! I struggle with a few of these (Focus on the Present and Live in the Moment). Which ones are tough for you to tackle?

Tags: , , , , , Category DR. WHAW?, Growing up, Measurement, Melissa, Social Media, Twitter |

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DR. WHAW? – March 8, 2010

2010
03.08

This post was written by DR. WHAW? Contributor Clay Schossow.

I had a really relaxing weekend, only to get back to the grind today.  Over the past 6 weeks, I’ve been training for a 10 mile run in April.  I’m not much of a runner at all, but I’ve really enjoyed the training.  I run 3 or 4 times per week and find that it’s a really great time to just think about work, life, blogging, and more.  After every run, I come home and jot down (via iPhone, of course, ha) at least 2 notes on things to do or write later that night.  Just giving a little plug for others to give it a shot.  Now here is what I Didn’t Read While Hard At Work (but wanted to).

DR. WHAW? – March 8, 2010

  1. Pandora Turns Profit Due to iPhone — This NYT article is a great look at Pandora, the music service that so many of us know and love.  What we may not know about is the uphill battle the company has been fighting for the past 10 years.  Good news though, as Pandora turned a profit last year and is on pace to hit $100 million in revenue in 2010.  The article shows the admirable persistence of the company’s founder and first employees, as they worked months without pay to keep this company going.
  2. Digital Agencies Get Back to Business — This brief article from ADWEEK looks at how digital agencies were considered a joke in the dot-com era, but now have a chance to really transform the client-agency relationship.  Digital agencies now have enough cred and bravado to take ownership of major client projects, not just ad placements, and some have already started to do some innovative things.  I fully believe that agencies can reinvent the traditional model and this article looks at one of the many options.
  3. Architecting a Social Web Marketing and PR Strategy — Great in depth look at why and how to build a web marketing and PR strategy.  Also, just for Rebecca, it also includes steps to measure the success of the campaign.  At first, I was a little hesitant of this article, because it was just dropping stats and buzzwords, but it really gets into the nitty gritty at the end and is a valuable read for any web marketer.
  4. MIT Entrepreneurship Review — Great new idea and site from MIT.  While this is a site and not a single article, I had to include it in my list since it just went live and has a lot of great content.  I think this resource will open up a lot of interesting discussions and is an absolutely wonderful marketing and engagement strategy from MIT.  From the site’s About, “The MIT Entrepreneurship Review (MITER) is an online publication focused on thought-leadership in entrepreneurship and innovation. MITER engages in rigorous, expert-driven, and insightful discussions, providing a view into what entrepreneurs, particularly at MIT, are doing to address the most critical challenges faced by industries such as energy, tech, and life sciences.”
  5. InSITE Q&A with Fred Wilson — Here’s a great set of videos that form an hour and a half Q&A session with Venture Capitalist Fred Wilson. In them, Wilson offers everything from guidance on the next big things to details on his Twitter investment to general entrepreneurship advice.  I listened to all 12 videos while doing some work and found them to be really entertaining and valuable.

That’s my list folks, hope you enjoy!

Tags: , , , , , Category Clay, DR. WHAW?, Entrepreneur, Marketing, Social Media, public relations |

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Are public-facing dashboards really the way of the future?

2010
03.08

Last week, a new era of social media measurement began as it was announced that First Direct, HSBC’s online bank, would include public-facing social media monitoring dashboards on its Web site. And it does! They’re already live, and it’s pretty darn cool.

Whether or not this fad catches on, this is a huge step in social media monitoring. This is an important step toward monitoring becoming universally accepted and expected. By making dashboards public, First Direct is endorsing their importance and showing (in real-time) why social media monitoring matters.

But is this really the way of the future? Will Web sites and companies all over the world embrace the idea of transparent monitoring?

I really don’t think so. I can’t imagine a big brand like Microsoft or Coca-Cola being willing to open up their monitoring to the public this way. True, it’s not necessary to show all of your metrics or measurements, but a public-facing dashboard does require an amount of transparency that big companies and brands just aren’t ready to accept.

During a crisis, would any company or brand want to have a dashboard on their own Web site broadcasting to the world that they suck? Disabling the dashboards in a time of crisis would only be more disastrous as fans would cry foul and amplify the original situation. So what’s a big brand to do?

For those companies and brands that are brave enough to venture into the social media world at all, allowing consumers to see a dashboard is just not in the realm of possibilities yet.

And while it is easy enough for us to do our own research and track social media sentiment for any given brand or company, putting a dashboard on a corporate Web site would be completely different. Aggregating and presenting that data for your consumers is a step most companies will not take because it will reveal just as much bad as good.

We all know how much we complain about brands and products online. Would we be less apt to buy a product or a brand because we notice their dashboard shows a lot of negative sentiment? I think so! I know that all brands have negative chatter online, but if I were to go to a Web site to buy a product, seeing it blatantly in front of me would probably change my opinion and remind me about all that negative chatter.

What do you think? Should more companies use public-facing dashboards? Is it likely to happen?

Tags: , Category Measurement, Social Media |

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HELP WANTED: New Contributor!

2010
03.07

Hey y’all! You’re reading the title right, I need another contributor to add to the roster. Earlier this week, Caleb Gardner told me that he will no longer have time to write for DR. WHAW? And why exactly? Because he’ll be one of my new coworkers at Edelman Digital.

With that in mind, I would love to have a new contributor jump on board to continue helping me out! Below is an excerpt from my previous post asking for contributors. Please share with anyone who may be looking for some blogging experience or who just loves DR. WHAW?

Ideally, I’d like to have one or two regular contributors who are willing to help me out a couple nights a week to make sure that DR. WHAW doesn’t fall by the wayside. You don’t necessarily have to love measurement, you just have to be willing to share what you Didn’t Read While Hard At Work. I prefer that you pick one general topic or passion and highlight it, but hey! I’m flexible!

If you would like to help me out in this venture, please send me the following information to denison.rebecca[at]gmail[dot]com:

1. Your Name

2. Previous blogging or writing experience (Twitter handle is OK, too!)

3. Why you want to write for DR. WHAW?

Also feel free to reach out if you have any questions! I hope to hear back from at least a few of you soon! :)

Tags: , Category Caleb, DR. WHAW? |

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DR. WHAW? – March 5, 2010

2010
03.05

This week was rough on me, and I’m honestly thankful for this weekend to relax and recharge. Not much else to say, so I’ll just get right to what I Didn’t Read While Hard At Work (but wanted to!) today.

DR. WHAW? – March 5, 2010

1. Web Analytics Association Offers Social Media Definitions For Comment from Direct Magazine — This is something I always love to see! The Web Analytics Association (WAA) has defined social media advertising, marketing and communications measurement for the masses to refine. For all those who are out there still wondering where to start, use this as the awesome jumping off point it is.

2. Sexy Numbers: Measuring ROI in Social Media Campaigns by Angel Djambazov — This is the first real look at social media campaign ROI, and I think it’s definitely not perfect. But this is a great place to start, and it’s always a good way to give yourself a ballpark figure for your campaign ROI. What do you think of this? How would you change this?

3. Social media ROI: The best of British opinion by Jake Hird — This is a great post written to summarize trends seen in comments. Jake wrote one post about social media statistics, and based upon feedback, he wrote another post about what the people want. Could you get anymore awesome?

4. Monday Morning Quarterback: PR Measurement by Mike Geraci — A blog post about PR and social media measurement?? Score! But seriously, this is a great highlight of how PR is continuing to evolve and how social media may have made it easier to measure the ROI of public relations.

5. Social media analysis moves mainstream by Steven Woods — If you’re interested in the larger trends in B2B social media, I would definitely give this post a read. As social media becomes more mainstream, so does analysis, which is exactly what I like to hear.

6. The Future of Social Media Monitoring: Public Facing Dashboards from Social Commerce Today — This is just too cool! HSBC’s online bank, First Direct, has made their social media dashboard public. When you visit their site, you can see how chatter is changing in real-time. You can see where folks are talking about First Direct and if it’s positive or not. This is just so amazing!

7. Facebook and Omniture: A welcome step in social media measurement by Boris Grinkot — As we all know, Facebook and Omniture recently teamed up to provide better marketing solutions. This is probably the best analysis of the deal that I saw and it explains what it could mean for social media measurement in general. You should definitely check this out, this could mean big things.

And with that, I bid thee good night! How was your week? Have any big weekend plans?

Tags: , , , , Category DR. WHAW?, Measurement, PR metrics, Social Media, public relations |

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For Eve: What is it that binds us to this place as to no other?

2010
03.05

This post was written during my last trip to UNC, and I decided to publish it today in memory of Eve Marie Carson, who died two years ago today. She was probably the strongest believer in the Carolina way, and it was impossible to know her without being her friend.  I will never forget Eve, forever a Tar Heel.

I will admit that I have been a huge supporter of social media and the idea that we can all join global communities regardless of our location. It can give you chills how truly connected we all are these days, and how much of an impact we can all have even if we’ve never met in person.

Despite the amazing benefits that social media can bring, I recently realized that there is quite a lot to be said for location-based communities. And I was reminded when I listened to Charles Kuralt giving a speech at the University of North Carolina’s bicentennial event.

And I found myself getting chills and tearing up at my desk on the 32nd floor of a Chicago high-rise.

Although I could, I will not give you a long argument about why the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is the absolute best school in the world and the most welcoming place on earth, but instead I want to remind you that social media should not replace all location-based community in our lives.

There is something to be said for a place connecting us. A blog or Twitter list is a great way to instantly and continuously stay connected, but when you’re in a physical place together, you’re surrounded by time and history. For hundreds of years people have been living and experiencing, and by visiting the same coffee shop or attending the same university, you become part of that history. And that bond seems to me to be stronger than reading the same blog or following the same person on Twitter.

I think that a large part of the reason that UNC students feel connection is that we all come to this place, this center of history, because we all have a passion for our own education and future. And that passion alone binds us to this place and to each other. In an online community, it’s hard to find that same amount of passion to truly create a strong bond.

True, there are some exceptions, but I think a lot of communities are convenient or helpful for us to join and participate in, but our passion doesn’t always bind us to each other. We are connected, but we’re not bound to one another in the same way. I love to show and share my passion online, but does it really bring me the strong connections I’ve found at UNC? I’m not sure about that.

Have you found strong and meaningful bonds online? Have they felt as strong or stronger than connections you’ve made offline? Why?

Tags: , Category Growing up, Social Media |

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DR. WHAW? – March 4, 2010

2010
03.04

This post was written by DR. WHAW? Contributor (and soon-to-be coworker!) Caleb Gardner.

I made it public this week that I’m joining the crew at Edelman Digital here in Chicago. I’m very excited to work with such a great group of people – including Rebecca! But with the new position, I’m stepping back from some other fun things I’ve been doing.

So unfortunately, this will be my last post for DR. WHAW (Cue the sadness). It’s been a blast. I know Rebecca’s already working hard on replacing me, but don’t forget you can always chat with me on Twitter, Facebook, or connect with me in other ways.

So without further ado – here, for the last time, is what I Didn’t Read While Hard At Work (but wanted to):

  1. Will Personal Brands Ever Eclipse Agency Brands? (Daniel Prager) And…
  2. Personal Branding: Not a New Concept (John Morrison) I know Rebecca’s going to be mad at me, because she was probably going to post these tomorrow. But they were posted today, so – ha! John, Daniel and Rebecca were apparently having a discussion about personal branding recently, and these two posts came out of it. Makes for really interesting reading. Does personal branding negatively or positively affect agencies?
  3. Jump Out of Your Social Media Clique (Scott Bishop, for LAF) A great reminder from Scott that even social sites aren’t immune from cliques. In fact, they can can be even more cliquish as we define our space online.
  4. Life Without Twitter (DJ Waldow) DJ explores what his life would be like without Twitter, both personally and professionally. I know mine would be completely different. In fact, I know for sure I wouldn’t be about to start at Edelman.
  5. The Internet Continues to Permeate Reality (Len Kendall) So glad I started writing this late, so that I could catch Len’s post. This will blow you away, and get you thinking about the way the Internet has changed and will continue to change our lives.
  6. The Importance of Being Urban (Fanis Grammenos) An interesting (if lengthy) overview of the “ideology of urbanism”. Fascinating stuff.

That’s it for me, folks! Thanks again for letting me be a part of the DR. WHAW project. See you on the other side.

Tags: , , , Category Branding, Caleb, DR. WHAW?, Social Media |

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DR. WHAW? – March 3, 2010

2010
03.03

This post was written by DR. WHAW? Contributor Clay Schossow.

Here’s what I Didn’t Read While Hard at Work today, March 3.  I’ve subscribed to several new blogs in the past week and am pleased to see they’re already churning out good content, so expect to see more from some of these writers.  This post is definitely heavy on entrepreneur-content, but all of these are really stellar and I hope you check them out!

  1. There’s no room for The Idea Guy — Great, short post from David Heinemeier Hansson of 37signals and Ruby on Rails.  I speak with a lot of young entrepreneurs about their businesses as they get ready to pitch it at the Carolina Challenge or are doing a presentation for their class or are actually trying to build something.  Its surprising how many of the teams have an “idea guy” who maybe came up with the rough, initial concept, but isn’t really pitching anything else in.  A startups most valuable resource is time, and you can’t have someone that isn’t dedicating time to building the actual product.  Furthermore, that initial Idea that he/she takes credit for will likely be totally different by the time the company launches.  Build your startup team around people who bring action, not just ideas.
  2. 25 Web 2.0 Applications to Grow Your Business — Neil Patel put together a great list of apps that every entrepreneur, social mediaite, or businessperson should check out.  I use just about every app on this list, but also a few that I had never heard of and plan on checking out.  I also liked this post, b/c I wrote a similar one about my digital entrepreneur’s toolbox a couple weeks back.  It was nice to see some good overlap between the two.
  3. My Biggest Mistakes — Scott Berkun’s blog is a new one to me, but I’m enjoying it so far.  He’s a very successful business author and consultant.  In this post, he lays out eight of his biggest mistakes.  It’s always nice to see someone successful let you know what they’ve done wrong, so you can try to learn from them.  I know I’m doing several of the things on this list and hadn’t necessarily classified them as mistakes, but I’ll now pay closer attention to these activities and maybe make some changes.
  4. Alex Bogusky Interviews CPB Creative Directors — As I’ve done before, I’m breaking the “read” rule and posting something to watch.  This is an absolutely awesome interview of two CPB Creative directors, conducted by one of the agency’s namesakes, Alex Bogusky.  I really loved this video and think it’s one of the better advertising interviews I’ve ever seen.  They cover everything from scaling the business to creativity to ad school to their favorite ads.  I jotted down some notes from this one that I’m going to hold onto and maybe turn into a blog post.  You won’t be disappointed!
  5. As Shops Transform, Marketers Must Adapt Too — Interesting read from the AdAge CMO blog.  The author lays out the expected changes in ad agency culture over the coming years and then how marketers must counter those with their own adaptations.  I’m a little shaky on a few of the agency changes he predicts, but think he nails the characteristics of a successful, modern marketer.

Goodnight, folks!

Tags: , , , , , Category Clay, DR. WHAW?, Entrepreneur, Growing up, Marketing, Social Media |

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DR. WHAW? – March 2, 2010

2010
03.02

This post was written by DR. WHAW? Contributor Melissa Cafiero.

My week’s theme is “When it rains, it pours.” Don’t ask why, just go with it. Also, my post is a little short today (six articles instead of seven) but I didn’t want to add another post I felt “meh” about just for the sake of having seven articles.

What did you read today?

DR. WHAW? – March 2, 2010

  1. The Epiphany Moment by Matt Cheuvront – I loved listening to the videos today as I worked and hearing everyone’s stories, including Rebecca’s. They provide some great inspiration and if you have a few minutes, I suggest you check them out!
  2. Working Hard Or Working Lots? By Amber Naslund – I’m one those people who thinks that the more hours they work, the better they are and the more they learn. Amber makes some good points here and, while it will be tough to change my thinking, I’ll work on it.
  3. Do PR Firms Makes Sense Anymore? By Grant Cardone – I actually read this article yesterday and am really wondering which PR firms he hired; they clearly weren’t doing their jobs. Then again, could his goals be a little off? Not sure, but in any case, I wonder which PR firm is going to take the bait and nab his business.
  4. I Work in PR and My Family Has No Idea What I Do by Alison Kenney – I joined the Facebook group with the same name recently and loved this post. I try to tell my family what I do, getting into the daily nitty gritty, but their eyes glaze over. This post made me smile… clearly we’re not alone.
  5. Do you Track Your Achievements? By Ali Hale – I have a terrible memory, so the idea of keeping track of all the great things I’ve done resonates with me. I’m not sure why I didn’t think of it before, but even if I did, I’d probably still think I don’t have enough time to actually do it. Plus, if you’re keeping track of your professional achievements, this will also help you build up a portfolio.
  6. Understanding the Participatory News Consumer by Kristen Purcell, Lee Rainie, Amy Mitchell, Tom Rosenstiel and Kenny Olmstead – There’s some good data here on how people are consuming news. “Among those who get news online, 75% get news forwarded through email or posts on social networking sites and 52% share links to news with others via those means.”

And with that, I wish you a good night!

Tags: , , , , Category Community management, DR. WHAW?, Measurement, Melissa, public relations |

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DR. WHAW? – March 1, 2010

2010
03.01

This post was written by DR. WHAW? Contributor Clay Schossow.

I hope that everyone had a great weekend!  The US had a nail biter of a game against Canada, and while that one didn’t work out, we still had quite the showing at the Olympics.  I left my laptop at work over the weekend, the first time I can remember doing that in months.  So, I had a nice stack of things to read on Monday evening after work.  Here are some of my favorite posts I Didn’t Read While Hard At Work:

DR. WHAW? – March 1, 2010

  1. Make Your Corporate Websites Relevant by Incorporating Social Media — I always tell clients that their website is the “hub of their online activity.”  Everyday, I see a different brand trying to make their Facebook page or Blog the center of their online marketing, however, it’s impossible to ignore that a website is the only way to truly incorporate all of your other online efforts that add to marketing success.  This post does a great job of outlining what social media to incorporate into your site and how they can make your site more relevant and effective.  They are easy steps that can pay big dividends.
  2. New Report Suggests Corporate Blogging Has Reached a Saturation Point — This post looks at the adoption of corporate blogging by Fortune 500 companies and deduces that growth has leveled off, meaning that corporate blogging may have reached a saturation point.  While the facts are irrefutable in showing that big companies have leveled off in blogging, I don’t think it in any way means that corporate blogging has reached a saturation point.  While blogging may be an old school technique to some marketers, it’s still a new technology to many; like most technologies, you’ll have a spike in early adopters and then a leveling off point before others dive in.  That’s what’s happening with blogging.  It’s not done, just getting started.  Furthermore, media darlings like Twitter and Facebook make for nice, concrete stories, while blogging has a more nebulous and fluid history, which lessens the likelihood of PR attention, reducing the quick growth potential.  So, this study is interesting to read, but by no means should be read to say that blogging is dead.
  3. Magic Numbers of Agency Growth — A MUST READ for anyone who is looking to start their own agency.  Great post by Phil Johnson on different growth thresholds and how it affected how he ran his business.  He’s very candid and helpful in the article.  As someone who had a business double in size in the past year, I thought this was a really helpful and relevant article.  If you’ve started or ever dreamed of starting an agency, you should definitely check out this article.
  4. And Google Begat… — Great article on all of the Angel investors that have resulted from Google and the millionaires that it has spung off.  This story really shows the multiplier effect of innovation, as hundred of smart, young people are able now able to invest in other brilliant ventures due to the success of Google.  I love the idea that Google’s fortunes will not only result in a historical company, but also lead to hundreds of other successes via angel investments.
  5. Own Your Online Brand — I know it seems like I put Fred Wilson in every one of my posts, but what can I say, the guy pumps out really amazing content.  This post is about owning your online brand and how important it is to diversify your digital footprint.  I know our company has a rule that we wouldn’t hire anyone that isn’t present in several different online media, and it’s awesome to see a major VC enforcing the same rule and only hiring people that blog.  This post reinforces what I tell every class I teach: create compelling content and have authentic interactions with others.  Enjoy this great read.

Well, that’s What I Didn’t Read While Hard at Work Today.  Hope you enjoyed it and it helped smooth out the start to a new week!

Tags: , , , Category Clay, DR. WHAW?, Marketing, Social Media |

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